2019 Metal ’n’ Heavy Rock/Heavy Music Poll: RESULTS - Top 100 Countdown

60

Jorge Elbrecht - Coral Cross - 002

148 points, 4 votes

https://f4.bcbits.com/img/a2133859732_16.jpg

https://open.spotify.com/album/6XfEYvvD70mYzParaH4VpY

https://jorgeelbrecht.bandcamp.com/album/coral-cross-002

https://www.albumoftheyear.org/user/pipepanic/album/145597-coral-cross-002/

Talk about a punch in the face...

This album caught me the fuck by surprise, and I do mean literally. I found this while talking to a friend on Discord, (burying yourself in Bandcamp leads to odd places my friends) and out of pure boredom I gave it a listen. The second I opened this album, I was greeted with a luscious and gorgeous arrangement of old synthesizers that made me feel like I was in a bootlegged copy of The Dark Crystal. It was comforting, and washed over me as if I was falling into a nice sleep...and then the blast beats came in. And then the guitars. And oh boy did I nut.

(I already regret excerpting this user review.- pom)

Lol

I voted for this low down. Some great stuff there

and ive already had to put a mod request in ffs. Its not my week

at least i didn't accidentally paste the entire results

Discovered after I sent in my ballot (thanks to D.A.M. iirc?), and it's just perfect.

thank you 'mod'

59 Ghost - Seven Inches of Satanic Panic - 150 points, 4 votes

https://www.metalsucks.net/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/Ghost-Seven-Inches-of-Satanic-Panic.jpg

https://open.spotify.com/album/6eOWfFjfBPRsAW0ZS4sbaF

http://cu-sentry.com/2019/10/09/ghost-seven-inches-of-satanic-panic-album-review/

In conjunction with a new chapter of their ongoing webisode series, Ghost “re-released” an EP titled, Seven Inches of Satanic Panic. Regarding the fictionalized lore and ongoing story of the band, the webisode established that the two tracks, “Kiss the Go-Goat” and “Mary on a Cross,” were recorded in the 60s by the band’s original front man, Papa Nihil. The psychedelic rock sound captured in these two musical masterpieces makes it feel like this EP is indeed a portal into an alternative past.

The first track, “Kiss the Go-Goat” follows the story of a young woman falling in love with the devil and being encouraged to kiss the goat, a possible reference to Baphomet, who is a deity often related to Satanism that is depicted to have a human body and a goat head. The transition in tone and beat between the ominous chanting of, “Satan / Lucifer / Osculum obscenum (Translation: dark kiss)” at the end of the chorus into the upbeat and funk infused refrain that follows makes the song an instant earworm that will take up residence in the brain for days. If the essence of the Satanic Panic craze was harnessed into a song it would be “Kiss the Go-Goat.”

The 1st 7" single to have made metal poll?

Isn't Jorge Elbrecht the guy from Lansing Dreiden? Admittedly I haven't been keeping up with him, but listening now, this definitely isn't where I would have guessed his musical journey was taking him.
Also, this is awesome.

I have to be honest and say I've never heard of him

xp Yeah that's him. He's also done some lo-fi schmaltzy stuff with Ariel Pink. This was my first brush with his metal stuff, too.

Lmao that Ghost still managed to make an appearance.

58

Haunter - Sacramental Death Qualia

155 points, 4 votes

https://f4.bcbits.com/img/a0171429123_16.jpg

https://open.spotify.com/album/4xJ94ryMPNuPEXav3SBYiY

https://i-voidhangerrecords.bandcamp.com/album/sacramental-death-qualia-3

https://toiletovhell.com/review-haunter-sacramental-death-qualia/

The Texas trio quartet complete their transformation from black to death.

Rumor has it that 2019 has been a bang-up year for death metal. Well, now you can throw all the other death metal released this year straight into the trash, because Haunter‘s second full-length album, Sacramental Death Qualia, is all you need. It is a mountain of intelligent riffage and refined atmosphere, at once expansive and immediate.

Just a few years ago, if you told me that this young band was going to go on to write one of the best death metal albums of some future year, I would have scratched my head and arched a skeptical brow at you. Why? Because their previous effort, 2016’s Thrinodía, was a staggering work of black metal genius. I praised it when it came out, and it continues to get better every time I throw it on. I would have adored it if the band had continued down that path, away from simplistic hardcore/screamo-infused black metal and into Stygian realms of twisting melancholia and raging hopelessness. Alas, Thrinodía would put a nail (for now, at least) in Haunter’s pursuit of black metal perfection. On subsequent splits with Black Vice and Sovereign released back-to-back in 2017, they would tease a staggering leap in style and maturity, pivoting about 33º into dissonant death metal territory. The miraculous thing about the shift is that they were able to execute it without simply jumping tracks; they retained so much of the thick atmospherics (and cacophonous production) of Thrinodía while thickening out with a bottom-heavy sound, more muscular riffs, and of course—dissonance galore. The transition was so smooth, with such delightful results, that I didn’t bother to mourn for their black metal side much.

