Written by nikarg on 16.02.2019 at 23:33

Someone here must like "Lil Pump & Kanye West - I Love It" an awful lot because he/she has put it as a write-in in every category.

Guess you could say

he loves it

As is probably expected there is a lot of negativity about the nominations in an awards list. I would like to say on a positive note it is one of the best end of the year metal awards lists out there year in an year out. Everybody else's lists just copy each other and put the albums in different order. Being able to vote on a serious list is pretty awesome. Every year I learn more new music from the Metalstorm list than any other place and I am always looking for new music.
Not really a negative, more of an aside. What is up with YOB not getting nominated? There seems to be some strong dislike surrounding YOB on Metalstorm. Does anybody know why that is? They are from my home town and I am about the same age so I have ulterior motives. The fact that they were on everybody else's lists is enough for me but just wondering.

Written by Fellow Duh Say on 18.02.2019 at 01:38

As is probably expected there is a lot of negativity about the nominations in an awards list. I would like to say on a positive note it is one of the best end of the year metal awards lists out there year in an year out. Everybody else's lists just copy each other and put the albums in different order. Being able to vote on a serious list is pretty awesome. Every year I learn more new music from the Metalstorm list than any other place and I am always looking for new music.
Not really a negative, more of an aside. What is up with YOB not getting nominated? There seems to be some strong dislike surrounding YOB on Metalstorm. Does anybody know why that is? They are from my home town and I am about the same age so I have ulterior motives. The fact that they were on everybody else's lists is enough for me but just wondering.

We just liked other doom albums better

Their 2011 was staff picked with thumbs up by several of the staff. The last two albums got 8 for a review by staffers. All their albums from 2004 onward have average ratings of at least an 8.
Yeah, a lot of "strong dislike". I wouldn't have put it on doom metal but on stoner though. I enjoyed it enough to have had it on the awards but oh well!

I changed "hate" to "strong dislike" because i didn't want to overshoot it, lol. I just remember over the years reading some negative comments. Admittedly, their songwriting is not perfect, but nobody can replicate the tone and mood. They are considered pretty influential to the genres doom, stoner, sludge here on the west coast U.S. I wrote them in for Sludge, Stoner immediately but they walk that line between the three about as well as anybody. Anyway, not trying to be contentious. It is an extremely minor gripe that probably should have gone unsaid but I was curious. They are one of my fav's although I haven't rated any of their albums a 10 primarily because of song structure.

Written by chella1788 on 03.02.2019 at 05:56

How did Haken not get chosen as one of the top 10 prog metal albums?

I didn't make it through our internal meat grinder that only spews out our nominees.

Personally, I think Haken is soulless and mechanical and I'm happy they didn't make it.

Patriarchs Of Evil is the better BM album, superior to all of the nominees.

Written by Maco on 21.02.2019 at 18:34

Patriarchs Of Evil is the better BM album, superior to all of the nominees.

Yeah man, it definitely is.

Patriarchs Of Evil was the best BM album after Hekatomb this year.

Written by Maco on 21.02.2019 at 18:34

Patriarchs Of Evil is the better BM album, superior to all of the nominees.

Not better than Eonian

Antelux > Ebony Tower >>> Patriarchs Of Evil >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Hekatomb (which wasn't even the best BM album released that hour)

Written by Mercurial on 22.02.2019 at 16:30

Antelux > Ebony Tower >>> Patriarchs Of Evil >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Hekatomb (which wasn't even the best BM album released that hour)

I see that you're a man of culture as well

The black category was a bit of a mess tbh, but imo it was a weak black metal year so anything will do. Candelabrum was my pick but I can understand that they didnt get picked as they break some of the rules here regarding what good music is.

Written by [user id=173045] on 22.02.2019 at 18:30

Candelabrum was my pick but I can understand that they didnt get picked as they break some of the rules here regarding what good music is.

The fact that the album sounded like Striborg on his worst constipation day didn't help for it to get nominated.

Written by nikarg on 23.02.2019 at 00:06

Written by [user id=173045] on 22.02.2019 at 18:30

Candelabrum was my pick but I can understand that they didnt get picked as they break some of the rules here regarding what good music is.

The fact that the album sounded like Striborg on his worst constipation day didn't help for it to get nominated.

