Haha, I just got an email from N1ck Mc@st3r, the Krallice CD I ordered on August 26th just got shipped yesterday. Now, if only I could get my Thrill Jockey order settled, I'll be happy.
― HAPPY BDAY TOOTS (jon /via/ chi 2.0), Thursday, 6 December 2012 21:43 (eleven years ago) link
Did he at least apologize or give you a back rub or something?
― Bound by Habitrails (J3ff T.), Thursday, 6 December 2012 22:57 (eleven years ago) link
Lol, yeah, he actually apologized a couple times for it getting lost in the shuffle, seemed pretty sincere. Glad I finally heard SOMETHING though.
― HAPPY BDAY TOOTS (jon /via/ chi 2.0), Thursday, 6 December 2012 22:59 (eleven years ago) link
Brain stopped being good for anything useful last 30 min of work so I tallied albums of what musicians are voting for so far in 'The Best Metal Albums of 2012, As Chosen by Metal Musicians Themselves' on Metal Sucks, up through Part VI (using points PazzJop style).
251 Gojira — Elephant Sausage237 Meshuggah – Koloss125 Deftones — Diamond Eyes120 Devin Townsend – Epicloud115 The Faceless – Autotheism134 Testament – Dark Roots of Earth107 Neurosis – Honor Found in Decay104 Katatonia – Dead End Kings103 Swans — Seer97 Dying Fetus — Reign Supreme93 Pallbearer — Sorrow & Extinction93 Kreator – Phantom Antichrist92 Converge – All We Love We Leave Behind86 Spawn of Possession – Incurso84 Lamb of God – Resolution84 Periphery – Periphery II83 Napalm Death – Utilitarian82 Enslaved – Riitiir82 Cannibal Corpse -– Torture79 Killing Joke – MMXI74 Rush — Clockwork Angels73 Aborted – Global Flatline69 Cattle Decapitation – Monolith of Inhumanity66 High on Fire — De Vermiis Mysteriis 66 Accept – Stalingrad62 Jeff Loomis – Plains of Oblivion61 Psycroptic – The Inherited Repression58 Baroness – Yellow & Green
― Fastnbulbous, Thursday, 6 December 2012 23:08 (eleven years ago) link
Heh, there's no alternate mix of L’Enfant Sauvage, just Fetus Stench being cheeky.
― Fastnbulbous, Thursday, 6 December 2012 23:12 (eleven years ago) link
― HAPPY BDAY TOOTS (jon /via/ chi 2.0), Thursday, December 6, 2012 4:43 PM (2 hours ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink
good news!
― call all destroyer, Friday, 7 December 2012 00:04 (eleven years ago) link
Thanks EZ!
― SeanWayne, Friday, 7 December 2012 00:32 (eleven years ago) link
This is a band I haven't heard anyone talking about. We played with them in Montreal and they blew me away.
Imagine if Atriarch had Kat Bjelland on vocals. Great death-rock/doom hybrid and catchy songs.
http://showofbedlam.bandcamp.com/
― Nate Carson, Friday, 7 December 2012 05:37 (eleven years ago) link
Wow, that's pretty nice! I like the feedbacky, kinda fried guitar tone.
― endless budgie (GOTT PUNCH II HAWKWINDZ), Friday, 7 December 2012 06:55 (eleven years ago) link
That's how I felt when my Decibel subscription stopped arriving in the post randomly. I cancelled it and never resubbed; a shame as I really dig the magazine, content and design. If they did a digital edition I'd be all over it.
― wronger than 100 geir posts (MacDara), Friday, 7 December 2012 08:21 (eleven years ago) link
they do a digital edition now! you can get it on the ipad, at least.
― EZ Snappin, Friday, 7 December 2012 08:47 (eleven years ago) link
Thanks for that EZ, I see it's in the Newsstand store now. I have an iPhone, no iPad - if I could read it on the desktop too, I'll seriously consider a re-sub. Funny, there's zilch about digital subscriptions on the Decibel website...
― wronger than 100 geir posts (MacDara), Friday, 7 December 2012 10:52 (eleven years ago) link
I thought they already did this but I guess the previous was just the two guys' column.
Pop Matters The Best Metal of 2012
20 Sigh - In Somniphobia19 Diablo Swing Orchestra - Pandora’s Piñata18 Ahab - The Giant17 Gojira - L’Enfant Sauvage16 Blut Aus Nord - 777—Cosmosophy15 Rush - Clockwork Angels14 Alcest - Les Voyages de l’Âme13 Atriarch - Ritual of Passing12 Meshuggah - Koloss11 Ihsahn - Eremita10 Krallice - Years Past Matter09 Devin Townsend Project - Epicloud08 Dragged into Sunlight - Widowmaker07 Enslaved - RIITIIR06 Converge - All We Love We Leave Behind05 Baroness - Yellow & Green04 Author & Punisher - Ursus Americanus03 Panopticon - Kentucky02 Pig Destroyer - Book Burner01 Dawnbringer - Into the Lair of the Sun God
― Fastnbulbous, Friday, 7 December 2012 13:29 (eleven years ago) link
I would love it if the new Enslaved was better than the new Rush. But it's not.
