Nomination thread 2020 Metal ’n’ Heavy Rock Poll: NOMINATIONS Thread (open until the 8th of January 2021) is still open, and voting will NOT start until the general EOY results rollout ends.
There will be a two week long voting period then rollout.
We want to avoid clashing with the other poll and doing it this way means everyone can gove 100% attention to both polls, and I'm sure it will make life easier for seandalai who does the forms and tabulating for all the polls and without him we wouldn't have a poll.
But
It also means you can all still campaign for albums in here and basically give yourself at least a month to catch up on things you missed before having to worry about voting, and it gives you the chance to listen to something more than once or twice to see if it holds up past initial exposure.
Here are the nominations we have which still can be added to via the nominations thread.
Here is the large Spotify Playlist that Simon kindly helped out with, but if your noms aren't on there you can still add them.
Please feel free to post links to albums on Spotify, Bandcamp, Apple music or whatever you prefer to use but please try not to embed youtube links as it slows the thread down for many users.
But most important of all, try to explain why you think ilxors should listen to and vote for any album you recommend. Posting links to reviews of albums are welcome too if you dont feel confident enough to describe albums.
Pom & I wish you all a Happy New Year and Happy Campaigning!
― Oor Neechy, Sunday, 3 January 2021 20:56 (three years ago) link
I'm going to post bandcamp links for some great albums as not everyone uses Spotify.
Neptunian Maximalism - Éons https://i-voidhangerrecords.bandcamp.com/album/ons
Sólstafir - Endless Twilight of Codependent Love https://solstafir.bandcamp.com/album/endless-twilight-of-codependent-love
Boris - No https://boris.bandcamp.com/album/no
Botanist - Photosynthesis https://verdant-realm-botanist.bandcamp.com/album/photosynthesis
Envy - The Fallen Crimson https://envy.bandcamp.com/album/the-fallen-crimson
Hum - Inlet https://humband.bandcamp.com/album/inlet
Kairon; IRSE! - Polysomn https://kaironirse.bandcamp.com/album/polysomn-2
Old Man Gloom - Darkness of Being/Light of Meaning https://profoundlorerecords.bandcamp.com/album/seminar-viii-light-of-meaning and https://profoundlorerecords.bandcamp.com/album/seminar-ix-darkness-of-being
Paysage d'Hiver - Im Wald https://paysagedhiver.bandcamp.com/album/im-wald
Slift - Ummon https://slift.bandcamp.com/album/ummonSumac - May You Be Held https://sumac.bandcamp.com/album/may-you-be-held
Thy Catafalque - Naiv https://thycatafalqueuk.bandcamp.com/album/naiv
Zombi - 2020 https://zombi.bandcamp.com/album/2020
Pharaoh Overlord - 6 https://pharaohoverlord.bandcamp.com/album/6
Lowrider - Refractions https://lowriderofficial.bandcamp.com/album/refractions
Psychlona - Venus Flytrip https://psychlona.bandcamp.com/album/venus-skytrip
Senyawa & Stephen O'Malley – Bima Sakti https://idealrecordings.bandcamp.com/album/bima-sakti
Kaatayra – Toda história pela frente https://kaatayra.bandcamp.com/album/toda-hist-ria-pela-frenteRegarde les hommes tomber – Ascension https://regardeleshommestomber.bandcamp.com/album/ascension
― Oor Neechy, Sunday, 3 January 2021 21:54 (three years ago) link
Hardly the most forward-looking metal LP I heard last year but I have a soft spot for this obscure Greek OSDM band and their Bolt Thrower-esque songs:
https://bognorband.bandcamp.com/album/brain-paralysis
― pomenitul, Sunday, 3 January 2021 23:22 (three years ago) link
A lot of bases already covered with that list! Especially Kairon, Botanist and PO. But here are a few more people should check out if they haven't got around to it yet...
Couch Slut - Take a Chance on Rock 'N' Roll - Very heavy, broken-sounding sludge. Sounds much fuller than their debut too imo. Highlight: I'm 14.
Azusa - Loop of Yesterdays - Powerhouse metalcore with lots of lovely psych and shoegazey moments. Highlight: Golden Words.
