THE ILM METAL POLL 2011 RESULTS (All lurkers/non metalheads welcome to join in!)

how many of your picks have placed so far?

A couple of thoughts on today thus far (I honestly meant to check in today but life got crazy).

Happy to see some of my favorite records show up - Witch Mountain, Sungrazer and Shooting Guns. My thoughts on each, copied from my tumblr blog:

69. Witch Mountain

It’s getting called doom because it leans toward the slow and heavy sound of the early 70s, but there are some things they do that other doom bands rarely aim for or achieve. Firstly, they swing like motherfuckers (something Sabbath doesn’t get enough credit for, by the way). Nate Carson’s drumming and Dave Hoopaugh’s bass are one unit, the pocket so enveloping it’s like a 40 Hz womb. Secondly, Rob Wrong’s guitar is one of the least Iommi-inspired of anyone mining that “Hand Of Doom” vein; there is a lot of psychedelic rock in his sound (listen to that fuzz and feedback), to these ears owing more to the Hendrix/Uli Jon Roth lineage than the Iommi/Wino side of things. Top that off with vocalist Uta Plotkin’s power blues delivery and this ain’t your everyday doom band.

58. Sungrazer

I like slow, spacey, epic psychedelic hard rock. These guys do it well, and with Mirador, their second album, they’ve achieved something very special. There’s a bit of desert rock ala Kyuss in this one, but it’s got more peyote than Pabst in that groove. I found it worked for all moods, weather and seasons.

57. Shooting Guns

I’m partial to instrumental metal, if only because so many of the vocals drive me nuts. These guys don’t worry about anything beyond monster grooves. Their hypnotic heaviness often reminds me of Loop, minus a bit of the Stooges and amplifying the Hawkwind with a dash of late 80s doom ala The Obsessed or something. Feel the groove, love the groove, live the groove.

I need to hear the Indian record again - it didn't grab me on the first go 'round and I don't remember giving it another. Should rectify that soon.

I f-ing love Sungrazer. While they're my #12 overall (including non-metal), I didn't vote for them, as I wanted to focus on metal. If there was a stoner rock rut, there certainly isn't this year.

55. KEN Mode - Venerable (439 Points, 16 Votes)
http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-jFJPiB9Ay84/TagGuU1_63I/AAAAAAAAABI/aRsmQy1anZ8/s1600/Venerable_cover.jpg
http://www.last.fm/music/ken+mode

KEN mode is a metallic noise rock band from Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada that was formed in Sept, 1999.

http://www.facebook.com/kenmode
http://www.kenmode.bandcamp.com
http://www.twitter.com/kenmodenoise
http://www.myspace.com/kenmode

The Sungrazer record is odd in that if I haven't listened to it for a while it slips in my estimation, but then I throw it on and BAM I'm hooked and loving it.

im pretty damn sure sean would've voted for ken mode

epheles was def in my top 5

im also still mad at u sonsofbitches for vetoing the ulver album

That KEN Mode record is fantastic, my #13.

you cant blame me for that
xp

ez its been a good poll for you so far

I need to check out Sungrazer and Shooting Guns -- slow and groovy are good keywords!

how many albums have you all had placed so far?

not too bad. Honestly, there were only about a baker's dozen of metal records I really loved this year. It's the biggest reason my ballot was small; plenty of other records I liked, but couldn't weigh against each other at all.

Looks like 6 of the 20 I voted for so far. But the three I mentioned above are in the batch I loved.

the other three I voted for are Caïna, Premonition 13 and Rwake.

Shooting Guns are great; another of my votes!

Shooting Guns was as close to pimping as I got this year. They have such broad appeal, metallers and non- alike.

54. The Atlas Moth - An Ache for the Distance (442 Points, 17 Votes)
http://www.heavyblogisheavy.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/The-Atlas-Moth-An-Ache-For-The-Distance.jpg

http://www.last.fm/music/The+Atlas+Moth

Hailing from Chicago, The Atlas Moth take their bluesy hometown roots and combine that with New Orleans style sludge & 60s psychedelic.

i have this on luminous vinyl (lol)

Definitely an awesome album, voted for this highly here and on my P+J ballot.

53. Amon Amarth - Surtur Rising (444 Points, 15 Votes)
http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-6j7SWw1ZYUM/TwMdzOOlt2I/AAAAAAAABvQ/t80Pur_hq5I/s1600/Amon%2BAmarth%2B-%2B2011%2B-%2BSurtur%2BRising.jpg
http://www.last.fm/music/Amon+Amarth

Deeply rooted in melodic death metal with lyrics centered around Viking history and Norse mythology, Amon Amarth (formerly known as Scum) was formed, with the arrival of Johan Hegg as the new vocalist, in 1992 in Tumba, Sweden, a southern suburb of Stockholm.

