Author Topic: Your Favorite Albums of 2020  (Read 12426 times)

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Offline The Letter M

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Re: Your Favorite Albums of 2020 (so far...)
« Reply #70 on: May 21, 2020, 10:35:36 AM »
Personally, I've only picked up four new releases this year so far, the bulk of what i'm looking forward to is coming out next month and through the summer/fall. The first two were live releases from The Neal Morse Band and Ayreon, both of which are quite enjoyable, but there isn't any NEW music there, but as far as live releases go, they're both pretty top notch, though I would take the Ayreon set over the the NMB one, as the stage production of Into The Electric Castle is one of the best live concert shows I've ever watched!

Of the other two albums I've gotten so far, only Prehensile Tales by Pattern-Seeking Animals is a new studio album, and I've been enjoying it a LOT over the last week. Some of the best fresh prog I've heard in awhile from these guys, and a step up from their debut. Definitely worth checking out for any SB and Ted Leonard fans.

The other album is the Big Big Train compilation, Summer's Lease, and while it's just a compilation (with some re-recordings of older material, and only one new song), it's still probably my favorite release of the four I've gotten so far, which is funny to think because it is only just a compilation. However, despite that, it feels like so much more than a compilation. The whole package, released in Japan only so far, is just as lush and gorgeous as any regular BBT studio album. It may be my favorite compilation released by any band EVER. It's that good.


It’s possible Big Big Train get their next album together by the end of the year I guess since they aren’t touring (and the Summer’s Lease compilation might get released in the fall outside of Japan).

And speaking BBT, recently, Greg Spawton has said on Facebook that the band are currently in the midst of writing their next album and plan to get together to record it this fall for a Summer 2021 release, so we won't see any new BBT music THIS year, but definitely next year, when they plan to hit the road and visit all the dates they were planning to in 2020, and then some. More tidbits from recent BBT posts are known, but I'll post them in the BBT thread.

-Marc.
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Online jingle.boy

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Re: Your Favorite Albums of 2020 (so far...)
« Reply #71 on: May 21, 2020, 10:19:34 PM »
Fairyland - Osyrhianta (will listen at midnight, already know it'll be in my favorites, BRING IT ON!)

Might have to add the new WOLFCLUB and Firewind to my favorites list, but it's a bit too early to tell.

Says the guy tired of guitar driven music??

None of this computes.
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Offline The Walrus

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Re: Your Favorite Albums of 2020 (so far...)
« Reply #72 on: May 22, 2020, 05:15:53 AM »
There are these things called exceptions, Chad :)

The Fairyland is absolutely among my most favorite records of the year. It is a thing of beauty. Can't wait for my CD and shirts to arrive.
From a Mega Man Legends island jamming power metal to a Walrus listening to black metal, I like your story arc.
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Offline The Walrus

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Re: Your Favorite Albums of 2020 (so far...)
« Reply #73 on: October 21, 2020, 07:54:04 AM »
Bump.

Continuing my experiment of listening to as much new music as I can, even with my roulette this past summer, I'm on record #211 of 2020. I just cut out everything I didn't like or will never replay again, down to all the albums I genuinely enjoy and will continue to revisit or still want to play a lot. There's a spectrum here from records I just 'like' to albums I can't get enough of, but they're all quality enough to be worth one's time imo. Even left out a few I still consider good but probably couldn't recommend to others. Really having fun with this. Still have a backlog to get through, plus some other ventures (trying to find releases from 2020 in genres that aren't well represented here, like country).

