 | Blog author: Alex Stojanovic Well, here we are! Finally at the end of what has undoubtedly been a huge shit show of a year for obvious reasons that I don't really need to go deep into. As we sit here now, who knows when all this crap and nonsense is going to end, but we all hope sooner rather than later. The year started off bad enough anyways with a number of notable deaths in the entertainment world, and other world events. |
First off, let's take a moment to remember all the other great talents in the music world that we lost this year. The two biggest musical passings this year were Neil Peart and Eddie Van Halen, but there was also the passings of Ray Burton (Cliff Burton's dad), Sean Reinert, Reed Mullin, Jason Rainey, Kenny Rogers, Jimmy Cobb, Little Richard, Bob Kulick, Paul Chapman, Charlie Daniels, Peter Green, Alan Peters, Martin Birch, Pete Way, Jack Sherman, Frankie Banali, Riley Gale, Lee Kerslake, Brent Young, Ken Hensley and Sean Malone just to name a few. Some of the biggest non-musical deaths include Kobe Bryant, Terry Jones, Brian Dennehy, Sean Connery, Kelly Preston, Regis Philbin, Alex Trebek and Diego Maradona. Man, 2020 was just ruthless. R.I.P. to all the great talents that we lost this year. Add the pandemic into it, and this year kind of makes 2016 look like a walk in the park.
This year was also going to be a massive year for tours, but the pandemic had other plans for the world, causing all tours to be cancelled or postponed to next year. There were however a few lucky tours that had the chance to go on at the start of the year before the pandemic put the world on pause. All of us at Metal Master Kingdom hope everyone is staying safe, sane and healthy during this very strange time, but the important thing is to keep a positive mindset that things will turn around. It's just a matter of "when".
Despite all the negative stuff that has happeend this year, music, like it always is, has been a huge saviour in many people's lives. That being said, there have been a slew of great new releases that served as redemption for everything wrong that went on. Since we're now here at the end of the year, it's that time again where we all reflect on all the great music that came out this year and had the chance to hear. Down below are my top 10 choices for my favourite albums of this year with a few honourable mentions.
This year was also going to be a massive year for tours, but the pandemic had other plans for the world, causing all tours to be cancelled or postponed to next year. There were however a few lucky tours that had the chance to go on at the start of the year before the pandemic put the world on pause. All of us at Metal Master Kingdom hope everyone is staying safe, sane and healthy during this very strange time, but the important thing is to keep a positive mindset that things will turn around. It's just a matter of "when".
Despite all the negative stuff that has happeend this year, music, like it always is, has been a huge saviour in many people's lives. That being said, there have been a slew of great new releases that served as redemption for everything wrong that went on. Since we're now here at the end of the year, it's that time again where we all reflect on all the great music that came out this year and had the chance to hear. Down below are my top 10 choices for my favourite albums of this year with a few honourable mentions.
10. AC/DC - Power Up
After a turbulent few years, AC/DC have successfully returned from the brink of destruction with their much-anticipated new album Power Up. It's a very significant album because it not only serves as a tribute to the late great Malcolm Young, but it sees Angus and Stevie Young back with Brian Johnson, Phil Rudd and Cliff Williams after the Rock Or Bust tour, which saw AC/DC slowly falling apart. Many people have called this album one of the big saviours of 2020. Of course, it's a standard-sounding AC/DC album, but regardless, it feels great to hear some fresh riffage from one of the all-time greats of rock 'n roll. Power Up shares a similarity to Back In Black in the sense that it's a tribute to Malcolm, just like Back In Black was a tribute to Bon Scott.
After a turbulent few years, AC/DC have successfully returned from the brink of destruction with their much-anticipated new album Power Up. It's a very significant album because it not only serves as a tribute to the late great Malcolm Young, but it sees Angus and Stevie Young back with Brian Johnson, Phil Rudd and Cliff Williams after the Rock Or Bust tour, which saw AC/DC slowly falling apart. Many people have called this album one of the big saviours of 2020. Of course, it's a standard-sounding AC/DC album, but regardless, it feels great to hear some fresh riffage from one of the all-time greats of rock 'n roll. Power Up shares a similarity to Back In Black in the sense that it's a tribute to Malcolm, just like Back In Black was a tribute to Bon Scott.
