My Top 30 Most Listened to Heavy Metal Albums in 2021

 MY TOP 30 MOST LISTENED TO ALBUMS OF 2021

The second part of my listening retrospective of 2021 takes a look back at the albums I listened to more frequently last year. It includes both new releases and albums dating back from as far as the 80s, and I will make a few brief comments about the top 10 albums from this list because they were certainly relevant to my listening habits and the types of metal I enjoyed most in the past year.

1. IRON MAIDEN- Senjutsu

The most anticipated album of 2021 has not failed to meet my expectations, as matter of fact I find it a lot more exciting to listen to than their previous two records. Some people find it excessively long and bloated, but I don’t agree at all with them. The more I listen to “Senjutsu”, the more fascinating I find it, and I discover new elements in those really long songs some people are complaining about, so it’s no wonder I played it on repeat and it occupied the top spot in my listening chart even if it was launched in September. Dark, brooding, often surprising, and full of great songs which have the potential to become Maiden classics- such as the title track, “Stratego”, “Hell on Earth” or “Death or the Celts”, to mention the ones which impressed me the most so far- that is ‘Senjutsu’, a truly great album for me.

2. HELLOWEEN- Helloween

The iconic band which put European power metal on the map is back in a big way with an aptly self-titled masterpiece that brings together members from all eras of the band and blends together the classical 80s Helloween sound with the modern one in a skillful manner, so it’s no surprise that I have also given this amazing release the attention it deserves by listening to it frequently. The sheer brilliance and complexity of ‘Skyfall’, a 12-minute classic that represents the highlight of this album and one of my favorite songs of 2021, combined with the greatness of other impressive tracks such as ‘Out for the Glory’ and ‘Fear of the Fallen’, and the enjoyment I experience when I listen to short tracks with memorable choruses that stick in my brain, such as ‘Best Time’ or ‘Mass Pollution’, all these reasons make me love this album and hope that Helloween will continue to make great music in this extended formula that works like magic.

3. THERION- Leviathan

The Swedish masters of symphonic metal have returned in 2021 with a release in which they abandoned the epic, bombastic, and complex sound that used to characterize their work in favor of a more stripped-down, straightforward, with short, punchy songs with memorable choirs, in other words, a collection of hits that I found highly enjoyable, and the fact that it was launched at the beginning of the year helped it reach a high position in my listening chart. The title track, ‘Tuonela’, ‘Eye of Algol’, ‘El Primer Sol’ are the highlights of ‘Leviathan’, but basically all the tracks offer me an enjoyable experience, it’s a perfect choice when I feel like listening to something really melodic and accessible.

4. SEPULTURA- Beneath the Remains

The first classical recorded which has landed in my chart is indicative of my appreciation of this legendary band’s career early career and for thrash metal in general. It seems to me that the truly great albums belonging to this aggressive, energetic, but also melodic genre never seem to get outdated. The feelings of anger, frustration, the refusal to conform blindly to the standards of a society that has so many flaws, the critical view of so many negative aspects that make our lives worse, all these elements are still as actual today as they were in 1989. Add to this great musicianship, tons of heavy riffs and hooks, powerful solos, and memorable chorus of tracks like ‘Inner Self’, ‘Stronger than Hate’, ‘Mass Hypnosis’ or ‘Slaves of Pain’ and you will understand why I felt like this record over and over again in 2021.

  5. TODD LA TORRE- Rejoice in the Suffering

The solo album from Queensryche's lead vocalist has been a revelation for me, so I gave it the attention it deserved, which allowed it to finish the year close to the top of my countdown. I dare say "Rejoice..." is better than the 3 albums Todd has made with Queensryche so far, it's definitely heavier and it's full of catchy songs, and its heaviness perfectly matches Todd's voice. It's hard for me to mention the highlights of this album because almost all the tracks are top-notch. It's a really solid piece of music!

6. PARADISE LOST- Obsidian

One of my favorite albums of 2020 was still often present on my schedule last year, probably because it is very fit for the dark times humanity is going through, but in a different manner than Sepultura. Sadness, fear, sometimes anger, but also moments of meditation on the misery of the human condition are feelings I associate with great tracks like 'Darker Thoughts", 'Fall from Grace" or 'Ravenghast.''

7 & 8. OVERKILL- Ironbound & The Wings of War

The New Jersey thrash veterans have made their way into the top 10 with two releases which I consider to the best ones of the latest part of their career.  The vitality, energy, and hunger for creating music they show at their age are mind-blowing, and I'm convinced they will keep it for a few more years and come with exciting material again. I will mention my top 3 songs from each album, but there are plenty of other excellent tracks I enjoy on both releases: "Ironbound", ''The Hand and Heart" and "In Vain'' from "Ironbound", and "Last Man Standing", ''Where Few Dare to Walk" and "Believe in the Fight" from "The Wings of War."