1. Eminem - Music To Be Murdered By (rap)
2. Sylvaine/Unreqvited - Time Without End (split ep; ambient/atmospheric black metal)
3. Unreqvited - Mosaic II: La Déteste Et La Détresse (atmospheric black metal)
4. Jørn - Heavy Rock Radio II: Executing the Classics (cover album; hard rock)
5. Monolithe - Okta Khora (progressive doom metal)
6. Lovebites - Electric Pentagram (power metal)
7. Richie Kotzen - 50 For 50 (blues/rock/fusion)
8. Delain - Apocalypse & Chill (pop/symphonic metal)
9. Stone Temple Pilots - Perdida (alternative rock)
10. Psychotic Waltz - The God-Shaped Void (progressive metal)
11. Huey Lewis and The News - Weather (blues/rock)
12. Tame Impala - The Slow Rush (psychedelic indie rock)
13. H.E.A.T - H.E.A.T II (AOR/hard rock)
14. Grimes - Miss Anthropocene (electropop)
15. Christian Münzner - Path of the Hero (pure instrumental metal shred)
16. Floating In Space - A New Dawn (post-rock/ambient)
17. Burden of Life - The Makeshift Conqueror (melodic death metal)
18. Magic Sword - Endless (synthwave)
19. Nightwish - Human. :||: Nature. (symphonic metal)
20. Conception - State of Deception (progressive metal)
21. Testament - Titans of Creation (thrash metal)
22. Dynazty - The Dark Delight (AOR/power metal)
23. Joe Satriani - Shapeshifting (rock)
24. Katatonia - City Burials (gothic metal)
25. The Night Flight Orchestra - Aeromantic (AOR/glam rock)
26. W O L F C L U B - Runaways (synthwave)
27. Firewind - Firewind (power metal)
28. Pattern-Seeking Animals - Prehensile Tales (progressive rock)
29. Course of Fate - Mindweaver (progressive metal)
30. Master Boot Record - Floppy Disk Overdrive (electronic industrial metal)
31. Fairyland - Osyrhianta (symphonic metal)
32. Unreqvited - Empathica (atmospheric black metal)
33. Caligula's Horse - Rise Radiant (progressive metal)
34. Jimmy Buffett - Life on the Flip Side (yacht rock)
35. Lady Gaga - Chromatica (pop)
36. Sorcerer - Lamenting of the Innocent (doom metal)
37. Covet - Technicolor (math rock)
38. Run The Jewels - RTJ4 (rap)
39. The Weeknd - After Hours (pop)
40. Tycho - Simulcast (electronic)
41. Dua Lipa - Future Nostalgia (pop)
42. Magnus Karlsson's Free Fall - We Are The Night (power metal)
43. At 1980 - A Thousand Lives (synthwave)
44. Ensiferum - Thalassic (folk metal)
45. ATTLAS - Lavender God (ambient/electronic)
46. Norah Jones - Pick Me Up Off The Floor (pop/lounge/jazz)
47. Lionville - Magic Is Alive (AOR)
48. Damnation Angels - Fiber Of Our Being (symphonic metal)
49. Kansas - The Absence of Presence (progressive rock)
50. Paralydium - Worlds Beyond (progressive metal)
51. Ages - Uncrown (atmospheric black metal)
52. Unleash the Archers - Abyss (power metal)
53. Protest the Hero - Palimpsest (progressive metal/hardcore)
54. Taylor Swift - Folklore (pop/acoustic)
55. John Petrucci - Terminal Velocity (progressive metal/instrumental shred)
56. Ulver - Flowers of Evil (pop/electronic/ambient)
57. Falconer - From A Dying Ember (folk/power metal)
58. Kiko Loureiro - Open Source (progressive metal/instrumental shred)
59. Andy James - C.S.I.L (progressive metal/instrumental shred)
60. Nikki Yanofsky - Turn Down The Sound (pop/jazz)
61. sleepmakeswaves - These Are Not Your Dreams (post-rock)
62. Ellie Goulding - Brightest Blue (pop)
63. The Lightbringer of Sweden - Rise of the Beast (power metal)
64. Unlucky Morpheus - Unfinished (power metal)
65. Skeletoon - Nemesis (power metal)
66. Ayreon - Transitus (progressive rock/metal)
67. Anna von Hausswolff (avant-garde)
68. Emyn Muil - Afar Angathfark (atmospheric black metal)
69. Ozric Tentacles - Space For The Earth (progressive rock)
70. Future Islands - As Long As You Are (synthpop)
71. Tom Misch - What Kinda Music (indie)
72. Bulb - Electronic (electronic)

EDIT: I was just informed The Midnight put out a new album in July. No wonder I wasn't aware, I was neck deep in a roulette at that time. Listening to that now.
« Last Edit: October 21, 2020, 08:34:36 AM by The Walrus »
From a Mega Man Legends island jamming power metal to a Walrus listening to black metal, I like your story arc.
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Re: Your Favorite Albums of 2020 (so far...)
« Reply #74 on: October 21, 2020, 08:27:24 AM »
Will come back to this to post the 18 albums that I've purchased this year, and the couple dozen I've got squirelled on Spotify.  I'm actually pretty light this year on sampling - only at 88 albums so far.  Then again, there's still Glenn H's (PPUSA) Top 50 list to come out.  I usually find some of my most favorite albums from there - last year it was M.I.GOD.; previously it was Daydream XI.

I'm honestly fatigued at sampling too much - I don't go back and spend enough time with albums of the past that I adore.
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Offline HOF

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Re: Your Favorite Albums of 2020 (so far...)
« Reply #75 on: October 21, 2020, 08:44:45 AM »
My new album list is usually small, and this year’s is actually a little bigger than usual, mostly due to everyone in BBT putting out an album LOL:

1. Fernando Perdomo - Out to Sea 3
2. Yaatri - Reach (technically an EP)
3. Echorec - The Island
4. Nick D’Virgilio - Invisible
5. McStine & Minnemann
6. Dyble Longdon - Between a Breath and a Breath
7. Gungfly - Alone Together
8. Big Big Train - Summer’s Lease

Will probably be picking up another 2-3 before year’s end. That’s a pretty banner year for new releases for me. Have picked up a ton of new to me/older albums this year though. Part of why I don’t always get to the new releases is I’m always digging up something old that’s new to me.

