Year-End Critics' Polls 2014

and the entire Woods of Desolation record is streaming here:

http://www.stereogum.com/1626052/stream-woods-of-desolation-as-the-stars-stereogum-premiere/mp3s/album-stream/

top 3 metal release of 2014 for me

i didn't listen to a ton of metal this year, barely any in fact - wow this is so dope

i DID listen to the pallbearer record, tho, and that band does not really impress me much.

That Floor album was disappointing. No room for Crowbar or Nunslaughter. I see how it is, Decibel.

Oh, I thought the Floor record was tremendous, too. Also Triptykon, Godflesh and Solstafir, and I'm still pondering Beyond Creation.

Revolver Magazine:

01 – Slipknot – “.5: The Gray Chapter“
02 – At The Gates – “At War With Reality“
03 – Of Mice & Men – “Restoring Force“
04 – Linkin Park – “The Hunting Party“
05 – Motionless In White – “Reincarnate“
06 – Behemoth – “The Satanist“
07 – Mastodon – “Once More ‘Round The Sun“
08 – Judas Priest – “Redeemer Of Souls“
09 – Machine Head – “Bloodstone & Diamonds“
10 – Every Time I Die – “From Parts Unknown“
11 – Godflesh – “A World Lit Only By Fire“
12 – The Pretty Reckless – “Going To Hell“
13 – Killer Be Killed – “Killer Be Killed“
14 – ††† (Crosses) – “†††“
15 – Black Label Society – “Catacombs Of The Black Vatican“
16 – Black Veil Brides – “Black Veil Brides“
17 – Body Count – “Manslaughter“
18 – Suicide Silence – “You Can’t Stop Me“
19 – Godsmack – “1000hp“
20 – Triptykon – “Melana Chasmata“

hahahaha wow look at that thing

..............revolver knows that like, nu-metal died, right?

i listened to that linkin park record, it's pretty all right. guess i'll check out their metalcore picks

At least Godflesh beat Godsmack.

i listened to the slipknot one, fwiw, it was alright just not my bag anymore. a fair chunk of those bands have legit never been good tho

slipknot record is way too long and corey taylor's lyrics are way too intelligibly terrible. though iowa has the same problems and it totally rules

I like a higher percentage of albums from the Revolver list (6/20) than the Decibel list (10/40).

"intelligibly terrible" is a great way to put it.

I'm a huge Deftones fan but that Crosses record was so boring, Team Sleep mk II

oh fuck, i just noticed the every time i die record is on the revolver list, that record kiiiicks

i tried with that behemoth record, but it was just too theatrical/gothy i guess

That's a good album. I feel like Bölzer are doing something in the same ballpark (brawny melodic ritualistic spiritualistic) and doing it fresher.

Piccadilly Records
http://www.piccadillyrecords.com/counter/feature.php?feature=735

1 Jane Weaver - The Silver Globe
2 BE (Garth Be) - The Seven Movements
3 Horsebeach - Horsebeach
4 The War On Drugs - Lost In The Dream
5 Ibibio Sound Machine - Ibibio Sound Machine
6 Real Estate - Atlas
7 Hookworms - The Hum
8 Goat - Commune
9 Mac DeMarco - Salad Days
10 Warpaint - Warpaint

Lots of things I like on the big Piccadilly list. Jane Weaver is a fun choice for #1, even if it's not one I'd go for myself.

That Piccadilly list is pretty interesting. Gulp's album is in the top 20 and Gruff Rhys's is nowhere to be seen (Gulp is SFA's bass player).

Horsebeach - Horsebeach

I thought this would have been a much bigger record on ILX than it turned out to be.

i don't get the horsebeach album, i wanted to, a lot of people whose taste i like were into it, but it just sounds like generic jangle indie guitar pop stufff to me.

Piccadilly always comes out with one of the more useful lists imo...

Q magazine Top 50.

