BravePicks 2020 - The Scribes Speak!
"Metal" Tim Henderson

Top 20 Of 2020
1) ENSLAVED - Utgard (Nuclear Blast)
2) INSIDIOUS DISEASE - After Death (Nuclear Blast)
3) MEXICAN APE-LORD - Survival Cannibalism (Unable Records)
4) AC/DC - PWRϟUP (Columbia/Sony)
5) NECROPHOBIC - Dawn Of The Damned (Century Media)
6) NAGLFAR - Cerecloth (Century Media)
7) KATATONIA - City Burials (Peaceville)
8) BENEDICTION – Scriptures (Nuclear Blast)
9) TESTAMENT - Titans Of Creation (Nuclear Blast)
10) KATAKLYSM - Unconquered (Nuclear Blast)
11) ARMORED SAINT - Punching the Sky (Metal Blade)
12) PARADISE LOST - Obsidian (Nuclear Blast)
13) DARK TRANQUILLITY - Moment (Century Media)
14) ANNIHILATOR - Ballistic, Sadistic (Silver Lining)
15) AZARATH - Saint Desecration (Agonia Records)
16) MÖRK GRYNING - Hinsides Vrede (Season of Mist)
17) RAVEN - Metal City (SPV/Steamhammer)
18) SCOUR - The Black EP (Housecore Records)
19) BLASPHEMER - The Sixth Hour (Candlelight)
20) INCANTATION – Sect Of Vile Divinities (Relapse)

Top 5 Brave Embarrassments
SIX FEET UNDER – Nightmares Of The Decomposed (Metal Blade)
You know when a label didn’t bother to send out any worldwide chart positions that nobody else on the planet gave a shit either. Gives new meaning to the band name.

OZZY OSBOURNE - Ordinary Man (Epic)
We’ll never get that Randy/Jake vibe again, but I can at least hope for another album akin to No More Tears. It makes me shudder when there’s more focus on the producer (Post Malone) and the guest (Elton John) than the icon himself. The key is to keep Sharon out of the studio.

BLUE ÖYSTER CULT - The Symbol Remains (Frontiers Music)
The band’s first album since 2001’s Curse Of The Hidden Mirror. 19 years and quick Frontiers cash-grab. I thought it was about quality music?

U.D.O. - We Are One (AFM)
Why does everyone think that the classical orchestra idea fits?

DANZIG – Danzig Sings Elvis (Cleopatra)
It was always the big joke wasn’t it? Danzig wasn’t just a misfit, he was the evil Elvis. John Christ must be asking himself, why? Let’s go out and conquer again.

Thoughts On 2020
I was struck with the worst news while wandering around on the final day of 70000 Tons Of Metal. It forced me back to my cabin in tears. Neil Peart had died on January 7th. Like most of the music world, I was in a state of shock. So that’s how the year of the virus began. In pain. It truly sent shockwaves through the entertainment world, Canada’s greatest band and arguably the greatest drummer known to man. It was hard to listen to Rush for months after that crushing news. And it was only last week that Geddy, Alex and Carrie Nuttall, Peart’s wife of 20 years, spoke with Rolling Stone. Somber would be the mood for 2020.  Eddie Van Halen passed in October. Imagine, two of the greatest musicians in our lifetime gone in the same year. Although Peart didn’t, Eddie made the cover of Time. A loss beyond words. And we also lost: Peter Green (Fleetwood Mac), Pete Way (UFO), Lee Kerslake (Uriah Heep, Ozzy Osbourne), Steve Priest (The Sweet), Paul 'Tonka' Chapman (UFO), Frankie Banali (Quiet Riot/W.A.S.P.), Ken Hensley (Uriah Heep), Bob Kulick (KISS), Brian Howe (Bad Company), Riley Gale (Power Trip) and producers Martin Birch (Iron Maiden, Black Sabbath, Deep Purple, Rainbow, Blue Öyster Cult, Fleetwood Mac) and Keith Olsen (Whitesnake, Scorpions, Sammy Hagar). Also late Metallica bassist Cliff Burton’s dad, Ray Burton.

Despite the COVID outbreak, 2020 emerged with a wealth of releases, but sadly nobody could perform the new music live. But as you saw during our BravePicks countdown, there was a vast array of ear candy to keep our heavy metal brains fed and occupied. Enslaved led the charge, a band that some day, people will look back and say “why wasn’t I paying attention?” No other band on the planet is pushing the metal scene forward like these Norwegians. Dimmu Borgir guitar legend Silenoz roared back with the second Insidious Disease album and every bruise on your body was worth it, and singer / Morgoth throat Marc Grewe just killing it. Anthony Nichols’ guitar wizardry on the oddly-named project Mexican Ape-Lord is a lesson in keeping your eye on the ball. Forget the fancy, focus on the emotion. And do yourself a favour while you are sitting bored out of your head and read about the Nottingham Galley tragedy-turned cannibalism, explained fully in our feature here.

And where were you on October 1st, when all AC/DC rumours disappeared when we heard the first ten seconds of “Shot In The Dark”. For rock fans, Power Up was the saviour in 2020, giving our heads something to focus on rather than the crumbling world around us.

And speaking of crumbling, where the flying fuck was the life preserver for the music industry? All year I saw hand-outs for some many sectors, but very little for the arts. And not just in Canada. Thanks for the middle finger politicians. You don’t deserve to be in our club anyway. But its sickening to watch it crumble; dying venues, promoters, bands across the globe that have seen their music business model totally halted without anywhere to turn. It’s dire. And it ain’t over. It’s far from over. And it’s time to work more smart, understand these new parameters. But providing some support along the way would be the humane thing to do.

What/Who Needs To Stop in 2021
Well, aside from the obvious… I want faster shipping, less formats, less colours. Do cassettes and 8—Tracks need to be a thing? Don’t get me wrong, I’ve kept all mine, but what’s the point when players are hardly ever seen, unless they are refurbished. As a side note, I must say I’m totally regretting disposing of my ‘70s Sears multi-unit that played LPs, cassettes, 8-Tracks and the radio! I will get political here; due to the enormous increase in shipping goods, you damn well know governments (customs/duties) are scrutinizing everything from abroad, so many of my purchases from the past year have been handed a nifty 25% duty, or whatever. That is bullshit. Another cash grab. Why don’t you twist that knife even deeper to somebody trying to make a living in the music industry. Disgusting tactics.

Metal Predictions For 2021
Let’s be hopeful things start to get back on track late summer and fall once a vaccine starts penetrating the population. But it is a different world. You may be doing more travelling to see your favourite European bands (for example), as they may not make it back to North American shores anytime soon due to restricted audience sizes, VISA restrictions, insurance issues, flight rules etc… Just keep buying the product, support if/when you can. Start embracing streaming platforms such as Streaming For Vengeance, because that may be one of the few options you have to witness live shows and unique online events.

Will shelved albums by bands like Megadeth actually see the light of day? It’s a big chunk of revenue you’re missing if you release an album, but can’t tour to support it. Some may just choose to sit and watch. I feel terrible for a band like our Brave Pick Of The Year Enslaved, who can’t journey around the world properly showcasing yet another work of genius.

But has it ever been truly an easy ride for the heavy metal scene? Well, maybe if you are an upper-echelon band, but the majority just slog it out year-after-year as it fulfills one thing in life - your metal heart. You don’t require all the ritz, glitz and the glamour. Just the fine art of a riff. 

More Scribes Speak:
Mark Gromen
Carl Begai
Aaron Small
Rich Catino
Nick Balazs
Dillon Collins
Paul Stenning
Sephora Henderson

Check out our BravePicks 2020 countdown where Enslaved took the top spot here.