Duma - Duma - Monstrous industrial cybergrind. Horror-soaked mantric dread, but in an energetic way! Highlight: Omni.
― tangenttangent, Sunday, 3 January 2021 23:29 (three years ago) link
The Zombi and Pharaoh Overlord albums are definitely albums that could crossover to general ILM, if they could be made aware of their existence.
― Oor Neechy, Monday, 4 January 2021 00:22 (three years ago) link
But I can't imagine general ILXors even reading metal poll threads despite the fact we are very lax on definitions of 'metal' & 'heavy'.
― Oor Neechy, Monday, 4 January 2021 00:23 (three years ago) link
This one's a short, two-track EP so just dive into it if you like your winding, spirally tech death blackened and more besides (I'm not gonna spoil it):
Ænigmatum – Adorned in Wrath
― pomenitul, Tuesday, 5 January 2021 01:45 (three years ago) link
I'll follow the bandcamp trend here. These are all excellent and I will be voting for each of them.
Gulch - Impenetrable Cerebral Fortresshttps://gulch.bandcamp.com/album/impenetrable-cerebral-fortress
Infant Island - Beneathhttps://infantisland.bandcamp.com/album/beneath
Krallice - Mass Cathexishttps://krallice.bandcamp.com/album/mass-cathexis
Behold... The Arctopus - Hapeleptic Overtrovehttps://beholdthearctopus.bandcamp.com/album/hapeleptic-overtrove
Serpent Column - Endless Detainmenthttps://serpentcolumn.bandcamp.com/album/endless-detainment
― gman59, Tuesday, 5 January 2021 17:12 (three years ago) link
Most of the bands that place in this poll do tend to be on bandcamp which is great.
I think its one of the best things about the poll that during rollout you can buy an album from bandcamp and give the bands some money rather than only streaming from Apple music/Spotify/Deezer at al
― Oor Neechy, Tuesday, 5 January 2021 17:40 (three years ago) link
Not all metal, but there's a lot of metal!
This is my @Spotify playlist of my favorite songs culled from the 113 albums that came out in 2020 that I purchased or plan on doing so. Maybe others will enjoy it!https://t.co/229kKG5Jsv #NowPlaying— Brian O'Neill (@NYC__Native) January 5, 2021
― Loud guitars shit all over "Bette Davis Eyes" (NYCNative), Tuesday, 5 January 2021 17:45 (three years ago) link
Hopefully whoever is doing the albums on the general poll will provide bandcamp links.
and on that note, why aren't you voting in the general poll this year, pom?
― Oor Neechy, Tuesday, 5 January 2021 18:05 (three years ago) link
I’m not quite done catching up with 2020, yet noms are already closed. I also listened to more new albums last year than I have in a long time and feel like I’ve heard enough tbh.
― pomenitul, Tuesday, 5 January 2021 18:10 (three years ago) link
Lol that was a bit of a contradiction on my part. Guess I meant to say that I haven’t quite heard enough but that I’ve gotten wind of enough records that are likely to pique my interest (metal poll notwithstanding).
― pomenitul, Tuesday, 5 January 2021 18:15 (three years ago) link
I'm sure you could still make a ballot from what is already nominated
― Oor Neechy, Tuesday, 5 January 2021 18:33 (three years ago) link
https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Fo8h1hLwuC0/WRMab39dk-I/AAAAAAAALHc/HNe-H6OnGSUKS2_ode9dOO9WWXiKp0_WQCLcB/s1600/I%2Bwould%2Bprefer%2Bnot%2Bto%2Bzizek%2B1.jpg
― pomenitul, Tuesday, 5 January 2021 18:37 (three years ago) link
you're turning into mark s!
― Oor Neechy, Tuesday, 5 January 2021 19:04 (three years ago) link
or maybe you are he? Never seen you both post at the same time
― Oor Neechy, Tuesday, 5 January 2021 20:54 (three years ago) link
Sshhh...
― pomenitul, Tuesday, 5 January 2021 21:32 (three years ago) link
It's all starting to make sense now.
