CaliberTV ‘Best Of 2014’: Album Of The Year

2014 has been an incredible year for the heavy music scene. There has been a release out there that can appeal to any music taste and that’s certainly something to praise. As always though, we are here to present to you our favorites of the year and express just how much we enjoyed these releases.

10. Set It Off – ‘Duality’

As much as pop music gets a bad rap (or promotes bad rap), Set It Off made me proud to be a pop fan with ‘Duality’. Unashamedly over-the-top (“The Haunting” starts out as a depressing lament only to burst into a triumphant declaration of superiority), catchy and downright more mature than many of their peers, Set It Off set out to bridge the darkness of our rock world with the conventions and tight songwriting of the mainstream world. The result was absolutely successful with larger than life tracks like “Why Worry” and “A Wolf In Sheep’s Clothing” being a ton of fun.

9. The Amity Affliction – ‘Let The Ocean Take Me’

Taking a page from Bring Me The Horizon’s much-publicized refinement with ‘Sempiternal’, The Amity Affliction crafted an album bigger than anything they’ve previously released. Pittsburgh, Let The Ocean Take Me and Gave It All are already fan-favorites for good reason – They act as anthems for the weighed-down (har har) and weary, something this scene needs more of and something Amity deliver with confidence. A passionate record.

8. Crown The Empire – ‘The Resistance: Rise of the Runaways’

Already being hailed as an overnight success story Crown The Empire had huge shoes to fill with album #2. They instead grew bigger feet and completely outdid themselves with ‘The Resistance…’ The band manifested a deeper, more interesting world with the record, and with it became far better musicians than ‘The Fallout’ ever hinted at as being possible. “Machines” and “Rise of The Runaways”, in particular, should allow CTE to fill any arena they damn well please. But the metallic direction of “Bloodline” and “Johnny’s Rebellion” will please any bonafide headbanger. An artsy wonderland that is enjoyable to explore more than a few times.

7. Of Mice & Men – ‘Restoring Force’

Having grown up in the 90’s Of Mice & Men did what any heavy music fan of that era would love to do: Create an album that could stand with any band they grew up listening to. Not only is ‘Restoring Force’ heaps more mature (You’re sure Papa Roach didn’t write “Identity Disorder”?) but it also showcases a kingdom-minded group of musicians playing music that they genuinely enjoy. The album still comes equipped with signature OM&M bangers such as “Public Service Announcement” and “Glass Hearts” – but the real attraction here is the Slipknot/Machine Head/Mudvayne lovechild that is “You Make Me Sick”. Look out for the album to come Full-Circle in February.

6. Volumes – ‘No Sleep’

Volumes do a grand job of playing unique, emotional djent that rivals their peers and allows them to exist in multiple scenes. ‘No Sleep’ is the band’s second and finest full-length featuring improved songwriting and display of band chemistry. The replay value is high and the grooves are massive as expected (“Neon Eyes” especially jams) but the addition of more clean vocals creates a feely atmosphere that ‘Via’ only semi-explored. Songs like “Erased” and “Up All Night” show that ‘No Sleep’ is more than just passionate music – It’s a collection of personal experiences.

5. Issues – ‘Issues’

Everyone’s been talking about Issues and for good reason: The Georgia/LA-based gentlemen make for a downright ambitious group. The Issues shown on the self-titled record was a band that wanted to appeal to fans of Limp Bizkit, Justin Timberlake and Breathe Carolina alike. The effort is as crazy as it would seem, but the album was more than a novelty – The massive choruses, emotive hardcore expression, electronic-produced melodic soundscapes and heavy low-end guitars crushed, dazzled and entranced the listener in a way that no other band in 2014 did. Each song was different than the last, yet consistent in delivery. Even on album #1 Issues have an identity, as sporadic as it may be, and all of the heart that went into songs such as “Never Lose Your Flames” and “Disappear (Remember When)” should not be overlooked.