1. The War on Drugs - Lost in the Dream
2. Alt-J - This Is All Yours
3. Damon Albarn - Everyday Robots
4. Manic Street Preachers - Futurology
5. Beck - Morning Phase
6. St Vincent - St Vincent
7. Sharon Van Etten - Are We There
8. FKA twigs - LP1
9. Future Islands - Singles
10. Aphex Twin - Syro
11. Elbow - The Take Off and Landing of Everything
12. Interpol - El Pintor
13. Sam Smith - The Loneliest Hour
14. Hamilton Leithauser - Black Hours
15. The Horrors - Luminous
16. Royal Blood - Royal Blood
17. Mac De Marco - Salad Days
18. Paolo Nutini - Caustic Love
19. Lana Del Rey - Ultraviolence
20. Sleaford Mods - Divide and Exit
21. East India Youth - Total Strife Forever
22. Caribou - Our Love
23. Jack White - Lazaretto
24. Kate Tempest - Everybody Down
25. Ed Sheeran - X
26. Neneh Cherry - Blank Project
27. Morrissey - World Peace Is None Of Your Business
28. Kasabian - 48:13
29. Jamie T - Carry on the Grudge
30. Gruff Rhys - American Interior
31. Mogwai - The Rave Tapes
32. The Bug - Angels & Devils
33. Sky Ferreira Night Time, My Time
34. Wild Beasts - Present Tense
35. Real Estate - Atlas
36. Temples - Sun Structures
37. Baxter Dury - It's a Pleasure
38. Johnny Marr - Playland
39. Ty Segall - Manipulator
40. Grumbling Fur - Preternaturals
41. The Black Keys - Turn Blue
42. Robert Plant - Lullaby and… The Ceaseless Roar
43. Leonard Cohen - Popular Problems
44. U2 - Songs of Innocence
45. Warpaint - Warpaint
46. Thom Yorke - Tomorrow's Modern Boxes
47. Spoon - They Want My Soul
48. La Roux - Trouble in Paradise
49. Shabazz Palaces - Lese Majesty
50. Jungle - Jungle

lol @ the top 5

jesus christ...

lol @ the top 50

haha

Mojo:

1. Beck - Morning Phase
2. The War On Drugs - Lost In The Dream
3. Sleaford Mods - Divide And Exit
4. Jack White - Lazaretto
5. St. Vincent - St. Vincent
6. Steve Gunn - Way Out Weather
7. Julie Byrne - Rooms With Walls And Windows
8. Damon Albarn - Everyday Robots
9. FKA Twigs - LP1
10. The Bug - Angels & Devils
11. Sharon Van Etten - Are We There
12. Caribou - Our Love
13. Ty Segall - Manipulator
14. Elbow - The Take Off And Landing Of Everything
15. Sturgill Simpson - Metamodern Sounds In Country Music
16. Wild Beasts - Present Tense
17. Angel Olsen - Burn Your Fire For No Witness
18. Kate Tempest - Everybody Down
19. Robert Plant - Lullaby And... The Ceaseless Roar
20. Manic Street Preachers - Futurology
21. Aphex Twin - Syro
22. Future Islands - Singles
23. Scott Walker & Sun O))) - Soused
24. Mirel Wagner - When The Cellar Children See The Light Of Day
25. Pharrell Williams - GIRL
26. Sun Kil Moon - Benji
27. East India Youth - Total Strife Forever
28. Real Estate - Atlas
29. Kasai All Stars - Beware The Fetish
30. Leonard Cohen - Popular Problems
31. Morrissey - World Peace Is None Of Your Business
32. Temples - Sun Structures
33. U2 - Songs Of Innocence
34. The Black Keys - Turn Blue
35. Nick Mulvey - First Mind
36. Flying Lotus - You're Dead!
37. Naomi Shelton & The Gospel Queens - Cold World
38. Ian William Craig - A Turn Of Breath
39. Mac DeMarco - Salad Days
40. Lana Del Rey - Ultraviolence
41. Lee Gamble - KOCH
42. Swans - To Be Kind
43. David Kilgour & The Heavy 8s - End Times Undone
44. Wilko Johnson & Roger Daltrey - Going Back Home
45. Neil Young - A Letter Home
46. J Mascis - Tied To A Star
47. Young Fathers - Dead
48. Pixies - Indie Cindy
49. King Creosote - From Scotland With Love
50. Dr. John - Ske-Dat-De-Dat... The Spirit Of Satch

NB: 27 of the Mojo 50 are also in the Q 50.

in what world is the Mojo top 50 more interesting than the Q one? (not that there's much in it. must be an extremely lousy year for guitar music if War on Drugs are top 2)

24. Mirel Wagner - When The Cellar Children See The Light Of Day

whoop whoop!

must be an extremely lousy year for guitar music if War on Drugs are top 2

It isn't, but since when have Mojo and Q stood for 'guitar music' as opposed to 'music that your elderly conservative dad might like'?

i think half my own top 10, as it currently stands, is comprised of guitar music this year

xpost I know, I know. Just didn't want to miss an opportunity to dig my elbow into WoD. Still, cool to imagine Mojo readers getting into Lee Gamble. And Sleaford Mods at 3 is pretty surprising.

they had karen gwyer in their list last year - there's always one or two things you wouldn't necessarily expect

and 48 or 49 you totally would tbf

i think i'm gonna feel disconnected from a lot of critics polls this year. again.

"Disconnected" is a few steps better than what musicians call this time of year ("Suicidal Ideation Month")

Seems a lot of people really love that snoozy Beck album

i think the height of hilarity is that mojo managed to squeeze the dogshit pixies album on there - not that one expects anything from them other than "real" guitar music with "integrity," but, that record was actively bad. smacks of desperation.

