2014 POLL RESULTS COUNTDOWN - ILM Metal Albums of the Year

did jon/via/chi quit ilx? he usually votes but not this time nor have i seen him post

Nice Quietus list, glad to see some love for that Bong record.

― ƋППṍӮɨ∏ğڵșěᶉᶇдM℮ (jon /via/ chi 2.0), Tuesday, December 16, 2014 2:11 PM (1 minute ago)

man, super surprised the horrendous album already showed up. thought that'd be top 10 for sure.

Nux Vomica is fantastic. It grew on me a lot this year. I thought it was a bit patchwork-y at first, long songs cobbled together from unrelated pieces. But whatever, I like "Supper's Ready" too.

the second track is fantastic. Neurosis fans should love it

Listening to a stream of Sweven and this is definitely not a "first time's the charm!" kind of album experience. Sounds interesting though, with lots of little, cool parts. I would need to be in a way more focused mindset to get it.

Nux Vomica was my #3, another album with fantastic tension-build and cathartic release based on coherent, structured song writing not just mindless riff pileup

the payoff riff that kicks in at 9:05 of Choked at the Roots is one my favorite moments of the year, so damn satisfying

35 Have A Nice Life - The Unnatural World 373 Points, 11 votes
http://i.imgur.com/qZyTjiW.jpg
spotify:album:5joOAwc2cphlgIpVq8fhgd
http://theflenser.bandcamp.com/album/the-unnatural-world

a suprisingly large portion of the Morbus Chron are those sections of languid clean guitar, I liked it more and more as those grew on me

In a way that I can't quantify, Sweven reminds me, every once in a while, of Opeth's first album; maybe it's the shared Swedish heritage and (probably) shared record collection. The middle part of the album, "It Stretches in the Hollow," "Ripening Life," and "The Perennial Link," are wowing me much more than the preceding tracks.

And I'm gonna have to check out #35 there because I have no idea wtf.

HANL aren't metal at all, more like dour lo-fi shoegaze. Some people seem to think they have black metal elements but I don't hear it. I quite like them though.

Have A Nice Life are great. There was a big buzz around theor 1st album a few years ago and that was the follow up. I have both

34 Gridlink - Longhena 376 Points, 10 votes , TWO #1s
http://i.imgur.com/YjnCFBv.jpg
http://handshakeinc.bandcamp.com/album/longhena

GRIDLINK

brilliant - i heard this way too late to vote. surprised to see it so high

i like what ive heard of Have A Nice Life. but yeah not really metal

amazing album, probably the worst cover art of the whole poll though :( xp

the artwork and title make it look like some weird brochure for formula 1

wow this is dope, the cover is terrible but also amusing in that it's totally deceptive

nah i love the gridlink art

I thought Gridlink would approach or even crack the top 10, it's about as accessible as grind gets

Gridlink was my #1. It kind of blew my mind. I didn't know they made grindcore like this.

I tried to post a bit ago but site seemed to be down. HANL a cool album, and while we definitely nominated a ton of non-metal, this is not even remotely heavy. Fascinating how it got so many votes! Maybe I should have nominated Dark Blue - Pure Reality along the lines of Beastmilk last year.

HANL made the poll previously though and have a fair few fans on ilm. Maybe it might make big poll if the shoegaze fans hear it

33 Witch Mountain - Mobile of Angels 378 Points, 15 votes
http://i.imgur.com/IwKXuq5.jpg
spotify:album:15j8nailz7s4oxlpNjsTDh
http://profoundlorerecords.bandcamp.com/album/mobile-of-angels

thought WM would post higher.

Gridlink is suitably insane. I feel like I'm in a Michael Mann or Tony Scott movie while someone fast-forwards an album by The Crown. Not the kind of grind I'm used to but it makes a vivid impression!

I'll end up with a "Top 20 Albums That Should Have Made My Top 10" list.

15 votes is not bad, considering WM didn't get a fraction of the marketing and hype as a lot of other stuff.

32 Thou - Heathen 392 Points, 12 votes
http://i.imgur.com/AL4Btn7.jpg
spotify:album:1KNPeBXROZ71EG0g4zlt8B
http://thou.bandcamp.com/album/heathen

One more to come after this

finishing tomorrow?

I ranked the Gridlink high but would have ranked it even higher if it had just a bit more of the noise and grit of their last album in it

I'm with Fastnbulbous, I'm kinda amazed that Have A Nice Life finished so high on a thread where the discussion tends to pretty consistently focus on things that are more traditionally metal. I mean, it beat Spectral Lore and Thantifaxath and Horrendous and Primoridial ... that's pretty stunning, imo.

None of which is bad, or a dig at anyone here or the thread, of course.

