Figured I might as well jump on this since we're a day into the new year and I've already found something I like. The single released for Grima's new album Rotten Garden sounds very promising:

https://grima.bandcamp.com/album/rotten-garden

I took too long, should have listened to the new Begotten Ep by now.

Still January 1st and already heard a fantastic 2021 release.... Ominous Glory's debut The Elven Dream. Symphonic power metal from Pennsylvania, USA, of all places. At 80 minutes the album's long as fuck, but it didn't wear out its welcome during my initial listen.

https://ominousglory.bandcamp.com/album/the-elven-dream

So far only digital download, but they're trying to get out a CD release as well.

Transilvania released their second album on january first.

Maquahuitl - Con Su Pistola en La Mano [EP]

https://balamku.bandcamp.com/album/con- ... en-la-mano

I really love this, really good black metal with some folk influences. The biggest surprise is track #2 because it features some latin music. I think it's cumbia but not sure. Not up to key with different types of Mexican music. Sad because I am Mexican myself. But it works really well.

Nice. I forgot about Grima. I really liked one of their albums from 4-5 years ago.

you can expect a new Nervosa album coming early this year, also new Exodus, that is well overdue!


www.metaldevastationradio.com

I'm probably a bit thick but could OP perhaps outline a bit what "worthwhile album" actually is meant to mean in context of this thread?
Is it meant to be potential aoty-list albums? Is it supposed to be "this new album is pretty good" akin to recommendations? Is it "you guys should look out for this album that is released in tree weeks" which is pretty close to promotion?
I don't have a problem with any of them, but it's going to be a mess if you don't flesh it out a bit.

You didn't follow the one from '20? We did them in '19 and '18 as well, maybe even further back, but I didn't feel the need to search further, and each one has been started by a different person, so it just looks to be a tradition people have latched onto, which at this point has whatever subjective interpretation you want it to. Personally I tend to bring up albums that I feel have a chance to make my own personal top 10 of the year, at least based on my initial impression or feelings about it at that particular moment.

It's basically just a recommended new release thread, but with the trajectory the annual thread title has been going through the years, one day it will read "albums in 20XX you would grudgingly listen to".

Svrm - Розпад
https://svrm.bandcamp.com/

The kind of BM Svrm has been putting out, but this is an improvement over last years album and more in line with what I loved about 2018's Лихиї вітри стогнуть без упину.

Quite possible this new one becomes my favorite of his, at least the 1st impressions seem to indicate so, time will tell.

The second, new metal that you think is good and want to share with others. If it's not worthwhile, you don't share it.

Cheers. I just got a bit confused with stuff like this:

I liked this demo release by morbid sphere . Nice death/black styled music featuring members of Yellow eyes and other known bands from New York.

https://morbidsphere.bandcamp.com/

Supposedly an LP will be out some time this year.

I think I started one back in like, 2012, can't remember if it was the first one, but it was intended to split apart the prerelease hype posts from the already out "check out this finished thing" posts. Basically it's just a rec thread for anything you think is worthwhile having a listen to, specifically after you've heard the full thing and it's available to hear. Doesn't specifically need to be AOTY contender, but ya know, good.

And yeah, since these threads are so long, try to give a bit of a sales pitch so people are more tempted to try out the thing.

Posts like that shouldn’t be in this thread. They should be in the most anticipated thread.

Either that, or create a new thread for the album if it's a huge release that was just announced that lots of people will be anticipating, like a new Blood Incantation or Judas Priest album. Post here if there's actually music that's been released for people to listen to.

Born of Thorns- The End-Time Continuum (melodic black metal)
https://officialbornofthorns.bandcamp.com/releases

I received a three song promo of theirs to review way back in 2001 when I got the new guy treatment for Chronicles of Chaos (remember them?) and was assigned to handle demo submissions. Discovered a few decent acts this way but Born of Thorns was by far the best of the lot. Despite them only a couple short releases in the last two decades I haven't forgotten about them. Seemingly out of nowhere they have a full length streaming and it sounds pretty fantastic. There's some elements of Emperor and Borknagar I'm picking up on during my first listen.

Anyway, pretty excited they have their debut album out after existing for almost a quarter of a century.

Sounds really cool, thanks for that.
Your intro story got me curious (plus any mention of Emperor makes me wet) so I gave it a spin while doing some work. It didn't floor me, but I found it quite good. Granted, I was not focusing 100% on the music. Will give it more spins. Great metal already being released on the first week of the year...!! Honestly, people who say they cannot come up with a top 10 or top 20 either have very weird tastes or are just trying to be edge lords...

