The title is pretty much self explanatory. This is the list of albums released in 2020 that I listened to the most in the past year. The first five are in strict order of preference, the rest are a bit more loosely placed.

Best EP: Fleshvessel - Bile Of Man Reborn
Best demo: Lamp Of Murmuur - The Burning Spears Of Crimson Agony

1.Anaal Nathrakh - Endarkenment

2.Psychotic Waltz - The God-Shaped Void

3.Sweven - The Eternal Resonance

4.Hail Spirit Noir - Eden In Reverse

5.Dool - Summerland

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2020 has been nothing short of a horrific year. The music industry was quite possibly changed forever due to the pandemic, we saw tours and festivals canceled, and as of now, live shows seem to be a thing of the past.

However, this year ( especially in metal), we saw some big releases, impressive debuts, and the return of several bands that had been on hiatus for decades. Overall for albums, 2020 was rather impressive. Here's my favorite 100 metal albums of 2020...

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

2.Cryptic Shift - Visitations From Enceladus

3.Psychotic Waltz - The God-Shaped Void

4.Akhlys - Melinoë

5.Ulcerate - Stare Into Death And Be Still

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1.Anaal Nathrakh - Endarkenment

2.Necrophobic - Dawn Of The Damned

3.Benighted - Obscene Repressed

4.Thanatos - Violent Death Rituals

5.Sinister - Deformation Of The Holy Realm

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Maybe this is a top, but those albumes are just the ones that I will listen recurrently.

1.Imperial Triumphant - Alphaville

2.Oranssi Pazuzu - Mestarin Kynsi

3.Draconian - Under A Godless Veil

4.Afterbirth - Four Dimensional Flesh

5.Igorrr - Spirituality And Distortion

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1.Inquisition - Black Mass For A Mass Grave

2.The Ruins of Beverast / Almyrkvi - Split

3.Katla. - Allt Þetta Helvítis Myrkur

4.Sodom - Genesis XIX

5.Lunatic Soul - Through Shaded Woods

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1.Konvent - Puritan Masochism

2.Paradise Lost - Obsidian

3.Incantation - Sect Of Vile Divinities

4.Anaal Nathrakh - Endarkenment

5.Imperial Triumphant - Alphaville

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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

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This year it was hard to make the list but here it is, with 3 bonuses

1.Gaerea - Limbo

2.Black Crown Initiate - Violent Portraits Of Doomed Escape

3.Mors Principium Est - Seven

4.Demons & Wizards - III

5....And Oceans - Cosmic World Mother

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1.Mors Principium Est - Seven

2.Anaal Nathrakh - Endarkenment

3.Draconian - Under A Godless Veil

4.Ensiferum - Thalassic

5.Paradise Lost - Obsidian

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In rough order of enjoyment, the albums I've listened to from 2020

1.Paradise Lost - Obsidian

2.Draconian - Under A Godless Veil

3.Plini - Impulse Voices

4.Igorrr - Spirituality And Distortion

5.Atramentus - Stygian

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Some of the highlights for me this year: Anaal Nathrakh, Cult Of Fire, Enslaved, Necrophobic, Paradise Lost, Testament....Some are pre orders but I'm sure the new Dark Tranquillity, Sodom, and Uada albums will make it into my favorites. Any suggestions would be appreciated and looked into for sure. Thanks for looking.

1.Abysmal Dawn - Phylogenesis

2.Anaal Nathrakh - Endarkenment

3.Azarath - Saint Desecration

4.Benediction - Scriptures

5.Cadaver - Edder & Bile

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1.Necrophobic - Dawn Of The Damned

2.Havukruunu - Uinuos Syömein Sota

3.Finntroll - Vredesvävd

4.Wayfarer - A Romance With Violence

5.Anaal Nathrakh - Endarkenment

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This list is meant to be an extensive, but by no means exhaustive, collection of the greatest (modern) metal albums and eps. Running the gamut from avant-garde to trve norweigan black metal. *As someone who is young in age, my tastes tend to revolve around the period of the 80s to the present.* Although certain metal albums from before will certainly be featured, the period of the 60s-70s will be under-represented. I refer you to this excellent list to gain a better appreciation for some of the best metal from that period: https://rateyourmusic.com/list/freis/martin_popoffs_the_top_500_heavy_metal_albums_of_all_time/

1.Aara - En Ergô Einai

2.Aarni - Bathos

3.Aaskereia - Dort, Wo Das Alte Böse Ruht

4.Aastraal - Tuba mirum spargens sonum per sepulcra regionum, coget omnes ante thronum

5.AATHMA - Avesta

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My favourite albums of 2020.

I've taken a new approach this year - switching to ratings out of 5, rounded to the nearest 0.5. Trying to rate everything to the nearest 0.1 was becoming a chore. Anything rated lower than 2/5 has been excluded.

Also, while my previous lists have been 99% metal, 2020 has seen me exploring music across a much broader range of genres.

1.Loathe - I Let It In And It Took Everything

2.Hum - Inlet

3.Satyr - Locus

4.Deftones - Ohms

5.Phoebe Bridgers - Punisher

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It's closing in on the end of 2021, so revisiting the year of the lockdown

1.Oranssi Pazuzu - Mestarin Kynsi

2.Akhlys - Melinoë

3.Black Curse - Endless Wound

4.Cryptic Shift - Visitations From Enceladus

5.Draconian - Under A Godless Veil

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