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Top releases 2020:   ① Dominia - The Withering of the Rose Score: 10/10 I don't know if it's because 2020 was such a messed up year, but it turned out to be a perfect year for doom metal. Two releases by My Dying Bride, the return of old doom favourites such as Celestial Season, Autumnia, and Draconian, and many other great doom bands have released albums this year. So it's surprising that relatively unknown Russian doomsters Dominia took the album of the year title. But they managed to do so by releasing a modern doom metal album that is literally infused with many elements of the old doom classics. In "The Withering of the Rose" I hear influences of Theatre of Tragedy, previously mentioned Celestial Season, and many others, so listening to their latest album is like a revisit of all music I listened to in the nineties and early 2000s. And of course it doesn't hurt to have guest vocals of Sakis of one of last year's top bands Rotting Christ!   Dominia Reincarnation (digital) Score: 10/10 ②   ③ Emyn Muil - Afar Angathfark Score: 10/10 There's a couple of bands I usually refer to as Summoning-clones because, well, they sound a lot like Summoning. With Emyn Muil's latest album I start to feel it's a bit unfair though, since it's such a great release on its own. Maybe I should call it Summoning-inspired, or admit to the fact that Summoning started a metal genre of its own, something like fantasy-movie-soundtrack-metal, and other bands start playing this style. Anyway, Afar Angathfark is a massively inspiring and atmospheric album rivalling Summoning in its own genre.   Árstíðir Lífsins / Carpe Noctem - Aldrnari Score: 10/10 Besided great doom albums, 2020 has brought some excellent split albums as well, such as this one called Aldrnari. Featuring Icelandic Árstíðir Lífsins who often end up high in my yearlist if they don't take their male choir-thing too far. They did just that on the full-length they released this year, but the 22 minute song on this split is excellent. Vocalist Árni is also member of the other band on this split, Carpe Noctem. This is a more Behemoth-like black metal band that delivers also a 22 minute song full of atmosphere. ④   ⑤ Almyrkvi / The Ruins Of Beverast - Split Score: 9.5/10 Multiple album-of-the-year title holder The Ruins Of Beverast will release their new full-length album in 2021, but leading up to that they released two split albums this year. On this split with Almyrkvi they showcase what they do best: Making extremely captivating but uncomfortable black metal soundscapes. Icelandic Almyrkvi are not completely on the same level but still deliver some excellent atmosphere here.   Auðn - Vökudraumsins Fangi Score: 9.5/10 Iceland seems to be rather over-represented in this yearlist, a fact easily verified by how often you see the ð character. Auðn is no exception, but sillyness aside they truly deserved their yearlist ranking with their third album Vökudraumsins Fangi. All three albums stand out for their epic atmospheric black metal with plenty of variation between calm melodies and aggressive blastbeats, but on this latest effort they perfected their songwriting and it's a captivating listen from start to end. ⑥   ⑦ Kalmankantaja - Nostalgia I: Bones and Dust Score: 9.5/10 Of the Nostalgia albums, Kalmankantaja claims that "These recordings are my tribute to the music that inspired me years ago, and continue to do so." It takes about two seconds to find out which music this is, as the first track sounds exactly like Dunkelheit, the first track from Burzum's Filosofem album. The guitars, the keyboards, even the vocals sound like they're recorded over the phone from prison (little Burzum joke there). Not a complaint though, since Filosofem is such a brilliant album I don't mind a tribute. The second and third song on "Nostalgia I" follow in the exact same footpath, also retellings of Burzum's Dunkelheit. On the last song Kalmankantaja changes things up to... copy Jesus' Tod, the second track from Filosofem. But again, not a complaint, as a tribute this album works very well.   Kalmankantaja - Nostalgia II: My Kingdom Score: 9.5/10 The second part of the Nostalgia albums continues mostly in the style of the first one. Still very Burzum-esque, but a bit less copy-paste. Still, if Kalmankantaja wanted to pay tribute to anything else than Burzum I don't hear it. A solid listed for if you like slow atmospheric black metal covered in keyboards though! ⑧   ⑨ Kalmankantaja - Viimeinen virsi II: Sairaan sielun sanat Score: 9.5/10 The bad thing about bands like Kalmankantaja is that they keep pumping out so many releases that it's hard to keep up, preventing you to really connect with one album or song in particular. The good thing however, is that they produce a lot of amazing music. On Viimeinen virsi II, Kalmankantaja is returning more to their own sound, which in itself is still very Burzum inspired, so expect more long mid-tempo black metal drowning in atmosphere.   