No Nonsense Metal: Top Ten Albums of 2014!

No Nonsense Metal 

Top Ten Albums of 2014!

   

   2014 has played host to some of the greatest returns and biggest triumphs of the music business. Pioneers have come back from beyond to once again teach the new generations how it's done, and younger bands have been basking in the glow of mainstream attention. With so many monumental releases this year, 2014 will be remembered in all its Metallic glory. To summarise such a memorable year in just ten albums is almost a disservice, but also a testament to the brilliance of the years releases. In conclusion, here is a run down of the top ten metal albums of 2014.


#10: SLIPKNOT 
.5: THE GRAY CHAPTER
   Following 6 years of uncertainty and mystery, Slipknot finally returned to the front lines of the extreme music world, armed to the teeth with all the guts and groove that they are so loved for. Fitting in perfectly alongside their earlier releases, .5: The Gray Chapter is a hard hitting monument to all the pain and pleasure their career has inflicted upon the world. In traditional style, tracks such as; "Sarcastrophe" and "Custer" draw blood with blunt force brutality, while others such as "Goodbye", are more likely to draw tears. All in all, this is how a come back should be done.

#9: SUICIDE SILENCE: 

YOU CAN'T STOP ME

   With the tragic passing of Mitch Lucker in 2012, band and fans were left uncertain about the future of Deathcore's biggest success story. However, with the addition of Eddie Hermida and his barbaric vocal skills, Suicide Silence were once again ready to carry the touch for their generation of extreme music. Tracks such as; "Inherit The Crown" and "Sacred Words" should have no problem dismissing any fears that Suicide Silence would not be as utterly crushing as they were in the Mitch era. A memorable guest appearance from Cannibal Corpse frontman, George "Corpsegrinder" Fisher, has the desired effect of making "Control" a fantastic track, while also helping to break down the unnecessary elitist divide between Deathcore and Death-Metal. At the end of the day, Suicide Silence are no strangers to creating extreme music, You Can't Stop Me makes it perfectly clear that they quite simply, cannot be stopped.   

#8: VADER: TIBI ET IGNI

   In recent years, Vader have progressively move towards a more Thrash-Metal approach, rather than an outright Death-Metal assault. Nevertheless, with their tenth studio album, Vader are heavier than ever. This album represents all that Vader have mastered throughout their career, with the perfect mosh material coming from tracks such as; "Armada On Fire" and "Abandon All Hope", and the breathtaking soundscapes that begin "The Eye Of The Abyss" and "The End". It seems that Vader just keep getting better with age, but this record certainly sets the bar pretty high.   

#7: CANNIBAL CORPSE

A SKELETAL DOMAIN

   You can always rely on Cannibal Corpse to release some truly savage Death-Metal. Their thirteenth studio album, the stunning, A Skeletal Domain, carries all the speed, aggression and power that defines their sound, however is possibly their least gore-obsessed effort to date. Even without a continual show of bloodshed, A Skeletal Domain is an absolute massacre. Opening up with "High Velocity Impact Splatter", leading through to the Zombie horror story of "Kill Or Become", and on towards the very predictably named, "Icepick Lobotomy", it becomes obvious that not only do Cannibal Corpse know exactly what they are doing, but they also do it better than anyone else.  

#6:BEHEMOTH: 

THE SATANIST

   Behemoth's least brutal album to date, is also their finest. Taking a different approach to their iconic style of diabolical Metal, The Satanist contains a selection of songs that express a variety of different ways to utterly terrify and amaze their listeners. Opening track and lead single, "Blow Your Trumpets Gabriel", is slower than what many fans will be used to, but the song is far more effective for it. The whole album, through to the incredible finale, "O Father O Satan O Sun!", is an encapsulating journey of Blackened Death-Metal unlike anything you will have heard before. Clearly the old saying really is true, the Devil does have the best tunes.  

