It’s the conclusion of yet another interesting year in this, um, “unique” corner of the internet. Our site’s aesthetics may be firmly entrenched in 2010, but this “best of” feature ushers 2020 out of our collective memories. For many of us that brings immense relief, even if most of the same issues that plagued this year will follow us right into January. Still, there are reasons for optimism as we delve further into this still young decade. One of them is how music stepped up to the plate in a time of crisis. It’s during humanity’s most trying times that art seems to give us the most hope, and from invigorating protest music to pensive quarantine albums, musicians acted like first responders to our emotional needs in 2020.
Everyone’s way of navigating this crazy, chaotic year was different – a fingerprint consisting of our own unique challenges. Personally, I found myself relating to mellow folk (and even country!) as an escape from the psychological stresses caused by the pandemic and its consequences, but it’s just as understandable for others to have taken solace in elated pop, metal, or woke hip-hop (and there’s a little of each here!). It was all we could do not to sink into despair, basically. That’s part of the reason I decided to, at least temporarily, retire my Sowing’s Music Awards shtick (2014-2019, RIP) – replete with its “worst album” and “biggest disappointment” categories…
The blueprints for post-metalcore had been amassed over the course of the 1990s. Once the genre began near the early 2000s and stepped into a new century, the efforts of groups past started to coalesce into products that combined their influences into the primary works of the post-metalcore catalogue. The overarching category as a whole was readying to embark upon a renaissance period that would result in an explosion of new acts. A changing of the guard was occurring as the hardcore acts of yesteryear passed the torch on to nascent crews. Those that survived the shifting of years, like The Dillinger Escape Plan, Converge, and Zao continued to accrue relevance, with the former two bands hitting their stride in the initial half of the new decade — Miss Machine would arrive in 2004, while the iconic Jane Doe would storm the metal world in 2001, forever changing the category it was attached to. It was in this period that an affinity for melody was championed, which found a home in the spacey soundscapes of Hopesfall and the addicting passages of Misery Signals. Norma Jean was starting to wreak havoc. Underoath was slowly starting…
Here’s a list of major new releases for the week of November 27, 2020. Please feel free to request reviews for any of the following albums from staff and/or contributors.
– List of Releases: November 27, 2020 –
Ane Brun: How Beauty Holds The Hand of Sorrow
Genre: Folk/Indie-Rock
Label: Balloon Ranger
Billie Joe Armstrong: No Fun Mondays
Genre: Punk/Rock
Label: Warner Bros.
Diamond Head: Lightning To The Nations 2020
Genre: Heavy Metal/Hard Rock
Label: Silver Lining Music
Dream Theater: Distant Memories: Live In London
Genre: Progressive Metal
Label: Century Media
Hatebreed: Weight Of The False Self
Genre: Hardcore/Metalcore
Label: Nuclear Blast
Miley Cyrus: Plastic Hearts
Genre: Pop/Psychedelic
Label: RCA
Our Oceans: While Time Disappears
Genre: Progressive/Post Rock
Label: Long Branch
What Rolo Tomassi managed to accomplish in 2018 deserves to be remembered for decades to come. The year 2018 as a whole was a landmark for the metalcore genre in the modern era of its existence, but Time Will Die and Love Will Bury It attained mainstream attention that wasn’t matched by peers who performed a similar style. Across metal music platforms, the British collective dominated front pages and earned acclaim for a sound that wasn’t often brought to the forefront of the scene. Perhaps most surprisingly was the crossover appeal that the group cultivated; individuals that had not a care for metalcore or even metal overall discovered that the band scratched a very particular itch few other acts could offer. However, I’d argue that this phenomenon was inevitable, not shocking. It’s imperative to note that Rolo Tomassi were not an unknown entity, as their impressive body of work in the underground demonstrated a gradual progression to a magnum opus — Grievances was enough of a hint that a masterwork was imminent. Other than that fact, the precise presentation the group engaged in was a methodology that had been quietly developed in the background for years. It took a tremendous year for metalcore to expose…
Welcome to the fourth installment of our 2020 quarterly playlist/mixtape! Feel free to jam the playlist below while reading what our writers had to say about each selection. Tell us what your favorites are in the comments, as well as any new artists you may have discovered here – or, alternatively, tell us what we missed! Thanks for reading/listening.
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Tracklist:
Adrianne Lenker – zombie girl
You’ll be hard-pressed to find a song that will make you feel warmer inside than ‘zombie girl’. It portrays sad romance and hopeful longing: “I sworn I could’ve felt you there, and I almost could’ve kissed your hair” / “Then the next night, dreaming I could feel your skin, but the dream escaped so easily”. songs follows suit as one of the most moving folk albums of 2020; a piece that consistently portrays total intimacy and crushing vulnerability. — Sowing
Collapse Under the Empire – Red Rain
Many of the genre’s stalwarts have released a new record this year, but I haven’t heard something that whets the third-wave whistle in Q4 quite yet, so I’m banking on the German
Here’s a list of major new releases for the week of November 20, 2020. Please feel free to request reviews for any of the following albums from staff and/or contributors.