09. HEATHEN - Empire Of The Blind
It has been a whole decade since we had new music from Heathen, one of the most underrated and often overlooked bands from the Bay Area thrash scene. The band's long-awaited new album Empire Of The Blind is undoubtedly one of the finest thrash offerings of 2020, filled with dynamics, heavy riffs, infectious melodies, and really well-crafted songs. The entire album was written by Kragen Lum, and he did a damn fine job. You know what they say: "You can't rush art." When you don't rush it, the results turn out stellar a lot of the time. Tracks like "The Blight", "Empire Of The Blind", "Shrine Of Apathy", "Devour" and "The Gods Divide" are all just SOME of the standout gems on this album. If you haven't heard this yet, get on it, because you don't know what you're missing.
It has been a whole decade since we had new music from Heathen, one of the most underrated and often overlooked bands from the Bay Area thrash scene. The band's long-awaited new album Empire Of The Blind is undoubtedly one of the finest thrash offerings of 2020, filled with dynamics, heavy riffs, infectious melodies, and really well-crafted songs. The entire album was written by Kragen Lum, and he did a damn fine job. You know what they say: "You can't rush art." When you don't rush it, the results turn out stellar a lot of the time. Tracks like "The Blight", "Empire Of The Blind", "Shrine Of Apathy", "Devour" and "The Gods Divide" are all just SOME of the standout gems on this album. If you haven't heard this yet, get on it, because you don't know what you're missing.
08. PRIMAL FEAR - Metal Commando
They may not offer new surprises all that much with each new album, but Primal Fear can still deliver a solid metal album, even if it sounds like you've heard all the songs before. I obviously wasn't impressed with the title Metal Commando, and had my eyes rolling at the lyrics to the first single "Along Came The Devil", but tracks like "Halo", "Hear Me Calling", "I Am Alive" and "Infinity" had me smiling and headbanging. Plus, how could you not love Ralf Scheepers' immense Rob Halford-esque vocals? He's one of the most underrated metal vocalists of all time. My only gripe with the album is that several ideas sound rehashed, and with the same production quality as the previous four albums, Primal Fear sound like they may be starting to run out of ideas. If they want to continue in this direction, they should consider finding a new producer to get new tones to make it sound fresh.
They may not offer new surprises all that much with each new album, but Primal Fear can still deliver a solid metal album, even if it sounds like you've heard all the songs before. I obviously wasn't impressed with the title Metal Commando, and had my eyes rolling at the lyrics to the first single "Along Came The Devil", but tracks like "Halo", "Hear Me Calling", "I Am Alive" and "Infinity" had me smiling and headbanging. Plus, how could you not love Ralf Scheepers' immense Rob Halford-esque vocals? He's one of the most underrated metal vocalists of all time. My only gripe with the album is that several ideas sound rehashed, and with the same production quality as the previous four albums, Primal Fear sound like they may be starting to run out of ideas. If they want to continue in this direction, they should consider finding a new producer to get new tones to make it sound fresh.
07. LAMB OF GOD - Lamb Of God
Without a doubt, one of the biggest metal releases of the year for a few reasons. First off, Lamb Of God's new self-titled album is a huge record in the band's history because it's the first one without Chris Adler, who left the band last year. Chris was an integral part of the Lamb Of God sound with his distinctive drumming style and drum sound. Losing a member that was an integral part of the sound is usually life-threatening to a band. However, the band couldn't have found a better replacement for Chris with Art Cruz, who is a beast of a player, and does a fantastic job on the new album. It's definitely going to be weird not seeing Chris up on stage with the band for a while, but over time, people will get used to seeing Lamb Of God killing it with Art. "Memento Mori", "Checkmate", "Routes", "Bloodshot Eyes" and "On The Hook" are just some of the standouts here. I certainly can't wait to hear how these songs will sound when played live when the Megadeth / Lamb Of God tour happens (fingers crossed).
