2020 Bracket Leftovers

Every year when we do the bracket there end up being a ton of deserving records on each of our respective lists that are awesome and we just don’t have space for all of them. For as shitty as 2020 was, there were a lot of great records that were released. So many that it seems like more deserving records than usual got left off the bracket. Below find eight of my favorites that got left out of the year-end festivities.

ACxDC – Satan is King
I love that there’s a new ACxDC record out the same year as a new AC/DC record. So I could mess with people and instead of playing them some Australian classic rock, they got a slap of powerviolence with songs like “Copsucker,” “Maggot Museum,” or the absolutely brilliantly titled “Back in Black Bloc.” These twenty-three minutes of chaotic intensity, confidently mixing in some downtempo and more death metal-esque vocals, with your more traditional grind and shrieks is the kind of thing I needed in 2020.

Be Well – The Weight and the Cost
Today in PMA, youth-crew influenced hardcore by dudes who’ve been around forever, we have the debut LP by Be Well. The previous bands list is impressive, including the likes Bane, Converge, Darkest Hour, Battery, and Fairweather, and vocalist Brian McTernan has a long list of producer credits as well. They mix hardcore with the emotional heft and creative flourishes that came out of Dischord’s Revolution Summer for one of the hardest-hitting lyrical releases of a hard-hitting year.

Bob Mould – Blue Hearts
I had never checked out Bob Mould’s solo work before (he’s the frontman of the seminal Hüsker Dü for the unaware), so I didn’t really know what to expect. It starts with the emotional, but stripped down, “Heart on my Sleeve.” Okay, old punk guy playing acoustic, telling it like it is. I can get behind this. Then we get “Next Generation.” And “American Crisis.” And holy fuck, this never lets up. Fast and furious and Bob Mould is fucking pissed. The lyrics are brilliant and biting and hold nothing back. Honestly regret not throwing this on the bracket. Fucking listen to this.

Coriky – Coriky
We’re never gonna get another Fugazi record, so Coriky is the next best thing we’ll get, uniting Joe Lally, Amy Farina, and Ian MacKaye. They all do vocals, so each song really has its own personality, depending on who takes the lead, but they all mix together wonderfully. MacKaye and Farina’s work in the Evens really shines through and there’s something to be said for each instrument being clear in the mix. The mini jam sessions in these songs are a blast. It’s clear this is a passion project and they’re all having a great time. And I love having another song to drink tea to, with “Have a Cup of Tea,” in addition to King Diamond’s “Tea.”

Ett Dödens Maskineri – Det Svenska Hatet
According to Google, Ett Dödens Maskineri translates to ‘a machinery of death.’ Fucking right. Released at the very end of November, this landed on my long list solely on the strength of leadoff single “Låsta Dörrar.” And the rest holds up. Blistering d-beat crust punk in the Swedish tradition, Det Svenska Hatet is a rager. Released earlier in the year and this is on my list for sure. With lyrics all in Swedish I have no idea what they’re saying. But let’s be honest, this stuff transcends language. They’re calling out racist, fascist, right-wing governments, a capitalist system that thrives while we all suffer, while at the same time destroying the environment for monetary gain, a cultural shift toward discrimination and bigotry, the insidious influence of religion, etc. etc.

Svalbard – When I Die, Will I Get Better?
This was my final cut for the bracket and a really hard one to leave off. You know how bands put out consistently good records and then something happens and they release an utter masterpiece? That’s what happened with Svalbard here. At root a post-hardcore band, they throw all the influences into this concoction – resulting in songs like the magnificent “Listen to Someone” mixing ethereal shoegaze and black metal blast beats, but all interpreted through Svalbard’s post-hardcore lens. Mix into this the dueling vocal performances from Serena Cherry and Liam Phelan, who are both on top of their game here. And the lyrics cover some important, weighty topics, like mental health (the aforementioned “Listen to Someone”), rape culture (“What Was She Wearing?”), and misogyny (“Click Bait,” “The Currency of Beauty”). Powerful stuff and a must-hear record.

The Weapon – A Repugnant Turn of Events
Fast, fun, straight-up 80s influenced NYHC that lasts all of seventeen minutes, the Weapon join the cadre of bands taking on the rise of fascist conservatism. Songs like “Enforcer” call out police brutality, “Shotgun Anarchy” has a sing-along chorus decrying the fascist lurch, “Unstoppable” is the PMA track highlighting the power of organization and unity. Oh, and Killswitch Engage vocalist Jesse Leach is the mouthpiece here. Bet ya didn’t see that coming.

Worriers – You or Someone You Know
Worriers have been a staple around CTR for years now, so it seems odd to have a bracket where they’re on the outside looking in. We could chalk it up to having a song title “Chicago Style Pizza is Terrible” when that is clearly false, but we’re not that vindictive. Despite getting a little more mellow and melancholy, Lauren Denitzio is still a masterful song crafter and they create some great moments here. “What Comes Next?” alternates from some more subdued verses to a bombastic chorus, at least for a kinda chill song. “Curious” is catchy as hell. And “Big Feelings” has one of my favorite musical moments of the year, with that kickass solo dropping into a super-catchy chorus with nothing but some drumbeats backing it up at first. Phenomenal stuff.