top10albums2020

[top10albums2020]

Chris Pritchard - Venue manager, Tunbridge Well Forum & Artist manager. ------------- Albums (in no particular order) Adrianne Lenker - Songs Adrianne is annually at the top of my list. Either solo or doing Big Thief. She really is an incredible songwriter. Subdued and subtle. She has been perfect listening for the winter. Private World - Aleph Welsh band signed to Dais and its a total winner. Feels like an homage to Roxy Music and Talking Heads. Constantly crept back to this one all summer. Luke Abbott - Kagen Sound Ive been waiting on a new record by Luke for ages and this has been worth the wait. Always enjoyed single tracks he has released before but this is definitely an album context listen. Brooding and heavy electronic music. Pinegrove - Marigold One of the pre-lockdowners. The album was on repeat all year. Just a golden mix of alternative country and indie-emo. You’d expect to be cringing when you read that description but its genuinely a lovely record. Gil Scott Heron - We’re new again - A reimagining by Makaya Mccraven Cards on the table - I hadn’t heard the original of this but this version of the album is breathtaking. Gil obviously is always an unforgettable voice but the arrangements added to this record now are next level. An album to get lost in. Deeper - Auto Pain Just some good angular indie. Id have definitely chosen Maxband over this album but they only released an EP. Both bands are great though. Gulch - Impenetrable cerebral fortress As probably many did, I saw the hate5six video of one of their sets and my jaw dropped. Im even more in love with the first album but this is right up there too. Being an old fart, this reminds me of a band like converge (petitioning/forever) when they were starting out and were a little bit more innocent- that mixed with the obvious power violence influences - this record rips. Thou - Blessings Of The Highest Order I think if you’re not fascinated by a band like Thou, you’re missing out on a glorious gloomy wormhole. This is all nirvana covers. (The ones you always wish a band would cover). I like Thou - I love Nirvana —Winning cocktail of audio. Gino & The Goons - Off The Rails Most recent discovery on the list. Just some old men from the east coat of America. Making great scrappy rock n roll punk rock and doing it right. They won’t get famous. Nobody will give a shit. I do though. V/A - Apocalypse Domani An amazing compilation of Italo-fuelled horror synth music. John Carpenter meets Giorgio Moroder watching Dawn of the dead. Some absolute gem tracks on here by WLDV, Antoni Maiiovi, Bill Ambrose and more.

3 Fave Tracks Of 2020: The Cool Greenhouse - Cardboard Man Caroline - Dark Blue Dorothys Fortress - Firefox

[top10albums2020]

Sam Siegler  - Drummer (Rival Schools, Youth Of Today, Gorilla Biscuits, World Be Free, Constant Elevation and many more) ------------- Albums (in no particular order) You Are Here - Andrew Carroll This is a chill good time, works for my family house setting which isn’t always easy, pshycadelic in all the right ways, make me feel like a druid or something Drain - California Cursed I’ve been helping with things at Revelation Records that how I got turned on to Drain. The combination of brutal hardcore and humor is amazing Narrow Head - 12th House Rock They made a complete album, embraced the imperfections, it’s raw and alive, I’m fortunate to manage these Texans, great people, talented, my favorite track as of now is “Emmadazey”, dig it! Speedway - Self Titled Last year Speedway supported Youth of Today and Shelter when we were in there home town of Stockholm, I was really impressed, this EP is refreshing, pure energetic hardcore, good things coming from these guys in 2021. Freddie Gibbs - Alfredo Nasty, refreshing, this is a great album, love the laid back chill elements with the grit. Tomberlin - Projections I was drawn in by the album cover, not gonna lie, but this is a beautiful release. Mordechai - Khruangbin There’s not much I don’t like from these guys, this record is another solid release Yaya Bey - Madison Tapes Chill R&B with a bite, this is a great record Steve Lacy - The Lo-Fis I’m a fan, he’s an old soul, this new release is great. Deftones - Ohms Amazng to see these guys grow and evolve, this is another great release from Deftones. CIV toured with them back in 1996, crazy to think all this time has passed, I’m happy for my dudes. 3 Fave Tracks Of 2020: Jean Dawson - Triple Double  Yves Tumor - Gospel For A Century Narrow Head - Emmadazey

[top10albums2020]

