Rolling Metal 2011 Sandbox Version

Time to play in the kindergarten sandbox

listened to Ufesas today. was all right.

The new Esoteric album is really good. Yet another band who never lets one down.

hello kerr

How's the new Vektor?

Decibel 2010 list is out, just got my issue last night. Don't have it in front of me to transcribe, but I'm sure it'll be out on the net soon. Interesting list all-around, most intrigued by stuff in the lower half. I can give out the top 5 if people are curious, those are the only ones I remember off-hand. Surprisingly high placement for Opeth.

Uh, duh, 2011 list I mean, obvs.

Actually, here it is:

1. Tombs - Path of Totality
2. Opeth- Heritage
3. Mastodon - The Hunter
4. In Solitude - The World. The Flesh. The Devil.
5. Brutal Truth- End Time
6. Hate Eternal - Phoenix Amongst the Ashes
7. YOB - Atma
8. 40 Watt Sun - The Inside Room
9. Inquisition - Ominous Doctrines of the Perpetual.......
10. Junius - Reports From The Threshold of Death
11. Graveyard - Hisingen Blues
12. Primordial - Redemption at the Puritan's Hand
13. Exhumed - All Guts, No glory
14. False - False
15. Autopsy - Macabre Eternal
16. Revocation - Chaos of Forms
17. Trap Them - Darker Handcraft
18. Obscura - Omnivium
19. Drugs of Faith - Corroded
20. Subrosa - No Help for the Mighty Ones
21. Ulcerate - The Destroyers of All
22. Fucked Up - David Comes to Life
23. Atriarch - Forever the End
24. Disma - Towards the Megalith
25. Moab - Ab Ovo
26. Gridlink - Orphan
27. Skeletonwitch - Forever Abomination
28. Vallenfyre - A Fragile King
29. Crowbar - Sever the Wicked Hand
30. Mournful Congregation - The Book of Kings
31. Machine Head - Unto the Locust
32. ABSU - Abzu
33. Negative Plane - Stained Glass Revelations
34. Origin - Entity
35. Darkest Era - The Last Caress of Light
36. Deafheaven - Roads to Judah
37. Hammers of Misfortune - 17th Street
38. Krallice - Diotima
39. Rwake - Rest
40. Graf Orlock - Doom Box

I'm planning to write up more thoughts on this later, but Opeth way too fucking high and the lack of Atlas Moth is a glaring omission imho. I also think Brutal Truth is too high, but I'm not much of a grind guy so I'm not going to get too up in arms over it.

The Opeth record isn't really metal but it's damn good. Maybe not second best record of the year, but I understand the consensus placing it highly.

What's going to be most fun out of all the EOY metal lists is seeing all the different #1 albums. There was no "consensus" critical pick this year, so it's totally wide open.

But yeah, Decibel leaving out the Atlas Moth wasn't good. It had my top 10 vote.

hey aldo

http://www2.indianagazette.com/art/Kerr%20logo%20Burgundy.jpg

Any idea how long til ilx is back properly? Because if you guys want a metal eoy poll we really need to start noms. I dont know if Glenn will be available this year due to work commitments (i need to talk to him) but if noone wants a poll then i needn't bother him. but if glenn cant do it then its not something i can do. I need him to set up the needle software tables n stuff.

But if real ilx doesnt come back and people dont show up here we would be lucky to get 10 ballots.

The Opeth record isn't really metal but it's damn good.

Man, I don't know. Its certainly isn't metal, but I'm not really feeling this and I'm a HUGE defender of the direction they've on the last two records. This one is just too subdued throughout, I keep hoping they'll launch into something a little more, I don't know, "heavy" - for lack of a better word. I feel like the tone is a little too samey throughout. Don't get me wrong, I really like it, but I certainly can't see myself listening to it even half as much as Watershed or Ghost Reveries.

The new Esoteric album is really good.

Yeah, it is - wondering why it hasn't been getting list love.

I love the Opeth record, but to be honest I now have a hard time separating the live experience from the record in my head. Live, the songs from Heritage were heavier, louder, and more intense. Regardless, it quickly became my favorite Opeth record, even before seeing them perform so many cuts from it.

The new Esoteric album is really good.

Yeah, it is - wondering why it hasn't been getting list love.

yeah, these guys rule.

that said, I do miss the murkier sound of the earlier stuff. gave things a nice and weird psych edge.

I know Adrien is on record as not liking it much, but I'm digging the Svölk album J3ff pointed out to me. It's inconsistent, but the somewhat Danzig-esque vocals and chugging stoner riffs give them a few stand-out tracks.

