!!!!!!!! ILX METAL ALBUMS of 2009 POLL RESULTS!!!!!! (FINAL RESULTS NOW IN! LISTENING TO THESE ALBUMS WILL MAKE YOU STRONGER FRAIL INTERNET PERSON!)

What does SubArachnoid Space sound like? For some reason when I hear the name I keep thinking of the video game Dead Space.

http://www.myspace.com/subarachnoidspace

#72 , 66 Points, 3 votes
http://cache0.bigcartel.com/product_images/1958143/300.jpg
Magrudergrind - S/T

That Magrudergrind album is cool.

― A. Begrand,

someone wanna add to adriens insight before i post the next one? i dont like posting straight after i put a result up with another one.

Haven't heard it, sorry ;)

Ballou's production on that album is probably the best thing about it.

#71 , 66 Points, 4 votes
http://www.golivewire.com/forums/img.cgi?i=70368
Minsk - With Echoes in the Movement of Stone

Not sure what the rolling metal denizens think of Minsk, but I'm enjoying the new album. The bit about halfway through "Almitra's Premonition" when the Hawkwind keyboards come in just kills me.

― homage is parody gone sour (jon /via/ chi 2.0), Tuesday, 28 April 2009 03:05 (8 months ago) Bookmark Suggest Ban Permalink

Great band. New album? awesome! cant wait to hear it.

― pfunkboy (Herman G. Neuname), Tuesday, 28 April 2009 03:07 (8 months ago) Bookmark Suggest Ban Permalink

Yeah, it comes out May 26th. Lots of stuff going on here, very heavy and full sound. Quite a few of the songs incorporate keyboards, but never in a way that detracts from everything else. I'm really impressed after first listen.

― homage is parody gone sour (jon /via/ chi 2.0), Tuesday, 28 April 2009 03:16 (8 months ago) Bookmark Suggest Ban Permalink

I've enjoyed the last two Minsk albums a lot. I don't listen to those Relapse streams, though; I'm waiting for a real copy to show up in the mail, or at least downloadable files from that Play MPE system.

― unperson,

he-ey. what's up?

I recommend the Minsk, I like them a lot. I think I still need to pick them up.

ok next album may be a shock low entry or a shock high entry, but i know 2 ilxors who will be disappointed

The Minsk is great. I liked their last but this is a big step forward.

#70 , 69 Points, 4 votes

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Eluveitie - Evocation I: The Arcane Dominion

Evocation I: The Arcane Dominion is kinda the perfect folk metal album. I've gotta be in a specific mood to listen to metal (ie: a mood that does not involve a headache), but since Eluveitie does away with the hardness/aggression while keeping the lyrical metal tropes, the metal chord progressions, etc, I can listen to it anytime. It's simultaneously pretty and creepy, evocative (like the title says!) of some exotic locale and immediately accessible. One of my favorite metal albums of the year, even if I'm skeptical that it's TRU METAL. Oh well. It's folk metal. Pretty cool anyway.

Mordy

For an acoustic album, the new Eluveitie packs quite a punch at times. Pretty cool.

― A. Begrand,

I'm loving the new "acoustic" Eluveitie album. I was kind of worried it was going to be noodly and gutless, just to prove some sort of cultural point, but it's not. It's basically a metal album performed on acoustic instruments (including drums). And a really good one.

― glenn mcdonald,

Yeah, the Eluveitie was a really pleasant surprise. Pretty darn heavy for an acoustic record, too.

― A. Begrand,

Yeah, I liked that Eluveitie disc too.

― unperson,

So obviously we're cheating here by knowing, for reasons external to this particular album, that Eluveitie "is" a metal band. But if we didn't, I think you still have as prominent clues the more-rock-than-folk drumming style on a bunch of songs (most particularly "Memento"), the growly male vocals on "Brictom" and "The Cauldron Of Renascence", and the thunking cadence of "Omnos" (even the regular version). But probably the more accurate thing I mean to say is that this feels to me like an album from the same band that did Slania, rather than, as the premise might have just as easily lead to, an album of some wholly other music that happens to share personnel with the earlier one.

― glenn mcdonald, Monday, 22 June 2009 20:07 (6 months ago) Bookmark Suggest Ban Permalink

I agree with Glenn. Metal is like porn: you know when you hear it.

― don't cry, emo hamster (J3ff T.),

Somehow that album completely slipped past me, I didn't even realize they put a new one out this year. Probably because I've yet to be completely sold on the band.

