Hey there fuzzers! Here’s the top 25 of the records that made this cursed year a bit better for me…
2020 was the weirdest year ever, for lots of reasons that it’s better not to develop here. Looking back at the anticipation I had for it feels quite frustrating, but hey, it also had its good sides in its way. At least the beginning wasn’t that bad, some really nice gigs here and there and already quite a lot of promising releases. Talking about that, we were especially excited about our new More Fuzz Records release, with the co-production of the Italian Trio Beesus’ third album, “3eesus” on April 3rd, not the best timing sadly. The summer brought better news, a bit more freedom, and some gigs, even a festival!
Surprisingly I didn’t really listen to more music than usual, quite the opposite, despite having way more time for it. I still completely exploded my record of articles this year though, trying to focus on getting at least some things done, even if there are some records in this list I wished I could have written about before aha. Big kudos to all the bands for which this year has probably been horrible, unable to tour and share their creations. Be it through live streams, albums, or the incredible amount of other unplanned releases of quality content, you definitely helped all of us through the hard times!
This top is more about the albums that really had a special impact on me this year, where I didn’t really stay stuck on any album except my top3 that spun A LOT. But still, lots of what came out this year was really good and the final selection and order were the same kind of a bummer as usual eh eh. So I decided to keep it really personal and for some reasons, some incredible albums (but which I’m pretty sure you haven’t missed) had to make room for some other gems that I didn’t want to set aside.
Remember to check my honorable mentions, there’s 40 wonderful records there, each of which could REALLY have been in the final list! 😉
Don't forget to check out the Top Albums of the other More Fuzz team members !
Top 25 Albums of 2020
25: Captain Blind Chameleon – Tales of a Floating Man
Captain Blind Chameleon is the solo project from Tom, guitar player in Djiin and organist in Orgöne, multi-instrumentalist with a crazily equipped recording studio for a bedroom. He handled everything, each instrument, the production, and even the artwork. I love what he’s doing in both of his bands, and this debut LP is promising as well. His style is still here, but leaving him all the room to express his raw creativity seems to suit him perfectly. The end result is a brilliant stoner-prog concept album describing the misadventures of an unfortunate spationaut. It’s an ode to the late 60s psych (Barret era Pink Floyd) and 70s prog (King Crimson), with a modern touch leaning towards the Garage (King Gizz’, Oh Sees…). The album just flows so naturally from the beginning to the end, from an atmosphere to another, incorporating a broad spectrum of influences that always fit perfectly the mood and outstandingly enrich the composition, never ceases to amaze you until the final note.
24: Orgöne – MOS/FET
You better be prepared for this one, this quintet (including 2 members from Djiin, on organ and drums) from Rennes, Bretagne, France won’t spare you in any way. This album here is a monstrous piece of crazy prog/space rock, almost 80min long, making the best of the 4 sides of this double LP they released with Heavy Psych Sounds. Full of epicness from start to finish, with the opener and closer around 19min each, Orgöne really don’t make any compromise in their music. But don’t worry, as any proper trip through the cosmos, you get some moments to breathe, reflecting a bit over the deep emptiness. The sense of timing is at all times right on point, stressing you but never to the rupture point. Each instrument shines (including, or maybe especially, Olga’s voice) through the overall apparent cacophony, fusing together into a thick and always expanding supernova.
23: Karkara – Nowhere Land
Karkara is a trio from the southwest of France, that you might have discovered with Mr. Momo’s review and interview. They deliver a powerful Eastern Garage Fuzz, haunted and hypnotizing as hell while staying super energetic. The kind of atmosphere that’s making you wanna dance all night long on those sweet groovy vibes. They remind me quite a lot about the Australian scene (Ohsees, King Giz’) in their style, but it’s far from being just that, the didgeridoo for instance really adds a special touch. The way their music progresses throughout the album is a deep journey through some space desert. It would definitely be a perfect soundtrack for any Marijuanaut style caravan.
22: Ozo – Pluto
Ozo is the new project of the hyperactive guitar player Mike Vest (Blown Out, Bong, 11Paranoias, Melting Hand …). If you’ve read some of my tops over the years, you know I’m quite a fan of his work. You might also know I’m a sucker for sax and guess what? This new project is a trio with Karl DSilva on Alto Sax, Graham Thompson on Drums, and Mike Vest, on bass, guitar, and electric saz. They released two LPs this year, Saturn in February and Pluto in June, both on Drone Records, and also released a “revisited” version of both. The drums and bass provide a solid psychedelic foundation for the guitar, electric saz, and saxophone to twirl around completely free at the edge of our Solar system. A perfect space jazz oddity drifting between Saturn and Pluto and slaloming through any occasional field of asteroids.
