Below are my favorite albums of the year; hopefully my list encourages some of you to check out something that you might've overlooked, and you enjoy it. If you'd like, you can follow me on twitter here. If you decide to buy something on this list and do it through either Amazon or iTunes - a tiny percent goes back to me; thanks!

30. The Amity Affliction - Let the Ocean Take Me
29. Within The Ruins - Phenomena
28. Volumes - No Sleep
27. Backtrack - Lost In Life
26. Austrian Death Machine - Triple Brutal
25. Skrillex - Recess
24. Conquering Dystopia - Conquering Dystopia
23. Nothing More - Nothing More
22. Linkin Park - The Hunting Party
21. Wolves in the Throne Room - Celestite
20. Unearth - Watchers of Rule
19. Darkest Hour - Darkest Hour
18. In Flames - Siren Charms
17. Thomas Giles - Modern Noise
16. Periphery - Clear
15. Knife Party - Abandon Ship
14. Animals As Leaders - Joy of Motion
13. Porter Robinson - Worlds
12. Wovenwar - Wovenwar
11. Foo Fighters - Sonic Highways
10. Whitechapel - Our Endless War
9. Aaron West and The Roaring Twenties - We Don't Have Each Other
8. Circa Survive - Descensus
7. Video Games Live - Level 3
6. Casey Crescenzo - Amour & Attrition
5. Behemoth - The Satanist
4. Crosses (†††) - Crosses
3. Rise Against - The Black Market
2. Every Time I Die - From Parts Unknown
1. Slipknot - .5: The Gray Chapter

Honorable Mentions:

Revocation - Deathless
Beartooth - Disgusting
Chiodos - Devil
The Ghost Inside - Dear Youth
Architects - Lost Forever // Lost Together
Gerard Way - Hesitant Alien
At The Gates - At War With Reality
Sleepwave - Broken Compass
You+Me - Rose Ave
Four Year Strong - Go Down In History
Steel Panther - All You Can Eat
Hands Like Houses - Reimagine
Comeback Kid - Die Knowing
Issues - Issues
Neck Deep - Wishful Thinking
Taking Back Sunday - Happiness Is...
The Acacia Strain - Coma Witch
The Contortionist - Language
Skyharbor - Guiding Lights

Best Video Games:

1. Far Cry 4
2. Grand Theft Auto V
3. Outlast
4. The Last of Us: Remastered
5. Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn

Best Reissues:

1. Soundgarden - Superunknown
2. Avenged Sevenfold - Waking the Fallen: Resurrected
3. Neck Deep - Rain In July/A History of Bad Decisions
4. Death - Leprosy
5. Nas - Illmatic XX

Best Podcast Episodes

1. Marcus Lindblom
2. Grant Kirkhope
3. Tommy Tallarico
4, Steven Smith
5. Tucker Max

Best Live Band: A Day to Remember
Best Live Experience: Avenged Sevenfold/Korn
Worst Album: Against Me! - Transgender Dysphoria Blues
Worst Label: We Are Triumphant
Worst Band: King 810