10. Cult Leader – Nothing For Us Here

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Stream: ‘Skin Crawler’ (2:52)

What happens when your lead singer is accused of a heinous crime and the event begins to overshadow your music and message? It was quite simple for the remaining members of Gaza as they moved their sound literally from one band to another.  Gaza’s three remaining musicians took no time in re-establishing their grind influenced hardcore in Cult Leader on their introduction EP Nothing For Us Here with a new singer (who sounds exactly like the accused singer of Gaza).  Even the title doesn’t stray far from the Gaza hate-fueled lyrical themes that studied political and religious crimes against the world. Looking at the EP itself, ‘God’s Lonely Children’ is a feedback drenched intro that helps rocket the next four tracks into warped, off-kilter grinding riffs and metalcore beatdowns that will surely please anyone looking for an intense, yet interesting take on hardcore.  It’s not until ‘Driftwood’ where we can finally breathe and allow ourselves to pick up our teeth and take in the glorious use of slow dynamics, showcasing a brooding melody that ends up knocking us to the ground. Fans of Gaza, you need not worry because we now have the mighty Cult Leader. — Karl V.H.

9. xSPONGEXCOREx – How Tough Are Yah?

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Stream: ‘This Is Patrick’ (1:12)

Of all the novelty releases that surfaced in 2014, few made as big a splash on social media sites (for some reason) as self-proclaimed “Bikini Bottom hardcore” band, xSPONGEXCOREx.  In hindsight, it’s not hard to see why the project gained such immediate popularity. There really is nothing more to xSPONGEXCOREx’s debut EP, How Tough Are Yah?, than what any listener’s first impression will inevitably be once the album’s mere five-minute length has come to a close; that is, a collection of random samples from the popular television show Spongebob Squarepants being placed without rhyme or reason over generic metalcore riffs. While the musicianship of the two band members is questionable, the appeal of How Tough Are Yah? seems to be based little on musicianship and almost entirely on its novelty factor.

When viewed from this angle, it becomes clear that xSPONGEXCOREx’s popularity among internet audiences is not at all dissimilar from the popularity of nonsensical videos on YouTube. For this reason, the actual musical quality of xSPONGEXCOREx is obviously unworthy of legitimate musical discussion or even criticism, especially among websites other than Facebook or YouTube where the band has found the bulk of its fanbase. Whether one likes it or not, the type of effortless, absurd humor that popularized xSPONGEXCOREx will always have its place on the internet and elsewhere in pop culture. And those with a particular fondness for the show may even get a laugh or two out of How Tough Are Yah?. As for those who find the project insufferable, don’t fret. It’s only a matter of days until Viacom sues xSPONGEXCOREx to the depths of the deep blue sea. — Nash Allen

8. CityCop – Loner

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Stream: ‘Suburban Nightmare’ (1:21)

Citycop sit firmly on the border between post-hardcore and screamo, (blah blah blah what band doesn’t these days), but what sets them apart is their use of acoustic instruments. It also doesn’t hurt that they have an absolute beast of a drummer and a passionate vocalist. Citycop weave ferocious high tempo blasts of core with innovative and stunning acoustic guitar work not typical for the genre. Placing dare I say “beautiful” acoustic guitar work with poetic lyrics and honest vocal delivery, Citycop have crafted a recipe for success that lives on as strong as ever into their third release Loner. Citycop have found a perfect balance between hardcore bursts of fury and eclectic acoustic guitar passages that certainly makes Loner one of the most impressive EPs of the year. — Robert Lowe

7. Devil Sold His Soul – Belong/Betray

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Stream: ‘Devastator’ (5:16)

2014 saw the return of a new look Devil Sold His Soul with the release of Belong/Betray. Former Arusha Accord vocalist Paul Green was recruited to fill the void left by the departed Ed Gibbs, and he does so with such assurance it’s hard to believe he’s only been a part of the band for little over a year. Belong/Betray is the band’s most focused effort to date, with the famed atmospherics aided further by the use of an additional synthesiser. Still present are the progressive structures and ethereal guitar leads which could be found on previous releases, however, this time around the mood is darker and more heartfelt. Green’s vocal versatility and particularly his emotive delivery have helped hone the metalcore tinged post-metal sound Devil Sold His Soul have developed through their career. ‘Devastator’ is the all-encompassing track which opens with a melodic, delicate guitar intro before launching into an aggressive assault. The track then slowly builds to a soaring climax befitting of the heartfelt lyrical content and fluidly progresses to the next track ‘Time’. In essence, Devil Sold His Soul has provided us with a sign of big things to come. — Steven Spedding

6. Broods – Broods

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Stream: ‘Bridges’ (3:11)

With more finesse than should be possible on a debut EP, Broods have already proven themselves to be masters at creating irresistible electronic pop music. Everything here is heartwarming, infectious and pretty almost to a fault, and while Georgia’s lovely vocal performance sits at the forefront of these tracks, they’re never solely relied upon for the payoff. Consistently accompanied by varied backing instrumentation from acoustic guitars, soaring strings, pulsating synth leads or the more subtle elements that bolster the already rich sound mix, the vocal work might be the most prominently displayed aspect of Broods’ pop sensibilities, but it’s the attention to the less obvious elements of their sound that elevates this beyond the standard fare of sleek pop music. Deliciously sweet but never overwhelmingly so, Broods is undeniably infectious. — Tom Moberly

5. Hands Like Houses – Reimagine

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Stream: ‘Recollect (Shapeshifters)’ (3:31)

