Best Albums of 2020 so far

[PeterS 11]

So, the nights now start getting longer for most of us. Time to throw out the annual question. 

What do people like so far this year? 

Passion the album I've played most. Also enjoyed the Black Swan and Night Flight Orchestra.

Quite a few solid releases but not much that's really got me going back repeatedly. Probably I do need to go back and listen to the Vega and One Desire but neither grabbed me the way their earlier releases had. 

So far, a really disappointing year for my tastes. 

[CureTheSane 48]

In no particular order

Gotthard
Harem Scarem
Captain Black Beard
DeVicious
Bonfire
SteelCity
Confess
Collateral
Five Finger Death Punch

[Doggy 46]

Jason Old -  solo album.

Waiting For Monday -  S/T

Dirty Shirley - S/T

Black Swan -  S/T

Wicked Smile - Delirium  E.P.

[KarpetRydOFunk 98]

16 hours ago, PeterS said:

So far, a really disappointing year for my tastes. 

That's been the general consensus for the last few years. 

[Glen 139]

8 hours ago, KarpetRydOFunk said:

That's been the general consensus for the last few years. 

I've always been able to pull together a really strong top 10 which is enough to keep me going. And back in the late 90s I would never have dreamed that this much music in our genre would still be released 20 years later. Only grateful 

[Glen 139]

I have rather enjoyed all of these so far, in no order :

HEAT, Vega, Harem Scarem, Platforms, Captain BB, Khymera, NFO, One Desire

 

looking forward to :

Arctic Rain, JSS, TMF, Brother Firetribe, Lebrock, Houston, Ted Poley, Winger, Dan Reed Network, 

Also, midnite city & treat....but might be 2021? 

[zacharyamelie 20]

I haven’t been disappointed so far...just fewer releases coming out in the past few months. 

my top 10 so far in no real order...but close...

NFO, H.E.A.T, Paradise Lost, Captain Black Beard, Pyogenesis, One Desire, Sapphire Eyes, Gathering Of Kings, Allen/Olzon and Trivium. 
 

A few releases from 2019 that I discovered in 2020 that were awesome....JD Miller - Afterglow and The New Roses - Nothing But Wild. 

[tts42572 32]

Only really three releases so far that I'd even rank in my top 10....So I guess it's only a top 3 for me to this point.  And that's pretty sad considering 2 of them are only EP's.

HEAT - HEAT II

Shiraz Lane - Vibration EP

Wicked Smile - Delirium EP

For me it's been the worst 6 months in a long time for new releases.  I don't know if I'm just grumpy from everything that's gone on the past few months or what but just not much exciting me and hasn't been much coming out.  I've tried a lot of what's mentioned but nothing else has really grabbed me.  I did like bits of Black Swan and almost bought that one but guess I didn't quite like it enough.  I expected to love One Desire but it was a big letdown for me.  I've spent most of the past few months really diving into and rediscovering older releases that I haven't listened to in a long time.

Expecting things to pick up in the second half of the year though beginning with Tokyo Motor Fist in a couple weeks.  Also looking forward to Arctic Rain, Maverick, maybe Midnite City and Shiraz Lane in the fall.  And hopefully we see some other surprises as a result of bands having a lot more time on their hands during this Covid business.

[Glen 139]

14 minutes ago, tts42572 said:

Only really three releases so far that I'd even rank in my top 10....So I guess it's only a top 3 for me to this point.  And that's pretty sad considering 2 of them are only EP's.

HEAT - HEAT II

Shiraz Lane - Vibration EP

Wicked Smile - Delirium EP

For me it's been the worst 6 months in a long time for new releases.  I don't know if I'm just grumpy from everything that's gone on the past few months or what but just not much exciting me and hasn't been much coming out.  I've tried a lot of what's mentioned but nothing else has really grabbed me.  I did like bits of Black Swan and almost bought that one but guess I didn't quite like it enough.  I expected to love One Desire but it was a big letdown for me.  I've spent most of the past few months really diving into and rediscovering older releases that I haven't listened to in a long time.

Expecting things to pick up in the second half of the year though beginning with Tokyo Motor Fist in a couple weeks.  Also looking forward to Arctic Rain, Maverick, maybe Midnite City and Shiraz Lane in the fall.  And hopefully we see some other surprises as a result of bands having a lot more time on their hands during this Covid business.

you like everything from HEAT to HEAT

 

[Jez 9]

Loads of good - great albums this year so far...Order to be decided

 

Night Flight Orchestra

Pendragon

Gathering Of Kings

FM

Son Of Man

Lordi

One Desire 

Young Gun Silver Fox

Delain

Beyond The Black

In This Moment

H.E.A.T

Khymera