2021 Metal & Hard Rock Albums

At the Gates' seventh album, from July 2021: a concept record on philosophical pessimism, with saxophone and strings joining the band.

The Darkness's seventh album, released in November 2021: made across distances during the pandemic, and called good-time rock'n'roll by Justin Hawkins.

Fear Factory's tenth studio album, from June 2021. The vocals were recorded in 2017, and it is the last record to carry Burton C. Bell.

Cradle of Filth's thirteenth studio album, from October 2021, an existential record that looks squarely at the end of the species.

Saxon's first covers album, released on 19 March 2021. It went to number one on the UK Rock & Metal chart.

Archspire's fourth studio album, from October 2021, and winner of the 2022 Juno Award for Metal/Hard Music Album.

Carcass's seventh studio album, from September 2021, eight years after Surgical Steel and delayed over a year by the pandemic.

Converge's tenth studio album, from November 2021, made as a seven-piece with Chelsea Wolfe.

Spiritbox's debut album, from September 2021, by the two members who left Iwrestledabearonce to form the band.

Turnstile's third studio album, from August 2021, named album of the year by Spin for melting hardcore's borders.

Ministry's fifteenth album, out on 1 October 2021. It includes a reading of the Stooges' Search and Destroy.

Greta Van Fleet's second album, released on 16 April 2021 and produced by Greg Kurstin. Built on what the band saw while touring the world and framed in Biblical and ancient imagery, it reached No. 7 on the Billboard 200 and No. 1 on Top Rock Albums. The Japanese edition (UICY-15978) adds live versions of "Heat Above" and "Stardust Chords".

Gus G.'s fourth solo album and the first made entirely of guitar instrumentals. King Records released the Japanese edition on 6 October 2021, two days before the rest of the world. Both editions are two CDs, the second holding seven songs recorded live in Budapest in 2018.

The third Metalite album, released by AFM Records on 26 March 2021 and the second with Erica Ohlsson singing. Its eleven songs push the science-fiction themes further out. Marquee put the Japanese edition on sale two days earlier, on 24 March, with "Aftermath" added as a Japan-only bonus track for twelve.

The seventh Bullet for My Valentine album, released worldwide by Spinefarm on 5 November 2021 and presented by the band as their heaviest. The Japanese edition adds "Stitches" for eleven tracks, and its limited pressing carries a second disc of five songs recorded at Summer Sonic 2018.

The thirteenth L.A. Guns studio album, released by Frontiers Music on 12 November 2021. Marquee Incorporated issued the Japanese edition the same day as MICP-11659 with one bonus track. Eleven songs.

Sunburst, released on 29 December 2021, marks the band's fortieth anniversary. It is their first double album and the first record issued on their own label, Katana Music; earMUSIC released it worldwide in 2022.

A three-song single — the title track with "火花" and "Corallium" — all three of which carried over to the following year’s EP Unleash.

A fan-voted best-of spanning 2017 to 2021, closing on "Nameless Warrior" — the last song the original line-up recorded.

A four-song mini-album finished under the pandemic, and the most openly positive record the band has made.

The eighth studio album, a double record of fifteen songs. Its lead single "Pushing the Tides" was nominated for Best Metal Performance at the 64th Grammy Awards.

The second avex album — twelve songs, followed three weeks later by a European edition on Setsuzoku Records.

An eighth album that digs into werewolf legend country by country, with Jens Bogren and Joost van den Broek widening the band's sound another step.

TRiDENT’s first full album after the name change, establishing the trio’s restart, future-facing outlook and physical intensity across twelve tracks.

A three-track EP that imagines emerging above ground through forward motion, the clarity after rain and a quieter moment of reflection.

A three-track EP that turns confinement and survival into low-end weight, urgent speed and a determined wake-up call.

A five-track re-recording EP that rebuilds songs from the band’s earlier era as future-facing music for the three-member TRiDENT lineup.

The first full album turns miso soup, dating apps, sweets and obsessive everyday life into a reform manifesto powered by metalcore and electronic color.

An album that sharpens both aggression and melody, presenting BAND-MAID’s musicianship on a world-class hard-rock scale.

NEMOPHILA’s debut album, rebuilding its early independent songs into a worldwide statement of the band’s “hellishly heavy, otherwise fluffy” sound.

An international early compilation collecting NEMOPHILA’s three independent singles plus an English version of “DISSENSION.”

Too Mean to Die reaffirms the muscular, traditional heavy-metal language ACCEPT have defended for decades, now delivered with contemporary weight.

