SourceRa's Best of 2020

Well, finally I made it. I finished my Best-Of-2020-List. And what a year it was, in retrospective. Actually, it shoudn´t be a surprise that year one of the pandemic would turn out to very fruitful for DM, since times of crisis are almost always highly inspiring to artists in general and especially for the ones concentrating on the darker sides of living. Considering the process of creating music (in particular rather complex stuff as DM), I believe the bulk of what came out in 2020 was rather benefiting from the fact, that most people just had more time to finish stuff, that was already “in progress”, meaning I think that the “artistic influence” will show much more in this year – and possibly the ones coming. With that said, let´s start with my little retrospective, shall we?

• Absvrdist/A Million Dead Birds Laughing  (USA/AUS)– Split

◦         the worst thing about this Split is it´s length! AMDBL deliver their trademark sound, which surely is not for everyone, but I totally dig! Absurdist play some nice Crust-Grind with a certain twist – loads of raw Punk-energy in it.

• Abysmal Dawn (USA) – Phylogenesis

◦         Another fantastic album, only a bit too clinical in the production.

• Ahtme (USA) – Mephitic

◦         Not all songs are equally strong IMO, but when it get´s good, shit get´s really good!

Still don´t have no f***in´clue what their name is supposed to mean, though.

• Akurion (CAN) – Come Forth To Me

◦         From the very first tune you can tell, that these guys are from Canada. Somewhere between Cryptopsy and the almighty Gorguts with Mike DiSalvo on vox.

• Anaal Nathrakh (UK) – Endarkenment

◦         Not only probably the best f***ing title in all 2020, but I couldn´t come up with a better characterization of our “era” (envy off). Maybe not their strongest album, but still a damn good one. I hear a lot of At The Gates in the more melodic tracks.

• Apep (GER) – The Invocation Of The Deathless One

◦         Slightly Egyptian-themed OSDM from Zwickau, Saxony. More of an underground aesthetic, especially sound wise than with Maat. Very entertaining. I wonder what´s with my fellow countrymen and ancient Egypt! There´s probably not much for you on this list, Carl, but you should give these guys a go (if you haven´t already, actually didn´t bother checkin´if it even ended up on your list tbh)

• Arsebreed (NED) Butoh

◦         This is probably my no.1 of 2020!

I usually have the entire year on my player and listen in shuffle. When these songs came up, I was a bit confused, because I didn´t remember them being on the Disavowed album – but they sure as hell sounded just like Disavowed. Then I checked and realized: This is literally a second Disavowed. “ Members from Disavowed, 2 ex-Disavowed + 1 from Bloodcum and their last release is aeons old. Dutch brutality at it´s finest!!!

• Beneath The Massacre (CAN) – Fearmonger

◦         FUCK! I just realized, this has to be my no.1, or maybe both...anyways. I wasn´t even aware they reunited, so this one came as very welcomed early surprise. Probably their best to date. Awesome title, too – maybe second after Endarkenment.

• Bowel Stew (ITA) – Putridarium

◦         Highly entertaining BDM with some Goregrind influences, especially in the vox. Their cover of “Slowly We Rot” is hilarious!

• Contrarian (USA) – Only Time Will Tell

◦         Definitely not an album I can listen to anytime, but when I´m in the mood for some prog, it doesn´t get much better than this. I sense a certain Sadist vibe on that particular album. And the songs are refreshingly short for prog, too.

• Crawling Chaos (ITA) – XLIX

◦         Metal Archives has them labeled as Death Metal/Grindcore, yet I don´t hear much Grind in here, rather the expected roman mix of brutally and (some)tech – less tech as in HOP or Hid Div, though.

• Cytotoxin (GER) – Nuklearth

◦         Again, probably their best album, to date, definitely on the vox. Grimmo has completely gotten rid of all the rather annoying high-pitched squealing, just traditional guttural gurgling -  you gotta love it. Only negative (again) is the very clinical production, but it´s not as bad as on other Unique leader productions.

