Year 2020 will be remembered from Covid-19 pandemic, but luckily there were lot going on in the music industry. Although touring was mostly impossible, several bands were still able to release new albums and record sales skyrocketed as people were under lock-down. This list is purely based on subjective enjoyment I got from albums below.
1. Vader – Solitude in Madness
Vader hit a jackpot with this one. 30 min of ass-kicking death metal. My most played album and go-to music on running etc. during this difficult year. Vader constantly keep their level high, but every once in a while, they put out 10/10 album. For me, this is one of those. Catch riffs, incredible pace, and for what it is worth, variable tracks. Death metal does not get any better than this.
2. Heathen – Empire of the Blind
This was a total surprise. Old school thrash metal, but with pretty good vocals for a change. Again, catchy songs I just sung along over and over again. Music does not need to be brand new and unheard to be good. There are some good ways to do music for a reason: they are working. Heathen has their own unique style, so they stand out amongst other Bay Area thrashers. I highly recommend adding this to your collection if you haven’t already done so.
3. Paradise Lost – Obsidian
Third position was a tough call, but this album went deeper than competitors. PL has been one of my favorites for years and I really love their “new” old style, where death metal growls are again included. Beautiful music, what more can I say.
4. Dark Tranquillity – Moment
Boy, did this album go through a complete reversal being at first a letdown, then a grower to finally end up being one of the best albums released 2020. I didn’t like almost anything at first including cover arts and missing familiar guitars of Niklas Sundin. As a DT fan boy, I kept listening and then something started to resonate within. I started to like first one song and then, another one. Finally, I had this on repeat for several days listening nothing else. Mikael Stanne gets better vocalist especially in his clean singing. Just compare Standstill to Therein, and you see (or hear) what I mean. Empires Loss to Time was the reversing point for me.
4. Katatonia – City Burials
I don’t know why this picture has to be like that. Album itself is better Katatonia and I kept playing this (as I always do) during long fall nights. Behind the Blood is one of the best songs of the year and rest of the album is pretty solid too.
5. God Dethroned – Illuminati
This album was another big surprise. I haven’t been into God Dethroned, but with this album I took them under investigation. Illuminati itself was another training album of the year. Gabriel and Eye of the Horus were the songs that caught my attention toward Illuminati.
6. Enslaved – Utgard
Utgard is definitively one of the most interesting albums released in 2020. Interesting usually means that music isn’t that easily approached and Utgard took some spins to start blossoming. I like the progressive twist of Enslaved and Pink Floyd associations hasn’t been this strong since Vertebrae. This album is an entity and should be listened as one.
7. Annihilator – Ballistic, Sadistic
Jeff improved quite a bit from last-not-so-good Annihilator album. Ballistic, Sadistic is among the best new era Annihilator albums. It has once again speed, riffs and tongue-in-cheek attitude that I highly favor in Jeff’s music. Metal don’t need to be so serious all the time.
8. Joe Bonamassa – Royal Tea
I’m a huge fan of Joe’s new stuff since Dust Bowl. I also like British blues, so when I heard that Joe is going to release an album “tributing” to UK blues, I was thrilled. He actually recorded the album in Abbey Road Studio and sound of the legends are there. As always, highly enjoyable and relaxing album for moments when I don’t feel “metal”.
9. Necrophobic – Dawn of the Damned
Their last album was one of my favorites from their production and I had some expectations toward this one. It misses hits like Tsar Bomba, but instead, is much more consistent album. If you like death metal with a gothic twist, you should give this a try. I need to see them playing alive asap.
10. Testament – Titans of Creations
I was hesitating between this and Havok’s V, but ToC finally got more plays and final position in my top 10 of year 2020. Testament is like AC/DC (who, btw, also released pretty good new album against all odds). They do what they do, and it always works. Testament, like AC/DC is also a band I wish would never change their style. I bet it wouldn’t work and world would be left without a good thrash album.
