Well I’m last again, but here are my favorite albums of 2014. While these are ordered according to my preference, I would recommend all of these albums. While I do lean heavily toward the progressive metal end of the prog-power spectrum, there is more variety here than in previous years. Overall, 2014 was another strong music year with a larger than normal amount of strong releases; however, I had more trouble picking the top ten releases, because of their relative parity. I put the same list on Amazon, hoping that it might help sell a few extra copies of our favorite artists. Therefore, the write-ups below are mini reviews directed toward a more general audience than many of you on the forum.
So, here is my #1 favorite release of 2014:
1) Appearance of Nothing – A New Beginning, Switzerland: With this release, AoN prove that they are among the elite of prog metal bands. Peter Gerber’s smooth baritone vocals helps to set AoN apart from the other bands in the genre. Intricate compositions combine with a tinge of melancholy and some butt kicking playing. Very enjoyable.
2) Flaming Row – Mirage-A Portrayal of Figures, Germany/Various: If Epysode and Beyond the Bridge are your cup of tea, then you need to take a sip of Flaming Row. Mirage is truly a work of love – you can tell that each and every note was meticulously designed to create maximum “epicness”. A multitude of guests, including our friends from Shadow Gallery, join in to make this extra special.
3) Evergrey – Hymns for the Broken, Sweden: Evergrey’s last release seemed like a triumphant return to the top, but Hymns blows that out of the water. Former bandmates return to deliver possibly Evergrey’s best album yet. Staccato riffing and Tom Englund’s bluesy vocals provide the trademark sound and exceptional writing lifts this over the top.
4) Psycrence – A Frail Deception, Greece: Psycrence deliver the biggest pleasant surprise of the year. Super tight riffing and great solos set this apart. Takis Nikolakakis’s vocals sound like Bruce Dickinson of IM or Bernie Shaw of Uriah Heep. The music, however, has a more progressive slant than either of those bands, but not to the extent that more mainstream listeners won’t enjoy this great release.
5) Vanden Plas – Chronicles of the Immortals-Netherworld, Germany: Vanden Plas = Consistently Excellent Prog Metal. It is easy to see how Immortals can be translated to the stage, as Vanden Plas has done before. Drama oozes. Some think that Immortals is a step backward. I beg to differ.
6) Threshold – For the Journey, UK: For some reason that I can’t explain, I wasn’t expecting a great release from Threshold, but they sure proved me absolutely wrong! The Box, a twelve minute masterpiece of prog and melody, is worth the price of admission alone. In fact, it may be their best song yet. The rest of the album maintains a high standard, as well.
7) 21 Octayne – Into the Open, Various: 21 Octayne is 2014’s bluesy heavy metal winner. Very much in the same vein as the Winery Dog, you get spectacular musicians focused more on song writing and not necessarily out to impress with their chops. Don’t get me wrong, there is plenty of technique here, but it all underpins great songs.
8) Triosphere – The Heart of the Matter, Norway: While I heard Triosphere’s earlier releases, I fell in love with Ida Haukland’s beautiful and fiery voice on Eypsode’s Fantasmagoria. Her voice shines again on this great album, which is both more melodic and heavier at the same time than their previous efforts.
9) Need – Orvam, Greece: With Orvam, Need emerges above the glut of Greek bands that populate progress/power metal by releasing an edgy, intense, and superb album. There is not a lot here to comfort the soul as Need takes you on an engaging and emotional power trip into the realm of humanity. Crystal clear production makes this great headphone material.
10) A Sound of Thunder – The Lesser Key of Solomon, US: ASoT continue to crank out a steady stream of fantastic modern classic heavy semi-prog metal. Nina Osegueda is definitely one of the best female singers in the business with a voice that is no wilting violet – pure power with beauty. Josh Schwartz seems to have an endless array of imaginative riffs, licks, and solos. ASoT is always a blind buy.
11) Anathema – Distant Satellites, UK: I have heard of Anathema for quite some time. However, I never gave them a chance until recently, because a quick listen didn’t instantly grab my normal metal taste. But with them headlining Prog Power, I took a few extra minutes and WOW was I certainly missing a lot. The song Anathema shows just how emotional and powerful they can be. I’m hooked.