― Nate Carson, Saturday, 8 December 2012 03:04 (eleven years ago) link
You're right, Nate.
― A. Begrand, Saturday, 8 December 2012 03:12 (eleven years ago) link
Just found out about a Pallbearer/Pinkish Black show happening tonight. Off to Fort Worth I go.
― EZ Snappin, Sunday, 9 December 2012 00:58 (eleven years ago) link
Whoa that Dragged into Sunlight is incredible, thanks for the Popmatters list
― Brakhage, Sunday, 9 December 2012 22:23 (eleven years ago) link
Don't think I ever posted the final list I submitted to Decibel – in case anyone is curious, here you go. Probably would be slightly different now that I've heard the stuff that's come out subsequently, but I haven't reformulated yet.
1. Gojira - L'enfant sauvage2. The Devil’s Blood - The Thousandfold Epicentre3. Killing Joke - MMXII4. Grand Magus - The Hunt5. Devin Townsend Project – Epicloud6. Witch Mountain - Cauldron of the Wild7. Meshuggah - Koloss8. Paradise Lost - Tragic Idol9. Enslaved – Riitiir10. Torche – Harmonicraft11. Dawnbringer - Into the Lair of the Sun God12. Jess and the Ancient Ones - Jess and the Ancient Ones13. Arkhamin Kirjasto - Torches Ablaze14. Pallbearer - Sorrow and Extinction15. Testament - Dark Roots of Earth16. Christian Mistress - Possession17. Ihsahn - Eremita18. Alcest - Les Voyages De L'Âme19. Venomous Maximus - Venomous Maximus20. Liberteer - Better to Die on Your Feet Than Live on Your Knees
― Bound by Habitrails (J3ff T.), Monday, 10 December 2012 00:38 (eleven years ago) link
That's an awesome list. Great minds think alike.
― A. Begrand, Monday, 10 December 2012 02:41 (eleven years ago) link
Wow, thanks Jeff!
― Nate Carson, Monday, 10 December 2012 06:37 (eleven years ago) link
My top 30 metal albums of the year available on Rhapsody (which omits albums not available on Rhapsody -- Witch Mountain, for instance.)
http://www.rhapsody.com/blog/post/top-30-metal-albums-of-2012
― xhuxk, Monday, 10 December 2012 15:16 (eleven years ago) link
Stereogum’s Top 40 Metal Albums Of 2012http://stereogum.com/1215082/stereogums-top-40-metal-albums-of-2012/franchises/listomania/
THKD’s Top 20 Metal Albums of 2012http://thatshowkidsdie.com/2012/12/10/thkds-top-20-metal-albums-of-2012/
― Fastnbulbous, Monday, 10 December 2012 17:00 (eleven years ago) link
The Therion album of french pop songs is er, interesting. I liked "Une Fleur Dans Le Coeur" and "Initials BB".
― jel --, Monday, 10 December 2012 18:41 (eleven years ago) link
I've got a list up on Metalsucks that drew the expected amount of ire. Gutted to have to leave off the honorable mentions!
1. Faustcoven - Hellfire and Funeral Bells2. Svartidauði - Flesh Cathedral3. Pallbearer – Sorrow and Extinction4. Revenge - Scum.Collapse.Eradication5. Hell - III6. Derketa - In Death We Meet7. Mgla - With Hearts Toward None8. Anhedonist – Netherwards 9. Elysian Blaze - Blood Geometry10. Knelt Rote – Trespass 11. Inverloch – Dusk… Subside12. The Great Old Ones - Al-Azif13. Genocide Shrines – Devanation Monumentemples14. Shever - Rituals15. Ævangelist – De Masticatione Mortuorum in Tumulis
http://www.metalsucks.net/2012/12/04/grim-kims-top-fifteen-metal-albums-of-2012/
― KKdomitor, Monday, 10 December 2012 18:54 (eleven years ago) link
The only album on your list I've heard was Derketa, but I remember liking it - kinda Incantation-y, the way they blended death and doom.
― 誤訳侮辱, Monday, 10 December 2012 18:55 (eleven years ago) link
so is this year's krallice record showing up on any lists? it's prob my favorite since the first one but i feel like there's gotta be some effect for very consistent, prolific bands where they drop over time relative to things that are new and interesting.
