This is batch 1 of the posts that I make for noting some of the great albums which came out in current year of 2020, and usually touch upon 3-4 albums which have been added to my library this year.
Illuminati Hotties - FREE I.H. This Is Not The One You Have Been Waiting For
Genre: Punk, Pop-Punk, Indie Rock
Release Date: July 17, 2020
This is my album of the year so far! It is near close to a perfect album, in a short runtime of just over 20 mins and 12 tracks it perfectly captures the aggression of a small artist screwed over by their label. Sarah Tuzdin a.k.a. Illuminati Hotties had some trouble with her label leading her to self-release this album with the help of some friends. It is NOT composed of songs which she created for her 2nd album she planned to drop with her label but an entirely new crop of DIY songs, hence the title. The songs are short and furious but also immediately catchy, which combined with the small runtime of the record will warrant in full repeat listens. This is not a subtle record what is great about this record is on the surface with great lyrics, pretty well-arranged instrumentation considering this is a DIY project and finally some catchy, catchy hooks. HIGHLY highly recommend this album.
Shabaka and The Ancestors - We Are Sent Here By History
Genre: Jazz, Jazz Fusion
Release Date : March 13, 2020
This is such a contrast from the Illuminati Hotties albums, a lengthy and subtle jazz fusion albums from the genius Shabaka Hutchings and co. Impulse! records have been putting out great jazz albums for ages now, but they have hit an amazing streak in last 3 years with my jazz albums of the year coming from them every year, this year is no exception. This is a fantastic album full of layers with instrumentation ranging from heavy percussion with African rhythms to elements of smooth jazz. Lyrically this album is interesting as well with it warning us of impending apocalypse and exploring historical ties leading up-to it. This album rewards repeated listens as there are so many layers to peel and enjoy, I can safely say I will be revisiting this album over and over again.
Imperial Triumphant - Alphaville
Genre: Black Metal, Avant-Garde Metal
Release Date: July 31, 2020
Imperial Triumphant is one of the most exciting acts in metal right now, they came onto the scene with their last album Vile Luxury being a very interesting mix of black and death metal along with elements of jazz, gospel, and classical music. They released Alphaville on Century Media Records, their major-label debut, which had me concerned that they will tame their sound. I am so glad that I was wrong, they kept on with their experimentation, this album edges out their last album a little as the blend of different genres is much smoother here and they also put in some elements of noise and drone music. The orchestral and gospel elements when present in the album sounds creepy and unsettling when juxtaposed with heavy and crushing black metal blast beats and riffs (especially in the opening track Rotted Futures). The album is little front-loaded with a lukewarm finish but still a very worthwhile and satisfying listen.
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