12) While Heaven Wept – Suspended at Aphelion, US: For me, WHW’s music is almost a spiritual experience and this release is no different. Easily one of their best releases, SaA is a very personal experience. While “doom,” is an element of their music, the label is way too confining. Tom Phillips writes some of the most unique music in the industry.
13) Cyrenic – Metaphor, US: Previous releases by Cyrenic were good, but they now seem to be warm-ups for Metaphor - an earthy, emotional and complete experience. This time around the guitars are heavier, but the music hasn’t lost the intimate drama of real life. Brian Zuckerman’s voice combines feeling and warmth.
14) Veni Domine – Light, Sweden: Veni Domine have been around for 27 years and sadly they have put the band to “sleep.” If that is the case, then Veni Domine left us a prophetic doomy lullaby. The splendid eleven minute opening track In Memoriam certainly drives the point home and can only leave us with the hope of “life after sleep.”
15) Anti-Mortem – New Southern, US: Heavy and vindictive, Anti-Mortem unleash their brand of southern metal. Nothing subtle here – only an in-your-face flame throwing sonic assault. The song 100% Pure American Rage captures all the anti-subtleness that Anti-Mortem is all about.
16) Orange Goblin – Back from the Abyss, UK: Part doom, part stoner and part straight metal, Orange Goblin follow-up Eulogy for the Damned and they came pretty close indeed to equaling that excellent album. If you like your metal super precise and neat-n-tidy, then you should look elsewhere. The Goblin delivers their music with raw energy and couldn’t be farther from Dream Theater, but this prog snob loves them.
17) Cea Serin – The Vibrant Sound of Bliss and Decay, US: It has been a decade (!) since Cea Serin’s super brilliant complex prog metal debut. So what do we get? We get a really good album that includes re-recorded outtakes from the debut and a glimpse into the future with new material, including a 20 minute near masterpiece. The past was great and the future sounds very promising.
18) Voyager – Voyager, Australia: Poppy, progressive and eclectic, Voyager doesn’t fit any mold. Their latest release continues their unique winning formula and is well representative of the Voyager backlog. Rhythmic and melodic, Voyager offers their menu in bit size pieces with song writing being the main ingredient.
19) Cullooden – Silent Scream, Sweden: Cullooden is great “find” for 2014. What you get here is sophisticated modern prog metal. (How does Sweden keep pumping out these great bands?) Splendid vocals, lyrics, backings, and solos come together in a way that is way more refined that most debuts.
20) Never Awake – Underground, US: Metal with progressive touches is a description of Never Awake. While Underground has plenty of heat, the best song is the quieter semi-ballad Wander, which few bands could pull-off without losing their metal audience.
21) Dynazty – Renatus, Sweden: Dynasty is a straight ahead metal act that has delivered their best album yet. Stellar guitar leads divide catchy verses and even catchier choruses. There is nothing here to deeply stimulate the cerebral cortex, so just bang it back and forth.
22) Far from Reality – Reminiscence, Canada: Elite music students take their try at some DT-like progressive metal and pull it off quite well. The similarities are there, but Reminiscence is no clone and stands firmly on its own. There is a lot of sophistication here, although listen-ability never disappears.
23) Red Circuit – Haze of Nemesis, Germany/Sri Lanka: Chity and mates are back with another great piece of melodic progressive metal. Among all of their strong releases, Haze is the most listenable from start to finish. Indeed, they do a devilish ploy by finishing with Deep Purple MKIII’s mini classic Soldier of Fortune – love it! Also included is a DVD of their Prog Power XII performance.
24) Scar Symmetry – The Singularity (Phase I Neohumanity), Sweden: As Scar Symmetry lean more and more toward a melodic style, their appeal grows for me. With more multi-part choruses and progressive backing, The Singularity is appealing death-lite, which works perfectly for me.
25) Epica – The Quantum Enigma, The Netherlands: Beauty and the beast metal is not my favorite subgenre. Each time my inclination is to dismiss the latest Epica release, but I give it a try and I get pleasantly sucked in. Fortunately for my tastes, Quantum and the previous release, Requiem, have mostly tamed the beast and beautifully operatic Simone Simons is left to shine on some great song writing.
