~~~ 2014 ILM METAL POLL TRACKS & ALBUMS COUNTDOWN! ~~~ (Tracks top 30 first then Albums)

cant believe 2 people voted for attila and only one for jeff & ozzy

I dont know if seandalai has any stats

My ballot, bold didn't place:

Earthless - From the Ages
In Solitude - Sister
Pinkish Black - Razed to the Ground
Shooting Guns - Brotherhood of the Ram
SubRosa - More Constant Than the Gods
True Widow - Circumambulation
VHÖL - VHÖL
Clutch - Earth Rocker
Blood Ceremony - the Eldritch Dark
Gorguts - Colored Sands
Coliseum - Sister Faith
Oranssi Pazuzu - Valonielu
The Cult of Dom Keller - The Cult of Dom Keller
Hawkeyes - Poison Slows You Down
Power Trip - Manifest Decimation
Russian Circles - Memorial
Lycia - Quiet Moments
Vaura - The Missing
Cathedral - The Last Spire
Bombus - The Poet and the Parrot
Avatarium - Avatarium
Argus - Beyond the Martyrs
Church Of Misery - Thy Kingdom Scum
Satan - Life Sentence
Inter Arma - Sky Burial
Mammoth Grinder - Underworlds
Mutoid Man - Helium Head
Nails - Abandon All Life
Magister Templi - Lucifer Leviathan Logos
Vattnet Viskar - Sky Swallower
Horisont- Time Warriors
Audrey Horne - Youngblood
Carcass - Surgical Steel
Full of Hell - Rudiments of Mutilation
Pyres - Year of Sleep
Melt-Banana - Fetch
Motörhead - Aftershock
Noisem - Agonies Defined
Ampacity - Encounter One
Batillus- Concrete Stain
Altar of Plagues - Teethed Glory and Injury
Sofy Major - Idolize
Sungod - Contakt
Beastwars - Blood Becomes Fire
Darkthrone - The Underground Resistance
Germ - Grief
KEN Mode - Entrench
Lumbar - The First and Last Days of Unwelcome
Uncle Acid & the Deadbeats - Mind Control
oVo - Abisso

I was hoping more folks would vote for Shooting Guns, but alas, twas not to be.

Amaranthe placed way higher than I was expecting it to!

Motorhead not placing at all in the ILX Metal poll - this makes me sad

Average album by a great band and overrated as such. I think it's fine – we all love Motorhead, and it's not like they didn't see enough love this year anyway.

The Motorhead album isnt bad but they can do much better.

It is funny how this collective hive mind of the metal community works - it's clear that Gorguts connects with a lot of people and it's undoubtedly an excellent record. But Pestilence, also an established big name band playing technical/dissonant/jazzy DM and (IMO) quality-wise not any worse, seems to have had no buzz at all. Did people not like Obsideo, or just never hear it?

I'm not much of a death metal guy, but thematically and musically Colored Sands really grabbed me. I found the Pestilence album much more of what I don't like about death metal and thus less my thing.

I still haven't heard the new pestilence. but, in general, I think gorguts have a head-nodding quality that makes all the death and dissonance a little more palatable. pestilence have this too, sure, but it's deployed in more of a "here's a riff to bang your head to, now here's another!" way (for the classic era stuff, anyway. that's all I've heard). but the constant groove is a defining quality for the gorguts sound (imo)

What grabbed me about Colored Sands, and why I can't compare it to anything else, is that Gorguts wrote and played like a death metal chamber orchestra, rather than, like just about every band to ever try something "symphonic," imitate things they'd heard orchestras do (or worse, plop an actual orchestra atop their metal). People have always said, "x or y band sounds like if Wagner/Beethoven/Stravinksy had access to distorted guitars" and maybe with the exception of some of Ihsahn's work in Emperor, this feels like the first time I've heard metal live up to that.

Pestilence is cool, and Obsideo was a step up from their last two, but I'm pretty sure Colored Sands did something that, like Obscura, other bands might only be able to start weakly emulating several years down the road. I'm sticking it in the same category as Mayhem's Ordo ad Chao, which is "stuff I can't even categorize yet." Totally transcends metal.

