The 10 Best Metal Albums Of 2014

1. Behemoth – The Satanist

Souce // metalhammer.teamrock.com

The Satanist can already be lauded as an all-time classic, just 11 mere months after release.

This is Extreme Metal, in every sense; extreme views, extreme vocals and extreme musicianship and if it tests your tolerance then that should be embraced, art is meant to provoke and inspire and Behemoth raised the artistic bar on this landmark album.

This record stands at the absolute threshold of tolerance, fusing Black Metal and Death Metal with Progressive Metal’s fearless aesthetic and creating an album which conjures desolate images of hell in a twisted, contorted cavalcade of blast beats, strangled riffs and guttural howls.

Channeling his hard-fought battle with Leukaemia, frontman Nergal tapped into something soulful, personal and yet deeply malevolent and tracks like “Blow Your Trumpets, Gabriel” and “In The Absence Ov Light” are immersive and shockingly powerful.

Facing every obstacle thrown at them: prison, nationwide bans and a cancer-derived death sentence, Behemoth confronted their demons and responded with an album that has been embraced by the Metal fraternity worldwide; a triumphant victory for life, set against a backdrop of often insurmountable odds.

When music is as expansive and passionate as this it deserves your full attention, your upmost respect and your hard-earned cash; go out and get a copy before Satan roasts your nuts for Christmas.

If this list were longer…Electric Wizard – Time To Die  / Vader – Tibi Et Igni / At The Gates – At War With Reality / Septic Flesh – Titan /  Judas Priest – Redeemer Of Souls