Yet another death metal album. Not heard of them either.

I like how the angle of pivoting is so specific

I probably had this highest of anyone. It's fucking great. It's up to a lot.

The 1st 7" single to have made metal poll?
― Oor Neechy
Aw man, does this mean the Goatpenis 7” I nominated didn’t make it?

Maybe that's the second!

57

Slipknot - We Are Not Your Kind

157 points, 5 votes

https://i4.cdn.hhv.de/catalog/shop_detail_zoom/00658/658099.jpg

https://open.spotify.com/album/754RY5WpZ2LTUZsk8kDBju

https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/slipknot-we-are-not-your-kind/

Slipknot have no shortage of rallying cries, but nothing defines them quite like when lead singer Corey Taylor yells, “I’m all fucked up and I make it look good” on their sixth album, We Are Not Your Kind. They’ve made anguish look appealing throughout their two-decade career, finding worldwide success channeling unwieldy, messy anger. Though this is the first record without long-time percussionist Chris Fehn, it’s not as dramatic of a shift in personnel as 2014’s .5: The Gray Chapter, which was marked by the death of bassist and founding member Paul Gray and the departure of powerhouse drummer Joey Jordison. For better or for worse, Kind is a Slipknot record, one that has more to offer than expected and is still sometimes frustratingly short-sighted.

“Unsainted” is their signature angst-pop-rock in the vein of their hits “Wait and Bleed” and “Duality,” centered around Taylor’s melodic choruses. He’s aided by a choir, turning it into a reboot of the Rolling Stones’ “You Can’t Always Get What You Want” fueled by Midwest desolation. Its richness, part of Kind’s more detailed production, doesn’t dilute the angst Slipknot traffic in. “Birth of the Cruel” draws upon tension from industrial drum banging and tense guitar; the song’s explosion proves that they haven’t lost their unifying malaise. Though hampered by Taylor’s awkward spoken-word intro, “Solway Firth” takes that energy even further on perhaps the most intense track of their career.

It’s part of the secret of their success from early on: Longtime guitarists Mick Thomson and Jim Root distilled underground death and black metal for suburban kids sacrificing their allowances to Sam Goody and too young for tape trading and MTV’s“Headbangers’ Ball,” forgoing intricacy for gut-bashing immediacy. (Listen to their self-titled record again if it’s been a while: You’ll pick up bits and pieces of Obituary, Morbid Angel, even a little Cradle of Filth.) They’re not the heretics that underground metal dudes (or even the band themselves) claim to be, they just made the underground more palatable. “Orphan”’s speed, fueled in part by drummer Jay Weinberg’s (son of Bruce Springsteen drummer Max) relentless bashing, alone should nip any metal G checks in the bud—they’re capable of totally unloading. Besides, Thomson has an Immolation tattoo, are you really gonna call him a poser?

this was the year I learned to accept that I heart slipknot

Haunter was my #11. I try to listen to everything I, Voiidhanger puts out and this was easily my favorite thing they put out this year.

56

Teitanblood - The Baneful Choir

157 points, 6 votes

https://f4.bcbits.com/img/a3289760142_10.jpg

https://open.spotify.com/album/3fnVblFUmeyU47j5hUNEh4

https://teitanblood.bandcamp.com/album/the-baneful-choir

https://www.indymetalvault.com/2019/11/01/album-review-teitanblood-the-baneful-choir/

Spain’s terrifying Teitanblood have been unleashing their unique fusion of death and black metal on the planet for 16 years now, with only two albums and a few EP’s under their belt. That said, the intensity of the material on these few releases has been so high that I don’t think anyone could handle more than that (although there are a few of us that wouldn’t mind trying). If ever there was a band that had captured the sound and atmosphere of what we can only imagine being the very depths of hell, it’s these guys, and they are not for the uninitiated.

The Baneful Choir is their third full-length album (confirming the rumor that they are ritually releasing their albums every five years, for whatever reason), and one that continues the vile path that they have been traveling. Besides a cacophony of incredibly unsettling bells, horns, marching calls, and the roar of demons, the ambiance is highly claustrophobic and immediately unnerving. As mentioned, this is the soundtrack to everyday life in the seventh ring of Hades, so much so that the listener can almost feel the prickling of flame against flesh and visualize the hot blasting furnaces eager for souls and laughter.

