Chris' Top Ten Albums of 2020

Like everyone, I've found it extremely hard to come up with my 10 favourite albums this year. Seriously good releases not to make my list came from Custody, The Sewer Rats, Giant Eagles and American Television; and some old favourites also put out some really great new music as well including Broadway Calls, Lawrence Arms and Get Dead. So, 2020… the worst ever year for live music, but a pretty damn great one for recorded releases.

10. Diaz Brothers by Diaz Brothers

I find it increasingly impossible to write anything for CPRW without somehow crowbarring a mention of Leatherface in there somewhere, so here's my reference in this article. The debut from Sunderland's Diaz Brothers featuring ex members from the region's punk scene, in particular Leatherface's forerunner's HDQ, but they are most certainly not a poorman's imitation – just fantastic, fast, melodic hardcore.

9. Ways Away by Ways Away

This is probably the album I was looking forward to the most this year. A semi-supergroup featuring members of Racquet Club, Stick To Your Guns and Samiam amongst others, drawing influences from all. This is Ways Away’s debut and it didn't let me down. A must see band once things get back to normal.

8. Seamless by Pardon Us

I wasn't expecting a new album from Pardon Us as their debut only came out last year. I'm guessing because it took a while for that debut they always had plenty of songs in the bank, which means the next album is a perfect follow up to Wait – nothing has been rushed out here, the standard is tremendously high.

7. Eruptions by The Special Bombs

There's loads of great German punk, and European punk in general, around at the moment and a whole load of them made my long, short list. Eruptions is the debut from The Special Bombs from Wittibreut and it is singalong, shout it out loud bangers from start to finish.

6. Thanks, I Hate It by Kid You Not

It's hard to believe this is already Kid You Not's third album and they just get better and better. Floridian, Fest stalwarts these songs were written to be played at full volume in a packed, sweaty venue, but I'll make do with blasting this at home for now.

5. 20/20 Vision by Anti-Flag

This album was out before COVID really hit and the band were here in the UK promoting it at the start of the year. Not only was it one of the few shows any of us have managed to see this year, but it was great to be one of a select few to see them play some of these new songs live. The album is their best for some time, which is saying something as Anti-Flag don't put out duffs. It's stacked with singalong anthems we love and expect, but with the twist that it's a full on assault on the Trump administration rather than the usual broader political and social commentary.

4. Still Golden by Wolf Face

2020 was the year I actually took notice of Wolf Face. I'd always been aware of them, but had never properly taken the time to listen. It turns out, 2020 was the perfect time to discover them as Still Golden is brilliant from start to finish. Don't be put off by gimmicky masks or pseudonyms because Wolf Face Still Golden is straight up, catchy, anthemic punk.

3. Oppositional Defiance by The Raging Nathans

The Raging Nathans get better and better. I've always been a fan, but the latest album is the best yet. Midwestern melodic punk at its core with elements of skate, street, pop and even hardcore in there. Rad Girlfriend put out a tonne of great records this year and this is the very best of the lot.

2. The Spaces In Between by Arterials

The second band from Germany on my list and this is also an absolute banger from the Hamburg band. Proper fist in the air, gritty, urgent punk complete with raspy vocals, their second album quite simply offers up everything I want from a record. Arterials are at the very top of my must see list at Booze Cruise Festival in their hometown next year.

1. Under Tension by The Drowns

This came out at the very start of the year, but even back then I knew it would be one of my favourites. Gruff street punk with a bit of gravelly oi thrown in. I love it. Every track is a banger. The Drowns were due in the UK for Rebellion this year. I'm not sure if they've confirmed for next year, but I have everything crossed they'll be back and will be putting together a wider tour.

This top ten was written by Chris Bishton.

Album Review: Under Tension by The Drowns (by Chris Bishton)

I first came across Seattle's The Drowns a couple of years ago. I was trying to get hold of a copy of another album, from another band in the US and, in passing, one of the guys mentioned The Drowns. They were about to bring out their debut album and he would be doing some distro, so did I want a copy? I'd never heard them before, but his exact words were "it's damn good," so of course, why not? I took a flyer on it and grabbed a copy. Never a truer word spoken! The Drowns are indeed damn good!

The members of band themselves are no newcomers. Previous bands they've played in include The Briggs, The Shell Corporation and Success. The Drowns’ sound certainly draws on some of these elements – fast, catchy, punk with sing-along anthems sung mostly with a gravelly vocal that I love.

The first track on Under Tension, Black Lung, sets the tone. Street punk, fast guitar and the raspy cry of "yeah! yeah" that then lends itself to a track that will be an instant sing-a-long classic.

This is then followed by a slight shift. Them Rats has the same fast tempo and harmonic vocals, but whilst it is a punk track, it's an oi! infused sound that sits somewhere between Booze & Glory and Rancid. It catches me slightly by surprise, but again it's easy to imagine a hot, sweaty crowd shouting along to this.

Wolves On The Throne then switches to a crisper sound, with a cleaner cut vocal, but which features a "woah-oh-oh" finish.

Hold Fast was a track that was released on the streaming sites before the album itself so I know what I'm getting with this and it comes before One More Pint and Wastin' Time. All are absolute bangers – flashing guitar and harmonies with those raspy, gruff vocals that sounds like a morph between an American-accented Frankie Stubbs and, dare I say it, Lemmy.

In between these tracks are Demons – another that was released online last year – and Cue The Violins. These are more jangly and the vocal shifts in tone again as the band continue to switch up the lead vocalist. They too are fast, but they remind me more of the The Undertones complete with Fergal Sharkey's voice! Less growly than some of the other tracks, but they have the harmonic sound and sing-a-long choruses.

A cover Jimmy Cliff's classic The Harder They Come is given the punk makeover towards the end of the record (and who doesn't love hearing punks covering these sort of tunes?) before the album concludes with The Unknown and Battery Street.

This last song is possibly my favourite. It gives that nod to the Oi!/Rancid sound and parts of it are very stripped down with just a simple drum beat and guitar as the vocals take primary focus. I can imagine the band finishing their gigs with "I know who I am… I know where I'm from" being screamed by everyone in the room as the ultimate "slow it down… thank everyone for coming… build it up to a crescendo" song.

There's a lot of bands from Seattle that I'm loving at the moment – The Subjunctives, Burn Burn Burn, Dead Bars – all of which released killer albums last year. The Drowns are the latest from the city to carry on this trend.

Under Tension is their second album in less than two years and along the way they've released a couple of singles and toured the US, Europe and Japan. No one can accuse them of not working hard. They've already announced they're back in Europe to play the Rebellion, Brakrock and Punk Rock Paradise festivals in the summer. Hopefully they'll add some club gigs in as well. I'll keep my eyes peeled.

Until then, I'll have Under Tension on a pretty constant repeat. It's only mid-January, but I'll call it now – the record will easily be in my top five releases of the year.

Stream and download Under Tension here.

Like The Drowns here.

This review was written by Chris Bishton.