No, We Aren't Making These Bands Up: ILM Metal Poll 2010 Results Thread

The trance-rock/post-metal band, Year of No Light, hails from Bordeaux, France, where it was formed in the summer of 2001, and then slowly fermented both on-stage and in rehearsal before recording its first demo tape in 2004. This earned the group a reputation for sounding like "The Cure playing sludge," and opened the door for bandmembers Julien Perez (vocals, keyboards), Pierre Anouilh (guitar), Jérôme Alban (guitar, keyboards) Johan Sebenne (bass, electronics), Bertrand Sebenne (drums, keyboards), and Mathieu Mégemont (drums, electronics) to record Year of No Light's debut album, Nord, in 2006. But after parting ways with Perez and luring Monarch!'s Shiran Kaidine (vocals, guitar) to replace him, Year of No Light spent the next few years performing live or collaborating with other bands on split releases, and it wasn't until 2010 that they cobbled together their second album, Ausserwelt, to the delight of fans and even critics.

Anyone around?

I thought I'd wait until afternoon to restart the results countdown for the benefit of americans but there's less online now than there was at 4am last night!

"The Cure playing sludge" is intriguing...

I always get these guys confused with "A Storm of Light" and imagine they both just play plonky isis metal and sound about the same anyway.

94
Cuzo - Otros Mundos (223 Points, 10 Votes)
http://www.the-stone-circle.com/store/images/Cuzo_Otros_Mundos.jpg
http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1023/5187537542_63f8de3762_z.jpg
http://open.spotify.com/album/2BicLTcBHiqhSPSdJVpBnf
http://www.last.fm/music/cuzo

“On Amor Y Muerte En La Tercera Fase, the instrumental three-piece tries to bridge the gap between rock music and movie soundtracks by laying ambiance on top of rolling riffs and jazz-like playing. Think Stinking Lizaveta meets Zombi, without the keyboards, and you’re on the right track.” (review by Arzga✧✧✧@StonerR✧✧✧.c✧✧).

fucking last.fm is useless.

zombi without the keyboards doesn't sound very good at all!

I loathe Zombi but really like Stinking Lizaveta. Torn as to whether or not to give this a go.

Just noticed this has started, nice one fellas. I didn't feel nearly clued-up enough to vote, and accordingly I have heard of zero of the bands so far! I'll enjoy giving them all a listen when I have the time though.

93
Humanfly - Darker Later (225 Points, 12 Votes)

http://cache1.bigcartel.com/product_images/25878664/Humanfly_Darker_Later_WEB.jpg
http://www.last.fm/music/Humanfly
http://open.spotify.com/album/15zrQLJQ8psifH0w5ktQJz
http://www.myspace.com/humanfly
http://www.beardedmagazine.com/albums/article/humanfly-darker-later-brew

I like that Humanfly record quite a bit. Didn't make the cut, but quality record.

I'm liking this Year of No Light well enough, but I suspect I'd rather listen to either Mono or Sunn O))) than this hybrid of them...

Really like the Humanfly album, interesting as well to hear more of a leftwing anarcho crust punk/UK grindcore vibe on a heavy doom record. Some good anti-fascist anthems on there.

92
Rosetta - A Determinism of Morality (226 Points, 10 Votes)
http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_vfn-OFW-Wq0/S-ElBaw5SjI/AAAAAAAAAyc/NndQm8wIBCE/s1600/folder.jpg
http://www.last.fm/music/Rosetta
http://open.spotify.com/album/3hgBwcoNK8Mj7F5FX6dKIU

Philadelphia quartet Rosetta push the boundaries between metal, progressive rock, post-rock, space rock, and hardcore punk, employing an experimental songwriting technique filled with chaos and atmospherics. Their sounds range from Pink Floydian / progressive rock sonic layering to walls of pure static ambience to crushing, sweeping sludgey riffage.

Just given Humanfly a go, they sound good.

Cuzo was the highest-ranking band from Spain. Only two other ones were nominated! And I voted for both those other ones, and in one case was the only voter...

aldo to thread

Yeah, I'll admit it, I'm the complete Paradigms stan on the board. I buy them all, because they cost next to nothing and maybe 1 in 2 is great, with the others being as a minimum something you might put on if you were in the mood.

As Kerr says, Titan, Angelic Process, Woburn House and Gruenewald all got their starts there, and Jarboe, Amber Asylum and Gnaw Their Tongues have released CDs on the label. The descriptions they give to acts don't (in my opinion) usually reflect necessarily what they sound like imo, but it's usually a decent starting point.

S: Dwellers of the Twilight, Dead Shell of the Universe, Hjarnidaudi, Blueprint Human Being, Wraiths, Snowdrift (caution, NOT metal), Kailash, Somnam, Tropes (NOT metal), The Victim's Shudder (NOT metal), Decrepit Spectre, Old Mayor, Bosnia, Elitist, Borgia, Westering, SOL/BLODTRU, Mourner, Murmuure (my album of the year).

I have the latest three but haven't listened to them yet, looking forward to Book of Sand most I think.

yeah Humanfly are mad underrated imo - that album was in my top 10 on this poll I think

I own quite a few Paradigms cds and have about 8 or 9 i really want to get. Gonna order 3 or 4 soon as i can afford it.

Year of No Light just barely missed the cut on my ballot, but that album is pretty awesome.

