Mr. Stone Top 25 Albums of 2021

Another year gazing at the stars with glorious music filling all our needs and more!

Another year and its struggles went by, this damn pandemic kept us once again away from our beloved stages (though there were a few moments of bliss between August and October), records were more delayed than ever… Luckily for us, the bands seemed to have used that extra time to deliver always more of the good stuff that helps us pass the time.

I’ve been neck-deep in it all year, having lots of time to write reviews, and following closely the endless list of releases for the Fuzzy Charts every month, listening to even more records than any year before. The amount of top-notch music that has been put out is simply astonishing, it’s been harder than ever to make a final list, I even almost considered a top50 this year, so look closely in the Honorable Mentions section too. As usual, you’ll find lots of different shades in there, with a predominance of trippy and groovy, as it seems I wasn’t too drawn towards the heavy and dark side.

Anyway, I’m sure you’ll find something to fill your thirst, and hopefully still make some interesting discoveries along the way. Sorry for the late publishing, I changed my mind at the last minute to turn it into a top25, too frustrated to leave some of these gems out. On the other hand, that also gave me time to make a “little” playlist of all the albums mentioned in this top for you to take the time to dig at your pace through these 60+ releases 😉

Check out all the killer releases that paved the way through 2021!

• Top 25 Albums of 2021
• More Fuzz & Friends
• Honorable mentions
• Track of the year
• Top 10 concerts of 2021

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Don't forget to check out the Top Albums of the other More Fuzz team members !

Top 25 Albums of 2021

#25: DJINN – Transmission

#19: Weedpecker – IV: The Stream of Forgotten Thoughts

#17: The Oscillation – Untold Futures

#16: Wail – S/T

#15: Rostro Del Sol – S/T

#14: Electric Moon meets Talea Jacta – Sabotar

#13: The Kings of Frog Island – VII

Bandcamp – Facebook – Spotify – Youtube

For Fans Of: Colour Haze, Samsara Blues Experiment, Quest For Fire, Vibravoid

This record got a bit of a confused timing, with a first official release in July, postponed to the beginning of December, as the records were delayed (like lots of others last year sadly). It still scored #7 in the July Fuzzy Charts, with only two tracks available at the time. I spent quite some time since then with it, enjoying all the mesmerizing nuances of its 10 songs. The British veterans outdid themselves once again, offering us a beautiful album full of blissful mellow psychedelic stoner vibes. Their melancholic and hazy sound is in the direct lineage of what they used us to, and even after 7 albums, they still manage to express some sides of it that we didn’t quite catch yet.

Make yourself comfortable and dive into it, fully immersed, drifting smoothly with their hallucinatory flow.

#12: Kombynat Robotron – -270°

#11: SPECK – Unkraut

#10: Acid Rooster – Irrlichter

#8: Snail – Fractal Altar

#7: Domkraft – Seeds

I have the feeling that the Swedes reached perfection in their epic hypnotic sludge sound, though I’m pretty sure their next one is gonna make me regret those words. They’ve already released a new track in October, a cover of AC/DC’s Night Prowler, bending it to their unyielding sonic identity, throwing some catchiness on top. All along the course of Seeds, the wall of riffs is suffocating, the bass and drums thunder and hammer at us like a merciless juggernaut that won’t stop until there’s nothing left, letting the haunted vocals cover the slaughter like mist after a night-long battle. That might be the solution to start anew, get rid of all the violence and toxicity to plant new seeds on fresh soil, unburdened by all the noise and pollution of our destructive society…

#6: Delving – Hirshbrunnen

#5: Mythic Sunship – Wildfire

#4: Motorpsycho – Kingdom of Oblivion

Bandcamp – Facebook – Instagram – Spotify – Youtube

For Fans Of: Elder, King Crimson, King Buffalo

The Norwegian masters delivered once again an amazing album in 2021, as pretty much every year for the 33 years they’ve been active. You might be used to finding them around this spot in my tops, so I guess it shouldn’t come as a surprise. That said, Kingdom of Oblivion is definitely one of their best albums, maybe even better than The Tower which was already a masterpiece. They really don’t make it easy for us, and at the same time how could we complain when a band relentlessly keeps on creating such brilliant LPs, year after year, without ever seeming to reach any low point in inspiration? They NEVER disappoint, every album is a gem, with the band keeping on pushing their orgasmic alchemy forward, exploring the myriad of possibilities in front of them, and with such virtuosity and talent, any direction they chose will only bring high-quality material, like a diamond mine that could never run dry.