Without a doubt, one of the biggest metal releases of the year for a few reasons. First off, Lamb Of God's new self-titled album is a huge record in the band's history because it's the first one without Chris Adler, who left the band last year. Chris was an integral part of the Lamb Of God sound with his distinctive drumming style and drum sound. Losing a member that was an integral part of the sound is usually life-threatening to a band. However, the band couldn't have found a better replacement for Chris with Art Cruz, who is a beast of a player, and does a fantastic job on the new album. It's definitely going to be weird not seeing Chris up on stage with the band for a while, but over time, people will get used to seeing Lamb Of God killing it with Art. "Memento Mori", "Checkmate", "Routes", "Bloodshot Eyes" and "On The Hook" are just some of the standouts here. I certainly can't wait to hear how these songs will sound when played live when the Megadeth / Lamb Of God tour happens (fingers crossed).
06. WARBRINGER - Weapons Of Tomorrow
After returning triumphantly from the brink of collapse with Woe To The Vanquished in 2017, Warbringer continue the upward trajectory with their sixth album Weapons Of Tomorrow. The album pretty much picks up where Woe To The Vanquished left off, but with a couple of new twists thrown in. For example, "Defiance Of Fate" is the closest thing we'll get to a ballad by Warbringer, but it's one of the strongest songs here, along with "Firepower Kills", "The Black Hand Reaches Out", "Crushed Beneath The Tracks" and "Glorious End". With John Kevill, Adam Carroll, Carlos Cruz, Chase Becker and Chase Bryant, Warbringer have their strongest lineup, and with that strong lineup, comes strong material. Certainly an essential metal release of 2020.
After returning triumphantly from the brink of collapse with Woe To The Vanquished in 2017, Warbringer continue the upward trajectory with their sixth album Weapons Of Tomorrow. The album pretty much picks up where Woe To The Vanquished left off, but with a couple of new twists thrown in. For example, "Defiance Of Fate" is the closest thing we'll get to a ballad by Warbringer, but it's one of the strongest songs here, along with "Firepower Kills", "The Black Hand Reaches Out", "Crushed Beneath The Tracks" and "Glorious End". With John Kevill, Adam Carroll, Carlos Cruz, Chase Becker and Chase Bryant, Warbringer have their strongest lineup, and with that strong lineup, comes strong material. Certainly an essential metal release of 2020.
05. LIONVILLE - Magic Is Alive
Everyone has those albums that you stumble upon by accident, and they turn out to be an excellent one. That's the case with Italian melodic rockers Lionville's new album Magic Is Alive. I've always appreciated the AOR/melodic rock sound, but over the last couple of years, I've become a much bigger fan of that sound and style, because it's fun to listen to, and also fun to play. The uplifting melodies and feel-good vibes that the music gives off are really appealing. Lars Safsund has one of the best voices in AOR today. Both a great song and a great musician don't always have to be defined by a big amount of notes and chops. Those who think that way have a lot to learn. This album is proof that great songwriting isn't always about technicality and fireworks, but about creating memorable hooks, and that laying back can make a huge impact on the song. Just because a song has less, doesn't mean it's going to be boring. This album was an amazing accidental discovery for me.
Everyone has those albums that you stumble upon by accident, and they turn out to be an excellent one. That's the case with Italian melodic rockers Lionville's new album Magic Is Alive. I've always appreciated the AOR/melodic rock sound, but over the last couple of years, I've become a much bigger fan of that sound and style, because it's fun to listen to, and also fun to play. The uplifting melodies and feel-good vibes that the music gives off are really appealing. Lars Safsund has one of the best voices in AOR today. Both a great song and a great musician don't always have to be defined by a big amount of notes and chops. Those who think that way have a lot to learn. This album is proof that great songwriting isn't always about technicality and fireworks, but about creating memorable hooks, and that laying back can make a huge impact on the song. Just because a song has less, doesn't mean it's going to be boring. This album was an amazing accidental discovery for me.
