Concert Hopper Xerxes' Top 5 Metal Albums 2020 (2nd Half Edition)!

Well, here we all are heading into 2021, which means that we have finally made it past a mixed bag of emotions that we can credit to 2020. Earlier this year, I included my “Top Metal LPs of 2020 so far” to a collab article that included (in no order): Candlemass - The Pendulum (EP), Haunt - Mind Freeze, Old Man Gloom - Seminar IX: Darkness of Being, Elder - Omens, & Witchcraft - Black Metal. You can check out the full article by Chris Griffy, Richard Davenport, and myself by following this link to Concerthopper!

Now we are back to finish the job! Begrudgingly, I was able to narrow my choices down to five (5) releases from the latter half of 2020. Although, I have a few honorable mentions that should not go unnoticed listed at the end. So, check out my picks below and give these LPs a lil’ spin:

1. Boris – No (07/03/2020): Boris (Takeshi – vocals/bass/rhythm guitar, Wata – vocals/lead guitar/keyboards, & Atsuo – vocals/drums/tambourine/electronics) are a Japanese experimental band that formed in Tokyo in 1992. My love affair with Boris has taken me on a wonderful sonic journey over the years with some incredible, ground-breaking releases such as: Flood (2000), Heavy Rocks (2002), Dronevil (2005), Pink (2005), and most recently No (2020). No is the twenty-sixth (26) studio album from Boris and was immediately greeted with critical praise as soon as it was released in July. Thom Jurek from AllMusic describes this album quite nicely: “While hardly a political album, No reflects the frustration, anger, fear, and helplessness of the 2020 pandemic in a global zeitgeist... here they pay homage to the past while simultaneously reflecting the tense uncertainty of the present and future..." If you are interested in learning more about Boris, follow this link to an article I did for Concerthopper back in 2017: (11/14/2017) "Boris: Dear / 25th Anniversary Tour" featuring Endom, Mutoid Man, and Boris.

2. Valkyrie – Fear (07/24/2020): Valkyrie is a doom/heavy metal band that hails from Harrisonburg, VA and consists of brothers Jake Adams (vocals/guitars), Pete Adams (vocals/guitars), Alan Fary (bass), and Warren Hawkins (drums). If you are a fan of the band Baroness, you may recognize Pete Adams as one of the founding members before exiting Baroness to spend more time on this project, Valkyrie, with his brother. Fear is their fourth (4th) LP release among a few Split 7” that they have released along the way. Check out tracks, “Feeling So Low”, “Fear and Sacrifice”, “Brings You Down”, and “Evil Eye”. Listen to Valkyrie’s Official Bandcamp by following this link.

3. Spirit Adrift – Enlightened in Eternity (10/16/2020): Ok, time to get serious here. If you have not heard of Spirit Adrift before now and you are a fan of metal, you are slacking big time! This release is quite possibly the best drop of 2020. Besides having the pleasure of covering Black Sabbath’s classic “Supernaut” on Magnetic Eye Records Vol. 4 Redux, which was also released in 2020. They have also released their latest LP, Enlightened in Eternity, which is their fourth (4th) LP. That is pretty good since this heavy/doom metal band was created as a side project/solo musical outlet for Nate Garrett, formerly known from the band Gatecreeper. I highly recommend this band’s entire discography if you do enjoy this new release. You will not be sorry!

4. Mr. Bungle – The Raging Wrath of the Easter Bunny Demos (10/30/2020): Wow. Just freaking wow! This “reimagining” of an early 1986 demo really grabs your attention upon first listen and gets you prepared for a barrage of nasty and sick riffs from Metal vets Scott Ian or Trey Spruance. Currently, Mr. Bungle consists of three O.G. members that includes front man and musical flipping genius, Mike Patton (Faith No More, Tomahawk, Fantomas, Lovage, Peeping Tom, and Dead Cross - vocals/keyboards/samples/guitar), the aforementioned Trey Spruance (Faith No More and Mr. Bungle - guitar/keyboards/piano/backing vocals), Trevor Dunn (Mr. Bungle, Fantomas, Melvins, & Tomahawk) bass/backing vocals), with newer additions consisting of, as previously mentioned, Scott Ian (Anthrax & S.O.D. - guitar/backing vocals), & finally the legendary, Dave Lombardo (Slayer, Fantomas, Dead Cross, Testament, Suicidal Tendencies, & Misfits - drums/glockenspiel). Check out tracks: “Raping Your Mind”, “Eracist”, “Methmatics”, and “Sudden Death”!

5. Killer Be Killed – Reluctant Hero (11/20/2020): The usage of the term, “Supergroup”, can be overused or misapplied at times. Although, using the word “Supergroup” to describe the band Killer Be Killed is the textbook definition. The band consists of; Greg Puciato (The Dillinger Escape Plan – vocals/guitars), Max Cavalera (Soulfly/Sepultura/Nailbomb – vocals/guitars), Troy Sanders (Mastodon – vocals/bass), & Ben Koller (Converge/Mutoid Man/Cave In – drums/percussion). See what I mean? It is like a “who’s who” of the metal genre. Puciato has best described the sound of Killer Be Killed as, “…a bit of Sabbath-y doom, a bit of thrash, a bit of hardcore and punk…” and I would have to agree wholeheartedly with that summation of the band. The new LP, Reluctant Hero, takes up where their self-titled debut LP, Killer Be Killed, left off with an onslaught of crushing riffs mixed in with an unbridled, dose of metal grooves. Reluctant Hero is a testament to the band’s own maturity and progression within their craft.

Honorable Mentions

1. Steve Von Till – No Wilderness Deep Enough (08/07/2020): You may recognize Von Till’s name if you are a fan of the band, Neurosis. Follow this link to Steve Von Till’s Official Bandcamp page to check out No Wilderness Deep Enough. Want to check out Steve with Neurosis? Follow this link to an article that I did for Concerthopper in 2019: Summer Tour (2019): Neurosis / Bell Witch / Deaf Kids.

2. Primitive Man – Immersion (08/14/2020): This is the third (3rd) LP from Primitive Man since the band formed in 2012. If you are digging, Immersion¸ then I highly suggest you check out anything from Primitive Man’s discography that they have compiled over the years. Especially one of their first two LPs: Scorn (2012) or Caustic (2017).

3. Mastodon - Medium Rarities (09/11/2020): Ok, so this technically is not a release of all new music, but it is freaking MASTODON! Yes, Medium Rarities has some tracks that have previously never been released, so that is a huge plus for Mastodon fans. Check out a few of my previous articles on this legendary band: Mastodon, Eagles of Death Metal, and Russian Circles: Live at The Fox Theatre (Concerthopper) & Coheed & Cambria and Mastodon in Atlanta at Coca-Cola Roxy (Imprint Entertainment).

4. Sumac – May You Be Held (10/02/2020): Sumac is a post-metal/sludge metal band that consists of Aaron Turner (Isis, Old Man Gloom, & Mamiffer), Nick Yacyshyn (Baptists), and Brian Cook (Russian Circles & These Arms Are Snakes). Their latest release, May You Be Held, is the band’s fourth (4th) LP since releasing their first in 2015.

5. Pallbearer – Forgotten Days (10/23/2020): You may have recognized Little Rock’s Pallbearer from one of my previous articles in 2017: Pallbearer, Torche, Kayo Dot, & Bask: Live at The Masquerade. Well, this doom metal quartet is back with their latest release, Forgotten Days, off Nuclear Blast Records. Check out the LP over at Pallbearer’s Official Bandcamp page by following this link.