Top 50 of 2020
What a year, in all honesty. I think I listened to well over 300 albums which is like twice as much than in 2019. And I'm still catching up on some more of the minor releases, (I have about 20 left). I'm pretty comfortable with how this feels even though it is a lot of metal. Lots of stuff with low amount of votes, so check it if you haven't heard it yet. There's ten honorable mentions on the list at the end, along with one additional release for each EP on the main list so that all my top albums can be represented. |
| 1 |  | Respire
Black Line
The sound and journey of a deep cut. |
| 2 |  | O (ITA)
Antropocene
Do you like Rorcal Vilagvege? Cause this is on that kind of level of destructive. Hope you can still pick up the pieces remaining of you after this is through. |
| 3 |  | Nug
Alter Ego
Wish there was some more 'The Red Sea' riffing style patterns in your post-metal bands, that most of them have left behind or abandoned for larger sounds? Well, with this you get both. |
| 4 |  | Kardashev
The Baring of Shadows
EP
This is just amazing and woke me the fuck up. |
| 5 |  | Embodiment
Palingenesis
Motherf'cking brilliant. |
| 6 |  | Incantation
Sect of Vile Divinities
I feel like this went under the radar in most others top lists. It's a 4.5 for me. |
| 7 |  | Envy
The Fallen Crimson
Happy to be an Envy fan. |
| 8 |  | Ulcerate
Stare Into Death and Be Still
I'm a Shrines of Paralysis junkie, but I do dig the form of this as well. I did feel it was a little more predictable than some of their other releases, but that's only because we've been spoiled. |
| 9 |  | Necrot
Mortal
I was real close to putting this over Ulcerate, tbh. The album title is somewhat of an underrepresentation, because this carries some immortal riffage. |
| 10 |  | Wrekmeister Harmonies
We Love to Look at the Carnage
One of the handful of indie/folk releases I heard during the year. Kinda beautiful and lumbering and eloquent. |
| 11 |  | Kommand
Terrorscape
Riffs unmistakably. |
| 12 |  | Crust (RUS)
...And A Dirge Becomes An Anthem
Riffs undeniably. |
| 13 |  | Selbst
Relatos de Angustia
Darkness within. |
| 14 |  | VoidCeremony
Entropic Reflections Continuum: Dimensional...
Good, very good. Excellent. |
| 15 |  | Hum
Inlet
A full tub of suds. |
| 16 |  | Death Courier
Necrotic Verses
It rips. |
| 17 |  | Defeated Sanity
The Sanguinary Impetus
Insecta Incendium and onward really gives this thing legs. |
| 18 |  | Exist
Egoiista
A late catch, but I really like most of all this has going for it. I personally enjoy the meandering song compositions, and the Cynic - Focus vibes really boost this, since I don't really listen to Cynic anymore. |
| 19 |  | Lorna Shore
Immortal
First introduction to the band. I was like 'woah'. A couple of repeated listens kind of made the intensity drop off a bit, but I think it still deserves a top 20 here. |
| 20 |  | Protest the Hero
Palimpsest
What I feel was one of the most important records of 2020, on a few fronts. They may not be a perfect band for everyone, but it needs to be top 20 imo. There is excellence on display here |
| 21 |  | Depravity (AUS)
Grand Malevolence
Also an important release for the year imo. Anyone have something similar to this type of onslaught that I may be overlooking? |
| 22 |  | Plini
Impulse Voices |
| 23 |  | Calligram
The Eye Is the First Circle
Pink eye, black metal. |
| 24 |  | Thy Catafalque
Naiv |
| 25 |  | Naxen
Towards the Tomb of Times
Cold. Like a sad winter fever. Alone in the woods on an everlasting night. |
| 26 |  | Cryptic Shift
Visitations from Enceladus
Warm? |
| 27 |  | Amiensus
Abreaction
I'll probably sound like an idiot saying this, but this feels almost like an emo-hardcore/black metal crossover. |
| 28 |  | Turpitude
Brume hiémale
Chock full of that ethereal BM. |
| 29 |  | Wake
Confluence
EP
This made me go back and also bump the rating for Devouring Ruin. |
| 30 |  | Liturgy
Origin of the Alimonies
Cute. |
| 31 |  | Valdrin
Effigy Of Nightmares
Cavernous bm? |
| 32 |  | Undergang
Aldrig i livet
Love it, a lot. |
| 33 |  | Akhlys
Melinoe
Boo. |
| 34 |  | ...and Oceans
Cosmic World Mother
This truthfully was impressive and the back half is strong as fuck. |
| 35 |  | Cosmic Putrefaction
The Horizons Towards Which Splendour Withers
Probably a little low, but it's only because the albums above offer a little bit more of that variation. |
| 36 |  | Aborted
La Grande Mascarade
EP that grandiosely rips face |
| 37 |  | Taphos
Blood Plethora
EP
Just really dug this. |
| 38 |  | Contrarian
Only Time Will Tell
I want to listen to this more, because I think this has some of the best lead work in some time. |
