Welcome back fellow Otaku & Metalheads!
I do want to apologize for this coming out later than normal. Some newer albums came out pretty recently, and in a rare instance I’m putting end-of-year records onto the list. On top of that, 2018 has come back in force here in 2020, as everything on this list is composed of nothing but ties. Even my honorable mentions aren’t safe this time around, as they’re both ties as well! With such a bevy of metal this year, let’s not waste anymore time. Here are my top 5 albums of 2020! Let’s begin!
5) Haunt - Mind Freeze (Song) & Alestorm - Curse of the Crystal Coconut (Song)
Released pretty much at the very beginning of the year (The 10th of January to be specific), this fairly recent Thrash Metal band from Fresno almost borderlines on Power Metal at certain times. Using themes of the supernatural, witchcraft, and fantasy, Haunt has the heavy nature of Thrash, but at the same time the songs make you want to wander a medieval fantasy kingdom. You’d be kicking goblins in the ass, slaying the dragon, rescuing the princess, and all the while you’d be headbanging pretty damn hard! It may be confusing at points in terms of figuring out which style is being performed, but I can’t deny that I have fun whenever I listen to Mind Freeze. Definitely an album for fantasy lovers!
This leads into the other band that shares the no. 5 spot this year, and that’s Alestorm! Funny enough, this is the first time that I’ve genuinely taken the band seriously, which is ironic considering they’re anything but serious. Curse of the Crystal Coconut is an absolutely silly experience, but it’s one that’s incredibly fun at the same time. The band have always made catchy tunes, filled with obvious references to the pirate life, complete with a bit of lighthearted trolling and other surprises. I can see exactly why some people wouldn’t like this release, but at the same time I see why some do like it. Give it a listen, and judge for yourself.
4) Lordi - Killection (Song) & Turmion Kätilöt - Global Warning (Song)
Ah Lordi, how much I love thee!
Not too long ago, I talked about these B-Movie monsters on my top 5 movies of 2018 list, and lo & behold they return! Killection it a bit of a strange release: a fictional compilation album with songs that cover anything from the early 70s all the way to the mid 90s, the gimmick seems like an odd one at first. After listening to it a few times, said gimmick is actually really clever, and it’s obvious that Lordi was trying really hard to make it feel like you were listening to a genuine compilation record. It may take a few rotations in order to get what the band is trying to do, but with how catchy the music is.....it’s worth it.
And then there’s Turmion Kätilöt. 3 times this band has appeared on these lists. 2015, 2017, and 2018......why not a 4th time! Global Warning almost comes across as a throwback to some of their earliest work, as while there’s still some of the dance aspects from their last 4 releases, it’s obvious that they decide to go for a heavier and more metallic record. Thunderous, pounding, and all around an album that hits you like a Mack truck, Global Warning seems eerily relevant in 2020, yet despite that I highly recommend it to anyone who likes some heavy industrial.
3) Paradise Lost - Obsidian (Song) & Draconian - Under A Godless Veil (Song)
Wow was this a treat!
Paradise Lost has had.....a rather weird history with these lists. Twice they’ve been in the “Honorable Mentions” section due to the vocal work, and 2018 they finally made their main list debut thanks to some great remasters of their electronic phase. Now, they have released what is perhaps their darkest output yet with Obsidian. I won’t talk about it too much again, since I talked about it back in October, but I can say that Obsidian finally scratched my itch! A considerably more gothic release than their prior 2 releases, not to mention Nick Holmes lets up with the raspy vocals somewhat, The album shows that one of the titans of Gothic Metal still carries significant weight during these plague-ridden times, and I for one am thankful for this release.
Then, we got Draconian. It’s been since 2015 that this band had released anything, and if you recall my top 5 list from that year, you know that I gave Sovran some pretty high praise. Under A Godless Veil? I might actually like this album more than the previously stated one. It’s not drastically different than that release, but it’s the little things that make it better in my opinion. The whole record comes across as a little more grander & epic. The gothic, doom, and Death Metal aspects feel more flesh out, and the production behind this record is just a little bit better. Under A Godless Veil is definitely a modern Gothic Metal masterpiece, and it should be something to seek out if you’re curious.