One can only be admirative of the dedication these guys are displaying, year after year, they refine and polish their sound, never tired of trying things out, always providing us with fresh and delightful albums. Dwelling on this version of their identity for around 10 years, you can feel that they evolve in this blend of Progressive Heavy Psych of theirs like fishes in the water, everything flows ever so naturally, as complex as it may be. Each album takes us on a pilgrimage to their own reality, and Kingdom of Oblivion might be one of the most mature versions of it yet. Their sound is heavier than ever, with still the same abundance of details going with their delightful and perfectly timed composition, their ecstatic epicness flawlessly executed as always.

They might have worked more on the contrast in their music for this one, keeping on pushing their heavy side forward while experimenting on the calmer end of their sonic spectrum. The Norwegians are proving once again that their exquisite finesse can shine both in graceful refinement as well as in grandiose magnificence. The energy and emotions go up and down throughout the course of the album, with blissful ballads succeeding to gritty anthems instinctively, leaving us a bit puzzled about how they just pulled this off, for the only few seconds it can take before the next orgasmic part comes to take us away, scattering any thought into a big and fluffy cloud of pure euphoria.

#3: Kanaan – Earthbound

Bandcamp – Facebook – Instagram – Spotify – Youtube

For Fans Of: Motorpsycho, RotoR, Astrodome, Causa Sui

Double Sun was my favorite album last year, and even though I knew the competition would be hard, I had high expectations for the Norwegians’ new output this year. I spinned a lot their Live in Oslo (released in June) to help me wait for November and this promising album, with a couple of singles dropping ahead to turn up the hype. Those singles sounded fuzzier than what Kanaan used us to, which was a bit surprising at first, though it enriches even more their heavy psych infused with prog/jazz vibes, while giving a whole new dimension to such a brilliant band.

Earthbound unveils a new side of the band’s universe, glorifying heaviness, while keeping everything that made them so great to begin with, their finesse still shining through this thick fog of fuzz. The maestria of these young musicians is pretty obvious, and fills us with rightful frowning approbation. They’re grooving without end, barely letting us breathe (don’t worry, there’s still calmer moments of blissful delight here and there), keeping on bringing tight licks, killer transitions, heavy riffage, and orgasmic climaxes.

I’m completely stunned by how mature, rich, and satisfying their music can be, especially after this kind of evolution in their sound, in such a short time. And yet it still sounds as natural as ever, as if they’ve always been doing this, Kanaan seem to nail anything they try, turning every melody into pure gold pouring out of their amps. 

#2: Temple Fang – Fang Temple

Bandcamp – Facebook – Instagram

For Fans Of: Electric Moon, Mondo Drag, Motorpsycho, Pink Floyd

After their Live at Merlyn that enchanted me last year and each of their mindblowing performances, you couldn’t imagine how much I was waiting for Temple Fang‘s debut album. Even though this is not exactly an actual studio album per se, but an hybrid product made of live recordings reworked, dubbed, and produced in studio to come to the final result, that might be the closest we could get from them for now. After all, it sounds like it, while staying true to the core of the band, who are deeply attached to letting the music freely evolve as it can only truly do in a live setting. For more details on this, and the band’s take on it, please go check out the interview we did at the Down The Hill Festival a few months ago.

Their piercing guitars, smooth bass, enveloping drums feel are spiraling together in complete harmony, depicting stunning soundscapes with an unsettling apparent easiness. Their enchanting voices are lifting us up to skies up above, making us feel enlightened just by the touch of these cristal clear melodies on our souls, bearing heavy loads of emotions. It’s hard to pin down Temple Fang‘s style exactly, as they mix lots of influences, inside and outside of the heavy rock spectrum. They don’t really sound like any other band, and you’ll have the feeling of hearing these kinds of vibes for the first time. That’s probably one of the things that make them so awesome, as it is definitely not an easy feat to pull in a sphere of genres that exists for decades.

I just love the free-flowing feeling their music exhudes, they weave graciously hypnotic harmonies, reverberating enigmatic echoes coming and going in movements, taking their time to build up, progressively increasing the tension, and relieving it in thrilling outbursts. Their songs might be around 20 min long, but you won’t even notice it, captivated by those waves of ecstasy, merrily floating in meditation, unable to think about anything expect how good this sounds, and how serene you feel, letting yourself go with those transcending soundwaves.

#1: King Buffalo – Acheron

Bandcamp – Facebook – Instagram – Spotify – Youtube – Website

For Fans Of: Motorpsycho, Elder, All Them Witches, RotoR

King Buffalo teased their return pretty well, promising us 3 albums composed while in quarantine. Longing To Be The Mountain became one of my classics since it got released and I was quite hyped about those special records, and even more while following the news that dropped here and there about it (like this article from The Obelisk describing the recording conditions of Acheron). It was pretty obvious they would try different things on each of those records, to give each one its own identity, and allow themselves to express different sides of their emblematic sound, all the better for us!