– List of Releases: November 20, 2020 –
Bearings: Hello, It’s You
Genre: Pop-Punk/Post-Hardcore
Label: Pure Noise
Brit Taylor: Real Me
Genre: Country
Label: Cut a Shine
Cabaret Voltaire: Shadow of Fear
Genre: Industrial/Post-Punk
Label: Mute
Communic: Hiding From The World
Genre: Progressive Rock/Thrash Metal/Power Metal
Label: AFM
Contrarian: Only Time Will Tell
Genre: Death/Progressive Metal
Label: Willowtip Inc
Dark Tranquillity: Moment
Genre: Progressive/Melodic Death Metal
Label: Century Media
Darzamat: A Philosopher at the End of the Universe
Genre: Black Metal/Gothic
Label: Sleaszy Rider
Dirty Projectors: Ring Road
Genre: Indie Folk/Pop
Label: Domino
Jinjer: Alive In Melbourne
Genre: Progressive Metal/Metalcore/Death Metal
Label: Napalm
Killer Be Killed: Reluctant Hero
Genre: Thrash Metal/Metalcore/Hardcore
Label: Nuclear Blast
King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard: K.G.
Genre: Psychedelic/Progressive Rock
Label: KGLW
Lindstrøm and Prins Thomas: III
Genre: Electronic/R&B
Label: Smalltown Supersound
I’m not normally one who appreciates remixes. Usually they just feel like bad covers designed to take advantage of club goers and helpless mainstream addicts who want the same three beat variations for the rest of their lives. However, I’ve been proven wrong a lot lately when it comes to music, and I think that’s something that’s important to admit when you’ve been analyzing and critiquing music for well over a decade. Sam Amidon’s self-titled album of mostly early-1900s folk/Americana covers was released last month and completely altered my view on what a “covers album” is capable of, and now Deftones might be on the cusp of changing my mind about remixes. These two similar but separate avenues of re-imagining art have always been throwaways, but the tide is changing.
The myth of Black Stallion has been a topic of discussion for years in diehard Deftones circles, and now we’re finally getting it on December 11th via the White Pony 20th Anniversary Edition. I have to say, the two remixes released so far (‘Knife Prty’ and ‘Passenger’) have done more than merely avoid disappointment – they’ve caused real excitement from a fan of the band who just spent the last 2 months relentlessly jamming Ohms and who should be tired of the band’s sound by now. Purity Ring’s ‘Knife Prty’ remix is something to behold – a gorgeous, dazzling blend of keyboards, synths, and drums that has a smooth glazed finish and a downright haunting air. It…
Here’s a list of major new releases for the week of November 13, 2020. Please feel free to request reviews for any of the following albums from staff and/or contributors.
– List of Releases: November 13, 2020 –
AC/DC: POWER UP
Genre: Hard Rock
Label: Columbia
Aesop Rock: Spirit World Field Guide
Genre: Hip-Hop
Label: Rhymesayers
Here’s a list of major new releases for the week of November 6, 2020. Please feel free to request reviews for any of the following albums from staff and/or contributors.
– List of Releases: November 6, 2020 –
Alter Bridge: Walk The Sky 2.0
Genre: Hard Rock
Label: Napalm Records
Déluge: Ægo Templo
Genre: Post Black Metal
Label: Metal Blade Records
Fates Warning: Long Day Good Night
Genre: Progressive Metal
Label: Metal Blade Records
Kylie Minogue: Disco
Genre: Pop
Label: BMG
Lal: Meteors Could Come Down
Genre: Electronic
Label: Coax Records
Little Mix: Confetti
Genre: Pop
Label: Sony UK
Madison Cunningham: Wednesday
Genre: Americana
Label: Verve Forecast
Novo Amor: Cannot Be, Whatsoever
Genre: Indie Folk
Label: All Points
Ólafur Arnalds: some kind of peace
Genre: Ambient
Label: Mercury
Sangre de Muerdago: Xuntas
Genre: Folk
Label: Independent Release
Sólstafir: Endless Twilight of Codependent Love
Genre: Post Black Metal
Label: Season of Mist
Surma: The Light Within
Genre: Symphonic Metal
Label: Metal Blade Records
Teen Daze: Reality Refresh 4
Genre: Electronic/Dream Pop
Label: Flora
Tunning: DEAD CLUB
Genre: Indie Pop
Label: Full Time Hobby
Here’s a list of major new releases for the week of October 30, 2020. Please feel free to request reviews for any of the following albums from staff and/or contributors.
– List of Releases: October 30, 2020 –
Amy MacDonald: The Human Demands
Genre: Alternative Rock
Label: Infectious Music
Andrew Bird: Hark!
Genre: Indie-Folk/Classical
Label: Loma Vista
Ane Brun: After the Great Storm
Genre: Folk/Indie-Rock
Label: Balloon Ranger
Here’s a list of major new releases for the week of October 23, 2020. Please feel free to request reviews for any of the following albums from staff and/or contributors.
Here’s a list of major new releases for the week of October 16, 2020. Please feel free to request reviews for any of the following albums from staff and/or contributors.
