11 BÖLZER - Hero 511 Points, 13 Votes
http://i.imgur.com/hXe0kda.jpg
https://open.spotify.com/album/20aO400BOYxMXy7X07PXJy
spotify:album:20aO400BOYxMXy7X07PXJy
https://bolzer.bandcamp.com/album/hero
IRON BONEHEAD PRODUCTIONS is proud to present BÖLZER's massively anticipated debut album, Hero. Hailing from Switzerland, BÖLZER are one of the most unique entities the metal underground has birthed in years. For one, BÖLZER are proudly and resolutely a duo, using the barest essentials of voice, guitar, and drums and yet creating one of the densest, most world-eating sounds around. For another, the duo have wisely and patiently parceled out their recordings, with a lone nine songs to date across three records - 2012's Roman Acupuncture demo, 2013's IRON BONEHEAD-released Aura EP, and 2014's Soma EP - judiciously chronicling the band's evolution into one of the most critically acclaimed metal bands in recent memory. And yet, "critical acclaim" has never been a part of BÖLZER's agenda: their commitment is to their art alone, but it just so happens that word-of-mouth built organically (and feverishly), especially on the strength of their devastating, soul-draining live performances, where they can recreate every aspect of their records in the flesh.
And at long last, flesh is given to a full-length album, and it bears the characteristically idiosyncratic title Hero. Here, in many ways, BÖLZER break from their past. Rich 'n' resonant clean vocals often take center stage, lending an alternately mournful/majestic quality to the duo's earth-juddering bulldoze. Likewise, the production across Hero is categorically cleaner than their grime-coated EPs, which dynamically enhances the spiraling melodicism that explodes into being here. Suitably, the songwriting itself takes on dazzling new contours, wending 'n' winding with even more fluidity - and certainly more daring - than the band's epic-yet-effortless EPs. And yet, for however seemingly radical these developments are - ultimately, they shouldn't be that "radical" in the hands of capable and sincere artisans - it all sounds like BÖLZER, both what they were, what they can be, and most especially, what they currently are. Every aesthetic suggestion, every subtle nuance, every thing left unsaid in the past: here on Hero, it's all harnessed into a molten maelstrom that's ever more unique (and alien) because it's unshackled itself from expectation. It is, in a word, heroic. But what is the meaning of Hero? Discover for yourself, plunge into that maelstrom, and let BÖLZER be your guide.
LP/CD/Tape available through shop.ironbonehead.de
credits
released November 25, 2016
- All sensory awakening by BÖLZER
- Initiated by M. Zech and V. Santura at Woodshed Studios, Landshut, Bavaria
tags
tags: black metal death metal metal doom metal Zürich
― Cosmic Slop, Tuesday, 20 December 2016 21:33 (seven years ago) link
All the previous top 20's
2008
1 - 479 - 25 - 2 - Torche - Meanderthal
2 - 357 - 19 - 3 - Harvey Milk - Life...the Best Game in Town
3 - 276 - 19 - 0 - Earth - The Bees Made Honey...