also dig all the lyrics about tibet, buddhism, meditation, etc. across the gorguts discog. has lemay ever expanded on this in interviews? don't meditate but I often find dense, noisy music like his own often puts me in a calm state. can feel the anxiety dissipating. curious if there's a relationship there for him as well.

Yeah, I agree – similar on the outside, maybe, but a big difference in ambition and execution.

I voted for these

1 carcass - surgical steel 1121.0 27 8
2 in solitude - sister 831.0 21 2

Need to get the rest of the Top 10 for sure! But especially:

5 subrosa - more constant than the gods 741.0 19 2
7 uncle acid and the deadbeats - mind control 707.0 20 2
8 melt-banana - fetch 686.0 18 1 matt
10 deafheaven - sunbather 666.0 18 3

Uncle Acid is a grower; on first listen it may seem underwhelming, especially compared to the immediacy of Blood Lust, but subsequent spins prove otherwise.

Too low: Vattnet Viskar

"It's a whole concept album, so I've been reading books for a year a year and a half for the lyrics to know what I'm going to talk about.

"The lyrics process is very hard for me. First, I'm French, and then I need to educate myself on the topic I'm going to talk about. I'm not going to educate myself on the Chinese invasion of Tibet with a Wikipedia thing.

"I bought piles of books. I feel the same way I did at the conservatory when I was writing classical pieces. It takes months and months, the pieces you just can't get it out of your system. You need to become a sponge, you need to get soaked with the topic. So far so good I'm very very happy with what we've done.

"In the first place I wanted to write the whole album about the rituals of mandalas made with sand. One day my girlfriend's little daughter colored in a coloring book a mandala for me and I wondered what a mandala was, I liked the word. I searched on the Internet and found out this is a Tibetan thing and then it clicked, this is gonna be it, but I didn't have any clue, I wasn't very educated on the Tibetan culture. This mandala thing gets so complex, you could study it for 25-30 years before you know exactly what you're talking about, so I said, 'Okay, I'll take it from a different angle.' It's not a National Geographic documentary either. It's very poetic and very epic. This is my vision. I have no pretension about telling 'truth'; it's how I feel about these people."

Read more at http://www.blabbermouth.net/news/gorguts-new-video-message-from-luc-lemay/#FMHofTvaQviw8UoH.99

This countdown drew me to finally check out Melt Banana and while my brain is still trying to process it I think I like. It sounds like the kind of music that sci-fi films of the past imagined our future music to sound like.

Also I think Hurdle got Lemay into all the Buddhist stuff, though I'm sure he's developed his own relationship with it over the years.

I too can relate to the weird tranquility that is derived from noisy but steady music drowning out my mental chatter. I think the first time I noticed this was Transilvanian Hunger. A lot of minimal black metal does it, actually, as long as it doesn't have that "sizzling" guitar tone, e.g.: Under a Funeral Moon.

my list with stuff that didn't place in bold:

Paysage d'Hiver - Das Tor
Summoning - Old Mornings Dawn
Oranssi Pazuzu - Valonielu
Suffocation - Pinnacle of Bedlam
Carcass - Surgical Steel
Erang - Another World Another Time
Gorguts - Colored Sands
Power Trip - Manifest Decimation
Gris - À l'âme enflammée, l'äme constellée...
Satan - Life Sentence
Lustre - Wonder
Bölzer - Aura
Nonexistence - Antarctica
Progenie Terrestre Pura - U.M.A.
Ulcerate - Vermis
Inquisition - Obscure Verses for the Multiverse
Aeternus - ...And The Seventh His Soul Detesteth
Autopsy - The Headless Ritual
Cathedral - The Last Spire
Abandoned Places - Giantlands

erang and abandonded places are both 'dungeon synth' records. more like entire albums of black metal intros that actual metal records. if you have a weakness for keyboard presets, vangelis, the golden axe ost, or wish summoning were even less of a trad guitar band, these come highly recommended. the erang in particular really captures a depressive atmosphere and the guy has songwriting chops for sure. whole thing is on bandcamp: http://erang.bandcamp.com/album/another-world-another-time

thanks, fnb! will read! (x-posts)

suffocation was way too low. it 100% shreds.