After a major shift in its vocal setup, Atreyu move toward more open melodies and larger choruses on Baptize.

Dark Connection pushes Beast in Black’s power-metal drive into a neon-lit, cyberpunk world shaped by eighties synth-pop.

Black Label Society’s eleventh album is packed with Zakk Wylde’s thick, sustaining riffs, blues-rooted phrasing and low-slung groove.

Hellbound strips Buckcherry’s straight-ahead hard rock down to its most immediate form.

Street Lethal rebuilds Crazy Lixx’s love of eighties hard rock and glam metal with modern punch and a cinematic sense of motion.

Crowne’s debut presents Scandinavian melodic-rock polish in a remarkably clear and accessible form.

Turning to Crime is Deep Purple’s first studio album built entirely from songs written by others.

The Puzzle / Snuggles is a useful way to hear DEVIN TOWNSEND from a different angle within the 2021 catalogue.

Dream Theater’s fifteenth studio album gathers complex rhythm, precision unison work and melodic vocals into long-form progressive-metal architecture.

Wired sharpens Eclipse’s modern melodic-rock momentum with very little wasted space.

Omega expands Epica’s symphonic-metal scale to a grand, carefully controlled level.

The Bitter Truth is Evanescence's comeback record, facing pain and recovery head-on with gothic shading in a more direct, contemporary rock sound.

Returning to the studio after a long gap, Exodus deliver an extended blast of uncompromising thrash metal.

Winterbane develops Frozen Crown’s strengths—speed, twin-guitar melody and clear vocals—into a more three-dimensional third album.

Union Gives Strength gathers Galneryus's dramatic melody, complex development and virtuosic playing into one record with a strong sense of unity.

Fortitude retains Gojira’s low-end groove, machine-like riffs and massive rhythmic force while allowing more melody and openness into the frame.

Centered on Steve Overland’s rich, expressive voice, Groundbreaker’s second album delivers smooth, high-quality melodic rock.

Heart, Mind and Soul tightly connects Hardline’s thick guitar riffs with soaring vocal melody.

Recorded in the Pumpkins United lineup with Kai Hansen and Michael Kiske alongside Andi Deris, this self-titled album is a major meeting point in Helloween’s history.

Senjutsu pushes Iron Maiden’s large-scale instincts further, layering riffs, melody, key changes and quiet space across extended songs.

Labyrinth’s ninth album places its trademark melancholy melody and bright Italian power-metal guitar work inside more varied arrangements.

Above the Beyond carefully balances Leverage’s transparent Scandinavian melodic-metal character with thick hard-rock riffing.

Wolfgang Van Halen handles vocals, guitar, bass and drums on this debut, establishing a musical identity of his own.

Made with a varied group of guest vocalists, Immortal feels like a celebration of Michael Schenker’s long career.

Nestor’s debut openly celebrates eighties melodic rock, but it carries more warmth than a simple revival exercise.

Named after the phrase “And The Band Played On,” ATBPO reasserts Night Ranger’s arena-rock momentum and the strength of its seasoned ensemble.

Werewolves of Portland again shows Paul Gilbert using the guitar not merely as a vehicle for speed, but as a singing voice.

Resurrection Day puts Rage’s twin-guitar lineup at the front, intensifying the mix of heavy riffs, speed and melodic guitar interplay.

Glory for Salvation expands the central pleasures of symphonic power metal on Rhapsody of Fire’s thirteenth album.

Built around Paul Shortino, Amir Derakh and Matt Thorne, Rough Cutt 3 arrives after a long gap with a sound that keeps traces of eighties L.A.

Lockdown 2020 is a covers album SAMMY HAGAR made remotely with friends during the restrictions of 2020, recasting each original in his positive sound.

With Ronnie Romero as its new vocalist, Sunstorm move toward firmer, more powerful melodic metal while retaining the smoother AOR character of earlier work.

21st Century Love Songs gathers the Wildhearts’ punk impulse, hard-rock weight and power-pop melodic gift into one restless body of work.

Trivium’s tenth album integrates thrash sharpness, metalcore aggression and progressive structure at high density.

Across a large sixteen-song running order, U.D.O. deliver traditional German heavy metal straight on.

W.E.T.’s fourth album brings the strengths of Jeff Scott Soto, Erik Martensson and Robert Säll into one focused band sound.

Parabellum expands Yngwie Malmsteen’s neoclassical-metal language into an even denser guitar orchestra.