Offline TAC

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Re: Your Favorite Albums of 2020 (so far...)
« Reply #76 on: October 21, 2020, 08:56:54 AM »
Will come back to this to post the 18 albums that I've purchased this year, and the couple dozen I've got squirelled on Spotify.  I'm actually pretty light this year on sampling - only at 88 albums so far.  Then again, there's still Glenn H's (PPUSA) Top 50 list to come out.  I usually find some of my most favorite albums from there - last year it was M.I.GOD.; previously it was Daydream XI.

I'm honestly fatigued at sampling too much - I don't go back and spend enough time with albums of the past that I adore.

Fridays are the one day where I actually get home at a decent time, and I love my Friday afternoon sample sessions. But it's been a few months since I have done it. The UFO thread has taken a lot of time. Once it's over, I have some serious catching up to do.
would have thought the same thing but seeing the OP was TAC i immediately thought Maiden or DT related
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Offline RoeDent

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Re: Your Favorite Albums of 2020 (so far...)
« Reply #77 on: October 21, 2020, 09:02:47 AM »
My album purchasing has dropped a bit due to financial restraints and perhaps also the ongoing goings-on. 13 albums total, of which 6 are 2020 releases. My current ranking of the 2020 releases I own is:

1. Celexa Dreams - Kyros
2. Virus - Haken
3. Alone Together - Rikard Sjöblom's Gungfly
4. Prehensile Tales - Pattern-Seeking Animals
5. Feelings Are Good - Lonely Robot
6. Love Over Fear- Pendragon

I definitely intend to pick up the new Flower Kings when it comes out, although I have no idea how the new lockdown measures will affect my ability to get it shortly after release. The Tangent released an album, but tbh it's not massively high-priority for me atm. What I've heard of it hasn't grabbed me as much as previous material of theirs has.

Offline Sacul

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Re: Your Favorite Albums of 2020 (so far...)
« Reply #78 on: October 21, 2020, 09:08:30 AM »
These are the 2020 albums I've listened to, in no particular order. My favs so far are Deftones, Gazpacho, Against All Logic, Run The Jewels, and Fiona Apple.


Offline Stadler

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Re: Your Favorite Albums of 2020 (so far...)
« Reply #79 on: October 21, 2020, 10:12:42 AM »
WOW, is my list short.

Sons Of Apollo - MMXX
Grateful Dead - Dave's Picks 33
Noel Gallagher - Blue Moon Rising EP
Taylor Swift - folklore
Grateful Dead - Dave's Picks 34
Grateful Dead - Dave's Picks 35
Deep Purple - Whoosh!


Of those, Deep Purple is by far the best, with Taylor second.   The Dead releases are solid, but I don't view them as "new releases" of a given year.  They are archival.   The Noel and SoA albums are good, but did nothing for me long term.   

Offline Buddyhunter1

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Re: Your Favorite Albums of 2020 (so far...)
« Reply #80 on: October 21, 2020, 10:22:42 AM »
Purchased
Thy Catafalque - Naiv (avant-garde metal, folk, electronic)
Poppy - I Disagree (alternative metal, industrial, pop)
Kvelertak - Splid (heavy metal, black metal)
Ihsahn - Telemark (EP) (blackened progressive metal)
Ihsahn - Pharos (EP) (symphonic progressive metal)
Pure Reason Revolution - Eupnea (progressive rock)
Ulver - Flowers Of Evil (synthpop, electronic, new wave)
Code Orange - Underneath (industrial metalcore, alternative metal)
The Ocean - Phanerozoic II: Mesozoic | Cenozoic (progressive metal)
Sordid Pink - Sordid Pink (pop, progressive metal)

Listened to, haven't purchased (yet)
Katatonia - City Burials (doom metal, progressive metal)
Elder - Omens (progressive rock, stoner rock)
Haken - Virus (progressive metal)
Deftones - Ohms (alternative metal)
Pain Of Salvation - Panther (progressive rock/metal)
...and probably some others I'm forgetting or aren't worth mentioning

Pure Reason Revolution's Eupnea is still my album of the year - nothing else here quite bridges the gap from "good" to "great" I don't think. Though I do think the Ihsahn EPs are excellent, minus the covers.
« Last Edit: October 21, 2020, 11:07:28 AM by Buddyhunter1 »
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Offline Crow