04. ONSLAUGHT - Generation Antichrist
Constant touring and lineup changes were definitely the two biggest factors as to why there was quite the long wait for the new Onslaught album. After Sy Keeler announced his departure from the band, there was some trepidation amongst hardcore fans, myself included, about the future and what kind of vocals they were going to have going forward. However, after hearing the vocals of Dave Garnett, all the concerns went out the window, because he pays tribute to Sy while adding his own voice as well. With that said, the new album Generation Antichrist is another crushing and blasphemous masterpiece from the kings of British thrash. The last album VI was one of the most vicious sounding thrash albums ever recorded in the 21st century, there's certainly no way to surpass that level of aggression. Generation Antichrist certainly comes close to that level, but it's not matched. Even if not matched, it's still one of 2020's most aggressive metal albums. If you're looking for an album that's guaranteed to give you a good neck-wrecking, this is the album for you.
Constant touring and lineup changes were definitely the two biggest factors as to why there was quite the long wait for the new Onslaught album. After Sy Keeler announced his departure from the band, there was some trepidation amongst hardcore fans, myself included, about the future and what kind of vocals they were going to have going forward. However, after hearing the vocals of Dave Garnett, all the concerns went out the window, because he pays tribute to Sy while adding his own voice as well. With that said, the new album Generation Antichrist is another crushing and blasphemous masterpiece from the kings of British thrash. The last album VI was one of the most vicious sounding thrash albums ever recorded in the 21st century, there's certainly no way to surpass that level of aggression. Generation Antichrist certainly comes close to that level, but it's not matched. Even if not matched, it's still one of 2020's most aggressive metal albums. If you're looking for an album that's guaranteed to give you a good neck-wrecking, this is the album for you.
03. KILL THE LIGHTS - The Sinner
Former Bullet For My Valentine drummer Michael "Moose" Thomas has been working on a new band ever since his unfortunate dismissal from the band. We started hearing rumblings about it right after his departure was announced. The fire started heating up in the summer of 2018 when the lineup was revealed, which also featured James Clark (Throw The Fight), Jordan Wheelan (Still Remains) and Travis Montgomery (Threat Signal). The first big flames started burning in early 2019 with the announcement of Kill The Lights as the band name, and two debut singles. Everything all of a sudden went quiet after that. Come early 2020, the flames started burning again and two more singles were released, and this past summer was when that fire started burning full blast when their debut album The Sinner was finally released on Fearless Records. There's quite a bit of musical influences on this album, but the biggest style coming through the music is metalcore, at least to me. I've been out of touch with metalcore for quite a few years now, but this is one of the best new metalcore releases I've heard in a long time. It's chock-a-block full of super heavy riffs, awesome drumming, intense screams and captivating clean vocals. Old-school Bullet For My Valentine fans will find plenty to love on this album, but there's also a lot of Killswitch Engage influence as well. Check this album out.
Former Bullet For My Valentine drummer Michael "Moose" Thomas has been working on a new band ever since his unfortunate dismissal from the band. We started hearing rumblings about it right after his departure was announced. The fire started heating up in the summer of 2018 when the lineup was revealed, which also featured James Clark (Throw The Fight), Jordan Wheelan (Still Remains) and Travis Montgomery (Threat Signal). The first big flames started burning in early 2019 with the announcement of Kill The Lights as the band name, and two debut singles. Everything all of a sudden went quiet after that. Come early 2020, the flames started burning again and two more singles were released, and this past summer was when that fire started burning full blast when their debut album The Sinner was finally released on Fearless Records. There's quite a bit of musical influences on this album, but the biggest style coming through the music is metalcore, at least to me. I've been out of touch with metalcore for quite a few years now, but this is one of the best new metalcore releases I've heard in a long time. It's chock-a-block full of super heavy riffs, awesome drumming, intense screams and captivating clean vocals. Old-school Bullet For My Valentine fans will find plenty to love on this album, but there's also a lot of Killswitch Engage influence as well. Check this album out.
