2020 hasn’t been a great year for much of anything… music was no exception. This is my favorite of what they decided to release during this dumpster fire. 2021 might be marginally better in the same way getting punched in the face a second time isn’t nearly as jarring as the first punch you didn’t see coming. Drink up!

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50. Ulver – Flowers of Evil

Genre: Electronic/Art Pop

Recommended Track: Little Boy

**A laid back extension of their ’80s goth/synthpop style with more guitars and steady rhythms pretty much from beginning to end. While the unpredictable shifts in tone and experimentation from The Assassination of Julius Caesar is missed, this is still a solid effort from the wolves of Norway. Flowers of Evil is a dark yet inviting “pop” album and a highlight of 2020 music. — TalonsOfFire

Until now, it never felt like Ulver had created the same album twice. On Flowers of Evil, though, they pick up right where The Assassination of Julius Caesar left off, except with less experimentation and no real surprises. Having said that, I’ve always liked Ulver more when they use vocals and I’m also a big Depeche Mode fan. This album is 90s-era Depeche Mode with a bit of an Ulver twist. 

49. Within The Ruins – Black Heart

Genre: Technical Death Metal / Metalcore

Recommended Track: Domination

**Although not as great as their magnum opus Phenomena, this album doesn’t trail too far behind. Intricate guitar layers, that Within the Ruins are known for sound fantastic. The vocals just don’t mesh very well. They aren’t that well produced, otherwise this rating would be higher.  — SoulsAtZero

I’m not the biggest fan of this band so I could be wrong, but as far as I can tell, Within The Ruins has been making the same album since their debut. Their formula is basically super-twitchy djent meets metalcore with some death metal influences and some pretty cool lead work and melodies. I can’t really say if this album is better than any of their others because they all kind of blend together. What I can say, is that I’ve enjoyed everything they’ve released.

48. My Dying Bride – The Ghost of Orion

Genre: Doom

Recommended Track: Your Broken Shore

** …it does sound fairly same-y a lot of the time but on repeated listens it does grow on you. The production definitely helps with that too, and Aaron’s vocals on this are superb.. — cloakanddagger

My Dying Bride have returned with one of the best sounding albums of their career, accompanied by one of the most accomplished vocal performances. The guitar-driven melodies, too, are excellent and remind me of The Angel and the Dark River. If there is a problem with the album, though, it’s that everything is just a little too similar in tone and tempo, and it takes more than a few listens for individual songs and elements to start clicking. Despite this, The Ghost of Orion is My Dying Bride’s best sounding album from a production standpoint, featuring some of Aaron’s most accomplished vocals, and guitar melodies that harken back to the days of The Angel and the Dark River, and it is a welcome addition to the My Dying Bride discography.

47. Squarepusher – Be Up A Hello

Genre: Jungle / Drum&Bass / Electronic

Recommended Track: Oberlove

** Fun for a few spins with a lot of great aggressive beats, some nice 8-bit elements and a few great melodies here and there but chaotic beats for 50 minutes at a time can get a bit samey and tiring. — cjbizzlebizzle

I’m a sucker for Drum&Bass and Jungle. I like the chaotic beats and the high energy. Squarepusher is probably one of my favorites from those genres. I love the chaotic beats that drive (mostly) melodic synth. Yes, it can all start to sound the same after awhile due to the lack of vocals and hooks, but I always enjoy it. Great driving music.

46. Mitochondrial Sun – Sju Pulsarer

Genre: Electronic / Industrial / Black Metal

Recommended Track: Pulsar 2

** this is definitely homogenous but it hits the sweet spot of “energetic enough to focus on work but not interesting enough to be distracting”, lo-fi black metal beats to relax/study to, if you will — Project

One of my favorite things about the modern Dark Tranquillity sound has been the electronics and the solid melodic elements, and Niklas still brings those elements here. Despite the similar nature of every song due to the very basic drum patterns and lack of vocals, the juxtaposition between the chaotic black metal and electro-ambient elements combined with the finely crafted melodies and atmospheres makes Sju Pulsarer well worth hearing.

45. BT – The Lost Art of Longing

Genre: Techno / Pop / Trance

Recommended Track: Wildfire

There’s nothing special about The Lost Art of Longing. It’s an album full of extended techno trance songs, most of which feature some sort of poppy vocal over the top. It’s a throwback to the classic sound of the 90s electronic era. I personally love the 90s electronic sound, and this scratches an itch I didn’t even know I still had.

44. Wolfheart – Wolves of Karelia

Genre: Melodic Death Metal

Recommended Track: Hail of Steel

** Tuomas & Co return in the best possible way, with an album that is sure to be among the best of its kind in 2020. For those who found Constellation of the Black Light somewhat generic, have now a real treat to enjoy. — TheNotrap

This is some fairly standard melodic death metal, but it’s also very well done. There’s just enough aggression to keep it from sounding weak, there’s a subtle layer of keyboards that never overwhelms the music, and the pace is fairly quick throughout. Combine that with some aggressive growls and a wide array of melodies that never end up sounding cheesy, and you have a pretty awesome (yet unremarkable) melodic death metal album.

