Best Metal Albums of March 2021
It's time to get caught up
March wasn’t quite the same smorgasbord of great metal that February was, it was also one of the more tumultuous months of my life so far. I packed up and left the west coast, where I’d been for the past 17 years of my life, and threw everything into a car (and a moving van that’s still in the San Fernando Valley) and dipped out to Tennessee. It was a wild ride, and I appreciate all of y’all being more than patient as I got everything sorted out. But y’all aren’t here to hear me whine, you’re here for some sick riffs. Well in the immortal words of Ariel the mermaid, “You want sick riffs? I’ve got plenty” and indeed I do.
A Pregnant Light - Kiss Me Thru The Phone
A Pregnant Light breaks expectations by doing something fairly straight across the plate. The ambitious voicemail focused project proves itself as more than just a gimmick as it unleashes some of the year's most iconic riffs and guitar sections. And it certainly doesn't hurt that the lead vocalist sounds almost exactly like a harsher version of Fucked Up’s lead vocalist. The album cover and title might throw you off but don’t let them keep you away from one of 2021’s best albums.
Grorr - Ddulen’s Last Flight
If you’re someone who loves complex instruments like those found in Tool but cannot stand the ongoing need of bands to show off how complex they can get, the Grorr is the group for you. Instead of getting weirder and wilder with each riff or time signature, they’ve found a perfect middle ground of complexity and then managed to up the challenge by implementing instruments from all around the world. What results is a sound that is easy to get addicted to and that unfurls itself beautifully each time you revisit it.
https://vicisolumrecords.com/album/ddulden-s-last-flight
Autarkh - Form in Motion
Autarkh is a bit of an anomaly in the metal world. They’re a bit too reliant on electronics to be considered a traditional metal band but they’re nowhere near electronic enough to leave the general sphere of metal’s influence. If you’ve grown bored of tasteful, acceptable metal, then Autarkh is here for you. They’ve managed to shove together so many different elements that it really should be one of the worst things to be released this year, that they’ve turned such a strange set of ingredients into a five-star meal makes them master chefs in my eyes.
Beaten to Death - Laat Maar, Deel Vier:Ik Verhuis Naar Endor
Speaking of things that are tasteless, Beaten to Death. This absolutely unhinged grindcore outfit has some of the least approachable music I’ve ever heard, and sometimes it blips into being something extremely beautiful. If you’ve never heard grindcore, you’re in for quite the learning curve, but if you can stick with it this band will absolutely reward your patience. Also I’m pretty confident this album is about Endor, from Star Wars, but who really knows.
Bríi - Sem Propósito
After releasing one of the most compelling records of 2020, Entre Tudo que é Visto e Oculto, Bríi is back with another titanic piece of atmospheric black metal and atmospheric electronic. I also recently learned that one of the band members from Kaatayra, the other phenomenal black metal group from Brazil, is behind this project, which makes a lot of sense. This record is a lot more electronic focused than Entre Tudo que é Visto e Oculto was, it actually reminds me of Prurient or Vatican Shadow at times. Luckily, those a great things to be reminded of, and it seems as though Bríi will be sticking around on this letter for years to come.
Mare Cognitum - Solar Paroxysm
Cosmic black metal titans Mare Cognitum have returned with another blistering array of tracks to feast upon. Stretching out like the infinite universe itself, Solar Paroxysm successfully attempts to recapture the magic of last year’s collaboration with Spectral Lore, Wanderers: Astrology of the Nine. Their riffs are fierce as ever, the vocals fully capable of ripping a hole in space-time, and the songs remain long as hell. It’s exactly what you want from cosmic black metal, it’s exactly what you get.
Dvne - Etemen Ænka
Self-described as a combination of doom metal, post metal, and prog rock, Dvne’s Etemen Ænka has a lot going for it beyond it’s gorgeous album cover. In keeping with the traditions of prog rock, the instruments on this bad boy are nigh-capable of inducing psychosis, but those manic instrumental passages are grounded by doomy guitar tones. These ultimately help lend a sense of weight and intensity to the often fleeting twinkle of prog instruments, and imbue the record with a sound that is entirely its own. I’ve personally got the feeling that this one will be rising through the ranks come July and December when it’s time to make lists.