METAL ALBUMS POLL 2016 VOTING AND CAMPAIGNING THREAD. [Voting ends Friday December 16 11.59pm GMT]

I've been out of the loop the last 6 monthes, anyone feel like giving me, say, 5 albums I really need to check out before voting? Things I like from this year: Oranssi Pazuzu, Sumac, Deathspell Omega, Wrekmeister Harmonies, Woman is the Earth, Aluk Todolo, Mars Red Sky, Bloodiest. No thrash or heavy metal please.

Preferably on bandcamp.

I like most of those things too, so hopefully you'll find something to like from the below.

https://carbomb.bandcamp.com/album/meta - crazy oscillating djent. At times like Oceansize, at times completely brutal. Great melodies
https://mesarthim.bandcamp.com/album/pillars-e-p - see all hype in nominations thread. Completely entrancing space black metal
https://oathbreakerband.bandcamp.com/album/rheia - female-fronted super-heavy blackgaze (if that isn't a contradiction in terms). Furious
http://ophidianforest.bandcamp.com/album/susurrus - lo-fi grimy mystical forest
https://wormed.bandcamp.com/album/krighsu - this is wild. It's absolutely horrible

If, judging by your list there, you like the somewhat oddball stuff, I'd rec

Furia: https://paganrecords.bandcamp.com/album/ksi-yc-milczy-luty

Hail Spirit Noir: https://hailspiritnoir.bandcamp.com/

Howls of Ebb: https://i-voidhangerrecords.bandcamp.com/album/cursus-impasse-the-pendlomic-vows

Furia is kind of slow moving and loose, but very well put together if you give it time to play out. I only say this because the last time I rec'd it (elsewhere) the response was "there's nothing happening, I kept fast forwarding and it was more nothing." This was utterly perplexing to me, as its one of the best flowing albums I've heard all year. Every song has (at least) one huge crescendo, and there's not a moment that loses my interest. It is kind of droney though, but whenever it's mellow, it doesn't stay mellow for too long -- and even that "mellowness" feels ominous as fuck.

I thought nobody has voted yet but I just looked and we got 2 ballots overnight but could everyone please post here when they have voted so
a)we can check it went through ok
b)might encourage others to vote

Enjoying the Furia. Doesn't feel unbearably slow to my ear either, and I have an incredibly short attention span. I like the various fake endings of track 4!

I'm going to rep for the doomy crushing death that is this Krypts record. It's short, it's atmospherically doomy, and it has a great OSDM feel. I listened to it twice last night while reading the "Choosing Death" book, and found it to be a great soundtrack.

I like psychedelic flourishes in my Black Metal, and while the Oranssi Pazuzu takes the cake in that regard, I also gotta rep for Entropia's 'Ufonaut' - I constantly come back to this one because it's a fun headphone album and the drums, keys and gtrs have great interplay and space ya out.

While the new Ulcerate is my fave Tech Death this year, coming up close to it is Virvum's debut 'Illuminance' - really title track that melts yr face off, and the other songs are pretty damn good, too.

"there's nothing happening, I kept fast forwarding and it was more nothing."

can't imagine thinking this about the furia. it's one of the most dynamic records i've heard this year!

Voted

Hey, this Entropia album's really good.

new Mesarthim ep
https://mesarthim.bandcamp.com/album/the-great-filter-e-p

I'd forgotten about this album I bought earlier this year on bandcamp. Has anyone else heard it?

https://ironboneheadproductions.bandcamp.com/album/spire-entropy

haha I totally forgot to nominate Clouds Taste Satanic this year! The album obviously didn't make the same impression on me their first two made. Everyone should go listen to it, though, great stoner doom. Digital copy is only $3 from their Bandcamp!

https://cloudstastesatanic.bandcamp.com/album/dawn-of-the-satanic-age

I like this Borknagar album so far. Assuming it's vastly inferior to the rest of their catalogue, what should I check out by them?

thanks for the recs!

I hope everyone gives the mark s approved Schammasch album
https://schammasch.bandcamp.com/album/triangle

...a listen

and dont sleep on

https://thycatafalqueuk.bandcamp.com/

https://aluktodolo.bandcamp.com/album/voix

https://entropia.bandcamp.com/album/ufonaut

That Entropia album is great! It's the first entry on my bandcamp saves list from this year.

