Distorted Sound’s Albums of the Year 2020

Usually, the ending of a year is a time of reflection. A period whereby we reflect on the experiences and events we’ve gone through over the past 12 months, however, 2020 hasn’t exactly been a ‘normal’ year. The COVID-19 pandemic has brought life as we know it to a standstill with everything from gigs, festivals or even meeting a friend over coffee cancelled in the wake of this global public health crisis. It’s a been a year we can’t wait to see the back of, but, as we must, if there is a positive to take away from this year let it be this; 2020 has more than delivered on the album front. From January all the way through to December, heavy music has really stepped up to the plate, with hundreds of bands providing albums of sublime quality. Whittling the bountiful offerings this year provided down to just 20 picks was a herculean task, one in which allowed us in editorial to reach out to our wider staff of writers to really try and paint an accurate portrayal of the year. So, after much deliberation and debate, here is Distorted Sound‘s Albums of the Year 2020!

20. Palimpest – PROTEST THE HERO (Spinefarm)

A new PROTEST THE HERO album was never going to be a bad thing, but the fact that we are talking about the release of Palimpsest as one of the best albums in their discography is testament to how strong it actually is. Recent form may have deemed this unlikely, but the fact remains that they have reignited their spark and dropkicked it into orbit. Despite vocal challenges, Rory Walker has managed to put together one of his most prolific performances, utilising his immersive range as well as ever. Lyrically sublime, musically superb.

The album itself is essentially a conceptual view into the state of modern America – despite the band themselves being Canadian bystanders. It is largely told as a monologue, ironically spouting manifest destiny and telling the blood-spattered history of the Great American Dream in sometimes humorous, sometimes outright damning fashion. It is a political statement that lands a right hook on everything wrong with the evolution of society. Aside from making this point emphatically, Palimpsest is equally flamboyant musically. PROTEST THE HERO are at their mathiest, their most intricate, and have written an album that will not only go down in their own history, but is a modern metal classic.

Words: Daniel Fella

19. Who Are The Girls? – NOVA TWINS (333 Wreckords)

Nova Twins debut album Who Are The Girls? became the outrageously defiant, unabashedly unapologetic punk gospel that also highlighted the often overlooked black female excellence in the alternative music industry. Fusing elements of Riot Grrrl punk, THE PRODIGY’s EDM counterpart, with a rhythmic hip-hop flow – Who Are The Girls? feels like a labour of love, rooted in a passion for making good, catchy bangers. If you’re not bouncing around to Taxi, you’re having your face melted off by Georgia South’s bass licks in Lose Your Head, or screaming along with Amy South’s ruthless vocals on Play Fair.

An anthem for the underdogs, this year NOVA TWINS stood at the frontline of change for the music industry. An early release for 2020, Who Are The Girls? aided in the important conversations of the importance of black lives, LGBTQ+ lives and women’s lives this year, forcing the music community and beyond to take a hard look at ourselves. This album vocalises the disparities faced by many, particularly minorities, and offers a safe space for fans to be their authentic selves. NOVA TWINS didn’t just smash the glass ceiling, they flipped the whole game around. Who Are The Girls? is the angsty, vivacious, safe haven for the misunderstood that deserves a righteous place in the AOTY ranks.

Words: Yasmine Summan

18. Cycle of Suffering – SYLOSIS (Nuclear Blast Records)

One of British metal’s brightest sparks, SYLOSIS went on hiatus in 2016 while Josh Middleton toured with ARCHITECTS in the wake of the tragic death of Tom Searle, but not before promising to return with new music – eventually. Cycle of Suffering is that return the band heralded it with lead single I Sever, one of the strongest songs they’ve ever penned. What followed was just over fifty minutes of top-tier modern metal with huge vocal hooks and titanic, earth-shaking grooves aplenty.

Opening with the frenetic arpeggiated riffing of Empty Prophets, followed by the titanic I Sever and the title track, SYLOSIS’ long-awaited fifth album starts strong and refuses to let up in savagery or quality. There’s a few curveballs amongst the fury; from the melodicism of Shield to the balladry and heart-wrenching softer croons of closer Abandon. It’s a natural step up from their previous efforts, sounding for all the world like they were never gone. A towering, riff-laden return from one of the best bands around.