21: Grin – Translucent Blades
I discovered this cool duo from Berlin while preparing the Esbjerg Fuzztival, and was quite blown away by the violence of their sound. Though it’s a bit more complex than that. With just drums, bass, vocals, and a few samples, they weave a mantric thick wall of sound. Jan Oberg slays, both on drums and singing, and Sabine Oberg wields her bass in such a mesmerizing way, I mean, that TONE man! As much as I had trouble with the more aggressive side of our scene this year, I often found myself coming back to this album for some proper soothing Doomification. So if you like it heavy and nagging, with an atmosphere definitely worthy of the times we’re living in, this is for you.
20: Foot – The Balance of Nature Shifted
Still quite in the ‘not so happy’ territories here, the Aussies from Foot cooked up a perfect mix of Grunge and Stoner. With a title fitting to some of our most serious concerns these days, beautifully illustrated by the always amazing Jo Riou, I liked it even before pressing play. Then their beautifully haunted vibe strikes and I knew I was hooked, this album would definitely be in this top. I came back to it when in need of Grunge vibe throughout the year and it never disappointed. Quite the opposite, the more I listened to it, the more I fell in love with that rumbling rhythm section, reverberating vocals. The songs succeed each other, with that typical sound, while also exploring in different directions, building progressively the Foot sonic identity along the course of the album. The perfect music to support and numb you on a grey day, and there’s lots of those in Hamburg 😛
19: Mount Hush – Mount Hush
A little bit of gentleness now, Mount Hush starts slowly, to help you comfortably lay back, before bringing more subtleties and groove in the following songs. After all, their Bandcamp description is “Please enter a comfortable position, hush and listen…”, even if I think that wouldn’t even be needed. Their brew of Bluesy Heavy Psych works perfectly and they clearly took it to another level with this one. The sometimes clear, sometimes gritty vocals always fit perfectly the mood in a catchy way. The keys shine and accentuate the overall mellow vibe, while the guitars go back and forth from bluesy licks to stoner riffage. They remind me a bit of The Devil and The Almighty Blues while trying to be more diverse and not staying too long in the same atmosphere. So why don’t you climb that old mountain, find yourself a nice spot, and relax to those beautiful and appealing tunes while you contemplate the gorgeous landscape from up there?
18: Kungens Män – Trappmusik
I love those crazy Swedes, ever since “Chef” I’ve been hooked and wait patiently for their next offering. I’ve been lucky enough to catch them live last February in Hamburg, and what a glorious ecstasy it was! Their music is partially improvised, super jazzy and spacey, with the 6 musicians in perfect harmony. It always seems that each one is given enough space to express himself naturally while all working as one, bringing each song as far as possible together. The Sax and Guitars take turns leading the melodies, emphasized by the keys and backed up perfectly by the meticulous and sophisticated rhythm section (drums, percussions, drum machine, bass). For Trappmusik, they changed a bit their recording process, taking a few days in the calm deep woods of the legendary Silence Studios. They present it as their chillout album, and you can definitely feel it in the overall vibe of this LP. Maybe that’s also why it felt so right in this crazy year, bringing some inner serenity in the global chaos surrounding us. There’s still some tension here and there, like some menacing clouds toying with us for a while only to disperse it smoothly, coming back to this peaceful comforting introspective feeling.
17: Camel Driver – \/
The return of the German Instrumental Stoner Prog heroes. 6 years after their splendid debut album (in our shop right here btw), Camel Driver made a hell of a comeback with this \/. I’ve been spinning their self-titled quite a lot over the last few years and was more than happy to finally catch them live last year, and even more when this bad boy dropped. This power trio from Kiel (also home to their wonderful label Pink Tank Record) makes no compromises in their music, going full throttle towards the next oasis somewhere far from Earth. This record is a delight of psych-prog heaviness with aerial moments full of finesse, building up together towards epic climaxes. The oriental vibe is still there, and it still feels kinda spacey even if it’s not really, or maybe it’s the effect of this beautiful cover… Anyway, climb on that fuzzy camel and behold the wonders of the majestic trip it will take you on!