43. Ascension of the Watchers – Apocrypha

Genre: Atmospheric Metal

Recommended Track: Apocrypha

**Is it me or the drums are a bit to loud in the mix ? I find this album to be a lot more convincing than numinosum. — KevinKC

I’m not going to lie, I never listened to this band before Apocrypha because Burton Bell (ex-Fear Factory) isn’t that great of a vocalist. It took being stuck inside for months for me to finally check them out, and they’re actually pretty good. Yes, Burton Bell still isn’t a great vocalist and his deep, nasally, delivery is probably one of the worst things about the album — but an album full of his clean singing isn’t as bad as I imagined it to be. The spacey, atmospheric, music is where Apocrypha really shines, though. Oh, and I’d say the drums are just a tad loud in the mix, but not so much that it takes away from my enjoyment.

42. Pain of Salvation – PANTHER

Genre: Progressive Metal

Recommended Track: ACCELERATOR

** To no-one’s surprise, PoS release a new album that sounds yet again different. Of course it’s melodramatic, of course Daniel is in the spot-light, of course it’s progressive – the core is the same (and not breached this time, mind you). And thankfully, it’s one of the truly progressive albums of the year, which is evident by the rap-leaning t/t, the heavy procession of guitars, synth-ladden compositions and sound effects, which are not strange to progressive metal, but in no way are considered the classic formula. Make no mistake, though, strange polyrythms, unconventional song structures and long compositions are still there, so it’s truly an album that will please most fans.  — Mythodea

It seems to be a theme for me this year… bands I’m not really all that into releasing albums that have surprised me in the best possible way. Pain of Salvation is another one of those bands that I’ve enjoyed in bits and pieces, but overall I’m not a huge fan. I don’t know if PANTHER will change my overall opinion of the band, but there’s no denying the quality found here. I love the twitchy rhythms and riffs, and the keyboards are definitely unique within the prog genre. The poignant lyrics are also a huge draw for this band. My biggest hurdle is always the vocals. This particular go-around, I’m on board.

41. Night In Gales – Dawnlight Garden

Genre: Melodic Death Metal

Recommended Track: Beyond the Light

What would it sound like if In Flames had stuck to the sound of their breakout release, The Jester Race? I imagine it would sound like a vast majority of Night In Gales’ releases. Unlike the straight-up homage of their previous release, though, Under a Godless Veil actually steps out into its own with a huge dose of speed and aggression to go with its obvious In Flames worship. If you ever missed the sound of The Jester Race, look no further than Under a Godless Veil (and their previous release).

40. Draconian – Under a Godless Veil

Genre: Female Fronted Doom / Goth / Death Metal

Recommended Track: Sorrow of Sophia

** Everything I ever wanted from this genre, top of the heap. — Gmork89

Most bands don’t recover after losing the vocalist that defined their sound, so it didn’t surprise me when Draconian stumbled on their first release without Lisa Johansson (Sovran). It wasn’t that their new vocalist, Heike Langhans, wasn’t up to the task, it was just that it didn’t sound like Draconian — something was missing. Well, whatever was missing is definitely all over Under a Godless Veil. This album is easily one of the best male/female, beauty and the beast, whatever you want to call it death/doom releases in a long time. If nothing else, I’d say Under a Godless Veil is easily the best album in Draconian’s discography.

39. Deftones – Ohms

Genre: Alt Metal

Recommended Track: Urantia

** Ah, another Sputnik study in “What’s worse”: Worshipping a band no matter their quality of output, or being a whiny dick just because a band has that kind of clout?? — ThyCrossAwaits

When I don’t like a Deftones song, the problem is almost always because of the vocals of Chino. The music has to be really good in order for me to accept his pitchy vocal style… generally that doesn’t happen. The sole exceptions have been Around the Fur and White Pony. Having said that, Ohms feels like it takes quite a bit of influence from the moody atmospheres of White Pony while introducing a more guitar-driven sound not really heard since their early days. With Ohms I finally have a third Deftones album I can listen to from start to finish.

38. Blaze Of Perdition – The Harrowing of Hearts

Genre: Blackened Melodic Death Metal

Recommended Track: Królestwo Niebieskie

** Blaze of Perdition have always been kind of a hit or miss band. I’d say that in the grander scheme of their discography, this album is more a miss. Not a lot stands out from their general relentless brutality, but at least you have serious fun listening. — The Aspie Fantastie

This is some great epic melodic death metal. Blaze Of Perdition have released an album that is more melodic, more dynamic, and more diverse than anything they’ve done before. The songs feel more like well-crafted songs than winding journeys this time around, too, which makes them much more accessible despite still sitting firmly in black metal territory. Pretty much a step up in every aspect of their sound.

37. Misery Signals – Ultraviolet

Genre: Metalcore

Recommended Track: River King

** It’s no Controller but it’s Misery Signals and this is good — Splinter

I know I’ve heard these guys before, but only because I have all their other albums rated, not because I remember anything about them. Ultraviolet, for whatever reason, caught my attention though. Ultraviolet starts out as a fairly standard brutal, yet melodic, metalcore album but by the third track a bit more melody and some stronger songwriting starts to seep in. Is that enough to make my top 50? In 2020 it is. Besides, I’ve never minded standard metalcore as long as it’s melodic and hooky.

