The Best of 2014

[kimchunsa9 0]

So 2014 is coming to a close soon and I was wondering what everyone thought about who had the best music of 2014 so far, so I came up with a little list to see what everyone thought:

-Best Album

-Best Single

-Best PV

-Best Rock Band

-Best Rock Act(visual kei, live performance)

-Best Solo Act

-Best Rookie(debuted in 2014)

 

 

[Elazmus 1873]

Rookie of the year 2014: My BACTERIA HEAT IsLAND

[Shmilly 519]

Best Album so far is either CodeRebirth - CATHARSIS or ALSDEAD - IDEA. Still waiting on albums from GHOSE, Kaishin no Ichigeki and NOCTURNAL BLOODLUST first though.

[Lestat 2167]

Best album: HEART

Best solo artist: KAMIJO

Best PV: Symphony of the Vampire

[beni 2149]

-Best Album: GANGSTA (please don't hurt me, I have yet to actually finish listening through most albums ehe) Now have listened to Rhapsody in Beauty, also up there.

-Best Single: theatrical blue black

-Best PV: - (I should really check out more PVs.. ><)

-Best Rock Band: Very pleased and impressed with both 12012 and girugamesh this year.

-Best Rock Act(visual kei, live performance): - (Same response with 'best PV,' can't make a choice yet..)

-Best Solo Act: KAMIJO, defo.

-Best Rookie(debuted in 2014): - (Need to check if years are correct but, either way, siding with Elazmus on this one. Will probably be reminded by others' comments on this ehe)

Edited November 15, 2014 by benibana

[Aferni 2381]

Best Artist : THE BLACK SWAN

Best Preview: D.I.D. - Fatal Error Race
Best Rookie: Gossip-ゴシップ-

Best Single: THE BLACK SWAN - I SOLATION

Best Band: Deciding between D.I.D. And THE BLACK SWAN because i love them lots.

[evilcoconut 109]

Singles....I don't keep track of singles, but i have been keeping track of albums. So far for Jrock, my favorite albums are: 

 

- 小林太郎 - IGNITE

- SID – OUTSIDER

- INORAN - Somewhere

- THE BACK HORN - Akatsuki no Fanfare

- OLDCODEX - A Silent, within The Roar

- The Madcap Laughs - The Midnight Love

- Nothing's Carved In Stone - Strangers in Heaven

- UNISON SQUARE GARDEN - Catcher In The Spy 

- FoZZtone - Stomp the Earth

- YUKI - FLY

- exist†trace – WORLD MAKER 

- SADIE - GANGSTA

 

Yeah it's a lot, but I listen to a lot so.

 

Don't watch PVs and Idrk to the other questions either lol.

 

ETA - lemme just add the new ALSDEAD album to that list. What a great album.

[Shaolan974 6185]

It's too early for this kind of poll I think.

 

We can't judge because there are DIR EN GREY's and MERRY's albums on December !!!

[blackdoll 907]

waiting for femme fatale

[doombox 4421]

It's too early for this kind of poll I think.

 

We can't judge because there are DIR EN GREY's and MERRY's albums on December !!!

Basically this. Lots of good music is still coming out this year!

[Pretsy 1343]

It's too early for this kind of poll I think.

 

We can't judge because there are DIR EN GREY's and MERRY's albums on December !!!

Exactly

 

+ shouldn't someone from MH staff (mods/admins) be the one to start the whole "best of"-summary/topic?

[Zeus 7997]

Exactly

 

+ shouldn't someone from MH staff (mods/admins) be the one to start the whole "best of"-summary/topic?

We focus on our own lists and defer general discussion of the best releases of the year to you all. Without doubt, someone ends up starting this topic so we never have to.

It's about that time to start discussing the best albums of the year anyway. You can always edit the existing list or post an update at a later date if your lists change. This is just for fun anyway, unless someone wants to go the extra mile and post their own list. That's not against the rules but no one ever takes me up on that offer.

[lichtlune 915]

I'm still waiting for the best of 2013. I thought there was a thread with votes and things? I never saw the official votes. 