Pitchfork's top metal albums fyi:

http://pitchfork.com/features/show-no-mercy/8717-best-albums-of-2011/

like that one, actually. lots of good stuff on there and I can't argue with what I've heard from the top 10... except those blut aus nord albums are pretty dull. and this is coming from someone that still plays memoria vetusta II every week or two.

didn't realize there was this much buzz for the tombs album. didn't think the first one was too hot.

Surprised at the Graf Orlock album making it onto the Decibel list. Also intrigued to see Trap Them on it, when Fontanelle by Great Falls was the best record with a member of that band on it this year imo.

The Graf Orlock is far and away my favourite grindcore release of the year.

Oh yeah, it's a great record but I'm kind of surprised at it getting big attention for anything other than the packaging.

Actually, I might have thought the Indian record might have made the Decibel list also. I played the hell out of that.

Listening to Tombs now. Don't think this wouldn't have made my list even if I had heard it before I wrote it up, so I guess that makes me feel better about that. I don't know, dirty post-black metal and agonizing doom metal just don't do it for me nearly as much as they appear to do it for my fellow scribes.

On a more positive note, the new Lacuna Coil is not nearly as terrible as I was expecting. They still have the ill-conceived crunchy riffs, but at least the songs are memorable and they've made strides back towards interesting musicianship.

Thanks for the Svölk tip J3ff! They're fun.

And I'm with you on Tombs. Don't get it.

So shall we do an EOY poll then? Glenn doesn't work with the same co anymore and has no access to the database however he's going to try work something out with them , will you all participate?

I'll totally participate if one is run.

dj mencap?

The new Nightwish is shockingly good. Totally over the top but very cohesive and fun. This is the first time they've been able to keep an album from flying off the rails since Wishmaster. In fact I'd even say this is the best symphonic metal album I've heard since Therion's Lemuria/Sirius B.

I'm understandably skeptical, but I will be totally psyched if you're right!

I will obviously participate in the poll, but I reserve the right to bitch about it when Uncle Acid and the Deadbeats wins.

Also, it's not exactly that I don't get Tombs – I get it. It's just not something I'm going to ever feel like listening to.

it's that good. Thinking-of-tacking-it-on-my-EOY-list good. I can't believe it myself.

Uncle Acid needs a girl singer so badly. But then they'd be Aunt Acid. Which would be hard to stomach.

groooooaaaaaan

i larfed!

if there is a list of things to choose from, i will vote, but otherwise i don't really have much to offer as a voter
pass the tums

Just ask metal kid what to vote for.

pretty sure nobody is actually going to listen to this (prove me wrong, people!!)... but man, y'all should really listen to the new bastard noise album 'SKULLDOZER.' these new lineups with eric wood back on bass hit a hc/power violence/sludge/noise sweet spot for me like nothing else.

add prog to that sweet spot too btw

I like Decibel, but the only thing on that top 40 that I'm even vaguely considering for mine is Deafheaven at #36. Brandon's list has a couple more things I like in the lower reaches, and then to my surprise I like his #1. This is going to be another hard list-making year of me, I fear. And nobody come anywhere near me with that Nightwish album until January.

loling hard at grace perry subtlety dissing opeth and then saying that the middle of some opeth song reminds her of the mad men theme in the decibel call & response column (grace perry otm imho)

Quick digression: Jimmy, the Windhand album you were playing in outloud is totally dope. Awesome stoner album, reminds me of everything I like about Weedeater, Wooden Shjips, and Uncle Acid all rolled together. Thanks!

pretty sure nobody is actually going to listen to this (prove me wrong, people!!)... but man, y'all should really listen to the new bastard noise album 'SKULLDOZER.'

I may actually listen to this.

right on. it rules!

How's the new Vektor?

― Simon H., Tuesday, November 29, 2011 5:13 AM (2 days ago) Bookmark Permalink

on my first listen but v strong so far

bear in mind that I've never heard black future but I will definitely be remedying that sometime soon after hearing outer isolation. both on spotify too.

YOB. Why aren't more people in the world in general listening to Yob? I'm listening to YOB right now. Eating a crumpet. It's great.

Obake should be on publications' EOY lists. Members of Zu. Sounds like a weird Mike Patton project gone right.

I just did a quick questionaire with Uncle Acid... He doesn't take LSD... Next thing you know, it'll turn out that's not even his real name.

how's his stomach?

Pepto-bismol sorted it out.

Pepto-Abysmal more like.

Uncle Acid V. Chalk The Slayer

Catching up on some 2011 metal releases that have slipped by me:

Graveyard - Hisingen Blues I didn't really think I needed an album like this in my life in 2011, but I find myself really having fun with this. You hear a lot about bands channeling Zep and Purp, but nobody else has done it this well in last 15 years.

