#1 - Top of 2020

Eternal Champion -  Ravening Iron (No Remorse Records)

And the top of the 2020 list is conquered by Eternal Champion who released their 2nd full length album under the title Ravening Iron. This is a worthy sucessor to Armor of Ire which rightfully made it to the Top 3 of 2016 (and the Best of Epic Metal Top). Hailing from Austin, Texas, the band is part of a very promising wave of epic heavy metal bands from the United States, with Visigoth being another great example, that know what Epic Heavy metal is really about. This is also evident from their name, which is a reference to Michael Moorcock's reincarnating hero living in a sword and sorcery multiverse. 

Moving further from the concept, the  album is packed with awesome tracks that ooze EPICNESS while also manage to stick to your mind and can be played on repeat without growing old. This can be heard from the introductory track of the record, "A Face in the Glare" which sets the bar high with its eerie vibe about our hero facing demonic entities (or red demonic eyes) and a very catchy chorus. Speaking of catchy songs with an epic twist, "Ravening Iron" has to be one of the best songs of the band and a highlight of the album which rightfully acts as the titular song. But do not be wary, there are no dull moments in the rest of the album with songs like the super melodic "War at the Edge of the End" and the heavier "Coward's Keep"! The glorious journey into fantasy and swordplay comes to end with the instrumental "The Godblade" that lets you take a breath adding a touch of synth sounds, before jumping into the excellent ""Banners of Arhai" (with some amazingly chilling vocals by the lead singer Jason Tarpey) which kicks off with a ominous oriental riff and showcases how the band is not afraid to delve into the mystic atmosphere of dark magic without sounding corny or dated. Overall, a unique and memorable album that doesn't waste time on pointless ambient tracks or long riffs but blasts its way to the top of 2020 like the warrior blasts his way through his enemies in his quest for glory!

97.5/100

 

Below is the official audio for "Ravening Iron".

#2 - Top of 2020

 Avatar - Hunter Gatherer (Century Media)

On the second place of the best albums of 2020, a very interesting band that never settle and always experiment with their sound leading to intriguing albums (including entries in the 2016 and 2018 Tops). Blasting its way into the top, the album starts with the brutal "Silence in the Age of Apes", an excellent specimen of  Swedish Death Metal with the obligatory melodic guitar riffs and impressive brutal vocals. This is rapidly followed by the equally great and different "Colossus" which has one of the catchiest heavy bass riffs of the year mixing an industrial vibe with clear theatrical vocals showing Johannes Eckerstrom's amazing vocal range. In the "A Secret Door" the balance is shifted towards the more melodic side with no loss on the heavy side that comes together with a memorable whistling sound that introduces and wraps up the song. Other highlights include the  melodic "Child" (with a great guitar solo ending), the groovy "Justice" (which will stick to your mind forever) and the sorrowful acoustic "Gun" with its bleak lyrical themes. After the angry "When All but Force Has Failed", we get the impressive "Wormhole" wrapping up the album with some seriously heavy riffs plummeting into an abysmal wormhole.

Hunter Gatherer is made for Avatar fans, including those who might have felt let down with the previous album, that leaned more on the melodic side. A well structured album with twists and turns that keeps interest high and is packed with tribal riffs, brutal vocals and that touch of threatrics that make Avatar's sound unique.

97.4/100

 

Below are the music videos for "Silence in the Age of Apes", "Colossus" and "A Secret Door"

#3 - Top of 2020

 Ayreon - Transitus (Music Theories Recordings)

We find ourselves in 1884, in a world of inequality and moral decay, with the divide between the rich and the poor along with the various social and racial issues becoming more and more intense. There, Daniel and Abby, two young people from the two opposite ends of this world, fall in love and dream about their life together, until fate intervenes ...

This gothic romance is the  concept of Ayreon's brand new album, with Arjen Lucassen himself stating that "Transitus" was one of his most demanding and time consuming works, absorbing three years of his life! The cast of characters is impressive, with Tommy Karevik (Kamelot, Seventh Wonder) and Cammie Gilbert (of Oceans Of Slumber) as the main protagonists, along with Dee Snider (as Daniel's father), Paul Manzi (ex-Arena, as Henry, Daniel's brother), Simone Simons (as the Angel of Death) and Michael Mills (The Statue).

In general, Arjen Lucassen's presence is a guarantee of quality, with his latest output being no exception to the rule. Transitus is an album, whose material seems to have been created to function only as a whole, within the broader context of the story told through its lyrics, with actor Tom Baker in the introductory narrative of each "chapter" of the plot.