Last one I got was yrsel & woburn House i think

91
Les Discrets - Septembre et Ses Dernieres Pensees (226 Points, 11 Votes)
http://allmetalresource.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/lesdiscrets_septembre.jpg
http://www.last.fm/music/Les+Discrets
http://open.spotify.com/album/1H6tDfhkyVVlokADwZrQCk

es Discrets is a French post-rock/metal, acoustic project. It is the sole musical creation of Fursy Teyssier who also played in Amesoeurs and has created artwork for other bands including, Alcest, Amesoeurs, Arctic Plateau, Agalloch, Neun Welten, and The American Dollar.

Les Discrets is the musical approach of Fursy Teyssier’s artistic research. Originally an animated film director, Fursy tends to evoke the same in both music and animation/illustration: contemplative and esoteric atmospheres, feelings, fears and sensations related to our life and world. His paintings, music or lyrics are mostly about Nature, the feeling of Love and his fear of Death.

A nice run of non-US albums here actually.

Says the guy who has a really high percentage of US albums on his ballot.

I saw Humanfly live the other week, haven't listened to the album yet tho, but I put it on my download list on the basis of the live show.

Who were they supporting?

Melt Banana

90
Angel Eyes - Midwestern (227 Points, 12 Votes)
http://www.decoymusic.com/images/album_covers/0013/0639/angel_eyes_-_midwestern_medium.jpg?1277179925
http://www.last.fm/music/Angel+Eyes
http://www.myspace.com/angeleyes

http://www.popmatters.com/pm/review/129983-angel-eyes-midwestern/

Angel Eyes is a five-piece sludge / post-metal band from Chicago, IL formed in the year 2003.

I have their 2 other albums which are really great, still need to pick this one up.

Oh cool it's available on vinyl

Wasn't hugely impressed by that Angel Eyes. I feel like lots of other bands are doing that kind of thing better.

gonna listen to loads of these! hadn't heard enough to vote but nice turnout!

btw references to Pink Floyd, whether by bands or critics, can fuck off. ohhhh they can fuck off. so bland.

like I'm sure Rosetta are awesome but that big stinking thing in the middle of that write-up makes me wanna barf

Interesting -- I haven't even heard of a lot of these.

I thought LJ loved Pink Floyd

not in this context

and really only up to Ummagumma in any context - they get more boring the more music I hear

89
U.S. Christmas - Run Thick in the Night (229 Points, 12 Votes)
http://www.roadburn.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/USX-Run-Thick-The-Night.jpg
http://www.last.fm/music/U.S.+Christmas
http://www.myspace.com/uschristmas

U.S. Christmas (USX) started playing together in 2002. They create very loud, loose and free music in a definite nasty psychedelic vein, but never jammy or amorphous. Everyone creates their own individual sound, and writes their own parts. And together they change things around a lot, probably because they don’t remember what they played the last time they played. The bandmates mention many bands that shaped their sound: classic psychedelic, blues, guitar slingers, modern metal, doom, and sludge, as well as old country artists - Neil Young & Crazy Horse, Hawkwind, Neurosis and Caustic Resin.

I wish the US Christmas was a little more consistent - the highs soar, but I felt there were too many clunkers. Should probably give it another go.

It was a new line-up wasn't it?

I have no idea. I didn't investigate them until after I heard the Hawkwind tribute, and didn't dig any further than this record because I found it such a mixed bag.

The first album was the one people REALLY raved about. It was terrific.

ILM (in general, not just this thread) seems dead today yet 80+ are online. Is there a clusterfuck thread on ILE or something where everyone is? ILM is ever so quiet today.

88
Black Tusk - Taste the Sin (229 Points, 14 Votes)
http://cdn.stereogum.com/files/2010/05/Black-Tusk-Taste-The-Sin.jpg
http://www.last.fm/music/Black+Tusk
http://open.spotify.com/album/029dIinbUmPmtRyWxp5wz4

http://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/14435-taste-the-sin/

Wow! Great run so far -- I especially like the Les Descetes album a lot!

Hey! An album I've heard!

really like that Black Tusk record, kind of surprised its so low

87
Howl - Full of Hell (230 Points, 9 Votes)
http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_atKrCdoiKZ4/TQ60NVOk3EI/AAAAAAAAF0Y/_8Gsp7oBdTE/s1600/Howl%252C_Full_of_Hell_rediculously_large_cover_image.jpg
http://www.last.fm/music/Howl

Howl is a sludge metal band from Providence, RI http://www.myspace.com/howlheavymetal

And according to their myspace, they're going to tour Europe with Black Tusk. How apropos.

There are so many metal bands I would like more if they didn't bother with vocals. Was digging the Howl tracks on myspace until generic growler man turned up.

I know I need to try harder, but I still find both screechers and growlers my biggest impediment in "extreme" music.

86
Sigh - Scenes From Hell (231 Points, 13 Votes)
http://www.metalunderground.com/images/covers/Sigh_-_Scenes_From_Hell_cover.jpg
http://www.last.fm/music/Sigh

http://open.spotify.com/album/3X7mQulD1ISW2EKXYGqie8

Sigh is regarded by many as Japan’s leading extreme metal export, having released numerous highly esteemed recordings throughout their twenty year existence. Although originally a black metal band, Sigh became recognizably eclectic, taking influence from Romantic era classical music, jazz, prog rock, dark electronica and more.