26) Anubis Gate – Horizons, Denmark: Anubis Gate continue their evolution toward a more polished and mature sound. Horizons is a well-crafted prog-power metal. Henrik Fevre’s vocals are addictive, particularly when the multi-layered choruses kick in. Horizons is definitely a step-up from their last release.
27) Kayser – Read Your Enemy, Sweden: If you like aggressive thrash, then you should give Kayser a try. Singer “Spice” has a voice that at times comes close to death growls and at other times is “melodic” in a rough sort of way. All I know is that it works. Lots of tight riffs and wild solos help to keep things interesting.
28) Not Otherwise Specified – Projective Instruments, US: Reigning from Atlanta, NOS may be one of the best kept secrets in prog rock and metal. Excellent playing, vocals, and writing are demonstrated throughout. Not at all afraid of the adventurous, Racing Shadows is a 23 plus minute near opus. NOS finishes things off with their rendition of a Peter Gabriel tune.
29) Animals as Leaders – The Joy of Motion, US: While many may consider AaL to be music for musicians, but I find their crazy wild super eclectic 8-string instrumental rock/metal/jazz enjoyable and I am not much of a musician. Of all releases by these geniuses, this latest effort is probably the most foot-tapping listenable.
30) Klogr – Black Snow, Italy/US: Klogr is a progressive thrash act. Lots of aggression and chops here. Power metal choruses help to draw you in. Draw Closer is a catchy slab of metal, and may actually be one of the most “laid back” tunes on this smoking attack. The official video does a little editing, but the album version earns Black Snow the parental warning – so you have been warned!
31) Delain – The Human Contradiction, The Netherlands: Ah, Charlotte Wessel! She proves that the good looking girl next door can head-bang with the best of them. Contradiction maintains the catchy metal feel of previous releases. There is little doubt that Delain is striving to attract a broader audience, but there is plenty of metal here to please most die-hard connoisseurs.
32) Halcyon Way – Conquer, US: As heavy, punchy and muscular as ever, Halcyon Way’s Conquer is their best yet. Thrashy riffs combine with melodic vocals and snippets of tasty growls to grab the attention. Halcyon Way is one of the hardest working bands in the southeast US and their effort is paying off.
33) Sahg– Delusions of Grandeur, Norway: Featuring stoner and psychedelic metal with a jam-band feel, Sahg have been turning out great music with roots of Sabbath and even Traffic for quite some time. Excellent playing throughout portrays an improvised vibe. This is Sahg’s fourth release and may possibly be their best.
34) Distorted Harmony – Chain Reaction, Israel: Distorted Harmony definitely must have had a little inspiration from Dream Theater. Still, they “own” their music, stamping it with their individual collective personality. Brilliant musicianship and complex compositions are what you would expect, but don’t dismiss this great release as a clone.
35) Killer Be Killed – Killer Be Killed, US: KbK is a supergroup of sorts and deliver plenty of aggression. The first track, Wings of Feather and Wax, is that rare animal that is equally aggressive and catchy at the same time. Most of the rest of the album ventures off into a less catchy territory, which is a bit of a shame IMO.
36) Harmony – Theater of Redemption, Sweden: Harmony return with their melodic Christian power metal, but this time without Henrik Bath. Bath is a tough act to follow, but Daniel Heiman is an outstanding vocalist and does a very nice job taking up the Harmony banner.
37) Carving Colours – No Way but Forwards, Spain: Another very nice metal surprise is Carving Colours. Sporting a heavy melancholy character and creative writing, Carving Colours forge a distinctive sound that deserves to be heard.
38) Iced Earth – Plagues of Babylon, US: Iced Earth is Iced Earth. You know what to expect. While this is a good release, it is not at the same standard as their previous release, the excellent Dystopia. The title track is quite good with its Egyptian theme and flavor that reminds me of Iron Maiden’s Rime of the Ancient Mariner.
39) Fright Pig – Out of the Barnyard, US: Fright Pig is an imaginative progressive hard rock act. With a touch of ELP keyboards and a touch of Satriani guitar, Fright Pig certainly provides an expansive sound. Definitely for the thinking men out there, Out of the Barnyard is one of those releases that make you grab the CD booklet to study the concept while soaking up the sound.