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Re: Your Favorite Albums of 2020 (so far...)
« Reply #81 on: October 21, 2020, 10:38:08 AM »
albums from this year that stand out to me, in no particular order

Spanish Love Songs - Brave Faces Everyone
Spectral Lore & Mare Cognitum - Wanderers: Astrology of the Nine
Rannoch - Reflections Upon Darkness
Bagdadski Vor - Колхида
Golden Ashes - In the Lugubrious Silence of Eternal Night
Olhava - Ladoga
Svalbard - When I Die, Will I Get Better?
Taylor Swift - Folklore

i have plenty more albums i've heard and bought just not fully sure on how i feel about them all
« Last Edit: October 21, 2020, 10:58:49 AM by Cyril »

Offline The Walrus

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Re: Your Favorite Albums of 2020 (so far...)
« Reply #82 on: October 21, 2020, 10:49:01 AM »
I approve of the Folklore love
From a Mega Man Legends island jamming power metal to a Walrus listening to black metal, I like your story arc.
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Offline Revenge319

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Re: Your Favorite Albums of 2020 (so far...)
« Reply #83 on: October 21, 2020, 10:51:38 AM »
My list is absolutely massive, so brace yourselves...



Haken - Virus




Well, I haven't heard any other 2020 albums, so this is just what my list looks like

Offline emtee

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Re: Your Favorite Albums of 2020 (so far...)
« Reply #84 on: October 21, 2020, 10:53:30 AM »
Holy cow Walrus, that is a LOT of music!

Years ago I used to buy that many albums but I had to tone it down. I actually had an addiction. Now I have hundreds, maybe thousands of albums that I never listen to.

Offline The Walrus

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Re: Your Favorite Albums of 2020 (so far...)
« Reply #85 on: October 21, 2020, 11:08:13 AM »
Holy cow Walrus, that is a LOT of music!

Years ago I used to buy that many albums but I had to tone it down. I actually had an addiction. Now I have hundreds, maybe thousands of albums that I never listen to.

Yeah I've only bought a very small handful of these. It's nothing I've ever done before, literally listening to multiple new records and artists every day, but it's so fun to experience the wide world of music like that and still regularly read about musicians, famous or obscure, you know nothing of. Still, coming out with a list that big of albums I think are quality 2020 records... it IS a lot, and every day I lament that there just isn't enough time in a day to give the attention I want to each album. Every single year that gets harder and harder to deal with. I don't think I'll be able to do this next year. Got roulette submissions to catch up on anyway  :biggrin:
From a Mega Man Legends island jamming power metal to a Walrus listening to black metal, I like your story arc.
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Offline The Letter M

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Re: Your Favorite Albums of 2020 (so far...)
« Reply #86 on: October 21, 2020, 11:40:28 AM »
Personally, I've only picked up four new releases this year so far, the bulk of what i'm looking forward to is coming out next month and through the summer/fall. The first two were live releases from The Neal Morse Band and Ayreon, both of which are quite enjoyable, but there isn't any NEW music there, but as far as live releases go, they're both pretty top notch, though I would take the Ayreon set over the the NMB one, as the stage production of Into The Electric Castle is one of the best live concert shows I've ever watched!

Of the other two albums I've gotten so far, only Prehensile Tales by Pattern-Seeking Animals is a new studio album, and I've been enjoying it a LOT over the last week. Some of the best fresh prog I've heard in awhile from these guys, and a step up from their debut. Definitely worth checking out for any SB and Ted Leonard fans.

The other album is the Big Big Train compilation, Summer's Lease, and while it's just a compilation (with some re-recordings of older material, and only one new song), it's still probably my favorite release of the four I've gotten so far, which is funny to think because it is only just a compilation. However, despite that, it feels like so much more than a compilation. The whole package, released in Japan only so far, is just as lush and gorgeous as any regular BBT studio album. It may be my favorite compilation released by any band EVER. It's that good.


It’s possible Big Big Train get their next album together by the end of the year I guess since they aren’t touring (and the Summer’s Lease compilation might get released in the fall outside of Japan).

And speaking BBT, recently, Greg Spawton has said on Facebook that the band are currently in the midst of writing their next album and plan to get together to record it this fall for a Summer 2021 release, so we won't see any new BBT music THIS year, but definitely next year, when they plan to hit the road and visit all the dates they were planning to in 2020, and then some. More tidbits from recent BBT posts are known, but I'll post them in the BBT thread.

-Marc.

Wow, five months later and my list of listened-to/purchased/received albums has grown from 4 to 23, with at least 8 more releases on the way over the next 2.5 months, though a majority of those are either compilations or live releases (with only 3 major studio albums left I'm looking forward to - The Flower Kings' Islands, Blackfield's For The Music, and McStine Minnemann II).

