In the Company of Serpents - LUX (2020)

LUX, the fourth album of In the Company of Serpents is a superb slice of doom metal, with moments reminding High on Fire during the most rocking/uptempo parts, and Earth during the more quiet parts. Overall it is heavy and majestic, like any real doom album should be. 

The Bandcamp page.

 

Kurushimi - Chaos Remains (2021)

Chaos Remains, the third album from Kurushimi, (I reviewed their first one HERE) is another nice piece of instrumental saxophone driven free-jazz mixed with noise-rock and dub (John Zorn's Naked City being obviously their main influence). This time two long tracks among short ones, with more quiet moments alternating with more noisy ones. Good stuff.

 

The BC page.

Global Horror - Welcome to your Life (2020)

First album from this French band called Global Horror and it's a very good start in an old-school grind-punk vein. Welcome to your Life and it's ten tracks for around ten minutes has everything is needed for a good grind album. I'll be following them.

The BC page.

 

Хоп’a’jazza – Road To Hell (2021)

Discovered Road To Hell by Хоп’a’jazza (from Russia) by chance, tried it because of the name and cover art. And I'm glad I did because it's my best hip-hop discovery for maybe a couple of years. Mostly instrumental, with boom-bap beats, jazzy samples and elements of abstract hip-hop (reminds a bit DJ Krush when he was good). Highly recommended.

The Bandcamp page.

 

GR - The GR Record Head (2020)

GR is back with his fifth album called The GR Record Head. The French acid rocker still produce an excellent raw and psychedelic garage rock inspired by the 60'. His music could remind Ian F. Svennonius, but more savage and trippy. Cool stuff.

The BC page

 

Eyehategod - A History of Nomadic Behavior (2021)

On A History of Nomadic Behavior, the new Eyehategod album, the more civilized production can be a bit disturbing, but the Black Sab' meets Black Flag meets the blues riffs are quick to make the Eyehategod listener feels at home. A slightly more tidy home, but still home, definitely. Good vocals from Mike Williams also.

Paladin - Ascension (2019)

Ascension is a brilliant first album from Paladin, totally over the top heavy speed power thrash metal (you get the idea!). Technical and aggressive but also with excellent songwriting skills, this is a full speed riffing/shredding fest, with vocals going from traditional heavy metal to a bit of growling. Paladin reminds of a less cheesy (and without keyboards) Dragonforce, or bands like Blind Guardian, Brainstorm, or Nevermore. Highly recommended!

The Bandcamp page.

 

Yinn - Concord Obsolete (2020)

Don't know much about Yinn, probably coming from Latin America since it's released by Columbian labels (this one by Healed Wounds, sometimes Mephyst). But actually the most important thing to know is that Concord Obsolete is 3 tracks of efficient and finely crafted dark and hardcore techno : good beats over subtle and good synths/sounds for the dark atmosphere.

The BC page.

 

BowelFuck - Decades (2020)

Discovered Bowelfuck with their previous album Fragments (2017) that I really liked, the new one, their third, Decades, released last year is  another excellent piece of grindcore, somewhere between the old school and bands like Nasum or Rotten Sound, on the more grind-punk side of grindcore. Cool stuff.

The BC page.

 

Sleaford Mods - Spare Ribs (2021)

 

Spare Ribs is the new album from Sleaford Mods, and it's as good as usual. Maybe it could be described as minimalistic and digital post-punk, Jason Williamson doing the vocals (punk with a bit of a hip-hop flow) and Andrew Fearn doing the beats, synths, basslines and guitar riffs. It's not the desperate or melancholic kind of post-punk, but a sarcastic and pissed off one. Like on the Viagra Boys new album there's also a cool duo with Amy Taylor singer of Amyl and The Sniffers. Recommended stuff.

The BC page.

 

 

Gatecreeper - An Unexpected Reality (EP 2020)

With this EP called An Unexpected Reality, Gatecreeper don't go for their usual old school swedeath/hardcore crossover and on side A they delivers shorter and faster songs getting closer to deathgrind, while on side B they get slower and more melodic for a classical death/doom song. I really enjoy side A, but side B is good as well. Wasn't that much into their previous albums but really like this EP. Good stuff.

The Bandcamp page.

 

 

Best of 2020 : the eclectic list

 So basically what you'll find in this list is my favourite releases from 2020 that didn't fit in the other lists I made (Grindcore, industrial, metal, heavy metal, hip-hop), so you'll have post-punk, rock, noise rock, psych rock, free jazz, drone, blues. In alphabetical order. Click to go to the review.

 

Bambara- Stray

 

Brant Bjork - Brant Bjork

Dead Neanderthals - Twin Sister 

 

GA - 20 - Live vol. 1 (EP)

Hexvessel - Kindred

 

Human Impact - Human Impact

 

Lonnie Holley - National Freedom 

 

Ozo - Saturn 

 

Scott. H. Biram - Fever Dreams

 

Sly & The Family Drone - Walk it Dry 

 

Yuri Gagarine - The Outskirts of Reality