The Burden of Restlessness got released first and was already a killer album, but somehow didn’t move me as much as I expected, maybe because of the overall colder harsher vibe of it, not especially what I was into at that time. I still came back to it pretty often during the year, giving it a few try to be sure, admiring this new shade of King Buffalo, and the remarkable songcrafting they display with each passing album. But as soon as we received the presskit for Acheron, I was fascinated, drinking these wonderful warm flowing organic melodies like ambrosia. Completely obsessed with it, I took my time and good dozen listens to prepare a detailed review for the release day (check it out there).

Acheron flows ever so naturally, from beginning to end, its long trippy tracks are transporting you to those caves it was recorded in. I feel like I can lay on the cold grounds, feeling the strength of the waters digging slowly but inexorably their path through the stone, looking at the ceiling, the warmth of King Buffalo‘s fuzzy incantations reverberated on the walls, taking me through them, drifting away in the distant starry sky above. This album felt perfect from the very first time and only got better with every listen, comfortably soothing, stirring up ecstatic joy and peace.

King Buffalo keeps on proving they’re one of the most outstanding bands in our scene right now. Even though my top proves the competition is tough, they always manage to deliver flawless albums filled with wonder, arousing curiosity and fascination with every release.

Don't forget to check out the Top Albums of the other More Fuzz team members !

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More Fuzz & Friends

As usual, I don’t allow myself to put the records we produce ourselves in my top, as it wouldn’t be so fair to the other bands, because if we’re producing it, it’s obvious that we love those records. This year we only released one, but there are two others that we might have also produced as well as another one from the More Fuzz Family that I listened to A LOT. This is also quite a special relationship with a record, to have listened to it so many times, and especially before the release date, kind of fucks up how I can rank them in comparison with others, so I decided to put them here too (thus also giving me 3 more spots in my top20 eheheh). They are not specially ordered, I love the three of them in their own way, check out if you do too 😉

Stone From The Sky – Songs From The Deepwater

Bandcamp – Facebook – Instagram – Spotify – Youtube

For Fans Of: Toundra, RotoR, Somali Yacht Club, My Sleeping Karma

Our More Fuzz Records buddies came back with a new album this year, after changing their drummer, and we’ve been delighted with the evolution in their sound from the very first listen. Stone From The Sky gave a lot more attention to contrast on this new album, shifting naturally in the blink of an eye from the highest mountaintops to the bottom of the oceans.

With thick fuzz making you shiver from the tones going through your body, piercing intoxicating guitars echoing frantically, and pachydermic thrumming from their new recruit, the trio takes us on an intense journey through those seven tracks. Songs From The Deepwater is exhausting and delivering at the same time, releasing lots of energies into the cosmos and taking our beloved Stone From The Sky to new heights, so don’t miss them on tour this year!

Djiin – Meandering Souls

Bandcamp – Facebook – Instagram – Spotify – Youtube

For Fans Of: Ruby The Hatchet, Gaupa, Motorpsycho, The Dead Weather

We fell in love with Djiin as soon as the first notes of their debut album, The Freak (last copies in our shop), hit our tympans. Since then, they changed their bass player, toured intensively, and spent a few years refining their skills and sonic identity, working steadily on new material, pushing forward their distinctive sound. Meandering Soul is the result of these years of hard work, so be ready for a demanding new chapter of their evolution.

They’re still melting down 70s prog with psychedelic doom vibes, throwing some hints of krautrock and eastern folk, under a finish of occult rock, though the expansion in their songwriting is quite striking here. Each song is an intricate ritual involving several disorientating pieces, killer breaks, and shifts in rhythm. The Quatuor eventually binds everything together, giving it all a meaning by throwing the bigger picture in your face in a maddening frenzy.

Tremor Ama – Beneath

Bandcamp – Facebook – Instagram – Spotify – Youtube

For Fans Of: Kind, Witchcraft, Savanah, Baroness

Tremor Ama is another of France’s finest up-and-coming bands, they’re bringing a fresh take on our beloved genre and were warmly recommended to us by Red Sun Atacama. We could have signed them on More Fuzz Records and will probably regret it quite a while, which might explain why we shed some light on them through two clip premieres, as well as a review+interview.

Tremor Ama’s atmospherical heaviness is powerful and hypnotic, thick fuzz and warm grooves crash with piercing guitars and soulful vocals to depict majestic soundscapes. Their meticulous appealing songwriting makes the best of their dark and ethereal atmospheres, eventually tilting into heavy and epic catharsis.

Wormsand – Shapeless Mass

Bandcamp – Facebook – Instagram – Youtube

For Fans Of: Monolord, Rezn, Domkraft, Toner Low

We’ve premiered their album right here, which I reviewed while Mr. Momo interviewed them, and they’ve joined our little fuzzy family through More Fuzz Booking. After a self-titled EP two years ago, they came back bearing heavy artillery with their killer debut album, putting the French scene inside out with their singular blend of heaviness and infectious energy, crushing scene after scene, leaving a trail of enthusiast and converted doomsters behind them.