In Solitude - The World, The Flesh, The Devil Another fun retro throwback, but I don't think it really holds up as well for as Ghost did last year. Fun album, but I'll admit to being puzzled at the super high placement on year-end lists.

Autopsy - Macabre Eternal This is so great and I really need to spend more time with it to gauge just much I love it. Could see this ending up my favorite death metal album of the year.

40 Watt Sun - The Inside Room I want to file this one under emo-NeurIsis, but that might make it sound like I like this a lot less than I do. Really one-note in terms of mood, a sort of melancholic loneliness, but these guys absolutely nail it. I can see why this wouldn't be up some people's alley, but its impressive how well these guys manage to nail the vibe they are chasing.

http://cache1.bigcartel.com/product_images/48579429/_217_Burzum_Cover_LORES.jpg

This month, Burzum frontman Varg Vikernes gives us his most controversial interview yet, talking about SS helmets, why you should listen to Burzum records in bed, rerecording his first two albums and why we're (apparently) all racists.

Dude needs to take some new press pics.

The interview isn't very good. By controversial they mean, they asked him cotton wool soft questions by email and didn't follow up on any of the hundreds of stupid things he said.

Dude needs to take some new press pics.

That was my first thought too.

The interview isn't very good. By controversial they mean, they asked him cotton wool soft questions by email and didn't follow up on any of the hundreds of stupid things he said.

How much confrontation do you think he would actually deal with, though? He'd either spin out an epic line of bullshit along the same lines or end the conversation and blame it on international jewry.

Well none, whatsoever, but I'd suggest that if the only way you can get Vikernes for your magazine is in an email conversation via a 'soft' / 'sympathetic' journalist, then you should turn down the offer until something more suitable turns up.

You really might as well just print a manifesto or statement by him. (I'm not in favour of NOT covering Burzum by the way, it's just that doing his PR for him shouldn't be the job of any self-respecting writer.)

Terrorizer have run a face to face interview with him since his release.

I'm not usually into really technical prog metal but this Animals As Leaders album Weightless is amazing. Riff and hook heavy, it's like an instrumental combination of King Crimson, Meshuggah, Pink Floyd and Deftones.

It is pretty good! I love aero's (at least I think it was him) complimentary description of a bunch of Guitar Center nerds geeking out.

The 2011 NOMINATIONS THREAD FOR ILM METAL EOY POLL©

Both guitarists in Animals As Leaders have eight string guitars! That's like having amps that go up to 12...

I wonder if there'll be a Chapman Stick solo on the next album.

Joining in on the year-end list fun, my full top 50's up today at MSN:

http://social.entertainment.msn.com/music/blogs/headbang-blogpost.aspx?post=7b810f28-aaf7-4e39-8e8b-1ebd74700d8e

That's been a great list to follow Adrien, lots of stuff I hadn't heard yet!

But kinda lol at the comment calling you out for now including Black Dahlia Murder.

Love it, the timing of that comment (after hours upon hours of blurbing this week) was perfect. I facepalmed.

Though if Phil was still there he'd probably have put BDM on his list...

Nicely done Adrien!

http://www.nuclearblast.de/en/label/music/news/details/622671.doro-merry-metal-x-mas-out-now.html

Aw, metal kid just finished his final. Fastest 16 weeks ever. Adios, metal kid.

WOW at your classy readership adrien :)

also lol at the dimebag comment

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_b4s0eO8f59s/TQK3qBCfPZI/AAAAAAAAC08/dmOn9gT9e-8/s1600/DImebag.jpg

hahaha

I am going to spam the sandbox with links to my blog! This week's entry should be no surprise to people who have been in the outloud room with me and know my penchant for metal from the far east: http://www.decibelmagazine.com/featured/the-lazarus-pit-gonin-ishs-naishikyo-sekai/

