We’re about to cross into a new year, and a new decade! It’s been quite an eventful year for music of all kinds. At RIFF, we’ve been busy looking back over the past 365 days.

Our editorial team has been fighting tooth-and-nail, and even passive-aggressively, over what to include, what to leave out, and what deserves your attention.

We’re going to publish two top album lists—one from me, and one from the album review staff. Why two lists? Because yours truly has a penchant for the dark, heavy side of music. I don’t want to force such abuse upon innocent souls, so I’ve compiled my top 50 metal albums of the year. Fans of underground metal can get ready for a first-class ride straight to the bowels of hell.

For those who aren’t a bit insane, we have a list dedicated to, well, everything else. To compile RIFF’s top albums of 2019, three editors and five reporters contributed their favorites—and then proceeded to bitterly debate about what album goes where. We may never be friends again, but you’ll have a tour de force of quality albums to check out.

We couldn’t let 2020 come without looking over the best songs of the decade, but we also have a top singles of 2019 list as well. RIFF has decided to go quality over quantity with record lists, but we have four separate concert roundups on deck.

Our concert reviews have remained so diverse; why not let our photographers recount their own coverage? These recaps will primarily become visual trips back through the memorable moments that made it into our workflow. Of course, we’re not all positive, which is why our resident grump Daniel J. Willis—better known as our managing editor—will be compiling some of the things he hated the most this year. Whether it’s worst album lists or just moments that annoyed him the most, come with uncle Danny as he throws your favorite artists under the bus.

Our Tuesday Tracks team will be choosing their respective favorites from their personal picks. We’ll also remember the artists who passed away this year, honoring those who touched us with their work and lives. Looking forward to the coming year, we’re going to let you know which albums we’ll be on the look out for in 2020.I’m sure I’m missing something. As the guy in charge of all this madness, forgetting something is part of the job. 

Our year-end column blitz begins tomorrow and the machine will keep churning through the end of 2019.

Follow editor Max Heilman at Twitter.com/madmaxx1995 and Instagram.com/maxlikessound.