 

 

 

 

THIS http://monochrome-heaven.com/index.php?/topic/25438-monochrome-heaven-j-rock-awards-2013-voting/#entry311828

 

 

What happened to this? 

[Zeus 7997]

Here are the results from last year's Best of 2013 list. We probably won't be doing one this year due to low voter turnout. In some fields there weren't enough votes to even elect a winner.

best vk artist (top 3): DIV, UNiTE, Nocturnal Bloodlust

best overall artist non vk (top 3): The Novembers, Wakusei Abnormal, ONE OK ROCK

best album (vk) (top 3):

DIV - ZERO ONE

ALSDEAD - Separator

Luna Sea - A Will

best album (non vk):

THE NOVEMBERS - zeitgeist

best single/maxi(vk):

ユナイト (UNiTE) - 美空結び

DIAURA - SIRIUS/Lily

Golden Kinema gekijou by DIV

best single/maxi (non vk): no winner

best pv:

Louis 〜艶血のラヴィアンローズ〜

Heartless Classic Memory (ハートレス クラシックメモリー)by UNiTE

Best Newcomer:

宇宙コンビニ (uchuu konbini)

Kameleo

Saddest disbandment: A

Most disappointing release: The GazettE - BEAUTIFUL DEFORMITY

What the Hell were they thinking!?-award: The GazettE - BEAUTIFUL DEFORMITY

Most anticipated release of 2013: The GazettE - BEAUTIFUL DEFORMITY

Best non-japanese release: no winner

[Pretsy 1343]

-Best Album: Charisma.com - DIStopping (99,8 % flawless)

-Best Single: "unravel" by TK from Ling Tosite Sigure

-Best PV: "No1 Sweeper" by Especia

-Best Rock Band: Gesu no Kiwami Otome

-Best Rock Act(visual kei, live performance): Sukekiyo ("visual kei" in my book, yes)

-Best Solo Act: Ringo Shiina

-Best Rookie(debuted in 2014): Sukekiyo (sorry, MBHI)

 

Will get back later for non-JP version and possibly the extended version in case OP will be kind enough to make a better template...

 

Ps. This is not the final list.

[Seimeisen 4406]

Current contenders:

Best visual kei album: AvelCain - s/t (still waiting on MERRY, DIAURA, and DIR EN GREY)

Best non-visual album: I Killed The Prom Queen - Beloved, Job For A Cowboy - Sun Eater, The Contortionist - Language

Best single: Lycaon - Shadow, AvelCain - 妖の匣

Best mini album: 12012 - XII, GHOSE - Assortment

Best newcomer: THE BLACK SWAN, sukekiyo

Biggest disappointment: Alice Nine - Supernova, Sadie - GANGSTA, darkest hour - s/t

Saddest disbandment: SUICIDE ALI

[violetchain 912]

Still have high hopes for a few things I haven't listened to yet, but so far:

 

Albums/Mini-Albums:

Good Morning America - in Tokyo City

Suck a Stew Dry - Jibun Senki

04 Limited Sazabys - monolith

LEGO BIG MORL - NEW WORLD

HaKU - Symbiosis

 

Singles:

BiS - STUPiG

LIPHLICH - HURRAH HURRAY

[Shir0 1303]

Best visual kei album: Re:do (DELACROIX), The "420" THEATRICAL ROSES (Mejibray)

Best single:  Ayakashi no hako (AvelCain)

-Best PV: - (I should really check out more PVs.. ><)

me too.. right now I'd say Satsui(DEZERT) and Oboreru sakana(DADAROMA)

Best Mini-Album:Nisshin Geppo(MBHI)

Best newcomer: My BACTERIA HEAT IsLAND

[Pretsy 1343]

Impatience is testing me so I will go with my format-breaking list now:

 

~Pretsy's top 20 of 2014~ (IN ORDER)

 

edit: based on Foobar/phone statistics

 

 