| 39 |  | Biesy
Transsatanizm
Trip'd. |
| 40 |  | Imperial Triumphant
Alphaville
First introduction to the band. It's a little grating in spots, for me moreso than I think others but it's still pretty good. |
| 41 |  | Krallice
Mass Cathexis
I've only heard about 3 Krallice releases and I like this one. |
| 42 |  | Almach
Battle of Tours
Some good solid BM from Afghanistan, with nice orchestral arrangements as interludes. |
| 43 |  | Serpent Column
Kathodos
My favorite Serpent Column to date. A little lower than I'd like it to be, but oh well. |
| 44 |  | Ars Magna Umbrae
Apotheosis |
| 45 |  | Ríoseco
Principal rama, séptimo vástago
Some instrumental post rock I found on Spotify that deserves a rec. |
| 46 |  | The Flaming Lips
American Head
I haven't heard King's Mouth but this was my favorite Flaming Lips in probably 4 or 5 albums. Since Yoshimi basically. |
| 47 |  | END (USA-NJ)
Splinters From An Ever-Changing Face
Goes pretty hard. |
| 48 |  | Wake
Devouring Ruin |
| 49 |  | Napalm Death
Throes of Joy in the Jaws of Defeatism |
| 50 |  | Nuvolascura
As We Suffer From Memory and Imagination
Dwindles at the end for me, but I'm vibing what the band is doing. |
| 51 |  | Chaotian
Festering Excarnation
Honorable Mentions:
a compilation of their two previous releases "Festering Carcinolith" and "Where Gods Excarnate". It's OSDM worship if you couldn't tell, but I find the songwriting to still be really solid. |
| 52 |  | Paysage d'Hiver
Im Wald
A massive record that I'm going to let exist outside of the ranking. Consider it a free space that can go anywhere you like. It is a 4 from me. |
| 53 |  | Satyr
Locus
There's also a full instrumental of this. I like both |
| 54 |  | Black Crown Initiate
Violent Portraits of Doomed Escape
This definitely exceeded my expectations since I believe I was kind of passive about them previously. |
| 55 |  | Deeds of Flesh
Nucleus
The Luc Lemay track is the best, and the one with Frank Mullen doesn't disappoint. It's really cool this was able to come together, because I was hoping for a new DoF for years |
| 56 |  | Goratory
Sour Grapes
Definitely awesome, and I think a very well followup to Rice on Suede. If I ranked this it would go right outside the top 50 (at #53) but I actually prefer it to have the honorable mention attention instead. |
| 57 |  | Paradise Lost
Obsidian
I haven't heard much from this band to allot it an actual ranking, but I think it deserves to at least be on the honorable mentions for those who really loved it. |
| 58 |  | Weed Demon
Crater Maker
Some stoner sludge. The title track especially, eloquently crushes. |
| 59 |  | Ondskapt
Grimoire Ordo Devus
I caught on to this too late to find a proper spot on the list. |
| 60 |  | Klysma
Mental
Affirmed, it is pretty mental. |
| 61 |  | Sinister
Deformation of the Holy Realm
Extra honorable mentions because of the EP's:
An extremely well and concise top album in their discog. |
| 62 |  | Regarde Les Hommes Tomber
Ascension
Pretty much the definition of 'Honorable Mention' but that's certainly not a bad thing. If you haven't already heard it yet, this is an extended rec. |
| 63 |  | ЛЬОН
З Живого Джерела
Something I added that's pretty hard to find because of the characters and symbols in the name, so it's easier to just be able to click on it. |
| 64 |  | Sodom
Genesis XIX
This was meant to end my 51-150 list. |
| 65 |  | Odraza
Rzeczom
Alright, I'm out of room on my next list so some stuff is going here. |
| 66 |  | Samsara Blues Experiment
End of Forever |
| 67 |  | Cadaver
Edder and Bile
I guess from here I'm just going to add stuff that I got to too late to make it on the lists proper. |
| 68 |  | Raat (IN)
Raison D'être |
| 69 |  | Hexer (GER)
Realm Of The Feathered Serpent |
| 70 |  | Grayceon
Mothers Weavers Vultures |
| 71 |  | Commando (SWE)
Rites of Damnation
I've pushed this on two lists already. First few songs are incredibly strong imo. Is it revival thrash? Idk, I might be making it up. Just trying to give it a little more attention. |
| 72 |  | Spotlights
We Are All Atomic
A small EP filled with some post-y goodness. |
| 73 |  | Hyperdontia
Excavations
Goes with the Hyperdontia on my other list. |
| 74 |  | The Microphones
Microphones in 2020
This had a small chance of making it on the 51-150 but ultimately it got bumped in favor of some other stuff. |
| 75 |  | Hiidenhauta
Riivin