02. TRIVIUM - What The Dead Men Say
2017 saw Trivium come back all guns blazing with The Sin & The Sentence and new drummer Alex Bent. Since Ember To Inferno, every successive Trivium album sounded different from the previous. After finding their feet again with The Sin & The Sentence, and a positive reception, the boys continued the musical direction they took on that album, and made What The Dead Men Say. This is the first time in their career that they released two albums that don't sound all that different from each other. Every song stands out in its own way. It goes without saying that "The Defiant" in particular sounds like it's off Ascendancy. Hearing that track made me feel like I was 14 again in 2006 when I was first getting into Trivium. This album was a close contender for the #1 spot. Let's face it, any new Trivium album that comes out will always make it into my Top 10 because they always deliver, even if an album isn't as heavy as most people would expect it to be.
2017 saw Trivium come back all guns blazing with The Sin & The Sentence and new drummer Alex Bent. Since Ember To Inferno, every successive Trivium album sounded different from the previous. After finding their feet again with The Sin & The Sentence, and a positive reception, the boys continued the musical direction they took on that album, and made What The Dead Men Say. This is the first time in their career that they released two albums that don't sound all that different from each other. Every song stands out in its own way. It goes without saying that "The Defiant" in particular sounds like it's off Ascendancy. Hearing that track made me feel like I was 14 again in 2006 when I was first getting into Trivium. This album was a close contender for the #1 spot. Let's face it, any new Trivium album that comes out will always make it into my Top 10 because they always deliver, even if an album isn't as heavy as most people would expect it to be.
01. TESTAMENT - Titans Of Creation
Anybody that knows me knows how much of a Testament fan I am. You can always count on them to deliver metal of the highest quality. Now, let me just clarify something. I didn't put their new album Titans Of Creation at #1 simply because I'm just a huge fan, but simply because it's an amazing record. If there was an album that was better than Titans Of Creation that came out this year, I would put it at #1 without hesitation. Since The Formation Of Damnation in 2008, the Bay Area boys have been on a tear with stellar new releases. Dark Roots Of Earth still hasn't been topped, and I don't think it's possible to do that, but Titans brings back most of the elements that made Dark Roots amazing that were missing on Brotherhood Of The Snake, even though that was also an amazing album. Brotherhood brought back the levels of heaviness found on The Gathering, while Titans saw them going back to more of their classic sound from the first five albums, while having a great balance of heaviness and melody, and enough hooks to kill Shao Kahn.
Anybody that knows me knows how much of a Testament fan I am. You can always count on them to deliver metal of the highest quality. Now, let me just clarify something. I didn't put their new album Titans Of Creation at #1 simply because I'm just a huge fan, but simply because it's an amazing record. If there was an album that was better than Titans Of Creation that came out this year, I would put it at #1 without hesitation. Since The Formation Of Damnation in 2008, the Bay Area boys have been on a tear with stellar new releases. Dark Roots Of Earth still hasn't been topped, and I don't think it's possible to do that, but Titans brings back most of the elements that made Dark Roots amazing that were missing on Brotherhood Of The Snake, even though that was also an amazing album. Brotherhood brought back the levels of heaviness found on The Gathering, while Titans saw them going back to more of their classic sound from the first five albums, while having a great balance of heaviness and melody, and enough hooks to kill Shao Kahn.
HONOURABLE MENTIONS (No Order)
| HAREM SCAREM Change The World | U.D.O. We Are One | Arctic Rain The One |
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| Body Count Carnivore | Annihilator Ballistic, Sadistic | Sodom Genesis XIX |
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Now it's your turn. This year, we decided to do something different. We're letting YOU, the readers, have the chance to have your lists featured on the website. If you would like to have your list featured in an article, message us on Facebook for all the details about what to include in your piece.
Thank you for reading my list. If you haven't heard any of the albums above, hopefully my list has inspired you to check them out, and hopefully you enjoy them as much as I did. This year has been incredibly rough for the entire world, but let's keep a positive mindset and hope for a better outcome in 2021!
Thank you for reading my list. If you haven't heard any of the albums above, hopefully my list has inspired you to check them out, and hopefully you enjoy them as much as I did. This year has been incredibly rough for the entire world, but let's keep a positive mindset and hope for a better outcome in 2021!
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