The year 2014 is about to end and it’s time for the
traditional end of the year lists. When this year first started, I was pretty
underwhelmed by the metal music coming out. Behemoth was an early contender and Cynic was pretty good even though I felt that Kindly Bent to Free Us was not as strong as Focus. But as the year went on, I found more hidden gems and the
releases got stronger and stronger towards the end. Overall 2014 was a very
strong year for metal. A lot of older bands still have what it takes and a lot
of new blood are showing that metal is still capable of pushing the boundaries
of the genre. So here is the list for my favorite metal records for 2014 in
alphabetical order except for my absolute favorite which I will list in the
end.
Abigor – Leytmotif Luzifer
I honestly haven't listened to Abigor since Nachthymnen
(From the Twilight Kingdom) and that is an absolutely brilliant slab of
black metal. Leytmotif Luzifer may
not be exactly like Nachthymnen but
it doesn't need to be since it has a more sinister edge to it.
Stand out track: Akrasia – Temptation 3
Aborted – The Necrotic Manifesto
Aborted is one of
those bands that is fairly consistent with its brand of tight and brutal death
metal. This year with The Necrotic Manifesto
is of no exception. This release is closer to technical death metal with the
amount of leads it packs but is firmly planted in brutality.
Stand out track: The Davidian Deceit
Abysmal Dawn – Obsolescence
Following up a top-notch record like Leveling the Plain of Existence would be pretty challenging for the
average metal band but Los Angeles’ Abysmal
Dawn succeeds greatly with Obsolescence.
It’s still hard hitting and headbanging death metal that pushes the songwriting
and technicality a bit.
Stand out track: One Percent Incomplete
Accept – Blind Rage
Accept is one of
those bands that you tend to remember for a few tracks, probably for “Balls to
the Wall” and forget that they continue to consistently put out albums. Most
bands of Accept’s longevity would be
comfortable with resting with their prior success. Maybe put out a new album
just to have an excuse but just play all of their greatest hits because their
newer cuts just are not as good as the classics. With Blind Rage, Accept
succeeds in creating new hits with political and socially charged heavy metal
songs.
Stand out track: Wanna Be Free
Agalloch – The Serpent & the Sphere
Agalloch is one
of those bands that I will forever support regardless what they put out and
thankfully The Serpent & the Sphere
is another quality release from this Oregon outfit. Really, there are no
surprises here, just Agalloch’s
brand of American folk/black metal. If you were a fan before, you will continue
being a fan of them.
Stand out track: Dark Matter Gods
Allegaeon – Elements of the Infinite
This is another band that had a strong previous release and Allegaeon successfully tops it with Elements of the Infinite. While the
music is pretty serious with their technicality and catchy songwriting, the boys
from Colorado prove to have a sense of humor when it came to the music videos
of “1.618” and “Threshold of Perception”. I eagerly await their future tours
and releases.
Stand out track: 1.618
Artificial Brain – Labyrinth Constellation
The debut full length – Labyrinth
Constellation - from Artificial
Brain was a slow burner for me. This Gorguts
inspired outfit eventually won me over with their creative songwriting and
being inspired by the Canadian band is not a bad thing either. Plus I really
enjoy the artwork by Paolo Girardi.
Stand out track: Bastard Planet
Aspherium – The Fall of Therenia
Melodic death metal has been experiencing a bit of a resurgence
lately with bands adding a bit more technicality and not aping on Iron Maiden and At the Gates so much. Aspherium
comes along with their solid sophomore release with The Fall of Therenia. While it is plenty technical and catchy, they
add some progressive elements with non-conventional song structures and long
songs.
Stand out track: The Revenant
At the Gates – At War With Reality
Speaking of At the
Gates, welcome them back after 19 years! To be honest I wasn’t release
anticipating this album in the slightest. I just didn’t want to get my hopes up
and even if my hopes were up I would have still been blown away by At War With Reality. This album could
easily have been a dud but they have written something that might surpass fan-favorite
Slaughter of the Soul. It probably
won’t influence countless American bands yet –give it about 10 years – but At War With Reality will definitely be
remembered for years to come.
Stand out track: The Conspiracy of the Blind
Behemoth – The Satanist
Another comeback of sorts, Adam “Nergal” Darski having
battled leukemia, The Satanist is
also a bit of a return to Behemoth’s
black metal roots. This album is dripping with evil and defiance showing that
Nergal won’t be taken from a disease so easily.
Stand out track: O Father O Satan O Sun!