― call all destroyer, Monday, 10 December 2012 19:05 (eleven years ago) link
Hmm. http://blogs.villagevoice.com/music/2012/12/10_best_metal_albums.php?print=true
― Bound by Habitrails (J3ff T.), Monday, 10 December 2012 19:34 (eleven years ago) link
Krallice is on that list!
indeed!
― call all destroyer, Monday, 10 December 2012 19:37 (eleven years ago) link
I know nine of Kim's picks, so I'm proud. Plus the Voice list is baffling.
― A. Begrand, Monday, 10 December 2012 19:42 (eleven years ago) link
I wrote the Voice's (well, VVM's) year-end metal list a couple of years in a row. There are three or four excellent records on this year's version.
― 誤訳侮辱, Monday, 10 December 2012 20:03 (eleven years ago) link
If those are the writer's top 10 albums of the year, that's fine, she liked what she liked. However, I think, and this is going to be an opinion that is going to get me yelled at, if you're doing the official list for a major publication, there are other factors that need to be considered – consensus amongst the other writers that cover that genre for the publication, a view of the potential legacy of the album, whether or not it's the "best" of the year or just your favorite.
― Bound by Habitrails (J3ff T.), Monday, 10 December 2012 20:10 (eleven years ago) link
a view of the potential legacy of the album
^^almost impossible to judge IMO
― Andrew WKRP (upper mississippi sh@kedown), Monday, 10 December 2012 20:12 (eleven years ago) link
You also have to keep in mind the readership you're writing for – something that Pitchfork is excellent at, despite any other criticism I may have of them. Although I guess VV is in a transitional state right now and don't really have a focused readership.
― Bound by Habitrails (J3ff T.), Monday, 10 December 2012 20:14 (eleven years ago) link
Yeah, the legacy thing is tricky, but it's certainly possible to say "is the third Dethklok album (which I liked!) REALLY going to have any sort of lasting impact, or is it just a thing that is fun right now?"
― Bound by Habitrails (J3ff T.), Monday, 10 December 2012 20:15 (eleven years ago) link
it's certainly possible to say "is the third Dethklok album (which I liked!) REALLY going to have any sort of lasting impact, or is it just a thing that is fun right now?"
haha well point taken (on dethklok at least lol)....but you know what i mean, i guess i get uncomfortable when ppl make all these grand predictions like MUSIC IS DIFFERENT NOW about stuff that has been out for a month, and time generally makes fools of us all when it comes to what ends up mattering
― Andrew WKRP (upper mississippi sh@kedown), Monday, 10 December 2012 20:16 (eleven years ago) link
also, as a non-metal dude regular on this thread, i'm kind of assuming that picking Dethklok on your best of list is a clown/false metal move beyond belief?
― Andrew WKRP (upper mississippi sh@kedown), Monday, 10 December 2012 20:17 (eleven years ago) link
I mean, it's a good album, and I would definitely include it in my, say, top hundred of the year, but top 10 seems rather shortsighted.
― Bound by Habitrails (J3ff T.), Monday, 10 December 2012 20:25 (eleven years ago) link
if you're doing the official list for a major publication, there are other factors that need to be considered – consensus amongst the other writers that cover that genre for the publication, a view of the potential legacy of the album, whether or not it's the "best" of the year or just your favorite.
I don't want you to think of me as yelling. I want you to think of me as disagreeing in a calm and reasonable tone. (You fucking idiot.)
- What constitutes "a major publication" in 2012? There are no publications that could truly be considered "major" anymore, in my opinion. If you mean "a publication read by lots of other critics ready to snipe and throw darts" (which is really what "major" means in this context), then say that, even if it makes the world of music criticism look exactly as petty and dominated-by-dickbags as it is.
- If you're seeking consensus, don't ask one person to compile the list. Do it with ballots and a group of voters numbering in, at minimum, the double digits. Otherwise you're pretending to objectivity. A one-person list has no obligation to anyone but the list-maker.
- Albums made with some sort of "legacy" in mind are frequently awful. Timid, overthought, and dull as fuck. That's what we have indie for; there's no need to let thoughts of "legacy" and the like pollute metal, which should always remain (or at least have the potential to be) the soundtrack to a 14-year-old boy thumping his scrawny chest in his bedroom.
― 誤訳侮辱, Monday, 10 December 2012 20:29 (eleven years ago) link
Maybe he should have said longevity rather than legacy.
― anonanon, Monday, 10 December 2012 20:31 (eleven years ago) link
re 'years past matter':
i still like the krallice a lot and have played it dozens of times, but i can't say i understand it much when it's not playing - hard to even remember, compared to the previous one. i wonder if that might not have an effect on its list placeability.