its true, he loves Cosplay/Furry Metal

gonin-ish sound pretty awesome

For those who don't read that big list thread

Kerrang Top 101 albums of 2011

101 Black Veil Brides - Set The World On Fire
100 Rise To Remain - City Of Vultures
99 The Treatment - This Might Hurt
98 Dropkick Murphys - Going Out In Style
97 Young Legionnaire - Crisis Works
96 RAMESSES - Possessed By The Rise Of Magik
95 Loutallica - Lulu
94 Cave In - White Silence
93 Bastions - Hospital Corners
92 All Time Low - Dirty Work
91 Death Cab For Cutie - Codes And Keys
90 The Subways - Money And Celebrity
89 Scale The Summit - The Collective
88 Trivium - In Waves
87 Iceage - New Brigade
86 OPETH - Heritage
85 Asking Alexandria - Reckless & Relentless
84 Arbouretum - The Gathering
83 Yellowcard - When You're Through Thinking Say Yes
82 This Is Hell - Black Mass
81 Red Hot Chili Peppers - I'm With You
80 Mogwai - Hardcore Will Never Die, But You Will
79 Mike Patton - The Solitude Of Prime Numbers
78 Kids In Glass Houses - In Gold Blood
77 I Am The Avalanche - Avalanche United
76 Goes Cube - In Tides And Drifts
75 OFF! - First Four EP's
74 The Icarus Line - Wildlife
73 Rival Sons - Pressure And Time
72 Retox - Ugly Animals
71 Procession - Destroyers Of The Faith
70 My Ruin - A Southern Revelation
69 FEN - EPOCH
68 Animals As Leaders - Weightless
67 ALTAR OF PLAGUES - MAMMAL
66 The Blackout - hope
65 unearth - Darkness In The Light
64 Sucioperro - The Heart String And How To Pull It
63 IN SOLITUDE - THE WORLD, THE FLESH, THE DEVIL
62 SKELETONWITCH - Forever Abomination
61 Chuck Ragan - Covering Ground
60 Times Of Grace - Hymn Of A Broken Man
59 Black Spiders - Sons Of The North
58 Thursday - No Devolucion
57 *Shels - Plains Of The Purple Buffalo
56 The Black Keys - El Camino
55 We Are The Ocean - Go Now And Live
54 Slaves To Gravity - Underwater Outerspace
53 PRIMORDIAL - REDEMPTION AT THE PURITANS HAND
52 Funeral For A Friend - Welcome Home Armageddon
51 EARTH - ANGELS OF DARKNESS, DEMONS OF LIGHT 1
50 Heights - Dead Ends
49 Bury Your Dead - Mosh N' Roll
48 Deaf Havana - Fools And Worthless Liars
47 BLOOD CEREMONY - LIVING WITH THE ANCIENTS
46 The Swellers - Good For Me
45 Social Distortion - Hard Times And Nursery Rhymes
44 The Computers - This Is The Computers
43 HELL - HUMAN REMAINS
42 Japanese Voyeurs - Yolk
41 The Answer - Revival
40 Rival Schools - Pedals
39 Blink-182 - Neighborhoods
38 Tellison - The Wages Of Fear
37 Hyro Da Hero - Birth, School,Work,Death
36 Cerebral Ballzy - S/t
35 Exit Ten - Give Me Infinity
34 Evile - Five Serpent's Teeth
33 J Mascis - Several Shades Of Why
32 Evanescence - Eveanescence
31 Touche Amore - Parting The Sea between Brightness And Me
30 Puscifer - Conditions Of My Parole
29 City And Colour - Little Hell
28 WOLVES IN THE THRONE ROOM - CELESTIAL LINEAGE
27 Arcane Roots - Left Fire
26 Jane's Addiction - The Great Escape Artist
25 Fucked Up - David Comes To Life
24 Destroy Rebuild Until God Shows - D.R.U.G.S.
23 La Dispute - Wildlife
22 TRAP THEM - DARKER HANDCRAFT
21 Taking Back Sunday - S/t
20 Twin Atlantic - Free
19 New Found Glory - Radiosurgery
18 Defeater - Empty Days And Sleepless Nights
17 Cage The Elephant - Thank You, Happy Birthday
16 Thrice - Major/Minor
15 The King Blues - Punk & Poetry
14 Mariachi El Bronx - II
13 Korn - The Path Of Totality
12 Frank Turner - England Keep My Bones
11 Beastie Boys - Hot Sauce Committee Part 2
10 Will Haven - Voir Dire
9 The James Cleaver Quintet - That Was Then, This Is Now
8 The Horrible Crowes - Elsie
7 The Wonder Years - Suburbia
6 You Me At Six - Sinners Never Sleep
5 Rise Against - Endgame
4 Foo Fighters - Wasting Light
3 Machine Head - Unto The Locust
2 Letlive - Fake History
1 MASTODON - THE HUNTER

super stoked because that insano floor box set (not the vinyl one sadly because i am not a fancy millionaire, but still, 8 cds) shows up tomorrow. also my BIL got me a subscription to decibel for christmas. metal holidays oh yeah

Decibel: the gift that keeps on giving. Kind of like herpes.