Clouds - Durere Score: 9.5/10 Clouds have been releasing great doom metal albums for a while, stylistically bouncing between Funeral Doom with deep growls and guitars, to a lighter doom with clean vocals and acoustic music that sometimes gets a bit too soft for me. Still plenty of slow depressive funeral goodness to enjoy on Durere though! ⑩   ⑪ Evilfeast / Uuntar - Odes to Lands of Past Traditions Score: 9.5/10 Splits are not only a great way to discover new bands, but when they have the duration of a full-length album, they make excellent entries for my yearlist. And this split between Polish Evilfeast and Dutch Uuntar does both things. The best thing about Evilfeast is, besides the band name of course, that their albums always sound decades older than they actually are. Their part of this split again sounds like you're listening to an old Emperor demo tape. Uuntar I hadn't heard of before but plays an excellent folk inspired black metal that I definitely have to check out more.   Dark Fortress Spectres from the Old World Score: 9.5/10 ⑫   ⑬ Celestial Season The Secret Teachings Score: 9.5/10   Nocte Obducta Irrlicht (Es schlägt dem Mond ein kaltes Herz) Score: 9.5/10 ⑭   ⑮ Marche Funèbre Einderlicht Score: 9.5/10   Cult Of Fire Nirvana Score: 9.5/10 ⑯   ⑰ Deafheaven 10 Years Gone Score: 9/10   Aphonic Threnody The Great Hatred Score: 9/10 ⑱   ⑲ Fortíð World Serpent Score: 9/10   Atra Hora Témenos Score: 9/10 ⑳   21 Wolves Den Miserere Score: 9/10   Autumnia ...And Your Autumnia Score: 9/10 22   23 Shallow Rivers Prometheus Unbound (digital) Score: 8.5/10   Varathron Glorification Under the Latin Moon Score: 8.5/10 24   25 Akhlys Melinoë Score: 8.5/10   Darkenhöld Arcanes & Sortilèges Score: 8.5/10 26   27 Matalobos The Grand Splendour of Death Score: 8.5/10   In Tenebriz Bitter Wine of Summer Score: 8.5/10 28   29 My Dying Bride The Ghost of Orion Score: 8.5/10   Afsky Ofte Jeg Drømmer Mig Død Score: 8.5/10 30   31 Draconian Under a Godless Veil Score: 8.5/10   Mesarthim Planet Nine Score: 8.5/10 32   33 The Project Hate MCMXCIX Purgatory Score: 8.5/10   Temple Of Void The World That Was Score: 8.5/10 34   35 Mesarthim The Degenerate Era Score: 8.5/10   Borgne Y Score: 8.5/10 36   37 Various Ad Cenerem Score: 8.5/10   Disbelief The Ground Collapses Score: 8.5/10 38   39 Secrets Of The Moon Black House Score: 8.5/10   Paysage d'Hiver Im Wald Score: 8.5/10 40   41 Messiah Fracmont Score: 8.5/10   Forgotten Tomb Nihilistic Estrangement Score: 8/10 42   43 Havukruunu Uinuos Syömein Sota Score: 8/10   Iku-Turso Pakana Score: 8/10 44   45 Finntroll Vredesvävd Score: 8/10   Regarde Les Hommes Tomber Ascension Score: 8/10 46   47 Ancst Summits of Despondency Score: 8/10   Puteraeon The Cthulhian Pulse: Call from the Dead City Score: 8/10 48   49 Turia Degen van Licht Score: 8/10   ...And Oceans Cosmic World Mother Score: 8/10 50   51 Thurisaz Re-Incentive Score: 8/10   Graceless Where Vultures Know Your Name Score: 8/10 52   53 Various Ardorem Score: 8/10   Wolfheart Wolves of Karelia Score: 7.5/10 54   55 Trident North Score: 7.5/10   XIV Dark Centuries Waldvolk Score: 7.5/10 56   57 Griffon Ó Theos Ó Vasilefs Score: 7.5/10   Arkhtinn / Starless Domain Astrophobia Score: 7.5/10 58   59 Cult Of Fire Moksha Score: 7.5/10   Árstíðir Lífsins Saga á tveim tungum II: Eigi fjǫll né firðir Score: 7.5/10 60   61 Arroganz Morsus Score: 7.5/10   Velnias Scion of Aether Score: 7.5/10 62   63 Mourning Beloveth / The Ruins Of Beverast Don't Walk on the Mass Graves Score: 7.5/10   Fluisteraars Bloem Score: 7.5/10 64   65 Sepultura Quadra Score: 7.5/10   Theosophy Towers of Dark Pantheon Score: 7/10 66   67 Gaerea Limbo Score: 7/10   Revolted Masses Rise (digital) Score: 7/10 68   69 Enslaved Utgard Score: 7/10   Insidious Disease After Death Score: 7/10 70   71 Deftones Ohms Score: 7/10   Kalmankantaja Talventuoja (digital) Score: 7/10 72   73 Yoth Iria Under His Sway Score: 7/10   Paradise Lost Obsidian Score: 6.5/10 74   75 The Spirit Cosmic Terror Score: 6.5/10   Ixion L'Adieu aux Etoiles Score: 6.5/10 76   77 Thesyre Shift Score: 6.5/10   Porta Nigra Schöpfungswut Score: 6.5/10 78   79 Der Weg Einer Freiheit Covid-19 Sessions (digital) Score: 6.5/10   Kawir Adrasteia Score: 6.5/10 80   81 Necrophobic Dawn of the Damned Score: 6.5/10   Hermóðr Old Woods (digital) Score: 6/10 82   83 Lapsus Dei Sea Of Deep Reflections Score: 6/10   Hermóðr As Silent as the Stars (digital) Score: 6/10 84   85 Order Of Orias Ablaze Score: 6/10   Messiah Fatal Grotesque Symbols - Darken Universe Score: 6/10 86   87 An Autumn For Crippled Children All Fell Silent, Everything Went Quiet Score: 6/10   Dark Tranquillity Moment Score: 5.5/10 88   89 Taake / Whoredom Rife Pakt Score: 5.5/10   Deathcult (NOR) / Taake Jaertegn Score: 5.5/10 90   91 Hexadar Depletion of Light Score: 5.5/10   Hermóðr Triumph (digital) Score: 5.5/10 92   93 Mörk Gryning Hinsides Vrede Score: 5.5/10   Voodoo Gods The Divinity of Blood Score: 5.5/10 94   95 Kawir / Yoth Iria Split Score: 5.5/10   Clouds The Path of Sorrow (digital) Score: 5.5/10 96   97 Augrimmer Pantaleimon Speaks / Lynx (ep) Score: 5/10   Blood Of Angels Failure of Faith Score: 5/10 98   99 Behemoth A Forest Score: 5/10   God Dethroned Illuminati Score: 5/10 100
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