Colored sands' organic flow, complex structure and unorthodox riffing always made me think of it as like the bass-ier death metal counterpart to deathspell omega's paracletus

yes, definitely

Oh, the listy thing. Only did a top 10.

1) Gorguts - Colored Sands
2) Progenie Terrestre Pura - U.M.A.
3) Darkthrone - The Underground Resistance
4) Cathedral - The Last Spire
5) Voivod - Target Earth
6) Bölzer - Aura
7) Grave Miasma - Odori Sepulcrorum
8) Beyond - Fatal Power of Death
9) Rotting Christ - Kata Ton Daimona Eaytoy
10) Mammoth Grinder - Underworlds

My disappointment of the year was Haeresiarchs of Dis' Thirty-Eighth Sermon of the Unborn, a one man black metal deal that in 2010 put out Denuntiatus Cinis, which sounded like In the Nightside Eclipse if it had been envisioned and executed by Wrest of Leviathan. I'm still waiting for a worthy successor to that total hallucination of an album.

Yeah, I was disappointed that I couldn't get people into the Beyond record. I love that thing.

Here's my ballot. Bold stuff didn't make the Hot Hundred And One:

1 Iceage - You're Nothing
2 Paysage d'Hiver - Das Tor
3 Gris - À l'âme enflammée, l'äme constellée...
4 Darkthrone - The Underground Resistance
5 Skeletonwitch - Serpents Unleashed
6 The Body - Master, We Perish (EP)
7 Watain - The Wild Hunt
8 Voivod - Target Earth
9 Ghost - Infestissumam
10 Shining - One One One
11 In Solitude - Sister
12 Full of Hell - Rudiments of Mutilation
13 Zodiac - A Hiding Place
14 Holy Grail - Ride Into The Void
15 White Wizzard - The Devil's Cut
16 Cloud Rat - Moksha
17 Church Of Void - Dead Rising
18 Black Sabbath - 13
19 Carcass - Surgical Steel
20 Tribulation - The Formulas of Death
21 Queens Of The Stone Age - Like Clockwork
22 Newsted - Heavy Metal Music
23 Kvelertak - Meir
24 Blood Ceremony - the Eldritch Dark
25 Anciients - Heart Of Oak
26 Intronaut - Habitual Levitations (Instilling Words With Tones)
27 Joel Grind - The Yellowgoat Sessions

I would post my ballot but I did it directly into the Google form so I don't have a record.

01 Mammoth Grinder - Underworlds
02 Beyond - Fatal Power of Death
03 Obliteration - Black Death Horizon
04 Cultes Des Ghoules - Henbane
05 oVo - Abisso
06 Vista Chino - Peace
07 Baptists - Bushcraft
08 Immolation - Kigdom of Conspiracy
09 Ulcerate - Vermis
10 The Body - Christs, Redeemers
11 Windhand - Soma
12 Autopsy - The Headless Ritual
13 Goatess - Goatess
14 Nails - Abandon All Life
15 Portal - Vexovoid
16 Earthless - From the Ages
17 Pinkish Black - Razed to the Ground
18 Vastum - Patricidal Lust
19 Primitive Man - Scorn
20 Cathedral - The Last Spire
21 Convulse - Evil Prevails
22 Carcass - Surgical Steel
23 Gnaw - Horrible Chamber
24 Jesu - Everyday I Get Closer To The Light
25 Toxic Holocaust - Chemistry Of Consciousness
26 Noisem - Agony Defined
27 Altar of Plagues - Teethed Glory and Injury
28 Monster Magnet - Last Patrol
29 Suffocation - Pinnacle of Bedlam
30 Uncle Acid & the Deadbeats - Mind Control

ooh Devilock, yr top 2 are my 2 favourite discoveries from this list (so far) - I must check out the rest

The string quartet thing on Colored Sands. That is all.