#5: AT THE GATES

AT WAR WITH REALITY 

   What is the best way to come back with a brand new studio album almost two decades after the previous one? Taking into account that At The Gates last record, Slaughter Of The Soul, is recognised as one of the greatest and most influential Death-Metal albums of all time. Apparently the answer was simple enough to At The Gates. Release an even better record. At War With Reality is definitively an At The Gates record, with their unique and distinctive sound, there is no messing around here. Tracks such as "Death And The Labyrinth" and "Upon Pillars Of Dust" fit in perfectly along side At The Gates extensive list of classics. The melodic-Death approach of the album isn't just a continuation of their old style, At War With Reality sounds fresh and new, but remaining original all the while. Waiting two decades for another At The Gates record wouldn't be ideal, but if that is how long it takes to top their last effort, it would be well worth the wait.    

#4: DECAPITATED 

BLOOD MANTRA

   There is a limited number of different ways that Death-Metal can be done. Some bands will try to be the fastest, some the loudest and others the least audible. Decapitated on the other hand, take a different approach. Technicality, thick concrete riffs and just the right amount of blast-beats. Sounds simple right? Well tracks like "Veins" and "Instinct", would lead you to believe otherwise. The sound contained within Blood Mantra is absolutely monolithic. The songs themselves are extremely well structured and memorable, executed with excellent musicianship and every track different from the last. Blood Mantra is fist pumping Death-Metal at its finest.




#3: TRIPTYKON
MELANA CHASMATA
  Defining Triptykon's second full length release is just as problematic as trying to define their first. The main problem being, it is simply impossible to define, which is one of the reasons why Triptykon are such a unique and unparalleled band. Melana Chasmata is a beautiful blend of Death, Black, Doom and several other strains of Metal. No two songs are the same, some being mind blowingly heavy, such as "Tree Of Suffocating Souls" and "Black Snow", while others are eerily encapsulating, like "Boleskine House" and "Aurorae". As much of an enigma as Melana Chasmata is, it is absolutely breathtaking.


    

#2: OBITUARY: INKED IN BLOOD

   The old ways are often said to be the best. When it comes to Death-Metal, that certainly seems to be the way. Inked In Blood is a onslaught of genuinely enjoyable Death-Metal, all killer and no filler, this album embodies all that the sub-genre stands for. The musicianship is absolutely flawless, as are the songs themselves. Songs such as "Violent By Nature" and "Visions In My Head" are such perfect headbanging soundtracks, they could even ignite a mosh in a morgue. Inked In Blood is a very refined album overall, easy to follow and very memorable. You don't have to be an outright Death-Metal fan or even a die-hard fan of the band to understand and appreciate this album, but you would have to be trying very hard to find any real faults with it.

   #1: BLOODBATH 

GRAND MORBID FUNERAL

   Grand Morbid Funeral is an all out Metallic assault upon the senses. Relentless, ambitious and merciless, this album is torn straight from the womb of the old-school and dumped kicking and screaming in the lap of the modern day. Bloodbath aren't just Death-Metal legends, they are living, breathing masters of the sub-genre. With Nick Holmes taking up the mic, Bloodbath have moved forward from The Fathomless Mastery, to a entirely new era of extremity. 

   Opening up with the hammer-blow to the temple that is, "Let The Stillborn Come To Me", it becomes obvious that Bloodbath have clearly not mellowed at all over the years. "Anne" packs some extremely melodic riff work, gritty enough to melt snow and rhythmic enough to justify headbanging regardless of surrounding. Other highlights include; "Mental Abortion" and "United In Pain", but the real highlight of this album is title track, "Grand Morbid Funeral". With a guest appearance from Autopsy legend, Chris Reifert, lending Old Nick a hand, as well as some of the most haunting chanting ever recorded, this track solidifies the albums place as one of the greatest releases of 2014.  

THANK YOU FOR READING!
FEEL FREE TO COMMENT OR ASK ANY QUESTIONS!
TRY TO AVOID SPREADING ANY HATE, MY VIEWS ARE MY OWN.