2019 Metal ’n’ Heavy Rock/Heavy Music Poll: RESULTS - Top 100 Countdown

Some day I'll give core and core-ish bands a fair shake. Today is not that day, I'm afraid.

the 'core, the hard music

I love it

Next up: a band so controversial reviews of its latest album are hard to come by. Meanwhile, ezines that discuss it do so by not-so-subtly patting themselves on the back for their taboo-breaking bravery…

it's Pomplamoose time

79
Deathspell Omega - The Furnaces of Palingenesia
119 points, 3 votes, 1 #1 vote

https://f4.bcbits.com/img/a1229437038_10.jpg

https://open.spotify.com/album/2vpsBAqtKuJd8lGYe86Nbj
https://deathspellomega.bandcamp.com/album/the-furnaces-of-palingenesia

http://www.metal-temple.com/site/catalogues/entry/reviews/cd_3/d_2/deathspell-omega-the.htm

DEATHSPELL OMEGA’s reputation truly precedes the band, you could call them one of the most infamous Black Metal bands out there. Many “infamous” Black Metal bands are more known for their shocking antics then for going against the grain of common morals and social norms (causing a scandal or making a spectacle isn’t really subversive nowadays I would argue), not DEATHSPELL OMEGA. The band’s association with positions that fall outside the so called Owerton’s Window of acceptable public discourse. Actually, many Metal blogs and sites seem to have a self-imposed ban on writing about them and reviewing their albums. A search on these sites will reveal tens or hundreds of mentions of the band though, which is quite telling.

Many people don’t want to get their hands dirty with writing about DEATHSPELL OMEGA, but at the same time they can’t stop citing them as an influence on today’s extreme Metal music, which goes beyond Black Metal (dissonant Blackened Death Metal bands such as ULCERATE or PORTAL clearly owe a debt to DEATHSPELL OMEGA). I personally count myself among the fans of their music, hearing “Si Monvmentvm Reqvires, Circvmspice” or “Paracletus” was a true eye-opener for me, and it’s because of them that I started taking Black Metal more seriously. The conceptual side of their music is also something that I find interesting and provocative: their lyrics deal with doctrines of theistic Satanism but are also full of a Nietzschean scorn for modern society and the mass-man, as well as with themes inspired by the French surrealist Georges Bataille (you won’t find anything overtly bigoted in them as far as I can tell).

“The Furnaces of Palingenesia” is the band’s seventh full-length album and like most of their previous albums was released through the legendary – and equally infamous – label Norma Evangelium Diaboli. DEATHSPELL OMEGA are known as the pioneers of dissonant Black Metal, and dissonance is obviously what marks their sound. But beyond that I think the strength of the band is in how focused their music is. Their music is remarkable because of how they manage to take complex riffs and rhythms, that alone sound almost chaotic, and mold them into very concise songs. Their next level musicianship is on full display in “The Furnaces of Palingenesia”, both the riffs and the drumming are intriguing, sometimes the music seems to go in an almost jazz territory – while of course remaining super dark – but at the same time, the songs have a very rich atmosphere which ranges from eerie, to majestic, to deeply sorrowful. The atmosphere is sometimes enhanced by orchestral arrangements, which are very effective and have none of the cheesiness of “Symphonic Metal”.

The songs can be dynamic, but they never meander. The ebb and flow of the individual songs is complemented by ebb and flow of the album as a whole - “The Furnaces of Palingenesia” is one of those albums that feels increasingly more like a unified piece of art the more you listen to it. That’s a hallmark of great musicianship, if you ask me. The album opens with the apocalyptically scornful song “Neither Meaning nor Justice,” and ends with the mournful “You Cannot Even Find the Ruins…” which sounds like it could drag you into the deepest hole of despair. There are moments of fury and moments of sadness and many things in between on this album. It’s complex and multilayered – a musical journey really, form which you emerge richer the deeper you dive into these murky and disquieting waters.

I’m very pleased with this album, it is truly a enchanting piece of dark art. It is mesmerizing and spine-chilling in a way that looking into a snake’s eyes can be. This is not an album that you can listen to casually – at least I refuse to do so. It’s an album that you want to listen to in a dark room alone.