Damn, this is really cool. It's like a punk/hxc black metal crossover with interchanging scream/female vocals. It took a song or two to get settled in, but then it just rides. Not only are the female vocals good (all Finnish), but the Instrumental parts that they are sung over are some of the best musical parts on the album. On "Petäjä" the female vocals and tempo have a very The Birthday Massacre feel. It's too bad this was a late catch, it definitely deserves to be on the top list. |
| 76 |  | Mouse On The Keys
Arche |
| 77 |  | Benediction
Scriptures
Didn't know this band came back to release some new material. pretty good |
| 78 |  | Messiah
Fracmont
Didn't know this band came back to release some new material [2]. It's alright |
| 79 |  | Thanatos
Violent Death Rituals
Didn't know this band came back to release some new material [3]. It's fine. |
| 80 |  | Wombbath
Choirs of the Fallen
[....] came back to release some new material [4]. It's okay. |
| 81 |  | Unleash The Archers
Abyss |
| 82 |  | Manticora
To Live To Kill To Live
To quote my own soundoff:
"So, if there was an album that came out in 2020 that I could give the stamp of being unequivocally epic, it would fall gladly into the arms of this disc. Now, this is one of only a small few power metal records I've heard that came out in the year, but I think regardless, the attribution still stands. An immense amount of variation, and while I was going to comment on how the vocals periodically capture some of the best by our good old friend Hansi Kirsch, deeper into the record I realized that what this actually is, is the trademark of a quality Blind Guardian album that seems to have been missing from their very own catalogue for a number of years now. This is what stepping up to the plate actually sounds like."
4.5 |
| 83 |  | Encenathrakh
Thraakethraaeate Thraithraake
It's aa'ight |
| 84 |  | Dessiderium
Shadow Burn
Some decent melodic dm but I also like the majority of the vox |
| 85 |  | Lykotonon
Only Our Eyes Are Alive
That dissonant, slightly doomy, pinchy and dungeony dm. The second track is rather meh as an ambient interlude, but thankfully the closer kept it from dropping to a 3.5. |
| 86 |  | Pyramaze
Epitaph
3.5 |
| 87 |  | Fides Inversa
Historia Nocturna |
| 88 |  | Grotesque Ceremonium
Sanctum of Demoniac Deviance
This just bangs. |
| 89 |  | Auroch
Stolen Angelic Tongues |
| 90 |  | Obscene (USA-IN)
The Inhabitable Dark |
| 91 |  | The Sway of Mountains
Elasticity
My soundoff:
Instrumental band from South Africa that plays a competent blend of progressive death
metal. Nothing mind-blowing but the song structures are varied and the instrumental
nature is good enough to not feel bland or dull for but a section or two here and there.
Idk, I kind of got a Scale the Summit circa 'Carving Desert Canyons' vibe but without the
crazy (or excessive) amount of frills, but make no mistake it's still a complement to
both, but I think it comes from a similar headspace of songwriting. I'd like to see what
they can do on a full-length for sure. Enough blasts and double bass to qualify as
progressive dm, but I was yearning for a little more of some syncopated rhythm
sections, but the last track especially the
first few minutes kinda hashes a bit of that out. Give this a try, I'm sure anyone will
walk away with at least enjoying a song or two.
https://theswayofmountains.bandcamp.com/album/
elasticity |
| 92 |  | Dark Doom
Mourning's End
Very very good. |
| 93 |  | Shezmu
À Travers Les Lambeaux
Worth a rec. |
| 94 |  | Human Serpent
All Return to Nothing
This is just the tits. Even though it's a comp from earlier releases, the flow and ordering of tracks on this is so good, I guarantee something from the first five will have you floored. The opening riff of Bottomless Fall is just that. This whole thing clocks at 1 hour and 12 minutes, so, it's gonna test some limits but what's on display here is absolutely worthy of a 4, and personal likeness bumps it up to a 4.5 from me. |
| 95 |  | Audn
Vökudraumsins fangi
Good stuff but it does sort of peter out after four or five tracks. |
| 96 |  | Aversio Humanitatis
Behold The Silent Dwellers |
| 97 |  | Kaatayra
Toda História pela Frente
Loved this more than the other release that came out earlier in 2020 which is on my other list. |
| 98 |  | Slift
Ummon |
| 99 |  | Anna von Hausswolff
All Thoughts Fly
On a lot of other people's lists, but I enjoyed it as well and found the first half to be exceptionally strong. |
| 100 |  | Homunculus Res
Andiamo in giro di notte e ci consumiamo nel fuoco
As of this album, my polling for the year is closed.
Personal stats: 513 total albums, with 1844 accumulated points = an average rating of 3.594 for the year. Potentially down a little from 2019, idk I'll have to check. |
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