In December, a kind commenter, boo909, said I provided the best round up of Bandcamp metal. It’s a great compliment. It got me thinking too. There are many top notch bands out there that have released amazing albums this year via Bandcamp and have done so without a shred of label support.
I think that’s worthy of recognition. So I put together a list of the top 50 self-released titles for the year. Some bands on the list have gone on to find label support. Others were merely between labels or wanted to release something off label. And others still are steadfastly independent. It doesn’t matter though. Every release here demands attention in its own way. So check them out; you never know what you might have missed.
Congratulations go out to Horsehunter on taking top spot here. Caged in Flesh is an absolute monster and should be listened to by everybody. And congratulations to Amnesian for getting two mentions. If there’s any justice, they will be major label huge as soon as possible.
If I have failed at my due diligence and have included a release that was labelled all along, apologies. But I’m pretty sure I got everything right.
1) Horsehunter – Caged in Flesh
Self-released – 2014/09/30
Originally reviewed in October
Try before you buy: Witchery
2) Woundvac – Woundvac
Self-released – 2014/02/25
Originally reviewed in July
Try before you buy: Upon the Threshold
3) End Silence – The Waters
Self-released – 2014/09/19
Originally reviewed in September
Try before you buy: Soul Charger
4) Lxs Jugadxs – Demo 2014
Self-released – 2014/07/02
Originally reviewed in July
Try before you buy: Fallar
5) Ofghost – Eeva
Self-released – 2014/08/01
Originally reviewed in August
Try before you buy: Dust
6) Außerwelt – Our Lives Out of Balance
Self-released – 2014/09/21
Originally reviewed in September
Try before you buy: A Grey Matter
7) Black Khox – Akab
Self-released – 2014/04/20
Originally reviewed in April
Try before you buy: Kong
8) Anopheli – A Hunger Rarely Sated
Self-released – 2014/04/24
Originally reviewed in May
Try before you buy: Incompetent Sires
9) Amnesian – No Atonement
Self-released – 2014/02/08
Originally reviewed in February
Try before you buy: …Mania
10) Fvck Mountain – Dead Dogs
Self-released – 2014/10/02
Originally reviewed in October
Try before you buy: Violence
11) Of Doomed Morale – Ritual on Black Mountain
Self-released – 2014/11/04
Originally reviewed in November
Try before you buy: The Haruspex
12) Iprit – Iprit
Self-released – 2014/10/01
Originally reviewed in October
Try before you buy: Солнце не взойдет
13) El Hambre – El Hambre
Self-released – 2014/01/13
Originally reviewed in March
Try before you buy: Valkiria
14) Pregnancy – Demo
Self-released – 2014/01/19
Originally reviewed in July
Try before you buy: A Backing-Up of the Bowels
15) Mörkhimmel – Ostří černé kosy zní
Self-released – 2014/12/24
Originally reviewed in December
Try before you buy: Na věky věků
16) Ironic Reversal – Clonus
Self-released – 2014/10/15
Originally reviewed in October
Try before you buy: Simulants
17) Alder Glade – Demo I
Self-released – 2014/08/28
Originally reviewed in August
Try before you buy: Imprisoned in the Stars
18) Abysmal Growls of Despair – Lovecraftian Drone
Self-released – 2014/09/05
Originally reviewed in December
Try before you buy: The Great Old Ones
19) Hegeroth – Three Emperors’ Triangle
Self-released – 2014/09/05
Originally reviewed in September
Try before you buy: The Enforcer
20) James Doesn’t Exist – The Kid Wins Again
Self-released – 2014/08/06
Originally reviewed in December
Try before you buy: To High to Get High
21) Skinflint – Nyemba
Self-released – 2014/09/06
Originally reviewed in September