Words: Will Marshall

17. A Celebration of Endings – BIFFY CLYRO (Warner Records)

Following 2016’s pop-sensitive opinion splitter Ellipsis and 2019’s palette-cleansing soundtrack experiment Balance, Not Symmetry, Scotland’s resident musical polymaths BIFFY CLYRO were in dire need of a rebirth. Rising out of the ashes of experiences in their personal lives, the trio channelled their frustrations into the genre-bending A Celebration Of Endings. If this was a greatest hits collection, it would surely cover every corner of their extensive experimental career. The math-rock-meets-chamber-pop of Weird Leisure wouldn’t feel amiss on Puzzle whilst the glittering orchestral magic of Space is the long-awaited sequel to Only Revolutions’ Many Of Horror – no stone of their previous seven albums was left unturned.

Where A Celebration Of Endings truly excels is in its ability to rip up the rulebook and run away with it, as gothic post-punk (End Of) goes toe-to-toe with atmospheric synth-pop (Instant History), proggy post-hardcore (Cop Syrup) and lighters-in-the-air balladry (Opaque). The sheer level of detail invested and interwoven into every single item here is nothing short of exceptional, something we’ve simply come to expect from the trio. Moreover, they’ve made an album that fits perfectly with the fear a post-pandemic world instills – inciting a call to arms to action change amongst the ranks which is only intensified over their explosive experimental soundscapes.

Words: Jack Press

16. Phanerozoic II: Mesozoic | Cenozoic – THE OCEAN (Metal Blade Records/Pelagic Records) 

THE OCEAN have always made music that raises the bar for progressive metal. With Phanerozoic II: Mesozoic | Cenozoic, the concepts are broad and atmospheric, and the focus of overarching themes in the album is as well-crafted as ever. There are moments of battering, solid and mesmerising heaviness, while the complexities and lush layering of the technical melodies and rhythms are stunning. There’s something new to find on each listen through this album, at no point does it ever feel like the momentum stagnates.

This record has so much on offer, from the classic riff driven guitars and heavy rhythmic sections, to the use of synth and vocal arrangements; Along with brass instrumentation on stand out tracks like Jurassic | Cretaceous, THE OCEAN really take things to another level with how massive and expansive this album is. No moment becomes a dull repetition; from each song to the next, THE OCEAN build upon expectations and at the same time, shatter preconceptions by bringing something new to the table. Truly, for THE OCEAN to balance between peaks of gripping, technical heaviness while being able to subside into swells of serenity on a nearly flawless level demonstrates how momentous Phanerzoic II: Mezoic | Cenozoic is.

Words: Laura McCarthy

15. Stare Into Death and Be Still – ULCERATE (Debemur Morti Productions)

Over their twenty-year career, ULCERATE have consistently differentiated themselves within contemporary extreme metal. Their approach is characterised by an inimical technicality; deploying dissonance and breakneck rhythms to render their violent visions. When Stare Into Death And Be Still arrived in April, it became clear that the New Zealand trio had surpassed themselves with their sixth studio album. Doubling-down on atmospheric production, which was nascent in 2016’s Shrines Of Paralysis, and honing their intricate song writing still further, all eyes were turned on ULCERATE as they leaped to the bleeding-edge of innovative extreme metal.

Stare Into Death And Be Still is an accomplished suite of music, crafted by experienced hands. It manages to convincingly blend atmospheric elements with technical musicianship, and sustains an ethereal momentum for the duration. Bleak and hypnotic, yet defiant, Stare Into Death And Be Still is an album of ambiguous moods – and that is its cerebral appeal. For all its avant-metal gesturing it remains emphatic and engaging from start to finish, with exquisite pacing and controlled bursts of sheer aggression. While we were impressed by singular movements within the album, it’s the mesmerising whole which secures Stare Into Death And Be Still’s place here.

Words: Jack Moar

14. Fracture – BLEED FROM WITHIN (Century Media Records)

​Scottish groove-masters BLEED FROM WITHIN have a habit of being fantastic at whatever they turn their hand at. Whether it’s the deathcore purity of their debut album, Humanity, the melodeath evolution of Empire or the groove-heavy genre melting pot of their latest efforts, 2018’s Era and this year’s stunning Fracture, the Glaswegians have a habit of delivering nothing short of excellence.

