This episode will air on Saturday, February 7th, 2015 from noon to 6pm Eastern (USA). Please note the date and time as this is not my regularly scheduled episode time for Rage and Frustration.
Writing from the beginning of 2015, last year looks pretty good. I went to the Between the Buried and Me tour (twice), which I feel is the best top-to-bottom line up I've ever seen. (There have been better individual bands, but The Kindred, Intronaut, deafheaven, and BTBAM all brought it). I went to my first Metal Festival (The Gilead Fest in Oshkosh, WI). I met many amazing people who share my love of music (and especially my love of heavy, intense music). I also had a lot of fun finding new music and running the show. I think I even have a handful of regulars who check out the show at least most Mondays. Before I get to my best-of list, here is how I chose which albums to consider. For my Rage and Frustration list, albums had to meet the following criteria:
Writing from the beginning of 2015, last year looks pretty good. I went to the Between the Buried and Me tour (twice), which I feel is the best top-to-bottom line up I've ever seen. (There have been better individual bands, but The Kindred, Intronaut, deafheaven, and BTBAM all brought it). I went to my first Metal Festival (The Gilead Fest in Oshkosh, WI). I met many amazing people who share my love of music (and especially my love of heavy, intense music). I also had a lot of fun finding new music and running the show. I think I even have a handful of regulars who check out the show at least most Mondays. Before I get to my best-of list, here is how I chose which albums to consider. For my Rage and Frustration list, albums had to meet the following criteria:
- released in 2014
- Creative Commons licensed
- something I would play on the show
That's it! I checked out albums with 20+ tracks and albums that are essentially one long track. I checked out LPs, EPs, and singles. All told, I checked out over 1000 tracks. 175 distinct albums made the cut for final consideration. (there were a few others, but several were deleted after first listen). I listened to every album in its entirety at least once straight through. According to iTunes, the music under consideration takes up 3.4 days of time to listen to...I'm pretty sure that's 24 hour days. As I listened, I rated each track on a scale of 1-5 (using iTunes, set to accept half stars). I then averaged the star ratings to give me an overall album rating. I then put all this in a spreadsheet and sorted by rating to give a top 25. In the case of ties (in the top 25...below that, I've left them alone), I've gone back to listen to the tied albums and chose an order for them.
I also wanted to throw out some albums in no particular order that I feel are notable, but are not CC licensed. In no particular order, some of the best albums this year include:
- Run the Jewels 2 (yes, I know its hip hop, but have you listened?)
- Sea of Bones - The Earth Wants Us Dead (immense)
- Oozing Wound - Earth Suck (Retrash was good, but this is on a whole other level)
- Thou - Heathen (It deserves the hype. By far their best work in my opinion)
- Pallbearer - Foundations of Burden (no sophomore slump here)
- Agalloch - The Serpent and the Sphere (hits my musical sweet spot)
- Bastard Sapling - Instinct is Forever (regardless of licensing, this is my #1 for the year - amazing...and I saw them live at Gilead)
- Alraune - The Process of Self-Immolation (Gilead brought it in 2014)
- Panopticon - Roads to the North
Let me know what you think. And now, on with the show...