4 - 227 - 16 - 0 - Boris - Smile
5 - 212 - 13 - 1 - Opeth - Watershed
6 - 203 - 11 - 1 - Nachtmystium - Assassins: Black Meddle Part 1
7 - 183 - 10 - 2 - Esoteric - The Maniacal Vale
8 - 179 - 12 - 0 - 5ive - Hesperus
9 - 165 - 10 - 2 - Made Out of Babies - The Ruiner
10 - 163 - 10 - 0 - Gojira - The Way of All Flesh
11 - 158 - 11 - 1 - The Goslings - Occasion
12 - 155 - 10 - 0 - Meshuggah - obZen
13 - 145 - 9 - 0 - Enslaved - Vertebrae
14 - 141 - 10 - 0 - Melvins - Nude With Boots
15 - 140 - 8 - 0 - Caina - Temporary Antennae
16 - 137 - 8 - 0 - Krallice - Krallice
17 - 128 - 8 - 0 - Leviathan - Massive Conspiracy Against All Life
18 - 126 - 8 - 1 - Asva - What You Don't Know Is Frontier
18 - 126 - 8 - 0 - Cynic - Traced in Air
20 - 123 - 8 - 0 - Sunn 0))) - Domkirke
2009
"1","Sunn O))) - Monoliths & Dimensions","757","31","4","24.419"
"2","Converge - Axe to Fall","722","30","2","24.067"
"3","Mastodon - Crack the Skye","709","31","6","22.871"
"4","Baroness - Blue Record","708","30","6","23.6"
"5","YOB - The Great Cessation","705","28","5","25.179"
"6","Cobalt - Gin","566","24","1","23.583"
"7","Kylesa - Static Tensions","490","22","","22.273"
"8","Zu - Carboniferous","454","21","1","21.619"
"9","Isis - Wavering Radiant","437","22","1","19.864"
"10","Krallice - Dimensional Bleedthrough","412","22","","18.727"
"11","Wolves in the Throne Room - Black Cascade","405","22","","18.409"
"12","Zombi - Spirit Animal","401","17","3","23.588"
"13","Slough Feg - Ape Uprising","390","16","2","24.375"
"14","The Gates of Slumber - Hymns of Blood and Thunder","380","18","","21.111"
"15","Om - God Is Good","335","16","","20.938"
"16","Shrinebuilder - Shrinebuilder","334","17","1","19.647"
"17","Khanate - Clean Hands Go Foul","315","17","1","18.529"
"18","Slayer - World Painted Blood","293","15","","19.533"
"19","Liturgy - Renihilation","260","16","","16.25"
"20","Lightning Bolt - Earthly Delights","253","13","","19.462"
2010
1. Electric Wizard - Black Masses (1,583 Points, 49 Votes, 10 #1s)
2. Agalloch - Marrow of the Spirit (1,540 Points, 48 Votes, 8 #1s)
3. Ludicra - The Tenant (1,387 Points, 46 Votes, 4 #1s)
4. Alcest - Écailles de Lune (1,330 Points, 49 Votes, 4 #1s)
5. Nachtmystium - Addicts: Black Meddle Part II (1,226 Points, 38 Votes, 4 #1s)
6. High on Fire - Snakes for the Divine (1,199 Points, 40 Votes, 3 #1s)
7. Slough Feg - The Animal Spirits (1,197 Points, 42 Votes, 2 #1s)
8. Triptykon - Eparistera Daimones (1,076 Points, 40 Votes, 3 #1s)
9. Harvey Milk - A Small Turn of Human Kindness (1,015 Points, 35 Votes, 3 #1s)
10. Dawnbringer - Nucleus (1,009 Points, 34 Votes, 2 #1s)
11. Ghost - Opus Eponymous (868 Points, 32 Votes, 1 #1)
12. UFOmammut - Eve (790 Points, 30 Votes, 2 #1s)
13. Kylesa - Spiral Shadow (733 Points, 27 Votes)
14. Iron Maiden - The Final Frontier (703 Points, 29 Votes, 1 #1)
15. Christian Mistress - Agony & Opium (700 Points, 25 Votes, 1 #1)
16. Apostle of Solitude - Last Sunrise (693 Points, 26 Votes, 1 #1)
