2020 has been a total disaster on many fronts. Stuck in lockdown, no live music. Nightmare. However what 2020 has produced is a heap of quality heavy metal albums. Narrowing it down to ten was pretty tough going. But such is the quality of albums this year they are all spectacular and well worthy of being on the list of best metal albums.
We have people keeping it old school, bands continuing on the up and some blasting a new path through heavy music. It’s a strange time for heavy music. Very much out of the mainstream spotlight, with rappers and pop stars now making their way into the rock and heavy metal scene. But if the metal world continues to produce albums of the quality of those in 2020, then I think we have nothing to fear.
If you are interested in the best metal songs of 2020, then check out the list here.
Here’s now to hoping we can hear all this excellent new work live in 2021!
Benediction – Scriptures
After 12 years in the abyss, Birmingham’s death metal originals Benediction released an album of old school brilliance. OG vocalist Dave Ingram returns, but it is the work of drummer Gio Hurst that really steals the show on this album. Effortlessly tight, it is the catalyst for surging the tracks forward. It’s truly magical to see a cracking old school death metal album being produced in 2020. It’s a sound that does not age, and rings just as glorious as ever here.
Killer Be Killed – Reluctant Hero
The second album from Killer Be Killed is one of the rare occasions when a supergroup is greater than the sum of it’s parts and genuinely exceeds expectations. Rooted in Troy Sanders‘ Mastodon style, mixed with Max Cavalera‘s trademark scowl. Not playing it safe, Reluctant Hero is an album that pushes the boundaries of varying styles of heavy metal to huge success. So often supergroups can be as satisfying as finding out they were just dreaming all along. However this time it is truly greater than the sum of its parts.
Anaal Nathrakh – Endarkenment
No-one does it quite like Anaal Nathrakh. The brutality was to be expected. Dave Hunt’s trademark shrieks and blast beats pummelling away at your senses. But the additional melodic turn really makes Endarkenment stand out. But a melodeath album this is not. The melody simply being used expertly to increase the uneasy, bleak and hopeless nature of the music. Not for the faint hearted. If ever there was an album to sum up 2020, it is this.
Tallah – Matriphagy
When you know an album contains the offspring of a certain legendary stickman by the name of Mike Portnoy, you expect it to be pretty good. What I did not quite expect was a ground-breaking form of nu-core unlike anything else. For a debut album, Matriphagy really is quite something. Eerie and uncomfortable, tackling horror fuelled themes. The future certainly has a high ceiling for Tallah.
Unleash The Archers – Abyss
Canada’s Unleash The Archers have been growing bigger and bigger with each release. Abyss is their finest effort to date, which is saying something considering what a cracker Apex was. Vocalist Brittney Slayes is continuing to make her (very compelling) case for one being of the finest vocalists in metal today. Power metal at its epic best. If I was to place my pre-emptive faith in the next album release by any band, it would be with Unleash The Archers.
Trivium – What The Dead Men Say
Trivium have made a habit over their career of changing their sound – sometimes significantly from album to album. At times this has worked well, others not so much. However, for the first time here, What The Dead Men Say has built on the sound of The Sin and the Sentence and upped it a notch. What has this left us with? A terrific album filled with all the riffs you can handle and more. Trivium continue as one of the heavy metal elites.
Deftones – Ohms
The clashing of styles between vocalist Chino Moreno and guitarist Stephen Carpenter (the pre-djent purveyor of more strings equals more better) has always given Deftones a style unmatched anywhere else. Ohms turns the screw on the heavy and produces their best album in a long time. Savage, emotional and dark. Much like Endarkenment above, a fitting representation of 2020. Maybe there will be a tenth string on Mr Carpenter’s axe to bring the heavy on the next album!
The Black Dahlia Murder – Verminous
There are times you know exactly what to expect. A trip to the STD clinic following a lads holiday to Benidorm. Multiple painful toilet trips after a Taco Bell. The quality of a release from The Black Dahlia Murder. Consistent in their consistency. Riffs on top of riffs. Verminous continues this trend but cranks the quality enough to comfortably find itself amongst the best metal albums of 2020.
Necrot – Mortal
In just their second album, Necrot have made a great death metal record worthy of this list. It’s reassuring to see a modern band throwing out serious old school death metal. Sometimes there is no need to reinvent the wheel or find something unique. Just slam sick riffs into 38 minutes of filth and that’s all you need to be happy. And happy you shall be allowing your ears to succumb to the brilliance of Mortal.
Ghostemane – Anti-Icon
An alt/emo-rapper making his way onto the best metal albums of 2020 is certainly not what I expected. Dark, disturbing and visceral. The influence of Nine Inch Nails and Marilyn Manson is obvious. Ghostemane has created a genious blend of violent screaming rap and pound your face to mush industrial metal. Anti-Icon contains nothing forced or pre-planned. Just an artist pouring his diabolical creation onto a blank canvas for the world to recoil in terror from.
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