Hayley Connelly - Good As Gold, Co-Director  ----------------- Albums (in no particular order) Phoebe Bridgers - Punisher This album is perfect to me, its delicate & miserable & heartbreaking & uplifting all at the same time. She can do no wrong for me. END - Splinters From An Ever-Changing face WHAT.A.BAND. I flew to NYC to see them based off how good that debut EP was & this album does not disappoint. It almost gives me anxiety listening to it whilst making me want to punch a wall or flip a table. Love love love. Gulch - Impenetrable Cerebral Fortress 15mins52 secs of frantic noise that immediately transported me to being in my 20s & listening to Swing Kids, Ceremony, Funeral Diner etc. They also have the best song titles. I can’t wait to see this band live. Laurel - Petrol Bloom Her debut album was brilliant but with EP she takes on a whole new vibe. It’s clever pop that I can’t get out my head. Love her. PVRIS - Use Me Lynn Gunn has evolved as a song writer with every record she has done. This record is bold and laden with dark alt pop that really sees her taking a leap into a new world tat she deserves to really own. Spanish Love Songs - Brave Faces Everyone This record makes me want to sing my heart out with my arms around my best pals. Just a great punk rock record. Tame Impala - The Slow Rush A great record of technicolor indie rock. Kevin Parker forever opening some of the greatest songs. Haim - Women In Music PT III Super fun summer record. Whilst I do prefer their last offering, this has grown on me more and more. Spice - Spice My biz partner Matt played me this album more recently & I loved it instantly. A mix of US indie but with the balls of punk & shoegaze. Sam Pura produced it so you know it’s going to be great. Nothing- The Great Dismal A band that always deliver, even with a major lineup change they have created a beautiful record that just envelops you. The lyric “Existence hurts existence” sets the tone pretty well I think. 3 Fave Songs Of 2020: Bombay Bicycle Club - Eat, Sleep, Wake (Nothing But You) Laurel - Scream Drive Faster NewDad- Blue

[top10albums2020]

Eve Morrison - Marketing Manager UK, Concord Recorded Music

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Albums (in no particular order) Hayley Williams - Petals For Armor This is the pop album Hayley was destined to always make. Love her more than ever. Biffy Clyro - A Celebration of Endings Last album was a bit naff. This album is 10/10 Lady Gaga - Chromatica She’s back on top. Paws Up etc. Rina Sawayama ‘SAWAYAMA’ My queen of the year. Can’t wait to see her live eventually. Deftones - Ohms Perfectly filled the Deftones shaped hole in my life this year. Grimes - Miss Anthropocene Released an album and gave birth to an alien in the same year. Legend. Phoebe Bridgers - Punisher Finally understand the hype with this album. And one of the best album closers ever. Dua Lipa - Future Nostalgia Flawless pop album and a pretty much perfect campaign to accompany it. Creeper – Sex, Death & The Infinite Void I liked it so much, I bought it on CD I LIKE TRAINS – KOMPROMAT Lovely boys, great songs. So glad they came back together to make this album.

3 fave Songs Of 2020: Lady Gaga & Ariana Grande - Rain On Me Muzz - Red Western Sky Phoebe Bridgers - ICU/I See You

[top10albums2020]

Nelly Liger-Edinger - Director Of Promotions, The Noise Cartel Ltd 

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Albums (in order, 1-10) 1. BMTH - Post Human: Survival Horror Simply put it's just bangers after bangers, an awesome return to their heavy roots. 2. Biffy Clyro - A Celebration Of Endings This is a magnificent album from start to finish. 3. AC/DC - Power Up it's just fucking AC/DC! 4. Deftones - Ohms I don't think Deftones could do a bad album if they tried! 5. The Ghost Inside - The Ghost Inside Now this is an album that makes you want to fight! Aftermath is one of the biggest tunes of the year. 6. Touche Amore - Lament Phenomenal post harcore tunes - truly spellbiding. 7 . Poppy - disagree This is pop metal at its best! 8.  Palaye Royale - The Bastards One of the most diverse albums of the year - you're bound to hear something you love! 9. Fever 333 - Wrong Generation One of the most passionate albums this year, and a very important one too. 10. Marilyn Manson - We Are Chaos Gloriously put together with influences such as Bowie, Bolan and some arty new wave, one of his best! 3 Fave Tracks Of 2020: Architects - Animals Bring Me The Horizon - Dear Diary Biffy Clyro- End Of 

[top10albums2020]

James Scarlett - 2000trees and ArcTanGent Festival organiser 

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Albums (in order, 1-10) 1. The Ocean – Phanerozoic II Fans of post-metal should be all over this. Like Cult of Luna jamming with Tool while Radiohead watch from a distance. Absolutely incredible.

