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

I think I'd really love Hammers of Misfortune with a stronger singer.

like mike scalzi?

Three number ones! I am one of those. Since I had only heard it once at the time of voting I figured this might be too impulsive, but considering it again realised that nothing else could hope to make an impression quite like this.

The singularity of vision here is extraordinary. Feels like it was envisaged (and possibly conducted) amid of flurry of fever dreams. Surely this mad energy can't be sustained, I thought. But it could - and how! Seriously, who knew out of time drumming could have such an impact.

It is metal as all hell, but with weird accents of 80s post-punk.

for those that like the less metal stuff, despite my crowing about the Furia full length, there are EPs that the band release in between their albums, and they tend to be weirder, proggier stuff, almost krautrockish at times. They recorded the most recent one, Guido (from October), down in a mine in Poland.

https://paganrecords.bandcamp.com/album/guido

When I say "proggier," I do not mean, like, wizard music. I don't even know what genre this stuff falls in.

Seriously, who knew out of time drumming could have such an impact.

>:|

16 Thy Catafalque - Meta 424 Points, 10 Votes One #1
http://i.imgur.com/SVCIfNg.jpg

https://open.spotify.com/album/2DB7no5QXEJ3E5mVPgJxel
spotify:album:2DB7no5QXEJ3E5mVPgJxel

https://thycatafalqueuk.bandcamp.com/album/meta

With the new album 'Meta', the ever-evolving THY CATAFALQUE transforms once again. The Hungarian progressive/experimental metal project, helmed by composer, lyricist, and multi-instrumentalist Tamás Kátai, takes a heavier, more direct tack than on last years sprawling 'Sgùrr'. Katai effortlessly weaves idiosyncratic progressive passages and folk melodies through this [much] heavier and more metallic album. THY CATAFALQUE's enduring unpredictability makes it one of metal's most unique bands, and 'Meta' is yet another distinct and indispensable piece of their integral catalog of albums.
credits
released September 16, 2016
tags
tags: experimental metal metal avant-garde Edinburgh

Tamás Kátai is back with another offering in what comes as a bit of an unexpected surprise – avant-garde act Thy Catafalque’s seventh album. You might remember that the previous record Sgurr came out just last year, and Meta is no small EP recording to tide you over to the next one. It is the next one, all sixty-six minutes of it. Yes, you’re getting nearly seventy minutes of what is expectedly not just black metal, but doubles as something so much more. After Sgurr it’s relatively tough to even call the band black metal anymore, but I will say that the record begins a bit heavier than the previous release.

“Uránia” gives us a similar approach that reminds me heavily of the band’s early material, but the next cut “Sirály” is unquestionably different. It’s quite simple to say that it isn’t even metal at all. It feels like a bit of electronic rock with some psychedelic elements and even a female vocal presence. Perhaps there are some metallic thumps here and there, but it’s certainly not what you were expecting. Even so, that doesn’t mean that the piece isn’t effective. It even throws in a rather killer solo section that I didn’t expect to hear, showing just how versatile and magnificent this kind of act is. Songs like this are why I still have a lot of faith in this act, as well as Kátai’s willingness to experiment. The mood changes drastically with the next piece “10^(-20) Ångström” which turns from hard-hitting metal to DnB influenced metal. Kátai is still performing the scowl as we might (or might not expect) on a piece of this nature, but it’s a more upbeat track and you can dance to it.

One of the longer tracks on the disc follows in the form of “Ixión Düün” which once again changes the mood, throwing us right into the center of a video game – preferably one of role-playing fare. This seems to offer what almost feels like a little bit of Rotting Christ or Nile, possibly even Septic Flesh in it’s tone. The track itself is exponentially heavy, with the drums often blazing at full speed and darker vocal realms than I’ve heard from any of Kátai’s projects. These aren’t scowls, folks – and this isn’t black metal. It’s atmospheric death metal. We can even go back to Lykathea Aflame with this. Adding to that, we have the inclusion of the trippy guitar compositions, as well as another fine solo section that almost feels a bit inspired by Nile. This track is literally so good that it could stand out on it’s own, completely separated from the album and even if people don’t care for some of the other realms traversed on the disc, I think that a lot of people will notice this one from the start. It certainly took me by surprise and doesn’t even sound like the same band. Of course, the track mostly succeeds in it’s atmosphere, by which the guitars and keyboards just sound plain majestic. There are times when you listen to a piece of music and are overwhelmed by the complexity and sheer amount of work put into it – this is one of those times. Following that, we have “Osszel Otthon” which feels like a sort of light after dinner mint in which to settle one’s stomach after the explosive and startlingly raucous epic that we had just experienced. It doesn’t bring in the guitar until a little later in the cut, but the almost easy-listening factor of the piece brings with it a very calm, very cool feeling that is akin to a refreshing glass of ice water. If one wants to call it “elevator music” then it is definitely one of the best songs that I think I’ll ever hear while on an elevator.

Little did we know that this short piece was only an intermission to what is unequivocally the largest cut on the record. “Malmok Járnak” is just a little over twenty minutes long, and has several sections within itself, as you might imagine. It begins with something more metallic in the realms of atmospheric black metal (albeit played slower than you might expect, much closer to some of Summoning’s material) as the female vocals come back along with some electronics and atmospheric guitar leads. About midway, the entire nature of the piece changes, transforming the song from metallic to electronic. I’ve done things like this on crude electronic albums with emulated guitars, but they never sounded anything quite like this. The metal sections come back in for a little longer until the whole thing becomes atmospheric prog-rock with one last metal kick and a chant. There are a couple more tracks after that, but my intention is not to give away the entire record.

