It is fair to say that this has not been the best of days for all of us. We are living through uncertain times and turmoil. The end of 2019 and the beginning of 2020 saw promising days ahead of us with the announcements of many tours, festivals and reunions and it has all been taken away by a certain virus that shall not be named. With that said, rock and metal has always been there for us to celebrate the goods times, and comfort us during the bad times. Many of the releases we got this year will represent a time of darkness that we had to overcome, therefor having much more context behind it. We have plenty of new music to keep us busy under the age of quarantine that we are living under. Here are the top 20 albums for the first half of 2020

20.) Deathwhite–Grave Image

Black, doom and everything in between. This album does not hold back in expressing internal and external turmoil and using many different languages to do so. Having very deep vocals and sludgy guitars in a track such as Funeral Ground to something that flows so beautifully with melody in a track such as Plague of Virtue, this is easily a soundtrack to the uncertain times that we currently live in.

19.)Seven Spires-Emerald Seas

When you have a group of metalheads who are classically trained, you are going to get something amazing one way or another. Seven Spires takes epic metal and folk metal and delivers an adventure like no other. Elements from the past are incorporated in here to create a soundtrack for the future. Guitar melody is songs such as Ghost of a Dream easily guide you into this epic adventure while songs such as Silvery Moon are more subtle that enhance the emotion and imagery of the narrative. Add easily the catchiest song of 2020, Succumb and you are in for one adventurous listen.

18.)Aara-En Ergo Einai

Black metal that is epic to say the least. From having the rawness and the darkness that we all know and love from the Black Metal greats such as Mayhem or Dark Throne, Aara brings their own unique spin on it with melody and imagery. From the anthem melodies incorporated in songs such as Stein auf Stein to songs that pull absolutely no punches such as Entelechie, Aara is not only a band that creates darkness, but they are able to make you discover your own inner darkness as well.

17.)Temnein-Tales of Humanity and Greed

Melodic death combined with doom that delivers a narrative and a story like no other. Intense and beautiful guitar tones that convey as much emotion as the lyrics in tracks such as I am Davy Jones and City of Gold, these French death metalers bring their own unique spin from what we heard from artists such as Swallow the Sun or Insomnium. Having many different subject matters addressed on this album, each song stands out and plays by its own rules. Every song is strong on their own, but when you listen to the whole album, you are in for quite an experience.

16.)The Amity Affliction-Everyone Loves you…Once you Leave Them

There is no denying The Amity Affliction’s legacy and dedication. Everyone Loves you once you Leave Them is a testament to how The Amity Affliction can channel darkness into an art form and experience that resonates with so many. Having powerful and mesmerizing anthems such as Soak me in Bleach and Fever Dream, to an essence of savage brutality and emotion to All my Friends are Dead, The Amity Affliction are able to relate to the turmoil and agony of so many both in their lyrics and in their sound.

15.)Close the Hatch-Modern Witchcraft

Beautiful and eerie doom metal that is raw, poetic, eerie and beautiful all at the same time. Close the Hatch created something that showcases both the good and bad, and the beautiful and ugly of what makes doom metal doom metal. There are moments that are catchy, and then moments that are simply unsettling. Whether in the ghostly vocals in the title track, Modern Witchcraft, or the raw and dirty guitar work in Hedge Rider, Close the Hatch covers all aspects and generations of doom and gloom.

14.)August Burns Red-Guardians

This is easily the most intense offering by August Burns Red. Nothing was held back emotionally, technically and lyrically. From Bones to Paramount to Lighthouse, each song delivers suspense, intensity and emotion all at once. In a record that is consistently brutal, they still manage to keep it engaging with some elements of experimentation thrown in there, whether it is JB or Brent’s signature guitar work, or Jake’s lyricism that is able to be both literal and metaphorical at the same time, August Burns Red have secured their names as Metalcore greats.

13.) Bleed from Within-Fracture

It is fair to say that these UK metalcore masters have easily perfected their sound on their latest offering. Bleed from Within is packed with riffs, aggression and emotion that will make you find comfort at the edge of your seat. From tracks such as Into Nothing and The End of All We Know to a very atmospheric title track, Bleed from Within is a band that is ready to take the world by storm along with fellow UK metalcore acts such as Architects and While She Sleeps.

12.)Sylosis -Cycle of Suffering

A Comeback album!!!! Sylosis caught many people by surprise with their 2015 release of Dormant Heart, but with their comeback album, The Cycle of Suffering, they multiplied their signature melodic death metal sound ten times over and delivered an apocalyptic abyss of riffs, screams and emotions like no other. From the single I Sever, to tracks such as Shield or Idle Hands, Sylosis returned and they returned with a vengeance.

11.)Currents-The Way it Ends

Currents is easily the new faces to represent east coast metalcore. Their 2018 release of I Let the Devil In held many people over as they anticipated the release of their next full-length album. All expectations were not just met, but they were exceeded with The Way it Ends. Packing a disc full of intense riffs from Chris Wiseman, to Brian Willie hitting you square in the face with intense growls in screams in tracks such A Flag to Wave to having emotional melodies to Let me Leave, Currents is a band that deliver a sound that is familiar, but fresh at the same time.