Seeing Eluveitie live is what convinced me they were for real.

And another institution up next..

Another canadian one at that..

#69 , 70 Points, 3 votes

http://brushvox.files.wordpress.com/2009/06/voivod_-_infini.jpg
Voivod - Infini

Speaking of which, new Voivod!

― homage is parody gone sour (jon /via/ chi 2.0),

Voivod isn't touring Canada. More money in the festivals, but still, boooo.

Cannot wait to hear the new record.

― A. Begrand,

The new Voivod is killer. Much heavier than Katorz, more lurching cadences, loads of great riffs from the immortal Piggy, and some really cool vocal work from Snake, a little more aggression and malevolence from the guy. "Destroy After Reading" is my early fave so far.

― A. Begrand,

Listening to a stream of the new Voivod. ( http://www.voivodinfini.info/ )
I'm really digging it. What do the rest of you think?
Tried a search but can't find any threads on it.

― steampig67,

I have tried and tried but have finally resigned myself to the fact that Voivod does nothing for me.

― unperson,

I thought Katorz was Voivod's best album since Nothingface, but Infini goes even further. Plus the production is a little better this time. "Destroy After Reading" and "Volcano", those are the two knockouts in my opinion.

I'm devastated their tour is skipping my province.

― A. Begrand,

I wasn't expecting much but it floored me on first listen.
Seems like the spotlight continues to escape them.

― steampig67,

I can't see how Katorz is better than the self-titled on any level. But I'm a pretty obsessive Voivod fan. This discussion probably deserves its own thread.

Phil--really? Not even Nothingface, Dimension Hatross, or Killing Technology?

Phobos is their other great work that is sadly overlooked by most.

― Nate Carson,

No outraged canadians?

#68 , 70 Points , 6 votes

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Skeletonwitch - Breathing the Fire

#67 , 70 Points , 8 votes

http://www.metalextremo.com.br/wp-content/uploads/candlemass_deathmagicdoom_300.jpg
Candlemass - Death Magic Doom

Another excellent album with the new singer. Anyone still missing Messiah?

- pfunkboy

now the Piss & Mop results are out I think noone is gonna read this thread so I might just leave this til later unless there's actually people reading here.

I'm reading, not a whole lot to add right now. Love the Skeletonwitch album and missed out on the Candlemass record, I need to give it a go.

Yeah, Skeletonwitch made it into my Top Fourteen (tied with Revocation).

the Candlemass is on Spotify.
Shall I continue with more albums tonight before I go to bed or keep them for tomorrow?

you should go to #60 at least, surely!

That Candlemass CD is a good one. It's rare that a band can replace its lead singer so late into its career and sound better than they have in years. They're on a huge roll with the Aeturnus guy.

and Solitude Aeturnus still exist which is just as great!

#66 , 73 Points , 4 votes

http://bastonate.files.wordpress.com/2009/09/melvins.jpg
Melvins - Chicken Switch

Love the Melvins but remix albums? No ta.
-pfunkboy

Um no, Need more Melvins in my life thanks.

― you gone float up with it (jon /via/ chi 2.0),

Haha, funny pull form me since I heard one track and decided quickly that, after all, I did NOT need this in my life.

"from"

I just dont care for remix albums generally. You can get great remixes on singles but very few great albums IMO. Especially in rock.

I liked the last two "real" Melvins albums a lot but that remix thing was awful.

#65 , 75 Points , 4 votes

http://www.golivewire.com/forums/img.cgi?i=70387
Hacride - Lazarus

really digging the new Hacride album today! serious riff after serious riff! by the end track, you've got something totally majestic.

― scott seward,

Second the Hacride love. BIG step up from Amoeba, and I really liked that album. Amoeba got kind of monotonous after a while, but the new one switches it off the lot. I'd say more, but I reviewed it for Decibel, which frames my thoughts in a more coherent way.

― Kickstart My Heartwork (J3ff T.),

The new Hacride really sounds strong, alright. I'm always a week behind the rest of you guys when it comes to new arrivals. Thanks, Canada Post!

― A. Begrand,

The new Hacride is pretty swell

― unperson,

Hacride aren't very metal <winking thing> they recommended me some goats cheese last week.

― Doran,

After seeing Gojira completely destroy last month, I'm surprised I didn't find out about Hacride sooner. Downloaded it last weekend, loved it, bought the CD at Metal Haven last night. Nice packaging too.