2. Psychonaut – Unfold the God Man Signed to the always brilliant Pelagic Records, Belgium’s Psychonaut are my find of the year. This album is fantastic from front to back and somehow finds the meeting point between Mastodon, The Ocean and Baroness. I’m gobsmacked that more people aren’t talking about it.

3. Deftones - Ohms Deftones being brilliant at being Deftones.

4. Oranssi Pazzuzu – Mestarin Kynsi The sound of the Mars Volta falling into hell and playing black-metal for all eternity.

5. VENNART – In The Dead, Dead Wood I love everything that former Oceansize leader Mike Vennart does and this is no exception. A true one of a kind songwriter.

6. Spanish Love Songs – Brave Faces Everyone If depressing bangers are your thing then this is the album for you! For Fans Of: The Menzingers and Gaslight Anthem.

7. Elephant Tree – Habits Amplifier vs Pallbearer vs The Smashing Pumpkins. What is not to love?!

8. Dool – Summerland This is a really hard one to describe… Kind of like a satanic version of melodic 80s rock. It shouldn’t work but it is does!

9. Phoxjaw – Black Swan Bristol’s Phoxjaw have hit on a truly unique recipe here. A brilliantly exciting amalgam of Deftones, Artic Monkeys, and Queens of the Stone Age. Get involved people!

10. BRIQUEVILLE - Quelle Another Album Of The Year release on Pelagic Records, BRIQUEVILLE offer a truly unique take on doom. There is more than a hint of Russian Circles at times plus a plethora of other non-rock influences are thrown into the mix.

3 Fave Tracks Of 2020: The Ocean - Jurassic Cretaceous Psychonaught - The Fall Of Consciousness Oranssi Pazzuzu - Uusi Teknokratia

[top10albums2020]

Oliver Horner - Tour Manager / Promoters Rep

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Albums (in no particular order) Tom Misch and Yussef Dayes - What Kinda Music I've been following Tom Misch for a while since the LTA guys were listening to him like every day back on tour in 2018...just an insanely talented musician who can write feel good music, great summer tunes!

Drain - California Curse I've always been a fan of metal, and hardcore but rarely do bands get a mix of the 2 genres right. This album is up there along with other bands albums like Power Trip, Rotting Out etc. Plenty of riffs and moments to knock your mates head off to.

Headie One - Edna Probably my favourite drill record to date. I'm not massively into that scene but feel this record has loads of bangers and great lyrical content...definitely a record that's more accessible compared to other drill records I've listened to!

Frank Carter & The Rattlesnakes - Blossom (Deluxe) I mean, I think the original record came out in 2015 and I loved the raw aggression on the vocal takes, so to have the same record get released with some more songs is fantastic! Frank sounds so "London" on this record and I think that's really what makes this album for me, a lot of artists spend too long trying to sound "Proper" and it ruins the feel of the music.

Touché Amore - Lament Although I probably listen to this record less compared to the others in my list, I really enjoy the emotion on the vocal when combined with the open clean guitars. The track Limelight with Manchester Orchestra is particularly good.

Angel Du$t - Lil House I know this isn't an album and is an E.P but the 3 tracks on this record are insanely good. I think it's great that a band can put out a record that's a quick full on hardcore album and then put something out like this, which is full of acoustic guitars and catchy clean vocal lines. I think I've played this E.P at least 5 times a week since its release!

Bring Me The Horizon - POST HUMAN: SURVIVAL HORROR They've had a lot of hassle in the past for releasing more "pop tunes" (not from me may I add) and all those fans have now come crawling back to this record because it's got something for everyone. It's just bloody mental, Kingslayer featuring BABYMETAL is a particular favourite of mine, the second verse with the synth kick and the vocals in Japanese just shouldn't work but it's so good.

Dizzee Rascal - E3 AF This record is just great, I love Dizzee's voice you instantly know it's Dizzee, no one else sounds like he does! The lyrical content is also really good! I do honestly think he's one of the best in the game still...Fix up loooook sharppppp!