Even nearly half a year later, Big Big Train's compilation still ranks very highly for me as far as 2020 releases go, but not counting compilations and live albums, I'd say these are my five favorites so far, in no particular ranking:
-Pattern-Seeking Animals, Prehensile Tales
-Haken, Virus
-The Tangent, Auto Reconnaissance
-John Petrucci, Terminal Velocity
-Ayreon, Transitus

I'm sure this will change once the new Flower Kings comes out, as I am sure that'll get into my top five of 2020.

Notable and honorable mentions include Kansas - The Absence Of Presence, Pain Of Salvation - Panther, Rikard Sjoblom's Gungfly - Alone Together, Nick D'Virgilio - Invisible, and McStine Minnemann's debut.

It's also been a big year for live albums, at least for me, starting off with The Neal Morse Band's Great Adventour, Ayreon's Electric Castle Live, Flying Colors' Third Stage, and soon to be released live albums from Dream Theater and Big Big Train.

I haven't bought this much new music in a single calendar year in YEARS - over 30 new albums, including studio, live, compilation/box set, and single/EP releases. On top of all that, I also bought the entire 13-album discography of King Crimson's 40th Anniversary series earlier this summer, so I've spent quite a bit on music this year. My wallet needs a rest! :lol

-Marc.
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Re: Your Favorite Albums of 2020 (so far...)
« Reply #87 on: October 21, 2020, 11:51:13 AM »
1. Pain of Salvation - Panther

In no particular order after that:

Marjana Semkina - Sleepwalking
Conception - State of Deception
Nightwish - Human ';';';';' Nature
Katatonia - City Burials
The Reticent - The Oubliette
Оргия Праведников - Время будить королей
Haken - Virus
This first band is Soen very cool swingy jazz fusion kinda stuff.

Offline twosuitsluke

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Re: Your Favorite Albums of 2020 (so far...)
« Reply #88 on: October 21, 2020, 12:53:33 PM »
Walrus, two for you to check out if you haven't already...

Cyberfunk! by Mother's Cake
Dancing with the Curse by Get Dead

These two are easily making my top 5!

Be interested to hear your thoughts  :corn

Offline The Walrus

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Re: Your Favorite Albums of 2020 (so far...)
« Reply #89 on: October 21, 2020, 01:00:00 PM »
Walrus, two for you to check out if you haven't already...

Cyberfunk! by Mother's Cake
Dancing with the Curse by Get Dead

These two are easily making my top 5!

Be interested to hear your thoughts  :corn

Will put on and report back.
From a Mega Man Legends island jamming power metal to a Walrus listening to black metal, I like your story arc.
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Re: Your Favorite Albums of 2020 (so far...)
« Reply #90 on: October 21, 2020, 01:43:10 PM »
Purchased (in alphabetic order):

Ad Infinitum - Chapter 1 - Monarchy
Agonizer - Halo II (EP)
Ayreon - Transitus
Confess - Burn 'Em All
DGM - Tragic Separation
Exlibris - Shadowrise (EP)
Gathering of Kings - Discovery
Harem Scarem - Change the World
John Petrucci - Terminal Velocity
Lonely Robot - Feelings are Good
Magnus Karlsson's FreeFall - We Are The Night
Neal Morse - Sola Gratia
The Night Flight Orchestra - Aeromatic
Nightwish - Human :||: Nature
Pyramid Theorm - Exosphere
Teramaze - I Wonder
Thoughts Factory - Elements
Vanishing Poing - Dead Elysium

Also add in Redemption / Alive in Color, and Ayrone / ITEC Live

Saved on Spotify (chronological order):
Starmen - Welcome to My World
Diabulus In Musica - Euphonic Entropy
H.E.A.T. - HEAT II
Conception - State of Deception
Pure Reason Revolution - Eupnea
Katatonia - City Burials
Green Carnation - Leaves of Yesteryear
Skintrade - The Show Must Go On
One Desire - Midnight Empire
Smackbound - 20/20
Paralydium - Worlds Beyond
Vandenberg - 2020
Bloody Heels - Ignite the Sky
Dynazty - Dark Delight
Damnation Angels - Fibre of our Being
Shining Black - s/t
Andy James - C.S.I.L.
Ian Parry - In Flagrante Delicto
Unleash the Archers - Abyss
Kiko Loureiro - Open Source
The Waymaker - s/t
Now or Never - III
Nightmare - Aeternam

Some of those I will likely still purchase outright.

