Drum roll please … or maybe a hearty dose of blast-beats! Tis the season to commence the good, bad and ugly of 2014! Of course we’re talking about BravePicks 2014, where all the staff put their collective metal minds together to build the ultimate lists including individual Top 20s (new studio albums ONLY),  Top 5 Brave Embarrassments, Top 3 Concerts, What/Who Needs To Stop In 2015? and Metal Predictions For 2015.

BravePicks 2014

5) EXODUS - Blood In, Blood Out (Nuclear Blast)

Blood In, Blood Out marks a couple of significant Exodus milestones BraveWords scribe Aaron Small wrote recently: it’s the tenth studio album of original material for Exodus, and singer Steve “Zetro” Souza’s first with the band in ten years. Previously, Zetro fronted Exodus from 1986 to 1993, and again from 2002 to 2004. “I think the third time is a charm; listen to the album. It’s a different mindset now. People change, a lot of things happen in people’s lives. I think that things happened to me for the best, as far as attitude and mentality. Nuclear Blast has always been behind the band forever. Then having Breaking Bands Management – which consists of Jon and Marsha Zazula, Maria Ferrero, and Chuck Billy (of Testament) – I felt really comfortable with the coaching staff; everybody had their shit together this time; especially the band. This was the first time I walked in where everybody was completely clean and ready to go; myself as well. It seemed like the right thing to do; honestly I don’t see anybody else ever having to hold the mic again. I’m really excited this time around! The things that were my distractions in the past are all gone, every one of them; it’s really good to be able to focus on going out on tour and playing great shows. Now that we’re all older – Gary (Holt, guitarist) and myself are 50 – we understand each other’s space, each other’s individuality. But when we do this thing, it’s really great because the magic it spawns is just amazing.”

BravePicks 2014 Top 30

5) EXODUS - Blood In, Blood Out (Nuclear Blast)

6) AT THE GATES – At War With Reality (Century Media)

7) MAYHEM - Esoteric Warfare (Season Of Mist)

8) TRIPTYKON - Melana Chasmata (Century Media)

9) CANNIBAL CORPSE – A Skeletal Domain (Metal Blade)

10) OVERKILL - White Devil Armory (Nuclear Blast/eOne)

11) ARCH ENEMY - War Eternal (Century Media)

12) 1349 - Massive Cauldron Of Chaos (Season Of Mist)

13) SANCTUARY - The Year The Sun Died (Century Media)

14) OBITUARY - Inked In Blood (Relapse)

15) GRAVE DIGGER – Return Of The Reaper (Napalm)

16) ACE FREHLEY - Space Invader (eOne)

17) MASTODON — Once More ’Round The Sun (Reprise)

18) EDGUY – Space Police: Defenders Of The Crown (Nuclear Blast)

19) THE DAGGER – The Dagger (Century Media)

20) PRIMORDIAL – Where Greater Men Have Fallen (Metal Blade)

21) UNISONIC - Light Of Dawn (earMusic)

22) PRIMAL FEAR – Delivering The Black (Frontiers)

23) DEVILMENT – The Great And Secret Show (Nuclear Blast)

24) MR. BIG - ...The Stories We Could Tell (Frontiers)

25) EYEHATEGOD – Eyehategod (Housecore)

26) STEEL PANTHER – All You Can Eat (Open E)

27) CALIFORNIA BREED – California Breed (Frontiers)

28) TESLA – Simplicity (Tesla Electric Co.)

29) PRONG – Ruining Lives (SPV/Steamhammer)

30) GAMMA RAY – Empire Of The Undead (EarMusic)