The top 30 album covers of 2020

Lose yourself to a collection of this year's best visual endeavors.

Illustration by Noah C. Meihoff

Before we get into the list, how about that above illustration by Noah Meihoff? Titled Total Gnosis of the Optic Void, the painting was crafted for us here at Heaviest of Art to capture a sense of discovery, similar to that of picking up a great new record based on an album cover alone. Like many can attest, album covers have the ability of garnering the curiosity of a passing individual, whether that be at a local record store or a streaming service. Upon blindly embarking on a record, listeners walk into a world of unimaginable elements, leaving the rest to history.

That said, 2020 hosted a plethora of works that piqued our interest from the very beginning. Here at Heaviest of Art, we believe in love at first sight (for covers that is), and the below list is but a neat sample of what made it this year so good for audiovisual enthusiasts. Whether it be genre legends like Joe Petagno, Dan Seagrave, and Timo Ketola (R.I.P.) or modern greats like Adam Burke or Eliran Kantor, our selections highlight what make metal one of the most visual of the genres, if not the most visual. Instead of continuing the commentary, let's let the covers do the talking.

Here are the top 30 album covers of 2020:

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30. Battle Dagorath - Abyss Horizons (Jenglot Hitam) | Listen

29. Ulcerate - Stare Into Death And Be Still (Jamie Saint Merat) | Listen

28. Unreqvited - Empathica (Matt Erskine) | Listen

27. The Acacia Strain - Slow Decay (Caelan Stokkermans) | Listen

26. Ages - Uncrown (Chris Cold) | Listen

25. Svart Crown - Wolves Among The Ashes (Dehn Sora) | Listen

24. The Black Dahlia Murder - Verminous (Juanjo Castellano) | Listen

23. Aseitas - False Peace (Noah Meihoff) | Listen

22. Sodom - Genesis XIX (Joe Petagno) | Listen

21. Witches Hammer - Damnation Is My Salvation (Lucas Ruggieri) | Listen

20. Icon of Phobos/Katheksis - Primal Death Rites (Paolo Girardi) | Listen

19. Malokarpatan - Krupinské Ohne (Matúš S. Ďurčík) | Listen

18. Deus Mortem - Kosmocide (Artem Grigoryev) | Listen

17. Markgraf - Self-Titled (David Glomba) | Listen

16. Meslamtaea - Geketend in de schaduw van het leven (Maya Kurkhuli) | Listen

15. Luctus - Užribis (Jose Gabriel Alegría Sabogal) | Listen

14. Earth Rot - Black Tides Of Obscurity (Khaos Diktator Design) | Listen

13. Bedsore - Hypnagogic Hallucinations (Timo Ketola) | Listen

12. Skeletal Remains - The Entombment of Chaos (Dan Seagrave) | Listen

11. Imperial Triumphant - Alphaville (Zbigniew M. Bielak) | Listen

10. Stormkeep - Galdrum (Ian Miller) | Listen

9. Testament - Titans Of Creation (Eliran Kantor) | Listen

8. Necrot - Mortal (Marald van Haasteren) | Listen

7. Ripped to Shreds - 亂 (Luan) (Guang Yang) | Listen

6. Spirit Adrift - Enlightened In Eternity (Adam Burke) | Listen

5. Pan Amerikan Native Front/Ifernach - Split (Business For Satan) | Listen

Photograph by Perichaud Pierre (Business For Satan)

4. Nyktophobia - What Lasts Forever (Artem Demura) | Listen

3. Atramentus - Stygian (Mariusz Lewandowski) | Listen

2. Protest The Hero - Palimpsest (Martin Wittfooth) | Listen

1. Nigraluminiscencia - Precaria (Elijah Tamu) | Listen

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And there you have it, our yearly selection of illustrious greats. Congratulations to all for the exquisite works, the likes of which introduced us to new worlds beyond that of the music embodied within. May next year be just as a grand (in terms of album covers).

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