Couple albums still to come that are all Rock style guaran-damn-tee'd purchase:
Black Fate - Ithaca
Lords of Black - Alchemy of Souls Part 1
Pyramaze- Epitaph
Fates Warning - Long Day Good Night
Vanden Plas - The Ghost Xperiment - Illumination
That's a word salad - and take it from me, I know word salad
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Offline Elite

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Re: Your Favorite Albums of 2020 (so far...)
« Reply #91 on: October 21, 2020, 02:40:12 PM »
Wow.. Since I've been working from home a lot, I haven't really listened to a lot of new stuff. The car is where I listen to music the most; I rarely play music at home and if/when I do, it's usually a vinyl LP, so that's not exactly the best way to listen to new music.

I have heard some stuff though, here's it ranked roughly:

1. The Ocean - Phanerozoic II: Mesozoic | Cenozoic
1. Pain of Salvation - Panther

3. Obsidian Kingdom - Meat Machine
4. Haken - Virus
5. Caligula's Horse - Rise Radiant
6. Ulver - Flowers of Evil

I have a list containing a bunch of stuff I want to check out, but I simply haven't gotten round to it. I've actually been listening to a lot of stuff from previous years and a bunch of jazz records from the 50s and 60s, more so than checking out new releases.
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Offline twosuitsluke

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Re: Your Favorite Albums of 2020 (so far...)
« Reply #92 on: October 21, 2020, 03:41:32 PM »
Just worked out my tentative list, seems fairly accurate. There are a load of albums I've only listened to once, that I didn't bother to add, as they obviously didn't leave much of an impression. Here we go...

1. NOFX/Frank Turner Split - West Coast vs. Wessex
2. Get Dead - Dancing with the Curse
3. Mother's Cake - Cyberfunk!
4. Ihsahn - Telemark/Pharos
5. Haken - Virus
6. The Ocean - Phanerozoic II: Mesozoic | Cenozoic
7. Caligula's Horse - Rise Radiant
8. The Skints - Live at the Electric Ballroom
9. Enslaved - Utgard
10. Pain of Salvation - Panther


11. The Reticent - The Oubliette
12. Obsidian Kingdom - Meat Machine
13. Thy Catafalque - Naiv
14. Svalbard - When I Die, Will I Get Better?
15. Metallica - S&M 2
16. Kvelertak - Splid
17. Nobuo Uematsu - Square Enix Jazz: Final Fantasy VII
18. Intronaut - Fluid Existential Inversions
19. Mastodon - Medium Rarities
20. Trivium - What the Dead Men Say


21. Rannoch - Reflections Upon Darkness
22. King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard - Chunky Shrapnel
23. Frost* - Others EP
24. Elder - Omens
25. Biffy Clyro - A Celebration of Endings
26. Oceans of Slumber - Oceans of Slumber
27. Lamb of God - Lamb of God
28. Telepathy - Burn Embrace
29. Crippled Black Phoenix - Ellengæst
30. Days N Daze - Show Me the Blueprints
31. The Hirsch Effekt - Kollaps
32. The Suicide Machines - Revolution Spring
33. Me and That Man - New Man, New Songs, Same Shit, Vol. 1
34. Steve Von Till - No Wilderness Deep Enough
35. Paradise Lost - Obsidian
36. Protest the Hero - Palimpsest
37. Black Crown Initiate - Violent Portraits of Doomed Escape
38. The Fall of Troy - Mukiltearth

Offline Stadler

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Re: Your Favorite Albums of 2020 (so far...)
« Reply #93 on: October 22, 2020, 06:58:39 AM »
With the understanding that I am not making fun of or slagging anyone's choice in music - just making an observation about ME and my listening habits - but I read this thread and I wonder if I haven't hit that age where my musical library is now fairly static.   I guess I did add Ayreon to the list recently, and I've been deepening my appreciation for Neal Morse, but - and again, NO JUDGMENT - I see these lists and I have no desire to NOT listen to Rush or Deep Purple or Michael Schenker in order to dig full on into those catalogues.  It's almost like there's too much music out there.

That's an interesting - and, for a guy that used to listen to anything once, and would go see any band live at any time - sobering thought. 

Offline The Walrus

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Re: Your Favorite Albums of 2020 (so far...)
« Reply #94 on: October 22, 2020, 07:23:27 AM »
With the understanding that I am not making fun of or slagging anyone's choice in music - just making an observation about ME and my listening habits - but I read this thread and I wonder if I haven't hit that age where my musical library is now fairly static.   I guess I did add Ayreon to the list recently, and I've been deepening my appreciation for Neal Morse, but - and again, NO JUDGMENT - I see these lists and I have no desire to NOT listen to Rush or Deep Purple or Michael Schenker in order to dig full on into those catalogues.  It's almost like there's too much music out there.