― Oor Neechy, Tuesday, 5 January 2021 22:22 (three years ago) link
The track "Rune's Heart" from the Panopticon/Nechochwen split is amazing, a total tearjerker when you read the story behind it. Really powerful stuff. I don't care that much about the rest of Panopticon's music (although I haven't given it a fair chance, probably) but that split is album of the year for that track alone.
https://bindrunerecordings.bandcamp.com/album/nechochwen-panopticon-split-lp
― Iannis Xenakis double fisting Cutty Sark (Tom Violence), Wednesday, 6 January 2021 13:29 (three years ago) link
Also this atmoblack metal EP made by one of trans metal Twitter's leading personalities is worth your Five Bucks:
https://faron.bandcamp.com/album/interloper
― Iannis Xenakis double fisting Cutty Sark (Tom Violence), Wednesday, 6 January 2021 13:31 (three years ago) link
Also the Gareth Davis and Merzbow collab was really good, surprisingly tasteful for Merzbow. It's supposed to evoke scenes of animals being pushed out of their natural environments by man's encroachment with factories and settlements and whatnot, so it's creepy and dreadful, not just earsplitting white noise.
https://gareth-davis.bandcamp.com/album/broken-landscapes
― Iannis Xenakis double fisting Cutty Sark (Tom Violence), Wednesday, 6 January 2021 14:10 (three years ago) link
gonna write a few words about some records in a moment, posting this so that I actually have to do it
― stylish but illegal (Simon H.), Saturday, 9 January 2021 00:19 (three years ago) link
gonna have to rep these:
Worm - Gloomlord -- scuzzy, corrosive death-doom from Florida. Not slick, not technical, but slow, depressing and sickeninggggg.
Griiim – Bête immonde -- it's French experimental IDM black metal, it's great!
Smoulder - Dream Quest Ends -- Smoulder is one of my favorite NWOBHM-worshippers. female-fronted, pretty innovative for throwback metal, fun!
Atramentus – Stygian -- this is the other funeral doom metal album with a 'stygian' title to come out this year. check it out if you like the really slow stuff, it's also very well done.
― Frobisher, Saturday, 9 January 2021 00:35 (three years ago) link
It's *the* funeral doom album of 2020 imo.
― pomenitul, Saturday, 9 January 2021 00:37 (three years ago) link
Melted Bodies Enjoy Yourself
gonzo rock freaks melted bodies
on average I make one to three threads about a new musical act per year, and usually just one rock band. when I first heard them (linked from here, I believe, with a very low Spotify player count that hasn't exactly skyrocketed since) I thought they were pretty fun - kind of a new take on a Mike Patton band, or like that Melvins/Jello album. but then I kept listening and realized there's some real depth and versatility to both the performances and the songwriting. (also, "phone tumor" is a mighty fine addition to the list of "songs that sound like Personal Jesus/The Beautiful People/Atlas/Black Skinhead".) I think they're in for a slow, Moon Tooth-style popular ascension of some kind. do not listen if you can't put up with vocal antics...you've been warned.
Loathe I Let It In and It Took Everything
imagine kind of a halfway point btwn Code Orange and Deftones? but definitely a lot closer to the latter. this is some serious Deftones worship, at times. ("Screaming" is particular is sort of uncanny). but the interludes and attention to detail also reminds me of the dearly departed Arcane Roots, and the way it oscillates between shorter ragers and more melodic, stretched-out tunes has an addictive rhythm. there's so much to like on this album.
Caligula's Horse Rise Radiant
this is the second time I am mounting a Caligula's Horse voting campaign for the metal poll. I will not stop. I love their big corny slightly djent-y-at-times but always supremely melodic prog rock. I love their soaring choruses and sensitive vocals and sense of DRAMA. U love their airy melodies and fantastical-but-wistful vibe. but goddamn mostly do they just write some really goddamn lovely songs. I mean, shit, listen to "autumn"!!
― stylish but illegal (Simon H.), Saturday, 9 January 2021 06:04 (three years ago) link
ugh I meant to link "screaming" but....wtv, look it up it's great
― stylish but illegal (Simon H.), Saturday, 9 January 2021 06:05 (three years ago) link
This Atramentus is pretty good, although it kind of starts off a bit dull. It definitely rewards sticking with it to the end.