10.)The Black Dahlia Murder-Verminous

A lean, mean, green, death metal killing machine. The Black Dahlia Murder at this point have a legacy of Death Metal that is up there with the greats such as Cannibal Corpse, Morbid Angel and Obituary. Trevor is able to unleash growls and screams that are the soundtrack to any notion of darkness, while Brian and Brendan deliver hard hitting riffs and solos that will take you on a wild ride. From banging tracks such as Godlessly to Child of the Night, The Black Dahlia Murder never hold back with intensity, rage and power. From Abysmal, to Nightbringers to Verminous, The Black Dahlia Murder are on a red hot momentum that will hit you square in the face and keep coming back for more.

9.)Trivium-What the Dead Men Say

Trivium is a band that can go more heavy or more melodic, but either way, it is always done right. What the Dead Men Say showcases some of the most brutal and intense aspects of Matt’s vocal abilities to some of the most intense riffs and soloing of Corey. Delivering all out thrashers such as Catastrophist and The Defiant and Bending the Arc to Fear, Trivium held nothing back emotionally and technically with this album. They can go on any path they want, in anyway they want, in the end, it will always be Trivium.

8.)Ad Infinitum- Chapter 1-Monarchy

Melissa Bonny has collaborated with multiple artists and has shown her signature vocal style numerous times. Chapter 1 Monarchy takes everything we know and love from her signature voice and multiplies it by 1000. With a story, and a sound that keeps the album engaging and intense, this is a hard record to put down once you start it. Leading you in ever so gently with the opening track Infected Monarchy to packing pure power with a track such as Live Before You Die, Ad Infinitum delivers a symphonic and epic adventure of a listen.

7.)Igorrr- Spirituality and Distortion

Its not a matter of what this group is going to do next. It is a matter of what this group isn’t going to do next. Igorrr have mastered the art of experimentation and Spirituality and Distortion is a testament to that. With tracks that deliver the purest and rawest sound of distortion such as Very Noise to impressive melodies with tracks such as Polyphonic Rust do vocal performances that deliver imagery in tracks such as Downgrade Desert, Igorrr will always be a band to keep things fresh with their multiple sounds and emotions that come with it.

6.)Novena-11th Hour

Ross Jennings from Haken has already secured his name in the realm of progressive metal with classic albums in their catalogue, but now, collaborating with members of Slice the Cake, we get the ultimate progressive collaboration that constantly delivers technical excellence and emotion and imagery. From the powerful Riffs in Sundance to elements of catchiness in a song like Indestructible, Novena is a progressive gem of a supergroup that must be heard.

5.)An Autumn for Crippled Children-All Fell Silent, Everything Went Quiet

Black metal with gaze has been proven to be a subgenre that many will gravitate to one way or another, and An Autumn for Crippled Children does exactly that. From the likes of artists such as Defheaven and Astranoid, An Autumn for Crippled Children is another band that needs to be on your radar. From tracks such as Everlasting, to None More Pale, An Autumn for Crippled Children has the rawness and darkness of any black metal band we all know and love with emotional melodies that will inflict you with goosebumps one way or another.

4.)Elder-Omens

How were we gonna top Reflections of a Floating World? Elder easily filled the shoes and then some. Elder is a band that has their own signature sound of stoner rock and stoner metal combined with progressive doom and avant-garde. Elder has the ability to keep a long song engaging and really recapture the imaginations with every passing second. Going from Omens to Halcyon to Embers, you will always be wondering what is happening next.

3.)Stitched up Heart-Darkness

Mixi from Stitched up Heart has really secured her name and legacy in modern day hard rock. While 2016’s Never Alone was a masterpiece, Stitched up Hear easily perfected their sound in Darkness. With Mixi going full range in her vocal style in songs such as Warrior and Dirty Secrets, to an awesome collaboration with Sully from Godsmack, Stitched up Heart is ready to take the world by storm once again and hit us with power and intensity behind their signature voice and instrumentation.

2.)Aether Realm-Redneck Vikings from Hell

You think, folk metal, symphonic metal and melodic death metal is getting formulaic and predictable, well Aether Realm has an answer for that. Aether Realm perfects multiple subgenres of aggressive music that creates an emotional and adventurous listen. With songs like the title track, Redneck Vikings from Hell that will make you dance, to a song like Guardian that delivers a serenading notion of unity and strength, Aether Realm is ready to secure their name as masters of melodic death metal and folk. From the deep south, to Norway, Aether Realm will take you on multiple adventures through multiple settings.

1.)Loath-I Let it in and it took Everything

One of the earliest releases of this year still holds the number one spot. Loath takes some of the most brutal aspects of modern hardcore and combine it with a mesmerizing aspect of artists such as Deftones or even The Cure. With songs as brutal as Aggressive Evolution and New Faces in the Dark hitting you square in the face, to songs such as Screaming and Two-Way Mirror, Loath covers every corner both sonically and emotionally. This still remains the record that everyone else has to beat.

We still have another 6 months of this wretched year to go, but with so much amazing music coming out, overcoming this time of turmoil will be a piece of cake. We have to keep our heads and our horns up. Support these amazing artists if you can and keep sharing new music to keep this industry alive and thriving. \m/ \m/