That's an interesting - and, for a guy that used to listen to anything once, and would go see any band live at any time - sobering thought.

I often wobble toward this line of thinking, and even as someone who enjoys hearing all this new music, there are still moments during most days where I just have to listen to something familiar and (to me) classic. Then there are times when I'm listening to new music that hits me almost the same way those personal classics of mine hit me many years ago, and the thirst for more great new discoveries grows. I've begun partitioning the days of the week into 'familiar music' and 'new discoveries.' There is too much music and not enough time for it.
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Offline Stadler

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Re: Your Favorite Albums of 2020 (so far...)
« Reply #95 on: October 22, 2020, 07:35:16 AM »
That makes sense; maybe I'll try something like that. 

And after I posted that, I kind of thought that I wasn't being fair.  I AM expanding my horizons; I'm a full-on Harry Styles fan now, and that's relatively new, and Rival Sons is a band I've picked up recently that I really like.   

I do still think, though, that there's almost TOO MUCH music out there. It's not possible to give it a fair shake.  When I got High Voltage and Blizzard of Ozz for Christmas one year, I remember listening to them, putting them to tape, and playing them OVER AND OVER.   As I've said before, I can list you the albums and the songs IN ORDER to this day - I Don't Know, Crazy Train, Goodbye To Romance, Dee, Suicide Solution, Mr. Crowley, No Bone Movies, Revelations (Mother Earth), Steal Away (The Night), It's A Long Way To The Top (If You Want To Rock And Roll), Rock And Roll Singer, The Jack, Live Wire, T.N.T., Can I Sit Next To You Girl, Little Lover, She's Got Balls, High Voltage - without thinking about it.  I could do that for Kiss from the debut through Dynasty, maybe Unmasked, and including three of the four solo albums.  Maiden, Sabbath too.  Now?  I'd be hard pressed to name all the songs - in ANY order - from the three Flying Colors records, and I LIKE them. 

Offline The Walrus

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Re: Your Favorite Albums of 2020 (so far...)
« Reply #96 on: October 22, 2020, 07:37:36 AM »
That makes sense; maybe I'll try something like that. 

And after I posted that, I kind of thought that I wasn't being fair.  I AM expanding my horizons; I'm a full-on Harry Styles fan now, and that's relatively new, and Rival Sons is a band I've picked up recently that I really like.   

I do still think, though, that there's almost TOO MUCH music out there. It's not possible to give it a fair shake.  When I got High Voltage and Blizzard of Ozz for Christmas one year, I remember listening to them, putting them to tape, and playing them OVER AND OVER.   As I've said before, I can list you the albums and the songs IN ORDER to this day - I Don't Know, Crazy Train, Goodbye To Romance, Dee, Suicide Solution, Mr. Crowley, No Bone Movies, Revelations (Mother Earth), Steal Away (The Night), It's A Long Way To The Top (If You Want To Rock And Roll), Rock And Roll Singer, The Jack, Live Wire, T.N.T., Can I Sit Next To You Girl, Little Lover, She's Got Balls, High Voltage - without thinking about it.  I could do that for Kiss from the debut through Dynasty, maybe Unmasked, and including three of the four solo albums.  Maiden, Sabbath too.  Now?  I'd be hard pressed to name all the songs - in ANY order - from the three Flying Colors records, and I LIKE them.

Maybe you haven't found that 'holy shit' record that's blown you away. There are a bunch of brand new releases I can rattle off tracklists from start to finish 'cause I love them so much and have played them. But, I also have more free time on my hand than you, and other than music, my brain is filled with malted barley, hops and bong resin  :lol
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Offline Stadler

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Re: Your Favorite Albums of 2020 (so far...)
« Reply #97 on: October 22, 2020, 07:43:33 AM »
You're right about being "blown away".   I have been blown away by records, but it's almost always after the fact (The Grand Experiment is the latest one, and that came out five years ago).  The last record I was blown away by on release was Flying Colors debut, and the last Van Halen record before that.  Everything else has been a slow burn or a no burn.

Offline kirksnosehair

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Re: Your Favorite Albums of 2020 (so far...)
« Reply #98 on: October 22, 2020, 08:06:11 AM »
I haven't been doing a lot of listening this year because I've been knee deep in recording the next The ANABASIS album, which officially begins vocal recording next week!


