Our Top 5 albums of the year

The year is almost over and what a year it was! A huge amount of new metal albums were released and not only the quantity was great, also the quality. To end 2014 and welcome 2015 here we have our favorite albums of the year! Let’s hope the next year will be even better, although 2014 is hard to beat.

Dan Rodriguez:

#5 Lordi – Scare Force One

Lordi delivers the scares with this flight into the depths of hell by providing catchy tunes and keeps the spirit of shock metal alive…or dead…and well.

#4 Slipknot – .5: The Gray Chapter

Outstanding album! Heavy metal purists constantly point their fingers at these guys for ruining metal. That is so untrue. Slipknot is one of best metal bands out there. A bitter pill for some to swallow, but it’s a fact.

#3 Scar Symmetry – The Singularity, Phase 1: Neohumanity

I listen to this one every day. It’s that good. A mind blowing, futuristic journey with masterful musicianship and harrowing vocals.

#2 Bloodbath – Grand Morbid Funeral

This album kicks ass from the first track to the last! This has become one of the most listened to albums in my collection.

#1 Behemoth – The Satanist

My absolute number one album of 2014. In my opinion, these guys, along with Dimmu Borgir, are today’s masters of the black metal genre. The Satanist is just unrelenting and takes no prisoners.

Izak Joubert:

#5 Crowbar – Symmetry in Black

It’s crowbar, I mean c’mon??!! They are the best (since Acidbath not longer exists). They epitomize sludge metal

#4 Texas Hippie Coalition – Ride On

Love this vocals and rockin guitar riffs
#3 Black Label Society – Catacombs of the Black Vatican

Zakk Wylde is the master of raunchy chunky riffs, love the blues tinge flavour that runs through the songs

#2 Menace – Impact Velocity

First time I heard this band, but love the experimentation in their songs

#1 Mastodon – Once more ‘Round the Sun

Nothing to find fault here, talent and skill wise they are light years above the rest

TheRomi2311:

#5 Opeth –  Pale Comunion

An album that breaks boundaries,just like Opeth likes to do.Seems impossible to assign a genre to this.A musical journey.

#4 Accept – Blind Rage

The greatest comeback in heavy scene continues with this album.Blood of the nations,Stalingrad and this are a trilogy that many bands dying to have.

#3 Ne Obliviscaris – Citadel 

The perfect mix between progressive and extreme metal.Dark and heavy.This genre has never been better.

#2 Bloodbath – Grand Morbid Funeral

A triumphant return of one of the best Death Metal bands.Nick Holmes leaves many open mouths.

#1 Behemoth – The Satanist

Powerful,great lyrics and well produced.Nergal is The Man

Darryl Mouzone:

#5 Belphegor – Conjuring The Dead

It may be their 10th album, but Belphegor sounds fresher and better than ever when they deliver a great but short album.

#4 Exodus – Blood In, Blood Out 

With Steve Souza back in as the lead vocalist and with some special guest appearances, this is the Exodus of old which is pure Thrash Metal and a blast to listen to from beginning to end.

#3 Bloodbath – Grand Morbid Funeral

Even with a new vocalist, Bloodbath returns again with an album that’s Swedish Death Metal with a punch.

#2 At The Gates – At War With Reality

After a 15 year split, they all came back together and released an album incredibly heavy with excellent songwriting and riffs.

#1 Behemoth – The Satanist

Just an incredible album that’s great from beginning to end and the tour was so controversial, Behemoth ended up getting arrested and banned in Russia.
 

Hannes Wiedenhofer:

#5 Delain – The Human Contradiction

I’m a huge fan of Symphonic Metal. This time Delain managed to convince me even more with their album than Within Temptation’s Hydra. Heavy yet melodic and catchy

#4 Obscurity – Vintar

All killer no filler. Viking Death Metal with a lot of norse mythology. I don’t care about the lyrics that much, but the music is straight-forward, melodic and never gets annoying

#3 Nachtblut – Chimonas

Relatively unknown band from Germany. I would describe their style as gothic melodic black metal. If you like Cradle of Filth, you should definitely check them out

#2 Amaranthe – Massive Addictive

Three vocalists, one band and an awesome album. Mixing Melodic Death Metal with Dance/Electro music. Catchy as fuck

#1 Arch Enemy – War Eternal

Best album of 2014. The masters of MeloDeath part ways with Angela and welcome Alissa. Never been a huge fan of theirs, but this one is fucking great!