50 Albums From 2014 That You Need To Hear (Part 1A of 5)

Ok, so I'm a metalhead, not a mathhead. On Friday I started this 5 part column naming the 50 albums you need to hear from 2014 by only naming 5 albums. If you're a little smarter than me you'll realize that math doesn't add up. So here I am writing part 1A to give you the next 5 that should have been in part 1.

[BLACK/PROG/FOLK] AGALLOCH - THE SERPENT AND THE SPHERE

Agalloch is band with a storied history whom people have high expectations for and Agalloch never misses the mark and this is no exception. The Faustian Echoes EP last year was much more "Black" than usual Agalloch music and I myself wondered if this album would go in that direction but they've actually embraced their progressive tendencies more than ever.

[DOOM] VESTAL CLARET - THE CULT OF VESTAL CLARET

Riffs upon riffs upon riffs under the vocals of man of many great bands, Phil Swanson. The best classic Doom album of the year and I'm sure it'll remain that way.

[BLACK/DOOM] PREDATORY LIGHT - DEMO MMXIV

Sometimes lurching, always atmospheric metal that blasts you in all the right places. Sometimes this kind of stuff tends to feel never ending but I just want this 2 song 17 minute demo to keep going. With memorable riffs, atmospherics and a production job the fits the music, I can't wait for a full length.

 

[HEAVY/SPEED] BLACK MAGIC - WIZARD'S SPELL

This is just solid Heavy Metal that has gone under the radar. For some reason I haven't seen much promotion of them from their awesome label, High Roller Records. Think Show No Mercy era Slayer. Also contains their demo which is a little more in the tradition of first wave Black Metal. Might be my favorite album of the year so far.

[BLACK/SLUDGE] LORD MANTIS - DEATH MASK

Music every bit as off putting and filthy as the transgendered zombie on the cover of the album. Filthy guitars, filthy, rippiing vocals. Their debut Pervertor made my top 5 when it came out and I'm fairly certain this one will end up there too.

50 Albums From 2014 That You Need To Hear (Pt. 1 of 5)

Well, here we are halfway through 2014 and here I am once again expounding my metalness upon the masses. It's been a solid , if not spectacular year for new music. Obviously being a list of 50, not everything is going to blow your socks off but that isn't my aim. Precious few of these will maintain my attention throughout the year but all are worth a lesson by any metalhead looking for a diamond in the rough.

 [DEATH] ACID WITCH/NUNSLAUGHTER - SPOOKY (SPLIT EP)

This is what I want out of Acid Witch. Massive Death/Doom riffs and pronounced, spooky keyboards. The vocals are also better here. Not sure if there's a new vocalists or he's just mixed better but I hope the new Acid Witch LP sounds like this. As far as Nunslaughter goes, I've never given them much of a shot but that changed after hearing this EP. I'll go a little more in depth about Nunslaughter at a later date but needless to say I loved it.

 [HARDCORE/BLACK/CRUST] YOUNG AND IN THE WAY - WHEN LIFE COMES TO DEATH

Young and In The Way are a band I've had an eye on for a couple years and I feel like they came into their own on this one. The hybridization of Hardcore, Black Metal and Crust has become something of an underground trend but YITH are the best of the bunch. If you want raw and aggressive, this is the album for you.

[SLUDGE] EYEHATEGOD - EYEHATEGOD

Eyehategod's classic albums are about as grimy as it gets. You feel like you need a shower after listening. They're like an episode of Intervention set to southern sludge metal. While every bit as filthy as past albums, something seems a bit more mature. I guess that will happen when you don't put out an album in 14 years. In this case maturity does not mean boring as this is right up there with their best work.

[BLACK] FUNEREAL PRESENCE - THE ARCHER TAKES AIM

A Negative Plane side project has much to live up to. While Funereal Presence keeps that Negative Plane vibe with the keyboards and riff style, this is still much more straight forward Black Metal. It does throw some curve balls at you though and they all fit perfectly. The songs are a bit long winded with 3 of the 4 going 10 minutes plus but this is still my favorite Black Metal album this year. A little trimming and this could have been a classic.

[DEATH] INNSMOUTH - CONSUMED BY ELDER SIGN

Think Bolthrower doing songs based on Lovecraft rather than war. Need I say more?

Stay tuned Monday for Part 2...