xxxp BTW, "heavy metal-leaden shit rock" was not a Xgau-ism, but rather from Metal Mike Saunders' November 1970 review of Humble Pie's As Safe As Yesterday Is. I was trying to get the actual article, but RS deleted it from their archives, possibly a deal with Rocksbackpages. It's historically significant as the VERY FIRST mention of "heavy metal" in print in the context of describing our music, and also Saunders' very first review for RS at the ripe age of 16. He next used the term in his review of Sir Lord Baltimore's Kingdom Come in CREEM where he described them as having possessing all the “heavy metal tricks in the book.”

I complained to them repeatedly about their ridiculously high prices and they said they make their money from academic subscriptions, so fuck off. Fair enough, they should milk it the last couple years as long as they're able to I guess. If anyone happens to have a subscription, we'd be much obliged to see the actual context for the quote!

http://www.rocksbackpages.com/Library/Article/humble-pie-town-and-country-as-safe-as-yesterday-is-humble-pie

Good job Kerr, and everyone who helped out..

I was the other vote for the Sofy Major EZ... I've always dug the post hardcore shit..

Stoked the Nails record placed so high

I had a good number of stuff that only I voted for.. interesting

Cheers everyone. I'm glad everyone enjoyed it

Jeff this is yours
"Carcass - Surgical Steel
Windhand - Soma
Blood Ceremony - the Eldritch Dark
Pinkish Black - Razed to the Ground
Kadavar - Abra Kadavar
In Solitude - Sister
Satan - Life Sentence
Germ - Grief
Coliseum - Sister Faith
Beyond - Fatal Power of Death
Power Trip - Manifest Decimation
Earthless - From the Ages
Gorguts - Colored Sands
Clutch - Earth Rocker
Mammoth Grinder - Underworlds
Tribulation - The Formulas of Death
Jucifer - The Russian Album
Purson - The Circle and the Blue Door
SubRosa - More Constant Than the Gods
Kylesa - Ultraviolet
Darkthrone - The Underground Resistance
The Ocean - Pelegial
Uncle Acid & the Deadbeats - Mind Control
Cathedral - the Last Spire
Summoning - Old Mornings Dawn
Voivod - Target Earth
Kvelertak - Meir
Satan's Wrath - Aeons of Satan's Reign
Inquisition - Obscure Verses for the Multiverse
Toxic Holocaust - Chemistry of Consciousness
Seremonia - Ihminen
Cult Of Fire - मृत्युकावीभत्सनृत्य
Obliteration - Black Death Horizon
Ghost - Infestissumam
Skeletonwitch - Serpents Unleashed
Amon Amarth - Deceiver of the Gods
Hell - Curse & Chapter
ASG - Blood Drive
Monster Magnet - Last Patrol
Yidhra - Hexed
Portal - Vexovoid
Vaura - The Missing
Rotting Christ - Kata Ton Daimona Eaytoy
Avatarium - Avatarium
White Wizzard - The Devil's Cut
Anciients - Heart Of Oak
Dark Tranquility - Construct
Church Of Misery - Thy Kingdom Scum
Amaranthe - the Nexus
Jeff Treppel & Ozzy Hamster Sings/Sqeaks - The Best of Nightwish"

Who is this Amaranthe Jeff always speaks of?

fastnbulbous provided these

Other metal albums on Pazz & Jop:

64 Black Sabbath - 13
69 Ka - The Night's Gambit
81 Kvelertak - Meir
98 Steven Wilson - The Raven That Refused to Sing (and Other Stories)
167 Russian Circles - Memorial
173 Inter Arma - Sky Burial
187 Fuzz - Fuzz
247 Agrimonia - Rites of Separation
247 Inquisition - Obscure Verses for the Multiverse
247 Oranssi Pazuzu - Valonielu
271 Skeletonwitch - Serpents Unleashed

I have no idea if seandalai has any stats to post (he usually does though)

approximation of my small ballot

stara rzeka - cien chmury nad ukrytym polem
acid mothers temple and the melting paraiso ufo - in search of the lost divine arc
pinkish black - razed to the ground
jute gyte - discontinuities
vaura - the missing
bardo pond - peace on venus
follakzoid - ii
sungod - contakt
melt-banana - fetch
queens of the stone age - like clockwork
shooting guns - brotherhood of the ram
ampacity - encounter one
hawkeyes - poison slows you down
red fang - whales and leeches
blood ceremony - the eldritch dark
tentacle - ingot eye
naam - vow
earthless - from the ages
uncle acid and the deadbeats - mind control
shooting guns - spectral laundromat
windhand - soma

good ballot imo

I shdve probably given ASG more of a chance tbh

nice one guys, lots of interesting-sounding records to check out here!

