Yearlist 2020:

Eighties //Nineties //90919293949596979899 //Nihils //00010203040506070809 //TwentyTens //10111213141516171819 //Twenties //[2020]21222324 //All_Time
 
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
 
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.
 
Septic Flesh
Infernus Sinfonica MMXIX
Score: 10/10
 
Almyrkvi / The Ruins Of Beverast - Split
Score: 10/10
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.
 
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.
 
Winterfylleth
The Reckoning Dawn
Score: 9.5/10
 
Hermóðr
The Sea of Dragons

Score: 9.5/10
 
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!
 
Imber Luminis
Fletus (digital)
Score: 9.5/10
 
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!
 
Anguish Sublime
Maelstrom Imperium
Score: 9.5/10
 
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.
 
Acherontas
Psychic Death - The Shattering of Perceptions
Score: 9.5/10
 
Dark Fortress
Spectres from the Old World
Score: 9.5/10
 
Celestial Season
The Secret Teachings
Score: 9.5/10
 
Nocte Obducta
Irrlicht (Es schlägt dem Mond ein kaltes Herz)

Score: 9.5/10
 
21Lethian Dreams
A Shadow of Memories
Score: 9.5/10
 
Skálmöld
10 Year Anniversary - Live in Reykjavík
Score: 9.5/10
22
 
23Marche Funèbre
Einderlicht
Score: 9.5/10
 
Cult Of Fire
Nirvana
Score: 9.5/10
24
 
25Grey Skies Fallen
Cold Dead Lands
Score: 9.5/10
 
Deafheaven
10 Years Gone
Score: 9.5/10
26
 
27Aphonic Threnody
The Great Hatred
Score: 9/10
 
Old Corpse Road
On Ghastly Shores Lays the Wreckage of Our Lore
Score: 9/10
28
 
29Old Leshy
Pośród Monumentalnych Szczytów
Score: 9/10
 
Fortíð
World Serpent
Score: 9/10
30
 
31Atra Hora
Témenos
Score: 9/10
 
Wolves Den
Miserere
Score: 9/10
32
 
33Malist
To Mantle the Rising Sun
Score: 9/10
 
Autumnia
...And Your Autumnia
Score: 9/10
34
 
35Shallow Rivers
Prometheus Unbound (digital)
Score: 8.5/10
 
Varathron
Glorification Under the Latin Moon
Score: 8.5/10
36
 
37Akhlys
Melinoë
Score: 8.5/10
 
Skyforest
A New Dawn
Score: 8.5/10
38
 
39Orbit Culture
Nija
Score: 8.5/10
 
October Falls
A Fall of an Epoch
Score: 8.5/10
40
 
41Darkenhöld
Arcanes & Sortilèges
Score: 8.5/10
 
Matalobos
The Grand Splendour of Death
Score: 8.5/10
42
 
43In Tenebriz
Bitter Wine of Summer
Score: 8.5/10
 
My Dying Bride
The Ghost of Orion
Score: 8.5/10
44
 
45Afsky
Ofte Jeg Drømmer Mig Død
Score: 8.5/10
 
Dormanth
Complete Downfall
Score: 8.5/10
46
 
47Gjallarhorn
Spogadi, Marennja, Popil / Memories, Nightmares, Ash
Score: 8.5/10
 
Draconian
Under a Godless Veil
Score: 8.5/10
48
 
49Mesarthim
Planet Nine
Score: 8.5/10
 
The Project Hate MCMXCIX
Purgatory
Score: 8.5/10
50
 
51Temple Of Void
The World That Was
Score: 8.5/10
 
Mesarthim
The Degenerate Era
Score: 8.5/10
52
 
53Borgne
Y
Score: 8.5/10
 
Various
Ad Cenerem
Score: 8.5/10
54
 
55Disbelief
The Ground Collapses
Score: 8.5/10
 
Secrets Of The Moon
Black House
Score: 8.5/10
56
 
57Medieval Demon
Arcadian Witchcraft
Score: 8.5/10
 
Paysage d'Hiver
Im Wald
Score: 8.5/10
58
 
59Messiah
Fracmont
Score: 8.5/10
 
Forgotten Tomb
Nihilistic Estrangement
Score: 8/10
60
 
61Havukruunu
Uinuos Syömein Sota

Score: 8/10
 
Panopticon
Live Migration
Score: 8/10
62
 
63Iku-Turso
Pakana
Score: 8/10
 
Finntroll
Vredesvävd
Score: 8/10
64
 
65Hand Of Kalliach
Shade Beyond (demo)
Score: 8/10
 
Sulphur Aeon
Unaussprechliche Kulte - Live at Culthe Fest 2019
Score: 8/10
66
 
67Regarde Les Hommes Tomber
Ascension
Score: 8/10
 
Ancst
Summits of Despondency
Score: 8/10
68
 
69Puteraeon
The Cthulhian Pulse: Call from the Dead City
Score: 8/10
 
Turia
Degen van Licht
Score: 8/10
70
 
71Naglfar
Cerecloth
Score: 8/10
 
Wolvennest
Temple
Score: 8/10
72
 
73...And Oceans
Cosmic World Mother
Score: 8/10
 
Thurisaz
Re-Incentive
Score: 8/10
74
 
75Graceless
Where Vultures Know Your Name
Score: 8/10
 
Various
Ardorem
Score: 7.5/10
76
 
77Uada
Djinn
Score: 7.5/10
 
Wolfheart
Wolves of Karelia
Score: 7.5/10
78
 
79Trident
North
Score: 7.5/10
 
Faal / Fading Bliss
Neither Tide Nor Time
Score: 7.5/10
80
 
81XIV Dark Centuries
Waldvolk
Score: 7.5/10
 
Griffon
Ó Theos Ó Vasilefs
Score: 7.5/10
82
 
83Arkhtinn / Starless Domain
Astrophobia
Score: 7.5/10
 
Cult Of Fire
Moksha
Score: 7.5/10
84
 
85Árstíðir Lífsins
Saga á tveim tungum II: Eigi fjǫll né firðir
Score: 7.5/10
 
Arroganz
Morsus
Score: 7.5/10
86
 
87Velnias
Scion of Aether
Score: 7.5/10
 
Mourning Beloveth / The Ruins Of Beverast
Don't Walk on the Mass Graves
Score: 7.5/10
88
 
89Fluisteraars
Bloem
Score: 7.5/10
 
Sepultura
Quadra
Score: 7/10
90
 
91Theosophy
Towers of Dark Pantheon
Score: 7/10
 
Gaerea
Limbo
Score: 7/10
92
 
93Autonoesis
Autonoesis
Score: 7/10
 
Burkhartsvinter
Mordbrand
Score: 7/10
94
 
95Revolted Masses
Rise (digital)
Score: 7/10
 
Enslaved
Utgard
Score: 7/10
96
 
97Insidious Disease
After Death
Score: 7/10
 
Deftones
Ohms
Score: 7/10
98
 
99Kalmankantaja
Talventuoja

Score: 7/10
 
Pantheist
Live at St Giles, London (digital)
Score: 7/10
100


Stats generated at: 03/05/24

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