THE 10TH ANNUAL ILM METAL POLL:2017 RESULTS THREAD

I don't think I properly checked out the Necrot album but it's sounding good this morning.

That Tau Cross album was really good. I liked the debut, but figured it for a one-off; when a sequel appeared, I was very pleasantly surprised.

(I did not vote in this poll.)

Somehow this one completely passed me by.

94 White Ward - Futility Report 101.0 Points, 4 Votes
http://www.nocleansinging.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/White-Ward-Futility-Report.jpg

https://open.spotify.com/album/4Elh1BDe2G5VabPDxYhkdZ?si=_ncGLL0CSYeP0ZicNnOs2g

http://www.angrymetalguy.com/white-ward-futility-report-review/

excellent cover

sax alert!!!

Seeing a bolded Steely Dan in the Angry Metal Guy review was… unexpected.

this honestly sounds good as hell on first listen, how did I miss this one?!

Giving this a go...I think I heard it before but didn't give it enough ear

brad needs to hear this immediately

Yay, looking forward to following this poll, and learning of great new records. Last year the greatest discoveries were Vektor and Astronoid, hoping to find something equally good this year :)

93 Colotyphus - Spiritual Journey of a Forlorn Soul 102.0 Points, 3 Votes

https://shop.season-of-mist.com/media/catalog/product/cache/1/image/500x500/9df78eab33525d08d6e5fb8d27136e95/C/o/Colotyphus-Spiritual-Journey-Of-A-Forlorn-Soul-CD-64052-1.jpg

https://colotyphus.bandcamp.com/album/spiritual-journey-of-a-forlorn-soul-3

Not that I've heard enough to really say but: too low.

Ooh! I threw this Siegbran-fare a whole load of points - wonder who the third voter was? Really strong songwriting and I think it's distinctive enough to transcend being mere Drudkh-worship (despite the cover at the end). I enjoyed it more than Drudkh, even. Obviously I have no interest in their politics (not to tar Ukraine with one brush, but...things are...strange there) but thankfully I don't have to find out :)

They're led by a woman, which might mean they dial back some of the macho nationalism

Yeah, that came as a pleasant surprise.

2:30 into that White Ward album is one of the best musical moments I've heard from 2017. Lol.

Just wait till you get to "Rain as Cure"

This Cloud Rat track is intense! I found them a little bit difficult to get into before, but having their sound stretched out like this has warped it in all the right ways.

I'm so glad that split made it in, if just barely.

Yeah, I liked Cloud Rat's sound on this. They're usually more like short bursts of grindcore? On the Disrotted track now. Idk if I can do 23m of this, ha, unless there are some changes coming up.

I only listened to Disrotted's half once or twice. I voted purely for the Rat.

I know I should just follow along with the metal thread, but I would love a thread for 'metal groups who are clearly doing it wrong' a la the one for techno/house :)

92 Big|Brave - Ardor 102.0 Points, 4 Votes

https://media.pitchfork.com/photos/59aed63d8318ae33b373b527/1:1/w_600/bigbrave_ardor.jpg

https://open.spotify.com/album/7F9GqRTn1u9x0sCkWRivRM?si=ge8hszpEQxOTFn2HMmKkAQ

In places, Ardor is an album of quiet restraint. The second of the three tracks, “Lull,” gives most of its running time to moody slowcore rumination, with peals of guitar feedback snaking in gradually as the track gains weight. Other moments suggest an affinity for the brutal excesses of noise rock and no wave. There are echoes of Swans in the mantra-like repetitions of “Sound” and “Borer,” their clanging riffs cast out in the direction of the horizon. Meanwhile, Wattie’s siren-like vocals vacillate between imploring sensuality, raw self-flagellation, and blank affect in a way that’s reminiscent of Lydia Lunch. Lunch’s music was often jagged like razorblades, though, while BIG|BRAVE are big and oceanic, their music flowing and crashing like waves.

https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/bigorbrave-ardor/

We should definitely have a Rolling False Metal thread.

Where do you draw the line though?

Haha the Rat was well worth it! I'm so glad.

I'm also not sure about this Disrotted...it isn't often that I want to crawl through tar.

