My very subjective ranking of all heard metal and metal-adjacent albums 2020.

1.Imperial Triumphant - Alphaville

2.Oranssi Pazuzu - Mestarin Kynsi

3.Mamaleek - Come & See

4.Sweven - The Eternal Resonance

5.Afterbirth - Four Dimensional Flesh

      View entire list ››

Top 30 in alphabetical order plus some honourable mentions, the top 3 EPs and the best split. Here in the Black Lodge we had some other 20 album that could get in, but the gates in Twin Peaks woods slammed down in flickering flashlights...
The comments are from my delirious tulpa...

1.Above Aurora - The Shrine Of Deterioration

2.Acherontas - Psychic Death - The Shattering Of Perceptions

3.Akhlys - Melinoë

4.Ars Magna Umbrae - Apotheosis

5.Blaze Of Perdition - The Harrowing Of Hearts

      View entire list ››

Surely not everything I've listened to, not even close. Every year I use Spotify to make some megalist and start plowing through. Most albums are listened to and discarded, but those that pique my interest get shunted into the Keeper playlist. (I also use other media when needed - particularly Bandcamp - but Spotify remains my favorite.)

1.10,000 Years - 10​,​000 Years

2.Acid Mammoth - Under Acid Hoof

3....And Oceans - Cosmic World Mother

4.Aversio Humanitatis - Behold The Silent Dwellers

5.Baardvader - Baardvader

      View entire list ››

1.Regarde Les Hommes Tomber - Ascension

2.The Ocean - Phanerozoic II: Mesozoic / Cenozoic

3.Enslaved - Utgard

4.Orbit Culture - Nija

5.Wayfarer - A Romance With Violence

      View entire list ››

I don't think these are necessarily the best 30 albums of this year, but they're the ones that have I guess endured in my psyche and inspiried revisits more than most others. I was tempted to do a top 50, but after around #26 or so, I found myself confronted with about 50 albums that could've conceivably made it in, most of which I hadn't relistened to enough to rank above the others with confidence.

1.Psychonaut - Unfold The God Man

2.Elder - Omens

3.Enslaved - Utgard

4.Regarde Les Hommes Tomber - Ascension

5.Pure Reason Revolution - Eupnea

      View entire list ››

1.Konvent - Puritan Masochism

2.Paradise Lost - Obsidian

3.Incantation - Sect Of Vile Divinities

4.Anaal Nathrakh - Endarkenment

5.Imperial Triumphant - Alphaville

      View entire list ››

updated, but still more bands to consider

1.Spectral Lore - Wanderers: Astrology Of The Nine [Collaboration]

2.Lunatic Soul - Through Shaded Woods

3.Abigor - Totschläger (A Saintslayer's Songbook)

4.Enslaved - Utgard

5.Mr. Bungle - The Raging Wrath Of The Easter Bunny Demo

      View entire list ››

1.Necrophobic - Dawn Of The Damned

2.Havukruunu - Uinuos Syömein Sota

3.Finntroll - Vredesvävd

4.Wayfarer - A Romance With Violence

5.Anaal Nathrakh - Endarkenment

      View entire list ››

Horrible times. Thank the metal gods for music.

1.A Light In The Dark - Insomnia

2.Ages - Uncrown

3.Ainsoph - Ω - V

4.An Autumn For Crippled Children - All Fell Silent, Everything Went Quiet

5.An Evening With Knives - Sense Of Gravity

      View entire list ››

1.Psychonaut - Unfold The God Man

2.Orbit Culture - Nija

3.Havukruunu - Uinuos Syömein Sota

4.Bring Me The Horizon - Post Human: Survival Horror

5.Paradise Lost - Obsidian

      View entire list ››

1.Imha Tarikat - Sternenberster

2.Akhlys - Melinoë

3.Havukruunu - Uinuos Syömein Sota

4.Imperial Triumphant - Alphaville

5.Jordablod - The Cabinet Of Numinous Song

      View entire list ››

working title

1.Uada - Djinn

2.Long Distance Calling - How Do We Want To Live?

3.The Ocean - Phanerozoic II: Mesozoic / Cenozoic

4.White Stones - Kuarahy

5.Sorcerer - Lamenting Of The Innocent

      View entire list ››

My top to bottom list of everything from 2020 I've spent time with and have also purchased either physically or digitally (which is why most of them have high ratings). Releases featured on MS only. Whole number ratings out of 10 and my personal opinions included.

NOTE: I am no longer updating this list. 2020 was a great year for music despite being not a great year in general but I am onto a 2021 list. You can check it out here: http://metalstorm.net/users/list.php?list_id=6525

1.Psychonaut - Unfold The God Man

2.Caligula's Horse - Rise Radiant

3.Sojourner - Premonitions

4.On Thorns I Lay - Threnos

5.Elder - Omens

      View entire list ››

1.Vile Creature - Glory, Glory! Apathy Took Helm!

2.Fuck The Facts - Pleine Noirceur

3.Duma - Duma

4.Thou - May Our Chambers Be Full [Collaboration]

5.Oranssi Pazuzu - Mestarin Kynsi

      View entire list ››

To keep track of albums i've listened to this year.

1.Pallbearer - Forgotten Days

2.Malokarpatan - Krupinské Ohne

3.Sweven - The Eternal Resonance

4.Elder - Omens

5.Aerial Ruin - Stygian Bough: Volume I [Collaboration]

      View entire list ››