– List of Releases: October 16, 2020
Annie: Dark Hearts
Genre: Pop/Electronic/Indie-Pop
Label: Annie Melody
Here’s a list of major new releases for the week of October 9, 2020. Please feel free to request reviews for any of the following albums from staff and/or contributors.
– List of Releases: October 9, 2020
Bahamas: Sad Hunk
Genre: Indie-Folk/Alt-Rock
Label: Brushfire/Universal
Blue Oyster Cult: The Symbol Remains
Genre: Hard Rock/Psychedelic
Label: Frontiers Music SRL
Brothers Osborne: Skeletons
Genre: Country
Label: EMI Nashville
Crippled Black Phoenix: Ellengæst
Genre: Post/Progressive/Stoner Rock
Label: Season of Mist
Devildriver: Dealing With Demons I
Genre: Thrash/Melodic Death Metal
Label: Napalm
DGM: Tragic Separation
Genre: Progressive Rock/Metal
Label: Frontiers Music SRL
Emmy the Great: April/月音
Genre: Indie-Pop/Folk/Electronic
Label: Bella Union
Future Islands: As Long as You Are
Genre: Indie-Rock/Pop/Electronic
Label: 4AD
Hellripper: The Affair of the Poisons
Genre: Thrash/Black/Heavy Metal
Label: Peaceville
Hundredth: Somewhere Nowhere
Genre: Shoegaze/Hardcore/Post Metal
Label: Hundredth
Laraaji: Moon Piano
Genre: Ambient/Experimental
Label: All Saints
Linkin Park: Hybrid Theory – 20th Anniversary Edition
Genre: Nu-Metal
Label: Warner Records
Machinedrum: A View Of U
Genre: House/IDM/Electronic
Label: Ninja Tune
Mary Lattimore: Silver Ladders
Genre: Ambient/Minimal/Experimental
Label: Ghostly International
METZ: Atlas Vending
Genre: Noise Rock/Post Punk/Hardcore
Label: Sub Pop Records
Mina Tindle: SISTER
Genre: Pop/Folk/Soul
Label: 37d03d
Ozric Tentacles: Space For The Earth
Genre: Psychedelic/Progressive/Jam Rock
Label: Kscope
Teramaze: I Wonder
Genre: Progressive Metal/Power Metal/Progressive Rock
Label: Wells Music
Here’s a list of major new releases for the week of October 2, 2020. Please feel free to request reviews for any of the following albums from staff and/or contributors.
– List of Releases: October 2, 2020
Acceptance: Wild, Free
Genre: Alt-Rock/Pop-Punk/Pop-Rock
Label: Tooth & Nail
Aloe Blacc: All Love Everything
Genre: Soul/Pop/R&B
Label: BMG
Anaal Nathrakh: Endarkenment
Genre: Grind/Black Metal/Industrial
Label: Metal Blade
Ashnikko: Demidevil
Genre: Hip-Hop/Pop/Experimental
Label: Parlophone UK
Blackfield: For the Music
Genre: Progressive/Alt-Rock
Label: Parlophone Int’L
BLACKPINK: The Album
Genre: Pop/Hip-Hop
Label: YG
Bon Jovi: 2020
Genre: Rock
Label: Island
Born Ruffians: SQUEEZE
Genre: Indie-Rock/Post-Punk
Label: Yep Roc
Brent Cobb: Keep ‘Em On They Toes
Genre: Country/Americana
Label: Ol’ Buddy
Corey Taylor: CMFT
Genre: Metal/Hip-Hop/Hard Rock
Label: Roadrunner
Dawes: Good Luck With Whatever
Genre: Folk/Indie-Rock
Label: Rounder
Death Valley Girls: Under The Spell Of Joy
Genre: Alt-Rock/Garage
Label: Suicide Squeeze
Dolly Parton: A Holly Dolly Christmas
Genre: Country/Bluegrass
The return of Black Sheep Wall in 2020 definitely comes with auspicious timing. I mean, who else is as appropriately equipped to lay down a fresh batch of songs that will undoubtedly straddle the unrelenting mayhem and melancholy of one of the most unsympathetic years in a generation? Indeed, without an ounce of hyperbole coming from my stern sentiment, Black Sheep Wall are true veterans of the sludgy, doom-dirge sound – palpable legends at this point who wield nihilism and anguish with an atypical bravado. Similarly, their works – even the less favourable ones – exhume a raw honesty seldom felt with a good portion of other bands. New music aside, the long-awaited announcement of their flawless, nihilistic masterpiece I Am God Songs getting its very first vinyl release back in June was a joyous revelation for fans – a fitting re-release, eighteen years on, that is certainly qualified to be 2020’s soundtrack – but more to the point, it became the starting posts for a band with a bright future ahead of itself. Here we deep-dive into the band’s long, esoteric history, analyse I Am God Songs, discuss the imminent new album, and talk a little about what the future holds – so hold onto your butts.
Let’s start by giving out a little backstory on the band. You guys have been at this a very long time now and all things considered, Black Sheep Wall is somewhat of an enigma. Can you give us…
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