2014 in Music: A Year in Review

What a year 2014 was for music. While it was a bit of a step down from the excellent year of 2013, there was still plenty of stuff to get excited about this year. One thing that made 2014 standout was the amount of comeback album releases. Everyone from D'Angelo to Behemoth to Slipknot to Weezer to Body Count ended lengthy hiatuses to release new material in 2014. While not all of them were great, it was nice to see all of these acts get back in saddle after being absent from music for so long. Aside from a number of major comebacks, 2014 was also a strong year for technical death metal, metalcore and hardcore hip-hop. Of course amongst all the triumphs in 2014, was a fair share of letdowns. Heavy-hitters like Mastodon, The Black Keys and Foo Fighters all followed up a standout release with somewhat underwhelming new records while once-proud acts such as Atmosphere, Against Me! and Devin Townsend continued to show alarming signs of regression. At the end of day, 2014 was another solid year for music, but I really hope that 2015 offers up a larger number of high-quality albums. Below are my rankings from worst to best of all the EP's and LP's I heard in 2014, complete with star ratings and my pick for the best track from each release.  
 
EP's:

9.Childish Gambino-Kauai (2/5) (Favorite Track: "Retro")

8.Kitty-Impatiens (3/5) (Favorite Track: :"Retrograde")

7.Four Year Strong-Go Down in History (3/5) (Favorite Track: "What's in the Box?")

6.XSPONGEXCOREx-How Tough Are Ya? (3.5/5) (Favorite Track: "Dubby Dan")

5.XSPONGEXCOREx-Don't Mess with TExXxAS (3.5/5) (Favorite Track: "Brootal Buddy")

4.Isaiah Rashad-Cilvia Demo (3.5/5) (Favorite Track: "Soliloquy")

3.Cult Leader-Nothing For us Here (4/5) (Favorite Track: "Mongrel")

2.Periphery-Clear (4/5) (Favorite Track: "Feed the Ground")

1.Vince Staples-Hell Can Wait (4/5) (Favorite Track: "Blue Suede")

LP

95.Modern Baseball-You're Gonna Miss It All (1.5/5) (Favorite Track: N/A)

94.The War on Drugs-Lost in the Dream (2/5) (Favorite Track: N/A)

93.Code Orange-I Am King (2/5) (Favorite Track: N/A)

92.Dead Congregation-Promulgation of the Fall (2/5) (Favorite Track: N/A)

91.Atmosphere-Southsiders (2/5) (Favorite Track: "Southsiders")

90.Gerard Way-Hesitant Alien (2/5) (Favorite Track: "Juarez")

89.Bleachers-Strange Desire (2/5) (Favorite Track: "Rollercoaster")

88.Devin Townsend Project-Z2 (2/5) (Favorite Track: "Zilotoid Goes Home")

87.D'Angelo-Black Messiah (2.5/5) (Favorite Track: "Ain't That Easy")

86.Crown the Empire-The Resistance: Rise of the Runaways (2.5/5) (Favorite Track: "Bloodline")

85.Against Me!-Transgender Dysphoria Blues (2.5/5) (Favorite Track: "Drinking with the Jocks")
84.A$AP Ferg-Ferg Forever (2.5/5) (Favorite Track: "Jungle")

83.Charli XCX-Sucker (2.5/5) (Favorite Track: "Gold Coins")

82.Ariana Grande-My Everything (2.5/5) (Favorite Track: "Love Me Harder")

81.Real Friends-Maybe This Place is the Same, We're Just Changing (2.5/5) (Favorite Track: "Loose Ends")

80.Wolves at the Gate-VxV (3/5) (Favorite Track: "The Bird and the Snake")

79.Migos-No Label II (3/5) (Favorite Track: "Antidope")

78.The Kindred-Life in Lucidity (3/5) (Favorite Track: "Wolvish")

77.The Kennedy Veil-Trinity of Falsehood (3/5) (Favorite Track: "Seventh Circle")

76.Iggy Azalea-The New Classic (3/5) (Favorite Track: "Goddess")

75.Bane-Don't Wait Up (3/5) (Favorite Track: "Park St.")