• Deeds Of Flesh (USA) – Nucleus

◦         Well of course it had to be here. It´s easily the best from their final “trilogy”, but I never really stomached their change in style. Here they are closest to their traditional trademark sound. As mentioned above, I´m not a huge fan of that Unique Leader sound and I don´t care much for the vox. Indeed I would have preferred the various guests to take over the vocal duties completely, or at least mainly. I just don´t like his phrasing and rhythm a lot. Many negatives, yet it´s on this  list – that´s how fucking good it is, anyways!

• Defeated Sanity (GER) – The Sanguinary Impetus

◦         Finally their back with another full album, which happens to be the perfect blend of their former “Split with themselves”. This is easily their most complex album so far. Josh is a perfect match on the vox (even more so live) and he´s just a hell of cool guy. I was a bit sad when Christian left, but Lille is just as good a guitar player as he is a drummer.

• Dehuman Reign (GER) – Descending Upon The Oblivious

◦         I suppose there´s not much I have to say about them, here. Just good OSDM.

• Devangelic (ITA) – Ersetu

◦         Again, this is my favourite album by the band in question. Much darker sounding and the vocals are the best I heard from Paolo, also much better comprehensible than usually.

• Disavowed (NED) – Revocation Of The Fallen

◦         Generally what I said about Arsebreed applies here, too. Only I like Arsebreed´s album a tad more. Anyhow, I waited 12-13 yrs f or this one and it was fuckin´worth it!

• Disevared (IDN) – Inherit The Period Of Suffering

◦         The first Indonesian entry on my list. And it´s amazing. A bit of a Brodequin vibe accompanied by some slammy, more modern elements on here.

• Disembodied (IDN) – Eternal Worshipper

◦         The next Indonesian band. More of an old-school Dying Fetus vibe, here.

• Expendiency (IDN) – Disobedience

◦         And Indonesia again. Much darker sounding as the others. The drumming is so damn good!

• Hateful (ITA) – Set Forever On Me

◦         Excellent old-school tech with a Finnish touch/sound.

• In Demise (GER) - Conjuring Dystopia (EP)

◦         Well, of course this had to be here. Despite not being fully satisfied with my own delivery (I still feel I could have done much better), the music is so fucking good – and there´s no credit for me to be had for it at all. I sure am very glad to be in this band. And just on a side-note, I think I really nailed some of lyrics, at least.

• Inception Of Fall (CZE) – Builders Of The World (EP)

◦         Modern Tech Death with some Psycroptic influences, among others. If your not afraid of some slight Core this is freaking good!

• Inferi (USA) – Of Sunless Realms (EP)

◦         Not for everyday, but on occasion very enjoyable. Boiser on vox is a good addition. Maybe a bit heavy on the Synths at times, but it is more brutal than their older stuff and that´s a good thing.

• Kaligula (IDN) – Doctrination Of Atismadha

◦         More Indonesian quality DM. A bit of HOP in some moments.

• Nader Sadek (USA) – The Serapeum (EP)

◦         Probably his strongest one, to date. Surely the most brutal/chaotic one.

• Ominous Scriptures (BLR) - The Fall of the Celestial Throne

◦         Dark, atmospheric, brutal and fast as fuck!!!

• Perdition Temple (USA) – Sacraments Of Descension

◦         This is essentially the follow-up band to Angel Corpse and that´s exactly what you can hear here. Satanic, raw, Tampa-style Black/Death at it´s best!

• Profanity (GER) – Fragments Of Solace

◦         After their 2017 album the most surprising thing here is the quick succession from the last one(considering it took them 17 yrs to rd the latter – at closer examination: 1^st 1997, 2^nd 2000, 3^rd 2017, 4^th 2020...I hope there is no pattern ind this!). Well, maybe there´s one or the other little surprise in the guests section.

• Putrid Pile (USA) – Revel In Lunacy

◦         If you know PP, you know what to expect, Sean doesn't ever disappoint! BDM with some tasty Grindcore thrown in for the good measure.

• Scarab (EGY) – Martyrs Of the Storm

◦         Another great release from Scarab. Didn´t expect anything else.

• Schizogen (UKR) – Spawn Of Almighty Essence

◦         Dark, technical, brootal AF!

