I’ll be honest: my taste in music is what most people would describe as horrible.
I get that.
Very heavily skewing to various genres and subgenres of metal, here are my favourite releases for 2020 with the top two highlighted and the rest in no particular order. If you’re adventurous you may find something here to inspire you while you work/drive/exercise.
Whatever your flavour, I hope you found new music this year you love just as much.
1 = Anaal Nathrakh – Endarkenment
How is there so much pure joy in this punishing noise? It is relentless and vicious and sarcastic and pounding, but when those melodies kick in it just elevates this to an entirely different level. First listen didn’t really click, but after that it just kept calling me back. Nasty and wonderful.
1 = Uada – Djinn
Black metal goes technicolour. Uada delivered a layered, nuanced and extraordinarily immersive album with 6 songs across an hour. Djinn adapts an almost 80’s post-punk approach to extreme metal, then polishes it up until its shiny bright. One to lose yourself in.
Sinistral King – Serpent Uncoiling
In which a mutated strain of black metal develops arena-sized ideas. Chunky, rolling riffs collide with choirs, Gregorian-style chants, blast beats, piano passages and a fire-and-brimstone delivery. Dark and addictive.
The Good the Bad and the Zugly – Algorithm & Blues
Released in January, this has been with me all year. No other band on earth packs as many riffs and hooks into an album, then tops it all off with gorgeous melodic guitar lines like these Norwegians.
Huntsmen – Mandala of Fear
Ambitious, sprawling and rewarding Americana Prog Doom Metal. Moments of noise and beauty, harmonies and heft. Give it time and revel in every detail.
殞煞 Vengeful Spectre – Vengeful Spectre
Black metal with a traditional Chinese element. Based on a medieval battle this actually sounds like a lone warrior, sword raised, riding into an enemy army knowing there’s a better than even chance he’ll be the lone survivor. Someone on r/metal claimed: this rips. And I can’t be any more succinct than that.
Spirit Adrift – Enlightened In Eternity
Warm, groovy, trad-inspired heavy metal. Cool riffs, great hooks and choruses you’ll be singing for days. It really feels like they weren’t trying too hard on the album – there’s a natural charm and accessibility all the way through.
Paradise Lost – Obsidian
Lush, ominous and ultimately hopeful, this arrived just as Autumn started closing in. Less metal than this band has been over their career but the songs are so good it doesn’t need to be too heavy.
Havukruunu – Uinuos Syömein Sota
Finnish black metal, this time underpinned with a pagan, folky flavour. I’d never heard of the band, but the hype was unmissable in metal circles – and in the end fully justified. One of the best surprises of 2020.
Thy Catafalque – Naiv
You haven’t heard anything like this weirdly beautiful Hungarian blend of extreme metal, folk, prog, electronica and then some. Another January release that made it all the way through the year as a regular listen.
Mora Prokaza – By Chance
My love/hate album for 2020: sometimes it sounds incredible. At others it is literally the last thing I want to hear. Dark, abrasive and deeply weird, this is essentially Belarusian black metal/hip hop/Peter and the Wolf-core (just in case that clears anything up for you).
Countless Skies – Glow
Packed with big, gorgeous melodies. This sits on the arty side of heavy, with clean and gruff vocals and music that amazingly sounds like the cover looks. I’m still unpacking everything here, but it certainly made an impact.
Thanks to all these artists for the incredible inspiration they provided this year.