69 Ka - The Night's Gambit

ha, not a metal record, though I can see how someone would make that mistake.

Dunno it. fnb did the blurbs n stuff

I wish I had campaigned on a thread for the Beastmilk album cuz it would have got some ilxors into it who may have got it into the big poll. Made a thread on it - but votings closed haha
For fans of post-punk or goth or that 80s thang.... Beastmilk - Climax

That's a good list, AG.

I don't know if "mark e" will be checking into this thread again, but I meant to recommend, based on his interest in more occult rock types of metal, Zemial's Nykta. Lots of Mercyful Fate in its sound, and the vox sound more like Killing Joke than Cookie Monster. The spacey guitar parts are a nice bonus.
http://hellsheadbangers.bandcamp.com/album/nykta

will definitely give that a listen ..
ta for the pointer.

think i've checked this out before following a nudge somewhere ..

not too bad, but dont think i could handle a whole album !!

I probably should've mentioned the, uh, rather heavy Celtic Frost influence as well. Kind of a tense album.

you just sold me on it

ah, crud. I forgot to add that by zemial album to my list. there's a bit of absu in there too, which I dig. very enjoyable album.

forgot about deeds of flesh - portals to canaan as well, whoopso

ALBUMS BALLOT:

Carcass - Surgical Steel
ASG - Blood Drive
In Solitude - Sister
SubRosa - More Constant Than the Gods
Hell - Curse & Chapter
Uncle Acid & the Deadbeats - Mind Control
Avatarium - Avatarium
Windhand - Soma
Ghost - Infestissumam
Black Sabbath - 13
Gris - À l'âme enflammée, l'äme constellée...
Orchid - The Mouths Of Madness
Blood Ceremony - the Eldritch Dark
Purson - The Circle and the Blue Door
Gorguts - Colored Sands
Batillus- Concrete Stain
Falkenbach - Asa
Kvelertak - Meir
Kadavar - Abra Kadavar
Sahg - Delusions Of Grandeur
Deafheaven - Sunbather
Coliseum - Sister Faith
Altar of Plagues - Teethed Glory and Injury
Paysage d'Hiver - Das Tor
Magister Templi - Lucifer Leviathan Logos
Jesu - Everyday I Get Closer To The Light
Altaar - Altaar
Csejthe - Réminiscence
Coffins - The Fleshland
Devil - Gather The Sinners
Earthen Grave - Earthen Grave
Summoning - Old Mornings Dawn
Dream Death - Somnium Excessum
Darkthrone - The Underground Resistance
Shining - 8 1/2 Feberdrommar I Vaket Tillstan
Rotting Christ - Kata Ton Daimona Eaytoy
Toxic Holocaust - Chemistry Of Consciousness
Exhumed -Necrocracy
Space Witch - The Alchemy Paradox EP
Cathedral - The Last Spire
Age Of Taurus - Desperate Souls Of Tortured Times
Weekend Nachos - Still
Earthless - From the Ages
Autopsy - The Headless Ritual
Trouble - The Distortion Field
Jex Thoth - Blood Moon Rise
Anciients - Heart Of Oak
Fen - Dustwalker
Bardo Pond - Peace on Venus
Brainbombs - Disposal Of A Dead Body

TRACKS BALLOT:

Jess and the Ancient Ones - Astral Sabbat
ASG - Avalanche
Black Sabbath - God Is Dead?
Carcass - The Granulating Dark Satanic Mills
Noothgrush - Thoth
In Solitude - Sister
Ghost - Monstrance Clock
Purson - Well Spoiled Machine
Uncle Acid & The Deadbeats - Mind Control
Darkthrone - Leave No Cross Unturned