9. HALFORD- Resurrection

A surprising presence in my top 10, which marked a remarkable comeback from a true metal icon who returned to the roots of metal after unsuccessfully experiencing other types of music. The title track, "Silent Screams'', "Cyberworld" or ''Made in Hell" are among the remarkable tracks which indicated that after going through some tough times, true heavy metal was alive and well in the year 2000!

10. SEPULTURA- Arise

What I wrote earlier about "Beneath the Remains"' is also relevant for "Arise", another thrash tour de force. The stellar triple which opens the record- "Arise", ''Dead Embryonic Cells" and "Desperate Cry"- is so impressive that it's hard for me to think of a greater start of a metal album. "Arise'' is in its whole a timeless classic that will help Sepultura maintain its place in the pantheon of metal legends, regardless of the lower quality of the material which followed after Max Cavalera's departure.

This is the rest of my top 30 most listened albums in 2021:

11. KK'S PRIEST- Sermons of the Sinner

12. SEPULTURA- Schizophrenia

13. OVERKILL- Horrorscope

14. ACCEPT- Too Mean to Die

15. ICED EARTH- Horror Show

16. BRUCE DICKINSON- Tyranny of Souls

17. CHILDREN OF BODOM- Follow the Reaper

18. HELLOWEEN- The Dark Ride

19. IRON MAIDEN- The X Factor

20. ORDEN OGAN- Final Days

21. OZZY OSBOURNE- Diary of a Madman

22. SACRED REICH- The American Way

23. EXUMER- Hostile Defiance

24. METAL CHURCH- The Human Factor

25. SAVATAGE- Streets- A Rock Opera

26. JUDAS PRIEST- Point of Entry

27. SAVATAGE- Dead Winter Dead

28. EPICA- Omega

29. EXUMER- The Raging Tides

30. LEAVES'EYES- The Last Viking

My Listening Year in Metal Part 1: My Top 10 Most Played Bands of 2021

 In darkness and light, in hope and negativity, in good and bad times rock and metal music has been my constant companion throughout 2021, as it has been for many years, so now it’s time to take a look back at my most played bands, albums and tracks of this year according to the stats provided by Last.FM. I have decided to split this article in 2 parts since it’s probably going to be a little longer than I initially intended.

PART 1 OF 2- MY TOP 10 MOST PLAYED BANDS OF 2021

1. Iron Maiden

2. Helloween

3. Sepultura

4. Overkill

5. Therion

6. Sodom

7.Ozzy Osbourne

8.Megadeth

9.Motorhead

10.Paradise Lost

Iron Maiden took the top spot by a large margin, and how could they not be this year’s winners after releasing this masterful piece of work called “Senjutsu”? In addition to that, I revisited the entire Maiden discography in December, listening to all their studio albums in chronological order because I have decided to post my ranking of their work, so it’s no they wonder they were the detached winners this year, followed by another legendary band, German power metal icons Helloween, which also delighted me in 2021 with their self-titled masterpiece, so it’s great to see that these bands still have a lot of energy and inspiration to create fantastic music.

Things get heavier in the next two positions, occupied by Sepultura and Overkill mostly because I have revisited their early material, without ignoring their last creations either. Anyway, in the case of Sepultura it’s no surprise that I still greatly enjoy their golden years, the period between 1987 and 1993, in which they had a fabulous streak of great albums. As for Overkill, there are two periods of their career I really dig, the former being the late 80s and early 90s, and the latter being the last decade, and especially their most recent creation, “Wings of War.” They never cease to amaze with their vitality after reaching a respectable age as well!

As for the rest of the top 10, Therion keeps symphonic metal in a high position thanks to their accessible last album, Sodom, which also released a pretty good album at the end of last year, represent my most listened to German thrash metal band of the moment, Ozzy is still in the top 10 mostly thanks to the first decade of his solo career, the 80s, Megadeth occupy an honorable 8^th place mostly thanks to their classical period, from the 80s to mid-90s, but I expect them to aim at the top position next year if their new release meets my expectations, Motorhead, although not one of my favorite bands, reach the top 10 since in 2021 I decided to pay more attention to some of the albums in their vast discography which I have ignored in the past, and Gothic metal Paradise Lost add more diversity to this chart since they also have a lot of quality material to revisit from time to time.

Bonus: To see the next 20 positions in my list of bands played in 2021 you can check the playlist at the right sidebar of this blog,

Flashback: Memories of a Journey by the Mocănița Steam Train(2019)

 It’s Saturday morning in the small town of Vișeu de Sus, in Maramureș County, Romania. I have come to this amazing region on a weekend trip to discover some of its treasures, but the highlight of

my journey is undoubtedly represented by the narrow gauge steam train, called in Romanian “Mocănița”, a wonder from the past which is still alive and well as it travels every day across the last forestry narrow gauge steam railway in Europe.