Code Orange - Underneath Well, where to start! Just silly, one of the heaviest records I've ever heard. This is probably the only band on the planet that makes me scared, it's like a horror film sound track meets NIN & Slipknot. I have no doubt that when the band can play this record live people will be crying in the corner of the room fearing for their lives!

Nothing - The Great Dismal I think I like this record a lot as it reminds me of a lot of music I listened to growing up. I hear loads of inspiration from other bands on the record from Pixies, Title Fight, Citizen the list goes on. I find a lot of shoegaze quite boring, but this record keeps it really interesting and has some brilliant songs.

3 Fave Tracks Of 2020: Anderson Paak - Jewelz  DJ Khaled & Drake - Popstar  Billie Eilish - Therefore I am 

[top10albums2020]

James Spence - Rolo Tomassi and Atonal Agency ----------------- Albums (in no particular order) Loathe - I Let It In And It Took Everything Light Years ahead of any heavy music that was released in 2020. The scope, ambition and execution of this record is unrivalled. 

SPICE - SPICE 25 mins of post-punk perfection.

Ólafur Arnalds - Some Kind Of Peace Not as immediate as previous albums but I found myself going back to it for. Filled with subtlety 

Rival Consoles - Articulation 6 songs doesn't feel like an album but when those 6 songs are this good it doesn't matter that much. Touché Amoré - Lament I feel like I've lost track with the last few TA records but I had to check this when I saw Ross Robinson produced. An outstanding pairing. Phoebe Bridgers - Punisher Title track is probably my song of the year. Can't wait to see this live. machinedrum - A View Of U Lots of fun, brilliant production, great for running. SPARKLE DIVISION - To Feel Embraced An eclectic and sometimes challenging listen but when it hits, it hits. Anthéne - infinity lines A fine balance of melancholy and euphoria. Very relaxing Deftones - Ohms An obvious choice but they're just SO consistent. 3 Fave Tracks Of 2020: Adrianne Lenker - anything Arca - No Queda Nada Goldmund - Day in Day Out

[top10albums2020]

Emma Van Duyts - Public City PR, Head Honcho/All Round Legend ----------------- Albums (in no particular order) Deftones - OHMS Like a delicious bowl of Deftones Ramen - a bit of everything you love about them and a side of extra noodles. Palm Reader - Sleepless Totally obsessed with this record. Huge, cinematic, diverse, a massive leap in Palm Readers soundscape. Run The Jewels - RTJ4 One of the most consistently brilliant hip hop groups of the last 20 years. Fantastic record Megan Thee Stallion - Good News The new queen of hip hop - this record Slays!! Fearless and badass Gold Key - Panic Machine Epic, huge expansive rock from this genius crew of musicians . FFO Radiohead, muse, Deftones, explosions in the sky Public Enemy - What You Gonna Do when The Grid Goes down? An honour to work with my favourite band on a massive return to form album littered with incredible collabs Nova Twins - Who Are the Girls? Furiously leading the charge for black women in rock music - an incredible mix of heaviness and hip hop sensibilities - a CRACKER of a debut - excited to see where they go next! Killer Be Killed - Reluctant Hero Everything I needed this year to get out some aggression and frustration . Mastodon x The Dillinger Escape Plan x soulfly x converge? yes please! Touché Amore - Lament A post- hardcore delight ️ This band continue to get better and better on each release Prince - Sign o’ The Times (super deluxe edition) I’m including this because I’ve listened to a hell of a lot of Prince this year. While Purple rain is my favourite album of this this record is full of delights like if I was your girlfriend and starfish and coffee ( if you haven’t seen his performance on sesame then skip to it!) this collection is huge and there are so many incredible versions of songs that I’d never heard before. A labour of love.  3 Fave Tracks Of 2020: Palm Reader - A Bird And It’s Feathers Deftones - Radiant City Killer Be Killed  - From A Crowded Wound

[top10albums2020]

Lee Burgess - Artist Manager - 30 Century Management

----------------- Albums (in no particular order) Biffy Clyro – A Celebration Of Endings I don’t want to say this is a return to form for Biffy because that would just be rude to their excellent catalogue and career, but it’s more of a return to a sound I prefer personally from Biffy. It feels like a very career spanning collection of sounds, which ticks the boxes for me. Boston Manor – Glue I’ve got a lot of time for these fellow Lancashire lads, and I’ve enjoyed their career growth and development over the last few years. Glue feels really like the band finding their zone, pushing their sound into a place you might not expect, but it completely works.

