Genres are all over the map again this year. Ultimately, it seems I'm a metal fan who enjoys female singer-songwriters and the occasional hip-hop album.
20. Thou - Heathen
Bass heavy doom from Louisiana.
19. Witch Mountain - Mobile of Angels
Plodding and less sludgey doom, with bluesy female vocals serving as a nice contrast.
18. Ghostface Killah - 36 Seasons
Solid NY soul-rap album from the always consistent Wu-Tang alumni.
17. Old Man Gloom - Ape of God
Technically two albums (one faster, one slower, but that's an oversimplification) proving that not just anyone can mix Pink Floyd, Neurosis, and grindcore, but when supergroup Old Man Gloom does it, the results are phenomenal.
16. Jessie J - Sweet Talker
Powerhouse vocalist with catchy rap, electro pop, and ballads rounding out a great release.
15. Wu-Tang Clan - A Better Tomorrow
While the single-copy up for auction "Once Upon a Time in Shaolin" is their final album, when you consider only one person is ever going to hear it, you have to treat A Better Tomorrow as the final Wu-Tang outing.
14. Miranda Lambert - Platinum
Miranda is an outlaw country rock star with a unique voice and great, unique phrasing.
13. Mayhem - Esoteric Warfare
The addition Attila to the newest incarnation of Black Metal pioneers produced an album that mixes the best of the old Mayhem with a fresh new direction.
12. Iggy Azalea - The New Classic
A 24 year old white girl from Australia shouldn't be able to rap this well, and she has a lot of haters, but I love this album.
11. Yob - Clearing the Path to Ascend
Dense, dramatic, droning doom.
10. Run the Jewels - Run the Jewels 2
El-P and Killer Mike throw their booming voices over loud back tracks, and their punchlines always hit.
9. Primus - Primus & the Chocolate Factory
Primus creates their own dark vision of Willy Wonka using the original lyrics and basic song structure of the 1971 musical.
8. Phish - Fuego
Optimistic jammy songs that already feel somewhat like live performances.
7. Weezer - Everything Will Be Alright in the End
The Blue album and Pinkerton were phenomenal, and everything after that has had 1 or 2 decent songs and a lot of filler, but this is a return to form and the album Weezer fans have been waiting for since 1996.
6. Behemoth - The Satanist
This is a dark and sinister record that balanced total aggression with accessibility.
5. St. Vincent - St. Vincent
Annie Clark is a distinct and innovative guitarist and vocalist who has crafted a bold record that sounds like it was recorded on a spaceship.
4. Drive-By Truckers - English Oceans
Patterson Hood and Mike Cooley evenly split vocal and songwriting on this more rock than country record from this always consistent band.
3. In This Moment - Black Widow
Female fronted metal outfit channels early 90's industrial greats like Nine Inch Nails, White Zombie, and Marilyn Manson.
2. Taylor Swift - 1989
Catchy pop with hints of folk from a genuinely likable girl, because at this point, if you don't like Taylor Swift, they're just something wrong with you.
1. Sleep - The Clarity
OK it was only one song, but since it's Sleep it still clocked in at 10 minutes and it's tied for #1.
1. Eyehategod - Eyehategod
Sludge from the darkest bayous of New Orleans, Eyehategod's newest album has the most spins of anything I picked up in 2014.
