Written by 3rdWorld on 23.02.2015 at 22:10

You guys don't think this is worth a place in the thrash category?

No, we don't. Else it would have been nominated.

Written by 3rdWorld on 23.02.2015 at 22:10

You guys don't think this is worth a place in the thrash category?

do the write-in vote, if necessary, but don't complain...

Written by Guest on 23.02.2015 at 22:56

do the write-in vote, if necessary, but don't complain...

Thanks for an amazing showcase of your Reading comprehension issues. Feel free not to comment if you can't see what I'm trying to say.

If I wanted to write-in the album I would've just gone and done it. I wanted to know what the staff might think about the album.

Written by Marcel Hubregtse on 23.02.2015 at 22:44

No, we don't. Else it would have been nominated.

Fair enough, felt its way better than the Exodus and Overkill albums out there which I found having no reason to be there. Just wanted to make sure this isn't overlooked or missed.

I've tried to give a listen to a lot of new material introduced here as nominees, but truly say, there were a few of albums caught my eyes, and among them just a few tracks. It really sounded all the selected material here, apart from this fact that they belong to different genre, there were specific and SAME taste to be chosen.
Every year, we are hearing that if someone does not agree withe the selected albums and bands, they are free to vote their favorite works. However it stands no reason, most of the people do not try to add their own bands and try to select from what had been selected for them!
I am following this Metalstorm award for some years and tried to vote each time. Note that, every year, the artists I have to add on my own will be more different than what Metalstrom suggest. Surprisingly, this year, it became THE ALL, except 2 in post and Metalgaze genres!
I kind of believe Metalstorm team has turned to be like some same-taste-guys and they really need new blood among their team who have chosen the nominees. In this way, this similarities will fade away and the nominee list will be closer to what it should be!

Written by VforIAmAVagina on 24.02.2015 at 18:20

I kind of believe Metalstorm team has turned to be like some same-taste-guys and they really need new blood among their team who have chosen the nominees. In this way, this similarities will fade away and the nominee list will be closer to what it should be!

haha, funnily enough this was the year we had the biggest "new blood surge". Heck, black wouldn't have been the same without Paz or hardcore without Ilham - just two examples.
And maybe we have developed that "common taste" you speak of, but I sure don't recognize my personal tastes in any of the other staffers. Nor Ilham's tastes, or Marcel's, or Susan's, or Ivor's... or anyone. There are some more or less important common grounds, obviously, between some of us... But far less than what it used to be!

"nominee list what it should be!" - what should it be, pray tell?

as Momo said, this year more than any other in the 11 years of the MSAs has had the biggest influx of new blood, each with their own opinion, and many with genre preferences outside what has been our "strong" suit.

Written by Mattybu on 03.02.2015 at 04:59

There is some really depressing stuff in the thrash category this year. Plastic Nuclear Blast shit isn't really doing it for me anymore, so it's good to see Exmortus and Revocation there at least. And Mekong Delta too I guess.

I am listening Exmortus' new album, and I am surprised - this is some much different than their debut, which a brutal riff fest. The new album is actually power metal and should not be in the Thrash category...

Written by K✞ulu on 26.02.2015 at 17:22

I am listening Exmortus' new album, and I am surprised - this is some much different than their debut, which a brutal riff fest. The new album is actually power metal and should not be in the Thrash category...

I bought the album a few weeks ago, not hearing power metal

Written by Darkside Momo on 24.02.2015 at 20:33

Written by VforIAmAVagina on 24.02.2015 at 18:20

I kind of believe Metalstorm team has turned to be like some same-taste-guys and they really need new blood among their team who have chosen the nominees. In this way, this similarities will fade away and the nominee list will be closer to what it should be!

haha, funnily enough this was the year we had the biggest "new blood surge". Heck, black wouldn't have been the same without Paz or hardcore without Ilham - just two examples.
And maybe we have developed that "common taste" you speak of, but I sure don't recognize my personal tastes in any of the other staffers. Nor Ilham's tastes, or Marcel's, or Susan's, or Ivor's... or anyone. There are some more or less important common grounds, obviously, between some of us... But far less than what it used to be!