Bring Me The Horizon – Post Human: Survival Horror It’s just a really fun collection of songs and I’ve got time for that. A reintroduction to some heavier elements of their past, but big meaty modern riffs and some excellent guest features and collaborations. Code Orange – Underneath This album was absolutely everything I needed going into lockdown 1. I’d been looking forward to the record for ages and boy it didn’t disappoint. It’s perfectly horrible from start to finish and became the perfect record to run to. Creeper – Sex, Death & The Infinite Void Some of the biggest hooks and choruses of the year live on this record. There are just so many big songs with a visual narrative and huge influence from a bold spectrum of artists and eras that wouldn’t be out of place on stage or in Hollywood. Dua Lipa – Future Nostalgia Queen. That’s it. A modern pop idol who’s untouchable at the moment. Front to back bangers that follows up the ridiculous debut album perfectly. Dune Rats – Hurry Up And Wait I was really looking forward to seeing this Aussie lot come over and support Dinosaur Pile-Up (one of my albums of 2019) but that’ll have to wait I’m afraid. Australia as a whole has been smashing it lately with their rock output, but this album tops 2020 for me for Down Under releases. It’s really really fun and super catchy. Enter Shikari – Nothing Is True & Everything Is Possible I’m clearly being a little biased in including this one, but if I didn’t work for the band it’d be included anyway so whatever. Even working for the band for as long as I have, they still manage to surprise me with what they create. This album for me is the perfect “Enter Shikari in 2020” record, and it completely defines them and their career; plus it’s continued to grow in it’s meaning as the year has progressed, and will continue to do so for people once it’s finally performed in a live setting. It’s a record I’m really part to have been a part of. Gulch – Impenetrable Cerebral Fortress It’s just really fucking horrible innit. But really fucking good. It came out and I couldn’t stop playing it over and over and over. Pure raw aggression at it’s best. Machine Gun Kelly – Tickets To My Downfall I really didn’t want to like this record, yet I listened to it and couldn’t help but be taken aback by how good it was. And I found myself playing it again and again. Credit where credit’s due, he’s thrown himself into a new genre and with a little help from some high profile friends, he’s pulled off a cracking pop punk records. A few cringe moments, but I’ll allow it for how fun it is as a whole. 3 Fave Tracks Of 2020: Ashnikko – Daisy beabadoobee – Worth It Malevolence – The Other Side

[top10albums2020]

Derek Bremner - Photographer  ----------------- Albums (in no particular order) Halsey - Manic Great pop album from one of my favourite artists. Some great guests on this, where else will you hear Alanis Morissette sing 'my pussy is a wonderland'. Other Half - Big Twenty Super fun, punchy debut album and another great addition to the Venn Records catalogue. Run The Jewels - RTJ4 High Energy, catchy and powerful. Four albums in and RTJ seem to be getting better and better. Bob Vylan - We Live Here This is my favourite release this year and one of the most important. It really encapsulates Britain in 2020, sounds reactionary but was written way before this years events unfolded. Dominic Fike - What Could Possibly Go Wrong People seem to be sleeping on Dominic a bit but his debut album is great. Like a younger, more pop Anderson .Paak Dream Nails - ST This was probably the most fun release of the year, super up beat and in your face with strong messages. Ludwig Goransson - Tenet Soundtrack Ludwig is probably the best film composer around at the moment and the score for Tenet is one of the most tense pieces of music I've heard. Bartees Strange - Live Forever I'm really surprised more people aren't talking about this album. Huge indie anthems flowing into beautiful R&B and rap tracks. BMTH - Post Human: Survival Horror Still on the fence with how much I like BMTH but this release is exactly what I want from them. Some of the catchiest choruses of the year. Fontaines D.C. - A Hero’s Death Came to this band and album a little bit later but I love how haunting and bleak it sounds. 3 Fave Tracks Of 2020: Georgia - Never Let You Go Halsey - Experiment On Me The Eddy - Call Me When You Get There

[top10albums2020]

Leander Gloversmith - Artist Manager / Creative Consultant ---------------- Albums (in no particular order) Phoebe Bridgers - Punisher Our melancholic elfin songstress savior returned with yet another heart wrenching, gut-punching audio IV drip into her open veins. Following up her modern classic debut didn't seem an easy task on paper, but 'Punisher' made it seem somehow effortless.

