Best of 2014

1) YOB - Clearing the Path to Ascend

YOB open Clearing the Path to Ascend with a sample of philosopher Alan Watts saying "Time to wake up," preparing the listener for transcendence. Clearing the Path to Ascend is a swan song of an album beckoning us to reflect, to ignore all the shit from our parents, priests, politicians, corporations, and unashamed charlatans of our time and realize the inner truths, the things we feel in our heart, in our marrow. The way Clearing the Path to Ascend approaches the human conflict isn't gentle, it isn't comforting, it wails, it screams, it threatens, and it asks really difficult questions with brash intensity and expectation. This is bold music for bold people, my number one pick for 2014, and one of my favorite albums of all time.

Best of 2014

2) Voices - London

Voices is a band formed from the ashes (and most band members) of the satanic inferno that was Akercocke. When Akercocke announced they were splitting up I was heartbroken. No other band could claim to be so unabashedly evil, but maintain an unmistakable sense of humor. They had an approach to song-writing that was equal parts technical, destructive, and silly and I loved them for it. The first Voices album was a bit underwhelming. It was just as destructive, but it didn't have the tongue in cheek swagger Akercocke was known for. With London, Voices have designed an album on par with any previous Akercocke release. London is razor sharp and full of evil riffing, but unlike the first album it has a story, a sense of humor, and a poignancy unlike any other blackened death metal album in recent memory. Akercocke is dead. Long live Voices.

Best of 2014

3) Pallbearer - Foundations of Burden

First albums are so full of excitement and ideas, often raw and searching for an identity. The second album for any band is a test. Second albums are often stark realizations that a band just didn't have enough ideas to have real staying power. They can also be an affirmation of the identity explored on the first, a more cohesive composition with depth and sharper song-writing. Foundations of Burden is exactly that album. I wasn't very impressed with Pallbearer's first full-length because it sounded too much like a throwback doom album. It had obvious potential but it didn't have the modern edge necessary to compete with other bands in the scene. Foundations of Burden still has an old-school flavor, but Pallbearer have taken advantage of modern resources to transcend their first attempt. The production is fuller and warmer, the vocals have a touch of reverb and they're brought forward in the mix allowing them to soar above slow electric harmonies. The songs themselves have a much deeper emotional presence. Each track on Foundations of Burden has a strong identity, but they all belong together. This is a masterwork of modern doom and it deserves that level of praise.

Best of 2014

4) Mastodon - Once More 'round the Sun

I have to admit being a hater of Mastodon's last few albums. Remission is my favorite and ever since then they've been getting more and more silly, gradually shifting their sound from balls out sludge to more accessible arena metal. Given that, I had zero interest in taking this album seriously, but I'll be damned if this isn't the most fun I've had all year. I can't even really say what changed; there's just something about this album that sounds so alive. The riffs are incredibly aggressive and have so much forward momentum as they churn up just the right amount of tension before unleashing the biggest most memorable choruses I've ever heard. The song structures are as formulaic as they get, verse, chorus, verse, chorus, bridge, chorus, but each track manages to be exciting and addictive. This album makes me question everything about my stubborn, curmudgeonly self and it feels great.

Best of 2014

5) Godflesh - World Lit Only By Fire

This album marks the end of 13 years of silence from Godflesh. Just being aware of the lengthy hiatus made me fairly excited to sample World Lit Only By Fire, but I have to admit being initially disappointed. Luckily, after a few spins my perception was better aligned to accept this for what it is and love it fully. Godflesh has always had a remarkably infectious sense of rhythm and that's just as apparent now as on previous albums, but World Lit Only By Fire has this incredible weight and purity, stripped down to bare essentials: heavy rhythms, dark atmosphere, and even darker lyrical imagery. When older bands fight the ebbing tide of creativity by adding flare and density to their sound, Godflesh refocused their efforts on exactly what they're great at which is creating devilishly dark, viral rhythms. Taken as a metal album I could see one easily dismissing this for not having enough going on. Taken as a minimalist industrial nightmare this is brilliant and with patience World Lit Only By Fire will charm the most hardened skeptic.

