Top 25 Best Albums of 2020 by Saxy S

Amazing blackgaze with elements of hardcore punk that transcend common metal trends. Potent lyricism and wonderful hooks are among this records most memorable aspects.

Atmospheric Black Metal just the way that I like it: with mammoth folk soundscapes and excellent songwriting. The dual vocals sound superb as well.

Pacing is the word of the day and no progressive metal act had better understanding of that that Nero di Marte in 2020. These are long tunes, but their runtimes are rewarded with anticipation and reward.

Having never been a big fan of Rivers of Nihil, Rannoch did their best pick up the slack and boy did they ever! This is great progressive death metal for the 1990/2000s Opeth fan in me.

Thirty years in the making and Cirith Ungol make an album that is reminiscent of the great classic heavy metal records, with a modern flare. Truly specatcular!

This debut record appears to have a lot of experience on it. These riffs are super heavy and infectious, while providing an awesome atmo-black environment.

If Alestorm wrote songs other than about searchin' fer me treasure and walkin' the plank matey! I could not mean that as more of a compliment.

Thy Catafalque continue to move the bar in progressive metal music with each subsequent album. Lots of sticky hooks and fine tuned production make for an early year standout.

I was not expecting this! Acoustic atmospheric black metal from Brazil that is immensely intoxicating.

I was not ready for two hours worth of lo-fi atmo-black, but it was wonderful! This album makes me nostalgic for the S/T and classic Burzum, and the lo-fi production only helps with the atmoshpere.

The hybrid record from Green Carnation that brought me back to the good old days of Light of Day, Day of Darkness. To go along with some excellent progressive compositions, this was a much needed nostalgia trip.

I had a feeling this would happen, but the new Spirit Adrift album is quite same-y. But I am a mark for old school, Black Sabbath worship, so why should I care?

My deep dive into extreme death metal in 2020 led me to this record with elements of avant-garde music, tech death and jazz fusion. If any of those tags intrigue you, or you enjoyed Neptunian Maximalism's most recent album, do yourself a favour and try this out.

Power metal in 2020 without bland or even outright obtrusive synths? Yes please!

A nostalgia trip and a half! Hum deserved a better fate than they received during the 90s, and this album is all of the shoegaze Deftones elements that I wanted, until Deftones came along and made an album all their own!

Ottawa's based Unreqvited with soaring Blackgaze that splits the difference between the two styles very well. Much more in the vein of Deafheaven as opposed to Alcest. And no, this isn't here just for Canadian content!

Very good folk inspired black metal that grew on me in 2020, especially "The Apocalyptic Theater", which is one of my favourite songs of the entire year, across any genre!

A really solid dose of progressive/avant-garde black metal with psychedelic elements. A record so far removed from the black metal framework that a lot of people were turned off at first. But the acclaim is well deserved.

This record blew everyone's minds when it was released and I understand why. As someone who is not fully into tech-death, this newest Ulcerate record gave me a new appreciation for the subgenre.

Before I developed a new music routine for the year, this early standout of melodic black metal was excellent and still stands out almost a year later.

This album is extremely dense. These two solo black metal acts work together through great songwriting to explore the great expanse of space itself.

Progressive death metal that takes many tricks from Opeth and transforms them into new and interesting ideas and formulas with some impeccable songwriting.

The greatest thrash metal band of all time continue to flex on everybody with infectious hooks, wonderful solos and Chuck Billy's undeniable vocals.

For the first time in their career, Dark Tranquility live up to their name and create ethereal melodic death metal that was much needed in a year with seldom good melo-death releases.

Near the forefront of modern progressive metal, Caligula's Horse make djent interesting with some great hooks and impressive songwriting.