1.     Charisma.com – DIStopping

2.     Wagakki Band - Vocalo Zanmai

3.     Seiko Oomori – Sennou

4.     Schizoid Lloyd - The Last Note in God's Magnum Opus

5.     Vampillia - The Divine Move + My Beautiful Twisted Nightmares in Aurora Rainbow Darkness

6.     Trioscapes – Digital Dream Sequence

7.     sukekiyo – IMMORTALIS

8.     TK from Ling Tosite Sigure - Fantastic Magic

9.     Flying Lotus - You're Dead!

10.   Hail Spirit Noir - Oi Magoi

11.   BADBADNOTGOOD – III

12.   Sivyj Yar – From the Dead Villages’ Darkness

13.   Kyary Pamyu Pamyu - Pikapika Fantasian

14.   GoGo Penguin - v2.0

15.   Freddie Gibbs & Madlib – Piñata

16.   Mariko Goto - Kowareta Hako ni Rinakkusu

17.   Kimbra – The Golden Echo

18.   THE NOVEMBERS – Rhapsody in Beauty

19.   Swans – To Be Kind

20.   Epik High – Shoebox

 

 

Minis:

 

1. Age Factory – Te Wo Furu

2. Vampillia – White Silence

3. IU – Flower Bookmark

4. Gesu no Kiwami Otome - Minna Normal

 

 

Phew.

[beni 2149]

I really did do that list too soon. xD Discovered some new favs and given ones recently released this month a listen which should be there somewhere haha. I guess my choices will become obvious after the 'EOTY' list but, I'm posting here again just to remind me to actually get a good one up. It'd be great as a personal sum up of this year's music highlights to me. Awesome work at narrowing the choices down to those who have completed it! Would be interesting to see so many others' choices. Big thanks to Zeus too for that rundown of 2013 results! Too bad it won't be happening for 2014. At least we get to see here from others.

[Ada Suilen 652]

And now after many thoughts, it is my turn on telling what are the best things of 2014

 

-Best Album: Dir en Grey - Arche (special mention to Nocturnal Bloodlust - The Omnigod)

-Best Single: Mucc - Yue ni Matenrou

-Best PV: Meijbray - Echo

-Best Rock Band: Mucc (they showed that they are capable of everything!)

-Best Rock Act: The GazettE - Magnificent Malformed Box (one of the few live DVD's which I saw until the end)

-Best Solo Act: Kamijo definitely!

-Best Rookie: hard to say this, but my main choices are Sukekiyo, Avanchick and Femme Fatale!

 

That's all for me! Hoping that 2015 will be better and better!

[TheStoic 176]

I found plenty of great releases in 2014 to enjoy, and have mostly been happy with the return to form of many older bands that have produced great efforts, such as 12012, Mucc, Lycaon and Girugamesh.  New talent also looks promising as a new wave of Darker, heavier artists are making their way in the scene.  I'm excited to see what will unfold in 2015.  So without further adieu:

 

Best Album: Arche by Dir en grey

Honorable Mentions: ボカロ三昧 [Vocalo Zanmai] by 和楽器バンド [Wagakki Band], Symbosis by HaKU

 

Best EP: Gravitation by Girugämesh

Honorable Mentions: XII by 12012

 

Best Single: Libra by Nocturnal Bloodlust

Honorable Mentions: The Hopeless by The Black Swan, Shadow by Lycaon, Suicidal Diva by Biosphia

 

Best Rookie: The Black Swan

Honorable Mentions: My Bacteria Heat Island, Dadaroma

[blackdoll 907]

to set the mood as this took a while

Best albums

 Bangtan boys' Dark&Wild and Skool  Luv Affair  fucking flawless couldn't believe it when i first herd it. Sold me on the genres of hip hop and r&b in a sense and they are the masters of it

Nancy Ajram's Nancy 8 With her afrodisiac like voice this album hits home with it's fun and serios track, loved every minute of it. Call her the queen.

Tamer Hosny's 180 Darga like i said in my status I feel like a slut and its all his fault. You all know how Yuuki is my everything when it come to vocals but i was so cheating on him with this album. The instrumentals + his voice was just giving to me rocking my body, and i was enjoying it. I'm hoping the the  royals new album will put this to rest. Also was impressed that even the song feat akon was bomb and i love what he did with him. Autotuned his ass to the backup, then with the none hook part had him sing in arabic.

