I’m excited to see this new series on Pop Matters. I read the site daily on my Kindle, and was psyched to see them expand their metal coverage. I wonder if any of my hectoring comments influenced it?! They have a nice variety of solid writers who often tackle challenging think pieces that go beyond the usual boring review/promotions cycle. The 20 albums are not ranked, and do not include other favorites of theirs that had already been reviewed this year, such as the absolutely classic latest by Gojira, Ufomammut, Christian Mistress, Dawnbringer, and other heavy/hard rock albums by Baroness, Royal Thunder and Torche. The 20 included cover a wide range, from extreme, black metal, post-metal to traditional and even the Finnish occult rock of Jess And the Ancient Ones. Bravo! I would love to see them also tackle some similarly under-the radar European heavy psych type of releases by Witchcraft, Graveyard, Spiders, Captain Crimson, Sir Admiral Cloudesley Shovell, Alunah, Orcus Chylde, Kadavar, and also Americans Wo Fat, Witch Mountain, Castle and Venomous Maximus.
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