At 9:30 a.m. all the passengers are embarked on the train and the journey can begin. It’s going to take quite a long time for the old train to complete the short 18-kilometer trip along the Vaser River Valley to the Paltin station, which is the final destination for tourists, but speed is certainly not the reason for which I am here; in this case, the whole experience of this hopefully fascinating journey certainly matters a lot more than the destination!

After several kilometers in which the little steam-powered train goes through villages with houses on both sides of the track, the view becomes more spectacular as we enter the forest and the landscape is getting wilder, but the presence of human activity is visible all the time as there are areas in which we can see logs by the riverside waiting to be loaded in the wagons and transported to the home village. Thus, the Vaser Valley forestry railway turns out to be much more than a nostalgia trip for tourists; on the contrary, it still plays an active role and it’s still as vital for the local communities as it was back in the 1930s when it was inaugurated!

All of a sudden the train stops right by the side of the mountain because of a mechanical problem and the unexpected break lasts for about half an hour. Passengers become a little anxious as time passes by, but eventually, the intervention team fixes the problem and the train moves on; the delay means that the journey to the Paltinu station will be completed in 2 hours instead of 90 minutes, as it was scheduled, but the exquisite beauty of the wild landscape soon takes my mind off this small inconvenient as I try to enjoy the last part of the journey. After all, slightly unpleasant events like that make the trip more authentic as the Mocanita has kept its unique appeal precisely because it offers visitors the chance to see what it was like for real to travel by steam train and understand that it was sometimes an uncomfortable, even troublesome experience.

Finally, we arrive at the Paltinu station and we get off the train for an hour and a half. There, in the middle of the wilderness, we can admire the majestic rocky landscape and enjoy some food and drinks. Unfortunately, there aren’t enough food stalls for all the tourists who are hungry and thirsty after such a long journey, so we have to stand in quite a long line, and that is really the most unpleasant part of this adventure, but once get over it we soon forget those less exciting moments and focus once again on the natural splendor and the fresh air which fill our hearts and lungs with joy and vitality.

At 1:20 P.M. the journey back to civilization begins. Once again the locomotive is huffing and puffing as a black cloud of smoke rises into the air and the small steam-powered train slowly makes its way on the narrow railway, allowing me to enjoy the stunning views of the mountain. At around 3:00 P.M. the Mocănița arrives back at the starting point. It’s the end of a long, quite exhausting, but also highly rewarding and unique adventure that I will always remember with great pleasure!

Sunday Morning Chillout in the Park of My Town, Onești

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Sibiu- the City Where The Houses Have Eyes

 

A few years ago I was walking through the old town of the stunningly beautiful Transylvanian city of Sibiu when I noticed several houses whose rooftops had some truly unique features: the windows in the attics looked like eyes. The first house I observed, which had five eye-shaped windows appeared particularly creepy to me, and for a while I kept having an odd feeling whenever I looked at the pictures I made on that summer day.

However, this is not an uncommon sight in the historical center of Sibiu. Many of the houses you can admire there contain such weird and wonderful windows which are known as the “city’s eyes.” The strange feeling I experienced when I first saw the house with five eyes, which was the first one that drew my attention, was that it was alive and watching me!

In a way, those eyes can be viewed as the guardians of the old city. They are located in a public square and some of those houses were built as early as the 15th century, so they witnessed a lot of important events in the history of Sibiu! If I were a writer of horror stories I think the “city’s eyes” would represent a source of inspiration for a scary tale that I would entitle “The Houses Have Eyes.” Anyway, people who visit the old center of Sibiu should keep in mind that the city’s eyes are always watching them!

Of course, those eye-shaped windows are not necessarily creepy, it depends on how each person perceives them after taking a closer look at these weird, but wonderful architectural elements. Nowadays when I look at those pictures again those eyes seem to be looking at me in a much friendlier manner than the one I had in mind when I first saw them. I see them as a gateway to the past of the splendid city of Sibiu, as they seem to encapsulate the rich cultural heritage of this fabulous Transylvanian citadel.

The more I look at those eyes, the more I feel that they are more than simple windows, as they also have the more important purpose of communicating with those who visit the narrow streets and lovely squares of the old citadel, and the message they try to convey is simple, yet extremely powerful: "We are the eyes of the city and we're watching all of you. If you come with good intentions and you want to experience the treasures of this wonderful Transylvanian citadel, you are truly welcome!"

A Look at My Spotify Stats for 2020

 

2020 has been an awful year for me, not necessarily because of the Coronavirus pandemic, but mostly because I lost someone very dear to me, so in these times the moral support and boost I got from listening to my favorite types of music, hard rock and metal, has been essential in helping me cope with the huge sadness and grief I went through. Heavy metal was here for me in my darkest moments of 2020 and will undoubtedly stay with me for as long as I live!

