Fuck Brumpxit its the 2016 Metal and Hard N' Heavy Rock Poll Results Thread (With spotify and bandcamp links)

55 Lotus Thief - Gramarye 186 Points, 6 Votes
http://i.imgur.com/e12RK1Q.jpg
https://open.spotify.com/album/37aMZKvvzW36w3CZkn8SXd
spotify:album:37aMZKvvzW36w3CZkn8SXd
https://lotusthief.bandcamp.com/album/gramarye

Lotus Thief is a San Francisco band that merges post-black metal, space rock and ambient music, seamlessly blending the genres into a unique and greater musical whole. Originated by two members of celebrated "green metal" group Botanist - drummer Otrebor and multi-instrumentalist / composer Bezaelith - Lotus Thief is its own entity; a project with a stated purpose of "lauding knowledge and illuminating ancient words and art through song". Lotus Thief released its first album, "Rervm" in 2014 to strong fan and critical acclaim. The debut was hailed as "a splendid record" and "one that establishes Lotus Thief as a band to watch for the future".

Now, two years after the release of "Rervm", Lotus Thief presents its new album, "Gramarye", which significantly expands the themes defined on the band's debut.
Whereas "Rervm" set passages from Roman poet and philosopher Lucretius' "De Rerum Natura" to music and speaks to the science of learning, "Gramarye" explores yet another aspect of human knowledge: the realms of belief. The record's overarching theme is subsumed in its very title: the word "Gramarye" is a Middle English modification of a Middle French word meaning 'grammar book' or 'book of sorcery'.
"Gramarye" compiles five different antique source texts that span nearly two thousand years and five different civilizations, ranging from the ancient Egyptian funerary passage "The Book of the Dead", to Homer's "Odyssey" and the medieval "Merseburg Incantations" (one of the only pagan incantations still in existence in Old High German) through to the Aleister Crowley-penned early 20th century occult literature, "The Book Of Lies".

The lyrical depth that "Gramarye" possesses is mirrored in its music, which is more riffheavy, dynamic-laden and varied in both pace and mood than "Rervm", yet preserves and cements the trademark sound Lotus Thief has already achieved at this very early juncture of its career. During the writing sessions for the new record, the band promised "something entirely different and beautiful in its own new way" and with "Gramarye", Lotus Thief has delivered that guarantee tenfold.

Buy in our shop here:

en.prophecy.de/artists/lotus-thief
credits
released September 16, 2016

Bezaelith: bass, synth, guitar, vox
Iva Toric: synth, backing vox
Otrebor: drums
tags
tags: black metal metal ambient electronic dark ambient doom post-rock postrock psychedelic space rock spacerock San Francisco

TOO LOW

54 Ulcerate - Shrines Of Paralysis 187 Points, 5 Votes
http://i.imgur.com/Rdp3EAk.jpg
https://open.spotify.com/album/3F61xA8pQADnq1EHfM5vv8
spotify:album:3F61xA8pQADnq1EHfM5vv8

https://ulcerate.bandcamp.com/album/shrines-of-paralysis

TOO LOW

Wow I did not expect Lotus Thief to place

This Ulcerate may be my fave Tech Death record ever. If you're not into the genre, and / or it didn't make your ballot - I encourage a listen - really awesome drum and guitar work throughout. If there's another Tech Death record that gets a higher place than this one, I'm going to just be amazed.

53 Sabaton - The Last Stand 190 Points, 5 Votes
http://i.imgur.com/0wY0fDP.jpg
https://open.spotify.com/album/595sUNPxfUvsRpaX9Uw66e
spotify:album:595sUNPxfUvsRpaX9Uw66e

Cult of Luna/Julie Christmas was my #3, way too low, way lower than I expected. jeez

Boosting works folks. There's a lesson for you Tom!

I'm semi-firm in my commitment to take a linear/chronological route into Julie Christmas fandom, from Ruiner to Bad Wife to any sort of recent collaborations--sorry, TV

I had Cult of Luna at #6. Excellent stuff.

