Talking about album of the year, I can honestly say if this was a full length release it would top this year’s countdown. This is by far and away the most amazing collection of music that I have had the pleasure of listening to this year. Unfortunately, by my own strict rules, no matter how good “Wake of a Nation” is, it is still ineligible for the list.

This is a phenomenal and peerless set of rage-filled protest songs. For the uninitiated, Zeal & Ardor combine black metal with the primal sound of afro-spirituals from the 19th century. Passion, power and indignation crackles off these six tracks. They may be inspired by the recent rise of the black lives matter movement, but you can feel decades of subjugation and upheaval run through the veins of all six songs. “Wake of the Nation” is a bold, heartfelt call to arms and it uses its unique musical structures to scream at the unjustness of it all. Uncomfortable, challenging but overall, utterly magnificent.

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