Beyond Creation – Earthborn Evolution
I know that technical death metal gets a bad rap what with
it basically amounting to masturbating the guitar but I enjoyed the ejaculate
that came from Beyond Creation’s Earthborn Evolution. While there is an
emphasis on speed, Beyond Creation
lets the instruments breathe once in a while, especially the fretless bass.
Stand out track: Earthborn Evolution
Black Crown Initiate – The Wreckage of Stars
Man, another young band out of the gates with a strong
release! Black Crown Initiate makes
their full-length debut with The Wreckage
of Stars and if you're a fan of any sub-genre that has progressive and
technical prefixes, you best check them out.
Stand out track: The Malignant
Bloody Hammers – Under Satan’s Sun
Okay, enough of the technical shit. Let’s enjoy some throwback heavy metal with Bloody Hammers – Under Satan’s Sun. I love the cover artwork, looks like a 1950s horror film poster, and the catchy, sludgey, doomy, riffs of Under Satan’s Sun.
Stand out track: The Moon Eyed People
Cloven Hoof – Resist or Serve
Here’s some real throwback metal with Cloven Hoof. Having started in 1979 (with a hiatus between 1990 and
2001) they continue the New Wave of British Heavy Metal Movement with Resist or Serve. That’s basically what
this album is, a tight collection of songs with great hooks, riffs, and solid
production. For any fan of NWOBHM.
Stand out track: Deliverance
Cynic – Kindly Bent to Free Us
Cynic is another
one of those bands that had an extended hiatus and returned with a great album –
Traced in Air. Kindly Bent to Free Us continues what Traced started and is well on its way to becoming a full-fledged
progressive band. I’m glad that the growls are being phased out as I feel that Cynic is better off without them.
Stand out track: The Lion’s Roar
Destrage – Are You Kidding Me? No.
This is another album that took me a while to get into as it’s
a very dense and varied album. Are You
Kidding Me? No. is a fantastic mix of thrash and metalcore. This is the
first time I've heard from Destrage
and I hope that they continue to keep putting out albums like this one.
Stand out track: G.O.D.
Dunkelnacht – Revelatio
This is a solid release from Dunkelnacht. Revelatio is
modern black metal done right and has enough going on to keep the listener
interested.
Stand out track: Dissolved Fractal Esoterism
Grand Magus – Triumph and Power
Grand Magus continue
to put out solid heavy metal with Triumph
and Power. They don’t do anything tremendously different here but they
continue with solid riffs and songwriting.
Stand out track: The Naked and the Dead
Grave Digger – Return of the Reaper
Another long running heavy metal band, Grave Digger continue to release solid metal with Return of the Reaper.
Stand out track: Grave Desecrator
A Hill to Die Upon – Holy Despair
The third album (and first one that I've heard) Holy Despair by A Hill to Die Upon is a solid slab of black metal with a bit of
death metal thrown in. This album has enough to make it onto my list for this
year.
Stand out track: Let the Ravens Have My Eyes
Inanimate Existence – A Never-Ending Cycle of Atonement
Similar to Beyond
Creation, Inanimate Existence – A Never-Ending Cycle of Atonement is all
about technicality of the death metal variety. Quality music as well as a
pretty serene cover of a mountainous landscape by Guang Yang.
Stand out track: The Rune of Destruction
Incantation – Dirges of Elysium
Another long running band but also pretty consistent in
their output is Incantation with Dirges of Elysium. Rather than focusing
on technicality and speed like most modern death metal bands Incantation continues to go for a
slower, bludgeoning attack.
Stand out track: Carrion Prophecy
Inferi – The Path of Apotheosis
I think that Inferi is
the only band on here to have a member who is featured twice on this list (Mike
Low is also in Oubliette). The Path of Apotheosis is solid
technical melodic death metal (reminds me a bit of later Black Dahlia Murder) and is worth checking out for fans of this
genre.
Stand out track: A Betrayal Unforetold
Insomnium – Shadows of the Dying Sun
Shadows of the Dying
Sun is a catchy but doom-laden record from Insomnium. This is what a melodic death metal revival should sound
like. And it comes from Finland.
Stand out track: While We Sleep
Kampfar – Djevelmakt
Kampfar is one of
those bands whom I’m aware but never paid much attention to them. I have Fra Underverdenen sitting on my hard
drive but I haven’t listened to it much to say whether I like it or not. Djevelmakt, on the other hand, is an
album that I do very much enjoy. Solid black metal that doesn't rely on the
typical orchestral samples and has some really great riffs that are sometimes
plodding.
Stand out track: Swarm Norvegicus
Lago – Tyranny
This is the album that Morbid
Angel should’ve made instead of Illud
Divinum Insansus. Seriously, this is basically Domination and Covenant
mixed in, what you get is just solid death metal. And this is only the debut! I
can't wait to hear what this Phoenix band has in store for future releases.
