Ahhh, the good ol’d end of year list. It’s time, once again, to write down a whole heap of records that I thought were super good. But not before I reflect on 2014 as a whole. Let’s see. I lost my job – boo-urns. I found a really cool new job – hooray! I turned thirty – yikes! I heard some excellent music, I met some incredible people, I saw great live performances and I got to visit America with the money I gained from being made redundant.
Gilead Fest was honestly one of the greatest experiences of my life. I spent the weekend with my best friend and his lovely lady, and some of the most passionate, dedicated and downright amazing people I have ever had the privilege to meet. There are too many to mention, but for everyone who made that weekend so damn memorable, I thank you. I can’t wait to come back.
Usually I get super introspective at this time of year and this list is preambled with a whole load of shit that happened but I’m trying this new thing where I look forward and not back. So 2015, I am ready for you. I move house on January 2nd, my job is really interesting and there’s a career in there if I want it. Writing is going well and I’m already planning some really exciting things for the first few months of the year – visiting new places, putting on bands and seeing the release of a new Caïna record. It’s busy, but I’m enjoying life quite a lot right now, something I would not have believed if you said this to me at this point last year.
As is customary, here’s a picture of something really metal lest you all think I’ve gone soft in my old age.
As usual, this list is quite long and alphabetical and where possible links to online reviews are included.
Abigor – Leytmotif Luzifer
Agalloch – The Serpent & The Sphere
Artificial Brain – Labryrinth Constellation
Ascension – The Dead of the World
Barghest – The Virtuous Purge
Bastard Sapling – Instinct Is Forever
Blood of Kingu – Dark Star on the Right Horn of the Crescent Moon
Blut Aus Nord – Memoria Vetusta III: Saturnian Poetry
Botanist – IV: Flora
The Deathtrip – Deep Drone Master
Emptiness – Nothing But The Whole
Falls of Rauros – Believe In No Coming Shore
Godflesh – A World Lit Only By Fire
The Great Old Ones – Tekeli-Li
Have A Nice Life – The Unnatural World
Lantlôs – Melting Sun
Mysticum – Planet Satan
Nightbringer – Ego Dominus Tuus
Pallbearer – Foundations of Burden
Panopticon – Roads to the North
Planning for Burial – Desideratum
Primordial – Where Greater Men Have Fallen
Rome – A Passage to Rhodesia
Sargeist – Feeding The Crawling Shadows
Sólstafir – Ótta
Taake – Stridens Hus
Take Over And Destroy – Vacant Face
Thantifaxath – Sacred White Noise
Thou – Heathen
Voices – London
Waldgeflüster – Meine Fesseln
Winterfylleth – The Divination of Antiquity
Woods of Desolation – As The Stars
Wreck & Reference – Want
Yob – Clearing The Path To Ascend
Bleak Metal 
Lots of great stuff there. Of the ones I’ve not heard I especially want to hear The Great Old Ones and Saor.
Great list! Glad to see finally see Take Over and Destroy on a year-end best-of.
Word. It’s such a great record! Not enough people have heard it.