The Top 5 Metal Albums of 2020

The Top 5 Metal Albums of 2020

I’m not going to begin this article by griping about how much 2020 sucked. You already hear that everywhere, you know that it sucked, you know exactly why it sucked, and you don’t need me to remind you. Besides, I am a guy who tries to make the most of a bad situation. With that said, when you start thinking about and listening to good metal releases, it can help you look back and realize that even 2020 had a few positive qualities. Mind you, after such a fierce, impressive run for the metal genre in the 2010s, this decade may not be able to compete with the previous one. Nevertheless, metal is alive and well, and more than worth discussing and listening to in order to get us through these hard times.

Honorable mention: Midnight Dice “Hypnotized”
www.youtube.com/watch

The only reason why this lovely piece of female-fronted Chicago metal is listed as an honorable mention is because it is an EP. Though I decided to focus strictly on full-length albums for the top 5, this release can easily hold its own with the rest of these records. Founded by members of Satan’s Hollow, their newest project churns out exactly the kind of fun, energetic metal we all need right now. Frontwoman Mandy Martillo stands out as one of the best female vocalists in metal today with her knack for holding notes so skillfully for a long time. “Hypnotized” is a particularly memorable tune, and oh yes, there’s a galloping-horses track on there, too. I’m, of course, referring to the closing cut, “Lazer Tears”.

5. Anvil “Legal At Last”
www.youtube.com/watch

This album was released early in the year, when I was just thinking about the 50th anniversary of the metal genre, and before 2020 really became the 2020 that we all know and dread. No matter how much you may think of Anvil as a very consistent band, I will warn you that there are a few songs on here that I could skip. I felt that “Gasoline” dragged on longer than it needed to and that “Talking Through the Wall” was just a filler. Nevertheless, when this album rocks, it really rocks! There are killer environmental tracks (“Chemtrails” and “Plastic in Paradise”), and wonderful singles that you know you can look forward to hearing live after COVID (the title track and “Nabbed in Nebraska”). If you’ve heard their previous album, 2018’s “Pounding the Pavement”, then you already know that this Toronto three-piece can write a mean anti-technology number. This time, “Glass House”—a song about phones spying on their users, absolutely steals the show! It’s a tune that I kept playing over and over again, and made me think to myself, “Yes! We needed a metal song about this very subject!”

4. Testament “Titans of Creation”
www.youtube.com/watch

With some bands I just cling to the first three or four albums without giving any thought to later albums, but with Testament, I always look forward to a new release. It’s a pure Testament album, and there’s still more to say about it than just that. It has a lot more slow songs than their last two records, and they do throw you for a curveball by sprinkling a few touches of black metal this time (see “Curse of Osiris”). Nevertheless, the raging “WWIII” will definitely keep Bay Area thrash purists more than satisfied! It’s also a very bass-centered release. If you love Steve DiGiorgio but aren’t necessarily a huge Testament fan, this album might just win you over!

3. Glacier “The Passing of Time”
www.youtube.com/watch

Yes, there was even a little good news coming out of Portland, Oregon this year. Original Glacier vocalist Michael Podrybau has resurrected his obscure traditional/power metal outfit with an all-new line-up. It may be hard to believe, but this is actually the band’s first full-length release. In their youthful ‘80s glory days, the band only issued an EP and a couple of demos. Although it’s still the same style of metal that they specialized in back in the day, it does sound like another band within the same sub-genre, even in the vocal department. “Eldest and Truest” is a solid opener, and the middle of the album is particularly song. While the last two tracks fall short of the quality of the rest of the record in my mind, they are still worth hearing. You’ll definitely be blown away by the massive talent of new timekeeper Adam Kopecky!


2. Shok Paris “Full Metal Jacket”
www.youtube.com/watch

Like Glacier’s new release, “Full Metal Jacket” is a long overdue comeback effort that was issued with the No Remorse Records seal of approval. Like Testament’s latest, the bass is placed in a good spot, bringing the instrument more into the light than you’ve heard on many other records within any number of genres. Being a reunion album from a few decades after their prime, it naturally isn’t their best release. However, being a Shok Paris album, it’s full of excitement, passion, creativity, and soaring vocals. Expect fist-pumping bangers, speedier songs, melodic cuts, and a seven-minute closing track (“Up the Hammers”).

1. Raven “Metal City”
www.youtube.com/watch

When I first saw the cover artwork, I naively wondered if the band was about to start issuing their own comic book a la Slayer. Then, I thought, “Oh, duh, this must just be the new album cover”. All silly initial misinterpretations aside, this is THE album that owns 2020! Their previous effort, “Extermination”, was a good album and it certainly sounded like Raven. This masterpiece, however, is one of the best, fastest, and heaviest records of their career! The fierce, energetic might displayed all over this gem is something that many young and old bands alike can’t capture. “Metal City” is their first album with drummer Mike Heller, an undeniably gifted musician that you might recognize from Fear Factory, Malignancy, System Divide, etc. Heller is the best drummer they’ve ever had in my opinion, and his skill might be part of the reason why songs like “Top of the Mountain” and “Human Race” are much faster than what you’d normally expect from Raven. Did you ever think you’d hear this band playing blast beats? However, Heller is only one reason why this is my favorite album from this year! It’s loaded with ambitious lyrics with music that matches that level of determination. While there were many ‘80s bands that had a great run in the 2010s, the Gallagher brothers’ long-standing project might be one of the only acts from that era still standing tall by the end of the new decade. These Newcastle heroes will be leaving many of their peers and successors alike in the dust in eight or ten years, so keep an eye on them throughout the 2020s!

What was your favorite metal album of this year? What was your favorite album from this list?

Let us know in the comments below!

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Tags:  Testament, Glacier, Raven, Anvil, Shok Paris

Nick Statuto    December 29, 2020