Yeah I got the 8-CD version of that Floor box set and its crazy good, I love it.

too expensive for me :(

Cd version is only $30

ohhh

POISON IDEA: Southern Lord To Reissue Seminal Titles From Hardcore Punk Legends

Southern Lord Recordings are proud to be officially re-releasing several incredible, seminal titles from Portland, Oregon's explosive punk/hardcore kings, POISON IDEA in 2012!

Southern Lord will be releasing CD versions of several POISON IDEA reissues that TKO Records are currently re-releasing on vinyl. All of the material is being re-mastered by Jack Control (World Burns to Death) and each release includes new, extensive liner notes as well as never before seen photos and previously unreleased bonus material.

This POISON IDEA reissue series kicks off January 31st, with the re-release of Darby Crash Rides Again: The Early Years. Boasting twenty-nine tracks from the band's earliest days, the album includes the 100% previously unreleased Boner's Kitchen demo from 1981, the complete Darby Crash Rides Again demo from 1982, the complete uncut live-on-the-air set from the 1983 KBOO radio benefit, and outtakes from the Record Collectors Are Pretentious Assholes recording session. Much of this material has either been out-of-print or never before officially released! All the recordings have been meticulously restored and mastered by Jack Control at Enormous Door Mastering. The booklet contains liner notes, old flyers and tons of previously unpublished photos from the band's beginnings. This is a complete no-brainer for POISON IDEA fans or any fan of the early days of American hardcore punk.

Following Darby Crash Rides Again in January, Southern Lord will also re-release The Fatal Erection Years (Pick Your King/Record Collectors are Pretentious Assholes), War All The Time, Ian Mackaye, Feel The Darkness, We Must Burn and Last Will & Testament throughout 2012.

i could be crazy, but i think i spied our nate at 2:52?
still amusing if not only for metal mom and dj direct deposit
http://link.brightcove.com/services/player/bcpid88218671001?bckey=AQ~~,AAAAAAAn_zM~,B6LaFUvNnt2RhwK5cjOvZ4hHQyd5XXC9&bctid=1325970349001

also i listened to that obake album again and i liked it much better the second time.

btw that is a link to a portlandia sketch "come to my dj nite"

Obake might be my favorite metal album since Blessed Black Wings, if not The Art of Self Defense

That was good old Nate alright.

Seeing Napalm Death tonight. Anyone heard their new album yet? Seems like they've been on a roll for the last few.

There's a book out about Finnish Doom Metal
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Finnish-Metal-Musical-Groups-Including/dp/1243020318/ref=pd_rhf_se_p_t_1

Whoohoo Dark Funeral/Belphegor/Abagail Williams/Gigan tour coming to town!

I was backstage at a Belphegor headlining show (by which I mean I was hanging out in the alley next to the venue), and man, those guys had a LOT of bottles of fake(?) blood. Also one of the band members pissed on the wall right before going in.

via Adrien's twitter & Terrorizer, I give you Primarkial, a Primordial cover band of sorts:

The Gardening Wildebeests

New Lamb Of God is really good.

Encouraging to hear that. I was never really a big fan of these guys until I picked up a super cheap 3-disc version of Hourglass and found more to like than I expected.

I always thought they were quite good but this is the first one that's really made me sit up and pay attention.

i liked the first couple of lamb of god albums then they started aping Pantera and i gave up on them.

I think my dislike stemmed from my first exposure being the "Redneck" video with the tour bus groupies. I was like, man between the song title and this awful video there are two strikes against these guys already.

xpost to Jimmy Riddle, yeah, that what did it, the "Redneck" video made me go, ugh Pantera clones

The solos are pretty whack but everything else is in place I think.

Whack or wack?

or wank?

Wanky guitar solos > wacky guitar solos

so why do i waste so much of my life not listening to dodheimsgard

because you waste your life listening to dodgy industrial bands of your youth?

well see dodheimsgard supervillian outcast might be the perfect meeting point there

see when dan comes to visit you, do you let him choose the music?

Somehow missed that Yob is opening for Tool on their winter tour. I want to finally see Yob but I've never cared for Tool at all.

even if you don't dig Tool I'm guessing just as a guy who digs heavy music you'll feel their live show - this is true with a lot of metal acts for me I find, I can be plenty bored by somebody's records and still be able to get into their show if they're on a bill with somebody I like.

I just checked the venue and though they're doing two nights in town both are already sold out. So I guess I don't have to choose this time 'round.

http://www.noisecreep.com/2011/12/23/woods-of-pyres-david-gold-dead/

RIP. Sad loss, Woods IV was one of my favourites of last year.

Yeah 31 is far too young. Real shame.
the new album leaked today then i read about him dying on dffd.
Im not sure i've ever heard them tbh.