Mardoch's belated 2020 Top 18

[Mardoch]

2020 was roundly a disaster of a year in most ways, and it closed out in a super shitty fashion for me and mine so I never got around to forcing myself to categorize and write up my top albums list. I'm only a year late!

Aeternam - Al Qassam
On Al Qassam Aeternam seems to have set out to do what Orphaned Land used to do but in 2020's style, and they nailed it. Middle eastern melodeath is probably not a genre I'll ever tire of.
https://aeternam.bandcamp.com/album/al-qassam


Alchemists - Chapter One : Love
This is the singer of the now-defunct Make Me a Donut with a new crew of musicians, and uh...it's a good result. Heavy as hell in the straight up djent style.
https://tenacity-music.bandcamp.com/alb ... r-one-love


Caligula's Horse - Rise Radiant
To be honest I didn't spend as much time with this album as I should have, but I love CH, and this album is a solid banger.
The Tempest - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dNc5PT645sU


Chaosbay - Asylum
Much like CH I didn't spend as much time with this album as I should have, but I loved every minute I did spend with it. Chaosbay started with a real djenty flair and picked up a lot more rock tones along the way and now they're an interesting hybrid of rock sensibilities and djent styles. I really dig it.
Soldiers - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BdlcSsKpcAE
https://chaosbay.bandcamp.com/album/asylum


Conception - State of Deception
Conception's back! It's somehow like they never went away, but also they came back with a real modern touch. I, for one, am pleased as hell to have them back.
She Dragoon - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PZjFbyEpAuw


Crystal Lake - The Voyages
I'm cheating a bit here. I discovered Crystal Lake in 2020, and though The Voyages, a collection of older tunes re-recorded with the current lineup, is very good it's actually Helix from 2019 that I spent a ton of time with. Crystal Lake is one of the bands that's got me so amped about metalcore in 2020 and beyond. They are undeniably committed to their genre, but they're also quite far outside its well-trodden paths.
Open Water - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lIX8dHiCaJw
Aeon (from Helix) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CKHsfceVK2g


Delain - Apocalypse & Chill
Looking back at and charting this from 2021 sure is uh...something. But if this is where the band ended, then they went out with a bang. I loved pretty much everything about this album.
To Live is to Die - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qf0lWbby_0k


Entities - Rebirth
This came out on the very last day of 2020, and I'd thought these folks were done for good, so this was an absolutely wonderful surprise. It's instrumental now, which I'm sad about, but damn the spacey riffs are still there and they're real good.
https://entities916.bandcamp.com/album/rebirth


Haken - Virus
The last show I saw before 2020 really came crashing down on us was Haken, and I was there with multiple sets of dear friends. It was fantastic, but in retrospect scary as hell. All of that kind of kept me from going back to Virus super often, but there's no denying what a great disc it is. Haken's hot streak continues unabated.
Invasion - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Rkx6b5vFdQ


Harkla - Ruktur
From the opening seconds of this album you can tell these folks are not here to fuck around. With an opening track named "Black Depression" it seemed like they were coming in to just say "yeah 2020 is like this." It's heavy and oppressive and unrelenting and it's exactly what I wanted for a lot of the year.
https://harkla.bandcamp.com/album/ruktur


Intervals - Circadian
Circadian was a real bright spot on the year. This whole album feels very bright and upbeat, and that was a nice break from the non-stop darkness that was the prevailing feel of 2020. I will just straight up buy anything Aaron Marshall does these days because he can't make a bad tune as far as I can tell.
5-HTP - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f4KCAzK8X0Q


James Norbert Ivanyi - Omen Faustum
This was a real surprise for me. I'd never heard of this guy and then I got this album and it just blew me away. It's unashamed and unabashed guitar wank, but tasteful enough to keep me around for the whole disc and coming back for more, at that. I never expected to be sampling so many styles when I started this album, but that variety is exactly what makes this album so good.
https://jamesnorbertivanyi.bandcamp.com ... en-faustum


Mobius - Kala
More metal with middle eastern flair, this time with a female vocalist up front. I spent a lot of time with this disc, and I still haven't gotten tired of it. It's heavy and kind of angular, but there's such a lush atmosphere throughout. Heli Andrea really understood the assignment with her vocal parts, and the way she weaves in and through the instrumentation is one of the things that keeps me coming back to this disc.
Bhati - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_PCoy5EV57A
https://mobiusofficial.bandcamp.com/album/kala


Novelists - C'est La Vie
Novelists (France) is another one of those early djent bands that's still just nailing it with every release. This album's a bit more laid back than previous releases, but that's really nice sometimes, too.
Somebody Else - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XctrnaLYuMM


