Top 20 of 2020 (or my favorites that did make it to my list)

After a teaser earlier this week with several good albums, herewith my absolute favorites of the year. While this year is definitely the year of progmetal I am pleased to see that also ProgRock, Hardrock, Thrash, Death, Black, Melodic and AOR made it to my list. And still some people say that my taste in music is limited. Well let the countdown begin and you can be teh judge of that.

20. Novena - Eleventh Hour
While they already released an EP in 2016 a new band to me. I knew Ross Jennings from Haken, but also had others on CD already with No Sin Evades His Gaze. A heavier Haken with grunts by Gareth Mason of Slice the Cake (waiting for their CD releases). A wonderful album, which grows to a stunning finish with Corazon, The Tyrant and Prison Walls at the end. If the whole album was like that they would have scored even higher. Now a very fine discovery.

19. Red\Shift - Grow.Decay.Transform. 

An independent release that I found on Angry Metal Guy. 76 minutes is long, but the trio with three voices gives a progmetal variation in the Mastodon vein that sounds very good. King's X says hello as does Tool at times. They also set my PR for waiting time between ordering and receiving, which was over 4 months. Still picking it up occassionally.

18. Solitary - The Truth Behind The Lies

Thrash metal to me has two options. Either you go short and at full speed with no time to catch your breath (Reign in Blood) or you go more widespread with time for intro's, instrumentals and possibly even a ballad (Master of Puppets) My UK thrash friends from Solitary are in the first camp. With TTBTL they easily release their best album to date, which is a kick in the face (or anywhere else) for 36 minutes. Still with enough variation and in Homage to the Broken a new personal favorite to thrash Musicon one day.

17. Pattern Seeking Animals - Prehensile Tales

At first this band might seem a less heavy version of Spock's Beard, Not that SB is heavy, but Alan Morse and Ryo Okumoto usually help cracking up their music. Turns out that without them the songs speak much more and this was such a pleasant release with six songs that all worked for me. Two epics 12 and 17 minutes, two songs around 8 minutes and two short songs in prog under or just over 5 minutes. Always good when albums you did not have that high hopes for on forehand surprise you.

16. Alcatrazz - Born Innocent

Alcatrazz making a come-back album after 34 years!!. That is good news with three orignal members and Joe Stump as current guitar hero. This resulted in a very fine album indeed. And then they decided to split. I wonder which band is coming to Musicon (if etc.) next year the band with Doogie White on vocals, or Graham Bonnet with a new outfit. Both seem welcome to me, but I would have preferred this band.

15. Anubis - Homeless

Anubis are my favorite progrock band that formed in this century. This helped by two legendary shows in de Boerderij and later 't Blok. This album is their fifth studio album and surprises. Gone are the epics and long songs. 9 titles in 42 minutes is very to the point for this lot. Well it works fine and now they can spice their live-set even further with the inclusion of some short rockers. 

14. DeadRisen - DeadRisen

To many maybe yet another project of Mike Lepond, for me the new album with Will Shaw on vocals. After all he sang on Heir Apparent's The View From Below, my album of the year 2018. Then I also saw him live and what a voice on stage. This band plays Heavy Metal no bones about it and Ten songs 48 minutes. some fast some mid-tempo and a ballad. All sounding so well it became a must hear album for anyone into metal really.

13. Armored Saint - Punching The Sky

It is 2020 and the Saint marches on. Actually this album should have been much higher on my list if I look purely at the songs, the performance and how much I like this style. Maybe it is the lack of surprise that put them only on 13. I know what I get and I know I shall love it. Up to the next live gig and the album shall only get better. Possibly the most underrated band in metal.

12. Heathen - Empire Of The Blind

 See my comments under Solitary and this must be 2020's Master of Puppets. We have an instrumental intro and outro, plus a wonderfull instrumetal shred fest. Than there is a dark ballad as well, but mostly we get thrash overdosed with crazy stunning guitars. When you then add catchy choruses like the one of Sun in my Hand, you have for me the best thrash release of the year. They were supposed to tour Europe, hope that shall still happen when possible. 

11. The Reticent - The Oubliette

Again Chris Hathcock presents us a progmetal concept album filled with emotion and heavyness. This time the topic is Alzheimer and you can hear it comes from the heart. Amazing how one man can put this work together. A must hear for anyone not scared of by your occassional grunt. Again only placed at 11 because I thought his pre-decessor a bit stronger and at the time this rollercoaster was all new to me. This album shouts for a place on PPE stage.