Try before you buy: Veya
22) Coffin Birth – Necrotic Liquefaction
Self-released – 2014/07/31
Originally reviewed in August
Try before you buy: The Ripping and the Tearing
23) Afterwalker – Afterwalker
Self-released – 2014/10/19
Originally reviewed in November
Try before you buy: Denied
24) TarLung – TarLung
Self-released – 2014/11/22
Originally reviewed in November
Try before you buy: Last Breath
25) Agonized – Consumed
Self-released – 2014/02/22
Originally reviewed in June
Try before you buy: Indefinite
26) Videmur – Finality
Self-released – 2014/08/25
Originally reviewed in September
Try before you buy: Desolate Essence
27) Amnesian – Inhospitable
Self-released – 2014/09/28
Originally reviewed in September
Try before you buy: Symmetry Hymn
28) Gnaw Their Tongues – Wir essen Seelen in der Nacht
Self-released – 2014/11/01
Originally reviewed in December
Try before you buy: Wir essen Seelen in der Nacht
29) Practically Extinct – Again
Self-released – 2014/07/03
Originally reviewed in August
Try before you buy: WxFxFxFx
30) Omfalos – Fallacy
Self-released – 2014/07/29
Originally reviewed in July
Try before you buy: Fallacy II
31) The Mark of Man – Exeunt
Self-released – 2014/08/21
Originally reviewed in August
Try before you buy: The Craven
32) ExVx – Contra Violence
Self-released – 2014/03/04
Originally reviewed in March
Try before you buy: Parochial
33) Ephemeral Ocean – Honour in the Mask
Self-released – 2014/04/05
Originally reviewed in April
Try before you buy: Wrong Dismemberment
34) Voidcraeft – Disgust
Self-released – 2014/02/18
Originally reviewed in March
Try before you buy: Where There is No Image
35) Aronious – Truth in Perception
Self-released – 2014/04/04
Originally reviewed in April
Try before you buy: Truth in Perception
36) Al Goregrind – Asses
Self-released – 2014/08/01
Originally reviewed in August
Try before you buy: Psychedelic Fart Symphony
37) Catapult the Dead – All is Sorrow
Self-released – 2014/04/20
Originally reviewed in May
Try before you buy: Valencia
38) Larvae – Grave Descent
Self-released – 2014/01/14
Originally reviewed in January
Try before you buy: Fallen, Left to Die
39) Muldjord – Color of My Soul
Self-released – 2014/07/02
Originally reviewed in September
Try before you buy: A Thousand Paths
40) Oberion – Return
Self-released – 2014/06/04
Originally reviewed in June
Try before you buy: Eerie
41) Jane Dark – Doors to Silence
Self-released – 2014/07/29
Originally reviewed in July
Try before you buy: Fading of Flowers
42) Serpent View – From Darkness to Light
Self-released – 2014/10/25
Originally reviewed in November
Try before you buy: The Sun is Going Down
43) Deadbeat – Demo 2014
Self-released – 2014/03/23
Originally reviewed in December
Try before you buy: Nuke Fear
44) Barren Altar – A Monument to Endless Suffering
Self-released – 2014/10/08
Originally reviewed in December
Try before you buy: The Nectar of Human Blood
45) The Tovver – The Tovver
Self-released – 2014/11/22
Originally reviewed in November
Try before you buy: To Sleep and Awake Unafraid
46) A Red Nightmare – A Red Nightmare
Self-released – 2014/06/02
Originally reviewed in June
Try before you buy: Enemy
47) Defamer – Monolith of Filth
Self-released – 2014/08/19
Originally reviewed in October
Try before you buy: Conflagration of Divinity
48) The Apache Revolver – The Morningstar EP
Self-released – 2014/05/01
Originally reviewed in July
Try before you buy: Morningstar, Son of the Dawn
49) Amora – Violence is Human
Self-released – 2014/03/28
Originally reviewed in March
Try before you buy: For Those Slain
50) Pekla – Speed’n’Roll
Self-released – 2014/07/07
Originally reviewed in July
Try before you buy: Nuo Sutemų iki Aušros
