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

10. Subrosa - No Help for the Mighty Ones (1,080 Points, 30 Votes, 3 #1s)
http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-piCOV7s6ATU/TsqPE7xq0TI/AAAAAAAABQw/KHFwAoqY4D4/s1600/SUB-ROSA-nhftmo.jpg

http://www.last.fm/music/subrosa

Salt Lake City, Utah's SubRosa extrapolate upon sludge, doom, and stoner rock foundations with contrasting elements drawn from goth, psych, indie rock, and, thanks in part to their predominantly female lineup, an almost subliminal post-riot grrrl vibe to boot. Despite roots reaching as far back as 2005, the band's full-length demo and first album, Strega, both emerged in 2008, and to mixed reviews, since SubRosa were still refining their sound and coping with lineup instability throughout, even up to the following year's Swans Trapped in Ice EP. But, once founding members Rebecca Vernon (guitar, vocals) and Sarah Pendleton (violin, vocals) joined forces with new bandmembers Kim Pack (vocals), Dave Jones (bass), and Zach Hatsis (drums), SubRosa really hit their stride, producing a sophomore full-length cryptically entitled No Help for the Mighty Ones that found release through leading indie metal label Profound Lore in early 2011, this time to major acclaim within the heavy metal community.

Review

by Phil Freeman

This Salt Lake City-based, female-led doom metal band features two violinists as co-lead instrumentalists alongside the usual guitar, bass, and drums, as well as multiple vocalists. The effect is hypnotic and incantatory, and much more interesting than the usual howls and growls of male-fronted, violin-deficient doom bands. Because three-fifths of their membership is female, SubRosa have a unique energy, reminiscent of Bay Area post-black metallers Ludicra but even more psychedelic and haunted. The tribal throb of songs like "Beneath the Crown" and the nearly 12-minute "Stonecarver" (which builds to an almost thrashy peak before downshifting to a crushingly heavy riff in its final third) doesn't inspire headbanging so much as head-nodding, but it's never boring; it's captivating rather than cathartic. There's an occult, retro vibe to their music despite the lack of overt early-'70s signifiers like those found in the work of groups like the Devil's Blood, Blood Ceremony, and Electric Wizard. "The Inheritance" feels like a song that should be howled at the moon, not played in a rock club. No Help for the Mighty Ones is a major statement of artistic purpose; while the album is absolutely not aimed at the metal mainstream, it offers powerful evidence that the genre's vitality can't be questioned.

So much for that theory.

the review of 40 Watt Sun Kerr pasted nails a ton of stuff I think is great about the band

I think I've probably said this or something similar before but it would not surprise me if at some point the main dude did a str8 non-metal mopey indie rock album that pissed a lot of ppl off but was actually awesome

he was just waiting for us to commit. I had it at #10 on my ballot.

Ha, nice timing Kerr! I will listen to it while I eat lunch in tribute. Nobody move while I venture into the snow for 5 minutes ;)

Great timing.

Ha unlike you guys, I didn't even like the Subrosa until a few weeks ago, when it finally 'clicked'.

xposts kinda lol mostly ;_;

from the blog:

When this album dropped last spring I thought it a lock for the very top of my list, and was surprised to find myself placing them here when I put it together. I still think it is an amazing album, changing both my perceptions of doom metal and of my pigeonholing of instrumentation. The strings and female vocals instantly mark this as something different and though it could have been novelty in less capable hands, Subrosa deftly makes it seem like other, more traditional, doom bands are missing something. A welcome addition to my library and a band I will follow with great zeal in the years to come.

I guess Subrosa are gonna be the highest placing band I know nothing about - was about to say I'd never heard of them but 'Profound Lore' in the blurb jogged my memory albeit v slightly

trivia: Children of Bodom just won the Emma award (Finnish equivalent for Grammys) for the best metal record. Other nominees were Kotiteollisuus, Amorphis and Moonsorrow.

(and thanks to everyone involved in this poll! I'm just a lurker here and not a true metal fan, but every year these polls are a great way to check out bands I might like.)

this album rules

We're in the top 10, who do you think will win?

YOB or Mastodon, probably the former.

Powerwolf still haven't placed, so I'm holding out hope.

Bullet aren't going to make it, are they?

9. The Gates of Slumber - The Wretch (1,085 Points, 32 Votes, 1 #1)
http://theobelisk.net/obelisk/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/thegatesofslumbercover.jpg
http://www.last.fm/music/the+gates+of+slumber

The Gates Of Slumber is a doom metal band from Indianapolis, USA. They play old school style of doom metal in the traditions of Saint Vitus, Cirith Ungol, Candlemass and the likes. Their band name is taken from the Cianide song Gates of Slumber from the album A Descent Into Hell.