Fracture is nothing short of a masterclass in the power of the riff. Hook piled upon hook, groove piled upon groove, BLEED FROM WITHIN are proving that the world is theirs for the taking in the coming years; such is the quality of their most recent offering. Special mention for powerhouse frontman Scott Kennedy who delivers the best vocal performance of his career thus far. It’s a tragedy that we’ll probably still be waiting the better part of a year before BLEED FROM WITHIN can bring Fracture in front of rapid crowds, because any live show with this material is set to be a bloodbath in the most fun way. However you categorise them, be it groove metal, melodic death metal, metalcore, Scotland’s answer to the New Wave of American Heavy Metal, whatever, BLEED FROM WITHIN are simply the best at what they do. Lamb of who?​

Words: Fraser Wilson

13. Sleepless – PALM READER (Church Road Records)

It’s fair to say expectations were pretty high for PALM READER’s fourth record. The Nottingham-based five-piece have arguably raised the bar with their every release, and especially on 2018’s Braille. Even so, few could have predicted just how far they would take things on Sleepless. It sees the band pick up the expansive stylings they’ve teased throughout their career and run with them for miles. The result strikes a pretty much perfect balance between the visceral savagery which drew fans to the band in the first place, and an undeniable, staggering beauty.

As well as impressive performances from all band members, Sleepless sees PALM READER draw extensively on synths and textures to create a truly gigantic sound. For proof, look no further than the jaw-dropping closing moments of the album’s final track, Both Ends Of The Rope – although that’s just one of a myriad of stellar examples of this. Crucially, Sleepless obliterates any attempts to pigeonhole PALM READER into genre boxes or ‘sounds like so-and-so’ comparisons. Instead, it cements them as a band with a firm sense of their own sound and identity, and as one of the most exciting acts in heavy music today.

Words: Ellis Heasley 

12. Where Only Gods May Tread – INGESTED (Unique Leader Records)

Mancunian Slam Kings INGESTED have been on a meteoric rise for much of the last decade, establishing themselves as one of, if not the, premier UK death metal outfit – a status that is only reinforced by their latest incredible effort, Where Only Gods May Tread. INGESTED have long shed the label of pure slam, unrelenting brutality, lyrical misogyny et al, but Where Only Gods May Tread is a magnificent testament to the growth of the band since their debut offering, an appearance on the North West Slam Fest split release in 2007.

Their most musically ambitious effort to date, the fifth album from the undisputed UK Slam Kings manages to both remain true to the unrestrained savagery INGESTED have built their reputation on while showcasing an exciting change of pace, incorporating more melody, more blackened elements and more traditional old-school death metal stylings than ever before. It’s hard to say what any album has done for any band this year in terms of career trajectory, but there is absolutely no disputing on an artistic level INGESTED are at the most exciting stage of their existence thus far. If the 2010s saw INGESTED find their feet and establish themselves, the 2020s will see them conquer the death metal world. All hail the true kings of Slam-Chester.

Words: Fraser Wilson

11. Splinters From An Ever-Changing Face – END (Closed Casket Activities)

END have had one of the most anticipated releases of the year with their blistering debut full-length Splinters From an Ever-Changing Face and with good reason. The supergroup made up of members from COUNTERPARTS, FIT FOR AN AUTOPSY and beyond made waves with their initial EP, but this full-length is an entirely different kettle of fish. Coming out with maximum ferocity with Covet Not the record refuses to relent for the subsequent 30 minute run time. Pariah is a brutish number and tracks like The Reach of Resurrection, Fear For Me Now, and Hesitation Wounds all continue to hammer home the fact that END are truly a unique entity within the ‘core scene. Their relentless blast beats and crushing breakdowns make this a violent album, and END are walking the fine line between grindcore, powerviolence, post-hardcore, and beatdown with such ease they make it look truly easy. Tie in the eerie and depressing samples that dot throughout the record and add in another level of theatrical depth and Splinters… cements itself as a monster record amongst men.