• Scordatura (SCO) – Mass Failure

◦         I remember their last album was on a couple of “End-of-the-year-lists” back in 2016. This one is just as good!

• Spectrum Of Delusion (NED) – Neoconception

◦         If you are into TDM in slightest, you should check that one out. It´s refreshingly different from much of the other stuff.

• Sufism (IDN) – Republik Rakyat Jelata

◦         We have to stop the climate crisis right now!!! We can´t have all these great bands vanish into the pacific.

• Syphilic (USA) – Empty Nest

◦         Fuck me, this is some DARK shit! Especially in the topic (which is very darkly referenced on the cover art) to the dark tone, the dark production to the dark sound BDM...you me. Brian Forgue seems to be a very sick(see, I didn´t write “dark” again) genius.

• Tribe Of Pazuzu (USA/CAN) – King Of All Demons

◦         Second EP, where´s that fuckin´full-length?

• Unmerciful (USA) – Wrath Encompassed

◦         Much better than the last one, but still not close to the brilliant debut. I liked their short, rather simple stuff much more!

As a little extra, here´s my list from 2019 – A time, when Corona was, what outside of Middle/Eastern Europe, might pass as a beer. There were just to many releases, with much to high quality, to just skip it.

• A Million Dead Birds Laughing (AUS) – To The Ether

◦         Well I think I said a little about their sound above. Maybe the closest thing to compare them with would be Cephalic Carnage, just in terms of weirdness and unexpected shit happening.

• Ade (ITA) – Rise Of The Empire

◦         The expected Rome-style TDM with some ancient instruments and rhythms to separate them from all the other great bands in that neighbourhood. Excellent album!

• Apostate (UK) – At The Tomb Of Sanity

◦         Slightly technical OSDM from Preston, Lancashire. Very entertaining, indeed!

• Bethledeign (USA) – Iconography Of Suffering

◦         These guys are actually around since 2001, according to MA, this is their full-length debut and it´s very good.

• Bleak Flesh (CHL) - ...And Save Us From Silence

◦         Judging from the artwork and the band name, I expected a rather typical BDM album, but instead this some pretty unique Technical Progressive DM, which happens to be exceptionally well crafted. Don´t care much for the occasional chanting, but it doesn´t annoy me enough to put me off.

• Bodyfarm (NED) – Dreadlord

◦         I believe to remember this one being liked by the most of you, so I guess there´s not much I have to say. This is the way I like my OSDM.

• Beheaded (MLT) – Only Death Can Save You

◦         I always  liked Beheaded and this might by their best to date! Great TDM with a lot of variation in it´s songs.

• Cannabis Corpse (USA) – Nug So Vile

◦         CC, just as the original CC, have never disappointed me. Fantastic old school TDM which does not require intoxication of any kind, but it sure doesn´t hurt the experience.

• Contrarian (USA) – Their Worm Never Dies

◦         I completely forgot that this album was released so recently. If anything this is even better than their 2020 release.

• Deivos (POL) – Casus Belli

◦         I just realized, that there was not a single polish band on my 2020 list. This is some high quality polish TDM.

• Demiurgon (ITA) – The Oblivious Lure

◦         More italian BTDM excellence. Somehow typically italian in sound, yet quite different from Hid Div, HOP and the likes.

• Devourment (USA) – Obscene Majesty

◦         Fuck I never expected them to be that good, again. This is the sound they helped establishing in the first place. Dirty, raw and totally unrelenting.

• Disentomb (AUS) – The Decaying Light

◦         This is surely one of the top five of 2019. One of the best TBDM albums in total. Atmospheric, dark and beautifully eerie, yet uncompromisingly brutal when they have to.

• Equipoise (USA) – Demiurgus

◦         Well, with All-Star bands it´s always tricky. Seldom they live up to, what the individual members promise. This one is different! This is the new gold-standard for Progressive Technical Death Metal (still can´t decide whether to find this” sub-sub-sub-genre” schematic ridiculous or helpful. Well, I guess one doesn´t exclude the other) that never compromises any of it´s brutality or ferocity. Definitely top 3 of the year!

