Best of 2021

 6) Obscura - A Valediction

Upon the release of the first single I was reasonably excited for this record. Then another single dropped and that excitement increased. I was thinking this is going to be the Obscura album that finally makes the list. Then the full album dropped and I didn't know what to make of it at first. The problem is there was a lot of stellar technical death metal released this year and this one sounded a little dated, a little safe. I took some time, re-listened to everything, came back to this album and it started to grow on me. The record started to feel familiar, nostalgic. At first I couldn't put my finger on it and then seeing who they got for the clean vocals on the track When Stars Collide it suddenly occurred to me.

This album sounds like a mature and polished release from the Swedish melodic death metal scene of the late 90's. Once I started looking at this album through that lens the position on my list was secured. In Flames, Soilwork, Dark Tranquility, Arch Enemy, these are the bands that kept me alive during the harder times of my youth. Even though these bands are still producing records they all changed, modernized, sold out. I don't blame them for it, we all gotta make a living and stagnation is boring. The era of great melodic death metal is largely over, so any album that can bring me back to that time, that can remind me why I got into this music to begin with, is welcome here.