Revolver has teamed with SeeYouSpaceCowboy for an exclusive splatter vinyl variant of their new album, The Romance of Affliction, limited to just 300 copies. Order yours before they're gone!
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 energy of live in-person gatherings big and small — from sweaty Turnstile club gigs and raucous Slipknot road shows to massive Metallica-led festivals — was 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, SeeYouSpaceCowboy singer Connie Sgarbossa shares her favorite shit: from Zheani's "sick aggressive" expressions to Beastars addictive anime and more.
Best Album: 'Happier Than Ever' by Billie Eilish
Billie Eilish's When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go? was probably my favorite album of 2019 and this album doesn't disappoint either. I have always enjoyed pop music, but she does it in a way that feels fresh and entirely catchy in a way that's genuine rather than redundant.
Best Song: "Fuck the Hollywood Cult" by Zheani
I have been a huge fan of Zheani for a while and this song doesn't disappoint. Interesting, abrasive and unpredictable — a sick aggressive dancey song that continues her amazing discography.
Best TV Show: Beastars
I took a chance on the first season of Beastars and was absolutely pulled in, so I patiently waited and read all the manga as it was released — and this second season of the anime doesn't disappoint either.
Best Video Game: Pokémon Unite
I didn't really read any books that came out in 2021 or [play] many video games ... But I have definitely been enjoying Pokémon Unite on the Switch. I love MOBAs [multiplayer online battle arenas] and being able to play one that's a little more casual and quicker has been hella fun.
Best New Band: Stand Still
I am pretty terrible at keeping up with new music and bands and stuff, so I often feel very out of the loop. But I wanna shout-out my homie [singer] Gerry and Stand Still.
Best Musical Moment
I don't really have a standout moment, but just in general coming back into touring and playing some of the craziest shows of my life has been really awesome. I low-key thought people would have forgotten about us during the pandemic, but every show we play in every place has been amazing and has twice as many kids as we left off with. I guess you could say it's validating, in a way, to have kids still give a shit and be excited to see us after such a long break from shows.
What Are You Most Excited for in 2022?
We don't really have a plan for a new album since we just released The Romance of Affliction. But we have a lot of tours and shows planned for 2022 that I can't really talk about yet — a lot of stuff that has me very excited for the future.