Nuclear Power Trio - A Clear and Present Rager
Disregard the stupid name, and the dumb imagery, and the dumb song names. This Allegaeon offshoot is some wild jazz-metal stuff that I can't get enough of. These folks are crazy talented and skilled and I'm happy to indulge their experimentation.
The Fusion Collusion - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HqAhQuEibmg
https://nuclearpowertrio.bandcamp.com/a ... sent-rager


Paralydium - Worlds Beyond
I'm so glad this didn't stay just an EP project group, because this is exactly the kind of PowerProg I'll always come back for.
Finding the Paragon - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ijAtXkwwUc


Protest the Hero - Palimpsest
I mean...it's Protest. Same band, but yet again a bit more in every direction. I don't know how they keep surpassing themselves, but I'll keep paying them to do so. I know not everyone was in it for the lyrical content on this album, but I'm very into it. "History metal" is an unexpectedly populated niche, but PtH still carved out a lot of unique space both in the choice of topics to cover and in the sonics. I'm not doing numerical ratings because it's too hard and shifts by the day, but this may be my actual top album of 2020.
Little Snakes - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OXyb5tDR8RA


Spiritbox - Singles
This is another cheat, and with an obvious nod to the 2021 list. I discovered Spiritbox in 2020 and was immediately smitten. They put out several singles in 2020 and they were all bangers. Blessed Be didn't end up on Eternal Blue, their 2021 album, and it's far and away my favorite of the batch of 2020 singles. Even without the amazing disc that I now know they put out in 2021 I would've charted these singles, because goddamn. Metalcore is in such good hands.
Blessed Be - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yht0WDdzGJM

[introclaus]

2020 was roundly a disaster of a year in most ways, and it closed out in a super shitty fashion for me and mine so I never got around to forcing myself to categorize and write up my top albums list. I'm only a year late!

Better late than never, right?

Aeternam - Al Qassam
On Al Qassam Aeternam seems to have set out to do what Orphaned Land used to do but in 2020's style, and they nailed it. Middle eastern melodeath is probably not a genre I'll ever tire of.
https://aeternam.bandcamp.com/album/al-qassam

Caligula's Horse - Rise Radiant
To be honest I didn't spend as much time with this album as I should have, but I love CH, and this album is a solid banger.
The Tempest - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dNc5PT645sU

Conception - State of Deception
Conception's back! It's somehow like they never went away, but also they came back with a real modern touch. I, for one, am pleased as hell to have them back.
She Dragoon - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PZjFbyEpAuw

Delain - Apocalypse & Chill
Looking back at and charting this from 2021 sure is uh...something. But if this is where the band ended, then they went out with a bang. I loved pretty much everything about this album.
To Live is to Die - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qf0lWbby_0k

Haken - Virus
The last show I saw before 2020 really came crashing down on us was Haken, and I was there with multiple sets of dear friends. It was fantastic, but in retrospect scary as hell. All of that kind of kept me from going back to Virus super often, but there's no denying what a great disc it is. Haken's hot streak continues unabated.
Invasion - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Rkx6b5vFdQ

Paralydium - Worlds Beyond
I'm so glad this didn't stay just an EP project group, because this is exactly the kind of PowerProg I'll always come back for.
Finding the Paragon - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ijAtXkwwUc

Protest the Hero - Palimpsest
I mean...it's Protest. Same band, but yet again a bit more in every direction. I don't know how they keep surpassing themselves, but I'll keep paying them to do so. I know not everyone was in it for the lyrical content on this album, but I'm very into it. "History metal" is an unexpectedly populated niche, but PtH still carved out a lot of unique space both in the choice of topics to cover and in the sonics. I'm not doing numerical ratings because it's too hard and shifts by the day, but this may be my actual top album of 2020.
Little Snakes - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OXyb5tDR8RA

These all made it onto my top 100 list of 2020, with PtH ending up at #2.

Alchemists - Chapter One : Love
This is the singer of the now-defunct Make Me a Donut with a new crew of musicians, and uh...it's a good result. Heavy as hell in the straight up djent style.
https://tenacity-music.bandcamp.com/alb ... r-one-love

Chaosbay - Asylum
Much like CH I didn't spend as much time with this album as I should have, but I loved every minute I did spend with it. Chaosbay started with a real djenty flair and picked up a lot more rock tones along the way and now they're an interesting hybrid of rock sensibilities and djent styles. I really dig it.
Soldiers - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BdlcSsKpcAE
https://chaosbay.bandcamp.com/album/asylum

Crystal Lake - The Voyages
I'm cheating a bit here. I discovered Crystal Lake in 2020, and though The Voyages, a collection of older tunes re-recorded with the current lineup, is very good it's actually Helix from 2019 that I spent a ton of time with. Crystal Lake is one of the bands that's got me so amped about metalcore in 2020 and beyond. They are undeniably committed to their genre, but they're also quite far outside its well-trodden paths.
Open Water - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lIX8dHiCaJw
Aeon (from Helix) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CKHsfceVK2g