Best of 2014

6) Her Name is Calla - Navigator

I occasionally take pride in the fact that I don't listen to the radio. I don't like it when the possibility exists that I'm listening to something because some executive decided it was marketable. Of course it's pretty god damn presumptuous to think that the music pushed by those nameless executives is any less honest or authentic. There's a lot of artists on the radio working hard, expressing themselves honestly. I just like the challenge of going out and finding something on my own. Searching blogs endlessly for something not many have discovered yet is rewarding. The product of hard work is always more rewarding than spoon-fed distractions.

Her Name is Calla is one of those artists stumbled upon after a few hours surfing random bandcamp sites of hungry musicians looking for a break, or just looking for someone to listen. The voice of the band is Tom Morris and he's not so unlike Thom Yorke in his delivery, his thoughtful lyrics. Navigator is full of memorable moments, explorations of different stylistic deliveries. This is art rock at it's finest which means it's occasionally weird and jarring, but it always manages to be disarming. Navigator is a hidden gem of an album that might not get that much fanfare or any time on the radio, but it's certainly worth a listen.

Best of 2014

7) Run the Jewels - Run the Jewels 2

Run the Jewels made it onto my list last year too and their follow-up is just as fun, just as ridiculous, just as occasionally poignant. If you asked me point blank why a humble metalhead is so obsessed with this rap duo while being generally unaware of the rap scene as a whole I wouldn't know how to respond. El-P and Killer Mike just sound like they're having so much fun writing music and I love sharing that with them.

Best of 2014

8) Morbus Chron - Sweven

There were a few death metal bands active in the 90's that were remarkably ahead of their time, Death, Gorguts, and Obituary immediately come to mind, but their progressive approach to death metal was short lived and difficult to replicate. As the years progressed myriad musicians have contributed to what modern death metal is today, but I can't help but feel nostalgic for those early 90's albums of raw brilliance. There's a particular sound and feel of music from that era. It's distinctly rough around the edges and warm reflecting the use of analog equipment and beaten up, mangled instruments recorded in dark, moldy basements. With Sweven, Morbus Chron have managed to replicate that distinctive early 90's death metal sound so artfully that without prior knowledge I would have thought they toured right beside Death during their rise to legendary fame. That is quite an accomplishment and Morbus Chron deserve every ounce of attention this record has received over the past year.

Best of 2014

9) Lantlos - Melting Sun

It's difficult to explain the origin of Lantlos or any post-black metal band for that matter. Black metal is by far the most evil and caustic of all music yet it provoked a handful of bands to start a movement of surreal beauty, of purity. I've always loved the tonal distance between black metal and post-black metal but have rarely been objectively impressed by individual post-black metal albums. Melting Sun is a definite standout. It's black metal influences have been buried far beneath the surface leaving the resulting style more reminiscent of post-rock or indie shoegaze. Forced to give a comparison I would have to say this feels a little like a lost Devin Townsend Band record. It has that sort of grandiosity with thick guitar tones and soaring vocals. And much like Devin Townsend's work it's obvious this record was designed by musicians who understand heavy music, who have a history punctuated by big, evil riffs. Lantlos chose to take that education and do something original with it, something polished and mature. I applaud them for doing so.

Best of 2014

10) Bohren und Der Club of Gore - Piano Nights

There's a dimly lit, smoky bar somewhere in my dreams. I sit there sipping an old fashioned, thinking about past triumphs and mistakes while Bohren und Der Club of Gore plays their signature brand of funeral jazz quietly in the corner. Bohren is the kind of band you can always rely on, doing what they do best without taking many risks or altering their approach all that much. Piano Nights is slow, comfortingly warm, and has just the right number of memorable melodies to keep your attention. I could see how most would dismiss them at boring or unengaging but for me Bohren is a gentle opioid wave, calming and meditative. When the earth seems to be spinning a little too fast for it's own good, Bohren is a patient reminder of the choice to be calm, that it's ok to occasionally take a step back and just watch it spin.