Kristofor Allred 

Well, it’s over…Finally. Am I right? What a wild ass ride 2020 has been. Like any year there were ups and downs but damn, those downs were way down. I’m talking lower than the Mariana Trench type of downs. Nonetheless we perservere as always; and to be fair, there were some pretty good things about 2020, at least for me personally, one of which was getting a pretty decent promotion within the company I work for, bringing newer and hopefully, bigger and better things for me in the future. I have a loving wife, a cool dog, a nice roof over my head, food in my fridge, and a cool metal collection, if I do say so myself, so overall I have to say that I am more than blessed. I still can’t believe the last time I saw some an actual label supported touring metal band was almost a year ago, when I witnessed Creeping Death one late January night, and Internal Bleeding and Logistic Slaughter, a few nights later. Oh well, it’s not like we’re not all in the same boat, so might as well make the best of it. To have a bit of fun this year I decided to do my list a little different. Since 2020 was such an ass-backwards year, I decided to due my list in an ass-backwards way, literally…you’ll see what I mean. Anyways, onward and upward!!!

 

 

                    Best and most unknowingly needed thing in metal for 2020 

GWAR – Scumdogs of the Universe Remix/Remaster (Metal Blade Records) 

Worst and most knowingly unneeded thing in metal for 2020 

IN FLAMES – Clayman 2020 (Nuclear Blast Records) 

20 Albums that turned 20 years old in 2020, that still kick ass!!! 

NILE – Black Seeds of Vengeance (Relapse Records) 

IMMOLATION – Close to a World Below (Metal Blade Records) 

DYING FETUS – Destroy the Opposition (Relapse Records) 

THE HAUNTED – Made Me Do It (Earache) 

NEVERMORE – Dead Heart in a Dead World (Century Media Records) 

THE CROWN – Deathrace King (Metal Blade Records) 

MORBID ANGEL – Gateways to Annihilation (Earache) 

IRON MAIDEN – Brave New World  (EMI) 

CRADLE OF FILTH – Midian (Music for Nations) 

DECAPITATED – Winds of Creation (Wicked World Records) 

HALFORD  – Resurrection (Metal-is) 

VADER – Litany (Metal Blade Records) 

DECEASED – Supernatural Addiction (Relapse Records) 

THE CHASM – Procession to the Infraworld (Dwell Records) 

DISMEMBER – Hate Campaign (Nuclear Blast Records) 

KRISIUN – Conquerors of Armageddon (Century Media Records) 

HYPOCRISY – Into the Abyss (Nuclear Blast Records) 

OVER KILL – Bloodletting (Metal-Is) 

DIVINE EMPIRE – Doomed to Inherit (Olympic Records) 

IMPALED – The Dead Shall Dead Remain (Death Vomit Records)

 

 

5 Releases from 2020 that were initially good, yet overall disappointing

DEMONS & WIZARDS –  III (Century Media Records)

CARCASS – Despicable (Nuclear Blast Records) 

GOD DETHRONED – Illuminati (Metal Blade Records) 

UNMERCIFUL – Wrath Encompassed – (Willowtip Records) 

MACABRE – Carnival of Killers (Nuclear Blast Records) 

 

10 EP’s from 2020 that tickled the ol’ arse hairs

INHALEMENT – Eternally Stoned (H.P.G.D. Productions)

ATRÆ BILIS –Divinihility (Transending Obscurity Records)

STORMKEEP – Galdrum (Ván Records)

FUMING MOUTH – Beyond the Tomb (Nuclear Blast Records)

THE KILL – The Day of Reckoning (Self-Released)

INFERI  – Of Sunless Realms (The Artisan Era)

SUTRAH – Aletheia  (The Artisan Era)

ENGULFED – Vengence of the Fallen (Dark Descent Records)

LAMENTARI – Missa Pro Defunctis (Self-Released)

SEROCS – Vore (Everlasting Spew Records)

 

 

20 HONORABLE MENTIONS OF 2020

INCANTATION – Sect of Vile Divinities (Relapse Records)

PARADISE LOST – Obsidian (Nuclear Blast Records)

SINISTER – Deformation of the Holy Realm (Massacre Records)

HEATHEN – Empire of the Blind (Nuclear Blast Records)

NAPALM DEATH – Throes of Joy in the Jaws of Defeatism (Century Media Records)

CRYPTIC SHIFT – Visistations from Enceladus (Blood Harvest)

ENSLAVED – Utgard (Nuclear Blast Records)

SODOM – Genesis XIX (Steamhammer Records)

ULTHAR – Providence (20 Buck Spin)

SKELETAL REMAINS – The Entombment of Chaos (Century Media Records)

ANAAL NATHRAKH – Endarkenment (Metal Blade Records)

MORTA SKULD – Suffer for Nothing (Peaceville Records)

…and OCEANS – Cosmic World Mother (Season of Mist)

INCINERATE – Sacrilegivm (Comatose Records)

BROTTHOGG –  The Die is Cast (Self-Released)

OF FEATHER AND BONE – Sulfuric Disintergration (Profound Lore Records)

OBSCENE – The Inhabitable Dark (Blood Harvest)

SUMMONING DEATH – One Step Beyond (Chaos Records)

FACELESS BURIAL – Speciation (Dark Descent Records)

SKELETHAL – Unveiling the Threshold (Hells Headbangers Records)

 

20 Albums from 2020 that I thought were the tits

 

SICKENING HORROR – Chaos Revamped (Pathollogically Explicit Records)

CYTOTOXIN – Nuklearth (Unique Leader Records)

VADER – Solitude in Madness (Nuclear Blast Records)

PESTIFER – Expanding Oblivion (XenoKorp)

AZURE EMOTE – The Third Perpective (Selfmadegod Records)

SHED THE SKIN – The Forbidden Arts (Hells Headbangers Records)

PERDITION TEMPLE – Sacraments of Descension (Hells Headbangers Records)

ABYSMAL DAWN –  Phylogenesis (Season of Mist)

RIVER OF SOULS – Usurper (Self-Released)

COEXISTENCE – Collateral Dimension (Transcending Obscurity Records)

DESOLATOR – Sermon of Apathy (Black Lion Records)

TESTAMENT –  Titans of Creation (Nuclear Blast Records)

DRACONIAN – Under a Godless Veil (Napalm Records)

DEEDS OF FLESH – Nucleus (Unique Leader Records)

ASTRINGENCY – Of Vacant Planets (Self-Released)

BENEDICTION – Scriptures (Nuclear Blast Records)

FUMES OF DECAY – Ominous  (Sevared Records)

CONTRARIAN – Only Time Will Tell (Willowtip Records)

VORACIOUS SCOURGE – In Death (Massacre Records)

TEMPLE OF VOID – The World That Was (Shadow Kingdom Records) 

As always,there is no ranking amongst the bands on my list, and they are in no particular order whatsoever; also just as I did last year, I opted not to include any opinions or any synopsis to any of my top albums throughout my list. The fact that I listed them is proof enough of them having something that I enjoy about them. So instead, take a listening journey through my list, as well as my fellow writer’s lists, and see what peaks your interests. You never know what album may just be the tits for you too.