Pallbearer - Forgotten Days Crushing riffs and ethereal melody combine to glorious effect on this doom-laden masterclass. Rarely does crushing despair sound quite so beautiful. Plini - Impulse Voices That Plini always delivers a showcase of impeccable, staggering musicianship goes without saying, but with Impulse Voices he ushered in a new level of songwriting craft to frame his technical prowess. Metal, prog, jazz, pop... somehow Plini straddles it all, and it's utterly transcendental. Soccer Mommy - color theory Coming on like Phoebe Bridge's 90s slacker rock cousin, Soccer Mommy wouldn't sound out of place on the soundtrack to My So-Called Life, or playing in The Bronze in Buffy, but colour theory is so much more than mere pastiche. Svalbard - When I Die, Will I Get Better Svalbard have proved they can masterfully channel fury, but with When I Die.... they added a generous lashing of melody and atmospherics to their up-tempo melodic hardcore fundamentals, ascending the ranks to stand shoulder to shoulder with the likes of Oathbreaker and Touche Amore. A beautiful blitzkrieg. HAIM - Women In Music Part III HAIM continued their evolution as one of the true greats of their generation; WIMPIII saw the sisters adding a strong 1970's vibe to their melting pot of 80s pop and 90s r'n'b, but whether they're channeling Joni Mitchell or Janet Jackson, somehow Danielle, Este and Alana always manage to sound exactly like themselves. The 1975 - notes on a conditional form Delayed, divisive and bizarre, The 1975's fourth (or 3rd and a half?) album leans into its title, coming off like an audio sketchbook of ideas and experiments or a career-spanning, eclectic oddities collection. Whether you find it to be messy and dysfunctional assembly, or the flex of a band simply confident in a total lack of sonic boundaries is subjective, but there's no denying that The 1975 can master all they touch - they just happen to touch a lot.

Owen - The Avalanche & Katie Malco - Failures Though these artists are separated by the Atlantic ocean, these two emo-soaked explorations of self-loathing, self-implosion and relationship crises feel spiritually bonded by melancholy. Malco's 'Failures' is a naked and vulnerable affair, her pain raw and real and everyday, whilst Mike Kinsella's latest outing as Owen is as shimmering and polished as you'd expect from a veteran of introspection. Dua Lipa - Future Nostalgia One pop album to rule them all. In an era where pop all too often adheres to notions of overly stylised, self-conscious 'cool', Dua's sophomore effort is a jubilant, guilt-free celebration of pure pop music as it should be. With elements magpie'd from every pop era since the advent of disco, Future Nostalgia rolls up mega hooks, dance beats and the kind of grooves Madonna instructed us all to get into, and firmly delivers Dua Lipa's coronation to a class of true, larger than life pop star.

HONOURABLE mention to - Hum - Inlet 3 Fave Tracks Of 2020: Architects - Animals Joyner Lucas & Will Smith - Will (remix) The 1975 - If you're too shy let me know

[top10albums2020]

Matt Hughes - Good As Gold Group, Director/Band Manager --------------- Albums (in no particular order)

Drain - California Cursed A debut album to signal a REAL new force in heavy music. Drain bring in the old school heavyness with a real dash of very tough punk and hardcore, the result is this near perfect record Gulch - Impenetrable Cerebral Fortress Heavy, heavy, heavy. The best *very* heavy band in the world at the moment? More than likely, yes. Elephant Tree - Habits My most listened to album of 2020, this stunning record swoops from Zepplin stomp to folk to modern heavy riffing, with a great vocal and exceptional song writing skill - truth be told, THIS is my AOTY. Palm Reader - Sleepless A late contender for AOTY for sure, and a record i have listened to approximately 20 times since its release last week. Beautiful and brooding, dark and light, this record flies about 95% of all other releases this year and if there is any justice in the world it deserves its place in the sun. An incredible album. Spice - Spice My debut album of the year for sure, Spice feature members from hugely awesome Ceremony and this self titled album brings together a rush of scuzzy Americana with an effortlessly cool, Fugazi style raw, art punk and hardcore. 

Run The Jewels - RTJ4 The best in the business make it 4 stone cold classics in a row with this INCREDIBLE record. My fave hip hop album of the year, and the best thing either of these guys has ever done.

