Here it is, the HEAVY staff’s picks for the top ten albums of 2014… and yes, there are a couple of unusual (or perhaps totally ridonk) choices in there (Taylor Swift), but we here at HEAVY are crazy ol’ non-discriminatory bunch. So here we go:
NICK LORD – EDITOR
10. The Haunted – Exit Wounds
9. Voyager – V
8. Teramaze – Esoteric Symbolism
7. Mastodon – Once More ‘Round the Sun
6. Destrage – Are You Kidding Me? No
5. Behemoth – The Satanist
4. Decapitated – Blood Mantra
3. Aeon of Horus – Existence
2. Dead Kelly – Sons of the Southern Cross
1. The Mire – Glass Cathedrals
AMANDA MASON – ASSISTANT EDITOR & CONTRIBUTOR
10. Mors Principium Est – Dawn of the 5th Era
9. Anaal Nathrakh – Desideratum
8. Insomnium – Shadows of the Dying Sun
7. Aborted – The Necrotic Manifesto
6. Allegaeon – Elements of the Infinite
5. Beyond Creation – Earthborn Evolution
4. Decapitated – Blood Mantra
3. Aeon of Horus – Existence
2. Septicflesh – Titan
1. Eye of the Enemy – The Vengeance Paradox
DAVE ‘HIGGO’ HIGGINS – CONTRIBUTOR & HOST OF TRIPLE M’S DISTORTION
10. Forever The Optimist – Arecibo
9. Devin Townsend Project – Z2
8. Eye Of The Enemy – The Vengeance Paradox
7. Ne Obliviscaris – Citadel
6. Slipknot – .5 The Gray Chapter
5. Toehider – What Type Of Creature Am I?
4. Mastodon – Once More ‘Round The Sun
3. Sydonia – Reality Kicks
2. Killer Be Killed – Killer Be Killed
1. Voyager – V
NATHAN EDEN – CONTRIBUTOR
10. Mayhem – Esoteric Warfare
9. Panopticon – Roads to the North
8. Devin Townsend Project – Z2
7. Behemoth – The Satanist
6. Decapitated – Blood Mantra
5. Soen – Tellurian
4. ANTEMASQUE – ANTEMASQUE
3. Mastodon – Once More ‘Round the Sun
2. Teramaze – Esoteric Symbolism
1. Killer Be Killed – Killer Be Killed
KARL LEAN – CONTRIBUTOR
10. Tuomas Holopainen – Scrooge
9. Emigrate – Silent So Long
8. Vanishing Point – Distant is the Sun
7. Engel – Raven Kings
6. Lacuna Coil – Broken Crown Halo
5. Within Temptation – Hydra
4. Epica – The Quantum Engima
3. Eluveitie – Origins
2. Devilskin – We Rise
1. Evergrey – Hymns for the Broken
DAMO MUSCLECAR – CONTRIBUTOR
10. Overkill – White Devil Armory
9. Rival Sons – Great Western Valkyrie
8. The Dwarves – The Dwarves Invented Rock N Roll
7. Dum Dum Girls – Too True
6. Against Me! – Transgender Dysphoria Blues
5. The Datsuns – Deep Sleep
4. Blues Pills – Blues Pills
3. AC/DC – Rock Or Bust
2. Jack White – Lazaretto
1. Taylor Swift – 1989
SAM BEAN – CONTRIBUTOR
10. WIFE – What Lies Between
9. Ne Obliviscaris – Citadel
8. Lamb – Backspace Unwind
7. Voices – London
6. Origin – Omnipresent
5. Disentomb – Misery
4. Pig Destroyer – Mass & Volume
3. Dead Kelly – Sons of the Southern Cross
2. Melt Banana – Fetch
1. Anaal Nathrakh – Desideratum
WILL OAKESHOTT – CONTRIBUTOR
10. Pianos Become The Teeth – Keep You
9. Xerxes – Collision Blonde
8. La Dispute – Rooms Of The House
7. Comeback Kid – Die Knowing
6. In Hearts Wake – Earthwalker
5. Against Me! – Transgender Dysphoria Blues
4. Architects – Lost Together // Lost Forever
3. The Banner – Greying
2. United Nations – The Next Four Years
1. Every Time I Die – From Parts Unknown
ANTHONY MOORE – CONTRIBUTOR
10. The Dirty Earth – Autonomic
9. Witch Fight – Astonishing Tales Of…
8. Captives – Butterflies, Diamonds and Lightning
7. River Of Snakes – Black Noise
6. Horsehunter – Caged In Flesh
5. DEAD – Captains Of Industry
4. BRUCE! – The EP!
3. Hobo Magic – Hobo Magic
2. Spacejunk – Spacejunk
1. Drifter – Violent At Altitude
PAUL HAMMOND – CONTRIBUTOR
10. Architects – Lost Forever // Lost Together
9. Behemoth – The Satanist
8. In Hearts Wake – Earthwalker
7. Disentomb – Misery
6. Whoretopsy – While You Were Sleeping
5. Killer Be Killed – Killer Be Killed
4. Lantlos – Melting Sun
3. Childish Gambino – STN MTN/Kauai
2. Halfnoise – Volcano Crowe
1. Revocation – Deathless
MICHELLE O’RANCE – CONTRIBUTOR
10. Machine Head – Bloodstones & Diamonds
9. Whitechapel – Our Endless War
8. Hour Of Penance – Regicide
7. At The Gates – At War With Reality
6. Septicflesh – Titan
5. Triptykon – Melana Chasmata
4. Revocation – Deathless
3. Aborted – Necrotic Manifesto
2. Behemoth – The Satanist
1. Anaal Nathrakh – Desideratum
JOHN RAPTIS – WEB GURU & PHOTOGRAPHER
10. Ace Frehley – Space Invader
9. Casualties Of Cool – Casualties Of Cool
8. Electric Wizard – Time To Die
7. Devin Townsend Project – Z2
6. Slipknot – .5 The Gray Chapeter
5. Machine Head – Bloodstone & Diamonds
4. Triptykon – Melana Chasmata
3. Mastodon – Once More Round The Sun
2. Opeth – Pale Communion
1. Pallbearer – Foundations Of Burden
And because graphs are fun and data represented visually is so much more enjoyable, we’ve created a scoring system for the staff’s top ten lists, above, and then turned it into a sweet, sweet graph. This isn’t HEAVY’s top ten as the data pool was too small to create an accurate representation of HEAVY’s musical preferences (we have a heap of staff and couldn’t include all of their top ten lists here), but hopefully it’s something that you’ll at least find visually stimulating because graphs are awesome!