With Reimagine, Australian post hardcore sextet Hands Like Houses took the formulaic rock trope of releasing an acoustic album or EP and turned it on its head. Whereas many acoustic renditions strip a song’s layers away to reveal lazy compositions or lackluster musicianship, the Aussies took the most important element of their recordings – the raw emotion – and moved it to the forefront in strikingly beautiful reworkings of five songs from of their 2013 release, Unimagine. Whether it was in the mellow acoustic strumming and rhythmic clapping of ‘Recollect (Shapeshifters),’ the minimalistic guitar work of ‘Release (A Tale of Outer Suburbia),’ or the haunting gospel vocals of ‘Reflect (Developments),’ the band managed to rediscover the inner beauty hidden within even their most energetic recordings, and went above and beyond the acoustic re-release formula that is becoming a cliche in today’s post hardcore scene. — Alex Dansereau

4. Baths – Ocean Death

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Stream : ‘Voyeur’ (3:39)

I struggle to write this summary, because Ocean Death is spilling out my speakers and coating the keyboard in beige. I know the keys are there somewhere and faithfully force fingers through the drabness to find them, but it is hard to justify the effort. When I brush across to find a key, I can feel some of Ocean Death‘s good ideas too. I can’t see them – that would be far too exciting – but I know they are somewhere. The fact it is so hard to find them is testament to Baths’ uncanny ability to introduce a good sound and spend the next four minutes castrating it (see ‘Ocean Death’; ‘Yawn’). Annoyingly pleasant, this is music without any sharp edges, small objects, or plastic bags because it is afraid anything substantial might be too much of a shock. Hard to hate completely though, so there’s that. — Jonny Hunter

3. Cloudkicker – Little Histories

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Stream: ‘Digital Lightning’ (5:00)

The enigmatic one-man-band known as Ben Sharp has been providing post-rock laden prog metal fans with an annual supply of fresh material ever since the inception of his pet project Cloudkicker in 2007. Fast-forward seven years, and his transformation from a melodic Meshuggah mimic with progressive tendencies to a serene, post-rock behemoth with polyrhythmic undertones has come into full fruition. Right off the bat Little Histories has a lot to live up to, being the follow-up to the atmospheric epic that flawlessly coalesced every technique Sharp has toyed with in the past, Subsume. But Sharp took a different approach with Little Histories. Rather than trying to evolve his sound further, he took it back a few notches and reminded us that the key to his genius is his ability to create simple yet magnificent soundscapes – and that’s precisely what Little Histories revels in.

This EP reminds us that Cloudkicker’s appeal lies in the subtleties. Guitar tones that sound like they came straight out of Devin Townsend’s Accelerated Evolution allow the minimalist nature of the rhythm section to act as the aural foundation for Sharp to build on, layer by layer; piece by piece, until the sounds ultimately drag your worrying mind into the tranquil oceanic web on the album cover. Little Histories is simple but never boring; peaceful but never dull. It’s not a follow-up to Subsume so much as a little treat for Cloudkicker fans – something for us to nibble on in the meantime while Sharp works on the much anticipated next chapter of his ambitious catalog. — Andrew Gold

2. Haken – Restoration

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Stream: ‘Crystallised’ (19:25) here

When a band improves consistently over their lifetime, the announcement of a demo rework can be a frightening one. Haken have changed considerably since forming, so stepping back towards their scratchier early demo and eschewing their newer, more diverse progressive stylings left fans nervous – however, these fears were completely unfounded. In a way, Restoration is the perfect title for this EP. Though based on the 2008 demo, the songs here often diverge from their counterparts, with excess fat being trimmed and everything streamlined to fit in with their modern sound. Opening track ‘Darkest Light’ epitomises their work ethic – a track modelled after past opener ‘Blind’, where those 12 bloated minutes have been reduced to a meagre seven, with djent-y grooves and thicker production finding their way into the mix to breathe new life into these dusty works.

However, limiting discussion to mere demo comparisons minimises the value of what’s on display here, as Restoration‘s standalone value is enormous, and it features some of the most refined passages in their already stellar discography. With some of the best-integrated genre hopping in recent memory, extended jam sessions a la Dream Theater (albeit more interesting) and their best long-running track to date; this EP holds a place in the best-of-2014 list for any fan of progressive music. While including Mike Portnoy in naming credits for a solitary gong hit in ‘Crystallised’ may seem like pandering to their audience, it’s ultimately a fitting quirk for these strange, unpredictable forerunners of modern progressive music. — ComeToDaddy

1. Bölzer – Soma

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Stream: ‘Steepes’ (5:34)

Having shot to prominence with last year’s Aura, one would assume there to be a full length on Bölzer’s horizon – but the Swiss duo’s enthusiasm for the EP format seems to be paying dividends regardless of expectations placed on them. Indeed, with Soma’s addition to their catalogue, the band have now released an album’s worth of material that is not only high in quality, but musically and thematically consistent. However, this isn’t to say that Soma is undistinguished within the band’s discography, nor does it mean the songs would benefit from being accompanied with a greater amount of material. Soma is unmistakably a Bölzer record, but just like its predecessor, the compositions found within have a kind of distinctiveness that the brevity of an EP seems to exemplify better than anything else.

It may bother some people that Bölzer insist on separating works that could coexist with ease on an album, but it’s also apparent that the guys know what works for them. Soma functions beautifully as its own entity, irrespective of its relative lightness in terms of material. Whether the band decide to knuckle down and combine all the facets of their unique sound is a non-factor, because if they can maintain the quality of Soma and its musical kin in future endeavours, then we really have no reason to complain as listeners. — Jacquibim

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