Words: Eddie Sims

10. Brave Faces Everyone – SPANISH LOVE SONGS (Pure Noise Records)

“On any given day, I’m a six of ten…” posits Dylan Slocum on Routine Pain, the opening track of SPANISH LOVE SONGS’ third album, Brave Faces Everyone. It’s merely the first of many hard-hitting lyrics on an album packed with perfectly-crafted existential ruminations on life in these modern times – written long before COVID-19, but somehow encapsulating the year perfectly. Of course, smart lyricism would be nothing if the songs weren’t great too, but fortunately every song here packs an instrumental punch as well as an emotional one; from Self Destruction (As A Sensible Career Choice)’s assertion that “It won’t be this bleak forever”, to the rallying cry of sorts to the disenchanted, “We’re mediocre, we’re losers forever”, on Losers, there isn’t a single moment where the record doesn’t make you pine for being able to stand in a beer-soaked club and bellow every lyric back at the band. Carrying on from where 2018’s stellar Schmaltz left off, Brave Faces Everyone is a third consecutive slam-dunk for the fast-rising punks, and if there’s any justice in the world, a further stepping-stone to them becoming one of the premier bands in their scene.

Words: Jack Fermor-Worrell

9. Cannibal – BURY TOMORROW (Music For Nations)

The UK metalcore quintet are like a fine wine, maturing and only getting better with age. Whilst others may be inclined to favour 2018’s Black Flame release, Cannibal feels like a big step forward in BURY TOMORROW’s evolution. There isn’t a single dip in momentum and it continues to pack a punch with each passing track. The riffs sound razor sharp and are catchy as hell. Combine that with the dual vocal assault of Daniel Winter-Bates and Jason Cameron being bang on form and you’ve got yourself a sure-fire fan favourite, opening track Choke is all the evidence you require. It is a damn shame that they haven’t had many opportunities to take these tracks out for a spin in front of a live audience but by the time it is safe to do so it will guaranteed to be absolute carnage. 2020 has been a year piled to the brim with stacks of unbelievable releases leaving us all wracking our brains as to who we felt had earned the coveted ‘top spots’ and for Cannibal to stand tall and proud amongst its peers is a testament to just how impressive it is.

Words: Dan McHugh

8. A Quiet Place To Die – ALPHA WOLF (SharpTone Records/Greyscale Records)

The past three years have been something of a test of desire for rising Aussie quintet ALPHA WOLF. Ever since the 2017 release of Mono, the Melbourne-based band have nipped relentlessly at their peers’ heels in the local heavy music community and with last year’s visceral EP Fault, global acclaim began to follow suit as the five-piece redefined metalcore via a nihilistic soundtrack of murderous riffs and slam-worthy grooves. Unsurprisingly, sophomore album A Quiet Place To Die, had a weight of expectations leading up to its release. A slew of scintillating singles – Akudama, Creep, Restricted (R18) and Bleed 4 You – had fans salivating as nu-metal tinged beats, anthemic melodies and caustic fury combined for a taste of what to expect. After just one listen however, something is immediately apparent; this is not just a continuation of the ALPHA WOLF sound, but one which is seeing the group ascend to ambitious new heights.

Their vicious blend of tech-meets-metalcore is still there, but on A Quiet Place To Die, their soundscape is much more sprawling emotionally; that omnipresent heaviosity juxtaposed by harder-hitting topics like suicide prevention, anxiety and grief to deliver a punch directly to the heart as well as the face. The guitarwork from Scott Simpson and Sabian Lynch veers from passages of post-hardcore swagger to deathcore-leaning filth on Golden Fate; Isolate while Lochie Keogh delivers a phenomenal vocal effort from start to finish. Brutal yet beautiful, this 36-minute emotional rollercoaster was one of 2020’s most intense listening experiences.

Words: Sophie Maughan

7. Nija – ORBIT CULTURE (Seek & Strike)

Hands up everybody who knew who ORBIT CULTURE were at the start of 2020? Stalwarts of the underground for years, the Swedes have been pretty much ignored by metal’s mainstream side and chances are, only a few diehards were paying much attention. Or at least that was the case until Nija dropped at the tail end of the summer. Almost overnight, their fame skyrocketed as glowing reviews piled up and critics talked them up as the most exciting breakthrough act since GOJIRA.

