Best Metal Albums of 2014

I was reading a bunch of "best of" lists online and I found that some albums were on the same lists while others were far out albums of bands I have never even heard of. I did everyone a favor and listened to most of these albums to bring you MY best of 2014.  

Emmure - Eternal Enemies. 

While Emmure's albums have fluctuated in quality over the years, I was highly impressed with their latest release, which was a hard hitting "break everything in the vicinity" album

Mastodon - Once More Round the Sun

While Mastodon might be my least favorite metal band, they did release such a good record that even non metal fans would fall in love with. 

Behemoth - The Satanist 

I have to admit, I refused to Listen to about 4 songs off this album. It targets only Christianity, and the lyrics get dull VERY fast, and its not because I am a Christian, its because, don't Behemoth have anything else to sing about besides bashing Christianity? I mean can you have a few songs about vikings and medieval stuff for once? With that being said, this is one of Behemoth's best albums, and is one of their heaviest to date. Lyrics aside, I enjoyed this release.  

Caliban - Ghost Empire

One of my favorite German bands, Caliban relased a great album this year. Most metal sites skipped right over these seniors of the metalcore scene. This was a great well put together album that deserved at least a nod. 

Benighted - Carnivore Sublime

I am not a big fan of pig squeal vocals, but Benighted can be my exception. They have truly out done themselves with this great Death metal / Death Grind release. Again, no metal site acknowledged them. 

I Killed the Prom Queen - Beloved

My personal favorite album of 2014. IKTPQ has proven to be one of the best most under-appreciated metal acts. Their return album Beloved flew under the radar, but should be a album EVERY metalhead should own.

Demon Hunter - Extremist

Demon Hunter has become a well respected Christian metal act. They have played with numerous secular acts and have even collaborated with Killswitch Engage. Their 7th release "Extremist"  

had some heavy and catchy tracks, littered with all that Demon Hunter sound you know and love.

Devil You Know - Beauty of Destruction

Speaking of Killswitch, Howard formed his own band, who released their debut album this year. The album has some catchy tracks and is a good taste of what is yet to come. 

Aborted - The Necrotic Manifesto

One of my favorite death metal acts, Aborted, also released an amazing album this year. The record has some intense tracks they almost make your nose bleed.

Misery Index - The Killing Gods

What can I say, Misery Index is amazing. A lot of people do not know this band. This album, is the exact reason why you should know Misery Index

Vader - Tibi Et Ingi

While we're on the death metal kick, Vader released an awesome album this year as well. The albums hits Hard and is sure to entertain the most hardcore death metal fans.  

Goatwhore - Constructing Rage of the Merciless

Another good death metal release of 2014. Man, this must be a death metal year. While Goatwhore adds a sprinkle of Black metal into their songs, this album is sure to impress.

As Blood Runs Black - Ground Zero

Took ABRB a long time and a good amount of drama to release their final full length album. Still, the only band to be considered "melodic deathcore" and for a good reason, Only ABRB can pull it off with such style.

Darkest Hour - Darkest Hour

Darkest Hour has been around for a century or two (thats a joke obviously) their new album was REALLY good and did not get any recognition, but should be on the top of any best of 2014 list.

Obituary - Inked in Blood

Yet another Death metal album that was amazing. Obituary came out somewhere in the 1700's and are considered one of the masters of the genre, and their 2014 album certainly showed off what they are made of. 

Saving Grace - The Urgency 

A magnificent release by New Zealands best metal act. The album is crazy heavy and each track gets better and better. What more can you want from a album?

Fallujah - The Flesh Prevails

Like my review said, beautiful should never be used to describe a death metal album, but it works perfectly to describe the Bay Areas Fallujah's lastest release. 

For Today - Fight the Silence

With Metalcore on the decline, its hard to find bands that really stand out. However For Today have more than shown us that they have what it takes to stand with the greatest such as August Burns Red, Unearth and Killswitch Engage. Their 2014 album "fight the silence" shows just how good they can be.

Exodus - Blood in Blood Out

Anyone want Exodus to replace Anthrax on the big 4 lineup? No offense to Anthrax, but Exodus is a amazing band who deserves the title. Their new album is one of the best Thrash Metal relases of the decade. 

Unearth - Watchers Of Rule

Like I said, metalcore has been on the decline over the years, but Unearth show us that it will never fade away. Their new album shows us that the one of the originators of the metalcore genre still have what it takes to stay on top.

Machine Head - Bloodstone & Diamonds

Easily the best album of 2014. Sad thing is Machine Head flew under the radar with this one causing it to be the most over looked album of 2014. Please everyone go listen to this record...like NOW

Well, there it is MY best of 2014 list. These albums are all good and definatly should not be skipped over. As we have learned, 2014 was the year for death metal. So sit back, put on some Beats by Dre and listen to some good old Obituary. 