Phoebe Bridgers - Punisher I could throw a load of superlatives at this album, and at Phoebe Bridgers but that would be too churlish - instead i’ll just say, it’s near perfect, if you don’t know her (WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN?!?!?!), go get this album.

Loathe - I Let It In And It Took Everything The most exciting heavy and progressive UK band atm? Possibly. One this is for certain, this record has seen the band step up about 10 gears! 

Caspian - On Circles Ok so...an album i actually worked on and one i personally feel got a bit overlooked for some reason. Caspian always release beautiful, perfectly crafted music but on this record, especially on the likes of Wildblood and Flowers Of Light, they have perfected their craft. A huge pool of light surrounds this album, and it’s hard to fault its near perfection.

Clipping - Visions Of Bodies Being Burned OMG HOW GOOD ARE CLIPPING!?! Dark, brutal, smart, sharp, funky - an incredible record from an incredible band. Another sure fire smash for Sub Pop. 3 Fave Tracks Of 2020: Jamie Lenman - Sleep Mission Denzel Curry and Kenny Beats - Lay_Up.m4a Elephant Tree - Bird

[top10albums2020]

Charlie Simmonds - Booking Manager at Signature Brew (AKA A NICE MAN) ---------- Albums (in no particular order) Sial - Tari Pemusnah Kuasa Really fan fast hardcore punk from Singapore, it makes me wanna shake my fist really hard and run around! Chubby & The Gang - Speed Kills London's finest punk band, super fast and fun! Fiona Apple - Fetch The Boltcutters Unbelievably wonderful record from Fiona Apple, effortlessly obscure and enjoyable Daniel Avery - Love + Light Gorgeous soundscapes and huge club bangers Park Hye Jin - How can I It's insane how much fun this record is, super bouncy sounds from south Korea Sports Team - Deep Down Happy Current day Blur, absolutely love it! Oneohtrix Point Never - Magic Oneohtrix Point Never No idea how you'd describe this one, it's wild! Rat Cage - Screams From The Rat Cage Razor-sharp hardcore punk from Sheffield, absolutely full of songs that make you wanna spill your pint Creeper - Sex, Death & The Infinite Void Amazing to see such high ambitions come to fruition on this one, totally unexpected but totally brilliant. Joan of Arc - Tim Melina Theo Bobby It's their last ever album :( what a lovely record :( what a  lovely bunch :( 

3 Fave Songs Of 2020: Laundromat - Bureau de Fatigue  SLIFT - Lions, Tigers and Bears Fiona Apple - I Want You To Love Me

[top10albums2020]

Jamie Giberti - Rage PR ----------------- Albums (in order, 1-10) 1) Trivium - What The Dead Men Say Trivium smash the glass ceiling they started cracking with last album The Sin And The Sentence. The mainstream metal album (and my favourite) of the year.    2) Bury Tomorrow - Cannibal The UK's most consistent metalcore band when it comes to albums (sorry Architects) do it again. Some of the best vocal work of Dani and Jason's career with enough riffs to fill a stadium. 3) Katatonia - City Burials A slice of ambient / prog-metal perfection from one of Sweden's finest bands. They even temporarily ditch the melancholy to go upbeat in a couple of places - and it really works! 4) Yours Truly - Self Care My surprise album of the year and a wonderful, feel good, pick you up when you're down collection of songs from the Aussie quartet. Big things are coming for Yours Truly. 5) Taylor Swift - folklore The album when much of the music press decided it was finally cool to like Taylor Swift. Those of us who know were there at the beginning, and are still here. 6) Svalbard - When I Die, Will I Get Better? Raw, gripping, emotional and just an all round stunning piece of work from one of the best British bands on the more extreme end of the metal scale. 7) Creeper - Sex, Death & The Infinite Void A fantastic metamorphosis. From punk to country tinged Americana via Bowie and ballads, an album this eclectic should not work, but it does. In spades. 8) Mr Bungle - The Raging Wrath Of The Easter Bunny Demo Mr Bungle goes full on thrash with new (old) friends Scott Ian and Dave Lombardo. Highly addictive and something they NEED to tour when COVID is over. 9) Coldbones - The Cataclysm A post-rock masterpiece that seemed ever so apt for the Springtime when we were all in the throws of the first lockdown. 10) Sylosis - Cycle Of Suffering I didn't think we'd ever get another Sylosis album after Josh joined Architects. It was well worth the five year wait. 3 Fave Tracks Of 2020: Sertraline - 2205 Bowling For Soup - Alexa Bliss Trivium - Amongst The Shadows And The Stones 