Listen to Nija and you can understand why. An almighty mishmash of metalcore and melodic death metal with a nicely progressive sheen, it’s an album that deserves every accolade. The likes of At The Front, North Star Of Nija and Mirrorslave are forward thinking and intelligent, but they’re also great big tunes that’ll have you reaching for the ‘repeat’ button. And in frontman Niklas Karlsson they have one of the most formidable vocalists to emerge from metal’s underbelly this year. Overflowing with ideas but still remarkably accessible, Nija is an instant classic. They’re due to tour with THY ART IS MURDER next year so get on board now, they’re about to go interstellar.

Words: Tim Bolitho-Jones

6. Ohms – DEFTONES (Warner Records)

Over the years DEFTONES have amassed a cult following of fans, their unique sound capturing the hearts of people from all generations. When the band announced Ohms, there was an anticipation on what would follow their previous effort, Gore. What they delivered meant there was nothing available to disappoint.

Ohms is possibly one of the strongest and most consistent albums DEFTONES have released to date. Their experience and musicianship flaunts itself in a way that can only be described as just showing off now. Not that we have anything to complain about there. Ohms is driven by despair and to this day, as the band have done so for many years, offers a shoulder to lean on for those filled with an escape. When you listen to an album that is so well-presented as this one, you need not question how they have gained the loyal fanbase they have.

Words: Jessica Howkins

5. Sex, Death & The Infinite Void – CREEPER (Roadrunner Records)

At the end of 2018, we thought that goth-punk band CREEPER had completely called it a day. At the end of 2019, those thoughts had been destroyed by an incredible comeback show in London’s 229. Now, at the end of 2020, they’ve proved their over six-year legacy by infusing their sound with surfer, glam, and other nuanced aspects within the rock genre. This was all accomplished on their second studio album, Sex, Death, & The Infinite Void, an album that fans had been waiting for, and one that certainly lived up to the hype.

From the first song in Be My End, to the heartbreaking closer of All My Friends, there’s a variety shown here that other bands and artists only wish to capture. There’s so much here in terms of musicianship, storytelling, and theatrical prowess. The story of an angel coming down to earth to say about the end of the world but falls in love along the way is very reminiscent of DAVID BOWIE’s The Man Who Fell To Earth. In fact, this era is similar to BOWIE’s Thin White Duke era in terms of style and sound, especially with songs like Thorns of Love and Blue Moon. Even still, the goth punk roots of the band remained strong in songs like Born Cold and Napalm Girls, and even songs like Annabelle and Four Years Ago contain touching musicianship and vocals from Will Gould and Hannah Greenwood. We can only wait to see what story and sound is played from the band next.

Words: Naomi Sanders

4. What The Dead Men Say – TRIVIUM (Roadrunner Records)

The resurgence of TRIVIUM has been astonishing over the last three years; in the space of two albums, they’ve gone from being viewed as one of metal’s most beloved bridesmaids to within touching distance of the Promised Land. Building on the success of 2017’s The Sin and the Sentence, ninth record What the Dead Men Say is, without doubt, the best straight-up metal album of the year; no frills or spills, just forty-six minutes of crushing riffs and sonorous choruses that hook you in from the very first notes of the title track through to the final strains of The Ones That We Leave Behind.

Every single song cranks the dial up to eleven, whether it’s the unbridled energy of Catastrophist or the sheer power that runs through Amongst the Shadows and the Stones and you can stake a claim for all of them to be the best tune on the entire album to boot as well. Half a decade ago, the idea of TRIVIUM ever reaching a stage of headlining somewhere like Wembley Arena under their own steam would have been laughable; now, it’s almost a certainty by 2022 and a headline slot on Download’s Main Stage might not be far off either. It’s been a long, hard struggle for the boys from Florida to reach the cusp of heavy metal dominance again, but their second bite of the cherry has been taken with gusto and, this time around, there’s seemingly very little that will stop them reaching it.

Words: Elliot Leaver 

3. I Let It In And It Took Everything – LOATHE (SharpTone Records)

LOATHE hit the ground with a bang with 2017 debut full-length The Cold Sun, but it was with this year’s outstanding follow-up, I Let It In And It Took Everything where the true breadth of their ambition began to be realised. Taking inspiration from the likes of DEFTONES, the band delved into wider sonic landscapes than ever before, with songs like Screaming and Is It Really You serving as softer sides of a record that also contained the black-metal inspired Heavy Is The Head That Falls with the Weight of a Thousand Thoughts.