74.Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers-Hypnotic Eye (3/5) (Favorite Track: "Fault Lines")

73.Rise Against-The Black Market (3/5) (Favorite Track: "The Great Die-Off")

72.The Black Keys-Turn Blue (3/5) (Favorite Track: "The Weight of Love")

71.Suicide Silence-You Can't Stop Me (3/5) (Favorite Track: "Sacred Words")

70.Linkin Park-The Hunting Party (3/5) (Favorite Track: "War")

69.Circa Survive-Descensus (3/5) (Favorite Track: "Only the Sun")

68.Neck Deep-Wishful Thinking (3/5) (Favorite Track: "Crushing Grief (No Remedy)")

67.Ratking-So It Goes (3/5) (Favorite Track: "Remove Ya")

66.Secret Band-Secret Band (3/5) (Favorite Track: "Projectile Comet")

65.Origin-Omnipresent (3.5/5) (Favorite Track: "Continuum")

64.Death Grips-Niggas on the Moon: The Powers That Be Disc 1 (3.5/5) (Favorite Track: "Black Quarterback")

63.J.Cole-2014 Forest Hills Drive (3.5/5) (Favorite Track: "Wet Dreamz")

62.Whitechapel-Our Endless War (3.5/5) (Favorite Track: "Diggs Road")

61.Open Mike Eagle-Dark Comedy (3.5/5) (Favorite Track: "Doug Stamper (Advice Raps)")

60.Mac Miller-Faces (3.5/5) (Favorite Track: "Rain")

59.Boris the Blade-The Human Hive (3.5/5) (Favorite Track: "Mortal Procession")

58.Flying Lotus-You're Dead! (3.5/5) (Favorite Track: "Turkey Dog Coma")

57.Wovenwar-Wovenwar (3.5/5) (Favorite Track: "The Mason")

56.Jack White-Lazaretto (3.5/5) (Favorite Track: "Lazaretto")

55.Destrage-Are You Kidding Me? No. (3.5/5) (Favorite Track: My Green Neigbour")

54.People Under the Stairs-12 Step Program (3.5/5) (Favorite Track: "Cool Story Bro")

53.Migos-Rich Nigga Timeline (3.5/5) (Favorite Track: "Hit Em'")

52.Trap Them-Blissfucker (3.5/5) (Favorite Track: "Lungrunners")

51.Foo Fighters-Sonic Highways (3.5/5) (Favorite Track: "Something from Nothing")

50.Gates-Bloom and Breathe (3.5/5) (Favorite Track: At Last the Loneliest of Them")

49.Morbus Chron-Sweven (3.5/5) (Favorite Track: "Aurora in the Offing")

48.Weezer-Everything Will Be Alright in the End (3.5/5) (Favorite Track: "Eulogy for a Rock Band")

47.Big K.R.I.T.-Cadillactica (3.5/5) (Favorite Track: "King of the South")

46.The Contortionist-Language (3.5/5) (Favorite Track: "Thrive")

45.The Mire-Glass Cathederals  (3.5/5) (Favorite Track: "Pale Heart")

44.Intervals-A Voice Within (3.5/5) (Favorite Track: "Moment Marauder")

43.The Ghost Inside-Dear Youth (3.5/5) (Favorite Track: "Dear Youth (Day 54)")

42.Within the Ruins-Phenomena (3.5/5) (Favorite Track: "The Other")

41.St.Vincent-St.Vincent (3.5/5) (Favorite Track: "Huey Newton")

40.ScHoolboy Q-Oxymoron (3.5/5) (Favorite Track: "Los Awesome")

39.Septicflesh-Titan (4/5) (Favorite Track: "Prototype")

38.Riff Raff-Neon Icon (4/5) (Favorite Track: "Aquaberry Dolphin")