 

   

 

  

Slipknot: .5 The Gray Chapter - Review

Its been 6 years since slipknot has released new original material. Its been almost 10 years since Tool has released anything but thats a different blog. Anyway, it was worth the wait for slipknot. Their new album .5 the Gray chapter (a homage to deceased band memeber Paul Gray) is a well put together album. You can tell that slipknot really cares about their fans and their music. The whole album is littered with catchy slipknot songs you know and love. Slipknots new lineup is also a great addition. The "new" slipknot sound more heavier than ever. This new album is easily going to be one of the best albums of 2014.

Score: 8/10

Heaviness: 5-6/10

My First Audio Podcast. Official Episode 1

Check Out my first Audio podcast here:

and be sure to check out all the bands i have shown in the podcast. They are available on Amazon.com or Itunes.

By the way, since it is my first Audio Podcast, I do sound a bit boring, but be sure, i am Excited



Exotype


Kingdom of Giants


A Body Divided



Beyond Creation




Blinded Colony

MTLRadioBlog: episode 1

Welcome to my new Radio Blog. I Guess you can call it a podcast or whatever you wish. This is the first episode so I thought id start out with some good Metalcore bands that i have found around the internet. 

First lets start out with a awesome band I found. I reviewed their album and gave it a REALLY high score. These guys have some serious talent. This is While The Heart Becomes from Mexico

http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=00f_BHhIlZE

Their stuff is yet to be available to purchase (at the time of this blog) but you can losten to their whole album on Youtube. Hopefully these guys make it because they have a chance to bring Metalcore back to its roots

Next we have a Aussie band. These guys  are amazing. They have yet to make it to the US to do any shows but heres hoping. This is In Hearts Wake and their song "Traveller" 

http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=EV4U_gmUkH8

You can find In Hearts Wake's stuff on iTunes and Amazon

These guys are from good ol' Facedown records. I am thinking of doing a complete show on Facedown's wondeful library of bands. But for now lets check out Altars 

http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=zzHJpwX-Llg

You can purchase Altars new album on iTunes and Amazon  

Alright, now we move to another new Metalcore act, hailing from the UK, this is Heaven Asunder and their song "Sevenate"

 https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=E5u5jTr3V3s

Hope your enjoying these awseome songs hand picked by none other than... Well... Me. Next up is a metalcore/Electronic band from Japan. Japanese metalcore is extrmly rare and although there are numerous Japanese metal bands (also known as J-Metal) there is rarely bands who fuse the elemental Hardcore punk into the mix. Here is Crossfaith and their song "Monolith"

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Yu1CgWt26VI

Great band. Now you can pick up Crossfaith's three awesome albums on itunes and Amazon as well as Heaven Asunders

 We have another Facedown Records band here. They really do have some great bands, and I think i might do a blog on strictly their record Label, but until then, heres We The Gathered

 https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=rLKT7_3Fcf4

You can check out Facedown records great lineup on their website at Facedownrecords.com as well as get their awesome sampler with great bands included on it.

Next we have one of my favorite bands in the genre. These guys have some extreme talent, however, have yet to tour the good ol' USA. Here is Confession 

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=eMXvY15lqHI

Well we have come to the end of my first radio blog. Hope you enjoyed it. I have one more band to show you and they are a great band at that. Hailing from the Swiss alps (or maybe not the mountain part, but thr city parts) this is Breakdown of Sanity 

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=klUkjwhISF0

Metal Blog Radio station

I will be starting a blog radio station. I believe it will be the first of its kind. Im hoping that it will bring new and upcoming artists to the masses. Twice a week (im going to try) and make a blog with numerous songs and music videos which you can watch and listen to whenever you wish. 

I introduce to you MTLRadioBlog

All blogs do contain copywrited material. I do not profit AT ALL from posting these. I merely deliver good music to people that want to hear and explore. Tracks can be purchased and downloaded Via iTunes, or other sources. Please support the artist and Purchase their material. 

10 Best Black Metal Bands of All Time (As chosen by a Christian)

Well like the title says, im going to run down the best Black Metal bands. Now, before i start, everyone who reads my blog knows that I am a Christian, and most of these bands are "evil" in a sense and have engaged in activities that are against my beliefs. However, i am solely choosing these top 10 bands for their sound and how well they hold up through time. So, without further ado , here are my top 10 best Black Metal bands of all time. 

10: Carpathian Forest 

Although they use that stupid "Rough cut" sound, I believe these guys have talent and if you can get passed that all to familiar " Recorded with a 10 dollar yape recorder" than you will find a sort of diamond in the rough with these guys.

9: Judas Iscariot

One of the only known American Black metal bands, these guys have some talent that sound like the snowy mountains of Norway

8: 1349

A truly good BM band who has not recieved nearly enough popularity (if you can call it that) as they deserve. 1349 is one of those bands who should be among the top 10 in all BM lists but sadly are looked over. 

7: Antestor 

A Norweigion Christian BM band who is loved by Christians and Satanists alike. They were even produced by Norwegian BM legends Immortal

6: Mayhem

Although I will not hear the end of it for putting these guys so far up on my list, I believe they are not the best. Sure they have been around forever and a day but they are certainly not the best. Although that does not mean these guys do not have talent, I mean what other band do you know puts their Friends Suicide picture as their album cover?

5: Old mans Child

One of the first BM bands who thought, "wow this recording with a childrens winnie the pooh recorder is kind of retarded" these guys released some amazing tracks that definatly stand the trials of time, and is easily one of the best BM bands

4: Emporer

Another band who thought Dollar store recorders to record full 60 minuete albums was stupid. These guys have not released a album for awile, but still have some of the best BM sounds out of the 100,000 BM bands out there. 

3: Watain

Had to put the kings of nasty on here. I mean these guys bury their clothes for years at a time, then wear them in order to smell like the stenches of hell. Aside from their weirdness, they are a really talented BM band

2: Gorgorath 

One of the original Norweigion BM bands, these guys have had an amazing run and their sound is as heavy as the next Band, and can easily be one of the best. 

1: Immortal

Not only my favorite BM band, they are easily the best. They have stayed true to BM genre without straying from the path. The best part about these guys is the fact that they seperated themselves from the Norweigion Church burings and other anti christian acts which still curse many BM bands to this day. They decided to put their minds to the music rather than the look and fads of BM. Hats off to these talented guys 

Well there you have it, the best BM bands of all time. Now I know i didnt include good Ol' Dark Throne, or Burzum, or Bathory or even the Originators Venom, but in all honesty, those bands all changed from BM to another genre. Dark Throne left the BM scene to be a more punk oriented band. Burzum (Varg) became more of electonic ambiant music. Bathory went the Amon Amarth way and went toward melodic viking metal, and Venom went straight to thrash heavy metal. Sure they had a major impact of the genre but they did not stay and eventually said screw it, and left their metal genre behind. 

Retro Review: Thy Art is Murder - Hate

Deathcore bands are up and down for me. Some stay the same and some totally change their style, to a point where you do not even like them anymore. With that being said, there are deathcore bands that bring back that old style from the mid 2000's. Thy Art is Murder or Thy Art as fans call them, are an Australian Deathcore band which sounds exactly like that. They are a amazing band with massive potential, and I Hope that they do not change a thing like most Deathcore bands do. Their second album "Hate" which came out 2 years ago, is a great example of how hardcore punk and Cannibal Corpse style death metal, can live in pure harmony. This album is amazing and a must own for death metal fans. Each track gets more and more intense while keeping the pace and not slowing down for anyone. The lyrics are about one thing, Hate and particularly, hate toward christians, which is bad news for me. Never the less, I still enjoyed this album and I will be listening to it again.

Score: 9/10

Heaviness: 10/10

Infant Annihilator - The Palpable Leprosy of Pollution Review

Wow, just wow. Now before i begin, everyone who reads my reviews and blogs know that im a Christian. After i was searching around for new music, i came across Infant Annihilator. A two piece band from Europe, who made it in the deathcore genre by online support. The band themselves are funny and raunchy, so needless to say, their first album is exactly like that, raunchy. The song titles are extremly offensive so the band is not for the faint of heart. The album itself is actually not that bad at all, and in my opinion, better than Rings of Saturn ( another technical deathcore band). I was impressed by the heaviness of the album. This is as heavy as it gets folks. The energy is incredible and can be seen through each song. Overall, pretty good album by little punk kids from Europe.

Heaviness: 10/10

Score: 8/10

I refuse to post album cover due to the inverted cross on it. 

Retro Review: Hate - Solarflesh review

In a extreme up and down genre like Blackened Death Metal, few acts stand out as amazing, let alone just good. Bands like Behemoth or Goatwhore are the leaders in the genre. Then theres the underground stuff that has about 1 in every 100 that are good. That good one is Hate. They have been around for quite some time and have gained a small but significant following. Their most recent album Solarflesh, which was released in 2012, was an amazing album. I have rarely been able to listen to full death metal album without getting bored, but this album left me wanting more. Each song is unique in its own, and while not satanic like most black/death bands (thank God) , it feels dark and moody. I loved this album from start to finish, and if you love death metal, it is a must have. The only complaint  I have is the 3 minute intro, which was a little much for me.

Score: 9/10

Heaviness: 10/10

Those Who Fear - Death Sentence Review

Facedown Records has had some pretty good artists come through their doors. Some of which are better than others, and some are just damn amazing. Thats the case with the hardcore/metalcore act, Those Who Fear. Their previous album was a solid hit. Needless to say, their next album is even better. Death Sentence offers more intense breakdowns and positive and inspiring lyrical themes, often which deal with the struggle of life, and Faith. This record has it all, great song structure and beats, all combined with a good sense of fulfillment. Death sentence is a even more solid album then the first. I highly recommend you go get this album, and please, support the band and purchase one of their awesome shirts.

Heaviness: 7/10

Score: 9.5/10

Fallujah - The Flesh Prevails Review

Never have Beautiful and Death Metal been used in the same sentence, but congratulations on reading this review because that perfectly describes Bay Areas "Fallujah's" new album. The album is slam packed with symphonic melodies and intense death metal vocals and blast beats. While Fallujah is proving to be one of the top Death Metal acts of the decade, I was eager to hear what they had to offer this time around. The album shows maturity while keeping to its death metal roots. Every track is as unique and fullfilling as the rest. The album is by far Fallujah's best work yet. Oddly enough it is the ONLY death metal album you could possibly go to sleep to. I highly recommend if you are a fan of death metal, you pick up this album immediately, you will not be disappointed.

The only complaint i have is that the album is very short.

Score: 9/10

Heaviness: 9/10

 

Linkin Park - The Hunting Party Review

I remember when I was young the first time I heard Linkin Park. I could not stop listening to one step closer. I would wait up every night until the radio station played that song. I decided to go out and buy a blank tape so I could listen to it whenever I wanted to. As I was in the store I saw their album had already come out. So, I asked my mom for 13 bucks and I got the Linkin Park Cd. I memorized     Each and every song off the "Hybrid Theory" album. After that LP album came out, they released their sophmore CD "Meteora" which was just as great at the last. Then Linkin Park started getting weird on me. A childhood favorite became an odd sounding indie rap band which they seemed to never recover from.

I was extremely (and i use this word loosely)  hesitant to listen to their new album "The Hunting party" but im glad I tried it out. The album seems to be trying its hardest to go back to old linkin Park, but fails to fully grasp that Hybrid Theory or Meteora feel. Thats not necessarily a bad thing though, because this is a well written, good sounding album. Each track is well produced and although the overall sound of the band is not "Hybrid Theory" they still managed to bring out a heavy album. Think of Minutes to Midnight meets Meteroa, the heaviness and the "new" Linkin Park all rolled into one  album. I did enjoy this albumand defiantly   recommend it to any LP fan or any Veteran LP fan who wishes they would just go back to their old sound.

I hope that LP sticks with this sound at least so we can all have a happy medium.

Heaviness: 4/10

Score: 9/10

Countdown: Best Metalcore Bands of all Time

Well, I decided to start a trend. Today i'm going to narrow my list down to 10, and this time, its the best Metalcore bands of all time. So, like always, lets get this show on the road.

10: Miss May I

Being newcomers to the genre, Miss May I have proved themseves a worthy band, with some really good album releases such as Apologies are for the Weak. 

9: I Killed the Prom Queen

One of my personal favorites, not many people would argue that they are indeed one of the best.

8: Parkway Drive

Well, since Australia's  I Killed the Prom Queen was number 9, lets put more Aussies on here, since they know how to make some good Metal. No, but really Parkway Drive is an amazing band, and most of the

7: Unearth 
Hailing as one of the creators of the metalcore genre, and defiantly one that brought it to popularity, is Massachusetts Unearth

6: Trivium

Also considered thrash metal, Florida's Trivium have been a major contributor to the genre, as well as releasing numerous, High rated albums.

5: All That Remains

Being the "leaders" of the metalcore genre in general. They have stood the test of time, although some would argue their more recent albums are not as good as their old stuff. Still, without them, metalcore would not be where it is today.

4: Bleeding Through

Once the biggest West Coast metalcore act, Bleeding Through fell through the cracks later on and now most kids have no idea who they are. However, they are one of the best metalcore bands out there, and fans of them know that they will forever be the best. Long Live Bleeding Through!

3: Shadows Fall

Another Massachusetts native band, they gradually left the genre to pursue more thrash oriented style, but they still left in impression the metalcore genre that is still seen through a bunch of bands

2: As I Lay Dying

After Tim went on trial and got a pretty hefty prison sentence, AILD died. The members went on to form a new band (which is actually pretty good) the amazing As I Lay Dying went away without a whisper to be heard. However, they are still one of the best and some may argue THE BEST metal band.

1: Killswitch Engage.

Have to give it to them. They have been around since the metalcore genre originated. They also have stayed consistently popular and their albums have changed little. With the exception of Jesse leaving then Howard replacing him, then Howard leaving and Jesse re-replacing him. Either way, They are one of the best.

Well there you have it. The best of the best. Keep in mind as usual there are many other REALLY good metalcore bands out there that should be noted. Go check them out, do some research.