2023 Metal Storm Awards Now Open
Look alive, fellas - the 2023 Metal Storm Awards are now open for voting. And you can thank Pope Gregory XIII, because this year, like every year ending in 4, we've got a whole other day in February to spend being atomically super brutal. It's another full roster for you all this year, a total of 272 nominees spread across 26 genre and 2 special categories, and you are required to listen to all of them before voting. Well, it's not like we'll check your homework or anything. But give it a shot - you've got the extra time this year.
We have even more fun for you than we have the last few years, too: please give a hearty welcome to Drama of the Year, which makes a splendiferous return after several years of shame and ignominy. It's been a while; we just couldn't leave Wintersun alone after the year they had. Don't let us down, citizens of Metal Storm.
That's enough jawing; time to start discussing all your picks, what we missed, who's going to win, all the fun stuff that surrounds our favorite time of year.
(Please ignore the fact that not every year ending in the digit 4 is a leap year)
We have even more fun for you than we have the last few years, too: please give a hearty welcome to Drama of the Year, which makes a splendiferous return after several years of shame and ignominy. It's been a while; we just couldn't leave Wintersun alone after the year they had. Don't let us down, citizens of Metal Storm.
That's enough jawing; time to start discussing all your picks, what we missed, who's going to win, all the fun stuff that surrounds our favorite time of year.
(Please ignore the fact that not every year ending in the digit 4 is a leap year)
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Comments: 119
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| ScottyM Posts: 214 |
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| Kais Posts: 610  |
Written by Liafev on 01.02.2024 at 23:54 Holy shit man, thanks a bunch and well done! Was looking forward for someone to do this, as I barely have time to go through all these lists myself in my hectic schedule.
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| Cynic Metalhead Ambrish Saxena Posts: 7562  |
As expected(from even all platforms), Grindcore in 2023 was a letdown. I'm expecting it will spiral in 2024.
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| Liafev Posts: 650  |
I was in the mood for some power metal today, and checked the awards quickly, but wow this is a very cheesy selection this year for power :/. I wish Schäffer was not a dick and would still be releasing music instead. Went back in time with Tad Morose to satisfy that rare power metal urge. Also not sure what to think of the fact that Nanowar of Steel got selected. I have such a strong issue with metal that's not serious, call me elitist.
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| RaduP CertifiedHipster Staff Posts: 9028  |
Written by Liafev on 06.02.2024 at 11:28 Elitist.
---- Do you think if the heart keeps on shrinking One day there will be no heart at all?
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| Liafev Posts: 650 |
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| musclassia Staff Posts: 7627  |
Written by Liafev on 06.02.2024 at 11:28 Nanowar Of Steel getting nominated was one of the few picks I was a bit unhappy about - even in weaker years (and tbh, outside of Theocracy and Sacred Outcry, not much impressed in power metal this year), I'd prefer to avoid nominating cover or parody albums, particularly since there was a fairly decent Kamelot album that could have been nominated. However, yeah it wasn't a great year for power mtal, particularly coming on the back of a 2022 that had really solid Blind Guardian, Stratovarius, Gladenfold and Judicator releases to balance out the cheesier nominees
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| JoHn Doe Posts: 5099  |
Written by musclassia on 06.02.2024 at 12:46 Narnia, Silver Bullet, Primal Fear, Vision Denied released solid albums last year. 
---- I thought the two primary purposes for the internet were cat memes and overreactions.
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| EnigmaLake Posts: 87  |
One of the best metal communities. I’ve been around these parts since the 2000’s
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| Liafev Posts: 650 |
Written by musclassia on 06.02.2024 at 12:46 Yeah I actually didn't discover any new power metal this year myself, but I have to admit I haven't been following the genre much except for bands I already know. And I've grown completely out of the cheesy side of power metal, although I still respect that and it has been an important part of my metal journey. I'll give a try to Theocracy and Sacred Outcry then, and play a few tracks from the other bands just in case, but I guess I would be more attracted by stuff like Iron Savior now, who weren't selected this time.
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| Liafev Posts: 650 |
To be clear: This is not me complaining about the awards at all, I guess power is just not doing it for me this time. But I'm enjoying the shit out of the awards as usual. The Post-Metal selection has impressed me the most so far. I thought it was going to be an easy The Ocean win, but now I have idea what to do, Allochiria, Cursebinder and Nebulae Come Sweet all put out great albums. And I'm discovering Molybaron just now, Alternative Metal is always a category where I discover great stuff through the awards, I never pay attention to that genre, but always love the selection here.
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| ScottyM Posts: 214 |
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| RaduP CertifiedHipster Staff Posts: 9028 |
Written by ScottyM on 07.02.2024 at 11:23 How did that go?
---- Do you think if the heart keeps on shrinking One day there will be no heart at all?
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| M C Vice ex-polydactyl Posts: 3407  |
Can someone explain what this write in in the drama award is about? "Metal Twitter - Meltdown over Darkthrone"
---- "I'm here to nunchuck and not wear helmets. And I'm all out of helmets." "I'll fight you on one condition. That you lower your nipples." " 'Tis a lie! Thy backside is whole and ungobbled, thou ungrateful whelp!"