16: Aunt Cynthia’s Cabin – Misty Woman
One of the earliest catches of the year coming from San Diego, Aunt Cynthia’s Cabin landed an amazingly beautiful laidback psychedelia album with Misty Woman. That was the perfect album to relax and forget about the nonsense of the year right there. I don’t think there was a week where I didn’t listen to it and I might probably need their next album to get off that hook. The album flows so beautifully and naturally, soothing every little bit of your soul gently with their old school psychedelia. If, like me, you were a bit underwhelmed by All Them Witches’ last LP, head over there and bathe into those sunny warm fuzzy nostalgic vibes. Chill and bluesy, dripping with reverb on the guitars and vocals, it’s got that special sound that makes you think you’re in front of something really cool, right from the first minute.
15: Kryptograf – Kryptograf
One of my favorite discoveries of the year, Kryptograf clearly took me by surprise with their brilliant debut. The sound is heavy as fuck, with a good dose of cosmic riffing, some old school prog influences, and an occult touch. Quite a perfect and super-duper catchy mix for me, I must say. It can feel a bit odd in the way the mood can shift from a song to another, but the Norwegian Quatuor found the right binder to make it all hold together and make sense. The spooky vibe remains over the course of the album, and make the Uncle Acid influence undeniable. The vocals and riffs tell us the Sabbath is also quite strong with these ones, while some more proggish and/or epic moments recall of their holy forefathers and compatriots Motorpsycho. Kryptograf doesn’t really try to hide where they’re coming from (nor should they) but are strongly standing this ground, and building from there. It’s a really interesting first album, with lots of hints of directions they might explore a bit further on their next one, so keep an eye and ear out!
14: Domo – Domonautas Vol. 2
After waiting quite a long time to give us any new material, Domo gave us a sort of double-tap with Vol. 2 just one year after Vol. 1. Two killer psych stoner jam albums in as many years, and given how much of a Domo fan I am, that one was quite a thrilling delight to me. The Spanish band kept the same recipe as with Vol. 1 and just kept unraveling their spacey secrets, intricating some jazzy prog vibes in the process. Pretty much everything you’d need to get me all psyched, hence my love for them. Both Domonautas have been on my regular spinning list since they went out, and I still feel like I’m discovering them every time I put them on. Usually one after another, to really dive into this Domonautas galaxy, enjoy every little bit of the way through it, and observe the global progression of it. Even though the kickass beautiful visuals could suggest it, Vol. 2 is not really heavier or darker than its predecessor, which was already dwelling properly in those territories. See it more as two parts of the same story, Vol. 2 picking up where Vol. 1 ended, and who knows? Maybe there’s more to these Domonautas explorations coming in the next years, I, for one, would definitely look forward to that!
13: Shaman Elephant – Wide Awake But Still Asleep
Don’t get fooled by the cover and title of this one, this is not Post Rock, but wonderful Heavy Prog. Coming from Norway, they clearly have dug into their mighty forefathers Motorpsycho, definitely wandering the same musical path as them, or their other compatriots Kanaan. I discovered this thanks to Mr. Dopesmoker, and this helped me while waiting for the new MP album perfectly, and even stayed on my regular listening list after that, that’s something. Rooted in the 70s prog style, but bringing lots of . freshness and modernity to it, the groove is all over the place, and the jazzy vibes the cherry on the cake. The mastership of the musicians is irrefutable and you better keep up if you don’t wanna get left behind. Shaman Elephant brilliantly plays with emotions, atmospheres, rhythms, coming back and forth, to create a perfect 40min bubble of wonder and joy. Let yourself go, ease your mind, and follow those strange illusions through their inner exploratory journey.
12: Slift – Ummon
I love Slift, they’re definitely one of the most interesting up and coming french bands from the last few years. Since “Space is the key” in 2017, I kept a very close eye on them and went to catch them live every time I could. And when this covid stuff will leave some room for live concerts, do yourself a treat, and go see them (they’ve already announced some dates opening for All Them Witches, so, double treat, no excuses). No matter how good you think they are, you’ll be blown away. It’s a completely other reality, where music is time, air, water, ground, and fire, with some crazy projections to reinforce the immersion in their own world. “La Planète Inexplorée” was one of my crushes in 2018 and I can tell you I’m waiting impatiently for the double package they released last year with those two albums in a beautiful gatefold cover. About Ummon now, I’m not sure I’ve much to tell you about it, it’s been one of the albums that we’ve seen EVERYWHERE in 2020, and trust me, it’s not overrated. In the 2 years only between their last two albums, they’ve reached so much maturity, mastering, even more, every tiny detail of their song-crafting, definitely bringing it to a whole new level of world-class Space Prog Rock. If you wanna know more, I invite you to check out Mr. Chumbo’s review right here.
