EXTREME METAL Albums Poll - Nominations Round

Palehorse - Gee, that ain't swell
3 Stages Of Pain - With Chaos In Her Wake

Cult Of Luna - The Beyond

(if we can have Isis and Neurosis we can have CoL imo)

Through Silver In Blood is probably my favourite metal album of all time but I probably won't vote for it here. It's utterly classic but I wouldn't really call it extreme. If anything it sounds quite ancient and fundamental - an album that lies very centrally within what metal is.

Gorguts - Obscura
Bolt Thrower - Those Once Loyal

I need to hear that Cleric album. (The guitarist is in John Zorn's new trio Simulacrum, which I would nominate but it wouldn't get any votes.)

Ah, you know what? Fuck it.

Naked City - Torture Garden
Naked City - Leng T'Che
Painkiller - Guts of a Virgin
Painkiller - Buried Secrets (features members of Godflesh!)
John Zorn - Moonchild: Songs Without Words
John Zorn - Simulacrum
John Zorn - The True Discovery of Witches and Devils
John Zorn - Inferno

Darkthrone - Panzerfaust

I have a question about Nihilist. Legendary band from Sweden that became Entombed, and their demos were huge influences for not only the Swedish death metal scene, but due to tape trading, made waves pretty much everywhere that extreme metal was happening. However, they never released a full length record, only demos. They have an amazing comp of these demos called 1987-1989. Is that eligible?

I think I need to try Zorn's metal stuff again. I've been trying to get into Electric Masada recently but I'm finding it quite difficult (I struggle with jazz in general). I have one of the Moonchild albums somewhere but I rarely listen to it. Too much screeching from Zorn and Patton.

imago seems to be one of those who dismisses not only original metal but also original extreme metal.

Metal did not start with death or black metal.

the neurosis/insert any band here arent extreme stuff is for the 16 year olds just into metal bullshit

Yeah, but it's 2015 now

Anyway, enough. It's all extreme by some standard. Carry on

I would argue that Neurosis are plenty extreme but as a mostly post-hardcore band, not very metal.

i don't think Neurosis strictly like being referred to as metal, but it's very heavy stuff regardless.

and goths deny they're goths. lol

imago what has 2015 got to do with anything? its a poll for best extreme metal albums. Its more or less been decided extreme metal started around 1980/81 so what if things have gotten more extreme since?

The history of metal is very important to metallers especially as outsiders despised it and wouldn't allow it in their own canon.

I cant remember if this is the article I referred to earlier or not but if not its another that says 1981
https://twophoton.wordpress.com/2009/03/24/history-of-extreme-metal-part-1-1981-1984/

https://twophoton.wordpress.com/2009/04/12/history-of-extreme-metal-part-ii-dawn-of-death-metal-1985-88/

https://twophoton.wordpress.com/2009/05/16/history-of-extreme-metal-part-iii-golden-age-of-thrash-1985-89/

http://loudwire.com/top-extreme-metal-albums/

...anyway, unless there's a no comp rule, I say Nihilist goes in

Nihilist - 1987-1989

I think frobisher said pre album tape demos are allowed so presumably that is allowed?

if so then I nominate the Paul Chain era Death SS

The Story of Death SS. 1977–1984

that's the roots of Hellhammer right there I reckon tom g mustve been aware of them

Hey everyone! I have some things to take care of today so I'll be away for a number of hours...

Yes, early unreleased/demo stuff is allowed, just note that as a lot of people won't have heard it, it might not garner a lot of votes.

I hate to say this cause I think it sounds elitist, but I don't think taking a sort of outside/empirical view and attempting to develop a really objective standard for extreme metal is productive or beneficial. I think if you've been into metal for years, having a degree of breadth and depth to it, knowing the woof and warp of it sort of intuitively is a better way of sorting things out.

Of course this poll is not just for die-hard metal fans who have listened for years & years so if you like something and you think its metal or highly related to metal and is ~extreme~ to you then go ahead and nominate it.

cool, thanks. Yeah, tho the Nihilist comp is demos, IMO it's as good or better than any other DM around at the time (and particularly relevant for new school revivalist bands playing OSDM). Seriously, if you haven't heard it folks, hear it!

Do these count?

Earth - Earth 2
Sunn O))) - Black One
Melvins - Houdini
Poison - Into the Abyss
Ministry - ΚΕΦΑΛΗΞΘ [Psalm 69]
Warning - Warning

yes those count

At what point do Opeth albums become disqualified as not metal?

When Mikael Akerfeldt says they're not a metal band anymore - so, basically, Heritage and Pale Communion.

Gojira - From Mars to Sirius

cheers phil

have we got all the important death, black and thrash albums nominated?

Atheist - Piece of Time
Atheist - Unquestionable Presence

if we have extra spaces on our ballots it's okay to vote for all the deafheaven albums twice right

Pornograffiti
III Sides to Every Story

and the second person to make the joke award goes to..

OK two more then I'm probably done

Code - Nouveau Gloaming
Virus - The Black Flux

Boris - at Last -Feedbacker-
Melvins - Lysol
Jesu - Jesu
Nadja - Touched
Boris - Amplifier Worship
Sunn O))) - ØØ Void
Sunn O))) - 3: Flight of the Behemoth
Gnaw Their Tongues - An Epiphanic Vomiting of Blood
Monarch - 666

Vlad Tepes/Belketre - March to the Black Holocaust
Carnage - Dark Recollections
Mayhem - Live in Leipzig
Paysage d'Hiver - s/t
Gorgoroth - Antichrist

Merciless - The Awakening

O if we're nominating Bèlketre then surely Ambre Zuèrkl Vuorhdrévarvtre must be in there (cheers Dominique for the heads-up on that)

Solstafir - Svartir Sandar
Solstafir - Otta

Aren't they a post-rock band?

Everything is extreme

post black metal if you really must use such terms

you dont need to vote for anything you dont consider extreme

infact will you even vote?

course I'm going to vote :)

and the second person to make the joke award goes to..

― Cosmic Slop, Monday, September 28, 2015 2:56 PM (57 minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

Ooooh wow, I wasn't prepared for this...wow...sorry let me look at my notes. Well, first off I've got to thank Frobisher for starting this thread -- I couldn't have made it without you! Thanks for giving me a shot, I know there were a lot of established metalheads who wanted to be the second person to make this joke, so your faith in me is something I'll always remember...

wow...I'm sorry, there are just so many people to thank...I need to thank Cosmic Slop, you've always been my rock, my inspiration though the years....and most importantly my wife and daughter...this joke and all my jokes wouldn't be possible without your love and support.

Thanks everyone!

I'm not a metal expert by any stretch but I'm interpreting the poll as "the best albums that come under the umbrella term of 'extreme metal'" rather than "the most extreme albums that are metal". I mean I'm sure everyone's ballot will have some stuff on it that's not extreme as some of the other stuff they're voting for. Also there are many ways metal can be extreme!

imago's just butthurt frobisher vetoed a hip-hop album

has anyone done a spotify playlist?

Only one Bolt Thrower nominated?

two right?

So is extreme metal quite literally everything except for proto metal/hard rock, NWOBHM, hair metal and nu-metal?

for this poll its whatever frobisher decides it is

That's not meant to be judgmental just sort of wondering if in context of metal idea of extremity has lost all meaning. At one time extreme metal was an antidote to something (or at least outside of some mainstream). Looking at this list and it seems like this is just metal's last two decades....