 

NAKKA's Электродофреник that band that beat Lycaon at the use of metalcore, and this band keeps up that great sound with this kick ass, lower level brutal, album. so fucking good, so glad they put it up on the company bandcamp so i can atleast listen to it.

I Drink My Coffee Alone's Winterfrühlingsommerherbst Best mini album. Not your average one man band! Not your average electronic/nintendocore band!

Walking Dead On Broadway's AESHMA that brutal deathcore i needed, great job with it too.

HYPERIAL's Blood And Dust Very lovely death metal mixed with something album. Brutal and fun

HyunA's  A Talk What introduced me into the scene, and loved it all of it! Hope she continues this way

Best singles

Lycaon's baka ne, akujo no hohoemi, and shadow. Together they show Lycaon can do whatever the fuck they want to do and always come out best. Alone however: baka ne is the fun single and shows that their desire cover wasn't a flok, pop is their bitch, while at the same time it brought metal back to the table with dogra magra, i was think industrial? Then their was groovy akujo no hohoemi with more so added metal back to the table. and the cover really showed all those little shit that Yuuki-sama's voice isn't to be underminded, he doesn't need any training he sings how he pleases to at the moment. Lastly we have shadow which showed that they know how to end the year. i could barely be bothered with anything else cause it was so lovely. To me it kinda showed what yuuki could do as a solo act cause he owned this with his dazzling fantastic falsetto, creepy voice affect, masterful flow.      

INFERNAL REVULSION's PROJECT MASSACRE Hell yes! The band that's active that show japan is all kawaii with this brutal as fuck song. This + last years ep, finally a J-metal band i can get behind of. There is death i am, but i don't think they are ready. Yes Japanese brutality.

 

best albums for japan

LM.C PERFECT RAINBOW, Grieva shuuen, Artema stargazer, Sick² - RadioYerevan

Best Music of the year

Lycaon! Lycaon! Lycaon! Lycaon! Lycaon! Lycaon! Lycaon! Lycaon! Lycaon! Lycaon! Lycaon! Lycaon! Lycaon! Lycaon! Lycaon! Lycaon!

Who impressed me.

Sick², the raid., RoNo☆Cro, loud grape, the gallo, aoa, f(x)

who disappointed me

Savage, went from sound so good to bad sound quality depain with mehh songs. Blitz, no real comeback, come on. 

great songs cut

Girl's day - something, Mejibray - raven & madari, 4minite - whatcha doin today, aoa - like a cat, exo - overdose, DADAROMA - 溺れる魚, CHAMBER OF MALICE - 028 HATE, DROSERA OBLAAT. - THE INVASION (rerecording), LUCHe. - Heartless, femme fatale - freya & crimson nail & afterglow, アルルカン - Apoptosis, Super Junior - MAMACITA, GG tts - holler, EXID - up & down

Best looking

ari 

Best tv

new show: Marco Polo (netflix), returning show: Peaky Blinders (netflix), anime: Tokyo Ghoul, Cartoon: Ben 10 omniverse

[evilcoconut 109]

This was really hard and I couldn't even stick to 10 like I usually do. Or include EPs.  There are two non-Japanese artists in there, but oh well, I'm not redoing it now lol. These aren't in order really either, but my absolute favorite of the year is, uh, highlighted. Honorable mention to TML.

 

1.Hilcrhyme - Five Zero One

2.TOC - IN PHASE

3.KEN THE 390 - #7

4.SKY-HI - TRICKSTER

5.FEMM - Femm-Isation

6.M.I.B - Maginot Line

7.The Madcap Laughs - The Midnight Love

8.Jam Hsiao - The Song

9.Dir en grey - Arche

10.this is not a business - DEATH MARCH

11.Arukara - CAO

12.SADIE - GANGSTA

13.MY FIRST STORY - 虚言NEUROSE

14.ALSDEAD - IDEA-イデア-

15.MERRY - NOnsenSe MArkeT