First, I have to thank you for your explanation. There is no doubt that it is so hard for you guys to make a list of nominees.
All I wanted to say was my feeling during these years I am following not just MS awards but also your reviews.
You guys has also lots of changes, I remember some guys here who are not active anymore.
My point was sth we call in "Artificial Intelligence", and "Genetic Algorithm" as "Natural Selection". To get a optimization point, you need always a chromosome by using mutation and crossover. However, you guys, has been with each other since many years, and a elite population has been produced. You are talking, chatting, sharing, censoring and criticizing each other and even with different kind of taste, you become same. Nobody among you guys can say, "Shining's last album is great or Adrenaline Mob has awesome tracks".
Every year, before making MS awards, you guys publish you own selection, please have a look at that. You can lots of same bands and same ideas, which is also natural.
Some days ago, I asked some of my friends to vote for "10 years of metalstorm voting". Surprisingly, the result was the same even though they are really different than me!!! We got the same!
I hope I could transfer my idea. You really need to mutate with other chromosomes to reach a optimization point!
Anyway, I wish luck for you guys and see a diverse Metastorm!

Written by BitterCOld on 24.02.2015 at 22:59

"nominee list what it should be!" - what should it be, pray tell?

as Momo said, this year more than any other in the 11 years of the MSAs has had the biggest influx of new blood, each with their own opinion, and many with genre preferences outside what has been our "strong" suit.

To tell you the truth, I was going to say that. However, I didn't mean at all to nag about why my favorite artists are not among your selection and . . . It stands no reason that you have just 10 choices and there are always limitation for you guys and whatever you choose, there is always someone who can say why this and that band hadn't been selected.
Metalstorm nominees and February was always a best time for me since I can get familiar with a lot of new material and I can feed my mad desire to listen to great music for the rest of the year. Since there are a lot of stuff to be listened and I have a limited time, it took me some months to have a listen to all of them. But this year, I tried my best to listen to all of them at least to my favorite genres and unfortunately got disappointed.
I just have a feeling after following the MS awards for 4 years and also your comments, your reviews and ... then decided to inform you, guys, you are being the SAME. Plz, find a solution for that.

( Some the bands I wished I could see them on your nominees are as below - Plz for the god's sake, don't take me wrong, I don't want them to distract your mind from my general point, they are just my favorites and I wrote them just to reply you - :
Alternative Metal: Lacuna Coil - Broken Crown Halo
Ambient / Drone: Musk Ox - Woodfall
Doom Metal: Frequency Of Butterfly Wings - The Weight Of Existence
Folk / Pagan / Viking Metal: Rome - A Passage To Rhodesia
Hard Rock: Order Of Israfel - Wisdom
Heavy / Melodic Metal: Adrenaline Mob - Men Of Honor
Melodic Black Metal - Holdaar - Времена Уходящи&
Progressive Metal: Palefeather - Palefeather
Thrash Metal: Suicidal Angels - Divide And Conquer
Best Debut Album: Twilight's Embrace - By Darkness Undone

Finally, I'd really appreciate your effort to make this webpage as live and informative.

I don't see it. i don't see it at all. i know my tastes sure aren't the "Same" as the rest of the staff. a couple of my votes this year are write-ins. i see it from the other side, see how the nomination process and voting process goes, see who is involved, see what their tastes compared to my own. we have a swath of people who might love similar styles, but even then our preferences within those genres differ.

else i wouldn't have had to write in two candidates.

used to people hurling derision and brickbats at us because WHY YOU NO LIKE {mediocre release from big band}!!??!?!?!

but being "same", particularly this year, is way out of left field.

Written by BitterCOld on 27.02.2015 at 23:14
but being "same", particularly this year, is way out of left field.

