From Faithful Trad to Avant-garde Black -
All Delivered in Spades!
From the Hellfire inferno the Metal army has risen once again! Despite the known current circumstances (UGH!) Metal thrived enormously in 2020. (At least that was the case on the record!) The following fifty titles kept me sane and helped me survive the 2020 ...
50
THE LIGHTBRINGER OF SWEDEN
Rise of the Beast
(Sweden)
Released on July 15, 2020
Debut album
Power Metal
49
DARK QUARTERER
Pompei
(Italy)
Released on October 31, 2020
Studio album #8
Epic Progressive Metal
48
EVOKE
Seeds of Death
(Norway)
Released on September 18, 2020
Debut album
Black/Thrash Metal
47
LORD VIGO
Danse de Noir
(Germany)
Released on April 10, 2020
Studio album #4
Epic Doom Metal
46
PSYCHOSOMATIC
The Invisible Prison
(USA)
Released on August 28, 2020
Studio album #6
Crossover/Thrash Metal
45
UNHOLY DESECRATION
Unholy Horde
(USA)
Released on March 27, 2020
Studio album #2
Blackened Death Metal
44
PALE DIVINE
Consequence of Time
(USA)
Released on June 19, 2020
Studio album #6
Doom Metal
43
ESHTADUR
From the Abyss
(Colombia)
Released on September 4, 2020
Studio album #4
Melodic/Death Metal
42
RAVEN
Metal City
(UK)
Released on September 18, 2020
Studio album #14
Heavy/Speed Metal
41
DEXTER WARD
III
(Greece/Italy)
Released on March 13, 2020
Studio album #3
Epic Heavy Metal
40
SOJOURNER
Premonitions
(International)
Released on May 8, 2020
Studio album #3
Epic/Atmospheric Black Metal
39
SHADOW TRIBE
Reality Unveiled
(Finland)
Released on November 13, 2020
Debut album
Melodic Power Metal
38
AZATH
Through a Warren of Shadow
(USA)
Released on April 17, 2020
Debut album
Death Metal
37
SLAUGHTER MESSIAH
Cursed to the Pyre
(Belgium)
Released on February 21, 2020
Debut album
Black/Thrash/Death Metal
36
HEXECUTOR
Beyond any Human Conception of Knowledge (France)
Released on September 25, 2020
Studio album #2
Black/Speed/Thrash Metal
35
ATAVISTIA
The Winter Way
(Canada)
Released on May 29, 2020
Studio album #2
Blackened Symphonic Death Metal
34
FUNERAL LEECH
Death Meditation
(USA)
Released on April 17, 2020
Debut album
Death/Doom Metal
33
HEXX
Entangled in Sin
(USA)
Released on September 25, 2020
Studio album #5
Power/Thrash Metal
32
AODON
1 1 0 6 9
(France)
Released on March 27, 2020
Studio album #2
Atmospheric Black Metal
31
LORDS OF BLACK
Alchemy of Souls, Part I
(Spain)
Released on November 6, 2020
Studio album #3
Heavy/Power Metal
30
THE WAYMAKER
The Waymaker
(Finland/Sweden)
Released on September 25, 2020
Debut album
Melodic Power Metal
29
TEMPERANCE
Viridian
(Italy)
Released on January 24, 2020
Studio album #5
Melodic/Symphonic Power/Heavy Metal
28
GLACIER
The Passing of Time
(USA)
Released on October 30, 2020
Debut album
Heavy/Power Metal
27
PARALYDIUM
World Beyond
(Sweden)
Released on June 12, 2020
Debut album
Progressive Metal
26
SHARDS OF HUMANITY
Cold Logic
(USA)
Released on April 13, 2020
Studio album #2
Death/Thrash Metal
25
OZ
Forced Commandments
(Finland/Sweden)
Released on May 22, 2020
Studio album #8
Heavy Metal
24
PYRAMAZE
Epitaph
(Denmark)
Released on November 13, 2020
Studio album #6
Progressive Metal
