List | The EP's of 2021 (EOTY)


As 2021 rushes to the finish line and caps off yet another year of wild circumstances, we have to address the greatness that has come from the year's music and art and that is in the form of EP's. Along with albums 2021 has seen some incredible ep's that in some ways rival full length releases. So, without further a deux here is a list of the best EP's of 2021.
                                                                                                                                                                                                  

10: Structures - "None of The Above"


"Technical blistering and emotive djent driven post-metalcore comes back with a vengeance with the first release in six years from Structures with "None of The Above", as they strike hard with some of the heaviest music that the band has to offer, From the dirty 'Planet of Garbage'. to the riff fest 'Psycho Hours'. to the masterfully punishing 6 with Brendan Murphy of Counterparts. Structures aim high with their comeback release "None of The Above". As, their technical musicianship comes in loud and proud." - Samuel Cook

9: Bloodlines - "Hevel"


"Brutal, heavy, and angelic. Bloodlines' "Hevel" is the best work in the band's short career, showcasing their incredible musical talent combined with their unrelenting passion for ministry and their shared faith in Christianity and Jesus Christ. This is one young band that you don't want to miss out on. Alongside their extreme passion and faith centered music, Bloodlines soars with unrelenting aggressive Christ centered hardcore music that rivals any Christian hardcore band in the scene. This is true aggressive worship." - Dylan Stearman

8: Convictions - "I Won't Survive"


"You deserve to survive. A phrase that is the statement thesis of Convictions' beautifully haunting "I Won't Survive". After the mixed reception from their 2018 release "Hope for The Broken", Convictions went back to the drawing board and created their best work to date with "I Won't Survive". Combining unrelenting aggression with heart-wrenching lyrics, the band manages to showcase their undying belief in Christ, while also creating a masterpiece that can positively influence anyone who's listening to not lose hope in the darkest of times." - Dylan Stearman

7: War of Ages - "Rhema"


"Striking with absolute symphonic destruction. War of Ages surpasses their talent with "Rhema", a beautifully short and engaging symphonic masterpiece that combines everyone's talent and manages to craft a strong and worthwhile technical behemoth of a metalcore record in a small burst. War of Ages continues to impress long into their career and continues to show us why they are ahead of the game." - Samuel Cook

6: Earth Groans - "The Body"


"Heavy hardcore with so much in your face energy. Earth Groans manages to go the extra mile with every release and with "The Body" they manage to rise higher than the rest with some of the heaviest material that the band has ever created. Combining elements of deathcore and post-metalcore into their ever-evolving hardcore sound and do the unthinkable with some of the heaviest music that you hear. "The Body" is truly something spectacular and only Earth Groans could pull it off." - Samuel Cook

5: No Bragging Rights - "S/T"


"Positive, raw, unrelenting hardcore is something that everyone needs these days. Storming back to the forefront with a vengeance is No Bragging Rights, with their first release in well over seven years. The band comes back hard with sweet melodic guitar riffs and melodies, to unbelievable vocals and lyrics that will make you bawl your eyes, this album is worth a listen for everyone. This EP is one of the best hardcore releases to come out in years and it is all the more deserving to be on everyone's radar." - Dylan Stearman

4: The Devil Wears Prada - "ZII"


"From a beloved fan favorite to a spiritual sequel, ZII the long-awaited sequel to The Devil Wears Prada's well beloved "Zombie EP" is everything that you would expect from a monstrous and manic ep that combines everything from the beloved classic and doubles on the heaviness with some of the most crushing and brutal sounds that feel ripped straight out of their early playbooks. The Devil Wears Prada manages to succeed with brilliance and made sure that "ZII" was the sequel that everyone had been craving for." - Samuel Cook

3: Impending Doom - "Hellbent"


"Vengeance is the name of the game for "Hellbent". Coming off of the successful release of their 2018 release "The Sin & Doom Vol.2", Impending Doom decided to outdo themselves and craft the soundtrack to doomsday with "Hellbent". This EP showcases everything that Doom is good at and more: with grooves, melodies, incredible vocals, unrelentless heaviness that will break you in all the best ways possible." - Dylan Stearman

