the Top 10 Death Metal Albums of 2020

Given the state of 2020 we need death metal more than ever. Death is something to be celebrated not feared and these albums help provide a sound track for that celebration. I do not like death metal that is too technical or only heavy so these bands all went above and beyond. Ok now that that is out of the way , much like in years past sort through the genre lists before making the overall top ten of the year list. I know many of you are ready for 2020 to be over with. Hate to break it to you but nothing is getting better next year. As far as 2020 goes there is only a couple new bands on this list. 

 The fact these artists made it on the list speaks to how great these albums are, so it's not a slight that the number 8 album is above the 9th album, there is something that just gives it an edge that makes me want to listen to it more. After all we can try to look cool and pick the hippest bands for a list, but at the end of the day what makes an album the best is that it makes you want more, you look forward to listening to it again. Sure you can bitch and complain about your favorite band not being on the list. However I listen to five new albums a day so yes I heard your favorite album and was not impressed. No I do not care what you think about it .I do hope you can find your next favorite on this list and have included links to reviews of these albums if you want to check out audio on these guys. Anyways here are the top death metal albums of 2020

 10- Marche Funebre -"Einderlicht"

Overall everything that goes down in the first song is what I want from metal. It's heavy but catchy and melodic. They do not over due the guitar harmonies as many European death metal bands do. It more like a more ballsy version of Amorphis.

 https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2020/10/marche-funebre-einderlicht.html 

9- Pyrrhon - "Abscess Time" 

The guys took the term progressive death metal in a new direction and progressed into a death metal version of the Jesus Lizard.  Plenty of crazed angular ugliness to wipe your face in. 

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2020/08/pyrrhon-abscess-time.html

 

8-Goat Necropsy- "Bloody and Fresh" 

The more death grind gore side of the genre is not normally something I am into but these guys, gave the blood shed more charm through their ear for riffage.  

 https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2020/05/goat-necropsy-bloody-and-fresh.html

 

7-Phobetor- "When Life Falls Silent" 

I like how they use dissonance and keep their melodies ugly. Yes there is also some degree of black metal influence particularly when it comes to the darker side of their ugly sound , but they are not blackened death metal. Branded as just extreme metal, I find most of this he this is used they are just a death metal band, and that is the case here. They have a more organic sound than many of the more modern death metal bands doing similar

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2020/06/death-is-june-phobetor-when-life-falls.html

6- Abysmal Dawn _ "Phylogenesis" 

While on paper this might not come across as something I would be into. These guys prove a point.. It doesn't matter how heavy or technical you are, you can still give a shit and write good songs. These songs are what wins me over against all odds. Yes the labyrinth of riffs might be a lot when they first hit you with it, but they prove to be catchy. 

 https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2020/06/death-is-june-abysmal-dawn-phylogenesis.html

5-White Stones - "Kuarahy" 

Do you miss the days when Opeth was death metal ? Well so does their bass player . So much so he started another band to recapture that sound. 

  https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2020/06/death-is-june-white-stones-kuarahy.html

4-Temple of the Void - "the World That Was" 

 Tired of the death doom band wagon every one was jumping on so I dis regarded this one when it showed up in my in-box. I regret doing that as holy shit this album is good. It is dark as fuck and darkness is what I listen for. At times they pull influence from bands like Alice in Chains and Ride as much as they were Morbid Angel, so how can you  not check it out.

 https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2020/03/temple-of-void-world-that-was.html

3- Kruelty"- "Dying Truth" 

I do not always do brutal death metal. But when I do I like for it to sound like Kruelty. With some hard core influence to it. 

 https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2020/06/death-is-june-kruelty-dying-truth.html

2- Umbra Vitae-Shadow of Life" 

Jacob from Converge loves Entombed. He also likes other classic death metal. He created a band to pay tribute to this and it is as awesome or perhaps even more so than we could have hoped for. It was a tough call between this and the number one album , but the scope of what the top spot does beat this out. 

 https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2020/05/umbra-vitae-shadow-of-life.html

 

1-Pulchra Morte - " Ex Rosa Ceremonia"

This is the first time an artist has taken the top spot two years in a row. This speaks to how awesome these guys are. Even with a change of sound and new line up they still manage to earn this all on their own . It is not because I am a fan as I am an even bigger fan of Converge, but here we are tis album speaks for itself.

 https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2020/10/pulchra-morte-ex-rosa-ceremonia.html