36. PVRIS – Use Me

Genre: Electronic /Pop / Indie

Recommended Track: Stay Gold

** This isn’t even bad, just a harmless fun pop record. Don’t understand the hate at all. — XgenericusernameX

This happened with the second Meg Myers release, too. For reasons unknown to me, people that loved her debut had all sorts of issues with her second album. The same thing is happening here, too. All We Know of Heaven, All We Need of Hell was pretty well received, but for reasons unknown to me, Use Me has received a fair amount of backlash. Is it a little more poppy? Yes. Have a lot of the edges been sanded down? I guess. Is it still super catchy with excellent vocals, and an enjoyable experience from start to finish? I think so. 

35. Caspian – On Circles

Genre: Post Rock

Recommended Track: Wildblood

** Caspian caspianing once again with bold and cinematic post-rock. Not reinventing the wheel in any way (third wave post-rock ftw), but a super engaging listen nonetheless. — dedex

I have a very low tolerance for post rock (and post metal, to a similar extent). The amount of quiet moments versus the amount of actual interesting parts combined with extended song lengths usually leaves me skipping tracks and eventually skipping the entire release. That’s why this works. Short songs that get right to the point. They make their mark with great melodies and then get the fuck out before they’ve worn their welcome. Also, this has a little more edge than your average post rock album. Short post rock songs with strong melodies and a bit of balls? Yes please.

34. Enslaved – Utgard

Genre: Progressive Black Metal

Recommended Track: Urjotun

**This album flows magically. Living proof that to be a prog (bm) band 8 minute tracks are not mandatory. Definitely makes consider to check their discog. — Chino smoking it up!

Much like Borknagar a few years back, Enslaved always seemed like a band I should be able to like but could never actually appreciate. Musically, they mix Norwegian folk elements, progressive metal, and second-wave black metal, but the thin sound of their albums and the dry throaty black metal vocals were always a deterrent. Both those elements are still on Utgard, but for some reason I can finally appreciate an Enslaved album. I think part of it is because they’re just becoming better song writers, and the prog parts are starting to really dominate their sound. Whatever the reason, Utgard is one of the few times I’ve found myself enjoying an entire Enslaved release.

33. Anaal Nathrakh – Endarkenment

Genre: Grind / Black Metal

Recommended Track: The Age of Starlight Ends

**Just as I expected, absolute trash. Listened to it for a friend, but good lord, wish I did not. This is basically the definition of trying to cover up non-existant songwriting with pure unadelturated intensity. It just makes it sound worse. — GamamJ

Pure unadulterated intensity sums this up pretty well. We’ll have to agree to disagree on the ‘why’. I’m not saying I don’t understand that kind of reaction, though. Anaal Nathrakh have always been on the cusp of being unlistenable. They’re just so damn noisy and unrelenting that a lot of times I just can’t listen to them. It’s only the times that they kind of throttle back that I can really get into them — Endarkenment is one of those times. Keep in mind, ‘throttle back’ is a relative term here. This album is still an intense, over the top exercise in extreme metal that will almost certainly leave you exhausted, but there’s also just enough random melody and occasional hooks that I actually really enjoy this.

32. Caligula’s Horse – Rise Radiant

Genre: Modern Progressive Metal

Recommended Track: Valkyrie

** After multiple monumental albums, it’s not unusual for a band to pull back a little and play it safe. Rise Radiant is just that. Yes, it’s not as great as In Contact and the tracks aren’t as good as they were on Bloom, but Rise Radiant still holds up as a worthy entry to Caligula’s Horse’ mighty catalog. — YRI

In Contact hooked me immediately. I loved every aspect of that album, and definitely looked forward to this release when I heard about it. That anticipation combined with just how much I love their previous release are probably two reasons this one didn’t grab me as much. There is more to that, though. Rise Radiant is a heavier, more guitar-driven, album that isn’t nearly as catchy and melodic. I really like this album, but I miss the catchy and melodic elements. This album kind of reminds me of Tesseract if they knew how to write interesting songs.

31. Convocation – Ashes Coalesce

Genre: Doom/Death

Recommended Track: Martyrise

Even for fans of the genre, doom/death can quickly become a mind-numbing chore when it’s not done really well. The droning riffs combined with two-dimensional death vocals all moving at the speed of snot is enough to drive someone nuts if not done right. Ashes Coalesce is doom/death done right. Yes, the tempos are lethargic and the death vocals are almost abstract in their growl, but the riffs are crushing, the keyboards create a dark oppressive atmosphere, and there are enough tempo changes to keep things from turning into a slog. Also, this album is heavy as hell.

30. Katatonia – City Burials

Genre: Progressive / Atmospheric Rock

Recommended Track: Heart Set To Divide

**City Burials sees Katatonia return in a way that feels tried-and-true with the occasional surprise… There’s a bit of everything from the band’s modern sound, executed with equal amounts of finesse and restraint. It does feel like this is one of the band’s less evolutionary releases… just not enough to avoid instilling the slightest sense of stagnation.  — Xenorazr

I don’t really consider myself a huge Katatonia fan. I didn’t really get into them until Viva Emptiness and after Night is the New Day I found myself losing interest again. That’s why City Burials is so surprising. On this album Katatonia brought back some of that energy that had been lacking for a while — there’s even a legit guitar solo. City Burials feels like a combination of what made Viva Emptiess through Night is a New Day so compelling combined with the moodier songwriting of their latest releases along with a proggier undercurrent. Very nice.