Big|Brave made it onto my ballot thanks to the campaigning

Where do you draw the line though?

Not sure, but it would be funny to have a thread where bands are accused of being "too kvlt" or whatever

i knew once i heard the sax solo on the white ward album that i had to vote for it

lol that's true xp

tt you didn't play this to me did you? may check it out later.

White Ward are nice but the songwriting isn't quite getting me. Lovely sound and production though!

I did play it to you but you didn't respond!

Just scared myself by forgetting that I was printing something whilst listening to Bathsheba.

NB there's always this thread that I started, although it's focused on a specific kind of metal-adjacent aesthetic: Search: Metal that Sounds Like Glenn Branca

Not feeling anything on this rollout so far unfortunately. Heard some of these last year, wasn't impressed with White Ward apparently though I don't even remember hearing it. Code Orange seem to be Converge if they were groove metal so it's almost like they're TRYING to be my least favourite band in the world.

Besides, isn't there a part for tenor sax in Branca's 1st symphony?

Colotyphus is pretty OK.

91 Cannibal Corpse - Red Before Black 104.0 Points, 3 Votes
https://cps-static.rovicorp.com/3/JPG_500/MI0004/347/MI0004347220.jpg

https://open.spotify.com/album/2Ecgc9nNxJpXd3gboFPbvz?si=KhwG3u0kSoGGVl82-2iqFw

Songs like the title track are propelled at maximum speed, while other songs like “Shedding My Human Skin” and “Remaimed” have both deliberate grooves and frenzied, rocket-propelled sections. The shifting tempos and intensities help add variety to the proceedings.

Over the years Cannibal Corpse have been able to add more melody and catchy parts to their songwriting repertoire without sacrificing any heaviness. You won't hear “Firestorm Vengeance” or “In the Midst of Ruin” on rock radio, but they are more memorable than many songs on the commercial charts.

After working with producer Erik Rutan on some earlier releases, Cannibal Corpse brought him back for Red Before Black. Being an outstanding death metal musician in his own right, Rutan knows exactly what Cannibal Corpse bring to the table. He captures the rawness and power of their sound while keeping the crisp and focused feel of their playing.

http://loudwire.com/cannibal-corpse-red-before-black-album-review/

That's it from me for now - Odysseus will resume his duties shortly.

Best thing on the White Ward was probably the closing track

damn that's low for CC. I was one of the three votes. the album is nothing new or groundbreaking for the band but it's effective as always.

definitely was overshadowed by a couple of other death metal releases tho (Immolation, Incantation, Lantern, Suffocation)

Was one of the White Ward voters, superb album

Next to Tomb Mold's output, Necrot's record was my fave Death Metal output this year - bought it on vinyl this weekend and it got appreciative Super Bowl party half-time slot. Didn't know they shared members with Vastum and Acephalix which makes me love it all the more. Contrarian record is awesome too, and I'm glad to see it placed. Thought the CC record was kinda boring.

ps if you think CC are low wait til you see the next entry

90 Akercocke - Renaissance In Extremis 104 Points, 4 votes
https://i.imgur.com/OSvvqfV.jpg

https://open.spotify.com/album/5256D6skKc4gdwPaPpSScA?si=L_cuNHEtQGufdeifZ778sQ

http://www.angrymetalguy.com/akercocke-renaissance-extremis-review/

if la lechera still posted/voted here I would've recommended her the White Ward.

I liked the Akercocke. was kind of like hearing from an old friend.

I thought it would be top 20 at least

I gotta admit, this is the one metal vocal style I've never been huge on

Never got round to Akercocke, don't know if this is a good starting point, didn't expect something this proggy. Reminds me a bit of a more pacey/techy Opeth, even down to the slightly random song construction.

Pretty good though I should say.

it's definitely not much like their earlier material

also the Sufferer album is sounding *fantastic* to me so kudos TV

I need to give the long Cloud Rat track a second listen. I mainly listened to the Moloch split from their slew of releases last year. That one flowed really nicely.

Maybe the best part of the rollout for me was seeing people get into Dreadnought, their other two albums are also very good btw

Falls of Rauros probably the best discovery personally.