― Fastnbulbous

If you like Gojira, you'll really enjoy France's Hacride. Their last two albums are superb.

― A. Begrand,

#64 78 Points, 5 votes
http://www.20buckspin.com/site/wp-content/uploads/2008/05/spin028_lp400-300x300.jpg
Nadja and Black Boned Angel - S/T

The idea for a collaboration between Canadas prolific neo-doom duo Nadja and New Zealands pitch black droners Black Boned Angel was first hatched in conversations between 20 Buck Spin and Nadjas Aidan Baker around the time Nadja released their Truth Becomes Death EP on Alien8 Recordings in 2006. 20 Buck Spin ran the idea by Campbell Kneale of Black Boned Angel, who at that point was unfamiliar with Nadja. After hearing their material, the complimentary potential was realized, and the groups began their cross-continental collaboration sending music back and forth digitally.

Time passed and both groups, along with Campbells altar-ego Birchville Cat Motel, were extremely busy releasing their own material. By the end of 2007 the collaborative effort had realized three fully formed tracks. One more accessible track that included vocals called Christ Send Light was released in 2008 as a CD EP on Kneales own Battlecruiser imprint. The other two long tracks were combined for a full length release for 20 Buck Spin. With the album being a collaborative effort 20 Buck Spin also convinced two close comrades, David DAndrea and Stephen Kasner, to collaborate on some artwork. Again, artistic collaborations take a great deal of time, and finally in 2009 both art and music have finally come together for this much anticipated release.

The two 20+ minutes tracks contained on this self-titled collaboration have a less accessible vibe then the Jesu-like track on last years Christ Send Light EP. There are no vocals to be heard. They are comprised in equal parts of Nadjas fuzzed-out, lurching and hazy dream-doom, and BBAs razor-sharp metallic riff-shards. Extended passages of riff-static noise bleeds one track into the next while deep space eerieness looms ever present in the shadows. Finally the whole thing collapses under the weight of its own self-created black hole. This is the end.

That Hacride album is really a grower. I'm finding new exciting details every time I hear it.

Not heard it, anything you can say to tempt me?
I still haven't heard the BBA & Nadja. Not had the money to buy it.

J3ff's write-up for decibel does a better summation than I can:

Hacride - Lazarus

I guess I would say I don't like much of anything that could possibly be categorized as death metal, but they really won me over. I liked Gojira's last one quite a bit but think this is even better.

Death metal isn't usually my thing either bar coffins and entombed usually but i might give it a go if its on spotify.

#63 , 78 Points , 5 Votes, One #1 Vote

http://www.auralexploits.com/ebay_images/lp/Keelhaul_TriumphantReturnToObscurity_180g_1.jpg
Keelhaul - Triumphant Return to Obscurity

Keelhaul is like the one friend that you're actually looking forward to seeing when you fly home for the holidays... Still smoking weed in the parent's basement, but, try as you might, you can't fault him for doing it because ultimately you're fucking convinced he's got some shit figured out that you're still years away from. Basically, this guy Keelhaul is a solid dude and maybe part of you wants to be him, no shame in it... most people are susceptible to societal pressures... you wanted to be an adult and you thought you knew what that meant... trips to the wine store... you should kick your own ass.

Keelhaul's Triumphant Return to Obscurity, is not just a clever name for an album title marking a band's return from obscurity, it's an album title for a band's release marking that same band's return from obscurity. init? Chris Smith, Aaron Dallison, Dana Embrose, and Will Scharf have been at it as Keelhaul for over ten years and it shows. This record picks up on the band's progression as if they were steadily releasing records throughout their six year hiatus. The pace is precise, the instrumentation is masterful and the guitar tones are absolutely appropriate. Look, your old pal Keelhaul knows what he's doing and he ain't affiliated with no williamsburgers, so he feels no need to overcompensate by adding strings, vibes, horns, boners (well maybe boners), harps and/or electric flutes... to his compositions... which is a god damn breath of fresh air if you ask me.