Enjoyed that - had moments from everyone I already like (Gamma Ray to Stratovarius), will definitely keep an eye out for a physical release !

Maybe I'm just cheap, but $15 US for a digital release of a band nobody has heard of seems steep - that's basically $20 CAD. I was interested in this because Mindmaze was hyping it up, but I'll just avoid checking it out.

I really liked "Decline" from last year, I'm excited to check this out.

Nah, I agree, that's VERY steep for a digital release. Hopefully the CD price will be more reasonable when they put that out. Even that might be pricey just for the fact that the album is slightly above 80 minutes which would probably necessitate it being two discs, unfortunately.

I didn't even see that it's 80 minutes, but now my interest has declined even further :/

I listened to the first couple songs, and the main riff in track 2 sounds a lot like that joke song Sum 41 put out called "Pain for Pleasure".

New year, same misuse of this thread. This thread is for records that have already been released, not upcoming ones, so OP got this whole thing started on the wrong foot. Upcoming albums go here: viewtopic.php?f=1&t=129507&start=120

Checked out the debut album from Legion (UK) entitled "Legion I" this morning. Some pretty good black metal mixed with heavy metal and some dungeon synth/dark ambient interludes.

https://legionblackmetal.bandcamp.com/album/legion-i

Death Kommander - Pro Patria Mori
Pretty cool mid paced, Bolt Thrower style death metal. Some great riffs and the occasional well integrated melody.

Midnight Spell's debut full-length is some great heavy metal: https://midnightspell.bandcamp.com/album/sky-destroyer

Speaking of Bolt Thrower vibes, someone mentioned Frozen Soul in the NP thread, and their just-released album Crypt of Ice is also in that mold, and pretty solid. People are calling them "Cold Thrower", which I suppose is apropos. It's of course super early and it has virtually no competition yet, but it's my album of the year (lol) so far. I'm sure plenty of stuff will come out later that I'll prefer, but even by the end I could easily see it still being at least an honorable mention.

I gave it a listen yesterday - I thought it was decent but not overly impressive. I am planning on giving it a few more goes though, so we'll see if it's a slow burner.

Thanks for mentioning this. I had a listen this morning and it's pretty good. Quality dips a bit in the middle, but I really liked the first four songs, as well as the last two. Some of the lyrics are shit, but what you gonna do?

Hmm, interesting. I found two songs in the middle to be my favourite on the album (Mercy/Sky Destroyer)

Saber's new full-length Without Warning, although I didn't like it as much as Midnight Spell, is also pretty good, and I don't think it's been mentioned before. Also Konquest's debut, I already liked the demo they put out last year but the album is even better.

Ofstingan - Blasphemous Conqueror
https://ofstingan.bandcamp.com/releases

Quite enjoyed this debut EP. Reminds me a lot the beginning of Black Metal, early Mayhem, Celtic Frost.

Nothing ground breaking, but it sure makes for a pleasant nostalgic trip.

Those couple of songs by Ruins of Beverast show they are continuing with direction Exuvia took. Though Rain upon the Impure is one of my favorite albums ever, I don't mind this doom centered atmospheric black metal approach he's taken. Excited !

Exactly! I'd ask the OP or one of the mods to clarify this in the title. Something like:
Worthwhile albums released in 2021 (full albums only)

My contribution to this thread. So far I've been listening to:
1. Malakhim - Theion
Black metal from Sweden in the vein of Watain. This is released on Iron Bonehead.
https://ironboneheadproductions.bandcam ... him-theion

2. Frozen Soul - Crypt of Ice
Like mentioned before, this is a solid death metal release. I'm still reeling from the killer death metal releases from 2020 (Black Curse etc) so I haven't been won over by Frozen Soul yet. Hoping this will be a grower.

I've got some local bias here but the debut EP from Mother Of Graves is some great stuff. Strongly recommended if you like Paradise Lost or Novembers Doom.

https://wisebloodrecords.bandcamp.com/a ... ber-dreams

I've listened to them both, and both have some really great songs on them. "The Vision" on the Konquest album might be a little too on-the-nose with the Hallowed Be Thy Name section in the middle. Jesus, the drum fills are almost note-for-note the same.

K.F.R - Shayṭān 2.0

Pretty good black metal/dark ambient stuff if you're into that genre. Creepy vibes.

https://kfr-dajjal.bandcamp.com/album/shay-n-20