Looking forward to hearing more Dreadnought! Maybe I’ll lurk around rolling metal a bit more this year.

Thanks to the pollrunners! I've got a lot of album to check out but I'm saving it for next week cuz I'll be all by myself for a few days and I plan to immerse myself in these picks. As far as ballot goes, here's mine (bold didn't place)

1. Anakim - Monuments to Departed Worlds
2. Entheos - Le Zahir (:sad face:)
3. Ex Eye - Ex Eye
4. Der Weg Einer Freiheit - Finisterre
5. Krallice - Go Be Forgotten
6. Cavernlight - As We Cup Our Hands And Drink From the Stream of Our Ache
7. Au champ des morts - Dans la joie
8. Immolation - Atonement
9. Wiegedood - De Doden Hebben Het Goed II
10. Woe - Hope Attrition
11. Elder - Reflections of a Floating World
12. Pyrolatrous - Teneral
13. Draugsol - Volaða Land
14. Grails - Chalice Hymnal
15. Aosoth - The Inside Scriptures (really surprising absence)
16. Ufomammut - 8
17. Gigan - Undulating Waves of Rainbiotic Iridescense
18. Chelsea Wolfe - Hiss Spun
19. Multishiva - Time Messer
20. Falls of Rauros - Vigilance Perennial
21. Boris - Dead
22. The Ominous Circle - Appalling Ascension
23. Contrarian - To Perceive is to Suffer
24. Pillorian - Obsidian Arc
25. Spirit Adrift - Curse Of Conception
26. Undergang - Misantropologi
27. Celeste - Infidèle(s)
28. Oxbow - The Thin Black Duke
29. Lingua Ignota - All Bitches Die
30. Farsot - Fail·Lure

I hadn't realized so many of my picks had placed.

Forgot to bold Cavernlight, that one didn't make it.

xp Thanks pomenitul!

Unweighted:

Botanist - Collective: The Shape of He to Cone
Jute Gyte - Oviri
Converge - The Dusk In Us
Pallbearer - Heartless
Akvan - Forgotten Glory
Árstíðir lífsins - Heljarkviða
Krallice - Loüm
Krallice - Go Be Forgotten
Godflesh - Post Self
Thantifaxath - Void Masquerading as Matter
Oranssi Pazuzu - Kevät / Värimyrsky
Solstafir - Berdreyminn
Ex Eye - Ex Eye
Schammasch - The Maldoror Chants: Hermaphrodite

I meant to say yesterday that the Lingua Ignota album is quite something. Would definitely have made my list if I had heard it, but I didn't get the chance to hear much new stuff, even in the longer voting period, for obvious reasons.

Also What in the end do you prefer: results before Christmas or in February after the Big Poll?

either tbh. guess earlier is nicer BUT you get things like those mesarthim EPs missing cos they came out in the last week of december

Before Christmas. Im 95% wrong about longer voting periods

Xp ok 90%

Weighted

Jute Gyte - Oviri
Imajinary Friends - The Imajinary Friends
Stabscotch - Uncanny Valley
Vespero - Shum-Shir
Sundays & Cybele - Chaos & Systems
Botanist - Collective: The Shape of He to Cone
Ex Eye - Ex Eye
Multishiva - Time Messer
Gasp - Ghost in Scow Out
Liquidarlo Celuloide - Superfriccion
Couch Slut - Contempt
King Woman - Created in the Image of Suffering
Forgotten Spell - The Necromancer
Rubedo Nocturno - O grande pai: Abismo incriado
Black Cilice - Banished from Time
Azonic - Prospect of the Deep Volume 1
Plastic Crimewave Syndicate - Thunderbolt of Flaming Wisdom
ST 37 - Fuck You, You Rule: ST 37's Greatest "Hits"
10000 Russos - Distress Distress
Korto - Korto
Elder - Reflections of a Floating World
Feral Ohms - Feral Ohms
Unsane - Sterilize
Deep Space Destructors - Psychedology
Yagow - Yagow
Sxuperion - Myriad
Slowly Building Weapons - Sunbirds
Thantifaxath - Void Masquerading as Matter
Nik Turner - Life in Space
Circle - Terminal
Ecstatic Vision - Raw Rock Fury
Sannhet - So Numb
Shardik - Shardik
Succumb - Succumb
Mara Balls - Elävä kivi
Moths & Locusts - Intro/Outro
The Spacelords - Water Planet
The Cosmic Dead - Psych is Dead
Void Generator - Prodromi
Grails - Chalice Hymnal
Maat Lander - Season in Space Vol. 1
Falls of Rauros - Vigilance Perennial
Schammasch - The Maldoror Chants: Hermaphrodite