Stand out track: Father of All
Mastodon – Once More ‘Round the Sun
Mastodon continue
to push themselves as musicians and songwriters with some of the tightest and
catchiest songs they have written with Once
More ‘Round the Sun. This is one of the few bands that is able to change
their sound and able to grow their fanbase.
Stand out track: The Motherload
Miasmal – Cursed Redeemer
Miasmal releases
their second album with Cursed Redeemer.
While it sounds like old-school Swedish death metal, it sounds modern enough to
remain fresh with some cutting riffs and more tongue in cheek songs.
Stand out track: Whiskey Train
Morbus Chron – Sweven
Another band out of Sweden and another second album release
is Morbus Chron with Sweven. Although this band is less
old-school death metal and more progressive, so longer song structures and
such.
Stand out track: Ripening Life
Myrkur – Myrkur
Leading up to the release of Myrkur’s self-titled debut EP was quite a bit of hype for the fact that this was coming from a woman as the primary songwriter. It
is unfortunate that having a woman compose extreme music is considered novel
and noteworthy but if this helps bring in more diversity then I'm all for
it. This is pretty solid black metal and I love how Amalie Bruun layers her
vocals, especially during the cleaning singing on top of the riffs. It gives it a
haunting and ethereal feel. I have a feeling that future releases will be even
better.
Stand out track: Latvian Feguro
Ne Obliviscaris – Citadel
This Australian band completely blew me away in 2012 with
their debut. I know I have thrown around the term “progressive” quite a bit on
this list but this band truly deserves the title. Ne Obliviscaris pulls from just about every major genre out there
and having a full time violinist as a member greatly enhances the songs. Portal of I was a stellar release and Citadel honestly does it better. This
probably would have been my favorite album if it wasn't for another one to take
it.
Stand out track: Painters of the Tempest – Part II –Triptych Lux
Nightbringer – Ego Dominus Tuus
I love how dark and epic that Ego Dominus Tuus from Nightbringer
sounds. It’s like listening to a book of black magick come to life or
something to that effect.
Stand out track: Things Which Are Naught
Noneuclid – Metatheosis
A side project from Linus Klausenitzer of Obscura and most of the members of Dark Fortress comes the second album, Metatheosis by Noneuclid. As I throw out the term “progressive” once again, I just
want to say that this band deserves that distinction with the usually proggy
stuff that happens to bands that dabble in that esoteric arts.
Stand out track: Across the Mist of Broken Glass
Novembers Doom – Bled White
Another long running and prolific band is Novembers Doom with their ninth release
– Bled White. They have found their
formula that works and it is one that I greatly enjoy. Almond crunchy riffs and
deep, powerful vocals against strong song writing.
Stand out track: Unrest
Opeth – Pale Communion
Heritage was a bit
of a contentious album for long-time fans, which I don’t really understand
since Mikael Akerfeldt has always worn his love of obscure prog rock on his sleeves
and into his songs. The next album in Opeth’s
time traveling, proggy cycle is Pale
Communion and it is a solid follow up that is better with solid songwriting and fantastic singing. Plus Opeth
still isn’t afraid to experiment with their sound.
Stand out track: Cusp of Eternity
Order of Isaz – Seven Years of Famine
The debut full-length – Seven
Years of Famine – from Order of Isaz
is a brooding and slow trek through gothic forests. It’s the right blend of
doom and gothic metal for me.
Stand out track: Screeching Owl
Oubliette – Apparitions
Here’s the other band feature Mike Low (from Inferi) and instead of death metal, it’s
black metal, but it still has a technical edge to it.
Stand out track: The Fog
Overkill – White Devil Armory
And other long running, prolific band with their seventeenth
(!) album, White Devil Armory. Overkill is rarely mentioned when
classic thrash metal is mentioned. It’s always the Big Four with Exodus and Testament sometimes mentioned if the person talking about them is
aware of thrash metal at all. I think that Overkill
could share that esteem. They've certainly been more consistent for the
most part than the other bands and White
Devil Armory is better than what most of those bands have done recently.
Stand out track: Where There’s Smoke…
Pestifer – Reaching the Void
Here is a death metal band that is considered to be of the technical
variety but doesn’t rely on sweeping the fretboard clean or tapping the frets
into oblivion to get their point across that they do indeed spend all of their
time in their bedroom of their parent’s home. Pestifer relies on songwriting on Reaching the Void which sounds a bit like something that Pestilence would do.
