Sometimes, try as you might, you can't overcome the feeling that an anniversary should not be celebrated; that it is only a reminder of another year less ahead of you. (I realize most of you prefer to get drunk with your friends rather than go all philosophical on your birthday, but still.) When it comes to Chronicles of Chaos however, each passing year feels like a triumph, in the sense that we are still working together on something we care for, still maintaining the standards we demand of ourselves.

This all brings something else into even sharper focus: last year will always be remembered for the death of CoC co-founder Adrian Bromley. Although he no longer actively participated in the publication, his presence will always be missed; perhaps never more so than on a date such as this.

For our fourteenth anniversary editorial, I have chosen a subject that has been on my mind for a few years now, growing slowly but surely as time goes on. I will only scratch its surface at this point, but I would say this is a decisive time for all of music.

Over the course of the last fourteen years, Chronicles of Chaos has witnessed many changes in the Internet. When we started back in 1995, we were among the pioneers. Today, the evolution of digital media distribution technology increasingly brings into question the role of a publication like CoC.

File sharing debates have long been raging all over the Internet, pitting copyright 'enforcers' against fair use 'rebels', and now a member of Sweden's Pirate Party has been elected to the European Union Parliament. But meanwhile, once timid audio samples have increasingly given way to streaming album previews from bands or labels, Internet radio that tries to cater to your own taste, and more. For websites that base their existence on music reviews, it really is all the same: it has never been easier to listen to everything for yourself.

As a result, I believe the real challenge today for a publication like CoC is to remain relevant despite the ease of hearing something for yourself instead of reading about it. We would like to know your views on that matter; as always, just head to our contact page and tell us what you think.

Meanwhile, we've got some exciting new writers on board, as well as a revitalized News section, and we're also extending our output to Twitter and Facebook (read all about it in the News section I just mentioned). But above all, we still aim to bring you the best possible articles, unearthing as many hidden gems as we are able, covering as many releases as we can, at the earliest possible date -- and to do so in a way that keeps you coming back for more.

See you all next year.