Twenty-Fourteen was another amazing year in the world of hard rock and  metal. With so many crunching releases to sift through, the staff here at PlanetMosh submitted their favourite albums of the year.

Almost 200 albums were added to the final spreadsheet and PlanetMosh is proud to announce:

**The PlanetMosh Top Twenty Albums of 2014**

20. Mastodon – Once More Around The Sun

“…a more melancholic, haunting affair… more psychedelic than progressive in its overall feel…” – Mark Ashby

Read the PlanetMosh Review:

http://planetmosh.com/mastodon-once-more-round-the-sun/

19. Revocation – Deathless

“Deathless by technical death metallers Revocation is something that might blow your mind, hypnotize you and lock in between guitar riffs, keeping you in a thunderstorm of top quality tracks. Suits for pretty much everyone, who is hungry for a tasty and crunchy technical death metal.” – Jurga Kalinauskaite

Read the PlanetMosh Review:

http://planetmosh.com/revocation-deathless/

18. California Breed – California Breed

“with Glenn Hughes the only predictable thing is that the next album will sound nothing like the last one, and that’s certainly the case here.  Gone is the Black Country Communion rock sound and in comes a much harder heavier sound with heavily distorted guitar and powerful almost screaming vocals.” – Anthony May

Read the PlanetMosh Review:

http://planetmosh.com/california-breed-california-breed/

17. Machine Head – Bloodstone & Diamonds

“Imanginal Cells is excellent and one of my favourite songs of the year. Again, there is always one standout track from a Machine Head album and this is it.” – Darragh O’Connor

Read the PlanetMosh Review:

http://planetmosh.com/review-machine-head-bloodstone-diamonds/

16. The Texas Flood – Young Dogs, Old Tricks

“Packed full of veracious old school classic rockin riff’s straight from the U.K.’s very own West coast!” – Dave Bradbery

Read the PlanetMosh Review:

http://planetmosh.com/the-texas-flood-young-dogs-old-tricks/

15. Opeth – Pale Communion

“A breathtaking hour of music proving that Opeth are the masters of their craft” – Dennis Jarman

Read the PlanetMosh Review:

http://planetmosh.com/opeth-pale-communion/

14. Rival Sons – Great Western Valkyrie

“Great Western Valkyrie sounds timeless and as well as containing the soulful blues infused rock and roll we know and love so well, Rival Sons have also given us something different, something new. Rival Sons have done some experimenting, and taken us to new places I could never have predicted, but it works a dream.” – Robbie Rooney

Read the PlanetMosh Review:

http://planetmosh.com/rival-sons-great-western-valkyrie/

13. The Devin Townsend Project – Sky Blue / Z2

Probably the most prolific musician on the planet that has maintained a high level of consistency on his 2nd and 3rd albums for 2014. Z2 consists of the Devin Townsend Project’s ‘Sky Blue’ and the highly anticipated Ziltoid sequel ‘Dark Matters’. An eclectic mix musicianship and Poozers – Ross McDermott

Read the PlanetMosh Review:

12. Behemoth – The Satanist

“…an album that broils and seethes with anger yet dances with celebration… majestic, deeply personal and stunning…” – Mark Ashby

Read the PlanetMosh Review:

http://planetmosh.com/behemoth-the-satanist/

11. Bloodshot Dawn – Demons

“‘Demons’ [has] provided us with an album which may well, in retrospect, be considered a classic of its type.” – Mark Ashby

Read the PlanetMosh Review:

http://planetmosh.com/bloodshot-dawn-demons/

10. Massive – Full Throttle

“All of the songs on this, and it’s got to be said, epic debut album ‘Full Throttle‘ are something that’s been missing in the world of metal rock n roll for too long” – Dave Bradbery

Read the PlanetMosh Review:

http://planetmosh.com/massive-full-throttle/

09. Slipknot – .5: The Gray Chapter

“Slipknot are still viewing the world with a ‘People=Shit’ attitude and that means the magic they have to create something beautiful is as potent as it ever has been.” – Elliott Leaver

Read the PlanetMosh Review:

http://planetmosh.com/slipknot-5-the-gray-chapter/

08. Slash ft Myles Kennedy and the Conspirators – World On Fire

“Slash’s last album was great, and this one is even better.  Myles Kennedy is a superb vocalist and it’s no wonder Slash wanted to work with him.  His powerful rock vocals really are great and would normally be the star of the album, but the music here is equally impressive – there’s a perfect balance between the superb vocals and the superb music. ” – Anthony May

Read the PlanetMosh Review:

http://planetmosh.com/slash-featuring-myles-kennedy-and-the-conspirators-world-on-fire/

07. Black Stone Cherry – Magic Mountain

“Magic Mountain contains some of Black Stone Cherry’s heaviest sounding material to date with huge chunky riffs, wonderful guitar solos, immense drumming and heavy bass in places. The band sound energetic, vibrant, fresh and relaxed and it is a joy to listen to all the way through. Magic Mountain easily could be BSC’s best material to date and could be one of the albums of the year for me.” – Robbie Rooney

Read the PlanetMosh Review:

http://planetmosh.com/black-stone-cherry-magic-mountain/

06. Arch Enemy – War Eternal

“The album sounds, in a way, a little more melodic than usual but it is still a fast and carefully built death metal set. War Eternal’ by Arch Enemy is the new-old type of album for the band, which is facing some inside changes.” – Jurga Kalinauskaite

Read the PlanetMosh Review:

http://planetmosh.com/arch-enemy-war-eternal/

05. Obituary – Inked In Blood

“Obituary’s well-known sound is stamped all over the disc; it’s unmistakably “them”. Inked In Blood is a beast of an album – a fiery, sizzling, pounding wall of sound. Not over-produced or over-thought, it certainly holds it’s own among the better quality death metal releases from the past decade.” – Iris North

Read the PlanetMosh Review:

http://planetmosh.com/obituary-inked-in-blood/

04. Primordial – Where Greater Men Have Fallen

“My album of 2014. Nothing else comes close to it. Sheer genius!” – Dennis Jarman

Read the PlanetMosh Review:

http://planetmosh.com/primordial-where-greater-men-have-fallen/

03. Delain – The Human Contradiction

“What we have here is a band very much in the ascendancy bringing out a record that is appropriately evolved and well-measured. They might be Within Temptation’s main support on tour this time around, but if the headliners aren’t careful, Delain will take their crown with ease if The Human Contradiction is anything to go by.” – Elliott Leaver

Read the PlanetMosh Review:

http://planetmosh.com/delain-the-human-contradiction/

02. Within Temptation – Hydra

“This album contains a lot of variety and shows the band aren’t afraid to try experimenting with different things, but at the same time it does a good job of appealing to their existing fans. I’m still not convinced by the Xzibit track but apart from that I really can’t fault this album – a superb release from Within Temptation.” – Anthony May

Read the PlanetMosh Review:

http://planetmosh.com/within-temptation-hydra/

PlanetMosh Album Of The Year 2014

01. Exodus – Blood In, Blood Out

“Blood In, Blood Out again and is the heaviest album I’ve heard by them since the 1990 release of Impact Is Imminent. Exodus prove they belong in the Big 4 of thrash metal with yet another release of uncompromising rage.” – Dennis Jarman

Read the PlanetMosh Review:

http://planetmosh.com/exodus-blood-in-blood-out/

The PlanetMosh Album of the Year 2014 radio show with DJ Bedlam will be repeated on PlanetMosh Radio on New Year’s Eve at 8pm.