My Top 5 Albums of 2014 (Revised)

Hi fellow Otaku & Metalheads!

With COVID-19 wrecking absolute face here in the United States & abroad, it’s kind of hard to keep one’s chin up. I confess I’m not necessarily up to snuff myself: healthwise I’m fine, but emotionally this has been tough. In fact, I admit this has kind of affected my desire to make content. Still, I gotta put out some other things this month besides my Katsucon 2020 review, and I was recently inspired by the past. I don’t always consider revising my oldest content, but after reading one particular list, the gears began to turn weirdly enough. So, let’s welcome the past, and take a look at my revised edition of the top 5 albums of 2014. A quick note: as far as the albums on here are concerned, not much has actually changed. For the most part, the records you saw back in 2014 are mostly here. This revision is more towards opinion than anything, but there is a familiar face taking a spot. Still, let’s see what’s up!

5) Sabaton - Heroes (Song)

I’ve said this before when talking about Sabaton, and I’ll say it again: it took me quite a while to become a fan of these fantastic Swedes. 2014 was sort of a rediscovery for me, since I skipped over their Carolus Rex period after discovering them in 2010. If I had been a fan of the band back then, then chances are I would have put Heroes on the list. Nowadays? I am most definitely putting this album here! Kind of an oddball of a release back then & now, but Heroes is also a unique record as well. Singing about some of the most iconic men & women during WW2, the album is perhaps Sabaton’s most optimistic release they ever did, only to be rivaled by The Last Stand in 2016 (Which is still one of the best albums of the 2010s, and still one of my top 10 albums of all time). Give how dark are time are right now, I think everybody needs a hero in their life.

4) Weird Al Yankovic: Mandatory Fun (Song)

I feel a little sad in moving this record down the list. Make no mistake, I still find Mandatory Fun to be hilarious. Weird Al has always been clever, and even at his most mediocre he can get a chuckle out of me, and his 2014 release is wondering. My big problem is that as time has passed, I seemed to recall this release less & less. It’s still funny, but most of the songs have gotten loose from my mind, and nowadays I don’t recall that many of them. That being said, Mandatory Fun is worth listening too regardless.

3) Judas Priest - Redeemer Of Souls (Song)

In the time since 2014, my love for Judas Priest has only grown. If I’m being perfectly honest, it’s been growing more & more since 2012, but it was the year that my Grandfather passed away where I finally allowed one of the world’s oldest metal bands into my heart. Though Nostradamus from 2008 was a unique Power Metal experience (That a majority of Priest fans had an aneurysm over), Redeemer of Souls was a return of sorts to their older work. It still had some flavorings of their prior release, but more often than not behaved like something you’d hear in the 80s & early 90s. Since 2014, I’ve actually become fonder for Redeemer of Souls. Not by a massive amount, but enough that it’s moved up a spot on this list. If you were disappointed by Nostradamus, then you might like this album more.

2) Devin Townsend: Casualties of Cool (Song) & Z2 (Song)

I said it back in 2014, and I’m saying it again: it’s hard to decide which of these albums are superior, and thus they’re still gotta be tied with each other here. Back then I enjoyed both of these records equally, but since then I’ve become a little more enamored with Casualties of Cool. Z2 is still great, and I love how silly it can be, but the Ambient nature of Casualties of Cool combined with Country Rock & Jazz is really neat. Not only that, but if you can get the version with the 2nd CD (Alongside a DVD), you’re treated to a few demos & tracks from the cancelled Ghost 2 project, and they’re just as good as the main CD’s material. Still, both albums from one of Canada’s premiere metallic artists are top notch, and you shouldn’t miss either of them.

If you recall my original list, I didn’t have any Honorable Mentions section. Reason being? I didn’t think of it at the time! With this revision, I think it was appropriate to have at least 1 Honorable Mention.....and I think I know just the album for this.

HM) Black Light Discipline: Death By A Thousand Cuts (Song)

Confession: I still kinda like this record. Back in 2014 I dug this release quite a lot, but my take on it has changed a bit. It’s still fun, but maybe I don’t find it as intense as I did 5+ years ago. Some tracks seem to try to be a bit too edgy sometimes, and the Industrial doesn’t come across as heavy as I once recall. On top of that, I only seem to have 2 songs stuck in my head, and out of 12 songs that’s not necessarily a good thing. Regardless, I still kind of find Death By A Thousand Cuts to be something of a nostalgic vision of the early/mid 2010s, and if any of you like Industrial artists who aren’t as well known as some of the more iconic ones out there, then this might be more of your liking.

1) Septicflesh - Titan (Song)

If there was one album on this list that I haven’t changed my opinion, it would be this one. In fact, my love for Titan has only increased since then. Funny fact: despite discovering this album in 2014, it wouldn’t be until March of 2016 when I actually bought a physical copy. That doesn’t matter, as my number 1 album of all time has stayed with me for 5+ years. The 3rd entry in the band’s Symphonic Death Metal journey, the singles that were released before the record hooked me, and when it fully came out, I was enchanted by every track. Enough to the point where I put the whole thing onto my MP3 player at the time. Titan is also important to me because it finally got me to understand Death Metal, and got me to understand the fans of the genre. I’m still not a full-blow Death Metal fan, but I’ve grown to be more accepting of the style.....and I have Titan to thank for that.

And that was my revised top 5 albums of 2014. Again, not much has changed from the original in terms of what was on here, but my opinions of what’s on here definitely has changed somewhat. I do have one last thing planned for March, and with April on the horizon.....Compilation Month may return for a 3rd time. See you all next time!


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If you’d like to see my original version of this list, click on the link below:

My Top 5 Albums of 2014