Amon Amarth is one of those workhorse metal bands that I like, but don't really love. I can count on them to whip out an enjoyable album every couple of years, but I don't ever really fall in love with them.

METALLLLLLLLLLLL

\m/

I respect the crap out of them even if their music isn't my thing. But with the rep they have I definitely want to see them live.

Seriously, how can you not look at that album cover up there and NOT want to go out and slaughter some villages and drink mead from skulls? Come on people, this is the METAL poll, and AA are pretty god damn metal.

That guy better watch out, his skirt's just about to catch fire.

He's a god. Gods don't worry about petty nuisances like that.

Well don't say he wasn't warned when his bits end up looking like the last sausage on the barbecue.

I never tire of Amon Amarth.

And 13 votes for Shooting Guns! So great to see.

52. Tombs - Path of Totality (461 Points, 17 Votes)
http://www.metalinjection.net/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/Tombs_Path_of_Totality-604x604.jpg
Spotify
http://www.last.fm/music/Tombs

Formed in January 2007 (Brooklyn, USA), Tombs started as a collaboration between former Anodyne frontman Mike Hill, bassist Dominic Seita (ex-Speedloader) and drummer Justin Ennis (ex-the heuristic). Since then Seita has been replaced by Carson James and Ennis by Andrew Hernandez (ex-Asra). Tombs is the culmination of Hill’s lifetime of work, a crushing, soulful sound, inspired by some diverse, almighty influences: the harsh minimalism of Black Flag , the psychedelic overdrive of Sonic Youth and My Bloody Valentine, the emotional ice of Godflesh, the sinister rock of Unsane and The Jesus Lizard, and black metal such as Deathspell Omega and Darkthrone

This was high in the Decibel poll wasn't it?

Oh it was #1 in Decibel.
btw guys did you know that Tombs aren't in Metal Archives?

That's because they're a bunch of hipsters. FALSE METALLLLLLLLL

Wow, I thought that would have been at least top 15. Are they really considered hipstrz?

Then all Decibel journos are HIPSTERS then! ALL OF YOU NO EXCEPTIONS!

atlas moth - decent record, horrific recording
amon amarth - it's an amon amarth album
tombs - also decent but this is probably the right placement for it in any metal poll

intrigued by sungazer and shooting guns per your decriptions, ez

amon amarth - it's an amon amarth album

lol

thanks for doing this y'all

but that's ok, they make real metal. no need to fuck with the metal formula everyone!

hey markers good to see you here! Going to check anything out? You'remore metal than your hipster buddy ilxor who doesn't listen anymore as its not hip!

or something.

http://rlv.zcache.com/img/imt-prd/pd-137299890145917137/isz-m/at-238560305421145726/realview.jpg%3Furbanimage_url%3Dhttp%3A//www.urbandictionary.com/products.image.php%3Fgreeting_card_outside%3D1%26txtid%3D2351881%26urbaninside_url%3Dhttp%3A//www.urbandictionary.com/products.image.php%3Fgreeting_card_inside%3D1%26txtid%3D2351881%26urbanword_txt%3Dthat%27s%20so%20metal

Ha ha, oops. It was supposed to say, "That's so metal."

51. Lord Vicar - Signs of Osiris (502 Points, 17 Votes)
http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-wCsV_Zg47NQ/TsKkL_IscVI/AAAAAAAAEIk/WrfgTGzgMAU/s1600/cover.jpg
http://www.last.fm/music/lord+vicar

A doom metal band of Peter Vicar (Reverend Bizarre, Orne ). Chritus (Christian Lindersson) from Saint Vitus , Count Raven and Terra Firma on vocals. Gareth Millstead from Centurions Ghost and End of Level Boss on drums. On bass Jussi Myllykoski. They released The Demon Of Freedom 7’’ through I Hate Records, featuring Jim Hunter from Revelation on bass. Debut full-length titled Fear no Pain was released on November 6th 2008 by The Church Within Records.

amon amarth - it's an amon amarth album

http://www.onemetal.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/surturrising.jpg
Wait I've seen that burning sword before...here it is, made last year:
http://ring.cdandlp.com/osmoseproductions/photo_grande/114189397.jpg

who is that?

Long, devastating slices of classic riffage, with that dramatic and possessed singing, with that feel that only Lord Vicar (and, obviously Reverend Bizarre) can deliver. It's that sort of music that feels like an ancient painting from a mysterious land. Its beautiful and unsettling but at the same time catchy, heavy and irresistible. It's an album that feels incredibly dense but at the same time calls for repeat listening.- Doomantia

xp - I think it's Lana del Rey's unreleased debut album

I think i'll end tonight with one more, just to annoy the purists!