Review

by Eduardo Rivadavia

The greatest misconception about the Gates of Slumber is that the Indiana trio is your typical, run-of-the-mill doom band, but anyone who's actually spent time with the group's discography would beg to differ. As of its very first album, the trio has in fact been experimenting with different metallic varieties, ranging from traditional ‘70s vintages to energized ‘80s flavors to a few psychedelic, semi-thrash, and even downright foreign musical elements to, sure, good old-fashioned doom as well. But it wasn't until album number five, 2011's indicatively named The Wretch, that the Gates of Slumber truly embraced the style with which they've been most closely associated for all it's worth -- possibly with the desire to ground themselves in metal's most unpretentious underground tenets once again, following the higher creative ambitions flirted with on 2009's Hymns of Blood and Thunder. Whatever the group's motivations, The Wretch certainly indulges in some of most brazen and unapologetic Saint Vitus worship heard in some time, as evidenced by the grimy snail's trail left by slothful juggernauts such as "Bastards Born," "Day of Farewell," the title track, and the 13-minute colossus "Iron and Fire" in particular. Other offerings do pick up the pace somewhat (see "The Scovrge ov Drvnkenness" [sic], "To the Rack with Them," and the only serious galloping ghost, "Coven of Cain"), but still never leave the Vitus aesthetic behind, and the mildly psychedelic trip undertaken by "Castle of the Devil" -- in obvious tribute to Black Sabbath's "Planet Caravan" -- is seriously about as far out as TGOS get here. All of which may well leave some listeners upset at The Wretch's overall lack of invention, but will probably convince others that the Gates of Slumber fully deserve the doom credentials alluded to by their moniker, once and for all.

I wish Kuma's Corner were closer. I'd order a YOB.

YOB
Smoked Gouda, Bacon, Roasted Red Peppers, Roasted Garlic Mayo - $13

Mastodon
BBQ Sauce, Cheddar, Bacon, Frizzled Onions - $13

Absu
10 oz. Patty, spicy tomatillo salsa, pepperjack, red onion/avocado relish, queso fresco, trio of breaded deep fried chiles - 13.00

I have enjoyed the Mastadon on multiple occasions, but the High on Fire is my personal favorite in spite of the hot sauce typo

High On Fire
Siracha Hot Chili Sauce, Prosciutto, Roasted Red Pepper, Grilled Pineapple, Sweet Chili Paste

I saw Gates Of Slumber open for Pentagram a couple years back. A solid show, but they didn't have a tenth the charisma and presence of Pentagram. Maybe that experience affected my view of their albums.

it's kinda interesting how some of these albums get highly rated for doing adventurous/interesting/bold/new stuff and some for embracing traditional tropes, almost like doom metal standards

the YOB is good there! Still have to wait a long time for a table.

I guess ulcerate isn't going to place then? that's the way it looks to me. would be a shame as this album has grown on me tremendously over the past few days. I probably would have given it the #1 spot if I were voting today. oh well.

anyway, forgot where I read it, but if "deathspell omega playing death metal" sounds good to you, listen to the destroyers of all immediately. this album totally kills.

Wish I had voted, 'cause at least I would have gotten Motorhead to place. C'mon people - Motorhead record should at least place every year ...

(I misspelled Mastodon too, so classy!)

xp High On Fire is indeed my favorite burger there. Looking forward to their next album too :)

Gates of Slumber album is fucking great!

Mastodon burger at Kuma's is fucking great!

alan n otm; the ulcerate album kicked so much ass

so much trad doom on here

As in too much doom? Never! I hope people check out Obrero, Glitter Wizard, Green & Wood even though they didn't make the list.

8. Pantheïst - Pantheist (1,187 Points, 30 Votes, 2 #1s)
http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vQOzHUON9ps/Tm1YV2xe8GI/AAAAAAAABiM/D97eLmFOY2A/s1600/Cover.jpg
Pantheist
http://www.last.fm/music/pantheist

Doom metal band, originally based in Belgium and later in the UK, with progressive overtones and a heavy dose of melancholy. Although originally associated with the funeral doom scene, the band has developed a more complex sound in their later work, incorporating elements from progressive and classic rock alongside the original influences from doom metal, classical and ethnic music. Typical for their sound is the creation of a solemn, mystical atmosphere, to which elements such as atmospheric keyboards, acoustic instruments and semi chanted vocals strongly contribute.

http://www.doommantia.com/2011/05/pantheist-pantheist.html

The UK have given us some incredible metallic talent over the years, including the grandfathers of Metal( Judas Priest and Black Sabbath and Iron Maiden to name a few) and even some of my newer favourites as well( like GraVil) as well. I grew up on the NEW WAVE OF BRITISH HEAVY METAL movement and that was where my love of this music began, so I love all things British metal. Now the Brits have given us a doom metal tour-DE-force called Pantheist.

