Editor’s Pick: The best music of May 2020

Another month flies by, another month down in the Spotify mines. May was no different to the last. I may emerge from that bottomless mine covered in soot, (AKA sh*t music) but I also bring heaps of gold; look below and you shall see the best of May’s offerings…

Havok – V

After last month’s blistering release from Warbringer, I was certain 2020 had reached its peak for thrash metal; fortunately, Havok has given me a deserved slap round the chops and showed me just how desperately wrong I was. Havok, since the late 2000s, has made a quiet but fervent ascent through the rankings before bursting forthright in 2017 to cement themselves within the canon of modern thrash alongside aforementioned Warbringer, Power Trip and Sylosis with V being a reminder as to why. While tracks like Post-truth Era and Fear Campaign dabble in some Metallica worship, Havok has never been one to let their influences reign over them, with deeper cuts like Ritual of the Mind and Interface with the Infinite serving as auspicious signs for the future of this fantastic band.

Favourite tracks: Post-truth Era, Fear Campaign, Ritual of the Mind, Interface with the Infinite

Rating: 8/10

King Witch – Body of Light

I’ll be honest, I had no clue who King Witch was, I simply saw that cover and it all spiralled out of control from there on in. As juvenile as it sounds, like a child being enchanted by a shiny pebble, it has worked to my favour: Body of Light is one hell of a record. Placing themselves firmly between the camps of old-school heavy metal and doom metal, it’s a justified hour of bludgeoning yet groove-laden riffs that intersect pleasingly diverse displays of songwriting. Atop the soundscape of such calamitous heft screams vocalist Laura Donnelly, who embodies the old gods of Halford or King Diamond for some truly explosive deliveries. With such a foreboding palette and progressive attitude to songwriting, King Witch has gained a loyal follower.

Favourite tracks: Of Rock and Stone, Return to Dust, Order From Chaos, Solstice I – She Burns

Rating: 7.5/10

Shrapnel – Palace for the Insane

Another thrash metal album? Daring today aren’t we? Yes, it’s another thrash metal record but I maintain that it’s a damn good one. When I first reviewed Shrapnel’s third full-length outing I noted that it boasted some of the years greatest thrash hits but the overall package suffered under its own weight. The runtime hasn’t miraculously shrunk upon multiple listens but the album’s greater tracks reveal more gold with each re-run. The grandiose and multi-faceted opener Might of Cygnus, the twisted start-stop intro of Cannibal and the Kill ‘em All-Esque highlight Turn Off the Lights, they’re just a handful of Shrapnel’s terrific performances that more than make up for the odd tracklist dud.

Favourite tracks: Turn Off the Lights, Cannibal, Vultures Circle, Might of Cygnus

Rating: 7.5/10

Caligula’s Horse – Rise Radiant

If you’ve already read my full review of Rise Radiant, if not come read my admittedly gushing review here, then it should come as no shock to see the serene aesthetics of Chris Stevenson-Mangos’s canvas popping up on this list. Three years ago, Caligula’s Horse showed just how technically adept they could be with In Contact and now, with Rise Radiant, they’ve shown that the same raw power could be achieved through a more minimalist approach that truly exemplifies how less can indeed be more. The album is still packed with prog-y proficiency (you’ll have a hard time playing The Tempest on the recorder that’s for sure) but it’s through the emotionally draining ebbs and flows of Salt and Autumn where Rise Radiant is at its most demanding. Matching In Contact was to do the impossible, only the future will tell if lightning can strike the same place twice.

Favourite tracks: Slow Violence, Salt, Autumn, The Tempest

Rating: 9/10

Horisont – Sudden Death

Despite a cryptic Norwegian band name and fairly morbid album title, Sudden Death isn’t the raw black metal album that the labels might suggest; if anything, it’s a wholesome and generally beautiful venture into classic prog rock. Flourished with the rich guitar tones of typical 70’s rock (think Yes) and paired with the soulful keyboard patterns of the same era, Sudden Death’s tracklist is awash with grin-inducing jams. Despite having a few numbers not worth committing to memory and the odd moment where Axel Söderberg’s high notes stray from actually sounding good, Horisont supplement their flavour with prog-y curves and bends to make Sudden Death a portal of nostalgia well worth jumping into.

Rating: 7.5/10

Favourite tracks: Free Riding, Runaway, Pushin’ the Line, Sail On, Archaeopteryx in Flight