• Exhumed (USA) – Horror

◦         They´re doing Carcass better than Carcass do, these days! Pure old-school worship.

• Hideous Divinity (ITA) – Simulacrum

◦         Hid Div manage to still get better and better with every subsequent release. This is especially remarkable considering the very high standard they started with. This is their darkest (speaking of dark have you seen the vid to “The Embalmer”?) and most brutal album, so far.

• Hour Of Penance (ITA) – Misotheism

◦         Always a close second to the above, when it comes to the big Lazio bands, this is probably their best one, yet. Totally unre-fucking-lenting!

• Infant Annihilator (UK/USA) – The Battle Of Yaldabaoth

◦         I have a feeling IA have a rather poor reputation among Metalheads, deeming them Deathcore, or sth. But I think this is completely unjustified. MA even states, they only been accepted due to that last album, which is rather silly, but let´s not go into site-politics of MA. I heard their debut in 2012 and even then it was pretty decent Tech Death, to me. Then I admittedly completely forgot about them, as probably the rest of the world did, until saw the excellent vid for “Blasphemian” and was pretty much blown away. Hands down, this is my undisputed no.1 album of 2019. So fucking brootal, virtuoso and well written!

• Infecting The Swarm (GER) – Ruinous (Demo)

◦         Only 2 songs, but to me ITS is the spearhead of that particular style of Brutal/Tech DM, not only from Germany.

• Kakothanasy (SUI) – Dystomorph

◦         One could call them “a poor man´s Defeated Sanity”, but that would be unfair. The inspiration is undeniable, yet this is a very entertaining one.

• Nile (USA) – Vile Nilotic Rites

◦         I was really expecting TDW´s departure to be more impactful, but to my surprise it was not. The guy filling in for him even manages to “emulate” his vocal style quite good, without sounding like a ripoff at all.

• Nucleus (USA) – Entity

◦         Very good OSDM of the Finnish variety. Very thick and atmospheric sound.

• Order Ov Riven Cathedrals (ITA) – Thermonuclear Sculptures Blackness

◦         3 albums in 3 years and they are all fantastic! I was rather surprised not to see a new album in 2020, let´s see what 2021 will bring.

• Orphalis (GER) – The Approaching Darkness

◦         Finally they have a decent production to accommodate their very good TDM.

• Pathology (USA) – Reborn To Kill

◦         The masters of Slam are back. I just love their grove, also there are some surprisingly melodic parts here and there, that not only manage to be off-putting, but really benefit the rather simple song structures.

• Relics Of Humanity (BLR) – Obscuration (EP)

◦         More fantastic stuff from these guys. I hope we´ll finally get another album in 2021!

• Sinners Bleed (GER) – Absolution

◦         I thought SB would have gone the way, most Berlin-based bands went, eventually. The way into insignificance. Then, 2-3 yrs earlier, our guitarist Arne was asked to join them. And here they are, back after 16(!!!) years and scrapping a pretty advanced recording sometimes around 2010 and they deliver, oh boy! Do they deliver!

• Sleep Terror (USA) – Abreaction

◦         Not much new here. He delivers his trademark blend of high speed instrumental TDM mostly Latino-style guitar interludes, some funk etc. The sheer musicianship and songwriting is jaw-dropping.

• Tribe Of Pazuzu (USA/CAN) – Heretical Uprising

◦         Nothing to add to what I said in the 2020 section.

• Vltimas (CAN/POR/USA) – Something Wicked Marches In

◦         Stellar All-Star-Project (pun intended) consisting of Dave Vincent, Flo Mournier and Rune Eriksen. Blackened DM with the one-of-a-kind-voice of D. Vincent. Highly entertaining!

• Vulgore (JAP) – Crevices Of Obscura

◦         There have been quite some BDM releases from Japan in the last couple of years, yet this one stands out to me most. Not overly technical, very dark and somewhat muddy in sound.

• Wormed (ESP) – Metaportal (EP)

◦         Another band that never disappoints. Not much changed in their style, so if you liked them before, this will be right up your alley – if you´re not into their style, this EP is not gonna change that.