Best Metal of December 2020

Featuring Green Druid, Yashira, Growth and Show Me a Dinosaur

You’d think that December would be loaded up with metal releases. The cold winds and bitter chill that covers a majority of the northern hemisphere reliably inspires misanthropy and depression, two key ingredients for metal. But of course, music journalists like myself have ruined the potential of this month with their endless lists. So without any additional fanfare, let’s gaze upon the ruins of December, and the quality metal albums it unleashed.

Green Druid - At the Maw of Ruin

If there were any album that made me feel good about pushing year end lists to the literal end of the year, it would be At the Maw of Ruin. The record lumbers and growls its way across speakers with a ferocity and purposefulness rarely witnessed in any genre. They are neither afraid to air it out with menace or to rein it in, but they always seem to make the right choice for the moment. That it manages to be a full blown stoner-doom record while still paying homage to the iconic He Is Legend record, Suck out the Poison, only makes it more impressive and enjoyable. If you or a friend need an easy way to get into metal with harsh vocals, you’d be hard pressed to do better than At the Maw of Ruin. 

Growth - The Smothering Arms of Mercy

While technical ability certainly isn’t everything, it goes a long way towards making great music. Growth utilizes an impressive technical proficiency to elevate their art towards higher levels of unpredictability and shock than most artists ever even sniff. The chugging insanity and relentless nature of the record calls to mind the panicked instrumentation of Vein’s nigh-perfect Errorzone. Only The Smothering Arms of Mercy is dozens of times heavier in its tone and forcefulness. Anyone who enjoys technical metal owes it to themselves to hear this revelatory record. 

Show Me a Dinosaur - Plantgazer

Going on the name of the band and the record alone, Plantgazer was not what I expected. While I anticipated something much more stoner-doom adjacent, Show Me a Dinosaurwas clearly angling for a different sound. The great news is that they’ve achieved it. Planted firmly in the realm of blackgaze and post-metal, Plantgazer delivers a shocking amount of emotional catharsis in a fairly short amount of time. Most of the songs on this record launch straight into sections that might be considered emotional high-points on any other album. They’re just par for the course here. The group may be operating in a saturated space, they bring a fresh sound into the genre that makes Plantgazer stand head and shoulders above its peers.

Yashira - Fail to Be

Because of its inherently brutal nature, metal lends itself to oddball descriptions. If we had to choose one for Yashira’s phenomenal Fail to Be, we’d probably go with a four-roll car crash. The album seemingly has no interest in maintaining momentum in a standard format. Where most records build and add layers to create a sense of forward motion, Yahsira starts, stutters, slams into walls, and then kicks on the nitrous. By the end of the first track you’ll feel as though you have whiplash, and the remaining tracks will only further strain your neck. Luckily, the whiplash isn’t real, unless you headbang too hard. If that ends up being the case, we can’t say that we didn’t do the same.