Best albums of 2020

1.Eternal Champion - Ravening Iron

Beyond the mists of time 8 masterfull crafted epic heavy metal cuts sucks the listener into the snake cult tempel.

Highlights

1. "War at the Edge of the End" - "Deadly heavy metal killer riffage"
2. "Ravening Iron" - "Trve metal mastery"
3. "Worms of the Earth" - "Battering ram metal"

2.Stryper - Even the Devil Believes

The new Stryper album "Even The Devil Believes" is packed with singer Michael Sweet’s astonishing vocals.Oz gritty guitar riffs and tastefully flashy guitar solos and Strypers great rythmsection and awesome background vocals.The album mixes the best elements of the classic era, with the band's more modern, heavier side.

Highlights
1. "Blood From Above" - "Fast and majestic album opener"
2. "Do Unto Others" - "Heavy and bombastic with a stadium chorus"
3. "Invitation Only" - " Infectious melody".

3. Lamb of God - S/T

The Architects of New Wave of American Heavy Metal are back! New album is chock-full of hook powered, adrenaline-fueled groove!

Starting with the first track, “Memento Mori” there’s a feeling of new found power thats flowing through Lamb of God`s best album since Sacrament (2006) that leaves you in suspense for what comes next.

Highlights
1. "Resurrection Man" - "Dark, imaginative, and super heavy"
2. "Gears" - "Adrenaline triggering groove".
3. "Checkmate" - "Crunching massive riffs"

4. AC/DC - PWR UP

PWR UP Lit up billboard at 1# and the top spot on charts all over the world.

AC/DC are back with members of the classic “Back in Black” lineup except the late great

Malcom Young who´s spirit is present all trough the album.

PWR UP starts quite anonymously but from track 4 "Through the Mists of Time” and forward the ball starts rolling.

Highlights
1. "Money Shoot" - "(in a pornographic film) a sequence in which an actor ejaculates."
2. "Kick You When You Are Down" - "Killer riff that get your head bopping back and forth."
3. "Witch´s Spell" - "Classic AC/DC chugging rhythms and Johnson’s raw, wailing vocals"

5. H.E.A.T. - H.e.a.t. II

I tought H.E.A.T. was over and done with their 2017 release "Into The great Unknown" where the band experimented with their signature sound adding blip blop sounds and dance beats. But H.E.A.T. got up at the referee's count of 9 and delivered their best album ever H.e.a.t. II.

Highlights
1. "Adrenaline" - "Chockfull of earworm hooks!"
2. "Rise" - "Big arena choruses".
3. "Dangerous Ground" - " A V8 engine starts up and off we go"

6. Testament - Titans of Creation

Floored by the killer Testament song "Children of the Next Level" (about the American UFO religious cult Heavens Gate that coordinated series of ritual suicides, in order to reach what they believed was an extraterrestrial spacecraft following Comet Hale–Bopp.)

Highlights
1. "Children of the Next Level" - "This is the mastery of true thrash metal veterans"
2. "Curse of Osiris" - "Razor-sharp guillotine riffs with black metal howls"
3. "Dream Deceiver" - "Aggressive yet melodic earworm".

7.L.A. Guns - Renegades

L.A. Guns (Steve Riley /Kelly Nickels) Delivers the sleaze of the classic L.A. Guns era. Great songwriting and good production. L.A. Guns (Lewis/Guns) latest album "The Devil You Know" (2019) have some good songs but lacks in the production department.

Highlights
1. "Renegades" - "Catchy with a driving through a desert feel and anthemic chorus"
2. "Well Oiled Machine" - ""Great driving song, fire up the engines".
3. "Crawl" - "Groovy and gothic"

8.Annihiator - Ballistic, Sadistic

Canadian guitar phantom Jeff Waters spits out the best Annihilator album in years.Infeasted with killer leads, riffs and face melting guitar solos. Jeff Waters is the Eddie Van Halen of Thrash metal.

Highlights
1. "Psycho Ward" - "Distant cousin to "Stonewall" from Never Neverland"
2. "Dressed Up for Evil" - "80´s Thrash with modern feel ".
3. "Armed To the Teeth" - "Thunderous and Edgy"

9.Unleash the Archers - Abyss

Canadian metal vanguards Unleash the Archers.released their strongest album to date. Singer Brittney (Slayes) Hayes is a mezzo-sopran with a four octave range.

Highlights
1. "Faster Than Light" - "Fast and furious" 2. "Soulbound" - "Full of intensity and majestic bombast" 3. "Through Stars" - " Truly mesmerizing"

10. Nightwish - Human :II: Nature

Human :II: Nature" is seriously adventurous in it's take on song structures, music and vocals. Main composer Toumas Holopainen got lost in Troy Donockley´s wonderland of celtic leprechaun rythms and strange instruments.

For fans of classic Nightwish:The Dark Element (former Nightwish vocalist Anette Olzon and former Sonata Arctica guitarist Jani Liimatainen) is highly recommended. Xandria - "Neverworld´s End" (with singer Manuella Kraller).

Highlights
1. "Music" - "After the aeons of new age "yoga" intro music there is a great song"

2. "How´s the Heart" - "Atmospheric and hook infeasted"

3. "Noise" - "Endless Forms Most Beautiful Vibe"

2020-12-26 @ 19:23:00 Reviews Music Permalink

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