17. Bongripper - Satan Worshipping Doom (666 Points, 25 Votes, 1 #1)
18. Drudkh - Handful of Stars (665 Points, 25 Votes, 1 #1)
19. Torche - Songs for Singles (663 Points, 23 Votes, 1 #1)
20. Envy - Recitation (660 Points, 26 Votes, 1 #1)
2011
1. Hammers of Misfortune - 17th Street (1,601 Points, 39 Votes, 5 #1s)
2. Corrupted - Garten Der Unbewusstheit (1,599 Points, 40 Votes, 4 #1s)
3. YOB - Atma (1,527 Points, 41 Votes, 2 #1s)
4. Uncle Acid and the Deadbeats - Blood Lust (1,371 Points, 34 Votes, 4 #1s)
5. Wolves in the Throne Room - Celestial Lineage (1,351 Points, 36 Votes, 2 #1s)
6. Esoteric - Paragon of Dissonance (1,344 Points, 35 Votes, 4 #1s)
7. Mastodon - The Hunter (1,253 Points, 33 Votes, 6 #1s)
8. Pantheïst - Pantheist (1,187 Points, 30 Votes, 2 #1s)
9. The Gates of Slumber - The Wretch (1,085 Points, 32 Votes, 1 #1)
10. Subrosa - No Help for the Mighty Ones (1,080 Points, 30 Votes, 3 #1s)
11. The Devil's Blood - The Thousandfold Epicentre (1,056 Points, 29 Votes, 3 #1s)
12. 40 Watt Sun - The Inside Room (1,049 Points, 27 Votes, 1 #1)
13. Blood Ceremony - Living With the Ancients (1,014 Points, 31 Votes, 1 #1)
14. Absu - Abzu (901 Points, 26 Votes, 1 #1)
15. Krallice - Diotima (899 Points, 28 Votes)
16. Falloch - Where Distant Spirits Remain (874 Points, 27 Votes, 1 #1)
17. Liturgy - Aesthethica (873 Points, 26 Votes, 2 #1s)
18. Altar of Plagues - Mammal (855 Points, 26 Votes, 1 #1)
19. Fen - Epoch (851 Points, 27 Votes, 1 #1)
20. Asva - Presences of Absences (845 Points, 25 Votes, 2 #1s)
2012
1 Converge - All We Love We Leave Behind - 364 points, 17 votes, 6 first place votes
2 Neurosis - Honor Found In Decay - 358 points, 19 votes, 4 first place votes
3 SWANS - The Seer - 344 points, 16 votes, 7 first place votes
4 Nachtmystium - Silencing Machine - 235 points, 18 votes
5 Dawnbringer - Into The Lair Of The Sun God - 223 points, 15 votes, 1 first place vote
6 Old Man Gloom - No - 214 points, 14 votes, 1 first place vote
7 Krallice - Years Past Matter - 213 points, 16 votes, 1 first place vote
8 Christian Mistress - Possession - 195 points, 17 votes, 2 first place votes
9 Aluk Todolo - Occult Rock - 195 points, 16 votes, 1 first place vote
10 Agalloch - Faustian Echoes EP - 194 points, 14 votes
11 Pallbearer-Sorrow and Extinction - 183 points, 15 votes, 1 first place vote
12 OM - Advaitic Songs - 181 points, 13 votes, 1 first place vote
13 Dordeduh - Dar de duh - 178 points, 11 votes, 1 first place vote
14 Saint Vitus - LILLIE: F-65 - 170 points, 14 votes, 1 first place vote
15 Alcest - Les Voyages De L'Âme - 164 points, 13 votes
16 Goat - World Music - 163 points, 10 votes, 1 first place vote
17 Baroness - Yellow & Green - 162 points, 12 votes, 1 first place vote
18 Les Discrets - Ariettes oubliées... - 162 points, 11 votes, 2 first place votes
19 High On Fire - De Vermis Mysteriis - 156 points, 14 votes
20 Jess and the Ancient Ones - Jess and the Ancient Ones - 154 points, 11 votes, 1 first place vote
2013
1 carcass - surgical steel 1121.0 27 8