Entities - Rebirth
This came out on the very last day of 2020, and I'd thought these folks were done for good, so this was an absolutely wonderful surprise. It's instrumental now, which I'm sad about, but damn the spacey riffs are still there and they're real good.
https://entities916.bandcamp.com/album/rebirth

Harkla - Ruktur
From the opening seconds of this album you can tell these folks are not here to fuck around. With an opening track named "Black Depression" it seemed like they were coming in to just say "yeah 2020 is like this." It's heavy and oppressive and unrelenting and it's exactly what I wanted for a lot of the year.
https://harkla.bandcamp.com/album/ruktur

Intervals - Circadian
Circadian was a real bright spot on the year. This whole album feels very bright and upbeat, and that was a nice break from the non-stop darkness that was the prevailing feel of 2020. I will just straight up buy anything Aaron Marshall does these days because he can't make a bad tune as far as I can tell.
5-HTP - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f4KCAzK8X0Q

James Norbert Ivanyi - Omen Faustum
This was a real surprise for me. I'd never heard of this guy and then I got this album and it just blew me away. It's unashamed and unabashed guitar wank, but tasteful enough to keep me around for the whole disc and coming back for more, at that. I never expected to be sampling so many styles when I started this album, but that variety is exactly what makes this album so good.
https://jamesnorbertivanyi.bandcamp.com ... en-faustum

Mobius - Kala
More metal with middle eastern flair, this time with a female vocalist up front. I spent a lot of time with this disc, and I still haven't gotten tired of it. It's heavy and kind of angular, but there's such a lush atmosphere throughout. Heli Andrea really understood the assignment with her vocal parts, and the way she weaves in and through the instrumentation is one of the things that keeps me coming back to this disc.
Bhati - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_PCoy5EV57A
https://mobiusofficial.bandcamp.com/album/kala

Novelists - C'est La Vie
Novelists (France) is another one of those early djent bands that's still just nailing it with every release. This album's a bit more laid back than previous releases, but that's really nice sometimes, too.
Somebody Else - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XctrnaLYuMM

Nuclear Power Trio - A Clear and Present Rager
Disregard the stupid name, and the dumb imagery, and the dumb song names. This Allegaeon offshoot is some wild jazz-metal stuff that I can't get enough of. These folks are crazy talented and skilled and I'm happy to indulge their experimentation.
The Fusion Collusion - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HqAhQuEibmg
https://nuclearpowertrio.bandcamp.com/a ... sent-rager

Spiritbox - Singles
This is another cheat, and with an obvious nod to the 2021 list. I discovered Spiritbox in 2020 and was immediately smitten. They put out several singles in 2020 and they were all bangers. Blessed Be didn't end up on Eternal Blue, their 2021 album, and it's far and away my favorite of the batch of 2020 singles. Even without the amazing disc that I now know they put out in 2021 I would've charted these singles, because goddamn. Metalcore is in such good hands.
Blessed Be - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yht0WDdzGJM

I need to check some of these out, as I often find we have a good overlap when it comes to djent and metalcore. Only problem is that I just can't listen to the all-out instrumental albums - they really end up boring me way too quickly.

[Mardoch]

I frequently have the same problem with instrumental albums. "Very good" isn't good enough to hook me in for the duration of one, it basically has to be exceptional.

[introclaus]

Btw - did you get the instrumental version of “Palimpsest”? It’s killer! I love Rody’s voice (his solo stuff from 2021 is very strong), but it’s interesting hearing the songs w/o vocals … now THERE is an instrumental disc I’m fine with haha - probably because I know all the lyrics anyway and can sing them myself (well … “sing”).

[Mardoch]

I didn't. I have a hard time listening to instrumental versions of songs I know are "supposed" to have lyrics. It feels like dropping an instrument out of the mix, which throws me off.

[ToddS]

2020 was roundly a disaster of a year in most ways, and it closed out in a super shitty fashion for me and mine so I never got around to forcing myself to categorize and write up my top albums list. I'm only a year late!

Was it ever! 2021 was even worse! Hope 2022 doesn't follow that trend.

These are all I'll need to check a few of the ones on your list I don't know.

Aeternam - Al Qassam

Caligula's Horse - Rise Radiant

Conception - State of Deception

Haken - Virus
What a great time we all had!

Intervals - Circadian

James Norbert Ivanyi - Omen Faustum

Nuclear Power Trio - A Clear and Present Rager

Paralydium - Worlds Beyond

Protest the Hero - Palimpsest

Cheers!

Todd