― Iannis Xenakis double fisting Cutty Sark (Tom Violence), Saturday, 9 January 2021 17:36 (three years ago) link
https://theearcadians.bandcamp.com/album/current-events
Since I nominated it and probably 35 people have heard it including the band and their families. Described as garage rock, but much noisier and faster than I was expecting based on that. This "album" is 31 minutes including a 15 minute bonus track. I love it and it's PWYW on Bandcamp.
― Iannis Xenakis double fisting Cutty Sark (Tom Violence), Saturday, 9 January 2021 19:14 (three years ago) link
I didn't fall hard for it at first – it took several spins for me to get there, but something kept calling me back.
― pomenitul, Saturday, 9 January 2021 23:31 (three years ago) link
In addition to the Atramentus, so far I'd like to second the Neptunian Maximalism, Paysage d'Hiver, Lowrider and Kaatayra.
Also, while metalcore isn't my thing at all, I did vaguely enjoy the first track off of the Gulch album.
The Duma LP sounded amazing on paper, but I can't get into it at all, alas.
― pomenitul, Saturday, 9 January 2021 23:36 (three years ago) link
I like the Anaal Nathrakh more than I thought I did.
― stylish but illegal (Simon H.), Sunday, 10 January 2021 01:58 (three years ago) link
Worm - Gloomlord
This is great, thanks! It's definitely going on my list.
― o. nate, Monday, 11 January 2021 02:54 (three years ago) link
Feels a bit weird to be re-stanning for stuff I praised in last year's rolling metal thread, sometimes repeatedly, but copying and pasting would be a total cop-out, so… lemme just name-check two black metal faves again and throw in a recent discovery:
Turia – Degen van licht
Cream o' the crop of the current Dutch scene, Turia trades in a sophisticated brand of atmoblack. A nearly imperceptible medieval lilt carries the guitar work, courtesy of the great Omar K, while (female) vocalist T strikes just the right balance between ardour and restraint. Surefire drumming and characteristically tasteful ambient interludes round it all off. To me, they are the least adolescent and most 'poetic' (whatever that means) BM band working today, and Degen van licht exhibits these qualities in spades.
Armagedda – Svindeldjup Ättestup
File under: Swedish mid-tempo dancing plague ballads that occasionally leap into overdrive. There is nothing forward-looking about this music but it is executed exactly to my tastes, and I am especially taken with Graav's demented vocal delivery. The closer sidesteps into longer and slightly more progressive territory, to climactic effect, all the more so if you yield to the album's trance from beginning to end.
Montuln – Arquetipo
Inexplicably obscure pagan prog BM from Chile with mid-tier production values (trve raw bullshit this is not) and song sequences marked by mild folk inflections that put me in mind of Negură Bunget, although the synth touches are far more subdued here. This is a very attractive record, melodically speaking (with a bit of a groove to it, even), solid playing and soloing throughout, and a non-dogmatic approach to other metal subgenres, starting with DM. I haven't heard their 2012 debut, but I like this one a lot – these guys deserve to be better known.
― pomenitul, Tuesday, 12 January 2021 02:51 (three years ago) link
*with a bit of a groove to it, even (scratch those confusing parentheses)
― pomenitul, Tuesday, 12 January 2021 02:55 (three years ago) link
buuuuump
― pomenitul, Thursday, 14 January 2021 02:37 (three years ago) link
bmp
― pomenitul, Thursday, 14 January 2021 13:53 (three years ago) link
On the death metal front, aside from excellent albums that probably don't need my help to place (Undeath, Undergang, Faceless Burial, Chaotian), these three are well worth your time:
Angel Morgue – In the Morgue of Angels
Plague – Portraits of Mind
Dira Mortis – Ancient Breath of Forgotten Misanthropy
― pomenitul, Thursday, 14 January 2021 16:04 (three years ago) link
Bonus name-your-price brutal/slamming DM LP that is by far the best thing to have come out of that subgenre last year in my admittedly myopic estimation:
Putrescent Seepage – Dead and Demented
― pomenitul, Thursday, 14 January 2021 16:05 (three years ago) link
Old Nick - The Night Of The Ambush And The Pillage By The Queen Ann Styl'd Furniture, Animated By One Of The Dozen Or So Spells That Thee Eastern Vampyre Has Studied (T.N.O.T.A.A.T.P.B.T.Q.A.S.F.A.B.O.O.T.D.O.S.S.T.T.E.V.H.S)
I really didn't think there would be anything else left for me to discover from 2020, but then (thanks to the peeps at Angry Metal Guy) I came upon this entrancing and deeply charming of dungeon synth, black metal, and some other stuff. Also yes it does appear to be a concept album about evil furniture. The keyboards are wonderful. The mood is peculiar. The sonics are jagged but pleasing. Imagine Sigh as a basement act and you're almost there. I kinda love it!
