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Top Albums of 2020 - A Feature by Dave Christy and Susan Harris

12/31/2020

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Welcome to our Thursday Music Feature! This week Dave and Susan were supposed to be talking about their top albums of 2020, but Dave apparently made up his own rules! 

Be sure to let us know what YOUR favorite albums were this year in the comments. Also don't forget to add your party songs to the Muser Music Post HERE!

Dave's Top Albums

When I was presented with this task of making my Top 10 Albums of the Year, I knew right away I had to do it my way. And of course, that means making my rules because that’s always more fun!
​So, I bent a few rules, just a little bit. :) 


You know -  Dave is very lucky he isn't entering a giveaway with this post as I do like my rules! But as this is just a feature, and he and Susan did all the work, I guess I can let it pass .... this time! Melanie


The Animal in Me - Running from the Noise
Excellent band, check out the video for "Choke". Also, on a side note, they have a wide range of covers they have been doing over the years, rocked out versions of pop songs from he likes of Lady Gaga, Katy Perry and many more.
​Anthrax - Persistence of Time  
OK, this maybe a little of a cheat. Originally released in 1990, this is a 30th Anniversary edition released this year with bonus tracks and a live DVD but it’s one of their best, the music still holds up.
Def Leppard - London to Vegas
Two full concerts in one! One is the complete Hysteria record performed in its entirety, pretty awesome stuff and the other from their Vegas residency. 


​​September Mourning - Volume III  
This was actually released at the very end of 2019 but too late to include on a 2019 list so I'm putting it here. Only a 4 song EP but everything is top notch. Very theatrical band with some interesting videos. "Unholy" and "Hiding from Heaven" should be on top on your watch list.

Melanie - You meant that 2019 list that we didn't have? lol

​Metallica - S&M2.
Yes, I'm repeating myself since you probably read the article before but I love the blend of the symphony with a rock band it came out great.
​In This Moment - Mother.
Amazing record. Guest vocals by Lizzy Hale and Taylor Momsen on a cover of "We Will Rock You".  I love that the 3 of them worked together but I do wish it was on an original song instead of a cover.
​Amaranthe - Manifest.
Blending a male and a female vocalist with different styles and tempos. "Viral" and "Boom" need to be checked out.


​Stitched up Heart - Darkness.
"Lost" was the lead single with guest vocals from Sully Erma from Godsmack. That might lure you in but plenty of other great tunes on this one to keep you interested.
Queen and Adam Lambert - Live Around the World
Admittedly, I'm not the biggest Queen fan but the performances here, collected from several live shows leadoff off their talent and how well Adam fits in the band.
Motionless in White - Disguise.
OK, this is a really big cheat. It was released in mid-2019 but over a year later, I am still listing to "Another Life" every single day and others too. They did release a couple new versions of songs this year, calling them "Motion Picture" versions "Another Life" and "Eternally Yours" adding strings and a completely new dimension to songs I already loved.

( I adore the song Another life as well, it's on a few writing playlists so I'll let this one slide lol *Susan* ) 

Melanie - You two are as bad as each other!

As a bonus, a few new songs from CDs coming out soon but will surely make next year’s list.
Butcher Babies - Bottom of the Bottle. Met them a few times after shows. They have been evolving over the years and progressing. A few sample clips sound great. This first single is a departure for them but is amazing.

Escape the Fate - Chemical Warfare, coming in February but 3 new songs hit this year-- "Walk On", "Invincible" featuring Lindsey Stirling, and "Christmas Song". If these are any indication, this next record will be phenomenal.

Within Temptation - Entertain You. No release date for this one yet but this video is electric! Surely a sign they that have been working on something special for next year!
​
The Pretty Reckless - Death by Rock n Roll. Been waiting for this record for a while too. Taylor and the gang change style a little with each record as they grow but this first single is great. I am impatiently waiting to hear more.
​​Dave Christy loves horror, music, documentaries, breaking the rules, and more.  He is also the co-runner of several fan based groups including Morningstars (THE Lucifer fan group also run by Melanie), and now is a member of the VIPers Spotlight Lounge team for Melanie's Muses.  Other than "In The Spotlight" Features -check out his "31 Days Of Halloween Movies"

Susan's Top Albums

2020 was an epic year for music, with albums released from rock royalty to the new artists breathing new life into the genre! The old and new collide in my list below, all released in 2020
(with one little cheat right at the end!)

Melanie - UGH Susan! You are as bad as Dave!

​Ozzy Osbourne – Ordinary Man
An album worthy of the apocalypse! 
There is nothing like classic rock and roll sounds and Ozzy is an example of why music just gets better with age. 
While I wasn't sure about the collabs with Post Malone, the rest of the album is brilliant, definitely the sounds of the year that was 2020, as close to an apocalypse as we can get!


Notable tracks: Straight to Hell, All My Life, Goodbye, Under the Graveyard, Today is the End and Holy for Tonight
​Marilyn Manson – We are Chaos
This is, hands down, for me, Manson's best album and I know that's a bold statement but the album backs it up and them some. 
Some tracks like We Are Chaos and Paint You With My Love surprised me as its essentially a ballad...as much of a ballad that you would expect from Manson and I loved the little change in sound.


Notable tracks: Red, Black and Blue, We Are Chaos, Halfway and One Step Forward, Infinite Darkness, Keep my head Together and Broken Needle
​Hayley Williams- Petals for Armor
Let me start out by saying how much I adore Hayley Williams and Paramore, I've got the tattoo to prove it lol I've been to see them a dozen times, and still rock out to Misery Business like I'm a teen again. with her solo album, Hayley went with her own sound, but the lyrics had the same emotional impact that many Paramore songs had on me. Simmer was the song that I said I would use if Chaos Theory ever got made into a TV series because it is such a Ryan song!