Are you this guy?

Written by [user id=173045] on 23.02.2019 at 00:34

Are you this guy?

Haha no, I'm way more handsome but his review is spot on I think.

Candelabrum was decent, but felt like a lesser version of Black Cilice.

Written by Mercurial on 23.02.2019 at 01:08

Candlebrum was decent, but felt like a lesser version of Black Cilice.

Thats how staff should reply in a thread like this. Their knowledge doesnt need to be overwhelming but imo basic skills in metals more obscure genres would be good. I am not saying Candelabrum (they are not TROB after all) should have been here, just that it was my pick and that anything from certain genres is automatically excluded. And if some stuff are automatically excluded the awards gets a bit less fun as we all can predict what albums is gonna be nominated.

Written by [user id=173045] on 23.02.2019 at 09:28

Thats how staff should reply in a thread like this. Their knowledge doesnt need to be overwhelming but imo basic skills in metals more obscure genres would be good. I am not saying Candelabrum (they are not TROB after all) should have been here, just that it was my pick and that anything from certain genres is automatically excluded. And if some stuff are automatically excluded the awards gets a bit less fun as we all can predict what albums is gonna be nominated.

Lol I dunno dude, this sounds like an inverted version of the "why wasn't this very popular album included in the awards" argument. There's only like 10 slots in each category, and in fairness it's a decent mix of popular and underground, as well as quite a few different approaches to black metal are featured as well. I'm not sure anyone could have predicted the mix of bands they nominated, outside of maybe Immortal.

Written by Mercurial on 23.02.2019 at 11:02

Written by [user id=173045] on 23.02.2019 at 09:28

Thats how staff should reply in a thread like this. Their knowledge doesnt need to be overwhelming but imo basic skills in metals more obscure genres would be good. I am not saying Candelabrum (they are not TROB after all) should have been here, just that it was my pick and that anything from certain genres is automatically excluded. And if some stuff are automatically excluded the awards gets a bit less fun as we all can predict what albums is gonna be nominated.

Lol I dunno dude, this sounds like an inverted version of the "why wasn't this very popular album included in the awards" argument. There's only like 10 slots in each category, and in fairness it's a decent mix of popular and underground, as well as quite a few different approaches to black metal are featured as well. I'm not sure anyone could have predicted the mix of bands they nominated, outside of maybe Immortal.

No, not interested in that aspect, this:
If we go back a bit, this was said "The fact that the album sounded like Striborg on his worst constipation day didn't help for it to get nominated." The guy who wrote this is obviously a big noob, its better to be honest and say that he has quite a low understanding of metal when it comes to non-generic stuff than reaching for the only band in the genre he knows (and probably hates). But wait, he didnt stop there, he is also trying to say that he aesthetically can judge albums and therefore has a good understanding of the genre buy saying that Candelabrums album is worse than the only band he knows in the genre. This is what I have to live with every day here , poor knowledge and disrespectful attitude.

Written by [user id=173045] on 23.02.2019 at 11:26

No, not interested in that aspect, this:
If we go back a bit, this was said "The fact that the album sounded like Striborg on his worst constipation day didn't help for it to get nominated." The guy who wrote this is obviously a big noob, its better to be honest and say that he has quite a low understanding of metal when it comes to non-generic stuff than reaching for the only band in the genre he knows (and probably hates). But wait, he didnt stop there, he is also trying to say that he aesthetically can judge albums and therefore has a good understanding of the genre buy saying that Candelabrums album is worse than the only band he knows in the genre. This is what I have to live with every day here , poor knowledge and disrespectful attitude.

I think he was probably using hyperbole to express that he wasn't a fan of it. Like it or not having some people interested in the obscure and weird is just as important as having some people that listen to the more regular stuff so the awards are more well rounded. You seem to think that Nikarg is the only person listening to black metal in the staff. Perspectives on weird, kvlt stuff from non-avid listeners is reasonably important as well. Like it or not that's how he felt about the album (he has the right to judge as equally as you do whatever you might think, you aren't better or worse than anyone else).