As for my listening stats for 2020, I have to say that the mail sent to me by Spotify in early December, which presents a short review of my listening habits for this cursed year, does not reflect the whole picture, because I also use Youtube Music for my auditions, therefore I can have an accurate picture of my 2020 year in music by consulting my stats on Last.fm, which I'm going to do in a future post, so for this article, I will only take a brief look at my Spotify 2020 wrapped and draw a few conclusions based on it.

1. MY TOP BAND- OVERKILL

Last year they were in second place, but thanks to their fabulous 2019 release 'The Wings of War' which also made me feel like listening to some of their older and great stuff more frequently in 2020,  the thrash metal veterans from New Jersey took the top spot. They fully deserve to be in this position because they're one of those few bands which sound better as they advance in age. To me Overkill sounds as fresh as energetic as they were 3 decades ago, and their latest album is absolutely stunning. As you can see, 'Where Few Dare to Walk' is my favourite songs from 'The Wings of War', but really all the songs from this album are at least very good, if not great. I think that, out of all the bands which put thrash metal on the map in the 80s, Overkill is the most enduring and consistent, as they have a remarkable catalog of 19 studio albums, some of them being truly fantastic, such as their latest one!

2. MY TOP 5 BANDS- ONLY CLASSICS HERE

Spotify is not very detailed in terms of stats, so it only offered me a top 5 of my favorite bands from 2020, just like it did last year. The first thing I can say about this Top 5 is that thrash metal heavyweights took the lead this year, replacing traditional heavy metal classics like Judas Priest(last year's winners) and Iron Maiden, which are probably still in my top 10, but Spotify doesn't bother showing us too much, as unfortunately, it doesn't show our top albums either. Anyway, the presence of symphonic metal veterans Therion in this chart shows that there is some variety in the metal I usually listen to, but nothing can beat thrash in my musical world for the time being. 

3. MY TOP 5 GENRES- PRETTY AMBIGUOUS HERE

Speaking of less accurate stats, this is where Spotify really is at its worst. I mean, of course, metal and rock are my favorite types of music, but what kind of metal and what kind of rock? I suppose thrash metal and traditional heavy metal, maybe hard rock would replace metal and rock if Spotify did a better job. Anyway, no surprises here as I love power metal and thrash metal is mentioned here in the form of the new wave,thanks to bands like Havok and Warbringer which in my opinion are at least as good as the old boys of thrash, and they will keep on growing in quality!

4. MY TOP 5 SONGS- WARBRINGER TAKES THE GOLD MEDAL

Speaking of Warbringer, they are the winners of my Top Songs category, not with a track from their latest release, which is truly great, but with fabulous songs from their previous album, 'Voe to the Vanquished.' The track 'Remain Violent' is one of the tunes I found repeatedly on the daily mixes made by Spotify based on my preferences, and I found it so damn catchy that I played it on repeat several times, which I don't do with many songs. Anyway, two more thunderous thrashers from Kreator and Overkill, a power metal tune full of hooks and an unbelievably catchy chorus from German band Orden Organ and a more melancholic track, a semi-ballad from the one and only Motorhead made me my top 5, but of course, this was a close call, and these are not necessarily my favorite tunes at the moments, they're just the ones I played most frequently.

 5. MY TOP DECADE- THE 90S

I cannot put an end to this article without mentioning that my favorite decade of 2020 was the 90s according to Spotify, and the aforementioned "Love Me Forever" by Motorhead was my top song from that decade. This doesn't mean that I like the music of the 90s more than other decades, but those were the years in which I discovered hard rock and metal and it isn't a surprise that I have some feelings of nostalgia about that decade, and that is probably why I listen to the music of that decade quite often. 

6. MY TOP PODCAST- THE HEAVY METAL HANGOVER

2020 was the year in this I started listening to podcasts on Spotify and, even if I tried to listen to shows related to a variety of topics, heavy metal was my first choice, and after trying several podcasts, I found one which I truly love- The Heavy Metal Hangover. I was captivated by the discussions between the two hosts, Chris and Jay, as soon as I started listening to the first episode in that series, and I kept on listening to them for several months as the podcast started in 2018 and I had many episodes to discover. It's highly entertaining and truly interesting to the hosts analyzing metal in its multiple aspects, and I can never get bored listening to them, so this is by far my favorite podcast on Spotify for the time being.

                                  

💀💀💀

That was my short analysis of my Spotify year wrapped. 2020 was full of sadness and misfortunes for me, as it was probably for a lot of people, but listening to heavy metal helped me a lot and I know that it is here to stay and make life more exciting and more pleasant for years to come. Long live heavy metal!