Top Releases of 2020 by UnhinderedbyTalent

It's more or less a given that any year with a Gorguts or Ulcerate release winds up with it occupying the top slot. It makes end of year lists so much easier when I can work from number one backwards. Arguably now fully transcended from just technical death metal, Ulcerate are writing atmospheric triumphs full of continuously morphing and absorbing parts that structure some truly baffling behemoths. Their growth as a band is phenomenal from album to album as they continue to better themselves with each release and 2020's effort is the pinnacle of their story so far.

As with Ulcerate above, even before its official release I could vouch that the new release from Akhlys would chart high in my end of year list. Most of what Naas Alcameth touches turns to the blackest of gold and his Akhlys project is a masterclass in 'layered to the point of being suffocating' black metal. Most bands would give limbs to be able to write songs like this, let alone have the depth of vision to be able to steep them in such profoundly menacing and otherworldly atmosphere to boot. It's disorientating and voluptuous at the same time.

The comparisons with Death are inevitable, beyond the DiGiorgio reference even. This is the realm of creative and gritty riffs that allow plenty space for all the other elements to shine. Vocally too guttural to draw any Schuldiner comparisons the band has a real old-school vibe to their chosen brand of death metal that transcends any purely 90's boundaries to give an authentic version of prog-death in 2020. Check out the widdly and gnarly lead work to Empty, Grand Majesty (Cyclical Descent of Causality) for a benchmark as to exactly what these boys can do on their debut full-length. There are references here also to Atheist (okay no more bass heavy references I promise), The Chasm, Blood Incantation and even more melodic bits akin to early At The Gates.

Pace changes on Relatos de Angustia happen with an organic sense to them and tracks build into cleverly detailed soundscapes that walk the thin line between accessible and authentic. Tracks like Let The Pain Run Through balance the searching and enquiring development of the band's style with an inherent darkness that makes the way forward suitably murky enough for the traditionalist black metal fan. The track in question drops one of the more melodic pieces of lead work heard by me on a BM opus for some time, blossoming the track (and album) into a cleaner, more clear finish from the tumult of the overall forty minutes that precede it.

Within mere moments of listening to this I had thoughts of bands such as Swallowed and Grave Miasma as well as the rudimentary nod to Incantation also that seems to be part of all death metal nowadays. I also get the atmosphere of Cultes Des Ghoules (particularly their Henbane album) during Endless Wound's more blackened moments. At it's core the band's debut release is a blackened wound with a rather thick and heavy death metal scab sat atop of it. This blackened edge is perhaps the most unexpected influence on the record given the stellar death and doom/sludge metal credentials of the assorted band members. But let's not forget that Antinom (Zach from Khemmis) has a background in black metal with Dagon and Dominion, as well Morris from Blood Incantation still being active with Stillborn Fawn. Tracks such as Seared Eyes are chaotic and blistering blackened attacks that undertake a frenzied stabbing approach, maintaining a constant level of threat throughout.

On this record Ivar relinquished most of the work he normally tried to always get through himself and delegated the labour out across the band. The outcome is an album that feels like it has had a high level of involvement. Even in its busiest moments it sounds cohesive and unified, no matter where a track goes to it is obvious that all band members go with it. The clarity of roles within the band has unlocked textures in the Enslaved sound that feel tightly woven together. At the same time they also feel like they are covering new ground and exploring new territory and structures.

The tremolo riffs act as a real source of menace as well as melody on Limbo, an album title that I find a bit odd as I get no sense of uncertainty here. If anything it comes across as a very assured sounding album from a band with a very conscious direction that they deliver with equal amounts of passion and ability. Whilst it may go on a little bit in places, the sophomore release from the band is clear in how it shows the development and ongoing potential of the band. The low choral vocals in the background towards the final third of Glare are so subtle that you miss them the first couple of times around as they creep in the background becoming almost subliminal in effect. They are elsewhere here also, lurking in the shadows of tracks. The mining riff at the start of Conspiranoia on the other hand is a full frontal jackhammer into your brain that gives the song instant purpose of its nefarious intent.

Far from just a doom/death record, this is a total immersion experience, cleverly balanced over three tracks with the middle track hinging the first and final tracks perfectly for a real sense of perspective. Built like a Bell Witch (of old) record would be, this album simply creates its own depth to expand into and then fills that space brilliantly.

This has grown on me since my initial review. One of those records that just won't sit quietly in the corner and be content with just a handful of listens. Bits of it gnaw at your brain and play over and over again. Not that this is top 5 material for my list of course but it is still kind of warning to see such a well-known name up in the rankings.