40) Thoughts Factory – Lost, Germany: In my introduction, I mentioned that 2014 was very deep in great releases and Thoughts Factory’s Lost bring that point home, so to speak. Prog metal with an epic flavor is how to describe Thoughts Factory. Lost features a lot of chugging guitar interspersed with incredible runs and solos.
So, here is my #1 favorite release of 2014:
1) Appearance of Nothing – A New Beginning, Switzerland: With this release, AoN prove that they are among the elite of prog metal bands. Peter Gerber’s smooth baritone vocals helps to set AoN apart from the other bands in the genre. Intricate compositions combine with a tinge of melancholy and some butt kicking playing. Very enjoyable.
2) Flaming Row – Mirage-A Portrayal of Figures, Germany/Various: If Epysode and Beyond the Bridge are your cup of tea, then you need to take a sip of Flaming Row. Mirage is truly a work of love – you can tell that each and every note was meticulously designed to create maximum “epicness”. A multitude of guests, including our friends from Shadow Gallery, join in to make this extra special.
3) Evergrey – Hymns for the Broken, Sweden: Evergrey’s last release seemed like a triumphant return to the top, but Hymns blows that out of the water. Former bandmates return to deliver possibly Evergrey’s best album yet. Staccato riffing and Tom Englund’s bluesy vocals provide the trademark sound and exceptional writing lifts this over the top.
4) Psycrence – A Frail Deception, Greece: Psycrence deliver the biggest pleasant surprise of the year. Super tight riffing and great solos set this apart. Takis Nikolakakis’s vocals sound like Bruce Dickinson of IM or Bernie Shaw of Uriah Heep. The music, however, has a more progressive slant than either of those bands, but not to the extent that more mainstream listeners won’t enjoy this great release.
5) Vanden Plas – Chronicles of the Immortals-Netherworld, Germany: Vanden Plas = Consistently Excellent Prog Metal. It is easy to see how Immortals can be translated to the stage, as Vanden Plas has done before. Drama oozes. Some think that Immortals is a step backward. I beg to differ.
6) Threshold – For the Journey, UK: For some reason that I can’t explain, I wasn’t expecting a great release from Threshold, but they sure proved me absolutely wrong! The Box, a twelve minute masterpiece of prog and melody, is worth the price of admission alone. In fact, it may be their best song yet. The rest of the album maintains a high standard, as well.
7) 21 Octayne – Into the Open, Various: 21 Octayne is 2014’s bluesy heavy metal winner. Very much in the same vein as the Winery Dog, you get spectacular musicians focused more on song writing and not necessarily out to impress with their chops. Don’t get me wrong, there is plenty of technique here, but it all underpins great songs.
8) Triosphere – The Heart of the Matter, Norway: While I heard Triosphere’s earlier releases, I fell in love with Ida Haukland’s beautiful and fiery voice on Eypsode’s Fantasmagoria. Her voice shines again on this great album, which is both more melodic and heavier at the same time than their previous efforts.
9) Need – Orvam, Greece: With Orvam, Need emerges above the glut of Greek bands that populate progress/power metal by releasing an edgy, intense, and superb album. There is not a lot here to comfort the soul as Need takes you on an engaging and emotional power trip into the realm of humanity. Crystal clear production makes this great headphone material.
10) A Sound of Thunder – The Lesser Key of Solomon, US: ASoT continue to crank out a steady stream of fantastic modern classic heavy semi-prog metal. Nina Osegueda is definitely one of the best female singers in the business with a voice that is no wilting violet – pure power with beauty. Josh Schwartz seems to have an endless array of imaginative riffs, licks, and solos. ASoT is always a blind buy.
11) Anathema – Distant Satellites, UK: I have heard of Anathema for quite some time. However, I never gave them a chance until recently, because a quick listen didn’t instantly grab my normal metal taste. But with them headlining Prog Power, I took a few extra minutes and WOW was I certainly missing a lot. The song Anathema shows just how emotional and powerful they can be. I’m hooked.
12) While Heaven Wept – Suspended at Aphelion, US: For me, WHW’s music is almost a spiritual experience and this release is no different. Easily one of their best releases, SaA is a very personal experience. While “doom,” is an element of their music, the label is way too confining. Tom Phillips writes some of the most unique music in the industry.