4. Architects – ‘Lost Forever // Lost Together’

You’d be hard-pressed to find a better metalcore record this year than Architects’ latest release. Bridging the band’s aggressive past and intricate present, ‘Lost Forever // Lost Together’ is an album that truly proves how well Architects can write music. The songs are heavy and unruly, but with melodies so neatly woven in that you can’t help but be affected by some side of the music spectrum. The true star of the record is “Youth Is Wasted On The Young”‘s incredibly structured songwriting but no song on the album is lacking. Old-school fans will adore “C.A.N.C.E.R.” and “Naysayer” but a huge kudos to the band for never making the same album twice.

3. Beartooth – ‘Disgusting’

If it’s one thing music fans like to see it is growth, and I’d argue no one has grown more this year than Caleb Shomo. Inspired by his rough past and youthful angst, Caleb sat down in his basement and wrote about how he felt, recorded guitars, drums and bass, and screamed as much of himself as he could into a microphone. The result is Beartooth, a solo project for the former Attack Attack! frontman and though it may be a solo project it sounds as collective as any punk album you may have grown up listening to. 1 reason I personally enjoyed ‘Disgusting’ so much was because it reminded of metalcore’s past – metal infused with hardcore – giving the album a vintage feel. The modern arena-eyed pop choruses provide the album even more dimension than was possible in metalcore’s past however. Though ‘Disgusting’ is at times a bit TOO consistent, the humility & modesty of its content is enough to outweigh the album’s repetition. Full of anthems for anyone looking to get into the pit (look no further than “Body Bag”) and those who enjoy honesty in their music (“I Have A Problem”, “Sick & Disgusting”). ‘Disgusting’ is a memorable and impactful record that has been deservedly embraced by many.

2. Slipknot – ‘.5: The Gray Chapter’

Perhaps the most heralded comeback of the year is Slipknot, who we haven’t heard from since 2009 when all hope seemed to be depleted for the band with the passing of Paul Gray. As matters only seemed to get worse with lineup changes it felt as though we may have to wait an eternity for new material. ‘.5: The Gray Chapter’, to put it simply, is a musical miracle. Showing that a band can crawl back from tragedy with power and a flame burning so bright it can and will ignite the world, ‘.5: The Gray Chapter’ is the diary of a band who have been through hell and back. There should be no doubts that the band is angrier than ever though, and if you don’t believe me unclean cuts like “Sarcastrophe” and “The Negative One” will gladly do the talking in my place. But what should not be taken for granted is that this is another Slipknot record, a record that beneath the surface is full of dark passages and sinister textures but also full of vulneribility and beauty. If “Goodbye” or “Skeptic” don’t bring a single tear to your eyes, I’d check your chest to see if you have a beating heart. Slipknot surely do – The heart of a lion that certainly doesn’t mind baring its teeth as shown in “Custer”. Quite possibly the deepest and most affecting record that 2014 brought forth, and a record to rejoice about just the same, for fans of Slipknot, recent and established.

1. Crosses – ‘Crosses’

Every year always seems to contain an underdog, an unlikely candidate that sweeps me from under my feet and serenades the shit out of me. Last year it was Twelve Foot Ninja’s ‘Silent Machine’. This year it is Crosses, a band so sensual and expressive that I hardly can word what SHOULD be said about their music. For starters, the band is an electronic rock hybrid that could have blended in well with the 90’s industrial crowd and possibly led that same crowd. Chino Moreno, God bless his soul, was kind enough to provide the vocals for this band and in turn embue them with the encapsulating voice that this band deserves. Each song on this record is a vast gratifying ride through the human romantic condition that just wouldn’t be possible without Chino guiding it along. That is not to discredit the other 2 members, as talented as they are and as much as they truly add to the atmosphere, but the addictive qualities that this record contains are brought forth by the combination of the 3, making for the tightest musical unit I heard this year. Crosses combines the 2 previous independent EPs the band released along with 5 new tracks. They’re randomly placed but for some reason the order of the songs seems to flow coherently and begs to be listened to in the designated order. “This Is A Trick” sets the stage quite well for what the rest of the record brings – Gothic Electropop – but there’s not a song on the record I’d say lags the experience and doesn’t deliver. If you’re looking for something outside the norms of mainstream radio and the established outcast nature of the rock/metal scene Crosses are the fine line between both, with their feet firmly planted in the deep, dark underground.