29. Fates Warning – Long Day Good Night

Genre: Progressive Metal

Recommended Track: The Longest Shadow of the Day

**Fates’ longest and arguably most diverse album yet. Almost a one stop shop for the Fates sound without sounding like an overly contrived “Greatest Hits” album. There are songs that could have fit on older albums while others that sound like new territory. The band sounds tight but feels like they had more fun with this album since it’s more jam oriented. As with all Fates records, it’s a grower so give it time.  — OmairSh

To be honest, Long Day Good Night sounds like what I assumed Ray’s solo album was going to be – a vocal-driven album that contained hints of Fates Warning, but that was otherwise more metal, modern, and streamlined. Despite the streamlined feel of the songs, and the lack of a unified direction, Fates Warning have still delivered an enjoyable album… and possibly even threw their fans a curveball due to the abundance of musical diversity. Just about every Fates Warning album has had a way to differentiate itself from the rest of the catalog, Long Day Good Night will be known as the modern, sleek, Fates Warning album that dropped most the tangents, did away with all the moodiness, and just rocked.

28. Nightwish – Human. :II: Nature.

Genre: Symphonic Metal

Recommended Track: Noise

** Human. :II: Nature. is interesting addition to Nightwish’s discography. Leaning more into the folk… and symphony elements of their sound rather than the symphonic metal… Depending what you want from Nightwish you’ll either love the experimentation or want them to get back to the more straightforward sound. I’m personally in the first camp. — Blazewire

I know why even some longtime fans had a problem with this. The instantly familiar power metal riffs and head-bobbing beats are gone. The instantaneously catchy choruses are also missing. Instead, the band have taken the Nightwish sound in a much more ‘artistic’ and experimental direction. Human. :II: Nature. is definitely way more artsy and folky than anything the band has done before. It’s even a little bit proggy with its dense collection of ideas, harmonies, and abstract structures.  The second album of instrumental stuff is what drags this down. For everyone else, you just have to give this one a few listens because it’s nowhere near as catchy and instant as their previous releases.

27. Make Them Suffer – How to Survive a Funeral

Genre: Metalcore

Recommended Track: Erase Me

** I’ve appreciated everything the band has done up until this point, but truthfully I find this pretty underwhelming. Falling Ashes and Soul Decay are kinda cool, but nothing else really stands out that much aside from The Attendant, which is apparently a leftover cut from Worlds Apart. — InFiction

I’m not too familiar with Make Them Suffer’s discography, so I’m not really sure why people think this album wastes the band’s potential. I can assume these guys dropped some of the more extreme elements in favor of a more streamlined, radio-friendly, direction. Based on the few other songs I’ve heard, that would be my guess. Either way, I don’t care. This is an excellent metalcore release that features just enough keyboards to give it an atmospheric feel, and I love the occasional female vocals. The dude that screams is also one of the better ones I’ve heard. Also, the songs are all pretty catchy no matter how heavy that get.

26. Heaven Shall Burn – Of Truth and Sacrifice

Genre: Melodic Death Metal / Metalcore

Recommended Track: La Resistance

** Shedding all pretenses of being a metalcore band, Heaven Shall Burn have re-energized and diversified their sound to deliver a sprawling epic that stands as one of the best contemporary melodic death metal albums. — heck

Heaven Shall Burn have always felt like they were capable of so much more than they actually did, and Of Truth and Sacrifice goes further towards realizing that potential. The riffs and aggression are top notch, the melodic parts are really well-crafted, and the throat shredding vocals are excellent. The thing that keeps this double album moving is the little bit of diversity it features. One day these guys might actually surprise, but with the level of conviction and the excellent songs they continue to churn out, this is still pretty damn good.

25. Paradise Lost – Obsidian

Genre: Doom / Metal

Recommended Track: Ending Days

**I’m ashamed to say that, of all metal genres, both that are most commonly used to categorize Paradise Lost tend to escape my interest. I may lose some cred here, but doom and gothic metal bore me for their lack of pulse (strong IMO here). Obsidian, however, brings a whole lot more to the table than atmosphere or sludgy chug. It stays true to its doom/goth progenitors’ tropes, but for some reason the moody despair in this record actually speaks to me.  — bludngorevidal

I wasn’t a fan of Medusa and its two-dimensional back-to-roots sound. Even classics like Icon and Draconian Times had more diversity than that album did. It seemed like Obsidian was going to be an album that went in a similar back-to-roots direction, and it has, but they’ve managed to bring back a little bit of diversity of sound. There are a lot more melodic elements and clean singing on this release, and the overall songwriting seems to have improved drastically, as well. I don’t know what happened between Medusa and here, but the changes were definitely for the better.