37.Vince Staples-Shyne Coldchain II (4/5) (Favorite Track: "Earth Science")

36.Hour of Penance-Regicide (4/5) (Favorite Track: "Redeemer of Atrocity")

35.At the Gates-At War with Reality (4/5) (Favorite Track: "The Circular Ruins")

34.Cannabis Corpse-From Wisdom to Baked (4/5) (Favorite Track: "Pull the Carb")

33.Killer Be Killed-Killer Be Killed (4/5) (Favorite Track: "Wings of Feather and Wax")

32.Allegaeon-Elements of the Infinite (4/5) (Favorite Track: "The Phylogenesis Stench")

31.Overkill-White Devil Armory (4/5) (Favorite Track: Where There's Smoke...")

30.Mastodon-Once More 'Round the Sun (4/5) (Favorite Track: "The Motherload")

29.Slipknot-.5 The Gray Chapter (4/5) (Favorite Track: "Killpop")

28.Thomas Giles-Modern Noise (4/5) (Favorite Track: "Siphon the Bad Blood")

27.Cannibal Corpse-A Skeletal Domain (4/5) (Favorite Track: "Headlong into Carnage")

26.Affiance-Blackout (4/5) (Favorite Track: "Death Cycle")

25.CunninLynguists-Strange Journey Volume 3 (4/5) (Favorite Track: "Drunk Dial")

24.Ne Obliviscaris-Citadel (4/5) (Favorite Track: "Devour Me, Colossus (Part I): Blackholes") 

23.Beyond Creation-Earthborn Evolution (4/5) (Favorite Track: "Neurotical Transmissions")

22.Black Crown Initiate-The Wreckage of Stars (4/5) (Favorite Track: "Withering Waves")

21.Arch Enemy-War Eternal (4/5) (Favorite Track: "As the Pages Burn")

20.Son of Aurelius-Under a Western Sun (4/5) (Favorite Track: "Long Ago")

19.Darkest Hour-Darkest Hour (4/5) (Favorite Track: "Rapture in Exile")

18.Machine Head-Bloodstone and Diamonds (4/5) (Favorite Track: "Eyes of the Dead")

17.Archspire-The Lucid Collective (4/5) (Favorite Track: "Fathom Infinite Depth")

16.Lana Del Rey-Ultraviolence (4/5) (Favorite Track: "Shades of Cool")

15.Body Count-Manslaughter (4/5) (Favorite Track: "Institutionalized 2014")

14.Beartooth-Disgusting (4/5) (Favorite Track: "Body Bag")

13.Monuments-The Amanuensis (4/5) (Favorite Track: "Quasimodo")

12.Goatwhore-Constricting Rage of the Merciless (4/5) (Favorite Track: "Baring Teeth for Revolt")

11.Alterbeast-Immortal (4/5) (Favorite Tracks: "Throne of Maggots")

10.Animals as Leaders-The Joy of Motion (4/5) (Favorite Track: "Another Year")

9.Job for a Cowboy-Sun Eater (4/5) (Favorite Track: "Buried Monuments")

8.Royal Blood-Royal Blood (4/5) (Favorite Track: "Blood Hands")

7.Behemoth-The Satanist (4/5) (Favorite Track: "Ora Noa Probis Lucifer")

6.Freddie Gibbs & Madlib-Pinata (4/5) (Favorite Track: "Harold's")

5.Run the Jewels-Run the Jewels 2 (4/5) (Favorite Track: "Lie, Cheat, Steal")

4.Every Time I Die-From Parts Unknown (4/5) (Favorite Track: "El Dorado")

3.Unearth-Watchers of Rule (4.5/5) (Favorite Track: "Never Cease")

2.Fallujah-The Flesh Prevails (4.5/5) (Favorite Track: "The Night Reveals")

1.Revocation-Deathless (4.5/5) (Favorite Track: "Scorched Earth Policy")