[top10albums2020]

Kris M - Manager - Holy Fawn, Respire

------------ Albums (in no particular order) Caspian - On Circles Few bands can evoke emotion and create huge, dynamic atmospheres like Caspian. “Circles on Circles” was a very pleasant surprise but “Collapser” is the track I always return to. Emma Ruth Rundle & Thou - May Our Chambers Be Full Any release that brings together two of your favorite artists will always be a treat. This reminds me of a lot of 2019’s “Curse These Metal Hands” (a jaw-dropping record by Conjurer and Pijn) where the pairing is so seamless that you hope this collaboration is just the beginning. O’Brother - You and I Remember live music? In 2019, I was with Holy Fawn for a few dates with O’Brother and was astonished the first time I heard “Halogen Eye”. Tanner’s vocal delivery is just brilliant and this album sounds massive.

Phoebe Bridgers - Punisher Every year, I stumble upon one artist that I’ve been sleeping on for no particular reason, only to pinch myself when I sit down to listen to them. In 2020, that’s Phoebe Bridgers. Hoping to hear more from Better Oblivion Community Center in the future as well. Respire - Black Lines Can I do a shameless self plug? I’ve been working a lot with Respire lately, a Toronto-based collective that describes themselves as “post-everything”. If you want to combine the best parts of late 90s/early 00s screamo, shoegaze, and punishing metal, you’ll be happy to find something you’d love in “Black Lines”. Taylor Swift - folklore Earlier, I mentioned how exciting it is to find two artists you enjoy collaborating together. Aaron Dessner and Taylor Swift compliment each other so well that I’m almost bummed they didn’t work together sooner. Also, you love to see a stealth album release like this.Tricot - “10”The most inspiring albums are the ones that make you want to pick up an instrument and play along with it; “10” is arguably the gold standard of this in 2020. Ulcerate - Stare Into Death And Be Still Alright, this description is an interactive one. Ready? Pick any song on this record. See how long you can last without scrunching your face and bobbing your head. You’ll last 30 seconds, tops. Absolute scorcher. Vasudeva - Generator The way this band continues to evolve is so refreshing. I will honestly put this album on repeat for hours at a time and still find moments where I hit rewind quick just to relive a moment. Vous Autres - Sel de Pierre Comment est ce groupe seulement deux personnes? 3 Fave Tracks Of 2020: Covet - Nero Nito - lonely again Portrayal of Guilt - A Tempting Pain (Most anticipated for 2021)

[top10albums2020]

Holly Raven - Good As Gold Group, PR ------------------ Albums (In order 1 - 10) 1. Taylor Swift - Folklore Just what I needed in 2020 was a surprise Taylor Swift album. Probably my second favourite album of hers ever.

2. Knuckle Puck - 20/20 Always pulling on the heartstrings, Knuckle Puck have smashed it with this latest album.

3. Seaway - Big Vibe A more mature but just as catchy and just as fun album from Seaway! Worth a listen because it will get stuck in your head.

4. All Time Low - Wake Up Sunshine Seems forever since the last ATL album. I love the singles with Blackbear and The Band CAMINO.

5. Hayley Williams - Petals For Armour I am so happy about a solo album from Hayley. Petals For Armour is better than expected dark, powerful and about coming out stronger on the other side.

6. Spanish Love Songs - Brave Faces , Everyone Beautiful album from a beautiful band. If you are as emo as me and have slept on this album you need to listen immediately.

7. Megan Thee Stallion - Good News I became obsessed with Megan after hearing her EP Suga at the start of the year. Good News is a great debut album and Megan is really making sure her voice is heard.

8. Bring Me The Horizon - Post Human: Survival Horror I seem to have a thing about collaborations this year. I love every single one of the collabs done on this record. One Day… featuring Amy Lee is beautiful.

9. The Weeknd - After Hours Who hurt you?!

10. Little Mix - Confetti Last minute addition. Great album from the best UK pop band since the Spice Girls. Full of bangers, ballads and cheesiness you expect from a pop album.

3 Fave Songs Of 2020: Taylor Swift - Invisible String Cardi B FT Megan Thee Stallion - WAP Hayley Williams  - Simmer