2020 musical releases to look forward to

My two favorite LPs from this year were Fiona Apple's Fetch The Bolt Cutters and Napalm Death's Throes of Joy in the Jaws of Defeatism. They both represent, in my eyes, resiliency—veteran musicians continuing to make not only relevant art, but some of the best they've created.

Also, as I mentioned in my silly little year-end post, I signed up for the Debmur Morti's Order of Outer Sounds, and have been following along as Vindsval has crafted Lovecraftian Echoes. I'm damn-near a Blut Aud Nord fanboy, so it would've definitely been listed if it were publicly available.

Singles
I don't usually include singles, but many artists understandably took to that format this year, so I felt it was worth including.
  • Alexis Marshall – Nature in Three Movements
  • Emma Ruth Rundle – Staying Power
  • Full of Hell – Language of Molting Cherubs
  • Julia Jacklin – baby jesus is nobody’s baby now
  • LINGUA IGNOTA – WICKED GAME
  • Regional Justice Center – KKK TATTOO
  • Self Defense Family – Jesus Of Nazareth
  • SUMAC – Two Beasts
EPs/Splits
  • Deathnoisefrequency – Horrid Dirge
  • Dragged Into Sunlight – Terminal Aggressor II
  • Lychgate – Also sprach Futura
  • Self Defense Family – Long Island
  • Wake – Confluence
  • The Ruins of Beverast / Almyrkvi split
Non-Metal(-ish) LPs
  • Agnes Obel – Myopia
  • Anna von Hausswolff – All Thoughts Fly
  • Bada – S/T
  • Bohren & Der Club of Gore – Patchouli Blue
  • Greg Puciato – Child Soldier: Creator of God
  • Helen Money – Atomic
  • Insect Ark – The Vanishing
  • Lianne La Havas – S/T
  • the Microphones – Microphones in 2020
  • Neptunian Maximalism – Éons
  • Pinkish Black & Yells At Eels – Vanishing Light in the Tunnel of Dreams
  • Rïcïnn – Nereïd
  • Sangre de Muerdago – Xuntas
  • Wailin Storms – Rattle
Metal(-ish) LPs
  • Akhlys – Melinoë
  • Amnutseba – Emanatism
  • Bell Witch & Aerial Ruin – Stygian Bough Volume I
  • Blood from the Soul – DSM-5
  • Cosmic Putrefaction – The Horizons Towards Which Splendour Withers
  • Couch Slut – Take A Chance On Rock ‘n’ Roll
  • Cult of Fire – Mosksha/Nirvana
  • Drown – Subaqueous
  • Esoctrilihum – Eternity Of Shaog
  • Fuck The Facts – Pleine Noirceur
  • Gulch – Impenetrable Cerebral Fortress
  • HWWAUOCH – Protest Against Sanity
  • Imperial Triumphant – Alphaville
  • Krallice – Mass Cathexis
  • Mamaleek – Come and See
  • The Ocean – Phanerozoic II: Mesozoic Cenozoic
  • Skáphe – Skáphe³
  • Sweven – The Eternal Resonance
  • Ulcerate – Stare Into Death And Be Still
  • Wayfarer – A Romance With Violence
 
I must once again re-arrange my list after discovering a gem from 2020 that was released only on the 14th of December, but discovered by me earlier this month. American black metal band AKHLYS releases a very impressive 2nd full-length album by the name of "Melinoë", which definitely deserves a spot in my top 10. Also decided to promote Vampire to 3rd place. I keep coming back to that killer record and every time I play it, I am reminded how awesome it is. Might even deserve 2nd place, as it seems to have more replay value for me than And Oceans. The fact that an excellent album like Desolator's is only on the 12th spot with a very good 8/10 score, only says something about the incredible amount of great releases from 2020.

1. COUNTING HOURS - The Will (9,5/10)
2. AND OCEANS - Cosmic World Mother (9/10)
3. VAMPIRE - Rex (9/10)
4. DOOL - Summerland (8,5/10)
5. BLACKFIELD - For the Music (8,5/10)
6. AKHLYS - Melinoë (8,5/10)
7. GREEN CARNATION - Leaves of Yesteryear (8,5/10)
8. SOLILOQUIUM - Things We Leave Behind (8,5/10)
9. MÖRK GRYNING - Hinsides Vrede (8/10)
10. DESCEND - The Deviant (8/10)
11. DARK TRANQUILLITY - Moment (8/10)
12. DESOLATOR - Sermon of Apathy (8/10)
13. GOD DETHRONED - Illuminati (7,5/10)
14. HENRIK PALM - Poverty Metal (7,5/10)
15. TESTAMENT - Titans of Creation (7/10)
 
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