This album propelled LOATHE to international acclaim, with critics everywhere lauding this record, and also gained them some famous fans – most notably PARAMORE’s Hayley Williams and DEFTONES’ Chino Moreno, who called the single Two-Way Mirror “better than all your stupid music including mine”. High praise indeed from a man who LOATHE themselves have stated is one of their biggest influences.

LOATHE are undeniably one of the most creative acts to come from the UK in recent years, and the evolution shown on the jump from The Cold Sun to I Let It In And It Took Everything is only the beginning of their experimentation. LOATHE have crafted a masterclass in experimental modern heavy music here, and this is a band who are constantly evolving, with new surprises up their sleeve at every turn. Even if the band folded today, they’ve made an album better than any of their peers.

Words: Sean Hubbard

2. When I Die, Will I Get Better? – SVALBARD (Church Road Records)

When SVALBARD unleashed It’s Hard To Have Hope in 2018, the UK metal world took notice. A blistering blend of hardcore meets black metal and razor-sharp lyricism of issues plaguing our society from frontwoman Serena Cherry, the band made a massive statement of intent in their journey to become one of the country’s best heavy bands. Two years later and the pressure was on for SVALBARD to not only match the lofty expectations of It’s Hard To Have Hope, but to exceed them. When I Die, Will I Get Better? not only equals the quality of its predecessor, it eclipses it and stands as not only the band’s best work to date, but as one of the finest albums you will hear all year.

Evolving into a more blissful and bittersweet post-metal voyage this time round, but still retaining the metallic viciousness of their hardcore-cum-black metal bedrock, the band’s natural aural evolution has worked wonders, allowing their soundscape to find pastures previously unexplored. Centred around Serena Cherry‘s inner turmoil, as well as ferociously addressing issues that are incredibly relevant in today’s climate, When I Die, Will I Get Better? has surprises lying in wait at every turn, as every precise move SVALBARD make hits its mark. From Click Bait‘s unrelenting fury towards misogyny in the scene the band are very much part of, to the emotional roller-coaster of What Was She Wearing? or the sheer colossal album opener Open Wound, every moment is simply jaw-dropping. It’s honest, it’s raw, it’s powerful. This is SVALBARD‘s magnum opus and one of the finest albums to be released this year.

Words: James Weaver 

1. Underneath – CODE ORANGE (Roadrunner Records)

Maybe the greatest indicator that depicts just how special Underneath is, centres around the fact that nine months after its release, it’s still hard to place. Part hardcore, nu metal, hard rock, and horror (to name a few), this record breaks genre chains and chews up the key. CODE ORANGE were already at the forefront of alternative conversation with 2017’s Forever, but creatively speaking, they’re already sneering back at their former selves.

Futuristic, dark, and convincing – Underneath is a special time stamp for music as a whole. Perhaps more a prophecy fulfilled than a capture in time, the second you heard the last note on predecessor record Forever – you knew CODE ORANGE would eventually change the game. The band’s visionary audacity knows minute bounds. Few records could withhold a duo of tracks that juxtapose each other as much as Erasure Scan and The Easy Way do while still making them as vital to the record’s impact as each other. One’s a bone curdling hardcore monster, the other depicts self exploration through a hard rock landscape. Bold? Yes, brilliant? Also yes.

The moments of audible silence on Swallowing The Rabbit Whole urge chills, and Jami Morgan‘s vocal fury on You And You Alone is a horrifying indictment of corrupt power in the modern day. But as unrelenting in its exploration as it is though, Underneath remains minimalistic at the right times. There’s a perfect production balance struck between futurism and raw realism, CODE ORANGE have never lost their intimate, harrowing soundscape.

Underneath was always going to be a bold move, and there’s no band that were more set for the task than CODE ORANGE. It’s rare you stumble across a record that you can guarantee will be cited as an influence by bands in twenty years time, Underneath is one of them. Genius is often found in a lack of compromise, the quintet went with their gut here – and they will be remembered in heavy metal folklore forever for it.

Words: Kris Pugh 

And that rounds off our top 20 albums of the year! Despite the misery and uncertainty caused by COVID-19, we have thoroughly enjoyed bringing you our coverage of all things heavy throughout 2020. It’s bee a big year for us at Distorted Sound and we can not wait to hit the ground running come 2021. See you on the other side! Stay safe!