Notable tracks: Simmer, Leave it Alone, Creepin', Dead Horse, Why We Ever, Sugar on the Rim and Watch me While I bloom​​
​Nothing but Thieves- Moral Panic
I loved this album so much that I write a blog post after it's release (You can check it outhere) 
Moral Panic is one of those rare albums, like with most NBT albums, that is an album you can listen to from start to finish without skipping, You delve right in with Unperson, a song that speaks to anyone struggling to find their identity, and how society wants you to be a carbon copy of those around you. The first song released off the album, Is Everybody going crazy?, gave you a feel for how the album was going to be...then, among the guitar heavy songs, you get the reprieve of Real Love Song and Impossible, which could absolutely be an alternative wedding song.  
​

Notable tracks: Unperson, Moral Panic, Phobia, Can you afford to be an Individual? ​and Before we Drift Away ​
Notable tracks: Parasite Eve, Teardrops, Obey ft Yungblud, Kingslayer ft Babymetal, Ludens and One Day the Only Butterflies Left Will Be in Your Chest as You March Towards Your Death ft Amy Lee
Bring Me the Horizon – Post Human: Survival Horror
Bring me the Horizon have never been shy to change things up with their sound, and with the release of their latest EP, it looks like that will never change. the Ep had more of a Sempiternal vibe to it, which is my fave BMTH album. There was a lot of collabs on the EP, with massive arena songs like Obey with Yungblud, to Kingslayer ft Babymetal to the haunting 
One Day the Only Butterflies Left Will Be in Your Chest as You March Towards Your Death ft Amy Lee of Evanescence. 
The song Teardrops is one of my top songs of 2020, reminding me of Can you feel my heart which is my all time fave BMTH song...and Teardrops came a close second. 
Pvris – Use me (deluxe version as well)
Lynn Gunn from Pvris has this hauntingly beautiful voice that can do from sweet to rock chick in a split second. I've been a fan of Pvris since day one, ALOT of her songs show up on my playlists over and over again. Use Me is an angst filled album that makes you want to bop your head and sing the lyrics out loud. This is also one of those rare albums where you can listen from start to finish without skipping a song. As you can see below, narrowing down a few notable songs was hard! 


Notable tracks: Gimmie a Minute, Stay Gold, Good to be Alive, Old Wounds, Loveless, January Rain, Use Me Ft.070 Shake, Wish you well and Thank you ft Raye​
​The Hunna – I’d Rather Die Than To Let You In
The Hunna are a band that I would have listened to over the years, some songs finding their way onto book playlists, but I never truly appreciated their sound until this year, with the release of the newest album. I always tend to fall in love with a singer voice and 
Ryan Potter has a unique edge to his to voice that drew me in from the start. 

Notable tracks: I wanna Know, Young & Faded, Dark Times, If this is love ft Phem, and I'd rather die than let you in

​​Grandson – Death of an Optimist 
Another artist I found during lockdown, his song Identity is a dark, gritty, song that I've played over and over again. Grandson uses his sings to convey everything from his past drug use, to frustration with politics, to songs that hint at mental health related struggles. 
​

Notable tracks: In over my head, Identity, Dirty, We did it!!! and Riptide​
​Yungblud – Weird!
I've been a fan of Yungblud for a long time, with his ability to blend rock with pop and basically sing whatever the hell he wants. Weird! is essentially an album about accepting yourself, finding your tribe, owning who you are and not giving a f**k about others opinions. 

​Notable tracks: Teresa. Mars, Superdeadfriends, god save me. but don't drown me out, love song and its quiet in Beverly hills
​ACDC- PWR UP!
After 47 years and 17 albums, ACDC have firmly made their mark on music. Never a band for straying from what they are good at, the new album was a nod to Malcolm Young, who passed away in 2017. The sound of ACDC is unmistakable, from the very first chord, you just know that you can get stuck in and Power Up is one of those albums to listen to on a road trip. Most of the members of ACDC might be in their sixties and seventies, but Power Up proves that age is just a number and you can still get your rock on!
​

Notable tracks: Shot in the dark, Kick You When You're down, Wild Reputation and Code Red
Honorable Mention:
Anavae – 45 
This album only sneaks into the list because I only discovered them during Ireland's first lockdown. The album was released in November 2019. I listened to the song Human, over and over, and featured it on a few of my writing playlists. 
Rebecca Need-Menear has such a unique voice and the haunting lyrics produced an album that does not have one skipable track on it.
Notable tracks: Human, Smile, High and Never Want to Love Again


​And reasons to be excited for music in 2021...
After hearing 25 from The Pretty Reckless, like Dave, I'm excited for the new album and the new You me at six album Suckapunch....But we will also get new Foo Fighters and I for one, am flipping excited!!!!
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​Susan Harris is a writer from Cork, Ireland and when she’s not torturing her readers with heart-wrenching plot twists or killer cliffhangers, she’s probably getting some new book related ink, binging her latest TV or music obsession, or with her nose in a book. She is a proud founding Member of the Muser VIPers and is responsible for Melanie not breaking the Website on an almost daily basis!

You can check out all her books on Amazon HERE


All Links To Buy / Subscribe to Amazon Programs On Amazon in this article areAmazon Affiliate Links
​(As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases which in turns helps support all the Muser giveaways we do!)
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