10. Compass - Our Time On Earth

This band is created by Steve Newman known from melodic rock band Newman. Turns out that when he goes a bit more prog the music only gets better. I say a bit as this album is still filled with lots of accessible melodic rock. A conceptalbum that is pretty easy to follow musically and lyrically. Only mystrey remains, why does a four-man band put three people on their band pictures?

9. Dark Forest - Oak, Ash & Thorn

Another great discovery through angrymetalguy for me. This is their fifth album, but I had never heard of them. They mix NWOBHM galloping rhythms with some folky influences and sing about old England heroics. This is Heavy Metal of the uplifting kind, that makes me smile and should be a party live. I have not yet dug into their past, but when finding time for that definitely will.

8. Pyramid - Amnesty

Rune's Progfiles put me on the right track for this band. Not holding their first two releases, this is number three since 2017. So productive they are, especially if you consider I saw the drummer with Redemption and keys plus guitar with Arch Echo. If you like your progmetal heading towards tech metal and can appreciate a band like Zero Hour this one is not to be missed. from vocals to instrumentally they do everything right and deserve at least to lose their independent status.

7. Waiting For Monday - Waiting For Monday

2020 got me nostalgic remember? Well this lot put everything I ever liked in AOR together in such fashion that they completely surprised me. I did not even know such strong albums were still written nowadays in a style that is very much late seventies/early eighties. This time no project on Frontiers, but an actual band releasing an album that sounds even very nice to Josie. Check the clip for End of a Dream and order I'd say.

6. Wayfarer - A Romance With Violence

After my AOR pick now for something completely different. Not every year a Black Metal band makes it to my end of year list. This band is not Scandinavian face painted, but shirt wearing Americans who mix spaghetti western sound with their BM. When I read about them and played the album on bandcamp I was so blown away that I even ordered the cool Long sleeve together with the CD. Original, heavy and accessible, while different. Must be checked out by all.

5. Fates Warning - Long Day Good Night

Now some five weeks after release I still could not figure out how much I like this album. It is long to start with, but also less heavy than Theories of Flight. Still it is Fates Warning and if I am forced at gunpoint to name one favorite band I probably mumble, well that's impossible, but OK FW. Ray Alder is without doubt in topform all through the album. The variation in styles is also wider than normal. Yet I stil need to hear some of these songs live in order to potentially make it my album of the year after all.

4. Exist - Egoiista

So True, So Bound in 2017 was a pleasant surprise, but Egoiista overcame my wildest expectations. What a rollercoaster of an album this is. Maybe the best Cynic album after Foucs? At least the opening song dedicated to Sean Reinert makes you think so. We have tech death, but than in the Cynic style, but also  clean vocals. You go from neck-break speed banging to a ballad and instrumentally the whole album is a joyride. This band should be huge, but then again most on my list should.

3. Hittman - Destroy All Humans

An album I still did not receive on CD (note Vivas Machina on the picture) making it to my Top20 must be special. Well Hittman are making a comeback after 27 years and then release an album Queensryche can not match during the past 27 years. Why I say this? because that is the most heard comaprison.  Does not matter to me, can't get enough of this US metal with progressive traces. I am even open to shout along with lyrics like Love the Assasin that's all. Welcome back my friends now come over to Europe.

2. Fish - Weltschmerz

Fish announced this farewell album for years. In 2018 I already saw several songs being played live. Now that the double CD was finaly released I can say that few albums in history got me this emotional. Start looking at the 100 page booklet filled with the beautiful Wilkinson family designs. Than the music holds two wonderful epics in Waverley Steps and Rose of Damascus. Some more upbeat songs and in Garden of Remembrance a song that will touch anyone who faced Alzheimer from nearby. What a way to say goodbye. The best news is that on the many extra's at one point Fish states still planning two tours. One based around this album and Vigil, a second playing two nights in a row at several venues going all throug hhis career. Thank you Fish for so many unforgettable hours on CD and live on stage. A hero is leaving us with a blast.

1. Psychotica Waltz - The God Shaped Void

Maybe Fish deserved the top spot based upon his career, but let's face it musically Psychotic Waltz are so close to being perfect to me. Definitely the best live band in the nineties, now released a come-back album after 24 years. It follows perfectly on their four classics from the nineties. Overall this album is a bit heavier and slower than their past. This suits fine with the voice of Devon Graves. Starting the album with flute and that so typical sound that makes you recognize PW by a mile. How is it possible that the guitar tandem of Dan Rock and Brian McAlpin are not world famous. Psychotic Waltz are heavy, spooky, mysterious and metal.  I loved the album upon release in February, still do so ten months later and probably will pick it still up ten years from now. Given the overall pleasure playing this album presented to me throughout depressing 2020 makes it a well deserved number one.