14http://www.metal-archives.com/images/1/9/1/9/191941.jpgMelvins - Nude With Boots (Ipecac) 141 Points
― Pfunkboy Formerly Known As... (Herman G. Neuname), Thursday, 22 January 2009 21:12 (fifteen years ago) link
A bit of a shock coming up at No 13. One of the (so i thought) front runners for no1 didn't do as well as expected. It's fans on the rolling metal thread failed to turn up I suppose.
― Pfunkboy Formerly Known As... (Herman G. Neuname), Thursday, 22 January 2009 21:28 (fifteen years ago) link
But lets build some suspense :)
― Pfunkboy Formerly Known As... (Herman G. Neuname), Thursday, 22 January 2009 21:31 (fifteen years ago) link
I have a feeling I know what it is, but guessing now might make me a meanderthal neanderthal.
― jon /via/ chi 2.0, Thursday, 22 January 2009 21:37 (fifteen years ago) link
You like to wager on that?
― Pfunkboy Formerly Known As... (Herman G. Neuname), Thursday, 22 January 2009 21:50 (fifteen years ago) link
Hmm, not now that you've worded it like that.
― jon /via/ chi 2.0, Thursday, 22 January 2009 22:05 (fifteen years ago) link
13http://www.metal-archives.com/images/2/0/7/8/207825.jpgEnslaved - Vertebrae (Indie Recordings) 145 Points
― Pfunkboy Formerly Known As... (Herman G. Neuname), Thursday, 22 January 2009 22:06 (fifteen years ago) link
Didn't get any No1 votes rather surprisingly.
That was actually my next guess after Torche!
― jon /via/ chi 2.0, Thursday, 22 January 2009 22:09 (fifteen years ago) link
There's a bit of a shock low entry at no12 actually..
― Pfunkboy Formerly Known As... (Herman G. Neuname), Thursday, 22 January 2009 22:28 (fifteen years ago) link
Would you like to guess/wager?
― Pfunkboy Formerly Known As... (Herman G. Neuname), Thursday, 22 January 2009 22:53 (fifteen years ago) link
It has really bad cover art..
― Pfunkboy Formerly Known As... (Herman G. Neuname), Thursday, 22 January 2009 23:03 (fifteen years ago) link
12http://www.metal-archives.com/images/1/7/7/3/177301.jpgMeshuggah - obZen (Nuclear Blast Records) 155 Points
― Pfunkboy Formerly Known As... (Herman G. Neuname), Thursday, 22 January 2009 23:05 (fifteen years ago) link
Anyone got any comments on todays countdown so far? Any surprise inclusions?I shall post no 11 later before I go to bed
― Pfunkboy Formerly Known As... (Herman G. Neuname), Thursday, 22 January 2009 23:36 (fifteen years ago) link
Curious: Do people actually think the Meshuggah (and Opeth) albums are standout albums for those bands or do you just see them as solid releases from great bands?
― Sundar, Thursday, 22 January 2009 23:46 (fifteen years ago) link
After revisiting Vikingligr Veldi this week, Vertebrae sounds even more useless. I had almost forgotten just how incredible they used to be.
At least it's paying their kids school fees.
― Siegbran, Thursday, 22 January 2009 23:57 (fifteen years ago) link
Sundar: I think opinion is split on the Meshuggah. Some think its the best they've done and some don't as far as i can tell. No idea whatsoever on the Opeth, but I'd be surprised if people think it's their best. However they might still think it's better than any other metal album in 2008.
― Pfunkboy Formerly Known As... (Herman G. Neuname), Friday, 23 January 2009 00:19 (fifteen years ago) link
11http://www.8mmrecs.com/immagini/THE%20GOSLINGS.jpgThe Goslings - Occasion (Not Not Fun) 158 Points (1 Number One Vote)
― Pfunkboy Formerly Known As... (Herman G. Neuname), Friday, 23 January 2009 00:38 (fifteen years ago) link
And to recap our countdown so far (Rank - Points - Votes - #1 Votes - Artist - Album):
50 - 48 - 3 - 0 - Racebannon - Acid or Blood50 - 48 - 3 - 1 - Zebulon Pike - Intransience48 - 50 - 4 - 0 - Blue Sabbath Black Cheer - Untitled48 - 50 - 3 - 0 - Gnaw Their Tongues - An Epiphanic Vomiting of Blood47 - 52 - 5 - 0 - Bison B.C. - Quiet Earth45 - 54 - 4 - 0 - Nadja - Desire In Uneasiness45 - 54 - 4 - 0 - Withered - Folie Circulaire43 - 55 - 4 - 0 - Metallica - Death Magnetic43 - 55 - 6 - 0 - Unearthly Trance - Electrocution42 - 59 - 4 - 1 - Blood Ceremony - Blood Ceremony41 - 60 - 4 - 1 - Disfear - Live the Storm40 - 61 - 4 - 0 - Marnie Stern - This Is It And I Am It And You Are It39 - 62 - 5 - 0 - Darkspace - III38 - 63 - 6 - 0 - Intronaut - Prehistoricisms37 - 66 - 5 - 0 - Jex Thoth - Jex Thoth36 - 68 - 6 - 0 - Genghis Tron - Board Up the House35 - 70 - 5 - 0 - Witch - Paralyzed34 - 71 - 3 - 1 - Hammers of Misfortune - Fields/Church of Broken Glass33 - 72 - 6 - 0 - Ascend - Ample Fire Within32 - 78 - 6 - 0 - Jesu - Why Are We Not Perfect31 - 81 - 6 - 0 - Moonspell - Night Eternal30 - 83 - 6 - 0 - The Gates of Slumber - Conqueror28 - 88 - 7 - 0 - Earthless - Live at Roadburn28 - 88 - 8 - 0 - UFOmammut - Idolum26 - 89 - 6 - 0 - Moss - Sub Templum26 - 89 - 5 - 0 - Wetnurse - Invisible City25 - 98 - 5 - 1 - The Gutter Twins - Saturnalia24 - 100 - 6 - 0 - Ocean - Pantheon of the Lesser23 - 109 - 8 - 0 - Amon Amarth - Twilight of the Thunder God22 - 111 - 8 - 0 - Coffins - Buried Death21 - 118 - 7 - 2 - Grails - Doomsdayer's Holiday20 - 123 - 8 - 0 - Sunn 0))) - Domkirke18 - 126 - 8 - 0 - Cynic - Traced in Air18 - 126 - 8 - 1 - Asva - What You Don't Know Is Frontier17 - 128 - 8 - 0 - Leviathan - Massive Conspiracy Against All Life16 - 137 - 8 - 0 - Krallice - Krallice15 - 140 - 8 - 0 - Caina - Temporary Antennae14 - 141 - 10 - 0 - Melvins - Nude With Boots13 - 145 - 9 - 0 - Enslaved - Vertebrae12 - 155 - 10 - 0 - Meshuggah - obZen11 - 158 - 11 - 1 - The Goslings - Occasion
Tomorrow, the thrilling conclusion! And then a bunch of statistics that dwarf these in their sublime geekiness!
― glenn mcdonald, Friday, 23 January 2009 00:42 (fifteen years ago) link
outside of I, obzen is probably my favourite meshuggah album to date. it's a perfect distillation of their sound - so focused and lean and sharp. I know it's got a bit of stick from the hardcore for being a bit simpler than their older stuff, but that criticism seems largely to be based on 'combustion' rather than the album as a whole (which does get pretty damn tricksy).
even so, 'combustion' is an incredible track. by no means the most wilfully difficult in their catalogue, but a totally storming, brutal metal tune that's still characteristically meshuggah.
all of the above surprises me somewhat, as I'm usually a proponent of 'the more insanely complex, the better'. but for me, they just nailed it on this one.
oh, and I agree. the artwork is crap.
― m the g, Friday, 23 January 2009 00:42 (fifteen years ago) link
not too into opeth... as for meshuggah, they're one of my favorite bands but that's a little tricky for me to answer.
the way I see it, everything that they've done post-destroy erase improve has been a gradual refinement of one kind of sound: rhythmic, down-tuned breakdowns in wacky time signatures with (almost) melodic, (almost) ambient guitar leads and a couple other elements re-jiggered throughout the course of an album.
all of their albums of the last few years strike me as samey but I don't mean this in a negative way. pretty sure I've posted this on another thread, but I listen to this band the way I would listen to autechre or basic channel records. the head-nodding repetition is a big draw for me.
but because of this, I have a hard time identifying a real standout. could be chaosphere, could be the i ep, could be obzen. I like them all, really.
― original bgm, Friday, 23 January 2009 00:43 (fifteen years ago) link
I haven't been able to get into "combustion," actually. it's just... not what I want from them. I usually skip it. :-/
― original bgm, Friday, 23 January 2009 00:51 (fifteen years ago) link
I would be interested in stats comparing this polls votes and Pazz & Jop. How many made both and how the high placed votes in one poll did in the other. And anything else Glenn can come up with :)
― Pfunkboy Formerly Known As... (Herman G. Neuname), Friday, 23 January 2009 00:54 (fifteen years ago) link
I've asked my P&J elves to confer with my ILM Metal elves. We'll see what they come up with. After the food fight subsides...
― glenn mcdonald, Friday, 23 January 2009 00:57 (fifteen years ago) link
Are your ILM Metal Elves called Dio's? ;)
― Pfunkboy Formerly Known As... (Herman G. Neuname), Friday, 23 January 2009 01:09 (fifteen years ago) link
Ok I shall start the top 10 countdown...
― Pfunkboy Formerly Known As... (Herman G. Neuname), Friday, 23 January 2009 02:18 (fifteen years ago) link
Tomorrow (Friday)
― Pfunkboy Formerly Known As... (Herman G. Neuname), Friday, 23 January 2009 02:22 (fifteen years ago) link
i think obzen perhaps sounds better than any other meshuggah record. song-wise it's pretty strong as well, but perhaps not quite leveling up to the likes of chaosphere and DEI
― Charlie Howard, Friday, 23 January 2009 02:24 (fifteen years ago) link
watershed, on the other hand, is far from being opeth's best release. i still really like it, but tend to appreciate it from a distance rather than play it constantly. it really does stand alone as one of the more unique things they've put out and has some of the most vital riffs of the band's career.