2: Lorna Shore - "...And I Return to Nothingness"


"Hell being crafted in an 18-minute deathcore epic. That is what Lorna Shore manages to create when they're faced with the unknown, what with the controversy surrounding the band's former vocalist and trying to brush off a former era. The band single handedly created one of the shortest and heaviest things that you will ever hear in your lifetime. 'To The Hellfire" is the song that got popular for a reason, as the brutality and destructive heaviness that seeps through its long 6-minute runtime and providing the world with the insanity of a vocalist that is Will Ramos. Lorna Shore does in the unthinkable with "... And I Return to Nothingness" and creates nothing but sure hell in all the best ways possible." - Samuel Cook

1: Knocked Loose - "A Tear in The Fabric of Life"


"A deathcore horror saga. If "A Different Shade of Blue" is the foundation for Knocked Loose's success, then "A Tear in The Fabric of Life" is the mansion that completes the picture. By combining everything that made the band's previous efforts great and adding elements of deathcore, horror, and progressive metal, Knocked Loose shows why they are one of the best hardcore bands to ever exist in the scene, and shows us why they are deserving of the top spot as our favorite EP of 2021. "A Tear in The Fabric of Life" is a true metal classic through and through and should be regarded as one of the greatest metal releases to come out in a very long time." - Samuel Cook, Dylan Stearman
Location: Atlanta, GA, USA

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

We Are Soundwave

There comes a time in a person's life where changes need to happen. And with said changes some things end up being left behind; In the winter of 2018 an independent website was made, which turned into The Music Enthusiasts in the fall of 2019. The Music Enthusiasts has seen a surge in popularity that was made possible by a small but rising community. Under the name The Music Enthusiasts a small team began to do things that none of them thought that they could do on their own. But in recent times the name and it's legacy seemed unlikely to continue under The Music Enthusiasts brand. So as of today (July 1st. 2020) the brand will continue on as Soundwave. Soundwave will continue on with the same goal. To bring people the content that modern media outlets forget or else refuse to report on when it comes to the music industry, to highlight artists that in other ways would not get the recognition that they deserve, and finally to bring a sense of family and community to the modern p...
Read more

Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 1+2 Full Soundtrack announced + an announcement from us in the comments

Image
2020 has been huge for out of nowhere announcements. In May of this year skateboarder Tony Hawk and Activision announced the return of the Tony Hawk's Pro Skater series with it's next installment to be released on September 4th. Along with that they announced along with their partners Spotify that the soundtrack would feature some of the classic tracks from the first two titles including "Superman" by Goldfinger, "Guerrilla Radio" by Rage Against The Machine, "When Worlds Collide" by Powerman 5000, "No Cigar" by Millencolin, and "May 16" by Lagwagon. Now yesterday with their new partners Noisey they announced the full soundtrack along with artists like Machine Gun Kelly, A Tribe Called Quest, Less Than Jake, Billy Talent, MxPx, Zebrahead and others. Here is the full soundtrack by Spotify and Noisey: A Tribe Called Quest - "Can I Kick It?" A. Swayze & The Ghosts - "Connect To Consume" Alex Lahey - "Mi...
Read more

American Arson - "A Line In The Sand" Album Review

Image
American Arson - "A Line In The Sand" A little well known but well loved punk rock band American Arson set a very high bar with their 2019 release "Rise & Fall", which showed us what they could do with a label behind them and set the tone for what their debut record "A Line In The Sand" would intel; This record not only is American Arson at their best but also shows how much they have grown over the years as a band. A Line In The Sand feels very timely with today's current events, whether it be the coronavirus pandemic, the racial injustice in the world at large, the protests and riots in our streets, and even the battle between human vs flesh. This record not only is very heavy in it's politics but also in it's spirituality as this is a faith based punk rock album.  This record is a welcome edition to the Facedown Records lineup, alongside the likes of Deathbreaker and Dens; Facedown Records has had an amazing year so far with bringing new...
Read more