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| ScottyM Posts: 214 |
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| WorpeX Made of Metal Posts: 1352  |
Written by Liafev on 06.02.2024 at 18:17 Yeah, I've listened to the all the Power Metal nominee's and there are a lot of weird choices on this list but it really wasn't a strong year for Power Metal in general. Sacred Outcry, Triumpher, Lovebites, Frozen Crown, Theocracy and Angra all put out good albums this year but the rest are niche type albums that some people will like and most will hate. A lot of big name power metal bands put out albums this year. None of them were particularly great, but I still think would have been a better representation of Power Metal. The power metal community absolutely loves the new Twilight Force record which that got snubbed and I personally really like the new Elvenking. This nominee list just feels like they were trying way too hard to prevent a big name band from winning and instead put filler albums onto the list that most people, even power metal fans, wont enjoy. Anyway, not sure who my power metal pick will be, leaning Lovebites right now. Going to start going through Melodeath next, hoping that list is stronger!
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| Rage10000 Posts: 139 |
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| Bluemobius Posts: 17  |
The melodic death/extreme power/Gothenburg category is always a tough one for me. There is such a variation of sounds and inspirations across all of the bands that it is really hard for me to pick. I've already changed my vote once. Lol. Maybe an incorrect opinion, but I also feel like Moonlight Sorcery is more on the black metal side of the spectrum. If you took away the death metal elements, most of the basic song structures and foundations would hold, while I don't think the opposite is true. Either way, definitely a tough decision.
---- I'm back
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| JoHn Doe Posts: 5099 |
The Best Heavy / Traditional Metal Album is the most difficult tough choice category this year. And I can think of a couple of albums that did not even make the list. 
---- I thought the two primary purposes for the internet were cat memes and overreactions.
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| musclassia Staff Posts: 7627 |
Written by Bluemobius on 07.02.2024 at 18:36 Their previous EPs were definitely meloblack, and I approached the debut expecting the same, but the more I listened the more it felt inherently closer to meloblack/extreme power - however, it definitely still retains some of their meloblack heritage, so either category would have worked
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| Tuonelan Posts: 169  |
A lot of really diverse and genre-defying nominees in many of the genres. Several times I find myself coming around to voting for a nominee that I like slightly less than another just because I think the other nominee actually fits better in some other category and doesn't represent the best *in category.* Not a complaint at all. I'm glad to have discovered these artists, and I would not have had they not been nominated. And a lot of times the categories that I think fit best are full of other releases, at least one of which I like better. So overall, hooray for diverse nominees and finding great new albums to explore.
---- For ages we have wandered Under the wings of deception Too long have we been waiting For the long winter to end
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| ScottyM Posts: 214 |
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| Bad English Tage Westerlund Posts: 62017  |
Just voted. most from the list but some was from my best and suxer list (one) as write in. I dont care if my chose wins I just vote what I think was best.
---- I stand whit Ukraine and Israel. They have right to defend own citizens. Stormtroopers of Death - "Speak English or Die"  I better die, because I never will learn speek english, so I choose dieing
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| Liafev Posts: 650 |
Btw I so hope Wintersun is not going to win the biggest letdown, they are not even deserving that. They only deserve our ignorance atm, no publicity of any sort. And I'm a huge Wintersun fan.
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| Eternity'sChild Posts: 152 |
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| poring dark Posts: 43 |
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| RaduP CertifiedHipster Staff Posts: 9028 |
Written by poring dark on 12.02.2024 at 18:42 We claim ahead of time which writeups in each category to do. You'll have categories where I, for example, haven't written any, and no category which was written by a single person. Which was written by whom, that's for you to guess.
---- Do you think if the heart keeps on shrinking One day there will be no heart at all?
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| poring dark Posts: 43 |
Thank you. That‘s an answer worthy of an oracle.  Or it could be the intro of a logic game. X did half of the write-ups in category xx but only reviewed a quarter of the albums in that category compared to Y who wrote the first write up in category zz. I do try to guess, sometimes, who wrote a review while reading it, and am more often wrong than not. Maybe in ten years I can distinguish literary styles well enough to make a guess based on just one paragraph. Right now, I would guess that…well, since you took time to reply to me, it‘s yours?
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| musclassia Staff Posts: 7627 |
Written by poring dark on 13.02.2024 at 07:56 If an album has a review, I'd say the chances that the reviewer also wrote the write-up are over 50%, but further from 100% than you'd think, considering the reviewer likely knows the album well enough to pump out a quick write-up. Still, the categories in which a majority of the nominees were reviewed by me are commonly the ones I make the greatest contributions to, such as djent this year. Conversely, last year, I reviewed 7 nominees in both Stoner and Post-, and I think I only did a couple write-ups for each category - it does give an opportunity for people to write a few words about albums that they dig but were gazumped to the review for
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| Ball Fondlers Posts: 513  |
Written by musclassia on 06.02.2024 at 12:46 Nanowar Of Steel may be a parody band, but they are actually pretty damn good, as in they can play. Give them a proper try if you haven't (and I don't mean who I'm replying to)
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