11: Mr. Bison – Seaward
I fell in love with this wonderful gem of an album when I worked on my review last October. I would’ve thought it would rank in my top5 back then, but the competition was quite hard for those slots. Anyway, this is a killer LP, a wonderful concept album centered around old sea myths, evolving in the Heavy Psych spheres, with some prog influences, that hit that special spot in your ears with every song. The Italian trio takes us on an exquisite trip above and under water, along their shores or deep at large, bringing different atmospheres into it, while staying true to themselves. It’s the kind of album that checks all my boxes, making me enjoy fully every second of it and just put it back right after, trying to decrypt more of the amazing details dispersed throughout the whole thing. Let this beautiful tide take you, soothe you, trouble you, flood you with those strong emotions, bring you down, and lift you up again. You’ll probably feel a bit exhausted afterward, but also like brand new, washed from all your sorrow, pretty much like after a good swim after all 😉
10: Lowrider – Refractions
I couldn’t not put this one in here, and never considered taking it out of my top10, even if that wasn’t always easy. We’ve been waiting for 20 years for a follow up to “Ode to Io”, with a few gigs here and there to help us be patient. The Swedish veterans finally freed us from this excruciating wait around a year ago, and in such a perfect way. I’m lucky enough to be one of the Postwax subscribers so I even got a few extra months to make it spin, and spin, and spin… The riffage is top-notch, the songs are catchy as hell, it all stands together perfectly and has that special old school zing that sounds like Lowrider from the first note until the last. I don’t even know what else to say, as much has been said about it all over the year, as, for example, in Mr. Void’s review. I think there’s kind of a consensus that this one is THE album of the year, which makes complete sense, and that’s pretty rare in our scene. So let’s just enjoy this masterpiece and hats off to the Swedes for managing to give their legendary Debut a proper worthy follow-up.
9: Onségen Ensemble – Fear
Another band I discovered thanks to Pink Tank Records, with whom they released their debut album Awalaï (only 1 left in our shop). Somehow I missed their follow up, but not this one, which, even if released only in November, left quite a mark in my ears. The mood is a bit darker than what they used us to, bringing some welcomed heaviness to their mix of Finnish folk meets oriental jazzy psych vibes… The fact that it was recorded in 2020 is probably one of the reasons for that shift, I guess, and with that title, it’s not really surprising either. 9 musicians are mentioned on the Bandcamp page, which clearly brought lots of possibilities, making the Finnish band sound very orchestral most of the time. I can’t imagine how hard it must have been to write and record all that material. But fear not (aha), even with that many people, it never seems chaotic at all, every little detail (and there’s tons of them) falls exactly in place, at the right moment. The album flows brilliantly, songs following each other as movements of an opera, definitely standing up to that comparison in terms of virtuosity and epicness.
8: White Manna – ARC
I always loved White Manna, but even more since they blew my mind with Bleeding Eyes and their insane live at Desertfest Antwerp in 2017. Somehow I missed “Ape On Sunday” last year, but “ARC’ hit a special spot this year and was one of the 5 records I listened to the most in 2020. They took a little step back from their craziness while keeping their typical sort of Krautrock sound but directing it more inwards this time. You can still feel the tension here and there, building slowly or bursting out in a frenzy, as if to relieve some stress from all the introspection. Pay attention to all the little details paving this 9-tracks compendium, there’s so much to uncover from the band’s spontaneous improvisations. Whether in their industrial droney moments, numb jazzy digressions, or dissonant thrusts, the Californians never really lose control of their experiments, everything always falls perfectly in place. Maybe there’s something to learn also here, regardless of how you may feel and how intense or overwhelming it can seem, there’s always a way to harness that and point this energy in the right direction to be able to use it and not get used by it. So embark on this journey to the core of your soul, you shouldn’t get out of it unchanged, and that’s what makes a great album after all, what it does to YOU.