2) King Diamond - Fatal Portrait (Song), Abigail (Song), Them (Song), Conspiracy (Song), & The Eye (Song)
The King has returned!
2020 saw the return of one of metal’s most iconic shock legends, and by god it was a show of force! For starters, let’s talk about the remaste...no wait, that’s wrong. The 1st 5 records (Yes......5 RECORDS) here aren’t re-masters, but full-blown re-releases of the original audio for the public to consume once again in this plagued age! Fatal Portrait, Abigail, Them, Conspiracy, & The Eye are absolute juggernauts of classic horror metal, and to see them all return in 2020 is a treat! I spoke about my love of King Diamond back in October last year, but listening to these tasty scary feasts once again was just wonderful!
However, as incredible as the king’s output in 2020 was, there was a album that surpassed all of these. Three albums actually! More than anything, these records are ones that everybody needs to listen to at least once. Whether you’re into Heavy Metal or not, they’re the ultimate example of a bright light in the deepest dark, and people in 2020 need some light.
Before we get to these bright albums, I just wanted to take some time and talk about some honorable mentions. My choices this time around are......odd to say the least. Three of these are from this year, and the other is technically a release from last year that I finally got to listen to in 2020. I’m interested to see how you’ll all react to these choices, so let’s not waste anymore time, and take a look at the honorable mentions of 2020.
HM1) Moonspell - Sin/Pecado: Deluxe Edition (Song) & Moonspell - Memorial (Song)
If I hadn’t discovered Haunt (Or listened to COTCC), chances are I may have put this CD at number 5. Released on the 13th of December last year, it’s late release prevents it from getting onto the main list (Ironic, given what’s at my no. 1), but at the same time it’s great to see a group’s older material getting put out again. Kinda like Paradise Lost’s re-masters of Host & Believe In Nothing from 2018, Sin/Pecado feels fresh because of the touch ups. Coupled with the out of print Second Skin EP, it’s a great little trip back into the band’s past of the late 90s, and for anyone remotely interested in Gothic Metal from Portugal, it’s worth your time.
Another re-release from this band that’s worth your time is Memorial. Younger than the original Sin/Pecado by 8 years (Sin/Pecado came out in 98, while Memorial was 2006), there doesn’t seem to be as much work done on it, but I don’t think there needed to be. Memorial is a much fresher album, and due to that not muck work is needed to fix any cracks. Chances are you’re probably seeking this remaster for the special tracks, of which there are 6. The first two are bonus songs, while the other 4 are live from CC Estúdio & CC Estúdio 2. This puts this newer version of Memorial up to a monstrous 19 tunes. You’re definitely in it for the long haul if you sit down & listen to this......which is exactly what you should do!
HM2) Ozzy Osbourne - Ordinary Man (Song) & Marilyn Manson - We Are Chaos (Song)
Much like the titanic return of King Diamond, it’s been a long time since the Prince of Darkness put out. Not since 2010 with Scream has Ozzy put anything out, and the fans were waiting with baited breath. A mix of finishing up with Black Sabbath, not to mention health issues that still somewhat exist today (Some have gotten worse), made the next album something of a distant dream....until it wasn’t. In recent years the Ozzman has made a partial recovery despite his health issues, and when news of a new release began to surface. Then, as of the 21st of February of this year, the long awaited return of the Blizzard of Ozz came out and...... it’s good. Not great, but good. It’s definitely got problems: a lot of the instrumentation sounds the same, Ozzy’s voice has had effects added to it (Probably due to his health), and some of the songs have missed potential. That being said, there’s definitely some fun to be had on Ordinary Man. The teamups with Elton John, Post Malone, and Travis Scott have a lot of energy to them, and despite his health, the Blizzard of Ozz still manages to pour his heart & soul into this album. He’s definitely showing off some pretty personal stuff on this record, and if this is going to be his final release it’s not necessarily a bad note to go out on. Ordinary Man may not be the most essential Ozzy Osbourne album to listen to, but if it somehow comes your way, you might want to give it a go.