Playing a lot with the contrast between darkness and light, heaviness and aeriality, somewhere at the crossroads of Doom, Heavy Psych, and Sludge, with hints of Prog, Noise, and Grunge.

Brace yourself, it’s nasty and unforgiving, but it feels freaking good.

 

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Honorable mentions

Now check all those other brilliant albums I didn’t have enough room for in my top, ordered by Atmosphere Levels, and alphabetically by band name inside those.

By Fat Level

• 10,000 Years – II
• Atomic Vulture – Moving Through Silence
• Green Lung – Black Harvest
• Hermit’s Weedsom – As Above, So Below
• Kadabra – Ultra
• Little Jimi – The Cantos
• Maha Sohona – Endless Searcher
• Savanah – Olympus Mons
• Spelljammer – Abyssal Trip
• Triptonus – Soundless Voice
• Vokonis – Odissey

By Purple Haze Level

• Camera – Prosthuman
• Carlton Melton – Night Pillars
• Elara Sunstreak Band – Vostok 1
• Elephant9 – Arrival of the New Elders
• Estrada Orchestra – Playground
• Gondhawa – Käampâla
• Holy Monitor – Southern Lights
• Kungens Män – Den nya skivan
• Mt. Mountain – Centre
• Octopus Ride – II
• Pilot Voyager – Bud Fascination
• Shem – II
• Snakes Don’t Belong in Alaska – The Eternal Electric Landscape
• The Holy Family – The Holy Family
• White Manna – First Welcome
• Yawning Sons – Sky Island

By Temperature Level

• a/lpaca – Make It Better
• JuJu – La Que Sabe
• Madmess – Rebirth
• Snowy Dunes – Sastrugi
• Spidergawd – VI
• The Gluts – Ungrateful Heart
• Uranus Space Club – Another Planet, Another Love
• Zahn – Zahn

 

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Top 10 gigs of 2021

• Causa Sui @ Loppen, Christiania, DK
• Motorpsycho, Slift, Temple Fang, Slomosa, Mohama Saz, Manngold, Motor!k @ Desertfest Antwerp, BE
• King Buffalo, Golden Hours, Electric Moon, Fake Indians @ Desertfest Ghent, BE
• Bismut, Mr. Bison, Kombynat Robotron, Causa Sui @ Alterna Sounds Festival, Münster, DE
• Narcosatanicos, Oresund Space Collective @ Ond Jazz in Loppen, Copenhagen, DK
• Monomyth & Temple Fang @ Down The Hill, Rillaar, BE
• Interkosmos, Kozmotron, Gigatron2000 @ secret festival, DE
• 10000 Russos & The Gluts @ Hafenklang, Hamburg, DE
• Faust @ Hafenklang, Hamburg, DE
• Black Bombaim + Krypto @ Rodellus Festival, Ruílhe, Braga, PT

 

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Bonus: Favorite track of the year

Merlin – Merlin’s Bizarre Adventure

Bandcamp – Facebook – Instagram – Spotify

For Fans Of: Salem’s Pot, Wight, Daft Punk, Pink Floyd

I freaking love Merlin, these guys are silly geniuses, and also amazing trolls, each of their releases is quite a surprise, and this split with Wizzerd is nothing else than this (full review here). Using their side of the record for a 22min track, decomposed in 4 movements exploring completely different universes, while managing to maintain some coherence throughout the whole trip, what else could you ask for?

Here they start by a refreshing critic of Stoner Doom with a 6min anthem that pins down the core of this genre, with lyrics mocking all the clichés about it. Once this point clearly made, they shift to the “Forest of Funk”, with an extremely appealing funk-rock passage, going back and forth between lightheaded breaks and heavier moments, binding the different parts together. Then they surprise us again with the “Disco Plexus”, a french-touch inspired thrust leaning towards more modern sonorities, while keeping it organic, if those two parts didn’t manage to lift your mood and make you shake your booty, I don’t know what can… But then, maybe you’ll be more into the last part of this epic journey as Merlin transitions smoothly to “Atom Heart Merlin Suite”, an obvious unashamedly inspired trippy sequence, reminding us all what our beloved genre owes to this monument that Pink Floyd is.

Come on, embark with us on this adventure, and you should be ready to face everything that this shitty period of time might throw at us, dancing your ass off with a crooked smile.

 

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Thanks for reading! Don’t hesitate to check out the Facebook page for even More Fuzz And most of all: don’t forget to Keep it Fuzzy

Mr. Stone

Don't forget to check out the Top Albums of the other More Fuzz team members !