7: Korb – Korb II
The British duo Korb is definitely my favorite discovery of the year. I’m actually still wondering how I could miss their debut from 2018… And retrospectively, as good as ‘Korb’ sounded already, they really brought it to another level with ‘Korb II’. This is, to me, the most perfect mix of instrumental Krautrock and Space Rock. Staying true to the 70s Kosmische roots while bringing their personal touch to it, the motorik vibe from the rhythm section supports wonderfully the synths, organ, and guitar layers, bursting out and swirling freely through the galaxy. It results in a flawless collection of 8 sonic explorations into deep psychedelic cosmos broadcasting through the prism of multiple dimensions. The overall atmosphere could feel a bit dark at first, but while going further on the trip that this record is, I find it mostly positive, comforting, mysterious, and joyful. It’s like a thrilling discovery tour of the universe, going smoothly through different sorts of galaxies, letting you all the time you need to bathe your eyes, ears, and mind in the wonders of the otherworldly landscapes they’re depicting while stretching the barriers of time and space. Definitely one of the records I came back to the most this year, and one of the bands I’ll be looking forward to in those to come!
6: Ruff Majik – The Devil’s Cattle
Ruff Majik seems to be on a bumpy road, their last records saw them going through lots of change, in the sound, but also in form. Shifting from the raw power trio that gave us the extreme “Tarn” last year to a Quintet, with a multi-instrumentalist crooner and another guitar player opened a whole new world of possibilities for the Afrikaans. It was meant to be that way, but I’m still amazed by the richness and diversity at work in The Devil’s Cattle with every listen. So many influences, so many different vibes, so much energy, it’s crazy how they managed to put all that in just one record, and still manage to keep their identity. Their distinctive thick and fuzzy-as-hell sound is all over the place, Johni’s kinda nasal and high-pitched voice reinforced by the deeper style of Evert, always pulling upwards and more importantly forward the whole mix. And it doesn’t just work, it rocks! Kicking asses all along the way in so many different ways, and it keeps asking for more, more, More, MORE!!! As I was saying in my review, it’s Catchier, Crazier, Groovier, Heavier. I don’t even care of repeating myself, Ruff Majik is unstoppable, for our greatest pleasure!
5: Elephant Tree – Habits
Aaaah, Elephant Tree, can’t believe it’s been already 4 years since their amazing self-titled, which was an instant crush to me, and that I kept spinning on a regular basis ever since. “Habits” was more of a grower to me, a bit surprised with the calmer moments at first, but which I quickly learned to appreciate. The now-Quatuor took their characteristic aerial doom sound forward with this one, perfecting their already magical strengths to an amazing wholesomeness. As Mr. Fuzz was saying in his review, they clearly emphasized the duality of their sound here, encompassing, even broader, the range of this heaviness/celestial battle between darkness and light. And like the Yin & Yang, no matter the direction a song is taking, there’s always some of its opposite too. They never completely give up one for the other, bringing the overall vibe to a sort of balance in the end. This record is so captivating, from the very beginning to the very end, with those deep emotions moving you through clouds and storms. There are two ways to enjoy this album, at least, either surrendering yourself completely and feel the power of everything the Londoners will get you through, or stay above the clouds, contemplating the sheer beauty of this masterpiece. Either way, you’ll fly, high and low with the ups and downs that are punctuating so well the whole course of those 43 perfect minutes. I can promise that once you’ll be back on the ground, you’ll only want one thing, go back for another round of this thrilling experience.
4: Rezn – Chaotic Divine
I must say I was a little bit afraid at the beginning of the year, hearing that Rezn wanted to change their sound, luckily it turned out that they just don’t like so much being categorized as a doom band. Whatever. Their imprint sound is still there, more monumental and beautiful than ever. Let It Burn was already sounding like the perfect album for that, and Calm Black Water even more, but they still manage to take it even further with Chaotic Divine. I have no idea how they do that, but I don’t care as long as they keep on doing it! Their orchestral doomy vibe resonates so wonderfully, mesmerizing you to their dark and creepy dimension, diving deeper and unraveling more marvel with every second. The symbiosis between all the instruments is stunning, with this haunting voice and wild saxophone, the ever-clear sharp kicks of drums, deeper than deep bass, and fuzzy riffing, my body becomes a living thrill when I put on this record, and it feels so damn satisfying. Oscillating between utter heaviness and aerial purity, with some hints of Eastern vibe here and there, there’s always that kind of threatening atmosphere exuding from the music, latent, and never really jumping at your throat as if kept at bay by the monstrous riffs. I guess it also comes from the global numbing ambiance induced by all the effects, making you feel comforted and safe at all times. It’s like you’re in a little bubble, watching all the madness they depict from a distance, a guest in a maddening world, just here to witness and behold the tortured majesty of Rezn’s sonic reality.
