Rolling Metal Thread 2012

I mean, I believe people who say Charlie Parker is a great artist, even though I don't get him (in fact, I've called him "probably the greatest artist whose music I don't get"), and I could say the same about certain movies I've never made it through. (I probably wouldn't say anything was the best movie ever; I haven't seen enough movies. Could maybe say the same about metal albums, except that I subtitled a book The 500 Best Heavy Metal Albums In The Universe once.) But the smaller the pie gets from "in all of human history," the sillier the distinction seems to me. Nothing from 2012 has been canonized; I'll be damned if I'm going to contribute to the canonization of albums I don't actually love, just because somebody else with more boring taste than me (okay, with different taste than me) does.

Wow, I have a busy as hell day at work with no time for ilx and you guys go crazy with the good discussion.

But you can all breathe easier, my Krallice CD finally showed up in today's mail, only four months after placing the order.

Expect your cross-town mail order in 2014.

Lol.

People who make year-end lists should obviously have perfect knowledge of the breadth of human history and culture, past, present, and future, is all I'm trying to say.

I think there is too much water being held on a EOY record list. Maybe a bit more thought can be into a eoy list from a publication, as it should rep what THAT particular publication is about, but a personal list is up for whatever floats your boat. Thats why its a personal list.. Global impact of a record is NEVER a consideration

The specific list under discussion wasn't (framed as) a personal list, though, but rather as representing the publication.

For what it's worth, I am still scared to look at that list. Really want to stay oblivious to whatever is going on at that publication. (I sort of have a history there, see.)

Well, the piece was written in editorial plural voice, contrary to the premise undergirding this whole tangent.

There is a circle of Hell reserved for people who use the "editorial we." And at the Voice, of all places -- Okay, I'm definitely leaning toward boycotting Pazz & Jop. No good can come of this.

I don't really agree with anything j3ff is saying here (sorry!) but that vv article is pretty irritating to me. starting things off by praising an album for how 'not metal' it is just isn't what I'm looking for in a '10 best metal records of 2012' article, weirdly enough. just not my bag.

otoh, grim kim's list seems really cool and makes me want to check out a bunch of albums even though all I listen to nowadays are albums that YMO members play on or produced. knelt rote! their first two ruled! didn't realize a new one dropped, man I gotta listen to that.

Knelt Rote is badass live. I've never tried listening to their recordings.

those are also pretty badass

Shameless plug...I wrote a thing on Barge to Hell, which was last week and loads of fun:

http://social.entertainment.msn.com/music/blogs/headbang-blogpost.aspx?post=b12cd001-00fa-4cbf-82cf-5bd960a5b2b4

Not as into this Corsair record as some of the other people on here. It's decent, but I don't know, I feel like Gypsyhawk do the Thin Lizzy thing with more verve and better songs.

In the meantime – Hells Headbangers 7" roundup on the Deciblog! http://www.decibelmagazine.com/featured/7-inches-of-hell/

Adrien, your write-up on Barge to Hell was a fantastic read, seems like such fun! It's still hilarious to see all those death metal dudes cavorting in the sunshine like that, the picture of Attilla invisible oranging the sun is all time.

I've started trying to organize my year-end lists, and wow was there a lot of good metal this year. It's looking like I'm going to mix the less abrasive metal into my "regular" lists this year, and have a separate list for, more or less, metal with noisy vocals. The short list for this, at the moment: Agalloch, Ahnengrab, Anamnesi, Ankhagram, Arbor, Arstidir Lifsins, Azoic, Blut Aus Nord, Cradle of Filth, De Magia Veterum, Deathspell Omega, Desiderii Marginis, Dodecahedron, Dynfari, Ea, Evoken, Eis, Frozen Ocean, Heimdalls Wacht, Krake, Liam, Oak Pantheon, Raventale, ScerrA, Seirom, Solbrud, Stagnant Waters, Svartidaudi, Tempestuous Fall, Thisquietarmy, Thormesis, Timor et Tremor, Ubi Sunt, Wild Hunt.

I won't reveal which metal albums are destined for my main list, but they're ones I've mentioned here one or twice or several times.

Yeah, I really need to start cranking on my lists, but I keep hearing good new stuff!!

the thing is that metal is the genre where one isn't as assailed by the "but if it's fun right now, that's valid!" mindset - metal, from the early eighties forward, is pretentious and ambitious and these are both good qualities in the right time and place. Metal should be monumental. There is plenty of "it's great for this summer" music on the pop charts, give me my Quixotes in metal please.

man i could stand to listen to a totally solid death metal from this year

Spawn of Possession dude

That record fucking rules.