What other great doom has there been this year? I liked Mammoth Weed Wizard Bastard a whole lot but have failed to find anything else really distinctive or powerful. Will give that CTS a try, but does anyone else have any other suggestions?

Subrosa
Inverloch
Lycus

Haha okay I like all of those too. I forgot

I like this Borknagar album so far. Assuming it's vastly inferior to the rest of their catalogue, what should I check out by them?

― Tom Violence, Saturday, 10 December 2016 18:29 (one hour ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

I wouldn't say it's vastly inferior, but it is a step down from it's predecessor Urd which is the shit, and I'm not much into folk metal usually

xxp If you don't mind weird in your doom, Horse Latitudes "Primal Gnosis" is pretty good. Sludgy, weird, noisy, occult, Finnish. Occasional Hawkwind-y Moog.

http://ritualproductions.bandcamp.com/album/primal-gnosis

Dagger Moon has vague hardcore-ish vibes, but I really dig the use of 1980s horror movie synths.

http://citadel666.bandcamp.com/

I also dug the Eerie (very lightly blackened doom), Wretch (ex-Gates of Slumber Obsessed vibes), Spirit Adrift (psychedelic doom), Obed Marsh (gnarly blackened death doom).

Wow, thanks for the Horse Latitudes recommend, I'm really liking it! Will check out your other recommendations as well!

Cool! They're one of my favorite discoveries of the past year or two.

Voted. Thank you so much for making this happen.

got it, thanks. We have 4 votes now in.

Listening to Deathspell Omega while making waffles. Why is this album so short? I'm not ready for it to be over! And my waffles aren't done yet!

I have voted. Watch out for Russian hacking.

oh hey the Wormed is cool

the Wormed album will be on my ballot for sure

I keep trying with Mithras but I don't think I "get" it

Anyone who likes the Timeghoul/Demilich etc. side of death metal shouldn't overlook Zealotry - The Last Witness, I think it's one of the best examples of this kind of thing.

This Horse Latitudes is thrilling! So dark, so heavy. Occultxmas.

I voted tho I know in a few days I will likely want to change the order slightly but seandalai prefers the co poll runner to vote early so i cant be influenced by other ballots

If you have forgotten who won in previous years check out this thread

Previous Metal Poll EOY Results Thread

6 ballots so far. Voting finishes on Friday so we can finish roll out before everyone is off for the holidays

I'm going to wait until the deadline to give time to a few more albums. I want to see if I can get into Astronoid.

ok

I was just looking at my 2000-2015 ILX metal poll ballot and I am positive that two records from 2016 would take the one and two spots if 2016 was magically included: Vektor - Terminal Redux and Ulcerate - Shrines of Paralysis - was lucky enough to see both on tour this year and they brought the quality of those records to the live show, too.

https://play.spotify.com/user/siegbran/playlist/1LGm4Oh56ZP2wrJ8SsnwJA">Spotify playlist of some of my 2016 favourites, all awesome of course.

let's try that again

I found some good stuff browsing your noms, Siegbran. Desaster is awesome.

hell yeah this virus album

Just realised the Blues Pills album wasnt nominated so I'm going to have to redo my ballot

the blues pills album. I highly recommend it to those who heavy psych 70s hard rock like jex thoth , blood ceremony, jess & the ancient ones, the devil's blood

https://open.spotify.com/album/5GesYfGXuFg6D7my26u8ZO
spotify:album:5GesYfGXuFg6D7my26u8ZO

I *really* liked the previous BP album but this one didn't grab me at all

I admit its more a grower of the album but the title track is stunning I think. If there was a tracks poll It would be my #1.

But I do urge everyone to give it a listen.
I resubmitted my ballot with it firmly in my top 10 (dunno how i forgot to nominate it as its in my albums of the year so far thread on facebook that I started ti avoid exactly this!)

so if anyone wants to resubmit a ballot you can do.

Voted - digging the horseback and wormed but too late for my list.

