The Top 10

1. 1. Iced Earth – Plagues of Babylon

   

   What can really be said about this album that hasn’t already been said? I love Iced Earth, so one could say I’m bias, but this album has so much heart that it’s hard to deny that it will chill you to your core at times, and then re-write the book in some ways in the power-metal genre. The new vocalist Stu Block came from Canadian legends Into Eternity, and I have to say that I never expected to hear what I heard come from him on this album. Everything we love about old Iced Earth, with a little something new and refreshing.

   If you love Horror Show and Something Wicked This Way Comes, add a little faster riffs and heaviness to it and you have what is, one of IE’s best albums to date, and clearly my #1 of 2014!

   Label: Century Media Records
   Website: http://www.icedearth.com

2. 2. The Haunted – Exit Wounds

   

   I’m sure you’re asking yourself, The Haunted at #2, really? WELL, YES REALLY. For those of you that have never listened to The Haunted, I suggest you do so and give yourself a quick lesson in the brutal life of Swedish Melodic Death Metal. Go ahead, I’ll wait. And then turn this record on, and scream HOLY SHIT at the top of your lounges as they tear your soul out of your body. This IS The Haunted’s best album since “Made Me Do It.” Marco Aro on vocals seems to scream the angriest, most haunting vocals I’ve heard in some time. I can hear the pain and anguish in his voice so much that I want to buy the poor guy a beer and see what he does in the pit. I can’t pull this record off my playlist, and neither will you!

   Label: Century Media Records
   Website: http://www.the-haunted.com

3. 3. Unearth – Watchers of Rule

   

   It’s truly a shame Unearth can’t shake the metal core label that’s been attached to them for far too long. This band has grown into a metal juggernaut over the years and this album is by far the heaviest, most brutal record to date. There is something fresh and ridiculously refreshing about this record. So much so that I can hardly contain myself at times when I envision seeing them live again, standing on their amps shredding like it’s a 1987 thrash show in New York City. If it wasn’t for Iced Earth’s new album this record would have easily landed in my #2 slot. You’re doing yourself an injustice by not cranking this record as loud as it can go!

   Label: Metal Blade Records
   Website: http://www.unearth.tv

4. 4. Exodus – Blood in, Blood Out

   

   When I think of Exodus, one of the greatest thrash bands to walk the planet, I know I’m always going to get blood, rage, doom, and utter peril lyrically, which is part of what makes them so much fun. But with the return of Steve “Zetro” Souza to lead vocals, I feel like they laid waste to all the pretenders in the thrash universe in 2014 and reminded us all that Exodus belongs in the big 4. ‘Blood In, Blood Out’ is such a raging album from start to finish that you have no choice but to rage with it. Murder, slay, maim, destroy your eardrums on this one!

   Label: Nuclear Blast Records
   Website: http://www.exodusattack.com

5. 5. Goatwhore – Constricting Rage of the Merciless

   

   I don’t even know what all I can say about this album that hasn’t already been said by a ton of other music critics other than this is probably the most insanely heavy, brutal, melodic album that you’re going to hear in some time. I was and continue to be completely blown away by this record and how unbelievably punishing it is and never lets up from track 1 on. A great forward thinking record that’s for just about any metal fan out there!

   Label: Metal Blade Records
   Website: http://www.goatwhore.net

6. 6. Allegaeon – Elements of The Infinite

   

   This band is passionate about the music they write, and it shows through bright on all of their albums. This one in particular has a very progressive nature about it that one can’t help but enjoy. They are able to combine prog guitar riffs with brutal vocals and murderess drum beats along with just really cool lyrics about cool stuff – like the universe and…..other…cool stuff. A must have/must listen to for any metalhead.

   Label: Metal Blade Records
   Website: http://www.facebook.com/allegaeon

7. 7. Arch Enemy – War Eternal

   

   I am not, nor have I ever been an Arch Enemy fan – and I really couldn’t give you a great explanation as to why, but I can tell you that I love this album. It’s different, it’s unique in it’s approach that it’s vastly not the same as the last few albums that were going down the tunnel of wannabe Swedish death metal. This album feels more along the lines of a heavy prog/power metal album with only hints of death metal. A huge step in the right direction, but with such great albums this year, I feel it fell to the middle of the road for me.

   Label: Century Media Records
   Website: http://www.archenemy.net

8. 8. Scar Symmetry – The Singularity

   

   Scar Symmetry never ceases to amaze me, album after album they continue to release records that are both uber-prog technical and aggressive as all hell. And yet, people that are hardcore into the prog scene have no idea who this band is, HOW DOES THAT HAPPEN!? While I enjoy every one of their albums, “The Singularity (Phase 1 – Neohumanity)” seems to have a bit more urgency and thrash melody to it. I can’t get enough of it, and neither should you!

   Label: Nuclear Blast Records
   Website: http://www.facebook.com/scarsymmetry

9. 9. Killer be Killed – Killer Be Killed

   

   Whether you’re a fan of Dillinger, Mastodon or Sepultura, it won’t matter the second you put this album on. If old school thrash collided with New Orleans doomy sludge rock, you would have Killer Be Killed’s debut album. Dare I say – Better than Mastodon? No, but damn will it make you want to crack open a beer and jam out for hours on end.

   Label: Nuclear Blast Records
   Website: http://www.killerbekilled.com

10. 10. Carnifex – Die Without Hope

    

    Please tell me again how much you dislike this new metal movement of bands like this and Whitechapel, etc… after listening to this album. While I still feel that other bands in this new wave fall short musically, Carnifex fully delivers a hard blow to the jugular on this one. Heavy, fast, Aggressive, Melodic, but so Sinister and Dark it will make you enjoy them. Such a defining record, cheers.

    Label: Nuclear Blast Records
    Website: http://www.facebook.com/carnifexmetal

Honorable Mentions

1. Eluveitie – Origins

   

   I’ll be the first to admit that I would have never given this band a listen if it wasn’t for seeing them live almost on accident, but after listening to the album, you’ll be hard pressed to find a better Viking metal album that includes such heartfelt melody from Swedish Folk music mixed with Swedish Death Metal.

   Label: Nuclear Blast Europe
   Website: http://www.eluveitie.ch

2. In Flames – Siren Charms

   

   This album is NOT for the closed-minded metal fans, this is an album that challenges everything we’ve ever heard from In Flames. But still mighty they stand with a fantastic album that embraces change and once again In Flames shows why they are still the reigning kings of Swedish metal – because they and only they have the ability to change the architecture of it!

   Label: Sony Music
   Website: http://www.inflames.com

3. Demon Hunter – Extremist

   

   Not always the first choice for many metalheads, but still a fantastic album for a band that has really started to descend out of the metalcore universe and grown into their own a bit with these last two records. Forget that they are a Christian metal band and you may find yourself enjoying this heavy, melodic album.

   Label: Solid State Records
   Website: http://www.demonhunter.net