You might think it's disrespectful but equally, disregarding people as generally having "bad taste" as you like to do is somewhat worse. From my perspective your taste isn't that great and I probably have a wider knowledge than you do (and knowing a few underground bands doesn't make a person "knowledgeable" BTW), but I manage to co-exist here fine, so you might just have to suck it up or join ANUS or something Basically just relax, because no one is going to have the exact tastes you do, and the bands you like aren't going to gain "respect" from the normies, so there's no point worrying about it.

Written by [user id=173045] on 23.02.2019 at 11:26

If we go back a bit, this was said "The fact that the album sounded like Striborg on his worst constipation day didn't help for it to get nominated." The guy who wrote this is obviously a big noob, its better to be honest and say that he has quite a low understanding of metal when it comes to non-generic stuff than reaching for the only band in the genre he knows (and probably hates). But wait, he didnt stop there, he is also trying to say that he aesthetically can judge albums and therefore has a good understanding of the genre buy saying that Candelabrums album is worse than the only band he knows in the genre. This is what I have to live with every day here , poor knowledge and disrespectful attitude.

The guy who wrote this has been there since black metal was born but I'm not going to contradict your opinion about me being a noob or having poor knowledge, because I couldn't care less about what you think of me. I'm sorry you got butthurt because an album recorded by someone screaming in his bedroom while his cat was walking on the keyboards didn't get nominated but that's just the way it is.

Calling me names is what's disrespectful, I only spoke about the album being shite and that is in no way disrespectful to you; not even if you're part of the band because I judged the music and not the person(s) who made it.

If you don't like what you have to live with every day here, you can go just like you've done a few times before. No one's keeping you. And next time you wanna talk about me, you can quote me so that I can see what you wrote, you don't have to be a sneaky bitch. Oh and yes, now I'm being disrespectful.

Jesus Christ what is going on here

Written by RaduP on 23.02.2019 at 12:21

Jesus Christ what is going on here

That happens when you don't add the superior black metal album (POE) into the awards.

Satan loves all of you.
Look what he has done to you with his evil music: sowing discord, hatred and division. The true spirit of Black Metal, here we go.

Written by Mercurial on 23.02.2019 at 11:42

Written by [user id=173045] on 23.02.2019 at 11:26

No, not interested in that aspect, this:
If we go back a bit, this was said "The fact that the album sounded like Striborg on his worst constipation day didn't help for it to get nominated." The guy who wrote this is obviously a big noob, its better to be honest and say that he has quite a low understanding of metal when it comes to non-generic stuff than reaching for the only band in the genre he knows (and probably hates). But wait, he didnt stop there, he is also trying to say that he aesthetically can judge albums and therefore has a good understanding of the genre buy saying that Candelabrums album is worse than the only band he knows in the genre. This is what I have to live with every day here , poor knowledge and disrespectful attitude.

I think he was probably using hyperbole to express that he wasn't a fan of it. Like it or not having some people interested in the obscure and weird is just as important as having some people that listen to the more regular stuff so the awards are more well rounded. You seem to think that Nikarg is the only person listening to black metal in the staff. Perspectives on weird, kvlt stuff from non-avid listeners is reasonably important as well. Like it or not that's how he felt about the album (he has the right to judge as equally as you do whatever you might think, you aren't better or worse than anyone else).

You might think it's disrespectful but equally, disregarding people as generally having "bad taste" as you like to do is somewhat worse. From my perspective your taste isn't that great and I probably have a wider knowledge than you do (and knowing a few underground bands doesn't make a person "knowledgeable" BTW), but I manage to co-exist here fine, so you might just have to suck it up or join ANUS or something Basically just relax, because no one is going to have the exact tastes you do, and the bands you like aren't going to gain "respect" from the normies, so there's no point worrying about it.

No worries, I am totally relaxed

Written by nikarg on 16.02.2019 at 23:33

Someone here must like "Lil Pump & Kanye West - I Love It" an awful lot because he/she has put it as a write-in in every category.

I'm sure Lil Pump was written in a bunch last year, too. Must be pumping out those albums to get in every category in consecutive years.

I'm done. Well, almost, currently going through clandestine cuts, but that's slightly less important category. Not sure if anyone cares, but I decided to post it anyway.