Horse latitudes even

Like I said you can resubmit my Friday should you choose. It happens quite a lot in these polls

oh whoops i forgot to vote for katatonia

you have time to resubmit i guess as ive not heard from seandalai

eh it's ok

I'll vote if you can extend the deadline an hour

i imagine that's fine. If seandalai appears I know he will wait as you let him know

So anyone else wants to vote just post here so we know. I assume seandalai is at work so Id imagine you have a good few hours to vote so just let us know. The more the merrier

Man, where did Moon Tooth come from? They make it look so effortless here.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bPYjdgjrVXI

I voted, but no Boris/Merzbow and no Wolvserpent was stupid

Would have voted for Dalek too

yeah well they were disallowed by horrid metal elitists

That's dumb, plenty of records that made the list (including at least one I voted for) are only metal-adjacent at best.

I voted, but no Boris/Merzbow and no Wolvserpent was stupid

Guess I will throw those albums on the list

Oh wait that Boris/Merzbow is the mini-Zaireeka double-disc-simultanepus concept album, isn't it? Maybe not, after all

wait ... i missed the process, sorry. how was Dalek disallowed but Sunwatchers and Horse Lords are on the list?

might vote again with a Dälek write-in

disallowing albums is stupid imo

lol I just noticed the Tanya Tagaq album I put forward (and got at least one cosign for) was disallowed too, or at least not nommed

i am far from some sort of metal purist, but i actually think it's kinda dumb to have Sunwatchers and Horse Lords in a metal poll (no offense to the nominators // i love both those albums) BUT i don't know how you'd ever draw a line, so ... plus you can argue it's a poll of "metal thread's faves" vs. "best metal albums"

this is the first i've heard of something being disallowed. maybe imago was joking?

or maybe some nominations get missed. which i would understand! i mean, i don't know how the poll-runners do it ... i certainly wouldn't have the time to do it well.

I hate to be a pedant but iirc it has always been the metal *and* heavy/hard rock poll. "heavy" is a broad term.

Oh wait that Boris/Merzbow is the mini-Zaireeka double-disc-simultanepus concept album, isn't it? Maybe not, after all

like...why not?

lol CS openly disallowed it citing that it was hip-hop not metal. and sure MC Dälek himself would probably claim to just be hip-hop, but there's definitely a grey area. idk

xxpost: yeah, no, totally ... i get it. i actually don't care at all ... it's an ilm poll, after all ... maybe i meant the word "funny" in place of "dumb" or something.

Sunwatchers is heavy!

hoo boy I missed that xp

my threat to resubmit is basically a ploy to get seandalai out of his deep slumber, but fyi I have now primed a new ballot with Dälek in it so he'd best be quick

Aw, I really Oathbreaker. I've been convincing myself they don't sound like Deafheaven, but maybe they do and having a female vocalist was all it needed for me to like it. Fickle.

*really like...

how dare anyone like a band with a female singer!

I am now going to have a listen to that album after dinner

They really aren't very similar to Deafheaven at all (I say this as a person who likes Deafheaven)

I'm guessing Horse Lords made it in because CS hadn't heard them? (I still voted for them since it was my favourite album on the list. I would have voted for Tagaq too, if she were included, but I might not have included either of them if I were to make a list of metal albums myself.) I'm fine with him deciding the boundaries for his poll, and I think it's fair to have some kind of boundaries for a genre poll.

Disallowing records is dumb as shit, but if you don't like it start your own poll imo

Tagaq is iffy. I was partly seconding it in the "Hell yeah this non-metal thing is metal as fuck" sense, but "Aorta" and parts of "Retribution" certainly qualify.

Tagaq would have been in my top 5 sheerly in terms of 'favourite eligible albums' but imo we should just fight like fuck to get her into the main 77

It's pretty hard to get stuff into the 77 now. That poll gets 150 ballots or something and the days of getting something into the poll with 3 votes are gone.

And i think johnny fever says expanding to 100 wont make a difference as that kind of thing still struggles to get in and the 78-100 is just similar music to what gets in the 77.

plus voting blocs is cheating, right?

Seandalai is home and he says votings closed now

I'll start the roll out once i get the results

Re: Simon H: well for starters I only have one CD player...

Fuck Brumpxit its the 2016 Metal and Hard N' Heavy Rock Poll Results Thread (With spotify and bandcamp links)

take up Simon H's offer there