The Metal Scholar's Weekly Listening List (12th January 2021)

Well, The First Week Of 2021 Was Eventful...

After the tumultuous week that was the first week of January 2021 it is fair to say things got real pretty quickly. The fact that we've basically spent a year in some form of lockdown is starting to ware me down and my patience is starting to get very thin, to be completely honest with you. Whilst there is still a lot to look forward to in 2021 it is hard to not think pessimistically as COVID continues to rage on, depriving us of live music and more. I think one of the more crushing aspects is that it is crushing the will to create music in me, over the last week I have felt so uninspired and only occasionally picked up my guitar. I'm sure a spark will ignite and the fire will come back to me but it is still depressing that it feels like there's no point in even playing guitar some days. Anyway, it's easy to focus on the negatives, so to combat the lockdown blues I am trying new ways to expand my music range and engaging in new ways to keep me entertain. Reading has been a big part of that as I am fully engrossed in the Viking/Anglo-Saxon/Celtic worlds and that is leading me to explore new music to enable my imagination to create its own sonic soundscape for these worlds. It's interesting to explore things this way, but black metal will always be my go to on these dark winter nights. So, without further ado, here's this week's lists!

Singles Of The Week

I. Asphyx (🇳🇱) - The Nameless Elite (Century Media Records), Death/Doom

II. Brand Of Sacrifice (🇨🇦) - Lifeblood (Blood Blast Distribution), Deathcore 

III. Pantokrator (🇸🇪) - We The People (Nordic Mission), Progressive Death Metal

IV. Ravenstorm (🇮🇹) - The Spirit Of The Wolf (Independent), Melodic Black Metal

V. Werewolves (🇦🇺) - Crushgasm (Prosthetic Records), Technical Black/Death Metal

VI. Suffering Hour (🇺🇸) - Obscuration (Profound Lore Records), Black/Death Metal

VII. BAEST (🇩🇰) - Meathook Massacre (Century Media Records), Death Metal

VIII. Angelus Apatrida (🇪🇸) - Indoctrinate (Century Media Records), Thrash Metal

IX. Endezzma (🇳🇴) - Wild Glorior Death (Dark Essence Records), Black Metal

X. Stortregn (🇨🇭) - Cosmos Eater (The Artisan Era), Melodic Black/Death Metal

Albums Of The Week

I. Burial Remains (🇳🇱) - Spawn Of Chaos (Raw Skull Recordz), Death Metal

II. Steingrab (🇩🇪) - Malum Genesis (Independent), Atmospheric Black Metal

III. Thrudvangar (🇩🇪) - Vegvisir (Trollzorn), Viking Black Metal

IV. Deeds Of Flesh (🇺🇸) - Nucleus (Unique Leader Records), Technical/Brutal Death Metal

V. Mortuary Descent (🇺🇸) - Skeletonization (Life After Death), Death Metal

Throwback Of The Week

This week's throwback is an absolute classic and has some of my favourite classic metal songs on it. Being stuck in this eternally turbulent world makes you fall back on comfort classics easily and for me this is one of my comfort albums for sure. 

Black Sabbath (🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿) - Paranoid (Vertigo Records), Heavy/Doom Metal

Favourite Song

Weekly Listening Playlist