24. Khors – Where the Word Acquires Eternity

Genre: Blackened Death Metal

Recommended Track: Starvation

**This is some darn good black metal. Screw your atmosphere – Khors hit us with some BM riffs, a little bit of melancholy, and a lot of Ukrainian traditionalism. Best of all, no right-wing jiingoism that I can detect. . — bludngorevidal

Coming off like a more versatile Behemoth, Where the Word Acquires Eternity is huge. It’s basically a clinic in everything blackened death metal should have. It has the melancholic black metal atmospheres, leads, and melodies. It has the guttural death vocals and huge riffs. It also has a ton of dynamics. One of my favorites from the black metal or death metal genre this year (clearly).

23. Celestial Season – The Secret Teachings

Genre: Doom/Death/Goth

Recommended Track: Long Forlorn Tears

There was a time around the release of Solar Lovers in 1995 that Celestial Season seemed like they were going to start to be mentioned along the lines of such doom greats as Paradise Lost, Anathema, and My Dying Bride. They had  two violin players, and made better use of them than My Dying Bride. They had the melancholic atmospheres and crushing riffs of Serenades-era Anathema. They also had the raw grit and punchiness of Shades of God-era Paradise Lost. Granted, Solar Lovers was still a little rough around the edges, but they were on the cusp. Instead, they moved into the kind of stoner doom dominated by bands like Cathedral and Trouble, and eventually faded away. Twenty-five years after the release of Solar Lovers, and Celestial Season is back with everything that made them great. Classic 90s-era doom.

22. Grimes – Miss Anthropocene

Genre: Electronic / Indie Pop

Recommended Track: So Heavy I Fell Through The Earth

** I mean its Grimes, so its gonna be weird as hell, but…it is pretty damn good too — davezillaMP3

Weird atmospheric electronic music that straddles the line between ambient, dream pop, and electro-pop. I love the layers of vocals and synths, as well as all the twisted effects that are added to everything. The whole thing is anchored by  creative, yet chill, beats and just enough pop influence to keep everything memorable.

21. Currents – The Way it Ends

Genre: Metalcore

Recommended Track: Monsters

** With the singles being by far the weakest songs of this release, the rest of the album shows some experimentation that I wasn’t expecting. I think a lot of people won’t necessarily like the change of direction from the heavier sound, but I think it suits what they were going for in this instance — J3wFro69

There isn’t anything really special about these guys as far as innovation or crazy musicianship or whatever, but they do play with a level of conviction that is second to none. The Way it Ends is semi-aggressive metalcore that incorporates electronics, a fair level of atmosphere, and a decent amount of clean vocals. Again, that’s nothing out of the ordinary for this spectrum of metalcore, but it is definitely very well done. Almost the perfect blend of heaviness, catchiness, and atmosphere within the metalcore genre.

20. Deluge – Aego Templo

Genre: Post Black Metal /  Hardcore

Recommended Track: Opprobre

It seems like every year I kind of fall into one genre more than any of the others. This year was post black metal. I really got into the juxtaposition between the dark and aggressive versus the mellow and beautiful. I also appreciated how a lot of the songs in the genre seemed to flow from one idea to the next without ever becoming too repetitious. Hailing from France, Deluge do those things too, but they’ve added a fair amount of hardcore to the mix. The vocals are more shouts than your typical black metal rasp, the clean singing also takes more from hardcore than the mellow croon of some of their contemporaries. Criminally unknown post black metal with quite a bit of balls.

19. Static-X – Project Regeneration, Vol. 1

Genre: Industrial Metal

Recommended Track: Terminator Oscillator

** This first installment of Project Regeneration sounds like it came straight out of 2001, so much so that listening to it keeps me only a couple inches away from throwing on a Follow The Leader tee and booting up my Xbox for an afternoon of Halo CE. Sure, it’s by no means perfect and certain elements can come off as a bit gaudy and dated as well as some tracks paling in comparison to others, but a majority of this record is a nice solid dose of stomping industrial alt-metal ragers with the late Wayne Static’s throaty expressive vocals gracing the forefront in their prime state. — SinNanna

As far as I’m concerned, Static-X were never nu-metal. They’ve always followed a mainstream industrial metal/rock formula that was really no different than Stabbing Westward, Drown, Ministry, or any number of other 90s-era industrial rock/metal bands trying to follow in Nine Inch Nails’ footsteps. Yes, Static-X was heavier than any of those bands and clearly was a product of their time… but nu metal? Nope. Having said that, Project Regeneration feels like it took everything that made their first two albums the awesome industrial metal they were, and just continues along that path. It’s everything the band should have always done (IMO) instead of watering down their sound on later releases.

18. Wake – Devouring Ruin

Genre: Death Metal / Post Metal

Recommended Track: Mouth of Abolition

** Super cool release, diving on the post Hardcore Sludge, but with clear leanings to DM, BM and Doom. You can have it all this in one piece and keep it really coherent. — Chino smoking it up!

I love how this band is able to mash together doom, death metal, grind, black metal, post metal, and even a little hardcore without sounding like just a mess of genres. In the end, I’d simply categorize it as extreme metal — that genre I place things into on my iTunes when the band is heavy but doesn’t really fit anywhere in particular. A lot of this album features the kind of neck-breaking tempos found on black metal, but the dynamics, riffs, and leads are something else (almost) entirely.