Didn't hear that in 09, poor show i swear on my life i feel so powerfull (musically) (DJ Mencap)

Also until just now I thought that the Nadja/BBA thing was just a straight vinyl reissue of the 2008 CD (which I really liked) - should prolly get on that too then

#62 , 79 Points , 4 votes
http://www.candlelightrecordsusa.com/store/images/anaal_nathrakh_myspace.JPG
Anaal Nathrakh - In the Constellation of the Black Widow

i never pay attention to metal lyrics but the quality of the vocals matters a lot to me--timbre, timing, style, and just generally fitting in well with the music. a lot of solid bands are dragged down by a boring singer, but most of my favorite bands have a singer who is really trying to do something interesting. for example anaal nathrakh is to me a sort of forgettable band without their singer.

― call all destroyer,

Anaal Nathrakh also solid but nowhere near career best.
― Siegbran,

Not career best but better than the last couple of albums IMO ^^^

I will always have a sweet spot for 2006's Eschaton, but these guys have never made a mediocre record, I love every one of their albums. And yeah, some of the most amazing vocals in all of metal, def a big part of what makes this band so special. This was in my top 10.

I really dug that one, too. That album's nuts...and incredibly hooky.

Does blurbs mean we're supposed to write stuff?

Anyway, here's what I wrote about the three albums I voted for at the time. (And yes, I know it doesn't necessarily paint me in a good light . . .)

I'll try and keep up with the rest.

Gnaw

“Have you ever noticed how as horror movies get less and less scary, the opposite is happening in computer games? This has everything to do with the glut of talent in the games industry mirroring a dearth in mainstream cinema. Sonically titles such as the ‘Silent Hill’ series lean heavily on the most forward thinking advances in electronica and metal. With Gnaw the inspiration actually flows both ways. As well as Alan Dubin (Khanate) and Jamie Sykes (Burning Witch), the group contains two soundscape artists who work with field recordings and electronic manipulation. This provides more grist for the gore mill than most could cope with. ‘Heaven’s Vault’ is howling white noise and harsh blackened vocals but the centrepiece is ‘Feelers’ whose remorselessly increasing bpm could drive a sensitive person to tears. Horrifically effective.

Hacride

Near death experiences cut straight to the heart of the third, fantastic album by the Gallic four piece. After all it is called ‘Lazarus’, named after an unfortunate character from the bible. After a life of hardship Larry was on his deathbed and word was sent to his best mate, Jesus of Nazareth. The long-haired rabble rouser was so late in going round to his pal’s house that not only was he dead when he got there but he’d been buried for nearly a week. Instead of just apologizing to the grieving family for his lamentable behaviour, Jesus brought the terrified guy back to life, which was great for the Son Of God’s rep but not so good for the nerves of poor old Lazarus, as John 12:5 reveals: “And lo, all the Bethanites did think Jesus a most righteous dude but poor old Lazarus was less sure saying ‘Christ, that was fucking terrifying. Eh? What’s that? I have to die again after he leaves? WTF!!! Jesus, you’re such a cunt . . .’” Basically, Hacride are yet more proof (if any were needed) that les Francais sont formidable! Vive Overmars! Vive Gojira! Vive Mistaken Elements! Vive Klone! Et vive Hacride!

Sub Arachnoid Space

When the dishes are done, the lady wife is at bingo and the kids have been sent to play by the burnt out car at the end of the road, Subterranea likes to kick back with some hydroponic science smoked through a bong constructed from a bucket of weapons grade anal relaxant and a horse’s shin bone. And what better sonic accompaniment than Sub Arachnoid Space, who take the prize for most satisfying exploration of inner madness this month with their tenth album ‘Eight Bells’. The continued success, of these San Franciscans lies in the fact that they obviously love cauterising their connections to reality but underneath all the churning guitars is the fearsomely pounding heart of a thunderous yet razor sharp rock band. No matter how much elephant tranquilizer they’ve had.

Really didn't get on that well with the Keelhaul album.

Keelhaul was my number one, I love it. I wish it placed higher, of course, but I can't complain too much.

xxxpost Candlemass was pretty high on my list too. It's kinda frontloaded but man, those first three tracks are *so* good. With all the dronedoom-y stuff nowadays I've come to appreciate old fashioned heavy doom metal more than ever in recent years (Grand Magus, Hammers of Misfortune, Heaven & Hell).

I especially like it when bands like that do uptempo stuff and *still* manage to make it sound like DOOOOOM, like Candlemass "If I Ever Die".

Candlemass was on mine I think.

Doran, thanks for that, look forward to seeing more!

Grand Magus have kinda moved away from doom to more trad heavy metal I think. Still good, just not as good as they were.