The Best Rock and Metal Songs of 2014
This year has been an incredible year for rock music with some new artists bursting onto the scene like Kyng, Crobot, and Royal Blood. Bands like Suicide Silence making a comeback. Supergroup HellYeah’s album Blood For Blood and Mushroomhead’s The Righteous and The Butterfly were their best albums to date. Newcomers such as The Color Morale, Marmozets and The Defiled are showing us that rock is alive and well among the younger artists. The best rock and metal songs of this year are:
24. Bang It Out by Breathe Carolina
A song featuring Karmin off of their album Savages. Check out this electronic rock group and their album which has more of the same upbeat songs.
23. You Can’t Stop Me by Suicide Silence
Suicide Silence have made a comeback with a new singer, Eddie Hermida. Their previous singer, Mitch Lucker, died in a motorcycle accident in 2012. Their return has been touted as one of the greatest comebacks of the year.
22. Why Do You Hate Me? by Marmozets
Marmozets burned up the stage at Warped Tour this year. The math rock band from England has two sets of siblings in the band. Their live performance is phenomenal and stopped me dead in my tracks. I abandoned my food to watch their mesmerizing live show.
21. Suicide; Stigma by The Color Morale
The Color Morale is a post-hardcore band from Rockford, Illinois. Their message is always positive. Suicide; Stigma video is a Warped Tour all-star cast and includes fans as well. The message is against suicide taking away pain.
20. All Rise by Wovenwar
Wovenwar has risen from the ashes of As I Lay Dying. This song is the epitome of rising from the ashes. Wovenwar has established themselves as a force to be reckoned with in the hard rock genre.
19. Five Minutes by The Defiled
The Defiled was the first band to perform on an iceberg ever. This song is an homage to loved one that have passed away. It has made our Best Metal and Rock Songs For A Funeral.
18. Wrong Side of Heaven by Five Finger Death Punch
Five Finger Death Punch is the powerhouse of metal. Watch the message by Five Finger Death Punch about veterans. Their support of veterans is unparalleled by metal artists.
17. Sick Like Me by In This Moment
In This Moment is fronted by the talented Maria Brink. This track was the first release off their album Black Widow. Sick Like Me sounds like a mantra that despite the sick way we behave that there is merging of the two sides. One side tearing the other to pieces all the time.
16. Reincarnate by Motionless in White
The band has graced numerous covers of Alternative Press and has been touring for years. MIW had turned heads recently with the release of their video A-M-E-R-I-C-A which was directed by Clown from Slipknot. Reincarnate is from their album of the same name. Fans of Marilyn Manson and Misfits will like Motionless in White.
15. Bones Exposed by Of Mice & Men
Austin Carlile, the unclean vocalist, of Of Mice & Men is one of those people who everyones idolizes. His presence has made many girls weak-kneed and cry when they meet him. This song has such a profound message of each one of us being “We’re broken, we’re imperfect, we were all made the same.”
14. The Devil In I by Slipknot
The Devil In I is a single off of Slipknot’s album .5 The Gray Chapter. The song and the album solidifies Slipknot as metal band all-stars with staying power. This is the first album after the death of their bandmate, Paul Gray, who died in 2010. The band lineup has added Alessandro Venturella and Jay Weinberg. The band was trying to keep the identities secret however no secrets get kept for very long nowadays.
13. Qwerty by Mushroomhead
Mushroomhead is very similar in style to Slipknot. The band members are known for wearing masks and performing with water drums. Their live show was Best Rock List’s best live show out of all the live shows attended this year. Qwerty is a fun song about having a bad day.
12. Figure It Out by Royal Blood
Royal Blood is a two-piece band from England. Their sound is a blend of grunge and blues. Rock fans are hungry for this type of music and that is the reason for the success of this song.
11. Nowhere to Hide by Crobot
Crobot just release their album Something Supernatural. Crobot’s sound is reminiscent of Black Sabbath, Deep Purple, or Led Zeppelin. The band has dynamic members that look like they are from the seventies. You can pick up their hot sauce ‘El Sauco de Lucifer’ on tour.
10. Take Me To Church by Hozier
Hozier is an artist from Ireland. The video for this song supports sexual freedom and has catapulted Hozier to international fame.
9. My Demons by Starset
Starset is a cinematic rock band from Columbus, Ohio. Their message is one that states they were commissioned by a secret society called The Starset Society. This song asks for help, “Save me if I become, my demons”.
8. This Is The Time(Ballast) by Nothing More
Nothing More has come onto the scene and gained a huge following. This Is The Time (Ballast) is a power rock song that fans can relate to. The band’s performance features Jonny Hawkins performing shirtless. Over their extensive touring year, I think he has dropped a few percentage points of body fat.
7. Come With Me Now by Kongos
Anytime you can make an accordion rock, that is a great song. Kongos is kwaito band from South Africa. This track is has a catchy hook that is an undeniable ear worm.
6. Hater by Korn
The message of this song from Korn is anti-bullying. Hater is off their album The Paradigm Shift which saw the return of Brian ‘Head’ Welch who has returned to the band after almost a decade.
5. Room To Breathe by You Me At Six
You Me At Six is a British rock band who have broke out here in the United States. Their album Cavalier Youth has gained accolades. The band has sold out Wembley Arena and made a DVD to commemorate the evening.
4. Bloody Angel by Avatar
The hypnotic song off their dystopian album Hail The Apocolypse. The video is a cinematic masterpiece. Avatar’s live show is also theatrical with the vocalist, Johannes Eckerström, drinking from a gasoline can.
3. Electric Halo by Kyng
Kyng band has turned a lot of heads over the past year. The trio from Los Angeles has been compared to Black Sabbath, Soundgarden and the like. The album Burn The Serum is definitely one of the best albums to come out the past year. Learn about the background of this song by watching our interview with Tony Castaneda here
2. Moth by HellYeah
HellYeah consists of vocalist, Chad Gray of Mudvayne, drummer, Vinnie Paul of Pantera and Damage Plan, guitarist, Tom Maxwell of Nothingface and bassist, Kyle Sanders of Bloodsimple. Moth is a song about addictions that people cannot get away from.
1. Something From Nothing by Foo Fighters
Foo Fighters released their latest album Sonic Highways in conjunction with a special HBO series that showed the making of the album where tracks were recorded in a different city. This track was the first released and it was recorded in Albini’s Electrical Audio studio in Chicago. The track starts slowly and works up to a feverish pitch that is hard rocking and establishes Foo Fighters as rock geniuses.