Nevertheless, the album does require a set of special listening conditions, as it requires undivided attention, but also multiple replays, to fully unfold. Of course, listening to it while reading its lyrics really helps to get into the mood more easily and quickly, something that will clearly be achieved to the fullest extent by flipping through the 28 pages of comic book that comes with it. Despite that there are moments that do stand out, like "Get out! Now!", with the formidable Dee Snider stealing the show and "Dumb Piece of Rock" with the impressive vocal breadth of the amazing Michael Mills.

"Transitus" can only stand out for what it is, being another exceptional albeit slightly different Ayreon album that will satisfy thoroughly those who delve into it to the extent it deserves.

97.4/100

Below are the music videos for "Daniel's Descent into Transitus", "Get out Now" and "Talk of the Town"

#4 - Top of 2020

Pain of Salvation -  Panther (InsideOut Music)

Pain of Salvation have experimented a lot with their sound in the last decade from the melodic Road Salt to the accoustic Falling Home and the proggy In the Passing Light of Day. This journey has made their msuic unique identifiable, not only thanks to Daniel Gildenlow's lead vocals but also in terms of dynamic music shifts and interesting lyrical themes. The album starts on a high note with the personal favourite "Accelerator" which has a harsher sound while also staying on the proggy side with very interesting shifts and an electronic undertone which can be heard throughout the album (and more prominently in "Restless Boy") adding a new intriguing twist to the songs. There are tracks, like the sorrowful "Wait", that are more melodic and add some piano tunes rather than keybords being reminiscent of earlier albums. The title song "Panther" is another highlight as it can be easily heard that the band is not shy with going off known paths without losing their sound. The album wraps up with the amazing "Icon" which perfectly combines the melodic with the electronic elements that could be heard across different songs going over 13 minutes and has the most catchy chorus that you will be humming for a while. This might be the 11th full length album for Pain of Salvation but it sounds like they are going through an ongoing process of evolving and giving us new and intriguing albums for the foreseeable future!

 

96.9/100

Below are the official music videos for "Accelerator" and "Panther".

#5 - Top of 2020

Psychotic Waltz - The God-Shaped Void (Inside Out) 

Since the band  officially announced their reunion and subsequent return to studio, it seemed like an eternity until the release of the new album. So how is the new Psychotic Waltz album? "The God–Shaped Void" is a masterpiece worthy of the name of Psychotic Waltz, on equal footing with its predecessors, but a separate entity and able to stand on its own pedestal as time passes. After all, the band never released the same record twice, so why start now?

The opener "Devils And Angels" has a recognizable role but manages to convincingly introduce the listener to the rich synthetic new world of Psychotic Waltz, while "Stranded" and "Back To Black" are gaining momentum, perhaps the most direct compositions of the album, but without lacking depth and quality. And if in "All The Bad Men" they sound more like the Psychotic Waltz of the late period and warm up old friends, it is the guitar acoustics, the flute and the melodies of "The Fallen" that are a first small culmination, with " While The Spiders Spin " following in its footsteps, emphasising the expressiveness in Graves' interpretations and his dramatic flair.

The mid-tempo of "Pull The String" with its heavy riffs and big chorus is addictive, while the equally excellent "Demystified" looks like it came from the informal marriage of Dead Soul Tribe and Psychotic Waltz, with Graves in the spotlight. "Sisters Of The Dawn" could be described as the most prog composition of the album, while the acoustic guitars and the magical melodies of "In The Silence" give an ideal finale, to an album that has a perfect duration (just under an hour) to lead you back to the beginning, so that the listening cycle can be repeated. An all around masterpiece!

96.5/100

Below are the music videos for "While the Spiders Spin" and "All the Bad Men".

#6 - Top of 2020

 Toehider - I like it (Independent)

In a brand new approach to album composing, the twelve tracks on the album were voted on by Toehider's Patreon subscribers, from a collection of songs written and recorded monthly for a period of two years. This results in an album with hardly any fillers, filled to the brim with intense songs, combining multi-layered vocals with brilliant instrumental work.  

Kicking things off with "Go Full Bore",  a thrash metal song about old school driving and video game, the album switches gears to "Wellgivit", run by saw synthesizers and electronic drum beats full of the 80's disco spirit. "Rancorous Heart", deals with the introspection of the artist, combining classic prog influences, while "Moon and Moron", juxtaposes the latter, taking a piss at conspiracy theories. "Concerning Lix & Fairs" is probably the highlight of the album, an epic prog song combining the best elements of Toehider, while  Funk-inspired "Died of Dancing",  and folk ballad "The Guy That No-One Really Knows" are excellent cross-genre examples of what the band can do. Finally "He's There… And Then He Does THAT" is a truly chaotic tune that ONLY this band can produce, while closer "I like it" is more infectious than the omicron variant (I hope this ages well). Another great album in a string of great record by possibly one of the most criminally underrated prog bands of the last decade.

96.25/100

Below is the music video for "Concerning Lix & Fairs"