Siegbran is the only person who had a ballot similar to mine, lol

aye, longer voting period kills momentum and everyone just leaves it to the last week before listening and voting anyway!
the old way of 2 week nominations and 2 weeks voting was enough i think.

Personally I want all of you to tell me about all these great albums before the vanilla ilx poll so that I can put White Ward on my ballot and seem cool...

most metal albums wouldnt make it even if they extended the rollout to 150.

Chelsea Wolfe only got 3 votes i think in big poll. Was #3 here.

only elder snd ex eye made the big poll 77 iirc

btw i forgot to say during the roll out but my fave song on the converge album is the title track.

Thanks so much Simon and Kerr for doing this <3

Ballot, weighted:

Nortt - Endeligt
Krallice - Go Be Forgotten
Der Weg Einer Freiheit - Finisterre
Jute Gyte - Oviri
Au champ des morts - Dans la joie
Wolves in the Throne Room - Thrice Woven
Blanck Mass - World Eater
Archspire - Relentless Mutation
Chelsea Wolfe - Hiss Spun
Acid Mothers Temple & The Melting Paraiso U.F.O. - Wandering The Outer Space
Gnod - Just Say No to the Psycho Right-Wing Capitalist Fascist Industrial Death Machine

I don't think the noms period should end before the end of the year; that's the only thing I'd be concerned about. Thanks so much to Simon and Odysseus for this!

My weighted ballot. Bold did not place.

1. Oxbow - Thin White Duke
2. Brutus - Burst
3. Chelsea Wolfe - Hiss Spun
4. Wolves in the Throne Room - Thrice Woven
5. The Midnight Ghost Train - Cypress Ave.
6. Rebel Wizard - Triumph Of Gloom
7. Light of the Morning Star - Nocta
8. Violet Cold – Anomie
9. Slagmaur - Thill Smitts Terror
10. The Obsessed – Sacred
11. Laster - Ons Vrije Fatum
12. Beastmaker - Inside The Skull
13. The Wizards - Full Moon in Scorpio
14. Godflesh - Post Self
15. Paradise Lost - Medusa
16. Ufomammut - 8
17. Tau Cross - Pillar of Fire
18. Mammoth Mammoth - Mount the Mountain
19. Zeal & Ardor - Devil Is Fine
20. Myrkur - Mareridt
21. Pagan Altar - The Room of Shadows
22. Alestorm - No Grave But The Sea
23. Sólstafir - Berdreyminn
24. Pyriphlegethon - The Murky Black of Eternal Night
25. Pallbearer - Heartless
26. Ides of Gemini - Women
27. Full Of Hell - Trumpeting Ecstasy
28. Venenum - Trance Of Death
29. Usnea - Portals into Futility
30. King Woman - Created in the Image of Suffering
31. Nortt – Endeligt
32. Reverorum ib Malacht - Ter Agios Numini
33. Obituary - Obituary
34. Horn - Turm Am Hang
35. Botanist - The Shape of He to Come
36. Disharmony - Goddamn The Sun
37. Jagged Vision - Death Is This World
38. Falls of Rauros - Vigilance Perrenial
39. Ensiferum - Two Paths
40. Integrity - Howling, For The Nightmare Shall Consume
41. Selcouth - Heart Is the Star of Chaos
42. Pyrrhon - What Passes For Survival
43. Eluveitie - Evocation II: Pantheon
44. Antisect - The Rising of the Lights
45. Anomalie - Visions
46. Uniform - Wake In Fright
47. Dread Sovereign - For Doom The Bell Tolls
48. White Ward - Futility Report
49. Lorn - Arrayed Claws
50. Big|Brave - Ardor

