The 10 Best Albums of 2014 (according to Wizard)
Generally speaking, I am not a fan of top ten lists but my pals here at Bloody Good Horror have been doing them around this time of year for a while so I figured, "what the hell". There are rules, though. All albums must be original studio releases from the year that was 2014. No live albums, no cover albums and no re-releases. And, to streamline things, I will limit my list to those metal albums I've reviewed this year. Lastly, this list is comprised of the ten best albums as I see them. Your list may be (and probably is) different. So, without further ado (actually, I didn't see the initial ado) here is the list.
10. Nashville Pussy - "Up The Dosage"
Grammy nominated rockers Nashville Pussy are a personal favorite of mine and their newest release, "Up The Dosage" is just the latest in a long line of Southern flavored dirty, skanky metal from Ruyter Suys et al. "Up The Dosage" made the list because it's MY list and I like it. That being said, if the band actually does party the way they appear to in their lyrics, I hope there is a next album.
9. Reverend Horton Heat - "Rev"
Again, this is my list and I love the Reverend Horton Heat. What more can I say? Nobody does psychobilly like the Reverend and his crew. "Rev" is a fine of example of the man they call Reverend Horton Heat doing what he does best. It's another psychobilly freakout!
8. Rise Of The Northstar - "Welcame"
While I still have some questions as to whether Rise Of The Northstar can stand the test of time, there is no denying that their style of old-school hardcore is freakin' awesome. "Welcame" reminded me of days gone by and nobody recreates that early 90's hardcore sound better than Rise Of The Northstar. So, who cares what tomorrow brings. Live for today... or yesterday. Whichever. Never mind.
7. Bigelf - "Into The Maelstrom"
Crazy, creative and definitely different; Bigelf shook things up with "Into The Maelstrom". Mike Portnoy (formerly of Dream Theater) joined Damon Fox for the fun on this progressive metal album and "Incredible Time Machine" is just one of those songs that will linger in your brain for the rest of your life. Seriously. You want catchy, contagious, progressive metal? This is it. So, they're on the list.
6. Cavalera Conspiracy - "Pandemonium"
Carrying on that Sepultura tradition, Max and Ivan Cavalera are together again and demonstrating to the masses just how metal metal can be. "Pandemonium" is a brutal, nasty collection of 12 tracks that will knock you on your ass. Some of the best work Max has done in years.
5. Calabrese - "Born With A Scorpion's Touch"
This one caught me a bit off guard. At first I thought the "Born With A Scorpion's Touch" record sounded a bit too much like the Misfits but the more I listened to it the more I fell in love with what the brothers Calabrese had put together. Calabrese achieves what so many other bands have failed to do. This is horror punk at it's finest.
4. Ill Nino - "Till Death, La Familia"
Brutal metal with a Latin flavor, Ill Nino put out a solid album with "Till Death, La Familia". It may be a bit more commercial than their previous releases but the music still explodes with raw metal power. There's a nice combination of vocals on this record; vicious and pleasant. The Latin percussion that flows throughout keeps it extra groovy in a very metal way.
3. Andi Deris and The Bad Bankers- "Million Dollar Haircuts On Ten Cent Heads"
Andi Deris is best known for his work with the legendary thrash band Helloween. What I found on "Million Dollar Haircuts On Ten Cent Heads" was an outstanding departure from his previous work. It is intense, heavy and catchy as hell. For my money, "Blind" and "Cock" are worth the price of admission. I was pleasantly surprised by this record and I think you will be too.
2. The Devin Townsend Project - "Z2"
Where to even begin with this two disc set. Devin Townsend appears to be just the right kind of crazy and his record reflects it. The musicianship, the engineering and the themes of "Z2" are brilliant and fun. It's exciting, it's complex and it's difficult to explain but if you're in the mood for something completely different than this is it.
1. TO HUMANS - "Metacognition"
This record has the distinction of not only being number one on my list but also being among the least metal. Jeremy Lombardo, son of former Slayer drummer Dave Lombardo, makes up one third of the progressive power trio TO HUMANS. The songs on "Metacognition" are complex yet accessible to the average listener. Many of the albums I review, even some I enjoy, end up in a pile and rarely get listened to again. In contrast, TO HUMANS "Metacognition" has been on my regular rotation since August when I first heard them and, so, make it to number one. This trio is incredibly talented and have become my favorites of 2014. As such, I certainly hope that bestowing this honor upon them will allow me to be among the first to hear what they come up with next. My fingers are crossed, fellas.
Honorable Mention - Avatarium - "All I Want"
Finally, I felt obliged to include the "All I Want" EP from Swedish doom rockers Avatarium. Lead singer Jennie-Ann Smith has one of the best voices in metal (or, dare I say, any genre) and the only reason Avatarium didn't make the official list is because "All I Want" is a six song EP, three of which are live versions of previously released material. I look forward to hearing their next full length release.
