Now that we have completed the BravePicks Of 2014 countdown - which Bloodbath triumphed (see the entire list here) - it is time now to shine the spotlight on the people that actually helped to build our mountain of metal! It was a massive task, as BraveWords was flooded with hundreds and hundreds of releases in 2014, showcasing the fact that the scene is as vibrant as ever! Each day, the BraveWords scribes will spout off their good, bad and ugly for 2014 and thoughts on the coming year! We’re talking 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 - The Scribes Speak!

NICK BALAZS

Top 20 Of 2014

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

2) OVERKILL – White Devil Armory (eOne Music)

3) SONATA ARCTICA – Pariah’s Child (Nuclear Blast)

4) TWILIGHT FORCE – Tales Of Ancient Prophecies (Black Lodge Records)

5) UNISONIC – Light Of Dawn (earMUSIC)

6) JUDAS PRIEST – Redeemer Of Souls (Epic)

7) STEEL PANTHER – All You Can Eat (Open E Entertainment)

8) PORTRAIT – Crossroads (Metal Blade)

9) BLUES PILLS – Blues Pills (Nuclear Blast)

10) ACE FREHLEY – Space Invader (eOne Music)

11) ACCEPT – Blind Rage (Nuclear Blast)

12) EXODUS – Blood In Blood Out (Nuclear Blast)

13) CRASH MIDNIGHT – Lost In The City (Bronx Bridge Entertainment)

14) REVONTULET – Revontulet (Arcus Records)

15) ALESTORM – Sunset On The Golden Age (Napalm)

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

17) SABATON – Heroes (Nuclear Blast)

18) RIOT V – Unleash The Fire (Steamhammer / SPV)

19) AXEL RUDI PELL – Into The Storm (AFM Records)

20) GAMMA RAY – Empire Of The Undead (earMUSIC)

Top 5 Brave Embarrassments

1) CALIFORNIA BREED – California Breed (Frontiers Records)

Everything about this record says I should like it, but it just didn’t click; Hughes has done much better work.

2) ROCKSTARS ON MARS – Rockstars On Mars EP (Independent)

Despite my fairly positive review, on second thought, the songs from these sleaze rockers just don’t cut it.

3) AC/DC – Rock Or Bust (Sony)

A half-assed record from a band that ran out of ideas long ago.

4) GEOFF TATE’S QUEENSRYCHE – Frequency Unknown Reissue (Cleopatra Records/Deadline Music)

Here’s your chance to hear this mediocre record again. Completely unnecessary.

5) FOZZY – Do You Wanna Start A War? (Century Media)

Man…Chris Jericho is my guy, but Fozzy hasn’t been the same in years and have slowly turned into modern metal tripe.This is just no good.

Top 3 Concerts

1) STEEL PANTHER – Hard Rock Rocksino, Northfield, OH

2) SLAYER, SUICIDAL TENDENCIES, EXODUS – Agora Theatre, Cleveland, OH

3) SONATA ARCTICA, DELAIN, XANDRIA – Agora Ballroom, Cleveland, OH

Thoughts On 2014

Overall a pretty strong year; and bonus points for KING DIAMOND finally returning to active live duty in North America. However, I did not understand the fascination with this BABYMETAL and MYRKUR which some other entities drooled over. There was some strong tour bookings/lineups like the thrashing mayhem of SLAYER, SUICIDAL TENDENCIES and EXODUS and also some death metal with the DEATH tribute act DTA, OBITUARY, and MASSACRE as well as power metal fanfare with SONATA ARCTICA, DELAIN, and XANDRIA. Apart from that, it was disappointing that the original lineup of KISS wouldn’t perform together at the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame induction. Just one last performance would have been the icing on the KISS Kake.

Metal Predictions For 2015

Predictions….someone needs to take the mantle of becoming the next big act in heavy metal. So far, I have no idea how to define this decade. STEEL PANTHER took a major leap in 2014 and I saw them everywhere from Fox NFL Sunday to local news programs, which was great. I predict some great classic heavy metal bands like PORTRAIT, RAM, ENFORCER, and IN SOLITUDE will join forces for a North American tour to show that metal is still being done the right way as these bands need some major exposure. IRON MAIDEN will release a new album this year and it will be something closer to their ‘80s output and not like the ones since Bruce returned to the band. As for MEGADETH…Dave and Dave reunite with Nick Menza and Marty Friedman. Never say never!

What/Who Needs To Stop In 2015

KISS – Can Gene and Paul please stop bad mouthing the original lineup? As a huge KISS fan, this hurts. And record labels who continue to push a new album from a band, then a few months later delivering the Deluxe Version of it. You can’t continue to get blood from a stone.

BravePicks 2014 Top 30

1) BLOODBATH – Grand Morbid Funeral (Peaceville)

2) ACCEPT – Blind Rage (Nuclear Blast)

3) JUDAS PRIEST - Redeemer Of Souls (Epic)

4) BEHEMOTH - The Satanist (Metal Blade)

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)