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

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

tt has asked me to boost Sinistro itt as she is too 'lazy and depressed' to do so herself

i have heard the Sinistro album now and would concur that it's worth a listen, especially for track 5, 'Reliquia', which is flat-out stunning

what kinda stuff is it?

people please campaign for albums because we arent even near 10 ballots yet so lets encourage everyone to take part!

it's very smooth melodic sludge-doom with almost trip-hop production, from portugal. the opening track also worth hearing

everyone with even a slight interest in psych-metal or doom needs to hear mammoth weed wizard bastard

^^^ seconding that MWWB rec. I've played it for a few people who don't much care for doom and they've enjoyed it, with one guy ordering the album immediately.

plus they really are the nicest people (or at least were when tt and i met them)

Another horse band, that I saw recently who are very promising are Horseburner. Roots in early Mastodon/Baroness but with very youthful rock 'n' roll energy.

https://horseburner.bandcamp.com/album/dead-seeds-barren-soil

A band that deserves more attention is Spirit Adrift. It's actually just one guy, but he may have a band assembled for live gigs.

Spirit Adrift is Arizona based Nate Garrett’s one-man doom band. Like Khemmis, he has a background in sludge, black and death metal (Gatecreeper and Take Over and Destroy). His shift to doom may be surprising to some, as it was part of his healing process to overcome alcoholism. So with a name that invokes uplifting transcendence, Garrett proceeds to dive deep into terror and dread in most of his songs, battling his demons with guitars, possibly atop a desert mountain. While there is a base in the traditional epic doom of the likes of Candlemass, Garrett is also a fan of Waylon Jennings, Neil Young and Thin Lizzy. The result is some really unique chord structures and sounds that even Garrett can’t explain exactly where they came from. The music is just flowing out of him, and we’re lucky to hear it. While his vocals have a soaring, emotional quality that can be compared to Pallbearer’s Brett Campbell (especially when tracked into harmonies), they’re also imperfectly original. On “Form And Force” and “Psychic Tide,” Garrett shows how putting every ounce of his ability into getting a great vocal performance makes a huge difference in setting Spirit Adrift apart from a massive sea of doom bands. The album peaks with the last and longest track, “The Hum Of Our Existence,” packed with attention-grabbing drum and bass parts and memorable riffs. The one thing that could make Spirit Adrift even greater is if Garrett could get a full band together and on the road, and translate it into a more dynamic recording. Whatever Garrett does though, I’m on it. | http://fastnbulbous.com/heavy-metal-rundown-2016/

loving the Virus right now too, although it's really a metal-tinged post-punk album (and a superb one too) - that bassist is brilliant

Clustered together with Mammoth Speed Wizard Bastard on my playlist are these bands, which share compatible vibes FWIW:

11Paranoias – Reliquary For A Dreamed Of World (Ritual)
https://ritualproductions.bandcamp.com/album/reliquary-for-a-dreamed-of-world

Spider Kitten – Ark Of Octofelis (Undergroove)
https://spiderkitten.bandcamp.com/album/ark-of-octofelis

Another band that's been under the radar is Norwegian band Madder Mortem.

Madder Mortem – Red In Tooth And Claw (Dark Essence/Karisma)
https://maddermortem.bandcamp.com/album/red-in-tooth-and-claw
http://fastnbulbous.com/madder-mortem-red-in-tooth-and-claw/

They've been kicking around since 1999, evolving from avant prog and doom metal (plus extra witchy goth) to this album they seemed to have absorbed some influences from Devil’s Blood, Jex Thoth, Blood Ceremony, Jess & The Ancient Ones and Purson.

Keep em coming. Remember you can add albums to the Spotify playlist

Voted! Thanks to everyone involved. I listened to about 60 releases in the past 2 weeks so my list is a bit wonky after the top 20 which were sure shots.

Got it, 8 ballots in now.

Thanks to all organizers, now that the Cohen poll is wrapped I can focus on the next most important thing: metal

I just added a load of albums to the spotify playlist. If everyone could add their noms that arent on it already that would be a great help to everyone.