So is the EOY metal poll happening, and if so, when?

not soon, i hope

Agree with Jon there's no need for a poll. It's not metal.
Just everyone list top 20's here and those inclined can check the albums out. Never saw the need for big fancy email polls other than the big ILM one run by johnny fever.

well i'm still in favor of the poll, because this is one of the most interesting polls on ilm in general, i'm just not prepared to participate just yet. i'd like a few more weeks.

Yeah, the metal poll is fun.

Spawn of Possession dude

holy shit

Best discovery for me from the year-end metal lists so far? Satan's Wrath, Galloping Blasphemy. Placed pretty high on Decibel's list and, after hearing it, I can't believe we didn't walk about it itt (unless my Ctrl-F is betraying me. It's super fun Greek blackened thrash with a decidly old school feel. Also this:

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-HWCuuJfW8PU/UGtl5vIT6NI/AAAAAAAAMps/WVi0Q5Hqi-I/s640/satans+wrath+01.jpg

Just listening to The Black Chord by Astra for the first time... this fucking rules!!

That's a great one too.

HAIL TRITONE, HAIL LUCIFER

Yeah, The Black Chord is definitely getting a vote off me in the big poll.

I like the 'five metal records your're listening to at the moment' thread - something like that but for 2012 records is something I'd like to see. I don't mind the metal poll at all, I've participated in the past, but I can't decide what order I like stuff. I like it all!

Here's the new Ghost song. I think it's pretty weak stuff, to be honest. The keyboards have devolved from Blue Öyster Cult knockoffs to imitations of the Doors in circus-music mode, it's too slow, it doesn't have a chorus, and it's at least a minute too long. When they were offered a wheelbarrow full of money last year, I asked, "But do they have a second album in them?" Based on this song, the answer is No, they don't.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TN2GCjPh0Hw

I didn't like the first record but this horrid track makes it look like Dont Break The Oath or something. Yuck.

I don't want to write them of so quickly. I don't mind the song, but if this was designated the main "focus track" on this album, then they're in trouble.

I still can't get on board with Ghost..

I like Ghost, though I didn't get excited until I saw them live. This song is fine, but doesn't feel remotely like a single.

I played it for my girlfriend. She said "sounds like something you'd hear at Hot Topic in the mall."

Thats funny, cuz I saw a post on Facebook with this song and their caption was something like "this will go over the heads of the hot topic crowd.."

^^^ Those two HT propositions are not mutually exclusive. ^^^

Begrime Exemious's Visions of the Scourge is the only album that would be on my year-end list and hasn't already been posted somewhere in this thread. It's angry, demonic metal that feels like it could've come out 20 years ago and doesn't fit into any categories. Death, black, thrash, sure.

Binah and Bound by Entrails were also fantastic. Hopefully I can come up with something that doesn't start with the letter "B."

Year-end shenanigans are finally up and running at MSN...

http://social.entertainment.msn.com/music/blogs/headbang-blogpost.aspx?post=a7a6961c-cdcb-40be-a110-0e9d0b242b45

Happy birthday Phil Freeman!

The Ghost track sounds fine to me, not my favorite of theirs, but its still pretty fun.

Hello you have until 7pm EST on Friday, December 21st 2012 (that's midnight for the Britishes and 4pm for our friends on the left coast of the US) to nominate in !!! Under New Management !!! It's The ILM NON-ELITIST METAL ALBUMS POLL 2012 NOMINATIONS THREAD

Man, already have high expectations for new Clutch, but the cover art has raised 'em a smidge higher even:

http://theobelisk.net/obelisk/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/clutch-earth-rocker.jpg

It's definitely a kickass cover.

And title!

Devin Townsend is a funny guy, and his favourite records are good!

I find with Tom Waits that there is such a level of reverence around him that the things that I like about Tom Waits I fucking hate in Jack White – I can’t stand that guy, y’know what I mean? Every time I see him or hear him talking it just makes my bum shrivel up and I can’t quite understand why – it’s that kind of like, scorning convention, "here’s me in my old time-y, whiskey soaked bowler hat" thing – I’m just like, "fuck you man!"

http://thequietus.com/articles/11006-devin-townsend-strapping-young-lad-favourite-albums?page=11

Man, huge props to the PopMatters metal crew for digging real deep for this feature. They are really stepping up their metal coverage game in a big way.

That was a really solid piece. P4k has their metal best up now too - Pallbearer at 1 and personal favorites Pinkish Black at 6.

Just read the long PopMatters piece on the train on mah kindle. I'm dreamin' of a Black Christmas!