― Charlie Howard, Friday, 23 January 2009 02:29 (fifteen years ago) link
Surprised, but very glad to see that much Goslings record! Played that last night and still love it.
― jon /via/ chi 2.0, Friday, 23 January 2009 02:55 (fifteen years ago) link
much love for the Goslings record
― jon /via/ chi 2.0, Friday, 23 January 2009 02:58 (fifteen years ago) link
wow i had no idea the goslings rec would place so high--i'll definitely check it out
― THE HIPSTER DILEMMA (call all destroyer), Friday, 23 January 2009 03:07 (fifteen years ago) link
I'm very pleased that they did. A pleasant surprise.I'm fairly pleased with the top 10 too. Not everyone will agree with it but who ever does in polls?
― Pfunkboy Formerly Known As... (Herman G. Neuname), Friday, 23 January 2009 04:28 (fifteen years ago) link
I'll start posting the top 10 from around 2pm (ish) UK Time. So that some of the american ilxors can make comments as they go up. Probably post 1 per hour approx. Then Glenn will do his stuff.I'm looking forward to him matching and comparing to the P&J poll.
― Pfunkboy Formerly Known As... (Herman G. Neuname), Friday, 23 January 2009 04:31 (fifteen years ago) link
Of the 10 albums still to be revealed, only one failed to get a single Pazz & Jop vote, and only one managed to get more votes from 577 P&J voters than from 30 ILM Metal Poll voters.
― glenn mcdonald, Friday, 23 January 2009 05:26 (fifteen years ago) link
next?
― Ioannis, Friday, 23 January 2009 14:17 (fifteen years ago) link
10http://www.metal-archives.com/images/2/1/1/4/211489.jpgGojira - The Way of All Flesh (Listenable Records) 163 Points
― Pfunkboy Formerly Known As... (Herman G. Neuname), Friday, 23 January 2009 14:25 (fifteen years ago) link
wow, awesome cover! worth hearing?
― Ioannis, Friday, 23 January 2009 14:30 (fifteen years ago) link
As I'll explain after we finish the countdown, I have scientifically determined a ranking of the Truest Metal Albums, which is obviously different from the Best Metal Albums. The top 5 Truest Metal Albums are all records that have already appeared lower on the countdown. Gojira's The Way of All Flesh is the 9th Truest Metal Album.
― glenn mcdonald, Friday, 23 January 2009 14:38 (fifteen years ago) link
i think i'd prefer a list of the Falsest Metal Albums of the year. maybe.
― Ioannis, Friday, 23 January 2009 14:40 (fifteen years ago) link
honest question, fwiw: as someone who really dug the last Mastodon album, liked the latest by Opeth, and pretty much can't abide by Neanderthal for more than five minutes at a time, what should i be checking out here?
signed too lazy to read the rolling metal thread
― Ioannis, Friday, 23 January 2009 14:44 (fifteen years ago) link
Avoid Chinese Democracy, even if clearly some ilxors do like it . Never trust an ilxor!
― Pfunkboy Formerly Known As... (Herman G. Neuname), Friday, 23 January 2009 14:53 (fifteen years ago) link
oh man, i can't stand listening to Axl's latest temper tantrum. and, on a somewhat related note, James' constant whining on Death Magnetic is possibly even worse. (grow up already, fellas! you can't act like spoiled fifteen-year-olds forever!)
― Ioannis, Friday, 23 January 2009 15:03 (fifteen years ago) link
maybe check out some of the proggier stuff? like the intronaut, enslaved, and cynic records?
fwiw, the intronaut is the only one of those three I'd rate. I prefer the first cynic record and some earlier enslaved stuff.
― original bgm, Friday, 23 January 2009 15:04 (fifteen years ago) link
yeah, i think i'd probably be more into some of the proggier stuff on here. where's LJ when you need 'im?
― Ioannis, Friday, 23 January 2009 15:09 (fifteen years ago) link
actually, you might be into the blood ceremony album. that's a good one.
myspace page:http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendID=54091737
― original bgm, Friday, 23 January 2009 15:12 (fifteen years ago) link
the influences on there give a pretty good idea of where they're coming from (black sabbath, jethro tull, pentagram, etc.) but the flute and female vox are just enough so that they stand out from the crowd.
did I vote for this one? if I didn't, I should have.
― original bgm, Friday, 23 January 2009 15:14 (fifteen years ago) link
too much Tull, not enough Sabbath for my tastes.
(i believe i may just be waiting for Blood Mountain II or something.)
― Ioannis, Friday, 23 January 2009 15:20 (fifteen years ago) link
hah. well, then you're in luck. new mastodon is out pretty soon.
― original bgm, Friday, 23 January 2009 15:22 (fifteen years ago) link
And isn't Blood Mountain 2 (though apparently is proggier but better)
― Pfunkboy Formerly Known As... (Herman G. Neuname), Friday, 23 January 2009 15:24 (fifteen years ago) link