― stylish but illegal (Simon H.), Thursday, 14 January 2021 16:26 (three years ago) link
a concept album about evil furniture
Sold!
― pomenitul, Thursday, 14 January 2021 16:27 (three years ago) link
Ok this is fun.
― pomenitul, Thursday, 14 January 2021 16:49 (three years ago) link
Bumper.
― pomenitul, Friday, 22 January 2021 14:16 (three years ago) link
https://tbeartravels.files.wordpress.com/2018/06/35-dodo-the-famous-extinct.jpg
― pomenitul, Sunday, 24 January 2021 15:45 (three years ago) link
https://limalla.bandcamp.com/album/k-futuro-directo
Limalla, ¿Ké Futuro? Directo - Cuban punk, played live, during a pandemic. It's raw and hungry and it's Name Your Price, so why not?
― Iannis Xenakis double fisting Cutty Sark (Tom Violence), Sunday, 24 January 2021 19:37 (three years ago) link
I thought Imago was going to have something to say about the Victory Over the Sun LP, but check that one out too. Microtonal black metal, but not as "I'm a Giant Brain"y as Jute Gyte.
https://votsband.bandcamp.com/album/a-tessitura-of-transfiguration
― Iannis Xenakis double fisting Cutty Sark (Tom Violence), Sunday, 24 January 2021 19:40 (three years ago) link
https://bernelius.bandcamp.com/album/grave-dancer
Bernelius, Grave Dancer. Heavy rock one-man act with a great sense of humor. He had a Kickstarter to press this album to vinyl and it didn't make it, which makes me sad.
― Iannis Xenakis double fisting Cutty Sark (Tom Violence), Sunday, 24 January 2021 19:42 (three years ago) link
Thanks, Tom. Keep 'em coming, all, lest this poll go the way of [see above].
― pomenitul, Sunday, 24 January 2021 19:53 (three years ago) link
The VOTS LP is amazing yeah. Jute Gyte is an acknowledged inspiration of hers
― imago, Sunday, 24 January 2021 19:58 (three years ago) link
Thirded re: Victory Over the Sun! That album is a lot of mad fun.
I'm also really enjoying Simon's Melted Bodies rec.
― tangenttangent, Sunday, 24 January 2021 21:19 (three years ago) link
b
u
m
p
― pomenitul, Thursday, 4 February 2021 13:24 (three years ago) link
Is it too late for a nom? If not, can we add Dropped 'Dropdead 2020'?
― BlackIronPrison, Thursday, 4 February 2021 15:23 (three years ago) link
Dropdead rather
nominations open til voting starts
― Oor Neechy, Thursday, 4 February 2021 15:24 (three years ago) link
Added.
― pomenitul, Thursday, 4 February 2021 15:26 (three years ago) link
Can we add Autonoesis 'Autonoesis' too, please?
― BlackIronPrison, Thursday, 4 February 2021 16:51 (three years ago) link
and Mongrel's Cross 'Arcana, Scrying and Revelation' too, please ?
― BlackIronPrison, Thursday, 4 February 2021 16:52 (three years ago) link
Done.
― pomenitul, Thursday, 4 February 2021 16:54 (three years ago) link
Can we add White Stones 'Kuarahy' - please?