Please everyone subscribe to it!

ILM Metal Spotify Playlist

Also nominations are open in the big poll. Please nominate there!

ILM's 2016 End of Year Albums & Tracks Poll / NOMINATIONS THREAD

Only 9 ballots so far. Is this the year metal died on ilm?

It's only Tuesday, there's plenty of time to vote left. I plan on getting a ballot in by Friday afternoon, but not much earlier.

I didn't care much for Mammoth Weed Wizard Bastard (aside from the amazing band name). The ethereal vocals didn't hold my attention. The whole thing was surprisingly wispy for a stoner doom record.

Only 9 ballots so far. Is this the year metal died on ilm?

― Cosmic Slop, Tuesday, December 13, 2016 5:30 PM (forty-nine minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

tbf, it's been in the mail a long time

I think this Wo Fat record is going to spring into my top 10. Great stoned heavy riffs. "There's something sinister in the wind..."

Only 9 ballots so far. Is this the year metal died on ilm?

― Cosmic Slop, Tuesday, December 13, 2016 3:30 PM (two hours ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

you ask this every year

amon (eman) wrote this on thread My reaction to the TWILIGHT CD on Southern Lord - holy crap! on board I Love Music on Nov 16, 2005

ILM Metal theads R.I.P. 2005

Interment - Scent of the Buried
I guess this kind of meat-and-potatoes OSDM (Old School Death Metal). Well-recorded, nice warm guitar sound, with catchy riffs. Over multiple listens it becomes clear the songs are well thought out. Doesn't get monotonous.
https://interment666.bandcamp.com/album/scent-of-the-buried-cd-lp-2

Absolute Power - Absolute Power
Screamo, but metal-adjacent. Obviously some likeness to grind, but they even slow down and throw in the occasional death metal riff. On the short side for an album, which is just fine with me. Nicely varied.
https://youthattack.bandcamp.com/album/absolute-power

Furia - Księżyc milczy luty
Some kind of sui generis Polish black metal. One of the more creative metal albums I've heard this year. Like last year's Mare Infinitum, it seems to embody its own genre. Great atmosphere.
https://paganrecords.bandcamp.com/album/ksi-yc-milczy-luty

Occult Burial - Hideous Obscure
Sounds like it may have been recorded in someone's garage, but gets the important things right. Kind of thrashy OSDM, with the not unpleasant sensation of being played slightly faster than is completely safe.
https://invictusproductions666.bandcamp.com/album/hideous-obscure

Re: Absolute Power: Haha wait, Will Killingsworth is actually IN a band?

o. nate all of those records sound right up my alley (except the furia which is already one of my favorite albums of the year) thank you

Hmmm maybe you arent giving ppl enough time to vote...?

cant be helped. seandalai is on a strict schedule it was now or never

Voted!

got it, thanks!

I am no longer too lazy or depressed to rep.

Sinistro - Semente
Like if Portishead were sludge and scary, but still retaining a magical lightness. The last three tracks are beautiful.
https://projectosinistro.bandcamp.com/album/semente

Wormrot - Voices
Furious grind from Singapore that is nevertheless very fun. Manages to be intense and melodically varied across mere seconds. Great cover art too.
https://wormrot.bandcamp.com/album/voices

this Sinistro album is really fucking cool!

Just voted. I almost reached 50, too, but of course almost half of those were albums I just listened to in the last two weeks.

Voter fraud inquiry: Is it better to vote for more or fewer records if I want my top pics to get the most points?

doesnt matter. the top album will get the most points unless you do unweighted. Always do a ranked ballot.

Also larger ballots help make it a top 100 instead of 50 in roll out as ties are less likely.
the last time someone else ran it there was only a top 50 and ppl moaned that they dont discover anything new in a smaller roll out.

so the larger the ballots the better from that pov

I asked on facebook if people think its been a good or bad year for metal and most have said its been a good year.

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