Lotus Thief isn't the Otrebor trio I voted for, but here goes

53 Skáphe - Skáphe² 195 Points, 6 Votes
http://i.imgur.com/Fj61G4m.jpg
https://skaphe.bandcamp.com/album/sk-phe-2

Tags: metal asphyxiating death metal Philadelphia

Ulcerate was my prediction for #16, oops.

wow, didn't expect Skaphe to place this high/at all. Clearly underestimated number of fucked up people on ILM

Its ok, I liked the other Otrebor trio much more though. Gramarye seemed almost like a cross between myrkur & Locrian's Infinite Dissolution

Re: imago

Xp hey! Skaphe!

Really enjoying the Lotus Thief so far!

Most of us had Ulcerate in there fastnbulbous, incl me...at #20.

Oh well there you go.

Skaphe is kind of diffuse-bordering-on-tuneless but it's pretty much the definition of "bad-trip" metal. My #7.

the ulcerate is a masterpiece probably

Actually, FOUR Mesarthim releases in 2016 now! Is The Great Filter any good?

― illbient microtonal poetry Surbiton (imago), Monday, December 19, 2016 9:57 AM (one hour ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

hell yeah it is

also glad sabaton placed even though i forgot to vote for it

oh yeah I listened to it since posting that, it's lovely xp

I probably have to give this Ulcerate album another try. I like them but it wasn't the right time for this music for me.

51 The Dillinger Escape Plan - Dissociation 196 Points, 6 Votes

http://i.imgur.com/fSGSdK5.jpg
https://open.spotify.com/album/52hA4AUoiCwTuXXuClt0SR
spotify:album:52hA4AUoiCwTuXXuClt0SR

every DEP album since Ire Works (which I maintain is their masterpiece) has been solid, this one is no exception

when I first heard this band, it was on Calculating Infinity, and then the EP with Mike Patton. Then, I didn't listen to them again until this album. Imagine my surprise.

I hope y'all got a chance to see them live at least once

I thought this was a rung up on most of their stuff, really good, voted

i have a couple of their old albums

http://i.imgur.com/YpMYyDk.jpg

Let's kick it off with a bang

50 Inquisition - Bloodshed Across the Empyrean Altar Beyond the Celestial Zenith 198 Points, 7 Votes
http://i.imgur.com/GNX5QsE.jpg
https://open.spotify.com/album/3nq6cJN3g6vTbBm57ql5sx
spotify:album:3nq6cJN3g6vTbBm57ql5sx
https://inquisitionbm.bandcamp.com/album/bloodshed-across-the-empyrean-altar-beyond-the-celestial-zenith

Ooh, I liked this! Not enough to vote for it but certainly enough to inspire future listens. One of Jute Gyte's favourite metal bands, fact fans

I loved this album, although I didn't hear it until a few weeks ago. It was my #6, although I didn't really think it would do all that well here.

i don't listen to these guys for reasons but they really knocked that album title out of the park

yeah, the title is all-time

are they assholes? I like to keep track of who the assholes are (incidentally, Nails are said to be assholes but I have yet to encounter the actual reason) xp

I've never been able to get into Inquisition. A lot of the riffs are good, the odd vox are pretty fitting, the production usually works, but it just seems like they use the same formula over and over. It's like ... LEGO songwriting or something.

controversy followed them for a bit when it was reported that they were nazi sympathizers and racists. they aren't, but the particular way in which they phrased their denial bugged the hell out of me and still does

Nails being assholes would be the literal non-shock of the year

the particular way in which they phrased their denial bugged the hell out of me and still does

ugh yeah this is so often the thing, bands are SO bad at shedding this stuff, to the point where it seems deliberate (and surely sometimes is)

new nokturnal mortum out soon folks!

49 Blues Pills - Lady In Gold 200 Points, 4 Votes, One #1
http://i.imgur.com/miD7Igk.jpg
https://open.spotify.com/album/5GesYfGXuFg6D7my26u8ZO
spotify:album:5GesYfGXuFg6D7my26u8ZO

I would have lol'd if Bolzer placed now

or Destroyer 666

Nails being assholes would be the literal non-shock of the year

Pretty assholish to go through 44 women, with only two lines for each.

Inquisition are not a band I really care about, but I do enjoy Abbath-style vocals.

blues pill merely seem like randy assholes

I loved the first Blues Pills album but couldn't get into this one. Also, how did this non-metal band get past the censors