Despite the utter chaos caused by the Coronavirus pandemic, 2020 has still managed to be an amazing year for music. There are several excellent albums that didn't make my top 30 this year, as the standard has just been so high. For that reason, I've deliberately left out live albums this time, just so I can squeeze in some more original material (For the record, The Wildhearts and Iron Maiden put out fantastic live albums this year).
I'm expecting next year to be even more packed with killer records, as so many that were due this year have been postponed as, understandably, many artists want to tie in their new album with a tour.
Anyway, I've really enjoyed putting these lists together, and re-listening to some of 2020's finest moments.
I have applied my usual rules which include a maximum of ONE single and ONE album per artist. I also omit singles that are from albums or EPs that are due to be
released next year. I may change this rule, as some bands are releasing the first single from their upcoming album a year before the full thing comes out (lookin' at you, Devilskin!). The jury's still out on that rule. Does anyone really care that much anyway?
I've linked the albums to my reviews and the singles to the YouTube tracks, so if you're interested, you can go down the rabbit hole and check out some tunes you may have missed so far.
If you disagree with my choices, please let me know how wrong you are in the comments.
Drum roll please......
ALBUMS
01. CREEPER – Sex, Death & The Infinite Void
02. MARILYN MANSON – We Are Chaos
03. TESTMENT – Titans Of Creation
04. SEPULTURA – Quadra
05. NIGHT CLUB – Die Die Lullaby
06. HANK VON HELL – Dead
07. PVRIS – Use Me
08. BIFFY CLYRO - A Celebration Of Endings
09. NIGHTMARE – Aeternam
10. LORDI – Killection
11. POPPY – I Disagree
12. THE BIRTHDAY MASSACRE – Diamonds
13. AMARANTHE – Manifest
14. AC/DC – Power Up
15. LUCIFER – Lucifer III
16. PRIEST – Cyberhead
17. BODY COUNT – Carnivore
18. DEVILSKIN – RED
19. KILLER BE KILLED – Reluctant Hero
20. THE NIGHT FLIGHT ORCHESTRA – Aeromantic
21. OZZY OSBOURNE – Ordinary Man
22. BUSH – The Kingdom
23. IN HEARTS WAKE – Kaliyuga
24. BURNING WITCHES – Dance With The Devil
25. RAGING SPEEDHORN – Hard To Kill
26. DELAIN – Apocalypse & Chill
27. THE SMASHING PUMPKINS – CYR
28. ARMORED SAINT – Punching The Sky
29. PARADISE LOST – Obsidian
30. SHE HATES EMOTIONS -Melancholic Maniac
SINGLES
01. KREATOR - 666-World Divided
02. MARILYN MANSON - Don't Chase The Dead
03. HANK VON HELL - Danger Danger!
04. POWERMAN 5000 - Black Lipstick
05. BIFFY CLYRO - The Champ
06. CREEPER - Poisoned Heart
07. BUSH - Flowers On A Grave
08. PARADISE LOST - Ghost
09. NIGHTMARE - Aeternam
10. NIGHT CLUB - Gossip
11. OZZY OSBOURNE - Ordinary Man
12. PVRIS - Dead Weight
13. THE BIRTHDAY MASSACRE - The Last Goodbye
14. THE NIGHT FLIGHT ORCHESTRA - Transmissions
15. BODY COUNT - Bum Rush
16. H.E.A.T - Dangerous Ground
17. AMARANTHE - Viral
18. POPPY - Fill The Crown
19. SEPULTURA - Means To An End
20. LORDI - Cutterfly
21. WITCHSKULL - This Silent Place
22. LUCIFER - Midnight Phantom
23. ALESTORM - Treasure Chest Party Quest
24. DELAIN - Let's Dance
25. PRIEST - Dead Ringer
26. IN HEARTS WAKE - Son Of A Witch
27. SOILWORK - Death Diviner
28. DEVILSKIN - All Fall Down
29. IN THIS MOMENT - Legacy
30. TRIVIUM - Catastrophist
31. SEMBLANT - Murder Of Crows
32. MACHINE HEAD (Feat. Jesse Leach) - Stop The Bleeding
33. TESTAMENT - WWIII
34. THE SMASHING PUMPKINS - CYR
35. STITCHED UP HEART - This Skin
36. BRING ME THE HORIZON - Teardrops
37. SHE HATES EMOTIONS - See The Light
38. U.D.O. - Neon Diamond
39. RAGING SPEEDHORN - Hard To Kill
40. CODE ORANGE - Underneath
