Infant Island had a busy year, with the release of the Sepulcher mini-LP, the Collections 1 compilation (which benefited the Richmond Community Bail Fund), and their sophomore album Beneath, which we named the #2 best punk album of 2020 (and also included on our list of great screamo/post-hardcore albums from this year). Not to mention, guitarist/vocalist Alexander Rudenshiold also released a killer EP with his band Mattachine.
With the year coming to a close, all five members of Infant Island spoke to us about the music they loved most this year. Each member made their own list of favorite albums, accompanied by entertaining excerpts from the band's group chat about these lists. Infant Island's own music incorporates screamo, black metal, sludge metal, noise, ambience, post-rock, and more, so it's no surprise that these lists include tons of different styles of music, with albums by Soul Glo, Undeath, Undergang, Nothing, Thou, Lady Gaga, Arca, Machine Girl, 100 gecs, Soccer Mommy, Hum, Nø Man, This Will Destroy You, Boris/Merzbow, Benny the Butcher, Conway the Machine, Freddie Gibbs, Pink Siifu & Fly Anakin, Necrot, and much more. Read on for what they had to say...
Daniel Kost (vocals)
“the only releases I liked were the new Soul Glo, Agnes Obel, and a handful of death metal records"
>>>>
Black Curse - Endless Wound Agnes Obel - Myopia Undeath - Lesions of a Different Kind 200 Stab Wounds - Piles of Festering Decomposition Soul Glo - Songs to Yeet at the Sun Holy Sons - Raw & Disfigured Undergang - Aldrig i Livet Nothing - The Great Dismal Daniel Bachman - Green Alum Springs Lomelda - Hannah Thou - Blessings of the Highest Order Fluids - Ignorance Exalted
Austin O’Rourke (drums, orchestration)
"i’m outing myself as a heavy poser”
>>>>
Lady Gaga - Chromatica Helios - Domecile Akisai - Travelers Arca - Kick I Machine Girl - U Void Synthesizer Zombieshark! - I will destroy you, myself, and everything I’ve ever loved Machinedrum - A View of U 100 Gecs - 1000 Gecs & the Tree of Clues Recovery Girl - Recovery Girl Soul Glo - Songs to Yeet at the Sun Autechre - Sign Charli XCX - How I’m Feeling Now Soccer Mommy - Color Theory The Japanese House - Chewing Cotton Wool Joyride - BRAVE
Alexander Rudenshiold (guitar, vocals)
“dw mine is also gonna be poseur shit”
>>>>
Nothing - The Great Dismal Soccer Mommy - Color Theory Sumac - May You Be Held DJ Sabrina the Teenage DJ - Charmed Lady Gaga - Chromatica Hum - Inlet Soul Glo - Songs to Yeet at the Sun The Bilinda Butchers - Night & Blur Nø Man - Erase Sadness - Alluring the distant eye Old Man Gloom - Seminars VIII & IX Blithe Field - Hymn for Anyone This Will Destroy You - Variations & Rarities: 2004 - 2019
Winston Givler (guitar, vocals)
"I hate compiling dumb ass lists”
>>>>
Baths - Pop Music / False B-Sides II Benny the Butcher & Hitboy - Burden of Proof Boris/Merzbow - 2R0|2P0 Chihei Hatakeyama - Black Swallow Conway the Machine - From a King to a GOD Freddie Gibbs - Alfredo JPEGMAFIA - EP! Mikau - Phantoma Primitive Man - Immersion Oneohtrix Point Never - Magical Oneohtrix Point Never Thou/Emma Ruth Rundle - May Our Chambers Be Full
Kyle Guerra (bass, vocals)
"I was trying to avoid having a bunch of Griselda, but I’d rather that than admitting I listened to a nirvana cover album a lot”
>>>>
Freddie Gibbs & The Alchemist - Alfredo Benny the Butcher & Hitboy - Burden of Proof 200 Stab Wounds - Piles of Festering Decomposition Soul Glo - Songs to Yeet at the Sun Pink Siifu & Fly Anakin - FlySiifu’s Ty Sorrell - Fast Food Alfred. - One Trick Pony Billy Capricorn - Out of Love, Vol. 5 The Bilinda Butchers - Night & Blur Conway the Machine & The Alchemist - Lulu Nø Man - Erase King Jahsh - Julius Ponyboy - Camp Hoopla Necrot - Mortal 90Wyse - Abhorrent
--
Stream a few of the albums they picked below...
--
Browse our Best of 2020 tag for more year-end lists.