That said, there are a few albums so far that year that I've quite enjoyed.  I'll circle back to this thread later when I've compiled my list.  Off the top of my head a couple of records stand out this year - in no particular order:


Kansas - The Absence of Presence
Thoughts Factory - Elements
The Tangent - Auto Reconnaissance
The Flower Kings - Islands
Green Carnation - Leaves of Yesteryear
Pain of Salvation - Panther
John Petrucci - Terminal Velocity
Vanishing Point - Dead Elysium
Paralydium - Worlds Beyond
Nick D'Virgilio - Invisible


Offline HOF

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Re: Your Favorite Albums of 2020 (so far...)
« Reply #99 on: October 22, 2020, 08:22:44 AM »
I sample a lot of music, which is partly a blessing and partly a curse of unlimited streaming. I usually don’t have to invest too much time to know if a new band or album I hear about is something I’ll like. But of course I’m not giving full attention listens to a lot of it. But my new music purchases are usually reserved for bands I know and are committed to, otherwise I’m not going to buy something without sampling it first.

In terms of actually listening to all the music that’s out there, a lot depends where I am. At home I’m usually listening to music that I own played off my laptop, and that could be a full album but a lot of times I just shuffle my playlist and see what pops up. When I’m driving is usually when I give albums a full listen (on CD), so that’s where I usually get acquainted with new purchases. When I’m out walking the dog I usually will jump around on Prime Music and listen to new stuff I’ve heard about or something that’s being discussed here. That’s usually my discovery time.

Something fun I did the other night, Steven Wilson and Tim Bowness have a podcast where they pick a year and talk about the albums from that year, and boy do they talk about a LOT of albums. I listened to their episode on 1989 the other night and would pause it and look up an album on Prime and see what I thought. Discovered some interesting stuff that way.

Offline Stadler

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Re: Your Favorite Albums of 2020 (so far...)
« Reply #100 on: October 22, 2020, 08:36:16 AM »
Problem for me is that "medium" does have a bearing.  I've listened to music in my car and on my home stereo and it's not been the same listening through two shitty computer speakers that sat in my garage for three years.  :) :)

I suppose I could figure out a way to get Spotify in my car, but that seems like work.  :)

Offline The Walrus

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Re: Your Favorite Albums of 2020 (so far...)
« Reply #101 on: October 22, 2020, 08:43:30 AM »
Problem for me is that "medium" does have a bearing.  I've listened to music in my car and on my home stereo and it's not been the same listening through two shitty computer speakers that sat in my garage for three years.  :) :)

I suppose I could figure out a way to get Spotify in my car, but that seems like work.  :)

If your car stereo has bluetooth, that's all you need. I still buy CDs but honestly they just go straight to the shelf for me, as it's more of a collector thing now and I don't want to scratch up the discs or cases in my car.

The medium thing is interesting, though. I am 99% digital/streaming these days, but like I said, I still buy physical, and buy vinyls of albums that were originally recorded on vinyl (so pretty much anything from the early 80s on back). Sometimes I like to just sit in front of the record player and play the album, because for all the convenience of digital, that warmth of listening to a vinyl record is unmatched by anything else imo.
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Offline kirksnosehair

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Re: Your Favorite Albums of 2020 (so far...)
« Reply #102 on: October 22, 2020, 10:39:07 AM »
Yeah, once cars started coming equipped with bluetooth that was when I took the plunge with Amazon.com music unlimited and it's pissah!  I get to sample everything I want to sample before I make a purchase.  It's practically saved me from regretting any purchases I make.  I usually have at least one full listen of something or maybe a few tracks to get to know it before I buy it.


There are still several bands I just go right to buying like Ayreon, Dream Theater, Iron Maiden, Spock's Beard, The Flower Kings, The Tangent, Transatlantic, Neal Morse Band (and solo) to name the most prominent ones.  Oh, wait, Symphony X is still an automatic purchase too and Star One of course, oh and Fates Warning too.  OK, I should stop now  :lol

Offline The Walrus

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Re: Your Favorite Albums of 2020 (so far...)
« Reply #103 on: October 22, 2020, 10:42:52 AM »
Yeah I'm the same way. I got a bunch of old 'standards' so to speak that get an automatic buy from me, and that money is already stretched thin trying to choose which favorite artists to support, so I feel bad for all the new artists I'm just streaming and not buying physical copies of. But that's life  :lol
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Offline Nachtmerrie

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Re: Your Favorite Albums of 2020 (so far...)
« Reply #104 on: October 22, 2020, 02:03:00 PM »
Great to see some lists again. I'm pretty confident I'll find some hidden gems!

My favorites so far:

Haken - Virus
The Ocean - Phanerozoic II Mesazoic / Cenozoic
Rannoch - Reflections Upon Darkness
Oranssi Pazuzu - Mestarin Kynsi
Psychonaut - Unfold the God Man
Paradise Lost - Obsidian
Toundra - Das Cabinet des dr. Caligari
Enslaved - Utgard
A.A. Williams - Forever Blue
Aleah - Aleah
Intronaut - Fluid Existencial Inversions
Svalbard - When I Die, Will I Get Better