Yi by Santa Marta Golden from El Fallo Humano CC - BY - NC - SA 0:00
Yi by Santa Marta Golden from El Fallo Humano CC - BY - NC - SA 0:00
- Honorable Mention - Frozen Tears of The Huntress by Magma Dragon from Full Attack Action CC - BY - NC 4:30
- Honorable Mention - Memorium by Rail Yard Ghosts from Blackgrass CC - BY - ND 10:48
- Honorable Mention - ENDLESS CRAVING by Plebeian Grandstand from Lowgazers CC - BY - NC - SA 15:35
- Honorable Mention - Feast by Arroyo Deathmatch from Through the Fear of It CC - BY - NC - SA 22:29
- Honorable Mention - Memory Only Atoms by Judd Madden from Everything In Waves CC - BY - NC 28:18
- #25 - Dancing in shackles by Iprit from spontomsosplita CC - BY - NC 34:41
- #24 - Personification of the Void by Visio Mortis from In Sickness Buried (demo) CC - BY 38:34
- #23 - Through The Cold Lands by Nightcult from Through the cold lands CC - BY - NC - ND 43:17
- #22 - Entre descansos by Cementerio from LUNA HIENA CC - BY - NC - ND 47:24
- #21 - Il vento by Si Non Sedes Is from Father of all lies CC - BY - NC - ND 52:14
- #20 - saccharine by Dakhma from s/t CC - BY - NC - ND 1:01:56
- #19 - Necropolis (City of the Dead) by Morgue of Saints from Monolith CC - BY - NC - ND 1:06:50
- #18 - Banished - The Everlasting Confinement by Frozen Dawn from Banished, The Everlasting Confinement - Single CC - BY - NC - ND 1:17:29
- #17 - Bedsheets master by RIVERS RUN DRY from DRIP OF LIES / RIVERS RUN DRY split EP CC - BY - NC 1:22:59
- #16 - Part III: We Can Descend Into The Unknown by The Canyon Observer from Chapter II: These Binds Will Set You Free CC - BY - NC - ND 1:25:14
- #15 - Fire by Avvika from S/T 12" CC - BY - NC - SA 1:34:58
- #14 - The Piazza by Locktender from Amber/Locktender Split CC - BY - NC 1:51:33
- #13 - Delusion VI - Mors putativa by Epitimia from (Un)reality CC - BY - NC 1:57:26
- #12 - The Color of Your Soul by Muldjord from The Color of My Soul CC - BY - NC - ND 2:03:10
- #11 - Aeonian Temple by Cara Neir from Split with Venowl CC - BY - NC - ND 2:08:05
- #10
- Adhere by Black Monolith from Passenger CC - BY - NC - ND 2:10:52
- Gold Watch by Black Monolith from Passenger CC - BY - NC - ND 2:19:10
- #9
- III by Paramnesia from PARAMNESIA / UNRU CC - BY - NC - SA 2:28:41
- Die Welt in der wir sterben by Unru from PARAMNESIA / UNRU CC - BY - NC - SA 2:43:31
- #8
- #7
- Vultures by Protestant from In Thy Name CC - BY - NC 3:11:15
- In Thy Name / Hell's Insanity by Protestant from In Thy Name CC - BY - NC 3:14:43
- #6
- Garganta y Bengala by Tarsius Tarsier from Ceremonia de Atadura de Manos CC - BY - ND 3:18:41
- Espuela by Tarsius Tarsier from Ceremonia de Atadura de Manos CC - BY - ND 3:20:25
- #5
- Dirt Between The Tiles by Cara Neir from Split with Flesh Born CC - BY - NC - ND 3:23:07
- This Last Siren by Cara Neir from Split with Flesh Born CC - BY - NC - ND 3:25:58
- #4
- Resurrection by Psygnosis from Human Be[ing] CC - BY 3:29:08
- Hurricane by Psygnosis from Human Be[ing] CC - BY 3:39:19
- #3
- Cut Their Grain and Place Fire Therein by Grst from Fire Therein CC - BY 3:54:05
- Dead as Dreams by Grst from Fire Therein CC - BY 4:04:26
- #2
- Sacrament - All Is Sorrow Pt 4 by Catapult The Dead from All Is Sorrow CC - BY - NC - ND 4:24:52
- Retrospect - All Is Sorrow Pt 5 by Catapult The Dead from All Is Sorrow CC - BY - NC - ND 4:29:50
- #1
- The Spectacle by Recreant from Still Burn CC - BY - NC 4:39:28
- Still Burn by Recreant from Still Burn CC - BY - NC 4:44:13
- Silent Plague - Secret Trauma by Recreant from Still Burn CC - BY - NC 4:45:57
- Community At Your Own Convenience by Recreant from Still Burn CC - BY - NC 4:51:48
- All That Remains by Recreant from Still Burn CC - BY - NC 4:55:54
And now, some music to finish out the hour:
- Eulerian Path by Anagnorisis from Beyond All Light CC - BY - NC - ND 5:00:12
- Anarchic (side B) by Skagos from Anarchic CC - BY 5:07:49
- Gaoler's Whip by Banewreaker from Banewreaker CC - BY - NC - SA 5:25:55
- Forgone by Lycanthia from Oligarchy CC - BY - NC 5:28:46
- Oaks by Aathma from The Call of Shivà CC - BY - NC - ND 5:36:16
- Labyrinth Of Greed by Armaroth from False Vision EP CC - BY - NC - SA 5:42:27
- Black flag over our fortress by axidance from split w/ catastrofe CC - BY - NC - ND 5:46:39
- Enchantress by Landforge from Servitude to Earth CC - BY - NC - SA 5:52:53