Dark and foreboding with a very dank atmosphere made in every note they make, Pantheist rumbles like a sauntering Brontosaurus that can crush anything living in front of them. Funeral or even Progressive Doom is an acquired taste, I admit... but when it is this good, metal-heads seem to gravitate to it regardless. With some of the heaviest yet memorable riffs and the most bleak and haunting lyrics I have come across since Novembers Doom – this band shows just how dark metal can get.

Each song seems to blend into one another seamlessly, creating this pained melancholy that is a vortex into someones tortured mind. No one song is better than the other – making this album that is not a concept album, seem like it as it blends all of this into a tapestry of sorrow and doom haunted retrospective into a persons tortured thinking. It is powerful and scary to behold the stark beauty and painful repercussions of a mind that it troubled.

I found that Pantheist to be a band that is truly full of talent, a wall of power... and also having that understanding of the complexity of human emotion unlike anyone I have listened to. I am now going to hunt down the other album of this band right now... I need to hear more from this band. Seriously this is one of my favourite albums at the moment.... I am going through withdrawals right now........9.5/10
Review Written By Daryl Adolph

hey it's not for me to say how much is too much but i'm not really a trad doom guy is all.

Wow, my number 1 is going to place a LOT higher than I thought it would. Even if it shows up next, its a hell of showing based on initial reactions.

Haven't heard the Pantheist, but based on this showing I need to!

damn right you need to. it actually was in the top 5 for ages but fell out near the end.

their 1st album O Solitude is a legendary Funeral Doom album but they've moved away from that kind of music for ages now.

Dare I believe Corrupted can make #1? (Watch them place next)

Pantheist instead of Pentagram maybe?
― uncle acid and the absquatulators (Drugs A. Money)

Good call mate!

I am completely surprised. They didn't appear in any of the other polls that Kerr listed.

Right on! :) I think the Pentagram album didn't have many acolytes around here...

There was a few raves about the Pentagram album when it first came out, but yeah, enthusiasm must have dropped off a lot. There's just so much music competing for people's attention.

Yeah it sort of turned into this, "right on another solid Pentagram album", but then everyone kind of moved on.

You know what else hadn't made it yet? The Psychic Paramount album. I wonder if no one voted for it cuz it want metal (it was my #3)

7. Mastodon - The Hunter (1,253 Points, 33 Votes, 6 #1s)
http://rockdirt.com/images/misc/Mastodon_TheHunter.jpg
Spotify
http://www.last.fm/music/mastodon

by James Christopher Monger

On 2011’s The Hunter, Mastodon abandoned the proggy, conceptual route taken on previous outings, choosing instead to mine the trailblazing, riff-heavy abandon of their 2004 masterpiece, Leviathan. Mastodon's increasingly accessible sound may not land them a hit anytime soon, but cuts like “Black Tongue,” “Curl of the Burl,” and “Balsteroid,” all of which arrive in sequence at the front of the set, show a willingness to write within the parameters of 21st century pop music’s dark side. That’s not to say that the band has pulled its head out of the vastness of space, as there are more than enough tracks here to satisfy fans who prefer the sludgy, drop-D epics of yore to the more organized roar of The Hunter's front end. Fueled by Brãnn Dailor's jazzy, machine-gun drumming, songs like “Octopus Has No Friends,” “All the Heavy Lifting,” and “Bedazzled Fingernails,” despite coming in at under five minutes, are epically arranged, and the surprisingly hummable, bass melody-led swamp monster anthem “Creature Lives” sounds like a Sabbathy, Lovecraftian take on Jane’s Addiction's “Summertime Rolls.” The closest Hunter comes to reaching an apex is on the breathless “Spectrelight,” a relentless three-minute slab of pure unadulterated fury that will probably clock in at around a minute and half live, but it’s an album that doesn’t really need to peak, as it never promises a thing it can’t back up, boldly and loudly.

I loved it, but did not vote for it here. Was my #3 overall, but it and the Fucked Up album were not metal to my ears.

xpost

... and theres my #1!

psychic paramount album is p killer but it ain't metal

six #1s eh?

Glad to see the high placement on Mastodon, seemed a lot of people around here were lukewarm on it. I was really glad to hear them step away from the epics and go back to just tunes. Plus there was a great sense of humor throughout, nice break from the self-serious stuff.

When the singles were released before the Mastodon album, the backlash was brutal, especially for "Curl Of The Burl." Once a band reaches as wide an audience as Mastodon has, there's going to be divided opinions. I think it's a great summary of their strengths from previous albums, and just a couple more simple rockers and space/prog jams don't mean they're not metal. Especially compared to a ton of other non-metal bands on this poll. They're just as fierce live as always, though the sound sucked, but I blame the venue (Riviera).

I think it's the best Mastodon record, but I don't like them much at all, even now. Not my thing, but I can at least see the appeal more with this one than on the last couple.

it's not a bad record but it does feel a little slight to my ears