17. … And Oceans – Cosmic World Mother

Genre: Black Metal

Recommended Track: Vigilance and Atrophy

** The best melodic black metal album this year, and potentially the best album in their catalog. Produced perfectly, full of fantastic symphonic arrangements and organized especially well as well. Love how the album starts to emanate little industrial flourishes as it blisters quickly towards its ending. —Panzerchrist

I wasn’t following … And Oceans when they were around the first time. Apparently, they started as just another black metal band, but quickly evolved into some sort of industrial black metal hybrid that never really clicked with most their fan base. That’s not Cosmic World Mother. This album is blisteringly fast and aggressive black metal with little symphonic/melodic keyboard flourishes. It features the classic 90s-era black metal sound that I love. Having gone back though their back catalog since hearing this, I can say the second coming of … And Oceans is easily their best.

16. Aversio Humanitatis – Behold the Silent Dwellers

Genre: Blackened Death Metal

Recommended Track: The Weaver of Tendons

** Debemur Morti at it again! Very solid effort from Spanish dissonant black metallers. — Braeckderm

Excellent unrelenting blackened death metal that probably has a little more of the black metal side than a lot of the bands that fall under the genre. The songs are epic and guitar-driven, played at a frantic pace with just the slightest keyboard undercurrent to create a little bit more of an ominous atmosphere. There are slower parts to contrast with the otherwise breakneck pace, but mostly you come to Behold the Silent Dwellers for the aggression and downright oppressive atmospheres.

15. Skyforest – A New Dawn

Genre: Post Black Metal / Atmospheric Metal

Recommended Track: Rebirth

** No individual record by B.M. has blown me away, but I have yet to be disappointed by a Skyforest album. — SuzyC

The easiest way to describe Skyforest is to label them as post black metal because there are some definite black metal ideas and sounds, and there’s definitely that ‘post’ aspect as well, but it feels limiting to just place them in the one genre. I hear a lot of Agolloch in the band’s folky atmospheric mellow parts, as well as their clean vocal deliveries. There’s also some symphonic elements that could be compared to some of the better symphonic black metal bands out there (i.e. the bands that don’t over-do it). Those also dual guitar harmonies, and the kind of twisting song structures that can keep you guessing. Skyforest might not exactly be ground breaking, but they’re definitely experts at their genre.

14. Mitochondrial Sun – Mitochondrial Sun

Genre: Electronic / Ambient

Recommended Track: Chronotopes

** This is some stuffy, cheeseball instra-metal-tronica that I am absolutely here for — Xenophanes

Even if a majority of the people that give Mitochondrial Sun a listen weren’t metal fans, this album would still have its work cut out for it – Electro-classical soundscapes don’t exactly have a huge fanbase. For those that are into that sort of thing, though, Mitochondrial Sun delivers a professional and enjoyable take on the genre that is easy to get into thanks to the well-crafted melodies, and solid sense of direction. The songs don’t meander or take a long time to build; they simply jump straight into the center of each theme, build the atmosphere, and then end. With Mitochondrial Sun, Niklas Sundin has delivered a well-crafted and memorable blend of electronics and classical influences that should appeal to those into the genre, and may even appeal to his installed metal fanbase due to the darker nature of most the tracks.

13. Darzamat – A Philosopher at the End of the Universe

Genre: Melodic Death Metal

Recommended Track: Thoughts to Weigh on Farewell Day

Darzamat’s 2009 release, Solfernus’ Path, wasn’t mind-blowing or even great, but it was definitely a step in the right direction. After its release, though, the band went their separate directions. Female vocalist Nera delved into the mellow progressive/atmospheric rock of NeraNature, and their guitar player moved into black metal with Mastiphal. The time apart and different side projects seem to be the difference between their previous release being decent and this one being pretty damn great. The band blend their melodic death metal roots with a bit of modern Cradle of Filth-inspired black metal, as well as an occasional nod to Nera’s atmospheric prog stuff. They’ve also made her vocals much more of a focal point, which is smart since she was always the band’s defining aspect. Altogether, the second coming of Darzamat is off to a great start.

12. The Birthday Massacre – Diamonds

Genre: Industrial Rock / Electro Pop

Recommended Track: Flashback

** Solid electronic punch while still sounding authentic and genuine. Less drab than their last record. I dig it! — Xskyvancex

If I had to describe Diamonds for fans, I’d say it features the industrial influences of Violet, the electronic-pop of Under Your Spell, and the excellent songwriting and variety of Pins and Needles, but wrapped in a much more upbeat sound than any of those albums. It’s not the type of album that is going to surprise anyone that has ever enjoyed The Birthday Massacre, but it also shouldn’t disappoint them. Diamonds takes The Birthday Massacre’s blend of electro-pop and industrial rock, and dives head first into the electro-pop side. This makes for an album that is entertaining, riveting, and memorable. They’ve also restored enough of their early abrasive industrial influences to create an enjoyable contrast to the syrupy-sweet pop melodies. In the end, Diamonds is another excellent outing from a band that perfected their sound long ago, and now seem content to simply alter that formula with consistently exceptional results.