I did not vote for this btw, so the pomplamoose has yet to strike.

Mostly because I find these guys grossly overrated aside from Paracletus.

don't really have any need for more Deathspell in my life but they seem pretty low on the offensiveness scale to me by metal standards

I haven't thoroughly looked into this, but I get the sense that Mikko Aspa is more offensive than Mgła, all things considered.

Wasn't their connection to Aspa part of the reason the latter were accused of being closet nazis?

I think the rumour is that the lead singer is a straight up fascist? And seeing as the album concept is about fascism/nationalism, it made the whole thing a bit muddled for me. I still can't stop thinking about the album. It's neither fascist nor anti-fascist to me, it locates the hatred in right wing politics, and just heats it up there. The thing is, I think racism is a logical fallacy for the brain trust behind the band, but not because they think it's wrong to hate people, but because racism is based on the assumption that there are races you aren't supposed to hate. Their view of strongman fascism is pure hatred, most of all for the maggots who needs strong men to guide them.

love the anguished vocals on the Amygdala record, the music seems not super distinctive otherwise but by no means bad

The thing with universal misanthropy is that it has a nasty habit of becoming obsessively specific. Whether that is systematically the case is a different can of worms altogether.

I read the entire lyric of this album and found it more interesting than the music, but they're certainly playing some dangerous games

I mean, as metal may and even ought, sometimes

Mgła's album from last year, which, uh, may or may not appear in this rollout, also had an unsettlingly AmBiGuOuS title, come to think of it.

Anyway…

78
Motorpsycho - The Crucible
119 points, 4 votes

http://motorpsycho.no/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/motorp-cruc-1024x1024.jpeg

https://open.spotify.com/artist/2bNIAjyL3hFCuQBQqhPN4T

https://www.echoesanddust.com/2019/03/motorpsycho-the-crucible/

Whilst not as sprawling as previous release The Tower, Motorpsycho’s new album The Crucible is no less epic in scope and although only three songs in length, they easy match up to the wild progressive abandonment of that prior album. In fact, you can almost see this as an addendum, or encore if you will.

Not to cast the album off as simply though, as The Crucible is more than able to stand its own ground and if anything its succinctness makes it a much more enjoyable listen. Whilst we cannot knock The Tower in anyway, as in itself it was a remarkable album, sometimes shorter really is sweeter. Just don’t expect Motorpsycho to skimp on any of the progressive power that they are known for, and with their new dynamic as a trio, find themselves up on the pantheon of other great power trios.

Power trios are always cool so I'll sample this as soon as I can.

The rate these guys crank out these detailed and meticulous prog albums is, frankly, unbelievable.

Discovering their immense back catalog has been one of my musical highlights of the last year.

did frogbs vote?

Here's a band I always mean to give a proper chance to

Love Deathspell Omega but was disappointed in this one.

Motorpsycho is my first one to place. They've been doing so well for such a long time.

This is as good a place as any to start, since it's one of their most succinct. xp

It's staggering to think '97s Angels and Daemons at Play was my first Motorpsycho. That one first lead me to go back to their older albums, and from then on they just stayed with me. Nearly always delivering their unique goods in a 100 different ways. Love this band.

Coming up: a bit of Pitchfork-approved™ metal. Any guesses?

I don't think the title of the Deathspell Omega album was ambiguous, lol, it pretty clearly signaled it's about fascism. The earlier one, though, Synarchy of Molten Bones, that makes me a bit queasy...

Blood Incantation already?

This would be a good place for it

I don't think the title of the Deathspell Omega album was ambiguous

It's an obvious nod to Sarah Palin.

In a way it is...

Dumb jokes aside, palingenesis has many lexical applications beyond its (late) cooptation by fascists…

Back to the 'Fork with another trio…

77
Oozing Wound - High Anxiety
124 points, 3 votes

https://f4.bcbits.com/img/a0319864493_10.jpg

https://open.spotify.com/album/2sYvdAeIBt5bGsQJXrmTDK
https://oozingwound.bandcamp.com/album/high-anxiety

https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/oozing-wound-high-anxiety/

The Chicago trio Oozing Wound have planted their flag in the spot where metal, punk, and experimental meet. Four albums in, they are firmly devoted to keeping that space both weird and uncomfortable. High Anxiety doesn’t stray from their aesthetic: it’s thrashy if not entirely thrash, it’s dirty and smeared at the edges, and they remain sick of your shit, with their definition of “your shit” an exponentially expanding, spiteful blob. Even without changing much, they’re still the freaks underground metal needs.