3: Motorpsycho – The All Is One
Surprise! Motorpsycho got a top spot in my top again… After more than 30 years of a diverse career, the Norwegian veterans are keeping at getting better with every album, and it’s been quite a while they’re at the top of their game right now. “The All Is One” is the conclusion to the trilogy started with the incredible “The Tower”, followed last year by the amazing “The Crucible”. I’ve been waiting patiently until August to put my ears on this bad boy, and it just completely blew me away. As usual, they took it up from where they left it before, ever honing their skills towards perfection, always expanding a bit further their universe. It might just be my new favorite MP album right there, it’s got all I loved from some of their previous offerings, and even more. The title song kicks off this double LP majestically, putting it already on the masterpiece tracks, and all that follows is in the same vein. “The Magpie” is one of their best songs ever, and then comes the suite of “N.O.X.”, 5 pieces at the center of the record, movements of a bigger picture building through ups and downs, towards wholesomeness. I already loved what they did with ‘Hell’, split into 3 parts on “Still Life With Eggplant” (my favorite LP) and “Behind The Sun”, but they pushed it even more with this one. The record sounds so serene overall, the production is better than ever and everything sounds so clear and perfect. I think Motorpsycho feels really at home in the signature complex sound they reached with the last few albums and you can clearly hear it, and feel it, with every moment of this magical album.
2: Black Helium – The Wholly Other
This is not really a surprise that this one is so high in my top, especially if you read how I praised it in my review last July. It’s really not so often that I write about an album on the day I hear it the first time, usually preferring to give it some time to fully analyze it. I already knew Black Helium and loved their debut, but this one is on a wholly other level! And what I said back then is still valid now, even more now I would say. I played this one almost every day since it went out and never get tired of it. I just kept on loving it more and more with every listen, appreciating fully every little detail. The overall vibe is brilliant, a loose heavy and bewitching occult atmosphere like the British scene provides so well, and I’m pretty confident that Black Helium is the new player to push this scene forward in the years to come. They take us on different journeys through the course of the album, while staying true to their core and maintaining a strong coherent backbone all along. There’s absolutely no filler there, they completely nailed it with every song, no matter which direction they took. Playing with the rhythm and tempo from a song to another, shifting the mood to get more impact and play with us a bit. The sound is perfect at all times, the timing right on point for every fill, every break, every solo, every riff, and that’s also what can really get me, that damn timing. I still have a hard time trying to find any flaw or possible improvement, but I’m waiting for their next offering with strong expectations. If the step between “Primitive Fuck” and “The Wholly Other” is of any indication, I’m not sure how to be ready for their next masterpiece!
1: Kanaan – Double Sun
I don’t know what was going on in Norway this year, but they provided us with a shitload of amazing albums this year. After their outstanding debut “Windborne” in 2018, then leaving us melting, speechless, in front of their natural ease in Hamburg in 2019, and the marvelous “Oddense Sessions” (with Jonas Munk from Causa Sui) released at the beginning of the year, it’s been predictable to find their second album really high in my top. And for good reasons, as they dropped a magnificent masterpiece with “Double Sun” last April. Staying true to their gorgeous instrumental jazzy spacey prog vibe, they landed a sumptuous and vibrant Heavy Psych album with this one. The Pink Floyd vibe is quite strong, the Motorpsycho and Causa Sui influence pretty obvious too, and even with such behemoths as a comparison, they still managed to push it further, not staying too much in the known territory and clearly owning it as their own sonic universe. I knew, right from my first listen that this one would probably be my favorite album of the year, and I never really considered otherwise since. I may be a bit too superlative here, but I don’t even care, it took me a while to gather my courage to write about it earlier this year, and I still feel like I can’t put into words all the richness and amazing emotions it makes me feel. It is definitely the album I came back to the most this year, for all those reasons, and also this wonderfully gentle comforting atmosphere. Let yourself totally go with this flow, and enjoy the ride. Kanaan may be young, as a band, or musicians, but they certainly already have everything they need to become one of the greatest bands from our scene! And in my opinion, they already are.
Don't forget to check out the Top Albums of the other More Fuzz team members !