11. Alanis Morissette – Such Pretty Forks in the Road

Genre: Alternative / Pop

Recommended Track: Reckoning

**One of her best and one of the best albums I’ve heard in awhile. — jackie2008

I know what you’re thinking… how is Alanis Morissette on anyone’s top list of anything positive? Even if we’re talking the best releases of the day this album was released, how is she on the list? I get it. I definitely never thought she’d manage such a great album so late in her career, but she has. Maybe you have to be a certain age to really appreciate this because so much of it is introspective and can probably only be identified with by people who have lived a vast majority of their more interesting years; when you’ve reached the age where looking back is way too easy to do. There has to be more than that, though, because if the music couldn’t support the lyrical themes the album wouldn’t matter. Such Pretty Forks… is such a mellow, atmospheric, and emotive album that only hints at the snotty alt rock of her 90s releases.

10. Haken – Virus

Genre: Progressive Metal

Recommended Track: Prosthetic

** My AotY, and a ridiculously good album by Haken. Somewhat of a recap of everything they have done, with the direct Cockroach King reference in Messiah Complex being a highlight for sure. There is melody, anthemic choruses, lots of djenty chugging, great Petrucci-like prog-metal riffs and of course tons of wank.  — GamamJ

I guess the transformation is complete. There’s basically no more traditional prog left in these guys. They’ve fully embraced a modern djenty sound that is rhythmic and chaotic. The only real remnant of their past is their vocalist (which is the element most people seem to be complaining about). They’ve stopped focusing on strong songwriting, and more on style and aggression. I, for one, like it. So, it’s not nearly as memorable as their older stuff but musically it’s intense, semi-unique, and just catchy enough that the album doesn’t just end in an unremarkable blur.

9. Violet Cold – Noir Kid

Genre: Post Black Metal / Electronic

Recommended Track: Noir Kid

**Must’ve jammed this almost a dozen times over the last day and a half. I absolutely love everything else Violet Cold has done, but this has to be my favorite album so far. Can’t get enough of this thing.  —JakeStallion

Let me start with the one real complaint I have. The production doesn’t do this album any favors. There’s so many elements in this album, and there’s just not enough separation to appreciate them all. Everything just feels piled on the dead center of the mix with nothing able to truly stand out. Maybe that was intentional, but I’m not a fan. It’s a shame because I think this could have been top 5 with a better sound. As it stands, the quirky blend of post black metal and electro-pop is really unique, even if the quirkiness sometimes veers to the very edge (like the Chipmunk vocals on ‘Synergy’).

8. Testament – Titans of Creation

Genre: Thrash

Recommended Track: Curse Of Osiris

** Why fix what’s not broken? Testament continues to impress. — OpethEthereal

When Testament’s classic line-up (mostly) reformed for The Formation of Damnation, they settled on a formula that blended their classic sound with their more extreme modern metal influences. Since then, they’ve released two variations of that same formula… and now they’ve released a third. If there is one thing that can be said about Titans of Creation, though, it’s that it feels less like Testament by the numbers than the previous two releases. This is due in large part to stronger songwriting and better guitar melodies, as well as a slightly more diverse sound that pulls more from their classics. Whether that’s enough to make Titans of Creationsound like anything other than more of the same (and whether that will even matter) will be up to the individual listener. One thing is for sure, with Titans of Creation Testament have released another excellent thrasher that proves they’re still the most reliable band of the original thrash era.

7. Ulcerate – Stare Into Death and Be Still

Genre: Technical Death Metal

Recommended Track: The Lifeless Advance

** This wasn’t overhyped or overinflated. After multiple listens SIDABS just became more obviously the biggest leap forward Ulcerate have made since Everything Is Fire. They’ve a cemented a new morphology of death metal with a sound and style that is pretty inarguably theirs, and this record is them finally perfecting it. Hard to find anything to complain about with this.  — ThyCrossAwaits

Ulcerate (and similar bands) are so fucking dense that it’s damn near impossible for me to make it through an entire album. They’re just so fucking heavy and oppressive. Also, no matter the tempo, these kind of bands always feel so chaotic. Latching onto any one element is like trying to track a blade of grass in a tornado. I don’t know if I’m just getting used to this sound (doubtful), but Stare Into Death… had me hooked from the very beginning. The best way to describe this is chaotic melodic dissonance. I don’t know what they changed compared to previous releases, but I hope they keep it for the future.

6. The Ocean – Phanerozoic II: Mesozoic | Cenozoic

Genre: Progressive Metal / Post Metal

Recommended Track: Jurassic | Cretaceous

** Mmmh that production is tasty af. On top of clearly hearing all instruments, it allows their slight “experimentations” to work particularly well, like the horns and keys spread throughout the record, *that* black metal part shining bright like a diamond, or the calmer end of the record. Talking about calmer soundscapes, I’ve always found their clean vocals to be kinda meh, but I find them to work quite well here — dedex

I’m not the biggest fan of post metal. For me, there’s just too many dead spots between the obvious peaks, a glaring lack of hooks and melody, and generally there’s not enough even during the best sections to make me want to slog through the minimalism again. You throw in more aggression, some progressive influences, and cut all the needless silence, and apparently I’m good to go — or maybe, at that point, it’s not really post metal anymore. Either way, this is easily the best release from The Ocean. Excellent use of keyboards, lumber riffs, prog-lite melodies, beats, and song structures, and great shouts and clean singing.