My unweighted ballot, I only picked things I'd heard and remembered (and it's obviously missing a few I've noted above in the thread):

Artificial Brain - Infrared Horizon
Atriarch - Dead as Truth
Big|Brave - Ardor
Chepang - Dadhelo
Circle - Terminal
Cloud Rat / Disrotted - Split LP
Couch Slut - Contempt
Full of Hell - Trumpeting Ecstasy
Godflesh - Post Self
Impetuous Ritual - Blight Upon Martyred Sentience
Oxbow - Thin Black Duke
Power Trip - Nightmare Logic
Psudoku - Deep Space Psudokument
Pyrrhon - What Passes For Survival
The Body & Full of Hell - Ascending a Mountain of Heavy Light
Uniform - Wake in Fright
White Suns - Psychic Drift
Wreche - Wreche

I must say I'm a little disappointed by the #1. I'm not a fan of the singing and I can't really make out the songs as they just meander, without strong or hooking passages (track 3 a distinct exception). The last two songs feel like an addition of twenty minutes. I'm not sure if it's because I've never been a fan of stoner or because of the progressiveness.

Maybe I spoke too fast though, I'm relistening to parts at home now and it sounds better than in the train.

the last track is amazing

They definitely meander, that's part of the fun. They open with a hook, riff on it a bit, jam for five minutes, come back to the hook at the end. I think the hooks on Lore might have been a bit more memorable, but the new one is a little more layered, which is why I liked it better.

My unweighted and monumentally unsuccessful ballot

Bloodway - A Fragile Riddle Crypting Clues
Celestial Bodies - Spit Forth From Chaos
Cemetery Urn - Cemetery Urn
Circle - Terminal
Contaminated - Final Man
Cryptic Fog - Staring Through the Veil
Crystal Fairy - Crystal Fairy
Daemogog – Ancient Extradigestional Rites
Demon Head - Thunder on the Fields
Dreaming Dead - Funeral Twilight
Elder - Reflections of a Floating World
Excommunion - Thronosis
Father Befouled - Desolate Gods
Fell Ruin - To the Concrete Drifts
Fleshpress - Hulluuden Muuri
Gigan - Undulating Waves of Rainbiotic Iridescense
Immolation - Atonement
Incantation - Profane Nexus
John Hoyles - Night Flight
Kairon; IRSE! - Ruination
Livid - Beneath This Shroud, The Earth Erodes
Lo-Ruhamah - Anointing
Lorn - Arrayed Claws
Loss - Horizonless
Midnight Rider – Manifestation
Mind Mold – Mind Mold
Morast - Ancestral Void
Morbid Angel - Kingdoms Disdained
Morbid Evils – Deceases
Nightbringer - Terra Damnata
Occasvs - Nocturnal Majestic Mysteria
Oculus - The Apostate of Light
Poison Blood - Poison Blood
Pontiak - Dialectic of Ignorance
Pyrrhon - What Passes For Survival
Rude - Remnants...
Ruin - Drown in Blood
Slowly Building Weapons - Sunbirds
Spectral Voice - Eroded Corridors Of Unbeing
Succumb - Succumb
Suffering Hour - In Passing Ascension
Tchornobog - Tchornobog
The Mass – Ghost Fleet
Tomb Mold - Primordial Malignity
Tome of the Unreplenished – Cosmoprism: The Theurgy
Tongues - Hreilia
Ululatum Tollunt - Quantum Noose of Usurpation
Usnea – Portals Into Futility
Venenum - Trance of Death
Wildspeaker - Spreading Adder

Most of my ballot is tied for 286th place lol

I thought Immolation and Incantation were both ILM faves? And I could swear people in this very thread were praising Tchornobog. I think my memory's going.

Immolation made it, Incantation was at 105. Thought they were both very solid albums tbh. And I remember there being some excitement over Tchornobog in rolling metal but I guess it didn't carry over.

I like Incantation a lot, but the new album was not as good as the one before.

I didn't discover quite as much this year in the rollout as the last couple of years