Siegbran: Thanks for the Wijlen Wij and Ea recommendations up-thread. I'll check them both out. I was one of the folks who voted for Have a Nice Life. I agree that they're not metal at all, but they can be pretty heavy at times. It's cool to see Spectral Lore in the top 40! I adore that album -- think I had it at #3 or #4.

no, thursday i think.
xp
unless everyone wants 10 a day so it finishes friday but traditionally I finish it on a thursday as it allows friday for people to discuss it instead of working.

it also allows for extra time if ilx is down or im ill etc

I think with HANL (and maybe other things like woven hand) is that people really really rate them but theyre quite unknown so want to boost their profile in the poll.

I ranked the Gridlink high but would have ranked it even higher if it had just a bit more of the noise and grit of their last album in it

I love the clarity on this one. It gives the chaos kind of an aerial feel, like it's all set against a beautiful clear blue sky.

Here is stereogums top 50 metal albums.

50. Old Man Gloom - The Ape Of God
49. Piss Vortex - Piss Vortex
48. Ides Of Gemini - Old World New Wave
47. Psalm Zero - The Drain
46. Anguish - Mountain
45. Incantation - Dirges Of Elysium
44. Witch Mountain - Mobile Of Angels
43. Yautja - Songs Of Descent
42. Ingurgitating Oblivion - Continuum Of Absence
41. A Pregnant Light - My Game Doesn’t Have A Name
40. Triptykon - Melana Chasmata
39. Tombs - Savage Gold
38. Diskord - Oscillation
37. Sargeist - The Crawling Shadows
36. Jute Gyte - Vast Chains
35. Krieg - Transient
34. Brutal Blues - Brutal Blues
33. Emptiness - Nothing But the Whole
32. Nasheim - Solens Vemod
31. High Spirits - You Are Here
30. Couch Slut - My Life As A Woman
29. Fluisteraars - Dromers
28. Abigor - Leytmotif Luzifer
27. Diocletian - Gesundrian
26. Slugdge - Gastronomicon
25. Godflesh - A World Lit Only By Fire
24. Teitanblood - Death
23. Pallbearer - Foundations of Burden
22. Falls Of Rauros - Believe In No Coming Shore
21. Giant Squid - Minoans
20. Gridlink - Longhena
19. Panopticon - Roads To The North
18. Sivyj Yar - From The Dead Villages' Darkness
17. Behemoth - The Satanist
16. Thantifaxath - Sacred White Noise
15. Indian - From All Purity
14. Dead Congregation - Promulgation Of The Fall
13. Winterfylleth - The Divination Of Antiquity
12. Martyrdöd - Elddop
11. Primordial - Where Greater Men Have Fallen
10. Artificial Brain - Labyrinth Constellation
09. Thou - Heathen
08. At The Gates - At War With Reality
07. Woods Of Desolation - As The Stars
06. Morbus Chron - Sweven
05. Agalloch - The Serpent & The Sphere
04. Nux Vomica - Nux Vomica
03. Horrendous - Ecdysis
02. YOB - Clearing The Path To Ascend
01. Blut Aus Nord - Memoria Vetusta III - Saturnian Poetry

31 Old Man Gloom - The Ape of God I 406 Points, 11 votes
http://i.imgur.com/sppcUij.jpg
spotify:album:5bTs4HY0zZaG7BBUvLtED6
http://profoundlorerecords.bandcamp.com/album/the-ape-of-god

only jute gyte ive seen in any lists has been vast chains.

so Ape of God I and II are being counted separately?

they were, yes

<i>I love the clarity on this one. It gives the chaos kind of an aerial feel, like it's all set against a beautiful clear blue sky.

― jmm, dinsdag 16 december 2014 20:48 (23 minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink
</i>

This is the best description I have read about this album. Missed this poll, but I'm sure I'm gonna put the Gridlink album really high in the regular poll.

Love reading this poll and all the postings and the albums and stuff, but the way.

Shit, html.

The output of music from the Cave In guys is astounding.. it mind boggling, actually.

i had a Cave In CD back in the day ... what bands are they in now?

RECAP
102 The Cosmic Dead - Easterfaust 143 Points, 4 votes
tie
100 Autopsy - Tourniquets, Hacksaws and Graves 143 Points, 5 votes
100 Lantlos - Melting Sun 143 Points, 5 votes
99 Ulaan Markhor - Spiral Horns, Black Onions, et al 144 Points, 4 votes, One #1
98 Seven that Spells - The Death and Resurrection of Krautrock: IO 146 Votes, 3 voters , One #1
97 Death Penalty - Death Penalty 146 Points, 5 votes
96 Ambergris - Ambergris 147 Points, 3 votes, One #1
95 Body Count - Manslaughter 147 Points,6 votes
94 Monarch - Sabbracadaver 148 Points, 6 votes
93 Truckfighters - Universe 152 Points, 5 votes, One #1
Tie
91 Raspberry Bulbs - Privacy 155 Points, 6 votes
91 Coffinworm - IV.I.VIII 155 Points, 6 votes

