That's Not Metal

Perran, Sam & Alec return to the TNM Awards for 2021 with:Most Improved BandSong of the YearWorst Song of the YearHero of the YearVillain of the YearBest New BandBiggest DisappointmentGig of the YearEP of the YearArtwork of the YearMovie of the YearComeback of the YearSurprise of the YearOutstanding AchievementWorst Band of the YearUnsung HeroesStory of the YearBand of the Year

It's the album of the year show for 2021, with Perran, Alec & Sam presenting their top 20 albums of the year, along with TNM Listener Album of the Year results.

It's the last reviews episode of 2021 with records from Static Dress, Volbeat, and Voices dissected, and an Album Club on Bury Tomorrow's breakthrough medieval hit factory The Union of Crowns.

The fallout of Code Orange's new single and Brass Against's unexpected passion for public watersports are the big stories of the week, and reviews hit Khemmis, Der Weg Einer Freiheit, Me and That Man, and at last Converge's almighty Bloodmoon.

There's a deluge of new singles from Slipknot, Korn, PUP & more, our last catch-up reviews for 2021 from tech death and swing to Gilbert Gottfried's favourite band, and we answer the big question: mask or cape?

Limp Bizkit break their ten year absence with Still Sucks, Bullet for My Valentine and MØL also reviewed, Porcupine Tree surprise with a sudden return, discussion of Behemoth's XXX Years ov Blasphemy stream, and Album Club is PUP's self-titled debut.

It's the day of rockening: Mastodon's new double album, Jerry Cantrell & Whitechapel are reviewed, there's talk of the fallacy of the "Black Album" ideal", and Lordi get an Album Club on their historic The Arockalypse.

A bumper reviews bag hits records from Biffy Clyro, Every Time I Die, Can't Swim & Green Lung, there are questions on bad encores and Corpsegrinder cameos, Unto Others put out a Halloween single and we talk through the recent Bloodstock pronouns issue and why it's important.

Knocked Loose hit us with a surprise EP, album reviews turn to Frank Carter & the Rattlesnakes, Ice Nine Kills, and Cradle of Filth, and Album Club looks at the role that Thy Art is Murder's Hate played in opening up a new era in deathcore.

Trivium return with their second album in two years In the Court of the Dragon King along with reviews of Blood Youth and Lamp of Murmuur, Album Club is Alkaline Trio's big rock record Crimson, plus the great Jane Doe controversy.

One of TNM's noisiest weeks sees album reviews of Dying Wish, Full of Hell, & Frontierer, news starts with music from Converge's Bloodmoon album, Ghost's Halloween Kills track, Guns N' Roses, & Limp Bizkit before getting to the ridiculous with Psychosexual - sorry, Synner - and Hollywood Gods N' Monsters, and Album Club is on emotional hardcore's most divisive band with La Dispute's Wildlife.

Machine Gun Kelly picks a fight with Slipknot, we cover an album of the year push from Unto Others, Sleep Token and Rivers of Nihil, take questions on band specials, awards show clunkers, and the oldest records we love, and Album Club is a big peek at our Meshuggah special with the iconic obZen.

In one of 2021's best weeks, we finally delve inside and evaluate Spiritbox's debut album Eternal Blue, Employed to Serve's victorious Conquering, and Miss Vincent, questions gage onomatopoeias, title tracks & Rick Astley, and Album Club is a monstrous 2000s death metal springboard from Tobias Forge in Repugnant's Epitome of Darkness.

There's new Biffy Clyro (you're welcome), new Corey Taylor mask, and news of Gulch's split, questions on Halsey's Reznor & Ross produced album and festival horror stories, reviews are Andrew WK, Carcass and Mastiff, and Album Club finally takes to task a wild claim of Gold Cobra being Limp Bizkit's secret best work.

TNM goes in deep on appraising Iron Maiden's new double album Senjutsu, backed by Bokassa, Press to MECO, & Leprous, questions include the most unlikely 10/10 albums, there's Download & Damnation fest news, and the mystery of the Turnstile pit pooper.

Turnstile finally return with Glow On alongside Jinjer & The Bronx, Album Club surveys rock's relationship with industrial hip-hop band Death Grips and their brutal Exmilitary tape, and news bids farewell to Charlie Watts and Eric Wagner while assessing the week's developments with Gloryhammer.

Three sweeping captivating records fill reviews with Deafheaven's pivot to indie rock, Wolves in the Throne Room, and Between the Buried and Me's Colors II, and Album Club is The Sisters of Mercy's 1987 Steinman-assisted goth pop bombast Floodland.

Perran is back from Bloodstock with a review of the UK's most heavy metal festival's big return and birthday celebrations, with massive headlining sets and a bill put together under constantly trying circumstances bringing celebration-worthy successes.

The possible future of Babymetal is pondered, Bloodstock tips given, Lingua Ignota's puritan nightmare album Sinner Get Ready tops an eclectic reviews batch with Gost and Lantlôs, and Album Club is Britrock heroes Funeral for a Friend's underrated hardcore turn Conduit.

A reflection on a sombre week with the passing of Joey Jordison, ZZ Top's Dusty Hill, and the news of Black Peaks splitting. We also review new Creeper, Chunk! No, Captain Chunk! and King Woman, and Album Club toasts Joey and Wednesday 13's Beyond the Valley of the Murderdolls.