From just this observation we can sense that Thy Catafalque have returned with not only a much heavier, but far more atmospheric and proggier record than before. It won’t be for everyone, but most of Thy Catafalque’s material is a bit tough for some to chew on and that’s perfectly fine – these songs aren’t necessarily so catchy or easily absorbed. Regardless of that, there is truly something for everyone here and that’s where I find this disc most valuable. Even people who don’t like heavy metal music at all will find at least something here, and that’s worth saying something. Kátai has created a sense of musical harmony between many dissimilar styles of music, and that’s what makes Meta one of the most interesting and ambiguous albums of the year. It is an absolute must have for all avant-garde and experimental metal enthusiasts. (The Grim Lord)

http://newnoisemagazine.com/album-review-thy-catafalque-meta/#

like mike scalzi?

Lol, what? It's so nice! He is drumming his heart out

lol i'm just mad

Well I never liked what I've heard of Thy Catafalque before but I'll give this a go cos I like the cover

Head-trauma black metal is an acquired taste don't worry Brad

I think I'd really love Hammers of Misfortune with a stronger singer.

I like him. He reminds me of John Wetton.

Was Forgotten Spell your #1 too, DAM?

Head-trauma black metal is an acquired taste don't worry Brad

i'm not averse to head trauma, i voted for skaphe

Yes! I mostly picked up on this through some back and forth between GOTT PUNCH and ultros about weirdo black metal that spanned both the 'black metal' thread and rolling metal. It just kicked everything else's ass, I couldn't help ranking it #1.

Xp to tt

Thy Catafalque cover is amazing but the music felt like an opening track in search of an album a bit. May try again

It's quite frustrating to be on vacation and following this thread while my headphones are sitting at home.

I like good drumming too :) good...bad...it doesn't matter.

Exactly DAM, it could only be number 1! Outstanding strangeness. Thanks to all of you for bringing it to our attention. The soundtrack of Christmas.

15 Neurosis - Fires Within Fires 444 Points, 11 Votes
http://i.imgur.com/GX3TC3r.jpg
https://neurosis.bandcamp.com/album/fires-within-fires

Of all that humankind has inherited through our ancestry, no single language has transcended every age as powerfully as music. For those few who channel that inheritance of sound today, none have wielded its command and authority like Neurosis. Showing their discontent with convention from the very beginning, Neurosis revealed what would become an instinct for transformation in sound and scope. With each release, the sound became interchangeable with vision. A vision of the conscious and unconscious coexisting in an audial spectrum that challenged not only the constraints of what listeners expected but of the listeners themselves as beings.

Over the collective’s past ten albums, Neurosis have invited listeners to join them on the path their music carved. Going beyond the remarkable, Neurosis became unforgettable. Throughout the last 30 years, the journey of their music has found the band relishing the unpredictable and embracing the unknown possibility of where the music was capable of taking them. This year finds Neurosis taking their most dominant step yet with their eleventh full-length, Fires Within Fires. Three decades in the making, Fires Within Fires is a testament both to the history and future of Neurosis. Striking the band's signature balance between light and dark, beauty and repulsion, Fires Within Fires gives due to its predecessors while progressing forward into the unfamiliar and formidable.

Featuring exquisite album artwork from the renowned Thomas Hooper and the stellar recording work of the group's longstanding engineer Steve Albini, Fires Within Fires is at once a beautiful and forbidding work of mastery. For members Scott Kelly, Steve Von Till, Jason Roeder, Noah Landis, and Dave Edwardson, the album is a welcomed companion to what’s now been a 30-year-long trek into the infiniteness of sound and sight coalescing into consciousness. An all-encompassing reminder that transfiguration in sound remains their most commanding and inimitable strength, Fires Within Fires is the next powerful step towards a destination that has long been and continues to be the very heart of "becoming" for the mighty Neurosis.
credits
released September 23, 2016

Neurosis is:
Jason Roeder
Dave Edwardson
Scott Kelly
Steve Von Till
Noah Landis

Recorded by Steve Albini at Electrical Audio, Chicago IL

Artwork by Thomas Hooper

more like neurosizzzzzzz

Strongest thing they've done in over a decade

more like znzezuzrzozszizsz

(i never managed to hear this and i love neurosis oh well)

I'm realizing I never really listened to Scalzi-era HoM. As predicted, I do love The Locust Years.

ultros simon and brad all strangely otm

The track that's actually about fire is good

Fire Is The End Lesson is great at least. Closing track almost put me to sleep

ie tt otm

more songs about fire and fires

The soundtrack of Christmas.

Haha this is perfect

I get Brad's complaints: it goes off the rails quite a bit. Part of what makes it such a bracong listen to me is listening to it retain momentum when it's very obviously just going to pieces.

Anyways, I thought the Neurosis wd be way higher, maybe bcz I didnt listen to it

I've never been able to get into Neurosis but bra-CONG sounds like a good onomatopoeiac representation of the sounds they make.

My world of useful typos

^^^rejected hetfield line iirc

14 Gorguts - Pleiades' Dust 464 Points, 13 Votes
http://i.imgur.com/x7VrTQQ.jpg

https://open.spotify.com/album/1jHnBn49GmPMoukkfBnzbc
spotify:album:1jHnBn49GmPMoukkfBnzbc
https://gorguts.bandcamp.com/album/pleiades-dust

tbh as good as colored sands, but in ep form

otm (I might like it even more, even)

It's awesome yeah

And the drumming is in time

^^^^not very kvlt imo

This Forgotten Spell album is hilarious! Thanks

Hahaha, it is

we must always remember to keep laughing through the grim

It's pretty great. Although I think I heard a door slam at one point, and a voice say 'the egg sandwiches are ready petal!'

hahahaha

Hilarious, exhilarating--same root word...

http://i.imgur.com/E1jmOym.jpg

winning hearts everywhere

lol