Top 10 live albums of 2020
This year brought us quite a lot of amazing live records also, as a way to cope with the absence of concerts I guess. It was definitely more than welcomed, so I figured I should make some room in this article for it. I didn’t wanted to overdoing the writing part, I know I often write too much already, so I kept it simple for those. No blabla, just good music, so click play, close your eyes, and try to picture yourself in front of those stages 😉
10: The Shrine – Live at Freak Valley
9: Damo Suzuki & Lapis Lazuli – live @Ramsgate Music Hall
8: Stone From The Sky – Live In La Grange
7: КОМВУИАТ ЯОВОТЯОИ – Dickfehler Studio Treffen I
6: King Buffalo – Live at Freak Valley
5: Yawning Man – Live at Giant Rock
4: Electric Moon – Live at Freak Valley
3: Helicon – Fuzz Club Sessions
2: Temple Fang – Live at Merleyn
1: Mythic Sunship – Changing Shapes (Live at Roadburn)
Don't forget to check out the Top Albums of the other More Fuzz team members !
Honourable Mentions
You’ve been used to it by now, I never put the More Fuzz Records releases into my tops, to avoid doing any shameless self-promotion, but I cannot not mention it at all either…
This year we had the pleasure to collaborate with Beesus and Go Down Records for the 3rd album of the Roman Trio. Rightfully named ‘3eesus’, it’s a brilliant package of energetic Fuzz Rock, that stayed in my earplugs for most of the summer, as it glows with sun, warmth, and good vibes. Check it out right here, and if you like what you hear, head over to our shop to secure one of the sweet rusty marbled edition before they’re gone 😉
Now check all those other brilliant albums I didn’t have enough room for in my top, ordered by Atmosphere Levels, and alphabetically by band name inside those.
By Fat Level
-(16)- – Dream Squasher
Black Elephant – Cosmic Blues
Elder – Omens
Earthbong – Bong Rites
Kind – Mental Nudge
Mindcrawler – Lost Orbiter
Pallbearer – Forgotten Days
Psychlona – Venus Skytrip
Qilin – Petrichor
Saturno Grooves – Cosmic Echoes
Slomosa – Slomosa
The Heavy Eyes – Love Like Machines
Turtle Skull – Monoliths
By Purple Haze Level
Arcadian Child – Protopsycho
Bismut – Retrocausality
Causa Sui – Szabodelico
Carlton Melton – Where This Leads
Flying Moon In Space – Flying Moon In Space
Frozen Planet … 1969 – Cold Hand of a Gambling Man & Hydroculture
Helicon – This can only lead to Chaos
Here the Captain Speaking, the Captain is Dead – Flux Capacitor
Huanastone – Third Stone from the Sun
IAH – III
King Buffalo – Dead Star
Oresund Space Collective – Experiments in the subconscious & Four Riders take Space Mountain
Sei Still – Sei Still
Spaceslug – Leftovers
The Kings of Frog Island – VI
Tsiolkovski – Molniya
Yuri Gagarin – The Outskirts of Reality
By Temperature Level
Brant Bjork – Brant Bjork
Fuzz – III
Geezer – Groovy
Mother’s Cake – Cyberfunk!
Oranssi Pazuzu – Mestarin Kynsi
Psychedelic Porn Crumpets – Tally-Ho
Radar Men From The Moon – The Bestial Light
Sbonk – Lamizuk
Vessel – Vagabond Blues
White Hills – Splintered Metal Sky
Top 5 concerts of 2020
Despite Covid, I managed to make it to a few amazing gigs this year. Some before the shitstorm, as we were used to, and some in the covid friendly, seated and masked, configuration. And even if it’s definitely not as pleasant (or Rock’n’Roll) it felt goddamn good to be able to still have some taste of live music! Cherry on the cake, I finally managed to see Causa Sui, and Mythic Sunship with their saxophone player (and some extra other musicians for a crazy jam at the end). Most of it I streamed live and is available on the More Fuzz Facebook page, so enjoy 😉
Mythic Sunship, Narcosatanicos in Residence @ Alice, Copenhagen, DK
Causa Sui, Grin, Papir, Vesjysk Orken @ Fuzztival, Esbjerg, DK
Domadora, Glowsun, Spaceslug, Witchfinder @ West Stoner Sessions, Nantes, FR
Kungens Män @ Lazy Duo Buho Sessions, Hamburg, DE
My Sleeping Karma @ Junkyard, Dortmund, DE
Thanks for reading and Keep it Fuzzy!
Mr. Stone
Don't forget to check out the Top Albums of the other More Fuzz team members !
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