War on Drugs will win P&J, won't they?

good lord

so... many... dudes

so... many... dudes

― maura, Monday, November 24, 2014 9:58 AM (10 seconds ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

It'll be interesting to see how much love, say, Ex Hex gets on these lists.

could it win the ilx poll though? xp

hell. no.

:(

War on Drugs? I'll leave ilx if that happens.

that'd eclipse kaputt

Not critics but what.cd's users poll:

1 - Run the Jewels - Run the Jewels 2
2 - Aphex Twin - Syro
3 - Swans - To Be Kind
4 - St. Vincent - St. Vincent
5 - Flying Lotus - You're Dead!
6 - D'Angelo & The Vanguard - Black Messiah
7 - The War on Drugs - Lost in the Dream
8 - FKA Twigs - LP1
9 - Spoon - They Want My Soul
10 - Caribou - Our Love
11 - Freddie Gibbs & Madlib - Piñata
12 - Todd Terje - It's Album Time
13 - Sun Kil Moon - Benji
14 - Angel Olsen - Burn Your Fire for No Witness
15 - Future Islands - Singles
16 - Grouper - Ruins
17 - Mac DeMarco - Salad Days
18 - Beck - Morning Phase
19 - Andy Stott - Faith in Strangers
20 - Real Estate - Atlas
21 - Jack White - Lazaretto
22 - alt-J (∆) - This Is All Yours
23 - Sharon Van Etten - Are We There
24 - Ben Frost - A U R O R A
25 - Cloud Nothings - Here and Nowhere Else
26 - tUnE-yArDs - Nikki Nack
27 - Taylor Swift - 1989
28 - BADBADNOTGOOD - III
29 - Ty Segall - Manipulator
30 - Ariel Pink - pom pom
31 - The Antlers - Familiars
32 - Perfume Genius - Too Bright
33 - Iceage - Plowing Into the Field of Love
34 - Lana Del Rey - Ultraviolence
35 - Thee Silver Mt. Zion Memorial Orchestra - Fuck Off Get Free We Pour Light on Everything
36 - Timber Timbre - Hot Dreams
37 - Warpaint - Warpaint
38 - Damon Albarn - Everyday Robots
39 - Scott Walker & Sunn O))) - Soused
40 - Clark - Clark
41 - A Winged Victory for the Sullen - ATOMOS
42 - Death from Above 1979 - The Physical World
43 - Death Grips - niggas on the moon
44 - Kiasmos - Kiasmos
45 - Wild Beasts - Present Tense
46 - Thom Yorke - Tomorrow's Modern Boxes
47 - White Lung - Deep Fantasy
49 - Shabazz Palaces - Lese Majesty
50 - The Black Keys - Turn Blue
51 - Clipping - CLPPNG
52 - Ought - More Than Any Other Day
53 - Behemoth - The Satanist
54 - ODESZA - In Return
55 - The Hotelier - Home, Like Noplace Is There
56 - Alvvays - Alvvays
57 - A Sunny Day in Glasgow - Sea When Absent
58 - Jungle - Jungle
59 - Mastodon - Once More 'Round the Sun
60 - Weezer - Everything Will Be Alright in the End
61 - Ex Hex - Rips
62 - Tycho - Awake
63 - Wye Oak - Shriek
64 - Arca - Xen
65 - Röyksopp - The Inevitable End
66 - TV on the Radio - Seeds
67 - Goat - Commune
68 - Have a Nice Life - The Unnatural World
69 - Parquet Courts - Sunbathing Animal
70 - The New Pornographers - Brill Bruisers
71 - Trust - Joyland
72 - Phantogram - Voices
73 - Owen Pallett - In Conflict
74 - Damien Rice - My Favourite Faded Fantasy
75 - Fire! Orchestra - Enter
76 - Nothing - Guilty of Everything
77 - Liars - Mess
78 - La Dispute - Rooms of the House
79 - Cymbals Eat Guitars - LOSE
80 - Pink Floyd - The Endless River
81 - First Aid Kit - Stay Gold
82 - Leon Vynehall - Music for the Uninvited
83 - RATKING - So It Goes
84 - ScHoolboy Q - Oxymoron
85 - HTRK - Psychic 9-5 Club
86 - How to Dress Well - "What Is This Heart?"
87 - Sohn - Tremors
88 - Alex G - DSU
89 - Ryan Adams - Ryan Adams
90 - Sylvan Esso - Sylvan Esso
91 - Slow Magic - How to Run Away
92 - The Body - I Shall Die Here
93 - Glass Animals - Zaba
94 - Against Me! - Transgender Dysphoria Blues
95 - iamamiwhoami - Blue
96 - Millie & Andrea - Drop the Vowels
97 - Objekt - Flatland
98 - Christian Löffler - Young Alaska
99 - Thou - Heathen
100 - Perfect Pussy - Say Yes to Love

that should read 'users poll', not sure what happened