13) Cyrenic – Metaphor, US: Previous releases by Cyrenic were good, but they now seem to be warm-ups for Metaphor - an earthy, emotional and complete experience. This time around the guitars are heavier, but the music hasn’t lost the intimate drama of real life. Brian Zuckerman’s voice combines feeling and warmth.
14) Veni Domine – Light, Sweden: Veni Domine have been around for 27 years and sadly they have put the band to “sleep.” If that is the case, then Veni Domine left us a prophetic doomy lullaby. The splendid eleven minute opening track In Memoriam certainly drives the point home and can only leave us with the hope of “life after sleep.”
15) Anti-Mortem – New Southern, US: Heavy and vindictive, Anti-Mortem unleash their brand of southern metal. Nothing subtle here – only an in-your-face flame throwing sonic assault. The song 100% Pure American Rage captures all the anti-subtleness that Anti-Mortem is all about.
16) Orange Goblin – Back from the Abyss, UK: Part doom, part stoner and part straight metal, Orange Goblin follow-up Eulogy for the Damned and they came pretty close indeed to equaling that excellent album. If you like your metal super precise and neat-n-tidy, then you should look elsewhere. The Goblin delivers their music with raw energy and couldn’t be farther from Dream Theater, but this prog snob loves them.
17) Cea Serin – The Vibrant Sound of Bliss and Decay, US: It has been a decade (!) since Cea Serin’s super brilliant complex prog metal debut. So what do we get? We get a really good album that includes re-recorded outtakes from the debut and a glimpse into the future with new material, including a 20 minute near masterpiece. The past was great and the future sounds very promising.
18) Voyager – Voyager, Australia: Poppy, progressive and eclectic, Voyager doesn’t fit any mold. Their latest release continues their unique winning formula and is well representative of the Voyager backlog. Rhythmic and melodic, Voyager offers their menu in bit size pieces with song writing being the main ingredient.
19) Cullooden – Silent Scream, Sweden: Cullooden is great “find” for 2014. What you get here is sophisticated modern prog metal. (How does Sweden keep pumping out these great bands?) Splendid vocals, lyrics, backings, and solos come together in a way that is way more refined that most debuts.
20) Never Awake – Underground, US: Metal with progressive touches is a description of Never Awake. While Underground has plenty of heat, the best song is the quieter semi-ballad Wander, which few bands could pull-off without losing their metal audience.
21) Dynazty – Renatus, Sweden: Dynasty is a straight ahead metal act that has delivered their best album yet. Stellar guitar leads divide catchy verses and even catchier choruses. There is nothing here to deeply stimulate the cerebral cortex, so just bang it back and forth.
22) Far from Reality – Reminiscence, Canada: Elite music students take their try at some DT-like progressive metal and pull it off quite well. The similarities are there, but Reminiscence is no clone and stands firmly on its own. There is a lot of sophistication here, although listen-ability never disappears.
23) Red Circuit – Haze of Nemesis, Germany/Sri Lanka: Chity and mates are back with another great piece of melodic progressive metal. Among all of their strong releases, Haze is the most listenable from start to finish. Indeed, they do a devilish ploy by finishing with Deep Purple MKIII’s mini classic Soldier of Fortune – love it! Also included is a DVD of their Prog Power XII performance.
24) Scar Symmetry – The Singularity (Phase I Neohumanity), Sweden: As Scar Symmetry lean more and more toward a melodic style, their appeal grows for me. With more multi-part choruses and progressive backing, The Singularity is appealing death-lite, which works perfectly for me.
25) Epica – The Quantum Enigma, The Netherlands: Beauty and the beast metal is not my favorite subgenre. Each time my inclination is to dismiss the latest Epica release, but I give it a try and I get pleasantly sucked in. Fortunately for my tastes, Quantum and the previous release, Requiem, have mostly tamed the beast and beautifully operatic Simone Simons is left to shine on some great song writing.
26) Anubis Gate – Horizons, Denmark: Anubis Gate continue their evolution toward a more polished and mature sound. Horizons is a well-crafted prog-power metal. Henrik Fevre’s vocals are addictive, particularly when the multi-layered choruses kick in. Horizons is definitely a step-up from their last release.
