Hard to believe we’re at the end of another incredible year of music. Even compiling a top 100 list has been pretty difficult, but I (Bradley) am here to guide you through the year’s best albums. I’m sure all other writers have some awesome picks, but here goes nothing. Here’s part 2 of the list – #’s 75-51.
ICYMI: Part 1 (#100-#76) is right here.
#75: Slipknot – “.5: The Gray Chapter”
I don’t care that this is likely Slipknot’s least-awesome record. It’s still heavy in all the right places, and the track “Killpop” is surprisingly awesome.
#74: Comeback Kid: “Die Knowing”
One of hardcore’s shining beacons releases another new album, and it’s consistently good with a few gems – jam “Wasted Arrows” as it’s one of the best tracks Comeback Kid has ever written. Their live show is even better.
#73: Trophy Scars – “Holy Vacants”
We waited 3 years for Trophy Scars to release even an EP, and Holy Vacants is the product of that extended time away. Imagine your favorite post-hardcore band mixed with blues-influenced vocals and you have something close to Trophy Scars. Recommended if you enjoy listening to music that’ll challenge you – not for the casual listener.
#72: Run The Jewels – “RTJ2”
Just as good, if not better than RTJ1. El-P/Killer Mike prove they’re one of the best duos hip-hop has in the 2010’s. There’s no sophomore slump here.
#71: With Our Arms To The Sun – “A Far Away Wonder”
Think a more accessible Isis played through a cinematic filter, and you have something close to what WOATTS has accomplished here. One of the best discoveries of 2014.
#70: Manchester Orchestra – “Cope”
Some of Manchester’s heaviest material. Great lyrics as well, and though there’s not necessarily a standout song here, it’s across the board a very good record.
#69: Wovenwar – “Wovenwar”
I can’t think of a better outcome for Wovenwar and their debut album. It’s not perfect, but a metalcore album with all clean singing? I’m into it. Not a lot of buildup, but it is very direct.
#68: Trioscapes – “Digital Dream Sequence”
Prog-rock/jazz-fusion featuring Dan Briggs of BTBAM fame. Heavily reliant on the bass, which is unique, and there’s a lot of King Crimson/70’s prog worship here. That’s not a bad thing, though.
#67: Monuments – “The Amanuensis”
Former Periphery/current Ever Forthright vocalist Chris Barretto joins Monuments here, and he’s clearly the right choice for the band. There’s a sense of melody not found on previous work here, but the heavy sections are, well, heavy. Some fans may miss the raw sound Gnosis had, but a more polished production does the band wonders.
#66: Demon Hunter – “The Extremist”
7 albums into their career, Demon Hunter has, in The Extremist, an album that could be right near the top of their discography. Despite the fact Demon Hunter is one of Christian metalcore’s leading lights, they don’t shy away from absolutely devastating tracks (the two minute opener “Death”), but they can pull off softer songs, too (the closer “The Heart Of A Graveyard, an amazingly effective pop/rock-oriented song, and one of their catchiest).
#65: Behemoth – “The Satanist”
Having Demon Hunter and Behemoth back to back on this list is almost kind of hilarious. If you like ridiculously heavy metal, this is for you. Nergal’s vocals are fantastic, as well. Tremendous closer “O Satan, O Sun!” is one of the best tracks of Behemoth’s massive discography.
#64: Chevelle – “La Gargola”
The rare mainstream rock band that hasn’t released a bad album yet, Chevelle continues its hot streak with La Gargola. Tracks like “Under The Knife” and “Jawbreaker” show that the album is still capable of being very heavy, but still contains massive hooks. Also, they’re a trio, which is all the more impressive. Even if you haven’t listened to Chevelle in a few albums, you’ll want to give this a try.
#63: Gerard Way – “Hesitant Alien”
With MCR no longer being a thing, longtime fans of the band likely have no idea what to expect upon hearing Gerard Way’s solo debut, Hesitant Alien. What you can expect is a solid set of Britpop/shoegaze/dream pop-influenced tunes from Way, matched up with great production values across the board. The real highlight is hearing Gerard do something that’s very unique with his skillset. I don’t know about you, but it might be time for a Britpop revival.
#62: Whirr – “Sway”
Shoegaze has a strange ability to make me feel like I’m in a dream, and Whirr isn’t an exception. Not as good as Pipe Dreams, but it’s still a solid listen. However, there’s another shoegaze album on this list that easily tops Sway…
#61: Stolas – “Allomaternal”
More variety than their previous album Living Creatures, Stolas creates fast-moving, energetic post-hardcore music that’s driven by the excellent drumming of Carlo Marquez, and a group of musicians that focus just as much on technicality as they do songcraft.
#60: Rishloo: “Living as Ghosts with Buildings as Teeth”
4 albums into their career, Rishloo has just released what is surely their best album yet. It’s even better than Feathergun (which I considered their magnum opus, previously) and the 5 year wait for loyal fans was worth it. The barely 50 minute runtime seems over too fast, but it doesn’t matter – this is absolute A-grade quality progressive rock music for fans of Tool, Karnivool, Dredg, and The Mars Volta. Comparisons are obviously heavy with those 4 bands, but Rishloo is a band that stands on their own with an incredible performance from vocalist Andrew Mailloux. Essential listening. Even more incredible? They’re unsigned.
#59: In Hearts Wake – “Earthwalker”
If only the intro “Gaia” was a few minutes longer, IHW’s second album, Earthwalker, would be higher on the list. But I digress. They’re definitely on the right track here, crafting above-average metalcore tracks with surprisingly mature lyrics and a great album closer too (“Wildflower” shows just how bright the future is for the Byron Bay metalcore band).
#58: La Dispute – “Rooms Of The House”
12 replayable songs about life and the things that happen during it – this is the best way to describe La Dispute’s 3rd full-length.
#57: Unearth – “Watchers Of Rule”
35 minutes of the best metalcore Unearth has ever recorded. It never lets up, even for a second. A multitude of bands have ripped off Unearth over the years, but nobody does this style better than them. It’s straight-up violent in a way I don’t think anyone could have expected.
#56: ’68 – “In Humor and Sadness”
Josh Scogin (The Chariot, Norma Jean) is back with his new project ’68, and joined together with drummer Michael McClellan to form the project. Josh still has his trademark aggression, but there’s some surprisingly melodic (and good!) singing here. The focus is definitely on the more abrasive and reckless side of rock, though – so if you’ve been listening to The Jesus Lizard’s Goat album lately, you may become enveloped in the noise as well, as this leans more toward the abrasive side of rock and roll.
#55: Cheatahs – “Cheatahs”
Definitely a band influenced by the late 80’s/early 90’s incarnations of shoegaze, with flourishes of indie rock as well. One of the best new bands of 2014.
#54: Polyphia – “Muse”
Proving you don’t need a label to make great music, the soul of Plano, Texas is on the map with Polyphia. They’re an instrumental 4-piece who recently went on tour with Slaves and Get Scared, and their debut full-length Muse is an excellent introduction to the band. The guest musicians are endless (Jason Richardson of Chelsea Grin and members of Chon, I Am Abomination, and Intervals) but the appeal for these guys is going to be huge – they ditched most of the metalcore aspects of their sound and are riding increased pop influences here. Most of it works, but the question remains; would Polyphia be better suited with a vocalist in tow? I’ll leave that up to the readers to decide. Regardless, Muse is an accessible prog rock release that’s rarely self-indulgent, and always fun.
#53: No Bragging Rights – “The Concrete Flower”
It’s time for No Bragging Rights to get the attention they deserve. 2012’s Cycles was awfully impressive, and new release The Concrete Flower is just as good. They’ve always done the positive-message thing quite well (without sounding dishonest) but the Riverside, CA melodic hardcore band does it better than their peers here. Recommended track for newcomers to the band? “Brave Hearts”.
#52: Crosses ††† – “Crosses †††”
Only disappointing thing is that their 2 previous EP’s are merged with a few new tracks onto one disc, but I’m not going to complain. It’s another successful Chino Moreno-fronted project, but forgetting about the contributions of Shaun Lopez (Far) and Chuck Doom would be foolish. Dream pop excellence, it’s the perfect album for the late-night recovery after the bar.
#51: Carthasy – “The Gyre”
The Karnivool influence is here, definitely, but Carthasy is pretty consistent on their debut full-length “The Gyre”. It’s a solid album overall, and while its consistency is very nice to hear (zero filler tracks) it’s tracks like “Echoburst” that make Carthasy so intriguing. From the moment I heard Carthasy, I knew they were a band destined for big things. You’ll be hearing more from them very soon – top class musicians who are going to break things open very soon.
Part 3 coming soon. It only gets better from here.
