2014 was this amazing year of growth, not only for me personally, but for this site, for what we do and for everything else that makes life worth living.  So instead of peppering away with the same tired old favourites list, I thought I would share a few things that really made this 2014 for me.

1.  Favourite moment:  Meeting our long time staff writer Johnny Zontal.

One of the only good things to come from my time writing for another website was my relationship with Johnny.  He’s perpetually hilarious, charmingly drunk and though I had some trepidations about meeting someone off the internet, we met at Housecore Horror Festival 2014 and it was like hanging out with your old best friend.  We experienced some completely ridiculous things, drank our faces off, ate goat meat tacos.  I wish we had friends like him up in Canada.  I wouldn’t think about killing others so much.

2.  Favourite booze:  Drinking absinthe.

The green faery is a foul fucking mistress, who beckons you unto her chartreuse titties and fucks your whole life up with merely one drink.  Drinking absinthe with our staff photographer Marsha was the perfect end to an amazing year.  Nothing says friendship like drinking absinthe, going to Denny’s and drinking white wine out of plastic cups over plates of nachos.

3.  Favourite live show:  Wolves in the Throne Room.

Having been a long time listener, this show meant the absolute world to me.  It gave me hope that musicians could still put on shows that I would want to attend and really filled my heart with like..  feelings and stuff.

4.  Favourite movie:  The Sacrament

I fucking hate Ti West.  Seriously.  I hate him and his stupid face and that fucking tablecloth he wears around his neck in You’re Next, but for whatever reason..  The Sacrament is my favourite horror film of 2014 and it’s totally ruining my life to type this.  The crow that I am currently chewing tastes great, someone pass the ketchup.  This movie was actually fucking disturbing and gave pause to not only myself, but the other staff writers here in the Graveyard.

5.  Favourite Television moment: 

Stevie Nicks rolling out in American Horror Story Coven was pretty much the most WTF TV movie moment, and while it may not be the actual best TV moment, it certainly has rolled through my fucking mind about a million goddamn times, and I’ve probably watched American Horror Story Coven at least 20 times, so really..  I’m the chucklehead, here.

6.  Favourite music:  Ides of Gemini – “Old World New Wave”

Ides of Gemini completely took my breath away a couple years ago when I saw them open for Ghost in Vancouver.  The swirling stark wall of sound combined with Sera’s powerful voice immediately got me thinking black metal witchcraft..  Sera has this way with lyrical content that is so lush while at the same time being sparse, the songs resonate with this power behind them that smoulders, and the technical proficiency of the actual music is also to be remarked on.  I think I nearly wore out my Constantinople CD, and I of course purchased Old World New Wave, and the growth that has been demonstrated on this record, is nothing short of breath taking.  I so rarely find music that thrills and chills me in the way that Ides of Gemini does, and I appreciate that beyond all else.

So with all that in mind.  Have a happy fucking NUDE REAR, ya spooky folks!  Try to not end up passed out in your mom’s tomato plants this year.  Its never a good way to kick off a new year.  I speak from personal experience.