27) Kayser – Read Your Enemy, Sweden: If you like aggressive thrash, then you should give Kayser a try. Singer “Spice” has a voice that at times comes close to death growls and at other times is “melodic” in a rough sort of way. All I know is that it works. Lots of tight riffs and wild solos help to keep things interesting.
28) Not Otherwise Specified – Projective Instruments, US: Reigning from Atlanta, NOS may be one of the best kept secrets in prog rock and metal. Excellent playing, vocals, and writing are demonstrated throughout. Not at all afraid of the adventurous, Racing Shadows is a 23 plus minute near opus. NOS finishes things off with their rendition of a Peter Gabriel tune.
29) Animals as Leaders – The Joy of Motion, US: While many may consider AaL to be music for musicians, but I find their crazy wild super eclectic 8-string instrumental rock/metal/jazz enjoyable and I am not much of a musician. Of all releases by these geniuses, this latest effort is probably the most foot-tapping listenable.
30) Klogr – Black Snow, Italy/US: Klogr is a progressive thrash act. Lots of aggression and chops here. Power metal choruses help to draw you in. Draw Closer is a catchy slab of metal, and may actually be one of the most “laid back” tunes on this smoking attack. The official video does a little editing, but the album version earns Black Snow the parental warning – so you have been warned!
31) Delain – The Human Contradiction, The Netherlands: Ah, Charlotte Wessel! She proves that the good looking girl next door can head-bang with the best of them. Contradiction maintains the catchy metal feel of previous releases. There is little doubt that Delain is striving to attract a broader audience, but there is plenty of metal here to please most die-hard connoisseurs.
32) Halcyon Way – Conquer, US: As heavy, punchy and muscular as ever, Halcyon Way’s Conquer is their best yet. Thrashy riffs combine with melodic vocals and snippets of tasty growls to grab the attention. Halcyon Way is one of the hardest working bands in the southeast US and their effort is paying off.
33) Sahg– Delusions of Grandeur, Norway: Featuring stoner and psychedelic metal with a jam-band feel, Sahg have been turning out great music with roots of Sabbath and even Traffic for quite some time. Excellent playing throughout portrays an improvised vibe. This is Sahg’s fourth release and may possibly be their best.
34) Distorted Harmony – Chain Reaction, Israel: Distorted Harmony definitely must have had a little inspiration from Dream Theater. Still, they “own” their music, stamping it with their individual collective personality. Brilliant musicianship and complex compositions are what you would expect, but don’t dismiss this great release as a clone.
35) Killer Be Killed – Killer Be Killed, US: KbK is a supergroup of sorts and deliver plenty of aggression. The first track, Wings of Feather and Wax, is that rare animal that is equally aggressive and catchy at the same time. Most of the rest of the album ventures off into a less catchy territory, which is a bit of a shame IMO.
36) Harmony – Theater of Redemption, Sweden: Harmony return with their melodic Christian power metal, but this time without Henrik Bath. Bath is a tough act to follow, but Daniel Heiman is an outstanding vocalist and does a very nice job taking up the Harmony banner.
37) Carving Colours – No Way but Forwards, Spain: Another very nice metal surprise is Carving Colours. Sporting a heavy melancholy character and creative writing, Carving Colours forge a distinctive sound that deserves to be heard.
38) Iced Earth – Plagues of Babylon, US: Iced Earth is Iced Earth. You know what to expect. While this is a good release, it is not at the same standard as their previous release, the excellent Dystopia. The title track is quite good with its Egyptian theme and flavor that reminds me of Iron Maiden’s Rime of the Ancient Mariner.
39) Fright Pig – Out of the Barnyard, US: Fright Pig is an imaginative progressive hard rock act. With a touch of ELP keyboards and a touch of Satriani guitar, Fright Pig certainly provides an expansive sound. Definitely for the thinking men out there, Out of the Barnyard is one of those releases that make you grab the CD booklet to study the concept while soaking up the sound.
40) Thoughts Factory – Lost, Germany: In my introduction, I mentioned that 2014 was very deep in great releases and Thoughts Factory’s Lost bring that point home, so to speak. Prog metal with an epic flavor is how to describe Thoughts Factory. Lost features a lot of chugging guitar interspersed with incredible runs and solos.
Last edited by a moderator:
