2021 has produced plenty of stunning albums, and we’re not even half way through yet. UK metal has always provided albums worthy of the global stage. With the apocalypse of the past 18 months slowly coming to an end we can hopefully get to tearing it up in the mosh pits again soon enough. So for absolutely no other reason than to highlight that the UK has been slaying the metal scene in 2021, here are 6 albums worth your attention.
VEXED – Culling Culture
Kicking off we have one of the best releases of 2021 so far, and an absolutely stunning debut album. Culling Culture manages to take all the typical aspects of modern metal, and gel it all together in inventive and creative ways to create something truly original. VEXED display an astounding variety making it extremely difficult to label them with a singe genre. Brutal, ruthless and creative, VEXED have put the metal masses on notice.
As Everything Unfolds – Within Each Lies The Other
Another storming debut album from UK metal newcomers As Everything Unfolds. Sitting somewhere on that modern blurry line between post-hardcore and metalcore, with the melodic choruses intertwined with screaming downtuned chuggy passages. Bouncy rhythms with electronic backing very much in the modern melodic metal vein and a catchy singalong chorus. Vocalist Charlie Rolfe passes between Paramore‘s Hayley Williams and Kittie‘s Morgan Lander at will. Full of intrigue, heart and thoughtful songwriting, With Each Lies The Other is the start of a bright career.
Death Blooms – Fuck Everything
Ok so this is an EP rather than an album. So what. This is 15 minutes of pure unadulterated pissed off aggression from Liverpool’s Death Blooms. With a title like Fuck Everything did you expect anything less? There is obvious influence from Slipknot, Dope and other disgustingly brutal and uncompromising 2000’s era filth. Nuance and subtlety is not the aim here. Death Blooms haven’t broken any barriers, or blazed new ground. Like they give a fuck. They literally tell you so.
While She Sleeps – Sleeps Society
The fifth album from British metalcore’s While She Sleeps, released on their own record label after turning away from the mainstream record industry to forge a closer relationship with their fans. While She Sleeps have a unique method of interacting with fans, and their enduring popularity is evidence that it works. There is a synergy of the electronica and modern metalcore on Sleeps Society which is at it’s peak on this release, and is a terrific album as a result. Oh and they have fallen victim to the Simon Neil metalcore grand tour on Nervous. Not that it hurts.
Skarlett Riot – Invicta
Mixing a modern metalcore sound with a hint of symphonic metal helps Invicta stand out from the usual metalcore crowd. Vocalist Skarlett Drinkwater is terrific at the helm, with a tasteful use of growled vocals in the background. I particularly like the way Skarlett Riot use breakdown style guitar pauses during the verses to add a little extra spotlight on the vocals. The slower ballad tracks like Into Pieces show they are no one trick pony. Skarlett Riot on Invicta have nailed down their sound, and sound better than every before.
Evile – Hell Unleashed
Rounding off the list we have UK thrash royalty Evile, who have undergone a soft reboot on their 2021 release Hell Unleashed. Ol Drake now taking over vocal duties, Evile have carved out one of the thrash highlights of 2021 with an album so brutally fast and aggressive your skull will visibly depress under the sheer weight of the destructive riffing. The title track (and closing out the album) is thrash metal at it’s devastating pinnacle. This new chapter for Evile couldn’t have started any stronger.
So add these 6 albums to your rotation immediately, and bathe in the might of some belting albums straight from the UK metal scene. If no other UK metal bands release an album for the rest of 2021, then it has already been a stellar year. Expect a selection of the above to appear on plenty of album of the year contenders come Christmas. You can bet your tea and crumpets on it.
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