Let's not even talk about when we discuss about genres, and what we like or not at the headquarters. Sometimes it is war. D:

Written by VforIAmAVagina on 27.02.2015 at 21:55

First, I have to thank you for your explanation. There is no doubt that it is so hard for you guys to make a list of nominees.
All I wanted to say was my feeling during these years I am following not just MS awards but also your reviews.
You guys has also lots of changes, I remember some guys here who are not active anymore.
My point was sth we call in "Artificial Intelligence", and "Genetic Algorithm" as "Natural Selection". To get a optimization point, you need always a chromosome by using mutation and crossover. However, you guys, has been with each other since many years, and a elite population has been produced. You are talking, chatting, sharing, censoring and criticizing each other and even with different kind of taste, you become same. Nobody among you guys can say, "Shining's last album is great or Adrenaline Mob has awesome tracks".
Every year, before making MS awards, you guys publish you own selection, please have a look at that. You can lots of same bands and same ideas, which is also natural.
Some days ago, I asked some of my friends to vote for "10 years of metalstorm voting". Surprisingly, the result was the same even though they are really different than me!!! We got the same!
I hope I could transfer my idea. You really need to mutate with other chromosomes to reach a optimization point!
Anyway, I wish luck for you guys and see a diverse Metastorm!

Ermmm....

Two points to consider
- the fact that most of us in the MSA comments speak in our collective name and not in our our own is natural, as it'a collective work; but it might give you the impression we have one collective hive mind. We sure as fucking hell DON'T. Please keep in mind that while we on the whole are satisfied of our collective selection work, each and every one of us would have nominated different bands. Two of my top 5 releases of 2014 aren't even nominated, for fuck's sake, and average stuff got nom'd (Vader, anyone?) instead of better releases. That's also a problem of a collective, you know
- Maybe, even with all the new contributors brought into the fold this year, the "middle point" of our collective tastes hasn't moved that much (possible; but as I already said, some cats would have been quite different without our newbies' help) and we are "predictable". I'd be curious to see if, next year for the 2015 MSA, someone can predict the nominees in the various categories. We in the MSA ivory towers certainly don't

But honestly, saying we are the same is so ludicrous (to use one of our nominee's name) it baffles me that you even got to that conclusion. Yes, we influence each other and stuff, but just as an example, neither Marcel's tastes nor mine got closer to the other's since I've been made elite. We might appreciate some same albums, dislike equally some others, but our tastes are as radically different now as they were 8 years ago.

Only 6 of my 16 genre votes are write ins this time. Although 3 or 4 of them came from the list of nominees that sounded interesting but I hadn't heard. Also found possibly the most boring album I've ever heard going through that list.

Very tight competition in "Best Debut Album",probably I think one of the write-ins will take away the award.

Written by Cynic Metalhead on 28.02.2015 at 13:03

Very tight competition in "Best Debut Album",probably I think one of the write-ins will take away the award.

Nope, not really a tight competition, with the current number one having been number one from day one, and certainly no write-in comes even close to winning it.

How do you know who's number one?

Written by Cynic Metalhead on 28.02.2015 at 14:59

How do you know who's number one?

Everyone, who worked on the MSA, has the power to see the results

Written by Paz on 28.02.2015 at 19:16

Written by Cynic Metalhead on 28.02.2015 at 14:59

How do you know who's number one?

Everyone, who worked on the MSA, has the power to see the results

I know but how do I know if "Best Debut" cat will be easy or tough 'cause my perception was that it'll be tough as lot of fantastic contenders fighting up for the title. If Marcel vaguely didn't tell me the flow of moving votes towards one band, I would have still thought that category going neck in neck.

Written by Cynic Metalhead on 28.02.2015 at 20:09

I know but how do I know if "Best Debut" cat will be easy or tough 'cause my perception was that it'll be tough as lot of fantastic contenders fighting up for the title. If Marcel vaguely didn't tell me the flow of moving votes towards one band, I would have still thought that category going neck in neck.

how do you know? There's only guessing, or bribing (or waiting afew hours, now )