10 Best Hard Rock Albums Of The 2020s So Far
3. Illusory Walls - The World Is A Beautiful Place And I Am No Longer Afraid To Die
If you think we're typing out the full name of this band every single time, then you've got another thing coming.
Let's just call them The World... from this point on.
Forming in Connecticut in 2009, The World... have explored many different genres and cycled through many different members in their time. When October 2021 came by, the contemporary line-up of the band gave us Illusory Walls, their most artistically complete album to date.
The first album released since the death of founding member Tom Diaz, it's not surprising that this record starts on a pessimistic foot.
Lyrics about struggling with the state of the world and failing to cope with financial pressures are everywhere. Sadly, they're even more relevant now than they were at the time.
As the album goes on, things get a bit more positive, but there's still a darkness hanging over the project. This, combined with the eerie atmospheric sounds the band create, makes Illusory Walls a full-on sensory experience.
With several different musical styles jumbled up and enough intricate lyrics to analyse for days, The World... provide a little something for everybody with this one.