The Icelandic Black Metal scene received quite a bit of hype and love in the middle of the last decade. As with most things, the supply of greatness couldn't live up to the demand. We have a handful of true gems from this scene and a lot of mediocre schlock.

Ordered from best to worst based on my opinion. Listen and decide for yourself.

1.Misþyrming - Söngvar Elds Og Óreiðu

2.Wormlust - The Feral Wisdom

3.Almyrkvi - Umbra

4.Carpe Noctem - In Terra Profugus

5.Wormlust - The Wormlust Collective

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My very subjective ranking of all heard metal and metal-adjacent albums 2020.

1.Imperial Triumphant - Alphaville

2.Oranssi Pazuzu - Mestarin Kynsi

3.Mamaleek - Come & See

4.Sweven - The Eternal Resonance

5.Afterbirth - Four Dimensional Flesh

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This list is meant to be an extensive, but by no means exhaustive, collection of the greatest (modern) metal albums and eps. Running the gamut from avant-garde to trve norweigan black metal. *As someone who is young in age, my tastes tend to revolve around the period of the 80s to the present.* Although certain metal albums from before will certainly be featured, the period of the 60s-70s will be under-represented. I refer you to this excellent list to gain a better appreciation for some of the best metal from that period: https://rateyourmusic.com/list/freis/martin_popoffs_the_top_500_heavy_metal_albums_of_all_time/

1.X Japan - Blue Blood

2.Xandria - Neverworld's End

3.Xanthochroid - Of Erthe And Axen: Act II

4.Xasthur - To Violate The Oblivious

5.Xeno - Sojourn

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By far the worst year for me... Period!

However, throughout the chaos that has happened in my country, I never stopped listening to new music that comes out this year, and have found some cool gems that have released this year. So it is time to list my favorite albums of the year.

Let's see how many times I change this up after this.

1.Draconian - Under A Godless Veil

2.Lucid Planet - Lucid Planet II

3.Paradise Lost - Obsidian

4.Urantia - Vermis

5.Autumn's Dawn - Dying Ember

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WELL,
-WHAT DID YOU DO DURING Pandemic Grandmum?

-I discovered great albums, sipped on my wine and wore my mask, I shaved my balls.

- Epicus Legendicus Metallicus!

1.Eyeless In Gaza - Act I: The Protagonist

2.Turia - Degen Van Licht

3.Clouds - Durere

4.Panzerfaust - The Suns Of Perdition - Chapter II: Render Unto Eden

5.Of Feather And Bone - Sulfuric Disintegration

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Just about finished the first half of the year without losing too much to the character limit; I have learnt to make these list descriptions increasingly pithy

1.Enslaved - Utgard

2.Wills Dissolve - Echoes

3.Wayfarer - A Romance With Violence

4.Aversio Humanitatis - Behold The Silent Dwellers

5.Lucid Planet - Lucid Planet II

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2020 is the year of positivity!!!! Or so I thought, when the year started. "This year I'm gonna stay positive and get shit done!" - and then personal crisis after personal crisis, with horrible election cycles, catastrophies and now a literal pandemic killing hundreds of thousands and dooming us all to stay inside. Weightlifting had another massive outing with rigged competitions on top of the already well known doping, and the US police force kills more than ever.

1.Afterbirth - Four Dimensional Flesh

2.The Ocean - Phanerozoic II: Mesozoic / Cenozoic

3.M.S.W. - Obliviosus

4.Drown - Subaqueous

5.Oranssi Pazuzu - Mestarin Kynsi

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Bury me six feet deep
Cover me in concrete
Turn me into a street

1.Fluisteraars - Bloem

2.Sightless Pit - Grave Of A Dog

3.Neptunian Maximalism - Éons

4.Iress - Flaw

5.Drown - Subaqueous

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1.The Ocean - Phanerozoic II: Mesozoic / Cenozoic

2.Katatonia - City Burials

3.Svalbard - When I Die, Will I Get Better?

4.Pallbearer - Forgotten Days

5.Lorna Shore - Immortal

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Seems like there's a limit on how many albums this site accepts on one list. Gonna have to cut out the last ones while adding new albums for the rest of the year.

1.Havukruunu - Uinuos Syömein Sota

2.Orbit Culture - Nija

3.Wolfheart - Wolves Of Karelia

4.Stormruler - Under The Burning Eclipse

5.Frozen Dreams - The Eclipse Of Eternity

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