The best 2020 punk albums according to Radio Punk
Which were the best 2020 punk albums in our opinion? Here is a short description!
Let’s start this 2021 by telling you which were the best 2020 punk albums. This is not a real chart, but a summary of the records that most impressed us and that have marked our 2020. You will find very different styles and genres because as you know we are a crew of several people with different tastes. In the hope of making you discover or re-evaluate these works, we leave you below our “best of 2020”. We put for convenience the albums in alphabetical order with their players, because it is not intended to be a competition. As in every article of this type, we invite you to share with us your favorites and your opinions on our “chart”, in order to maybe let us know or rediscover new albums.
Anti-Flag – 20/20 Vision
2020 had just started, still all quiet, and the Pittsburgh band released 20/20 Vision, raging against racism and vomitous U.S. politics.
Bad Cop/Bad Cop – The Ride
Album released via Fat Wreck Chords. Bad Cop/Bad Cop release their third album in which you can perceive a much more mature sound than the previous ones, without detaching themselves from their punk rock attitude!
Beans on Toast – Knee deep in Nostalgia
Beans on Toast is a solo folk project but with a punk attitude to the core. From Brexit to British racism, from drug parties to climate change – Jay McAllister and his guitar spit out the world’s rot.
Call Me Malcolm – Me, Myself and Something Else
Yet another album exploring the mysteries of the psyche for a band that impresses with the originality of its sound. And how can you not love a band that gives a palindromic title to a song about obsessive-compulsive disorder?
Culto del Cargo – Memorie in Lingua Morta
If you like crust this is a record to listen to, a storm of sound that hits you from the first to the last second, between one listen and another the lyrics deserve a read.
Drömspell – Barbarie futura
Barbarie futura: released via Timebomb records it is a real godsend in the crust/d-beat genre. Violent sound and scratchy singing at least as much as the lyrics, perfect sounds to say the least. Highly recommended!
Dropdead – Dropdead 2020
The band from Providence is back with a full-length after years and does so in a masterful way. 23 songs in 24 minutes describe perfectly what have been the last years culminating in this tragic 2020, with the growth of the far right, destruction of planet earth and failure of capitalist society. A mix of fast hardcore punk, d-beat and extreme and chaotic sounds. Spectacular!
Guerilla Poubelle – L’Ennui
Sophisticated punk rock and culturally and politically engaged lyrics, Guerilla are always a guarantee. Album released earlier last year, we barely made it in time to hear it live before 2020 hit…
Hyle – Weapons I’ve Earned
Quality death n’Crust, a journey through dark sounds and lashing riffs. Album with a pressing rhythm, impossible not to consume the album once finished the first listening.
Krav Boca – City Hackers
A record that will make you travel, from the typical Greek sounds to French banlieues, a nice hardcore hip hop record that will amaze you track by track! Not to be missed. We talked about it here.
La inquisición – Tenevrae
A new wonder by the street punk band from Barcelona. Occult themes and raw and aggressive singing match perfectly with the dark and melodic at the same time sound.
La Ska Brass – Mírela
For lovers of Spanish-language skapunk, the Catalan band’s third album casts a critical eye on politics, society and mass media. Impossible to sit still while listening. Click here to read more.
Laura Jane Grace – Stay Alive
Well, Laura is always Laura, how can you not love her voice that joins the punk guitar sound without ever forgetting the folk and poetic vein. Just the right album for this difficult year.
Los(K)soS – Dans l’Urne jusqu’au Cou
A band that pretends to be a party, but is more credible than real politicians. Skapunk embellished with jazz-swing sounds and biting irony on religion, politics, society. A first work of high level, an authentic revelation. We talked about it more extensively here.
Maleducazione Alcolica – Chiacchiere da Bar
The standard bearers of Tuscia ska do not miss a beat and this album enriched by illustrious featurings is yet another confirmation. Village bar atmosphere in balance between revelry and melancholy. Click here to learn more.
Menagramo – Ribcage
You could call them the Italian Days N Daze. Menagramo have always made space in the hearts of people on tiptoe with their clean and innocent folk punk, with their latest effort “Ribcage” they do not deny this thought. Impossible not to listen to it at least 10 times! We talked about it here.
PEARS – PEARS
One of the many works released this year via Fat Wreck Chords. The self-titled album by PEARS, a hardcore band from New Orleans, leaves no room for thought and shoots straight from the first track to the last with a few “crazy” riffs serving as interludes.
Secoli Morti – La Paura
A hardcore gem made in Italy, where the fast and pressing rhythms are accompanied with chilling lyrics! Secoli Morti’s second album was released via Professional Punkers before the total lockdown (inside the record you’ll find a song titled “Contagio”, they had already foreseen everything!).
Sempre peggio – anni buttati
this 7″ is a little masterpiece by the oi! band from Milan. Four songs that become real anthems to sing under the stage, thanks to the good dose of irony and the strong impact music. If you liked their first album, you will love “anni buttati”! Full review here.
Stiglitz – S/T
The guys deliver six songs that best represent their city: Genoa. A fresh and original album that has its roots in the most aggressive oi! Absolute surprise that since the first listening captures you and transports you between the caruggi and the port!
Strike Anywhere – Nightmares of the West
No introduction is needed for this band, that finally comes back to the scenes with a nice pissed off album, and once again spews out the evil and nightmares of the west.
Tenia – Altrove
Revelation band of 2020, HC with dark tones, very energetic, but which also finds space for really interesting melodic interludes.
The Network – Money Money 2020 part II
As if it were a prophecy, The Network break the silence after 18 years! They come back with a captivating album with sounds ranging from punk rock to new wave, following the first album “Money Money 2020” released in 2003.
War on Women – Wonderful Hell
If you don’t know War on Women, don’t waste your time and listen to this Wonderful Hell, the latest work by the band from Baltimore. Feminism, misogyny, human and animal rights, as in previous albums, also in Wonderful Hell, music meets activism.
Zona d’ombra – Tensioni e Distanze
Old school hardcore punk, incessant rhythm, lashing sounds and engaged lyrics. A record where music is not the end but a means, an outlet. Here is our full review.
Did you like this article? Go and listen to our best of 2020 playlist!