Ghost Cult continues our “2021 End of Year Guest Post Extravaganza” with a slew of posts from bands, industry, PR pros, and more! We’ll be sharing lists, memories, and other shenanigans from our favorite bands, partners, music industry peers, and other folks we respect across the globe. In this edition Opensight shares their Top Albums of 2021! Check out their latest video for the song “Plot Twist” https://youtu.be/c4RgNaqBOvs
London-based Cinematic Metal outfit Opensight spent most of 2021 working on their forthcoming 2022 album “Mondo Fiction”. They have unveiled a run of singles from it including a cool cover of the James Bond track “Thunderball” and their latest Crime and Thriller cut “Plot Twist”. Here’s their list of favourite 2021 releases:
Leprous – Aphelion
Stunningly atmospheric as ever for Leprous, with a refreshing and powerful groove making appearances throughout. Vocals are always amazing and sound even stronger here than in previous albums.
Vola – Witness
The tonality of Vola’s music never ceases to inspire. When was the last time you heard djent in major keys? Uplifting passages and broad, deep timbres throughout set this apart from other similar offerings.
Sleep Token – This Place Will Become Your Tomb
Put the metal aside for one moment. Sleep Token’s latest offering steps firmly away from their genre, drawing heavily from dark edm and soul influences.
21st Century Love Songs – The Wildhearts
The Wildhearts hit the spot again, big riffs, big drums, big bass and badass vocals in a beautifully organised chaos. Trademark Wildhearts harmonies in fantastic flow, along with massive riffs and dreamy melodies. Looking forward to seeing them live!
Bridge City Sinners – Unholy Hymns
Satanic bluegrass dark folk… love it. Also their many members are supremely talented in their own rights. A special mention to the song “Devil Like You”, with Lightnin’ Luke joining vocals, the dude’s got a set of pipes!
Cynic – Ascension Codes
An instantly recognisable Cynic album but still manages to progress their sound and innovate – with immersive soundscapes, spiralling intertwining guitars and ethereal vocals. New (ish) drummer Matt Lynch does an incredible job with live and programmed drums, delving into jazz and even drum ‘n’ bass in some passages and the bass synth (rather than conventional bass guitar) from Dave McKay brings a different feel to the overall sound, yet it works. How do you replace Sean Malone anyway? Overall, Cynic have delivered a prog metal masterpiece and it deserves to be widely recognised as such.
Green Lung – Black Harvest
The follow up to 2019’s fantastic ‘Woodland Rites’, Black Harvest cements the reputation Green Lung have been building with an accomplished, groove laden and atmospheric record. Starting with a statement of intent, ‘The Harrowing’ sets the mood, leading into the stomping ‘Old Gods’ – a feast of riffs and thumping drums that would make a certain Mr.Bonham proud. The addition of Hammond organ adds to the classic elements in the overall sound of the band. Each track on the album is a gem, proving Green Lung and far more than another Sabbath worship band.
Mastodon – Hushed and Grim
To say that this album takes you on a journey is understating the fact slightly. Clocking in at 86 mins 30, it’s Mastodon’s longest to date, yet it’s clearly a record made for listening to on vinyl in two halves, just like a good double album should be. Side 2 starts with the bonkers riff at the beginning of ‘Peace and Tranquility’ and has a totally different flavour to the first half. This stands out as one of their best for sure.
King Buffalo – The Burden of Restlessness
The Burden of Restlessness’ is a tour-de-force of stoner grooves, swirling soundscapes and experimental arrangements – switching between textures at the drop of a hat. The bass and drums are locked in tighter than a maximum security prison, the keys bring another dimension while the guitars and vocals weave in and out of the rhythmic shifts with introspective and thoughtful lyrics. The vocals are both calming and hypnotic, almost like a mantra. At times it sounds very simple but the musicianship is excellent and the execution is flawless – the band seem to be absolutely soaring at the moment.
Gojira – Fortitude
Gojira now have the kind of status where any new release is met by huge expectations and once again they do not disappoint. The opener ‘Born for One Thing’ showcases the now classic Gojira sound of huge riffs, battering ram drums and catchy vocal hooks. Songs like ‘Amazonia’ show the intelligence of a band not afraid to address environmental issues and experiment with instrumentation not usually associated with metal. ‘Another World’ is vintage Gojira, with huge technical sections mixed with singalong choruses that will be a joy to behold in stadiums and festival shows. Gojira have certainly mastered their craft, and this latest offering has a little bit of all the elements that have brought them to this point as true titans of the metal world.
Trivium – In The Court of The Dragon
An additional entry for the list but an amazing record. It’s a new Trivium album that harks back to the prog flavours of Shogun. Epic and heavy. Needs to be included here.