― j., Monday, 10 December 2012 20:35 (eleven years ago) link
Longevity is a ridiculous concept w/r/t music too. How many times do you have to listen to an album all the way through before you think you've gotten your money's worth (assuming you paid for it)? If you pay $15, do you think the album "owes" you 15 plays? Or a given time-span of enjoyableness? Does it have to be good now, and still good five years from now? Have you ever put a record back thinking, "Sure, I might like this today, but what am I gonna think about it when I'm 40?"
― 誤訳侮辱, Monday, 10 December 2012 20:38 (eleven years ago) link
which should always remain (or at least have the potential to be) the soundtrack to a 14-year-old boy thumping his scrawny chest in his bedroom.
this is kind of depressing!
― call all destroyer, Monday, 10 December 2012 20:39 (eleven years ago) link
Longevity is a ridiculous concept w/r/t music too.By longevity I mean some essential quality that compels repeated listens. Seems pretty non-controversial that this would be a desirable value.
Albums made with some sort of "legacy" in mind are frequently awful.Seemed like Jeff was talking about a list-maker estimating (post-hoc) an album's potential legacy going forward, which is a different thing entirely from the artist's intent, so no conflict there.
― anonanon, Monday, 10 December 2012 21:17 (eleven years ago) link
Yeah, legacy probably wasn't the right word. Longevity isn't quite it, either. I guess I mean its place in the larger picture. If it's an album by an established act, does it significantly up their game, take them in an interesting new direction, set a new benchmark for their corner of the world, serve as the most fully realized example of their vision yet, or is it just plain awesome? If it's a newer act, do they bring something new to the table, provide an exceptional example of the genre they're working in, surprise you, etc. For example, let's look at the Devin Townsend record I put pretty high up on my list. He's been around for a while, put out a million releases, and yet Epicloud serves as a consolidation of all the styles and interests he's worked with over the past two decades, and he executes the results amazingly well. Meshuggah are the long reigning progenitors of "djent," and while they've had missteps in the past (I'm not a big fan of most of their post-millennial work), their latest album cements that they are still the best while bringing in a new, welcome organic production. Pallbearer, who are obviously divisive, certainly work within traditional doom, but with great songwriting and a hopeful undertone that seems fresh. On the other hand, you have Lamb of God, who have basically been on a creative plateau for the good part of a decade (even if their latest is there most polished version of that stagnation), Dethklok, who put out a totally solid, totally derivative death metal album, and Morbid Angel, who did try something new but failed horribly. You have to weigh those against everything else that came out this year and go, well, was said totally solid death metal album REALLY better than all the other death metal albums that came out this year?
― Bound by Habitrails (J3ff T.), Monday, 10 December 2012 21:19 (eleven years ago) link
As for major publications – I would consider a publication with the Voice's long and storied history, with its wide circulation and prominent website and end of your critic poll and ownership of several other publications with large circulation in major cities to be a major publication, yes. Do I think they should've assigned that list to one writer? No, I don't.
― Bound by Habitrails (J3ff T.), Monday, 10 December 2012 21:22 (eleven years ago) link
xxp Also, why wouldn't an album "that is fun right now" be one you'd be more likely to return to 5 or 20 years down the line than a less fun one you just think is, ho hum, "important" or whatever? And how, exactly, would you determine which album is "best" (as opposed to your "favorite" -- never understood the difference myself, since neither is objective) other than by how much you actually like the thing? In what way is something you don't like "better" than something you do? Why would you base your list on what other people like? Isn't that kind of chickenshit? Why don't you trust your own tastes? (Don't mean to direct any of these at you personally, Jeff, and I'm not yelling at you either. But I don't think what you're suggesting makes much sense. It also makes for really boring lists. Which there are too many of already.)
― xhuxk, Monday, 10 December 2012 21:23 (eleven years ago) link
Wrote that before your last post, obviously. But I'm still not buying it. "Fun right now" is really underrated by critics; always has been.
― xhuxk, Monday, 10 December 2012 21:26 (eleven years ago) link
heavy metal could get hit by a bus crossing the street at any moment
― Andrew WKRP (upper mississippi sh@kedown), Monday, 10 December 2012 21:27 (eleven years ago) link
Honestly have never been a huge fan of year-end lists in general that are supposed to be a consensus of some publication's "brand" or whatever. They pretend the outlet has a voice that speaks for all its contributors or editors, but that's pretty much always a lie in my experience. Individual lists make sense; actual polls can make sense. (And the Voice has Pazz & Jop for that.) Beyond that, it's mainly marketing.
― xhuxk, Monday, 10 December 2012 21:31 (eleven years ago) link