the Top 10 Folk & Country Albums of 2020

Feeling depressed? Need a soundtrack to sitting outside by yourself ? This year's current crop of folk albums provided that. As with years past I 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 for folk and country  there were artists perhaps new to this blog, but not much in the way of new artists debuting anything note worthy enough to make the 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 10 folk and country albums of 2020

10-Myrkur- "Folksange" 

 This is almost more of an honorable mention. Gone were all trapping of her black metal past. I mean she was half way there on her previous album, this one just finds her all in with a  more Northern European style of folk. She is better at it than most.

 https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2020/03/myrkur-folksange.html 

 

9- Ataraxia- "Quasar" 

 Nothing short of spell binding. It's a blend of folk with a fey like atmosphere not unlike the Cocteau Twins. Their lead singer's voice is almost operatic. This album I could leave on and let play.

 https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2020/08/ataraxia-quasar.html

 

8-King Dude- "Full Virgo Moon" 

He goes in a more introspective , almost Death In June like realm of atmospheric folk that is more introspective than this flirtations with a darker post punk sound. It shows another side of his voice that I like. 

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2020/03/king-dude-full-virgo-moon.html

7-Brendan Perry - "Songs of Disenchantment" 

This is not Dead Can Dance, but I will always take a solo album from him. He went wit ha selection of underground Greek folk songs . This turned out to be much more gangsta than anticipated. All the songs are about smoking drugs , women and running from the cops. At 61 he is still going hard. 

 https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2020/12/brendan-perry-songs-of-disenchantment.html

 

6-Sturgill Simpson- "Cutting Grass"

 Simpson worked some of his songs into bluegrass versions , that makes them feel almost like new songs all together. This shows he is the real deal country , so if "Sound & Fury" was your jam then , this might not be for you as the pickin and grinnin is legit here.

 https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2020/12/sturgill-simpson-cutting-grass.html 

 


5-Mark Lanegan- "Songs of Sorrow"

Another solo effort from the former Screaming Trees front man. Not rock enough to be grunge, but more rock than most other folk albums put out this year as he still has a rock n roll soul. An unmistakable voice , fans of any of his other endeavors should make sure not to miss out on this one.

 https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2020/04/mark-lanegan-straight-songs-of-sorrow.html

 

4- AA Williams- " Forever Blue"

More melancholy than other singers she fell behind. More atmospheric than her peers , she is not content with just putting out a folk album and follows in the foots steps of artists like Chelsea Wolfe by even weaving in elements of metal. 

 https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2020/07/aa-williams-forever-blue.html

3-Chris Stapleton- 'Starting Over" 

Not the best album of his career . He begins to settle into a more tried and true formula and shows' off his pipes less. With that said even when he dials it in Chris is able to put out an album that most still can not come close to and continues to dominate country music. 

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2020/11/chris-stapleton-starting-over.html

2-Phobe Bridgers- "Punisher"   

She goes beyond the sonic spectrum of conventional folk, but has dressed it up in gorgeous melancholy. Her voice is fragile , but drips with honest beauty. It was a real close call between this and the number one album.

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2020/07/phoebe-bridgers-punisher.html

1-Waxahatchee- "Saint Cloud" 

This album is in the running for album of the year. She has a unique that she throws around with a great deal of feeling. Her song writing is far beyond the bounds of being just amazing in terms of how she weaves melodies together. Infectious but something to say. Story telling that is left open for you to relate to . She can do not wrong here.  

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https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2020/05/waxahatchee-saint-cloud.html

The Top 10 Black Metal Albums of 2020

In todays world we need the hateful nature of black metal more than ever. Here is the best of the  current crop. As with years past I 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 for black metal  there is  only1 new band on this years list . It's been a year for the tried and true though none of the standard veterans from the first run of the second wave. The very fact these bands 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 10 Black Metal  albums of 2020

10--Autumn For Cripple Children- "All Fell Silent, All Went quiet"

For 11 years years this band from the Netherlands has been brining it with very little fanfare from the metal press. They have dipped in and out of varied incarnations of post- rock and shoe gaze, but this album finds them shifting their the haze to get their snarl back. 

 https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2020/04/an-autumn-for-crippled-all-fell-silent.html

9- Curse Upon A Prayer - " Infidel" 

This band from Finland is back to make black metal hate again. They make no bones about going after Islam and I respect the hell out of that. This album finds both their range of sonics and songwriting expand. These guys are not a gimmick and serious song writing willing to rip your face off. It is this need to hate that gave them the edge to grab the number 9 spot. 

 https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2020/02/black-metal-history-month-curse-upon.html

8- Uada- "Djinn" 

This album finds the Portland band excelling at both songwriting and in the sounds they have crafted here, as the band continues to expand their sound. It had drawn some unfounded post punk comparisons. The riffing is very metal, though it is dark and has a fair amount of tension to it. Their songwriting was refined enough to put them at number 8. 

 https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2020/08/uada-djinn.html

7-Kall- "Brand" 

The boys from Lifelover are back. They have not brought any sunshine this time either. The amount of growth since their 2014 debut is off the charts. They jam the songs out as elements of jazz dance around the depressive tapestry of sound. They command more sonic range than UADA , giving them the number 7 spot.  

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2020/08/kall-brand.html

6- Forgotten Tomb- "Nihilistic Estrangement"

Dark and melodic, while not sacrificing the venom to their hell fire. They really stepped up on all levels and gave the songs more grounded and urban feel than the bulk of black metal out today securing them here at number 6. 

 https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2020/05/forgotten-tomb-nihilistic-estrangement.html

 

5-Vous Autres -"Sel de Pierre" 

This French band continues to lay to waste with a surreal blend of atmosphere and emotionally crushing  riffs to terrorize your ears. All done with the most monstrous beauty.

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2020/08/vous-autres-sel-de-pierre.html

 

4-Svnth "Spring in Blue"

One reason I like doing these end-of-the-year lists is how they make me go back and listen to albums that I liked earlier in the year and forgot about. This was one of those. I did tell myself I was going to download this and just now got around to downloading it. That is how 2020 is though. It is everything a thinking man might want from modern black metal. 

 https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2020/08/svnth-spring-in-blue.html 

3- Tombs - "Under Sullen Skies"

 Yeah it is a tough year for black metal when these guys do not take the top spot. That is not a slight on this album. In fact it is the heaviest of the top 3. They do delve into their more gothy side at time, but for the most part it is hammering and in your face. Mike Hill is pissed and that makes me happy.

 https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2020/11/tombs-under-sullen-skies.html

2- Wayfarer - " Romance With Violence" 

These guys are not content with just being heavy anymore. This is sound track to a western in hell. The range of dynamic here is stunning., It was a tough call between this one and the album that took the top spot, it just came down to which one I listened to more. This album is not just one of the best black metal albums to come out this year it is one of the best albums of any genre. 

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2020/11/wayfarer-romance-with-violence.html

1- Chrome Waves - "Where We Live" 

This is the least black metal album of the 3, but it is the best. They ride the line between shoegazing and black metal so hard that I have to listen through the entire album and compare it song by song to see where it fell, it was a 60/ 40 mix. Making it still more black metal than most Deafheaven albums. Not just the best black metal albums of the year but in the top 10 best albums overall. 

 https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2020/09/chrome-waves-where-we-live.html