Revolver has teamed with Cradle of Filth for a limited-edition, exclusive "black & white marble" vinyl variant of their new album, Existence Is Futile. It's limited to 400 — order yours now!
2021 has been, without a doubt, one of the most memorable years in modern music history. The invisible elephant in the room was obviously COVID-19, which triggered the unprecedented year-plus blackout on nearly all live shows. Thankfully this spring's widespread vaccination rollout proved effective enough for the restrictions to lift, and by summer bands were finally able to hit stages throughout the country.
While we're not quite in "post-COVID" times just yet, the sheer joy of experiencing the cranked sounds and singular live energy of gatherings big and small — from sweaty Turnstile club gigs and raucous Slipknot road shows to massive Metallica-led festivals — has been beyond rejuvenating.
Plus, there's also been a bunch of killer albums released this year to keep us entertained in between mosh pits. Old-school heavies Iron Maiden, Carcass and At the Gates brought the heat, scene leaders Mastodon and Gojira upped the ante, Converge and Chelsea Wolfe dropped a bomb collab and a clutch of up-and-coming trailblazers — Spiritbox, Jinjer, Turnstile, Scowl, Portrayal of Guilt and more — pushed heavy music into exciting new territories. (See Revolver's 25 favorite albums of 2021 here.)
As we close the books on 2021, we're catching up with some of our favorite artists to get their picks for the best of the best of the past year. Below, Cradle of Filth leader Dani Filth shares his favorite shit: from ScarJo's enticing Black Widow performance to a new Suffolk, England, outfit channeling Parkway Drive, Dimmu Borgir and ancient Grecian lore.
Best Album: 'Existence Is Futile' by Cradle of Filth
That's easy. Ours! Cradle of Filth Existence Is Futile! A tad big-headed, I know, but hey, you asked! Close seconds would have to be the Bronx Bronx IV and Moonspell Hermitage, both of which are very different beasts. The former a raging lesson in visceral punk rock and the latter, a more genteel, prog-infused affair than Moonspell are currently renowned for — but a solid very memorable and atmospheric album, nonetheless.
Best Movies: Eternals, Dune, No Time to Die, Black Widow, Suicide Squad
I really enjoyed whatever I managed to go and witness at the cinema, namely Eternals, Dune, No Time to Die … I'm a massive Bond fan. Black Widow — I'm a massive Scarlett Johansson fan, too, and I'd have gone to see this movie even if it was just her walking about jiggling her bottom in a catsuit! And The Suicide Squad, which was just pure and utter comic-book bonkers!
Best TV Show: War of the Worlds
TV-wise I loved season two of the War of the Worlds remake with Gabriel Byrne, The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, Rick and Morty season five and the endearing Young Sheldon. Though I am very much looking forward to the Hawkeye and The Book of Boba Fett series, which are coming to the Disney streaming channel in December.
Best Book: Do What You Want: The Story of Bad Religion
I've been reading Do What You Want: The Story of Bad Religion [2020] of late … mainly on the toilet. And listening to The Sandman Act II [by Dirk Maggs and Neil Gaiman] on Audible. The Bad Religion autobiography is just what you expect it to be, which is just what I want from one of my favorite bands, heralding the highs and lows of one of the best-loved and well-respected pioneers of the U.S. punk-rock scene. The Sandman is a glorious, dark fairytale romp about Morpheus, Lord of Dreams as narrated by the author Neil Gaiman and fleshed out by a multitude of great actors, including James McAvoy as the titular antihero amid the likes of Andy Serkis, Bill Nighy, Brian Cox and John Lithgow to name but a few. I'd definitely recommend both of these books to everyone.
Best New Band: Ghosts of Atlantis
Hailing from the county that spawned Ed Sheeran and yours truly, and featuring the guitarist from my other band Devilment: Ghosts of Atlantis. They build lore around ancient Greece and the lost city of Atlantis in an epic crossover of styles encompassing the best of Dimmu Borgir, Amorphis and Parkway Drive, while delivering their own indelible story, weaving historical findings and fantasy storytelling into a great musical journey. This is a really deep album sonically and lyrically and should definitely be on everyone's current playlist. Their [debut] album, 3.6.2.4, is out now on Black Lion records.
Best Musical Moment
I guess the best moment, or moments, of this year was surviving our recent tour of the U.S. — despite our support acts contracting the dreaded coronavirus. It seems to be a real problem at the moment with touring acts and one that will undoubtedly affect the music industry for a long while yet. It's a very big risk going out on tour at present due to this, as the ominous threat of the band or crew contracting the virus looms large over everything. And canceled shows have the potential to bankrupt entire tours … but what can you do? In this age of free-streaming platforms, bands need to tour to pay the bills. So I guess we will see …
What Are You Most Excited for in 2022?
Getting back out on the road for sure! We have a multitude of shows planned across the world, but right at the moment they are in the development stage … So unfortunately I am unable to reveal exact times and places. But rest assured, we are definitely coming back to the states in support of our current album Existence Is Futile. And for that I can't wait, as I really enjoy touring over your side of the proverbial pond. Or at least playing shows to break up visits to Walmarts the size of Super Star Destroyers!