90 A Pregnant Light - My Game Doesn't Have A Name 156 Points, 4 votes, 1 #1
89 Conan - Blood Eagle 157 Points, 5 votes
88 Wolves In The Throne Room - Celestite 157 Points, 6 votes
87 Wo Fat - The Conjuring 158 Points, 5 votes
86 Karma To Burn - Arch Stanton 160 Points, 4 votes
85 Monster Magnet - Milking the Stars: A Re-Imagining of Last Patrol 160 Points, 5 votes
84 At The Gates - At War With Reality 161 Points, 5 votes
83 Rigor Mortis - Slaves To The Grave 161 Points, 6 votes
82 Hands Of Orlac - Figli Del Crepuscolo 162 Points, 5 votes

TIE
80 Saor - Aura 163 Points , 5 votes
80 The Great Old Ones - TEKELI-LI 163 Points, 5 votes
79 Bongripper - Miserable 163 Points, 6 votes
78 The Flight of Sleipnir - V. 168 Points, 4 votes
77 Skull Fist - Chasing the Dream 171 Points, 5 votes
76 Myrkur - Myrkur 173 Points, 6 votes
75 Opeth - Pale Communion 177 Points, 7 votes
74 Mournful Congregation - Concrescence Of The Sophia 186 Points, 6 votes
73 Petrychor - Makrokosmos 189 Points, 5 votes
72 Fallujah - The Flesh Prevails 190 Points, 6 votes
71 Inter Arma - The Cavern 190 Points, 7 votes

70 Towers - II 193 Points, 7 votes
69 Comet Control - s/t 194 Points, 5 votes , One #1
Tie
67 AEvangelist - Writhes in the Murk 205 Points, 6 votes
67 Shooting Guns - Street Rock 205.0 6 votes
66 Judas Priest - Redeemer of Souls 209 Points, 8 votes
65 Wizard Rifle - Here In The Deadlights 210 Points, 6 votes
64 Ne Obliviscaris - Citadel 214 Points, 7 votes
63 Nadja - Queller 223 Points, 6 votes, One #1
62 Atlas Moth - The Old Believer 234 Points, 8 votes
61 Kayo Dot - Coffins On Io 236 Points, 6 votes

60 The Wounded Kings - Consolamentum 251 Points, 7 votes
59 Stargazer - A Merging to the Boundless 255 Points, 7 votes
58 Wovenhand - Refractory Obdurate 262 Points, 7 votes
57 Woods of Desolation - As the Stars 267 Points, 10 votes
56 Teitanblood - Death 270 Points, 9 votes
55 Dead Congregation - Promulgation Of The Fall 272 Points, 8 votes
54 Fen - Carrion Skies 274 Points, 8 votes
53 The Oath - The Oath 274 Points, 9 votes
52 Hail Spirit Noir - Oi Magoi 282 Points, 9 votes
51 Midnight - No Mercy for Mayhem 290 Points, 8 votes

50 Nachtmystium - The World We Left Behind 297 Points, 9 votes
49 Goat - Commune 301 Points, 9 votes
48 Mare Cognitum - Phobos Monolith 311 Points, 9 votes
47 Horseback - Piedmont Apocrypha 329 Points, 9 votes
46 Indian - From All Purity 329 Points, 10 votes
45 Primordial - Where Greater Men Have Fallen 333 Points, 11 votes
44 The Body - I Shall Die Here 335 Points 10 votes
43 Thantifaxath - Sacred White Noise 337 Points, 9 votes
42 Eyehategod - Eyehategod 339 Points, 11 votes
41 Horrendous - Ecdysis 349 Points, 9 votes

40 Boris - Noise 353 Points, 11 votes
39 Dawnbringer - Night of the Hammer 356 Points, 11 votes
38 Morbus Chron - Sweven 358 Points , 10 votes, One #1
37 Spectral Lore - III 360 Points, 12 votes, One #1
36 Nux Vomica - Nux Vomica 366 Points, 11 votes
35 Have A Nice Life - The Unnatural World 373 Points, 11 votes
34 Gridlink - Longhena 376 Points, 10 votes , TWO #1s
33 Witch Mountain - Mobile of Angels 378 Points, 15 votes
32 Thou - Heathen 392 Points, 12 votes
31 Old Man Gloom - The Ape of God I 406 Points, 11 votes

digging the lack of lord mantis, keep it up ilx

Old Man Gloom

Santos Montano – drums (1999–present)
Aaron Turner (Isis, Mamiffer) – guitar, vocals (1999–present)
Nate Newton (Converge, Doomriders) – guitar, vocals (2000–present)
Caleb Scofield (Cave In, Zozobra) – bass guitar, vocals (2000–present)

funnily enough I got into OMG before Isis, Converge, Cave In with that first album

Re-listening to the Morbus Chron now, and really wishing I placed it higher. Haven't heard the Gridlink yet, and from the descriptions it sounds like my kind of Grind ('cause the Trap Them left me feeling a little cold this year) - really hoping to pick it up soon.