Well, originally I was going to make this 50 albums and I certainly could easily do that, but because of being generally busy and not having to adhere to deadlines with this blog that not a ton of people read, I ended up not having the time to get all 50 out there. It's alright, nobody on earth needs someone to recommend 50 albums to them and even 40 proves I'm a little extra, but hell, let's get on with this. Order is from 10 to my number one album of the year at the bottom. Cheers, and let's all hope like hell next year doesn't suck as much as this one.
WAKE-DEVOURING RUIN
Canadian grind/death metal outfit Wake have always been a great band, but 2020 was certainly a banner year for them, with the early year release of their unbelievable new album "Devouring Ruin" cementing them as one of extreme metal's most exciting bands. Relentlessly heavy while also adding in elements of previously unheard genres and progressive elements to their songs, Devouring Ruin is ridiculously epic and forward thinking while never feeling bogged down or boring from the new elements they explore. I'd be hard pressed to find a single black/death/grind record that I enjoyed more this year, or even in the last several years. It's a masterpiece that needs to be heard to be believed.
CHUBBY AND THE GANG-SPEED KILLS
Maybe my most overall listened to record of 2020, Chubby And The Gang are a burning example of everything that makes punk rock exciting. Furious, anthemic, full of attitude and just a hell of a lot of fun to listen to, Speed Kills was on repeat for a majority of the year and saved my brain from collapsing on itself more times than I can remember. Every time I listen to this epic piece of punk rock/hardcore I wish a little harder for the day that live music can come back so I can hopefully break a couple of bones diving off a monitor to this incredible band. Best punk record of the year and best cover art of the year hands down, no contest.
SPANISH LOVE SONGS-BRAVE FACES EVERYONE
I'll admit that despite the overwhelming amount of hype this band seemed to be getting in punk circles the past few years, they just never gripped me with their previous material, but Brave Faces Everyone certainly grabbed me and never let go. I'd be hard pressed to think of a emo/punk record that's examined depression, wealth inequality, and the general horror of modern life in the United States with the level of depth that this record does, not this year, not even in the past 10 years, maybe longer. It's simply a master class of the genre, incredible lyrics and incredibly heartfelt music to go along with it. It's not often an album comes along that not only brings in a new generation of punk fans but also turns the heads of the cynical older generation who's most likely fallen off of checking out the more current bands in the scene, but this album sure as hell is the one. An absolutely essential listen for anyone that's ever loved an emo or pop punk record in their lifetime.
GULCH-IMPENETRABLE CEREBRAL FORTRESS
As exciting as videos of their insane live shows and their previous material made me for a full length, nothing could have prepared me for the absolute insane ripper that Gulch's debut full length was. Taking elements from every genre of hardcore and combining it into an ugly, furious beast that is uniquely their own, this LP stayed on repeat constantly throughout the year for me and had me wanting to tear the walls around me down in a year that was overwhelmingly that feeling a lot of the time. Another record that has me hoping for the return of live shows as soon as possible, it's one of those rare releases from a band that both completely lives up to the hype but feels devoid of any pretentiousness. A master class example of heavy hardcore, and the best album of the genre to come out this year.
NOTHING-THE GREAT DISMAL
Nothing have taken the scene by storm throughout the years with their hypnotizing blend of alternative rock and shoegaze, but I'd be lying if I said Tired Of Tomorrow and Dance Under The Blacktop hit me as hard as their incredible debut full length Guilty Of Everything did. It was a surprise to me then when the band's latest full length The Great Dismal ended up being not only one of my favorite albums of the year, but a contender for my favorite Nothing release to date, no small feat considering how high I hold the aforementioned album in my heart. Inspired by the bleak darkness of this year, The Great Dismal is both numbing and transcending all at once, feeling like a dedication to the relieving feeling of giving up the worry of what's out of your control. An album that will hijack your brain and stay with you for days, months, and years to come.
RUN THE JEWELS-RUN THE JEWELS 4
Not much I can say about rap titans Run The Jewels that hasn't been echoed in every music publication that covers current popular music, but that doesn't mean I'm not going to gush over how unbelievably necessary this record was to saving my sanity in 2020. Featuring some of the most insane in house beats the group has made to date and some of the most ridiculous bars yet from two veterans at the top of their abilities, RTJ4 is a masterclass in rap music that both throws back to the "golden era" of hardcore hip hop while pushing forward into a new era that they helped build themselves. RTJ4 proved that no amount of popularity or money gained is going to stop El-P and Killer Mike from bringing real, rugged and raw hip hop to the masses. I'd say I don't know where the two go from here, but I said that after they released the third record as well, so while I've certainly got faith that they'll best this effort with the next one yet again, this is pretty damn close to rap perfection in it's purest form.
