COVID-19: Metal Insider’s shocking moment of 2020

Posted by on December 29, 2020

Metal Insider wraps every year with a list of Top Ten Shocking moments. However, this is 2020. The biggest shock was something barely on our radar last year, which is, of course, the worldwide pandemic of COVID-19. We’ve exceeded eighty-one million cases and nearing two million deaths worldwide as the coronavirus has affected everyone in more ways than one. Concerts and events turned into distant memories, while artists having Livestream events from their living room became our new normal. 

As the spread of the virus appeared more contained in different parts of the world, venues, bands, and staff experimented with socially distant concerts. Unfortunately, others, such as Steel Panther’s three-trek run in Florida and the Sturgis Rally, put safety regulations into the back-burner despite the growing number of COVID cases and deaths in the surrounding areas.

To top off the catastrophic year, we’ve lost many musicians, which feels like more than previous years. 2020 began with losing iconic drummers including, Neil Peart and Reed Mullin, to Power Trip’s Riley Gale, and moving onto losing the legendary Eddie Van Halen, which only added to the exasperating 2020 waking nightmare. We can summarize 2020 as Murphy’s Law with, what can go wrong will go wrong. The entire year was a shocking disaster, leaving little wiggle room for hope. The only light inside this dark truculent tunnel was the exceptional amount of new music released, which we can only expect to see a continuation in 2021 (check out JeffMattZachChrisBram, and Zenae’s top lists).

Towards the beginning, the shocking moment was seeing Insomnium cancel their tour after just arriving in the United States. All bands eventually had their touring plans scrapped or were forced to abruptly cancel half-way through their scheduled run, making it one heartbreaking story after the next. Spreadsheets were created to support bands by tracking everything down, including where to get merchandise. However, after seeing over 900 cancellations, it was nearly impossible to keep up. We usually write a list of tours we’re looking forward to seeing during our year-end wrap-ups, but 2020 made us realize; anything can happen. We faced challenges that guided us to discover new solutions during troubling times, such as donating to Save Our Stages and Bandcamp‘s waived fees to support artists.

Metal Insider launched a new Home Quarantine column to spread positivity, asking bands for advice during these unprecedented times. Despite the darkness, this year has proven we can unite and rebuild. Instead of listing out nine other “shocking” moments, we want to thank the artists who took the time to share advice on what we can do during a time of uncertainty and isolation. Hopefully, we will see you at a show sometime in 2021!

Thank you to the artists who participated in the Metal Inside(r)’s Home Quarantine:

 

GWAR

All Hail the Yeti

Within Temptation

Body Count

Fleshgod Apocalypse

Cloak

Telepathy

Grey Daze

Mantric

Trivium

Mountaineer

Sojourner

Xenoyr

Raven Black

Mike IX Williams

Brass Against

Melvins

Abysmal Dawn

Marishi Ten

Cypher16

Liam Wilson

Lacuna Coil

Itayil

Toothless

Slaves

Helfró

Ego Kill Talent

Barishi

Aether Realm

Orthodox

Enterprise Earth

Witherfall

Death Tribe

American Dream Machine

Pallbearer

Disconnected

Broadside

Currents

Sharptooth

Orphans of Doom

Plasma Canvas

Alexisonfire

Absence of Despair

Destroyed in Seconds

Kill the Lights

Rabid Flesh Eaters

Great American Ghost

SeeYouSpaceCowboy

Plague Years

Etherius

Paralysis

Ministry

Lord Dying

House & Home

Human Impact

Voltagehawk

Pharmacose

Laura Cox

Ravenscry

Neck of the Woods

Rae Amitay

Seven Planets

In The Company of Serpents

Covet

Tia Carrera

Close The Hatch

The Word Alive

Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs

…And Oceans

Temnein

Barrens

Jimmy Bower

London May

Crossfaith

Horseneck

Stitched Up Heart

Seasons

Art of Shock

Lucifer

Bloodbather

Kvelertak

Hyborian

Doctor Nerve

Kyle Thomas

Bobby Keller

Ape Shifter

Damn Your Eyes

Kane Roberts

Memocrasher

Kaonashi

Pray For Sleep

Beyond Creation

Insect Ark

Aesthetic Perfection

Death Valley High

Puta Volcano

Daughters

Eye of Nix

Dirt Woman

Radian

ACxDC

Psychonaut

Elm

Irata

Silent Theory

Matriarchs

Veio

Sangre

Bleach Everything

Goatwhore

Upon Wings

Creeping Death

Artusha

Off Road Minivan

Bury Tomorrow

Lightworker

Bleed From Within

Blue Eyed Christ

Heaven Shall Burn

Aborted

Faith & Scars

Dematerialize

Stabbing Westward

Mayhem

Necrot

Gorgatron

Badguyswin

Thirty Nights of Violence

Kill Rob Bailey

Union Kain

deathCAVE

Concrete

I AM

Ruff Majik

Wolves in Argyle

Striker

Alizarin

Osyron

Trevor Ziebarth

Carnivora

Deathnoisefrequency

Paradise

Winter Nights

Serene Dark

Saints of Death

Nicholas Shellenberger

Today Is The Day

Xibalba

Damian B

Mike Schleibaum

Jeff Wilson

Entry

Psalm Zero

Psychosomatic

Zyclops

Might

Terminal Nation

Joel Hoekstra

Killitorous

Thetan

Gridfailure

Homicide

Endast

Snakeblade

Titan To Tachyons

Bangladeafy

Illuminated Minerva

The Oracle

Prospects

Protokult

Sadistic Embodiment

Dave Davidson

Above Snakes

Cavern

Serpent Omega

Anthea

Sionis

Slit

The Reticent

NeoNera

Amiensus

Magnolia Bayou

Autocatalytica

Ultimatium

Thanatopsis

Ancient Thrones

Rahway

T-Rex Marathon

Without Mercy

King Ov Wyrms

Dry Kill Logic

Fuck The Facts

Handsome Pants

Dialogia

Attraction to Tragedy

Bleakheart

Romasa

Abandoned Souls

Sinful Ways

Cell Press

Rockin’ Engine

Motion Device

Shores of Null

NoSelf

Alexander

Saintvicious

Vis Mystica

Feed After Midnite

Arsenic Addiction

Screams of Syrens

Sennight

Within Nostalgia

Aaron Holt

 

  

 

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