I've already ranted (and had one polite discussion ) enough about nominees. I still don't get why the staff would pick Autokrator over Convulsing, Corpselium over Yob, Extinction A.D. over Angelus Apatrida, Nekrogoblikon over Shylmagoghnar or anything in symphonic over M. Romeo, but I guess tastes are subjective and theirs are objectively wrong

What's worse (and on that no staff has commented me) are some bizarre category misplacings. Antimatter in 'Alternative metal'? A Forest of Stars in gothic? Acoustic Hypno5e album in prog metal? Deceased in melodeath? Meh, whatever.

My votes are pretty self-explanatory. The write-ins, however:
-ION (most of better black metal was in 'melodic' category);
-Cripple Bastards (not a fan of grindcore in general, but this was better than the proposed albums);
-Master Boot Record (such a fun and weird album! Nine Inch Nails was also very good. And The Slot was The Room levels of bad, I know that tastes differ but I really can't see anyone enjoying this unironically, definitely the worst 2018 album I've heard);
-Shylmagoghnar (it's all been said... however, I don't remember the last time I enjoyed melodeath album so much! Wolfheart would have been a good choice too, and Deceased disregarding wrong category messup)
-Angelus Apatrida (it isn't that great of an album, it's just the rest is mostly average this year, especially the nominees. I don't get Soulfly hype at all, though the last not-metal track was suprisingly good.)

I'm not a fan of Machine Head (Unto the Locust kicks ass though, The Blackening was also very good) so it's hard to call that a letdown but honestly, nothing else came to mind. Surprised nobody has voted for Ministry.
I also considered for Huntsmen in debut album - it was nominated in post-metal but wasn't there </3. So Bliss Signal took the throne, since I considered them in both 'metalgaze' and 'industrial metal'.
Hypno5e was the biggest surprise, although it wouldn't have been if I gave it some thinking. I despise metalcore as a genre. I enjoyed previous Hypno5e albums IN SPITE OF metalcore elements, always thinking how they would have been even better without them. So when they made an album, which doesn't consist of them at all, it shouldn't have surprised me how excellent it turned out to be.

If there was a vote for simply 'the best album', my vote would have gone to Thy Catafalque (and in their category Sigh and Zeal & Ardor were also excellent).

Did I listen to every nominated album? Well, no. That was the plan but I decided there was a line between 'discovering new music' and 'torturing myself'. That line was symphonic metal category. I listened to Mayan, cause it looked alright. And yeah, it was pretty decent. I skimmed through some of the other nominees and... sigh. The Michael Romeo write-in isn't anything extraordinary, but it was a good album. So, I listened to all nominees except for nine of them. It took me way too long, next year I'll cut it down to more interesting albums (because, let's face it, most of the times when you listen to average albums, you can tell after one song, they're not going to be THE BEST in their categories).

Overall, it was fun. Thank you for organizing it.

Written by NastyHero on 24.02.2019 at 16:47

Overall, it was fun. Thank you for organizing it.

Pleased you enjoyed it, thank you for sharing. We have about 6 or 7 same votes, one being Michael Romeo write-in and I am with you all the way about avoiding self-torture by listening to symphonic stuff
I am also with you all the way about the SLoT but our Editor In Chief is a fanboy apart from that obvious flaw he's a very nice lad so there's not much we can do.
I am surprised that you liked Thy Catafalque's album so much. It's good of course like every album of his, but I thought it was much poorer than Meta which for me is an absolute masterpiece.

About misplaced albums:
Antimatter was barely metal enough and that's partly why we put it in alternative. We really debated where the f*ck we should nominate A Forest Of Stars, I also don't completely agree with gothic but no category would be an obvious choice I think.
For Deceased I take full responsibility; guilty as charged. It's my pick for that category, I loved the album and although it's not the cheesy melodeath kind, it is extremely melodic. I thought it didn't fit in death, thrash or heavy even though it features elements from all these styles, I mean it could have even gone to extreme prog. It's a very diverse album.
For Hypno5e, our other option was djent/math... I can't say I am an expert in either prog or djent/math to properly answer that one.
Where would you place those?

ps. I fail to see how someone listened to Morne's album in post- and didn't vote for it
(I did listen to the Soldat Hans album you suggested, it is good indeed. It was an insane year for post-, I liked so many albums and post- is generally not my favourite genre; far from it)