There’s very little in the way of song structure, each of the 11 tracks an exercise in dissonance and pure aggression. This is unbelievably standard for Teitanblood, but it never ceases to rip your ears clean from your skull and remind you that these guys are working on a very different level altogether. The riffs tear away at every available nook and cranny, the blasting drums and enormous bass eat away from the bottom up, and NSK’s vocals are truly a demonic and otherworldly experience. The one word that keeps popping up when explaining both this release and the band itself is “nightmare.” They have tapped into a dark channel of the human experience and found the most horrific and unnatural sound possible, something that can only be properly ingested through high volume, good headphones, and the time to take it all in. This is darkness, pure and simple.

describing a band as "terrifying" generally a pretty good way to make my eyes roll tbh

Enjoying cacthing up with a few things - albeit it's a bit overwhelming. Enjoyed Nightfell and goddamn if Slipknot don't sound like Gorefest (on Solway Firth, at least).

55

Disentomb - The Decaying Light

160 points, 6 voters

https://f4.bcbits.com/img/a3761919367_16.jpg

https://open.spotify.com/album/2hOBcgLluNhYCBN71yx1Kr

https://uniqueleaderrecords.bandcamp.com/album/the-decaying-light

https://www.angrymetalguy.com/disentomb-the-decaying-light-review/

The mounting pressure that comes with the weight of expectation an artist faces after establishing success and credibility in the metal scene must be daunting. Some are probably content to roll with the punches and block out distractions, while others inevitably feel the pressure bearing down upon them. I’m not sure which camp Australia’s Disentomb falls into, but regardless, following up the acclaimed beast of riffy brutal death on their 2014 album Misery was always going to be a difficult assignment, especially with increased anticipation following an extended period between albums. The long awaited The Decaying Light was certainly high up on my shortlist of anticipated death metal albums in 2019. So with eager enthusiasm and trepidation, I dove headlong into the pummeling sounds of Disentomb‘s latest endeavor.

Right off the bat, I’ll confess The Decaying Light left me feeling slightly underwhelmed on initial listens. The songs and riffs didn’t hit me with the forceful and memorable immediacy of Misery and the more refined, polished delivery smoothed out some of the edgy tones and underground grit that made its predecessor such an endearing modern gem of brutal death. Gradually, the menacing melodies and seismic force began to make its presence known, revealing a band that has matured and refined their sound into a dense, technical, and pummeling machine, featuring a more measured and controlled handle of their bludgeoning tools. The addition of bassist Adrian Cappeletti brings an impressive layer to the Disentomb repertoire and his overall performance and showstopping basslines are constant standouts. Less gut-wrenching and more insidious in the way the songs seep into the brain, The Decaying Light is still a triumphant display of technically proficient yet pleasingly heavy death that employs a grinding, tank-like mode of destruction, relying more on measured brute force over hyper-speed intensity, though it’s not short on the blasting aggression or energized tempos either.

I couldn't get into this one for some reason but I know it has some extreme fans itt

anyway I'm glad someone painted the Large Sad Man a snack. maybe he'll feel better now.

Can't contribute as much as I'd like today but both the Haunter and the Disentomb are solid slabs of blackened death and old school death, respectively. I commend Teitanblood on their ambition, but sadly 'twas not enough to make a believer out of me.

Don't worry, pomenitul will be back for his turn tomorrow

slipknot and disentomb way tooo low. nos. 3 and 4 respectively on my ballot

ts: large sad man vs. tortilla man

Large Sad Tortilla Man

"large sad tortilla man" is my favorite xiu xiu song (xp!!)

54

Ossuaire - Derniers chants

161 points, 4 votes

https://f4.bcbits.com/img/a3480842895_10.jpg

https://ossuaire.bandcamp.com/album/derniers-chants

https://nattskog.wordpress.com/2019/10/06/album-review-ossuaire-derniers-chants/

Only six months have passed since OSSUAIRE stormed into the Canadian Black Metal scene with their debut album and they already have its follow-up. With Canada having some of the best Black Metal such as classics Forteresse and Monarque and in more recent years Spectral Wound and Nocturnal Departure, this should be rivetingly atmospheric. Out via Sepulchral Productions on October 15th.