I can say something similar to We Are Chaos. Now, it’s been quite a long time since I listened to a Marilyn Manson album. He always came across like a phase to me, yet he never fully left my memory when I stopped listening to him. 2020 seemed like a bizarrely appropriate year for the scourge of uptight & politically correct individuals to make his return, and his 11th studio album was definitely up to the task. Is it perfect? Not exactly. I should say that I had a lot of fun listening to this, but the album was all over the place. Given the album’s name, it’s not surprising to have it be chaotic in terms of feel, but for that chaos to affect the quality.....that’s definitely something. Still, We Are Chaos is an album that could only come from the mind of Marilyn Manson, and it’s at least an intriguing concept. Might be worth your time if you’re curious.
1) U.D.O. - We Are One (Song) & Iron Savior - Skycrest (Song) & Majestica - A Christmas Carol (Song)
Let’s be honest: 2020 was absolute garbage. Sure there were some positive things here and there, but for 75 to 80 percent of the year it sucked nothing but canal water. Rampant plague, so much cancelled and ruined because of said plague, corrupt politics simply unheard of in U.S. history, and so many other depressing things I won’t put here. It was unnerving, sad, and genuinely soul-crushing.....until this album came along.
As silly as this is going to sound, We Are One is an album the whole world needs to hear (or as many people as possible). 2020 has far too much negativity to it, what with rampant disease & death, political corruption, exploding racial tensions, and so much more. U.D.O. seemed to know how much everybody and everything was hurting, and so they crafted an album that simultaneously reflected this, and to give to people light & hope. Yes, 2020 was hell, and we’re all going to have a scar or two from this horrid experience...but there is hope. There is light at the end of the tunnel. There’s going to be a way out, and it’ll be beautiful when we get there. That alone is enough to get We Are One to the number 1 spot on this list.
However, U.D.O. isn’t alone this year! Iron Savior, one of the sadly lesser known Power Metal artists out there, managed to make their presence still known right here at the end of the year. Their 13th studio release, Skycrest, is one of the reasons why this list came out so late this year, and is one of the few times that I put an album on this specific type of list that came out so late. Like some of the others on here, Skycrest was an album that needed to come out in 2020. If Obsidian from earlier was the slice of bitter reality, then this album was the delicious fluffy piece of chocolate cake we all need once in a while! Soaring guitars, drumming that sounds like horses charging, fantasy & sci-fi flavoring everywhere, and vocal work from Piet Sielck makes the entire release something that brightens smiles everywhere & makes you feel warm & fuzzy. To everyone that’s still here at the end.....Skycrest is a more than worthy reward for a quest well done!
And this leads us to Majestica! Another reason why this list came out so late, this band is actually the resurrected group of current Sabaton guitarist Tommy Johansson’s old gang by the name of ReinXeed. Ironically, they released Above the Sky last year, and while I didn’t listen to the whole album, the songs I did manage to hear were fantastic. So when it was announced towards the end of October that they would be releasing not just another album, but a Christmas record, my eyes lit up like a freshly decorated tree. So when I saw down literarily this past Friday (The same day that Skycrest came out, btw) to give A Christmas Carol a listen to, and holy shit this was damn good! Much like We Are One and Skycrest, we needed something like this to end 2020 on. Taking the original Charles Dickens story and putting it through a Power Metal filter, the album is chocked to the brim with Christmas goodness & positive vibes. You’ll laugh, you’ll cry, and you’ll feel warm and fuzzy by the time it’s done playing. That feeling I got was the reason that A Christmas Carol made it to the number 1 spot, and I have a feeling that it’ll be your no. 1 for some of you as well!
And those were my top 5 albums of 2020 list. Perhaps a bit scattered-brained in comparison to prior lists, but this year was so up in the air that if I made it normal I don’t think it would work properly. I hope that you all found something on here that you enjoyed, cause I certainly liked what I put up here. Now, I must leave you all for a few days, because I made a promise to a certain group of beautiful Finnish weebs......and I intend to keep that promise. See you all on the 19th!
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The Dark Sides & In Concert 1987: Abigail aren’t here because I didn’t manage to listen to those two. Also, if you're curious about what I thought of last year's music, then click on the link below:
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