From my Musical Closet to the Mosh Pit — Best Albums of 2020 Ranked
2020 sucked for everything but music — Here’s my personal top 3
Although 2020 bought the sequel to the plague, artists were popping up everywhere with new releases. Because no one could tour, social media was spammed with live streams and virtual shows, and as far as they were from the real gig, the point is that new music came — and it was bloody good…
As hard as it is to pick only 3 releases, here goes…
Okay, yeah I can’t go and make a top three without noticing any of last year’s metal releases. Long-time personal favourites Sinister and Harlott came out with chunks of fast, violent cuts of death and thrash metal, but the debut release by Belgian thrashers Schizophrenia just hit right. A perfect embodiment of the 1992 death-thrash that disappeared long ago, a straightforward 5-track EP plays like a hand that reaches out of your speakers and beats you across the face with riffs.
Whilst not technically a new release, the deluxe version of Britney Spears’ ‘Glory’ is worthy of a top 3 spot purely for the bonus tracks alone. This list jumps from pure adrenaline to the ultimate chill album, but the fact that Glory contrasts so well just shows how well it works. It really is sad that Britney is now only recognised for her personal life, and that the music (however good it always is) is often overlooked. This album just sounds like you’re on the beach drinking cocktails through a funny straw, which is a nice change from going at the scotch straight from the bottle in a pub where your feet stick to the floor.
While the other 2 spots took some thought, I have no doubt in my mind that the absolute best album of 2020 was Kylie Minogue’s 15th — DISCO. I know I’m not the only one that instantly jumped on the x2 glow in the dark LP bonus edition and for a bloody good reason — this album goes UNRIVALED. Being a soppy old git at heart, it takes a special kind of magic to get me dancing down the highstreet, which is exactly what this album brings, and what very few albums can replicate, which is always welcome in lockdown. A definite addition to my happy place, can’t get this one out of my head.
