But let's not get ahead of ourselves. My top 14 albums of 2021, including FOUR bands I've never heard of, three at 10, 9, and 8:
- 14. Sting - The Bridge
-
Sting is back! He's always been all over the map, up and down: whether solo or with The Police, sometimes I can't stand what he's doing, sometimes I love it. This album is pretty good!
DRM-free FLAC
stream with Digital Restrictions Management (DRM) and ads on YouTube - 13. The Neal Morse Band - Innocence and Danger
-
Neal Morse and friends make their first appearance...
- 12. Transatlantic - The Absolute Universe
-
#12 is... Neal Morse and friends! some of the same friends as #13. Some different friends. and they recorded TWO VERSIONS of this one! So that's actually... > 3 hours of Neal Morse and friends :)
- 11. Magnus Karlsson - Heart Healer: The Metal Opera
- 10. Wheel - Resident Human
- 9. Metalite - A Virtual World
- 8. Slizard
- 7. Gamma Ray - 30 Years Live
-
This is also #3 from "Top 3 Live or Collections of 2021" is Gamma Ray's amazing new live album.
- 6. Helloween - Helloween
-
The triumphant return of both Hansen and Kiske!
\m/
- 5. Joe Bonamassa - Time Clocks
-
How does this man put out so many albums?! And why are they all great?!?!
- 4. Liquit Tension Experiment 3
-
In any other year this would surely be #1. We had to wait 22 years for LTE3 but it was WORTH IT. >This is also Mike Portnoy's third appearance in the list!
- 3. Dream Theater - A View From the Top of the World
-
Dream Theater actually produced a good album for the first time since Portnoy's long-ago departure.
- 2. Iron Maiden - Senjutsu
-
Iron Maiden in 2000: Hell, we're Iron Maiden! We can have three guitarists from now on!
Iron Maiden in 2021: Hell, we're Iron Maiden! We can release double albums from now on!
- 1. Frost* - Day and Age
-
Never heard of these guys before 2021 but this was ALBUM OF THE YEAR. (I had to make my own playlist for this one because youtube corrupted the official one)