And that’s, probably, the only exciting news in rock and metal direction of Grammy Awards 2021

As the official nominations for the 2021 Grammy Awards have been revealed, we’ll take a closer look at the heavier categories and nominees, chosen by the Recording Academy. Grammy Awards 2021 is set to take place on Sunday, Jan 31, 2021 and will be broadcast by CBS.

The Best Rock Album category 2021 is, somehow, represented by rather unknown outside the U.S. singers: from eclectic rockabilly by Fontaines D.C. to bluesy cross-style Grace Potter. Many of you could have expected to see All Time Low’s bright new tracks off of Wake Up, Sunshine album or The Used, who returned to their heart-pounding darker sound on The Heartwork. Not to forget Marilyn Manson’s topical “We are chaos / We can’t be cured”. But… that’s all there is.

What about Best Metal Performance Grammy 2021 nominees then?

Not as shabby. Among the nominees are Code Orange, a hardcore punk band from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, fronted by the guitarist and vocalist Reba Meyers. The group’s enticing official video for ‘Underneath’ quickly put them in the spotlight in the U.S. Their new album, released on March 13, 2020, sees Jami Morgan stop performing live on drums in order to focus on vocals.

Code Orange – Underneath

Fighting for the same Grammy trophy is an LA-based metal band In This Moment, whose singer and founder Maria Brink surpassed herself in creativity in the single and music video for ‘The In-Between’. First scheduled to be out on Oct 31, the song release got postponed until Jan 22.

In spring, the full new album, titled Mother, came out. It gave birth to a couple more singles, one of which, ‘As Above, So Below’, bears the exact same title as the 2014 American horror film. Horror elements are easy to trace in the video for the nominated song as well. Check it out:

In this Moment – The In-Between

Out of nowhere appears in the list the next Grammy 2021 nominee, thrash metal band Power Trip (Dallas, Texas) with their headbanging “Executioner’s Tax (Swing of the Axe)”. It’s as if the Recording Academy wanted to surprise themselves.

Power Trip – Executioner’s Tax (Swing of the Axe) – Live

Puzzled with Grammy choices? So are we. We bet even Body Count are still puzzled and cannot grasp what’s just happened. Los Angeles heavy metal band, fronted by an ex-rapper, Ice-T, is nominated for their track ‘Bum-Rush’. Have a look below:

Body Count – Bum-Rush

Finally, Best Metal Performance category also features chanting-driven ‘Bloodmoney’ by singer Poppy. The song is her third single from the studio album I Disagree. Well, apparently, the Recording Academy does agree.

Poppy – Bloodmoney

The full list of the 2021 Grammy nominations is available here. But we hardly need to look through it to state with a high degree of confidence that 2021 Grammy will put Beyonce on the pedestal. She’s the top nominated artist with a total of nine nominations this time and is sure to outdo her competitors Dua Lipa, Doja Cat, Taylor Swift, Billie Eilish and Post Malone in most of those categories.

The 2021 Grammy Award nominations

Best Metal Performance:

Body Count – Bum-Rush
Code Orange – Underneath
In this Moment – The In-Between
Poppy – Bloodmoney
Power Trip – Executioner’s Tax (Swing of the Axe) – Live

Best Rock Album:

A Hero’s Death — Fontaines D.C.
Kiwanuka — Michael Kiwanuka
Daylight — Grace Potter
Sound & Fury — Sturgill Simpson
The New Abnormal — The Strokes

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