23
PESSIMIST
Holdout
(Germany)
Released on June 26, 2020
Studio album #3
Thrash Metal
22
VANISHING POINT
Dead Elysium
(Australia)
Released on August 28, 2020
Studio album #6
Melodic/Progressive Metal
21
DEATH THE LEVELLER
II
(Ireland)
Released on March 20, 2020
Studio album #2
Epic Doom Metal
20
CEMETERY FILTH
Dominion
(USA)
Released on April 13, 2020
Debut album
Death Metal
19
STYGIAN CROWN
Stygian Crown
(USA)
Released on June 26, 2020
Debut album
Doom Metal
18
ETERNAL IDOL
Renaissance
(Italy)
Released on November 6, 2020
Studio album #2
Symphonic Metal
17
STALLION
Slaves of Time
(Germany)
Released on February 28, 2020
Studio album #3
Heavy/Speed Metal
16
WE SELL THE DEAD
Black Sleep
(Sweden)
Released on February 21, 2020
Studio album #2
Heavy/Doom Metal
15
SATAN'S FALL
Final Day
(Finland)
Released on December 11, 2020
Debut album
Heavy/Speed Metal
14
Cristiano Filippini's
FLAMES OF HEAVEN
The Force Within (Italy)
Released on November 20, 2020
Debut album
Symphonic Power/Heavy Metal, AOR
13
HIGH SPIRITS
Hard to Stop
(USA)
Released on July 31, 2020
Studio album #4
Heavy Metal, Hard Rock
12
ARSTIDIR LIFSINS
Saga Á Tveim Tungum II:
Eigi Fjǫll Né Firðir (Iceland)
Released on May 22, 2020
Studio album #5
Pagan Black Metal
11
ECCLESIA
De Ecclesiæ Universalis
(France)
Released on November 13, 2020
Debut album
Epic Doom Metal
10
NITE
Darkness Silence Mirror Flame
(USA)
Released on March 20, 2020
Debut album
Blackened Heavy Metal
9
PORTA NIGRA
Schöpfungswut
(Germany)
Released on January 17, 2020
Studio album #3
Avant-garde Black Metal
8
THOUGHTS FACTORY
Elements
(Germany)
Released on January 24, 2020
Studio album #2
Progressive Metal
7
PSYCHOTIC WALTZ
The God-Shaped Void
(USA)
Released on February 14, 2020
Studio album #5
Progressive Metal
6
DGM
Tragic Separation
(Italy)
Released on October 9, 2020
Studio album #10
Progressive/Power Metal
5
DEADRISEN
DeadRisen
(USA)
Released on March 13, 2020
Debut album
Progressive Metal
4
INVICTUS
Eden
(Germany)
Released on January 24, 2020
Debut album
Heavy/Power Metal
3
SACRED OUTCRY
Damned for All Time
(Greece)
Released on September 25, 2020
Debut album
Epic Heavy/Power Metal
2
IGNITOR
The Golden Age of Black Magick
(USA)
Released on October 31, 2020
Studio album #6
Heavy/Power Metal
1
AMBUSH
INFIDEL
(Sweden)
Released on March 13, 2020
Studio album #3
Heavy Metal
“Infidel” explores familiar traits of heavy metal. (The album) is jam-packed with dual guitar hi-octane, razor-sharp riffs & solos, big drums, thunderous bass and one hell of a vocal performance! Did I grab your attention? Abet an absolutely superb sound production the ten tracks on the album will keep the listener engaged from start to finish, prompting (many) repeat plays! This album is energetic and inspire energy! It’s on fire! This might be, and I hope it will be a gateway (to earlier AMBUSH records) for peeps unfamiliar with the band. … and why not: for some a gateway into the wonderful and unpredictable world of HEAVY METAL! (Full D&L review here.) Metal Album of the Year!
© 2020 by Emil Chiru
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