Stand out track: Positronic Symphony
Portrait – Crossroads
I basically like this album because it is just Mercyful Fate and King Diamond. Really, that’s all you need to know about this band
and their third album, Crossroads.
Sure I sometimes I knock bands for being unoriginal and rip offs of other bands
but when you pull from greats like that, I have zero issues with that
especially since it’s not done enough.
Stand out track: In Time
Revocation – Deathless
Revocation are
proving to be one of the newer bands to contend with, with a new release of
some type nearly every year for the past four years or so that never falters in
quality. Deathless is another solid
release from this technical death/thrash metal band.
Stand out track: Scorched Earth Policy
Scar Symmetry – The Singularity (Phase 1 – Neohumanity)
Scar Symmetry sure knows how to make some damn catchy melodic death metal. Usually a mixture of
clean and death vocals and death metal with pop rock would be terrible but they
do it well on The Singularity (Phase 1 –
Neohumanity).
Stand out track: Limits to Infinity
Sectu – Nefarious
Here’s another death metal band from Sweden but Sectu do more than just use the
pounding riffs, they take a page from Gorguts
and use the guitar to create some interesting soundscapes.
Stand out track: Tenebrous
Septicflesh – Titan
The outfits that Speticflesh
wear for promos and on stage (I hope) are pretty awesome and dumb at the
same time. You can almost hear the sculptured leather blasting out of the
speakers when you listen to Titan. I
just love how epic and crushing this album sounds.
Stand out track: Burn
Solstafir – Ótta
Basically any band that sounds similar to Agalloch in some way will get my
attention. Solstafir did just that
with Ótta. Yeah it might have more of
a post-rock sound to it but I love the way it sounds.
Stand out track: Rismál
Son of Aurelius – Under a Western Sun
Another progressive metal release with Son of Aurelius – Under a
Western Sun. Not only is the music good but I also love the minimalist
cover of a young boy wearing an aviator’s cap with goggles while holding a
guitar.
Stand out track: The Weary Wheel
Souldrainer – Architect
The fact that Architect
by Souldrainer reminds me of Hypocrisy is probably the reason that I
enjoy this album. Plus, it’s pretty good melodic death metal.
Stand out track: Turn Your Back
Tengger Cavalry – Ancient Call
While I do like folk metal, I sometimes get tired of how similar it
can sound. That’s why I’m glad bands like Tengger Cavalry exist. They are folk metal but instead of using
traditional European instruments, they use traditional Chinese instruments and
they write some good songs with them on Ancient
Call.
Stand out track: Hymn of the Earth
Texas in July – Bloodwork
It’s been awhile since I was into metalcore. The last
release I was really into was probably The
War Within by Shadows Fall. Texas in July is a metalcore band that
would have fit right in in 2004 but they do enough to make it sound fresh for
2014 on Bloodwork.
Stand out track: Defenseless
Thank You Scientist – Maps of Non-Existent Places
Okay, they’re not a metal band but I love this album so much
that I’m including it on the list. This is really progressive rock that reminds
me a bit of The Mars Volta and a bit
of a Coheed and Cambria. I also love
the use of the horns and strings to the traditional rock instruments.
Stand out track: Feed the Horses
Vader – Tibi Et Igni
Long running act Vader
is back again with Tibi Et Igni
and it is pretty awesome. Have you listened to them before? Then you know why
they're on my list. You haven't heard them before? Why are you here? They are
on here because it’s damn fine death metal. I’m not writing a review of them
here, just know that they're awesome and are on my personal list.
Stand out track: Triumph of Death
Vintersorg – Naturbal
One of my first brushes with folk metal and still one of my
overall favorite bands, Vintersorg releases
a solid album with Naturbal.
Stand out track: Lågornas rov
Whispered – Shogunate Macabre
This is interesting, a melodic death metal band from Finland
that has a Japanese folk influence on it. It’s done well and worth being on my
list.
Stand out track: Fallen Amaterasu
And my favorite album of the year is:
Aenaon – Extance
When I first put this album into my 2014 Metal playlist on
Spotify, I didn't think too much of it. It wasn’t until later when a song from
this album appeared on random that it pulled me in. This is an album that when
listening to the first time you will not be able to digest everything that is
going on. It is a densely layered metal cake of progressive, black, and death
metal filling. This Greek outfit is not afraid to experiment with saxophone (think
Ihsahn) or keyboards or even
venturing into some really dark blues. Aenaon faced some stiff competition but
I kept coming back to this album. For being only their sophomore release, the quintet
have shown that they are able to take on the metal world, especially if their
future releases are as bold and adventurous as this one is.
Stand out track: Palindrome
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