Yet Another Best Of 2014 List
Here's my list. As you can tell, I'm not a very big fan of metal and I like to listen to music that's good at rparties. |
| 15 |  | Monuments
The Amanuensis
Some may call it criminal to rank these guys above Animals as Leaders' and Skyharbor's
more mellow releases this year, but this packs some serious punch. Sometimes you just have
to roll down your windows, crank the volume, and blast "The Alchemist" as you drive through
your local suburb. Why, yes, offended-looking guy who's trimming his hedges: This goes hard.
Best Track - The Alchemist |
| 14 | | Dust Moth
Dragon Mouth
Deftones with a chick singer. One of the most pleasant, lesser-known gems that came out this
year.
Best Track - Months |
| 13 |  | Rosetta
Flies to Flame
You can read my review I wrote earlier this year on this. It's your typical awesome Rosetta, it
just has too much ambiance and filler for an EP.
Best track - Pegasus |
| 12 |  | Sage Francis
Copper Gone
Sage has always been one of my favorite artists. His wordplay and song concepts are
clever and oddly compelling. Unfortunately, I feel as though none of his albums are really solid, start to finish. I
always end up cherry picking certain tracks and completely neglecting others. While Copper
Gone doesn't really change that it is impressive nonetheless.
Best Track - Make 'em Purr |
| 11 |  | Mare Cognitum
Phobos Monolith
Black metal: IN SPAAACCCE. Yeah, so Darkspace already does this pretty well but Mare
Cognitum has released a true masterpiece this year. Its respect for atmosphere and
composition really is what pushes this over into the "must listen" category for fans of metal of
any kind.
Best Track - Noumenon |
| 10 |  | Wreck And Reference
Want
Saw them open for Deafheaven earlier this year. The singer just kinda walked up on stage and
started belting out harsh vocals while brandishing his synthpad. While I was initially skeptical, what followed was a heartfelt performance that
really moved me in a way I couldn't explain. This album manages to capture that same raw emotion I saw live. Good shit.
Best Track - Bankrupt |
| 9 |  | Fallujah
The Flesh Prevails
Blah blah, the production makes this otherwise incredible album just good, blah blah, skilled
instrumentation, blah blah, dat riff at the end of Sapphire doe...
Best Track - Sapphire |
| 8 |  | Rishloo
Living as Ghosts with Buildings as Teeth
Rishloo never fails to change things up from their previous works and this album is no
different. The songs breathe nicely on this and Andrew Mailloux is still my favorite singer in
the genre. Expect a review soon.
Best Track - Salutations |
| 7 |  | Triptykon
Melana Chasmata
So Emily won't talk to me anymore after I offered to drop her off after work and blasted this
album the whole drive there. Melana Chasmata is creepy, heavy, and strangely addicting. EMILYYYY
Best Track - In Sleep Of Death |
| 6 |  | Gridlink
Longhena
I do not like grind one bit, but somehow this rules. I really can't explain why I can't stop
listening. Maybe it's a sign I should give the genre another shot. -45 seconds later- Nope,
nevermind. There's always next year.
Best Track - Stay Without Me |
| 5 |  | Boris
Noise
While the guitar solo alone from the track Angel is enough to put this album on my list, the
rest of Noise is enjoyable from start to finish as well. It's interesting how such an eclectic
bundle of stylings can flow so well into each other.
Best Track - Angel |
| 4 |  | The Great Old Ones
Tekeli-li
From the spoken french words in its haunting opening to the tectonic slabs of sound at its conclusion,
Tekeli-li shows that post-metal is long from dead. All hail Cthulhu!
Best Track - Behind the Mountains |
| 3 |  | Behemoth
The Satanist
Considering I've never been a fan of this band at all, I did not expect this to stay firmly rooted
in my cd player for almost 4 months straight. The production here is what really sells it. The bass is
audible and the drums/vox are at the perfect level. A+.
Best Track - The Satanist |
| 2 |  | Ne Obliviscaris
Citadel
More like 'Shitadel", amirite? But lettuce be cereal. For an album with only 3 real songs, they
manage to cover quite a spectrum. There's no "Forget Not"-level song on here, but this album
is much more consistent than their previous one. Whether you think they're overhyped or the
greatest thing ever, you have to admit that NeO is a rising force in metal today.
Best Track - Pyrrhic |
| 1 |  | Saor
Aura
A triumph. It sounds as if a black metal band composed the soundtrack to Braveheart and
somehow it's the greatest thing I've heard all year.
Best Track - Pillars of Earth |
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