― BlackIronPrison, Thursday, 4 February 2021 17:15 (three years ago) link
How about Ainsoph 'Ω - V' added too, please? Along with White Stones 'Kuarahy' - pretty please?
― BlackIronPrison, Thursday, 4 February 2021 19:31 (three years ago) link
Sorry - a couple more please: Hexer - 'Realm of the Feathered Serpent' and Omegavortex 'Black Abomination Spawn' - Thanks!
― BlackIronPrison, Thursday, 4 February 2021 19:34 (three years ago) link
can you put all noms here please?
2020 Metal ’n’ Heavy Rock Poll: NOMINATIONS Thread (open until the 8th of January 2021)
― Oor Neechy, Thursday, 4 February 2021 19:38 (three years ago) link
noms will be open til saturday or sunday i think
oh snap you're providing food?
― he said that you son of a bitch (Neanderthal), Thursday, 4 February 2021 19:39 (three years ago) link
only for thought
― Oor Neechy, Thursday, 4 February 2021 19:40 (three years ago) link
Added those noms.
― pomenitul, Thursday, 4 February 2021 19:41 (three years ago) link
I assume most of my top picks will do pretty well on their own so I'll add a few recs:
Aara - En Ergo Enaihttps://aara.bandcamp.com/album/en-ergo-einai
andEtoile Filante - Magnum Opus Caelestishttps://etoilefilante-northernsilence.bandcamp.com/
Couple of fiddeent flavours of atmoblack, both quite epic without being too over the top, Aara have some nifty neoclassical-inspired riffing, Etoile Filante wuth some rather nice proggy keys.
Herxheim - Incised Arrivalhttps://herxheim.bandcamp.com/album/incised-arrival-lp
Nastier black metal from ex-Howls of Ebb frontman, unrefined and crude but has an edge of weirdness that makes it notable.
SouphL - CommérageShttps://souphl.bandcamp.com/album/comm-rages
Chaotic multi-bass mathcore collective from Canada. On the more experimental end of mathcore, doesn't always hang tghether too well but it's engagingly bizarre.
Ivan - Silver Screenshttps://solitudeproductions.bandcamp.com/album/silver-screens
Dreamlike and exploratory death-doom.
― your passion oozzes from the (ultros ultros-ghali), Saturday, 6 February 2021 16:25 (three years ago) link
One more for now
Edenic Past - Red Amacordhttps://edenicpast.bandcamp.com/album/red-amarcord
Three quarters of Krallice and an enraged pig go Br0000tally technical
― your passion oozzes from the (ultros ultros-ghali), Saturday, 6 February 2021 16:27 (three years ago) link
Thx, uug!
I liked Aara's first album even more but their second is quite good as well. They've got another one coming up btw – should be out in March.
The SouphL, while indeed disjointed, is definitely among the more unique metal LPs I heard last year.
Herxheim very good as well, although I preferred Cultivating Throne of Fur.
― pomenitul, Saturday, 6 February 2021 16:31 (three years ago) link
Regarding the last point, so did I tbh.
― your passion oozzes from the (ultros ultros-ghali), Saturday, 6 February 2021 16:34 (three years ago) link
Also I made a mistake with Edenic Past, Lev Weinstein isn't involved, I assumed he was despite noting the programmed drums last year!
― your passion oozzes from the (ultros ultros-ghali), Saturday, 6 February 2021 16:38 (three years ago) link
lol, never assume anything with metal poll
― Oor Neechy, Saturday, 6 February 2021 18:27 (three years ago) link
Gonna campaign a bit for a release I re-listened to today - Draghkar's 'At the Crossroads of Infinity' - really dug a lot of the solos - exploding trad melodic metal flair, and there's a nice marriage of European riffy black metal with an American Death Metal atmosphere/song construction. On re-listens from 2020 releases, this is one I know I'll come back to a lot. The band's 'Eternal Abyss' comp from 2019 is pretty good too.
― BlackIronPrison, Sunday, 7 February 2021 22:18 (three years ago) link
Onwards!
2020 Metal ’n’ Heavy Rock Poll: VOTING & FURTHER CAMPAIGNING thread (open until February 19)
― pomenitul, Monday, 8 February 2021 04:06 (three years ago) link