CRITICS’ LISTS 2021

JERRY EWING (Editor)

1 THE AMORPHOUS ANDROGYNOUS We Persuade Ourselves We Are Immortal (FSOLDIGITAL.COM)

2 SEL BALAMIR Swell (ROCKOSMOS)

3 ISILDURS BANE & PETER HAMMILL In Disequilibrium (ATARAXIA)

4 THE ANCHORESS The Art Of Losing (KSCOPE)

5 DREAM THEATER A View From The Top of The World (INSIDEOUT)

6 CARAVAN It’s None Of Your Business (MADFISH)

7 SILVER LAKE BY ESA HOLOPAINEN Silver Lake By Esa Holopainen (NUCLEAR BLAST)

8 LEPROUS Aphelion (INSIDEOUT)

9 MASTODON Hushed And Grim (REPRISE)

10 STEVE HACKETT Under A Mediterranean Sky (INSIDEOUT)

11 TRANSATLANTIC The Absolute Universe (INSIDEOUT)

12 BIG BIG TRAIN Common Ground (ENGLISH ELECTRIC RECORDINGS)

13 LIFESIGNS Altitude (LIFESIGNSMUSIC.CO.UK)

14 FROST* Day And Age (INSIDEOUT)

15 AURI II: Those We Don’t Speak Of (NUCLEAR BLAST)

16 NMB Innocence & Danger (INSIDEOUT)

17 SWALLOW THE SUN Moonflowers (CENTURY MEDIA)

18 GOJIRA Fortitude (ROADRUNNER)

19 TRIFECTA Fragments (KSCOPE)

20 LIQUID TENSION EXPERIMENT LTE3 (INSIDEOUT)

NATASHA SCHARF (Deputy Editor)

1. LEPROUS Aphelion (INSIDEOUT)

2 WARDRUNA Kvitravn (MUSIC FOR NATIONS)

3 AURI II: Those We Don’t Speak Of (NUCLEAR BLAST)

4 THE ANCHORESS The Art Of Losing (KSCOPE)

5 STEVEN WILSON The Future Bites (CAROLINE)

6 BIG BIG TRAIN Common Ground (ENGLISH ELECTRIC RECORDINGS)

7 SILVER LAKE BY ESA HOLOPAINEN Silver Lake By Esa Holopainen (NUCLEAR BLAST)

8 VOLA Witness (MASCOT)

9 DANNY ELFMAN Big Mess (ANTI-/EPITAPH RECORDS)

10 SWALLOW THE SUN Moonflowers (CENTURY MEDIA)

11 MASTODON Hushed And Grim (REPRISE)

12 SOEN Imperial (SILVER LINING MUSIC)

13 BLANKET Modern Escapism (MUSIC FOR NATIONS)

14 MONO Pilgrimage Of The Soul (PELAGIC)

15 MAYBESHEWILL No Feeling Is Final (ROBOT NEEDS HOME)

16 GOD IS AN ASTRONAUT Ghost Tapes #10 (NAPALM)

17 NYTT LAND Ritual (NAPALM)

18 MICHAŁ ŁAPAJ Are You There (MYSTIC)

19 LINDY-FAY HELLA & DEI FARNE Hildring (BY NORSE)

20 LUN Chamanes (LUN-MUSIC.BANDCAMP.COM)

RUSSELL FAIRBROTHER (Art Editor)

1 BETWEEN THE BURIED AND ME Colors II (SUMERIAN RECORDINGS)

2 THE ANCHORESS The Art Of Losing (KSCOPE)

3 HEDVIG MOLLESTAD TRIO Ding Dong. You’re Dead. (RUNE GRAMMOFON)

4 MASTODON Hushed And Grim (REPRISE)

5 JU III (RARENOISE)

6 WARDRUNA Kvitravn (MUSIC FOR NATIONS)

7 TOM NEWMAN A Faerie Symphony II (TIGERMOTH)

8 HEDVIG MOLLESTAD Tempest Revisited (RUNE GRAMMOFON)

9 LEPROUS Aphelion (INSIDEOUT)

I Dreamed Of Electric Sheep