5. Rabbit Junk – Xenospheres

Genre: Industrial Metal

Recommended Track: Bits and Razors

** Is anybody going to review this album ? I mean, on the internet !!! — KevinKC

It’s kind of crazy. Rabbit Junk releases one of the best albums of their career, and that’s the one that flies under the radar (at least here). Often referred to as ‘digital hardcore’, Rabbit Junk’s latest release is another offering of hardcore/metal blended with industrial rhythms and electronics. The thing that has always set these guys apart is the catchiness of the melodies and electronics, and the serious rhythmic delivery of the beats. Those elements are here on Xenospheres,  and with just about every release, the songwriting just keeps getting better and more diverse.

4. Yashira – Fail to Be

Genre: Post Metal / Sludge / Hardcore

Recommended Track: Inertia Mines

**So apparently this is post-metalcore. I’d say this is metalcore-y sludge with atmospheric bits, but I guess genre names are specifically created to avoid longass monikers. Notwithstanding these silly considerations, this is, first and foremost, fucking violent. Even the more atmospheric passages (like on “Narrowed in Mirrored Light” only build calm moments to punish you harder. This record wants to harm you, and that might the one characteristic that connects all post-metalcore bands. This one does it by being constantly unrelentless, which causes the soundscape to vary only too little to my taste. If you want a threatening take on modern sludgy metalcore, go for this.  — dedex

I haven’t felt this bludgeoned by an album since Amia Venera Landscape ten years ago. While Amia Venera Landscape and this band both share a penchant for pummeling their listeners with chaos, dissonance,  and tempo changes aplenty, Yashira stands on their own too. For one, they are way more relentless in their attack. There’s no clean singing and very little in the way of tangible ambience. Instead, Fail to Be’s singular focus is on the dissonance and the attack. Admittedly, that singular focus does make for a slightly homogenous album, but when it’s delivered with such power and conviction, I’m not sure I care.

3. Oceans of Slumber – Oceans of Slumber

Genre: Doom / Post Metal / Progressive

Recommended Track: Pray for Fire

** Amazing album. Powerful vocals and a crushing sound. The gothic piano vibe really helps the atmosphere, but let’s get straight to the point: Dobber Beverly! His drumming throughout is just incredible, and had basically all my attention. Syncopation all over gives the illusion of odd-meters though most of the record is rooted in 4/4 or 6/8. Truly amazing fills throughout, and general jazzy feel camping on the ride and all. Cover sucks. — GamamJ

I’ve been tracking this band for three albums now, and I’ve always had to fall back on their ‘potential’ to describe them. They’ve always been on the cusp of greatness, and each album has even had a few awesome songs, but no album has been consistent. That changes with their self-titled fourth release. They’ve finally dropped a vast majority of the death vocals and allowed their excellent vocalist, Cammie Gilbert, to shine. Their songwriting has also improved immensely. Previously, it sometimes felt like the music was aimless and there was very little in the way of memorable hooks. Not this time. Look no further than A Return to the Earth Below for this band’s potential totally realized. Musically, the band finally feel like they’re all on the same page instead of trying to pull the songs in multiple directions. Oceans of Slumber’s self-titled album is one of the more unique ‘doom’ or ‘post metal’ albums to come out in a long time.

2. Dark Tranquillity – Moment

Genre: Melodic Death Metal

Recommended Track: Transient

Although it seems like the addition of Christopher Amott and Johan Reinhodz could have been the perfect time for the second coming of The Gallery, unsurprisingly, it was not to be. Instead Moment is more like the second coming of Projector pushed through the modern sound of Construct and Atoma. There is definitely a feeling of continuity between Moment and the previous two releases, but the riffier nature of the songs coupled with the darker, more morose, atmospheres and melodies help it to stand on its own and not just feel like more of the same. If you’ve been a fan of Dark Tranquillity’s sound for more than an album or two throughout the last twenty years, there’s going to be plenty here to keep you going. Momentfeels like Dark Tranquillity finally focusing on the melancholic sound they’ve dabbled in, hinted at, but never felt comfortable diving entirely into – at least not since Projector.

1. Psychotic Waltz – The God-Shaped Void

Genre: Progressive Metal

Recommended Track: Sisters of the Dawn

** Quite possibly the comeback album of the year from a long dormant band. And certainly a successful transition toward a heavier rift metal musical template compared to earlier eclectic progressive rock tendencies. The vocals are solid yet blended a bit too far back into the mix unlike earlier albums where presented upfront. Hopefully this new label deal will include reissuing the back catalog, a long overdue and much necessary endeavor.  — Deadwing2112

Nostalgia may cause people to forget that Psychotic Waltz had been moving towards a darker, more atmospheric, sound ever since their second release. I say this because it would be a shame for them to come into The God-Shaped Void expecting something it is not. The God-Shaped Void is not a rehash of A Social Grace or even Mosquito – it’s not even a rehash of Bleeding (despite sharing some similarities). What it is, though, is a natural progression of the Psychotic Waltz sound; the same progression they were making before taking an extended break. It’s a near-flawless album that puts the feel and ‘song’ ahead of progressive showmanship while still showcasing each member’s immense talent. Also, unlike some other comeback releases we’ve seen, Psychotic Waltz isn’t returning to a genre saturated with sound-alikes; they’re returning to a sound some have tried to emulate, but none have managed to reproduce.