2 in solitude - sister 831.0 21 2
3 altar of plagues - teethed glory and injury 798.0 22 0
4 gorguts - colored sands 779.0 19 2
5 subrosa - more constant than the gods 741.0 19 2
6 windhand - soma 732.0 19 1 knaaq
7 uncle acid and the deadbeats - mind control 707.0 20 2
8 melt-banana - fetch 686.0 18 1 matt
9 asg - blood drive 668.0 17 0
10 deafheaven - sunbather 666.0 18 3
11 kylesa - ultraviolet 637.0 18 1
12 atlantean kodex - the white goddess 615.0 15 1
13 avatarium - avatarium 613.0 16 1 Paul R
14 darkthrone - the underground resistance 597.0 17 0
15 nails - abandon all life 561.0 16 1
16 hell - curse and chapter 560.0 14 1
17 queens of the stone age - like clockwork 557.0 15 1
18 beastmilk - climax 529.0 15 1
19 ghost - infestissumam 502.0 15 0
20 summoning - old mornings dawn 500.0 14 0
2014
1 YOB - Clearing the Path to Ascend 1240 Points, 32 votes , THREE #1s
2 Pallbearer - Foundations of Burden 1233 Points, 33 votes, One #1
3 Agalloch - The Serpent & the Sphere 1165 Points, 31 votes, Three #1s
4 Electric Wizard - Time to Die 1130 Points, 27 votes THREE #1's
5 Triptykon - Melana Chasmata 1078 Points, 27 votes FIVE #1's
6 Godflesh - A World Lit Only By Fire 876 Points, 23 votes, THREE #1s
7 Darkspace - Dark Space III I 813 Points, 22 votes , ONE #1
8 Scott Walker & SunnO))) - Soused 799 Points, 21 votes, TWO #1s
9 Earth - Primitive and Deadly 738 Points, 21 votes , ONE #1
10 Jute Gyte - Ressentiment 697 Points, 18 votes
11 Mastodon - Once More Round the Sun 680 Points, 19 votes, One #1
12 Bölzer - Soma EP 666 Points, 18 votes , One #1
13 Slough Feg - Digital Resistance 662 Points, 19 votes, One #1
14 Panopticon - Roads to the North 654 Points, 18 votes , One #1
15 Sunn O))) & Ulver - Terrestrials 621 Points, 17 votes, One #1
16 Botanist - Vi: Flora 619 Points, 18 votes, One #1
17 Alcest - Shelter 612 Points, 18 votes, One #1
18 Blut aus Nord - Memoria Vetusta III: Saturnian Poetry 609 Points, 17 votes
19 Jute Gyte - Vast Chains 599 Points, 15votes , THREE #1s
20 Blues Pills - Blues Pills 557 Points, 13 votes
2015
1 Ghost - Meliora 1161.0 26 5
2 Myrkur - M 1156.0 32 1
3 Panopticon - Autumn Eternal 1016.0 26 1
4 Shape Of Despair - Monotony Fields 817.0 21 1
5 Thy Catafalque - Sgùrr 816.0 19 3
6 Chelsea Wolfe - Abyss 809.0 21 2
7 Skepticism - Ordeal 806.0 19 1
8 Uncle Acid & The Deadbeats - The Night Creeper 747.0 21 1
9 Sunn O))) - Kannon 723.0 20 1
10 Windhand - Grief's Infernal Flower 705.0 19 1
11 Mgla - Exercises In Futility 689.0 18 2
12 Krallice - Ygg huur 660.0 19 0
13 Sarpanitum - Blessed Be My Brothers 654.0 16 1
14 Liturgy - The Ark Work 623.0 17 0
15 Avatarium - The Girl With The Raven Mask 592.0 14 1
16 Pinkish Black - Bottom of the Morning 582.0 17 1
17 VHÖL - Deeper Than Sky 582.0 17 0
18 Jess And The Ancient Ones - Second Psychedelic Coming: The Aquarius Tapes 576.0 15 1
19 Tribulation - The Children of the Night 569.0 16 1
20 High on Fire - Luminiferous 567.0 17 1
― Cosmic Slop, Tuesday, 20 December 2016 22:49 (seven years ago) link