YASHIRA-FAIL TO BE
There are no words to describe how proud Yashira's sophomore album "Fail To Be" makes me feel to be a part of Florida's extreme music scene. Rebuilding after the tragic loss of their original drummer in 2018, this late year end release jumped to the forefront of my top albums this year when it dropped and stands as one of the most incredible heavy releases of the year or the past several. Shades of genre greats like Botch, Converge and Intronaut can be heard in Yashira's sound, but make no mistake that the band treads their own path on this record. It's an absolutely brilliant piece of heavy music that's both unrelenting and meditative, a mix of extreme genres that has to be heard to be believed. 2021 will undoubtfully be the year this band rises to the forefront of extreme metal, and it will be well deserved.
CONWAY THE MACHINE-FROM KING TO A GOD
Purchase (Sold Out)
Griselda had an insane 2020, and honestly I'm sure I'll probably end up kicking myself for not including quite a few of their other releases on my best of list for this year, but for me one thing is certain, and that is that Conway's "From King To A God" release stands at the top of the list from the crew's offerings. It would be hard for me to overstate just what an achievement this record is, stacked wall to wall with bangers that explore every side of the rapper, and prove that he can not only rap circles around the majority of his peers, but that he can adapt to any kind of beat with ease. You would be hard pressed to find a rap record that's more complete, cohesive and at the same time as dynamic as this one. It explores a litany of different moods with ease while never feeling disjointed or out of place. The fact that this record serves as but a prelude to Conway's forthcoming first major label release has honestly got me shook. By far one of the best rap records this year, or in quite a few years for that matter.
SOFT KILL-DEAD KIDS R.I.P. CITY
One of two artists (Conway being the other) to have two releases in my best of list this year, Soft Kill's long awaited new full length "Dead Kids R.I.P. City" is everything fans of the band could have hoped for and so much more. Stunning production, songs that have an absolutely surreal beauty to them, and haunting lyrics had me listening to this nonstop since it's release and that will certainly not change in the coming new year. Soft Kill has always been a great band, but this album is arguably their magnum opus, a culmination of years of craft and touring that's both emotionally crushing and spiritually uplifting. It's an absolutely incredible record that transcends genres and boundaries. A modern classic from the day it was released.
FREDDIE GIBBS AND ALCHEMIST-ALFREDO
I was pretty damn sure Alfredo was going to be my album of the year a week or so after it released and I had already gotten in a countless number of listens, and it seems my intuition on that is right. Maybe I'm biased as Gibbs has been my favorite current rapper for several years running now, dropping one incredible release after another, but Alfredo shows not only him at the top of his game, but also the incredible chemistry that he shares with Alchemist, by far one of the best beatmakers in hip hop. Lyrically stunning bars coupled with brilliant and bright instrumentals and some seriously show stopping guest features made Alfredo not only the best rap album of 2020, but in my opinion the best album released this year period. It says a lot about the albums wide reach and how huge a moment it is for Gibbs that, despite the Grammy's being pretty irrelevant to the musical landscape he landed a nomination, and that's even with the album including the line "my name cocaine they ain't gonna put me in the nominees". They were smart to do it, as it would be insane to snub this incredible achievement in any way. Alfredo is perhaps the best project yet from a rapper who's been steady making classics for years now. I'll definitely remember 2020 as the year Freddie Gibbs went from your rappers favorite rapper to the world's favorite, and with good cause. An absolutely incredible piece of hip hop history in the making.
Well, that's that. If I had been able to finish a top 50 as I wanted I'm sure a lot of omitted releases would have been included, so here's a few honorable mentions I think everyone should definitely check out when they have the chance:
Benny The Butcher-Burden Of Proof
Code Orange-Underneath
Couch Slut-Take A Chance On Rock And Roll
Deftones-Ohms
Exhalants-Atonement
Primitive Man-Immersion
Westside Gunn-Pray For Paris
Here's to hopefully a better 2021. Be smart, be safe, look out for your loved ones and your friends, wear a fucking mask, and don't pack into bars for new years eve, save that shit for next year when the vaccine is popping off. Seriously, be smart and safe. Take care.
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