Snarling guitars draw in haunting atmospherics over blasting drum assaults and accompanied by the howled screams that one expects from this type of Black Metal. While wholly gorgeous in terms of atmosphere, there is a dissonant edge to the music that adds an uncomfortable tinge to the flame of truly masterful Black Metal destruction. The blend of raw classic Black Metal that has the traditionally bombastic and aggressive assaults meets some fundamentally stunning atmospherics that certainly have the Canadian soul imprinted on them, making for some of the most beautifully chilling extremities that can be heard. Gruesomely dark with a morbid spark to the violence that is captivating amidst the more ear-pleasing ambience, there is so much brooding contempt within this release when you scratch below the surface, something that should be at the heart of all Black Metal, but in this case is nuanced so stunningly. Ripping through malevolence and disturbingly cold musicianship, the profoundly primitive yet well-played instrumentals and vocals blend into a wall of cutting soundscapes that will certainly envelope any fan of Black Metal, which it certainly does brilliantly and thankfully has excellent music to back up the atmosphere, rather than being a vapid and pointlessly pretty record, Ossuaire have all the violence and piercing hatred as a driving force behind this unholy art. Aside from a barrage of vicious blasting drums and tremolo guitar madness, there is also some gorgeously melancholic sounds such as the third piece, which delivers an introspective and devastatingly dark mournfulness, breaking up the destruction for tension to build and with utmost effectiveness. Obliteration continues with full force and this album keeps you on your toes throughout with bitter disdain and unsettling beauty in ultimate tandem. The last two songs bring in a medieval sounding epic that is gorgeously cinematic but no less haunting nor ferocious than the leading up to this point, following an interlude of magnificence and mellowness, these ending pieces close the album in style. Truly a masterpiece of Canadian Black Metal that stands tall with some of the genres greatest acts, magnificent.

Listened to this while aying a board game last week and chucked it onto my ballot as it suited playing a board game really well. Score one to pomenitul's campaigning

yet another black metal album

Playing, even

Montreal reprezzzzzzzent.

Nor do they appear to be fascists as far as I can tell, so that's always a plus!

looks interesting

Not the highest Canadian BM on my ballot, mind

purchased on bandcamp

albums about the downfall of the church just hit a little different when they come from QC

The City of a Hundred Falling Steeples.

53

Crypt Sermon - The Ruins of Fading Light

162 points, 5 votes

https://f4.bcbits.com/img/a1033112474_16.jpg

https://open.spotify.com/album/4aoflNFxmOl42MD6tq6WSc

https://darkdescentrecords.bandcamp.com/album/the-ruins-of-fading-light

https://www.angrymetalguy.com/crypt-sermon-the-ruins-of-fading-light-review/

Crypt Sermon came out of nowhere with their 2015 Out of the Garden debut, stunning metaldom with an unusually mature take on doom in the Candlemass vein. The high level of songwriting and top-notch performances earned them a lot of attention in a hurry, and before the band knew it, they were an overnight doom sensation, getting asked to play numerous festivals and having their name mentioned in the same breath as more established doom acts. 2019 brings them to the crucible of the dreaded sophomore release, which has made and unmade many a band over the years. In their promo materials, the band candidly admits to being overwhelmed by the success their debut garnered, and that finding time to work on new material given all their newfound time commitments became a real challenge. So much so that they apparently wrote and discarded an entire album’s worth of material before settling on what appears here on The Ruins of the Fading Light. So what does the 2019 version of Crypt Sermon sound like? It’s basically the same sound, but darker and with outside elements like black metal making brief, shadowy appearances. At times there’s a noticeable similarity to a certain group of nameless ghouls as well. It carries over some of the debut’s brilliance, but shows some unsightly warts too. In other words, it’s a mixed Halloween bag of tricks, treats, Ghosts and ghouls.

Haven't heard their debut but I thought this was pretty good, no more and no less (I didn't vote for it).

same

52

Fly Pan Am - C'est ça

164 points, 4 votes

https://f4.bcbits.com/img/a2782215947_16.jpg

https://open.spotify.com/album/5OA5TxrmSg2EOlNFYLvpJ1

https://flypanam.bandcamp.com/album/cest-a

http://exclaim.ca/music/article/fly_pan_am-cest_a

On their first album in 15 years, Fly Pan Am return wiser and more established by coming off wilder and less structured. Once known as an offshoot of Godspeed You! Black Emperor (due to guitarist Roger Tellier-Craig's stint with the band in the early '00s), the quartet run the genre gamut on their fourth LP, C'est ça, mixing and moulding together an amazing blend of influences to craft something sonically otherworldly.

Reforming in 2017 to play a single show in their hometown of Montreal, the quartet communally mashed together a decade of musical education indiscreetly, as the LP finds the band weaving squiggly electronic freak-outs ("Avant-gardez vous," "Alienage Syntropy"), shoegaze-y walls of sound ("Distance Dealer," "Discreet Channeling"), black metal vocals ("Bleeding Decay," "One Hit Wonder"), and all of the above ("Each Ether") into a satisfying whole.

Over nine tracks and 40 minutes, the quartet wonderfully mess with sonics, timing, rhythm and their own legacy. But what makes C'est ça such a triumphant return for the band lies in just how damn listenable Fly Pan Am make it all come off, giving fans something much more adventurous and challenging than simple nostalgia would ever allow.

I voted for this

My #16