Whether or not you can understand any of Zack Weil’s shrieks in the opener “Surrounded by Fucking Idiots,” the bile in his guitar is easily understandable. They’re not interested in metaphors or dressing up their hatred in Latin and sigils. The second half of “Idiots” lurches into swampy riffing, a mutated take on a thrash breakdown. It’s more for throwing a bunch of aforementioned idiots off a cliff than for stage-diving, offering no release but annihilation. “Tween Shitbag” is equally incendiary, with Weil sarcastically yelling “Oh man I really love your band!”, a call back to the anti-industry screed “New York Bands” from their debut Retrash.

High Anxiety also recalls Voivod on “Die on Mars” and “Riding the Universe,” not just for their space themes but also how punky thrash and prog goofiness chop it up with one another. “Mars” throws some death metal in the mix, the intro guitar leads sounding like Bolt Thrower solos drifting into a trash-filled outer space. These songs are house shows as terrariums populated by metal dudes too strange for the pay-to-play clubs and punks who punish themselves in Ph.D. programs, and Oozing Wound makes the chaos coalesce. They’re serious, but not serious.

oh this record fuckin slaps

More stuff I need to hear. Mentions of Voivod and Bolt Thrower are more than enough to whet my appetite.

I FUCKING LOVE OOZING WOUND

the spot where metal, punk, and experimental meet

were TFS nominated/eligible? slightly annoying if so as I left them out

Eligible, sure. Nominated, I'm afraid not… (Don't quote me on that, though.)

There is absolutely nothing experimental about Oozing Wound, lol

Anyway, glad the real rollout has finally started ;)

Pffft.

Tropical Fuck Storm were indeed nominated

if that is who you meant

Aight, thanks. YOU HAVE NO EXCUSE, IMAGO!

That said, it disappointed me after a couple of spins and I never revisited it afterwards. And I was blown away by their debut.

I kept it kvlt, I did the right thing

And yeah, if I liked it anywhere near as much as the debut I'd have probably found a space for it

Actually, what is the least metal thing I voted for? Probably The Young Gods, who I think we can safely say won't place

76
Major Stars - Roots of Confusion Seeds of Joy
125 points, 3 votes

https://f4.bcbits.com/img/a0490728063_16.jpg

https://open.spotify.com/album/0TxomauWobIcb9XfYYtWID
https://majorstars.bandcamp.com/album/roots-of-confusion-seeds-of-joy

https://www.treblezine.com/major-stars-roots-of-confusion-seeds-of-joy/

Psychedelic rock never went anywhere. You’d be forgiven for thinking otherswise, considering the more recent fervor and enthusiasm for the psychedelic sounds of bands such as Ty Segall, The Allah-Las and King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard such that it might have seemed like psych had been on a multi-decade holiday, the sounds of sitars and screaming wah-wah pedals thought never to return. The truth is more mundane than that; some have yet to opt out of the trip after quite a few decades, and if there’s a psychedelic renaissance happening right now, it’s simply the next in a long string of them, following an arguably weirder and more exciting acid communion in the mid-’00s among the likes of Dead Meadow, Comets on Fire and White Hills—not to mention Dungen, whose transition into the next generation of psych has been the smoothest.

Major Stars can be counted among this batch of mind-bending string-benders, the Boston group having released their debut way back in 1998. And after more than 20 years, they’re still delivering some of the heaviest and densest fuzz in psych rock with Roots of Confusion Seeds of Joy. The influence of bands such as Hawkwind and The Stooges (particularly Fun House) still loom large in their soaring freakouts, and as is often the case with bands steeped in space rock and classic psych, they’re not completely reinventing psych-rock or putting it in a radically new context. What they are doing is continuing to write outstanding songs within this framework, that is when they’re not simply allowing their jam session to spiral out into far-off galaxies as on the album’s leadoff track “The Tightener.”