For the last month we’ve been rolling out a multitude of year-end lists written for our site by musicians, fans, fellow bloggers, and our own humble staff, but we’re still keeping an eye open for lists that appear at what I’ve been calling “big platform” web sites, i.e., entertainment portals with big audiences that don’t cater only to metalheads. Today, Pitchfork unveiled its list of “The Best Metal Albums of 2014”.
It’s actually a collection of multiple lists, leading off with a personal Top 25 compiled by Pitchfork writer Brandon Stosuy (author of the “Show No Mercy” column), followed by separate selections by other Pitchfork metal contributors, including Kim Kelly, Zoe Camp, Grayson Currin, Jason Heller, and Andy O’Connor, as well as David Castillo of Brooklyn’s Saint Vitus bar.
After the jump, you’ll see Stosuy’s Top 25, and by following this link you can read his thoughts about each selection and listen to sample songs; the additional lists contributed by the other Pitchfork metal writers can be found at the same place.
As for the list itself, it includes many names that have been appearing, well, everywhere (e.g., YOB, Pallbearer, and Godflesh), but it also includes some names that, although deserving, will likely appeal to a much narrower slice of listeners (e.g., Thantifaxath, Teitanblood, Krieg, and Diocletian). But perhaps the biggest surprise — and a welcome one — is the album that landed in the No. 1 spot.
PITCHFORK’S TOP 25
25. Planning For Burial – Desideratum
24. Thantifaxath – Sacred White Noise
23. Lantlôs – Melting Sun
22. Wreck & Reference – Want
21. Mutilation Rites – Harbinger
20. Atriarch – An Unending Pathway
19. Teitanblood – Death
18. Gridlink – Longhena
17. Krieg – Transient
16. Agalloch – The Serpent & The Sphere
15. Diocletian – Gesundrian
14. Eyehategod – Eyehategod
13. Inter Arma – The Cavern
12. Morbus Chron – Sweven
11. Primordial – Where Greater Men have Fallen
10. Dead Congregation – Promulgation of the Fall
09. Indian – From All Purity
08. Woods of Desolation – As the Stars
07. Godflesh – A World Lit Only By Fire
06. Blut Aus Nord – Memorial Vetusta III: Saturnian Poetry
05. Nux Vomica – Nux Vomica
04. Tombs – Savage Gold
03. YOB – Clearing the Path To Ascend
02. Pallbearer – Foundations of Burden
01. Thou – Heathen
19 Responses to “LISTMANIA 2014: PITCHFORK’S LIST OF THE BEST METAL ALBUMS OF 2014”
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“Thou”? That’s laughable! Gorguts put out the best METAL album this year – don’t deny it. Stop trying to be different – you’re only appealing to hipsters. Have fun with that. I thought i’d found a credible metal music site to frequent. Apparently not – laters!
You were especially quick on the draw this time. 🙂
I didn’t even think of this joke before I saw this comment. I’m slacking.
Gorguts didn’t release an album in 2014. Gorguts’ Colored Sands was released in 2013, and was hailed as an achievement by all, including the “hipsters” at Pitchfork who listed it as the 5th best album of 2013.
This is a joke that refuses to die. Andy was quoting a comment we received in 2013 when we re-posted Rolling Stone’s year-end list, which put Deafheaven in the No. 1 spot. The commenter seemed to think it was our list, ignoring the fact that the post title quite clearly said it was Rolling Stone’s list.
Y’know, the internet could have saved you all that typing 😉
https://www.nocleansinging.com/2013/12/12/2013-listmania-continues-rolling-stones-list-of-the-20-best-metal-albums-of-2013/comment-page-1/#comment-115635
And I just happened across this while finding that, so I’m linking it again for extra PageRank props: https://www.nocleansinging.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/our-lord-chthulu.jpg
Some good stuff on this list.
At the risk of being called closed-minded, I just don’t understand why Wreck and Reference is considered a metal artist. I like the album just fine–it’s dark and atmospheric and noisy and on The Flenser and all that–but it doesn’t sound like metal. Is there a precedent that I’m not aware of, or is this a brand new kind of music that just had to be categorized?
I agree and feel similarly about the inclusion of Lantlos. A fine album in its own right, but stripped of all of what I consider to be the calling cards of metal.
I think these are valid points — the connection to metal in both cases is tenuous, though I’ve got to be careful in what I say because I’ve got a couple of tracks coming on our “most infectious song” list that may produce the same kind of reaction. 🙂
Bring it. 😛
it’s an ok list : )
Curb your enthusiasm. You’re getting out of control. 🙂
Obligatory appreciation comment for the criminally overlooked Nux Vomica record.
“Inter Arm?” Sounds painful.
LOL. If that’s the only typo I made in this post I’ll count myself lucky.
Strange list – I listened to only two of these albums and I’m not even remotely interested in the rest of them. But it is interesting to see other opinions as well, regardless if you agree with them or not. So far, the most interesting lists (at least for me) were Austin Lunn’s list and Vonlughlio’s list.
Sadly, no Duskmourn on any of the lists so far – probably because it was released only a few weeks ago.
Haven’t heard of Duskmourn — will have to go exploring.
I’m really having a hard time figuring out why Pallbearer is placing as high as they are on so many lists. I’ve got that album, and it’s ok. However, for that style of doom, I’d place The Wounded Kings – Consolamentum much, much higher, and I’ve not seen it on any lists, anywhere.
Agreed, I would like to offer Slomatics and Cardinal Wyrm to the list of doom bands that deserve more accolades then Pallbearer has been getting. I’ll have to check out The Wounded Kings. 😛