Welcome to the inaugural Invisible Oranges Readers’ Choice Awards!
This is something I’ve wanted to do for a while. I’m not that interested in year-end lists by pundits or celebrities or even magazines. I am interested, however, in what “the people” think. Will their opinions coalesce around clear favorites? Will they move in lockstep with already-published lists? We’ll see.
. . .
THE CATEGORIES
. . .
Four categories are up for votes this year:
1. Best Album
2. Best Album Cover
3. Best Album Production
4. Best Live Show
(To jog your memory, see the comments discussions in the links above.)
. . .
YOUR INSTRUCTIONS
. . .
Best Album
Submit your “Top XX” list: a numbered, ordered list of up to 10, with 1 being the top album.
Best Album Cover
You are voting for albums here. Submit a numbered, ordered list of up to 3, with 1 being the album with the best cover.
Best Album Production
You are voting for albums here. Submit a numbered, ordered list of up to 3, with 1 being the album with the best production.
Best Live Show
You are voting for bands here – not tours, not festivals, but individual bands. Submit a numbered, ordered list of up to 3, with 1 being the band with the best live show.
. . .
MORE THINGS TO KNOW
. . .
- Submit your votes in the comments box below by midnight PST, Wednesday, December 29.
- I will tally the results according to a simple scoring system and announce them on Friday, December 31. If you do not number your lists, I will assume that your first choice is your top one, the next one is your second, and so on.
- Don’t screw up and try to amend your vote. That makes things messy and makes my life harder. Get it right the first time.
- No ties in your votes. Each place position gets one item only.
- One vote per person – no ballot box stuffing.
- All voters will be entered in a random drawing to win the contents of my “s*** box”. My s*** box is overflowing with CDs (demos, promos, finished releases – I’m guessing between 75 and 100) and random merch (Ibex Moon beer koozies, Nails and Forbidden posters, the Landmine Marathon/Funeral Pyre split 7″, some cassette (I have no tape player, I have no idea what it sounds like), even an Oceano beach ball (why did Earache send that to me???). There is a ton of good stuff in the CDs – discs from Hells Headbangers; Debemur Morti; Hydra Head; Deathwish, Inc.; Tee Pee; and more.
. . .
That’s it! Again, get your votes in below by midnight PST next Wednesday the 29th. I look forward to compiling them!
. . .
Great year for guitar music…way too many great albums to digest…here goes!
Best album
01 Kvelertak-Kvelertak
02 Ghost-Opus Eponymous
03 Torche-Songs For Singles
04 Killing Joke-Absolute Dissent
05 Vecktor-Black Future
06 The Body-And All The Waters Of The Earth Turn To Blood
07 Tripykton-Eparistera Daimones
08 Early Graves-Goner
09 Black Breath-Heavy Breathing
10 Nails-Unsilent Death
Best Album Cover
01 Tripykton-Eparistera Daimones
02 Ghost-Opus Eponymous
03 Cathedral-The Guessing Game
Best Album Production
01 Deftones-Diamond Eyes
02 Kvelertak-Kvelertak
03 Ghost-Opus Eponymous
Best Live Show
01 Napalm Death
02 Dillinger Escape Plan
03 Torche
Best Album
1. Unearthly Trance – V
2. U.S. Christmas – Run Thick In The Night
3. Neil Young – Le Noise
4. Darkthrone – Circle The Wagons
5. Burzum – Belus
6. Agalloch – Marrow Of The Spirit
7. Thou – Summit
8. Dawnbringer – Nucleus
9. Bongripper – Satan Worshipping Doom
10.Abscess – Dawn of Inhumanity
Best Album Cover
1. Unearthly Trance – V
2. Abscess – Dawn Of Inhumanity
3. Slaughter Strike – At Life’s End
Best Album Production
1. Dawnbringer – Nucleus
2. Unearthly Trance – V
3. Bongripper – Satan Worshipping Doom
Best Live Show
fuck me, didn’t see shit this year.
1. Wovenhand
2. Thou
I’ve missed out on a ton this year due to lacking home internet, and then a working computer at home. There’s so much I’m going to have to check out in good time. How my list could’ve looked so different. Ah well, here goes:
Best album
1. Wino – Adrift
2. G.U. Medicine – Lords of Oblivion
3. Cathedral – The Guessing Game
4. Deftones – Diamond Eyes
5. Overkill – Ironbound
6. Torche – Songs For Singles
7. Shining (NOR) – Blackjazz
8. Ihsahn – After
9. Black Breath – Heavy Breathing
10. Kvelertak – Kvelertak
Best Album Cover
1. Black Breath – Heavy Breathing
2. Ghost – Opus Eponymous
3. High On Fire – Snakes For The Divine
Best Production
1. Overkill – Ironbound
2. Deftones – Diamond Eyes
3. Black Breath – Heavy Breathing
Best Live Show
1. Eyehategod
2. Dragged Into Sunlight
3. Shrinebuilder
since this is a metal site ill keep it to the metalish stuff
Best Album
01. Colepitz – No Tomorrow Tonight
02. Deftones – Diamond Eyes
03. Torche – Songs For Singles
04. Kylesa – Spiral Shadow
05. East Of The Wall – Ressentiment
06. Dillinger Escape Plan – Option Paralysis
07. Intronaut – Valley Of Smoke
08. Black Breath – Heavy Breathing
09. Melvins – The Bride Screamed Murder
10. Constants – If Tomorrow The War
Best Album Cover
01. Phantom Glue – Phantom Glue
02. Thou – Summit
03. Rosetta – A Determinism Of Morality
Best Album Production
01. Colepitz – No Tomorrow Tonight
02. Black Breath – Heavy Breathing
03. Deftones – Diamond Eyes
Best Live Show
01. Isis
02. Cave In
03. Torche
best album:
Rotting Christ-AEALO
Dawnbringer-Nucleus
Enslaved-Axioma Ethica Odini
Blind Guardian-At the Edge of Time
Slough Feg-The Animal Spirits
that’s all I really heard
best album cover:
Rotting Christ-AEALO
best production:
Rotting Christ-AEALO
best live show:
ACCEPT.
Album
1. Bongripper – Satan Worshipping Doom
2. Clair Cassis – Clair Cassis
3. Cough – Ritual Abuse
4. Envy – Recitation
5. Dordeduh – Valea Omului
6. Kingdom – Hemeltraan
7. Salome – Terminal
8. The Secret – Solve Et Coagula
9. Ufomammut – Eve
10. Burzum – Belus
Album Cover
1. Alcest – Écailles de Lune
2. Enslaved – Axioma Ethica Odini
3. Unearthly Trance – V
Production
1. Envy – Recitation
2. Dordeduh – Valea Omului
Show
1. Eyehategod
2. Katatonia
Top 10 Albums:
Coliseum – “House With a Curse”
1) Alcest – “Ecailles De Lune”
2) Valborg – “Crown of Sorrow”
3) Hayaino Daisuki – “Invincible Gate Mind of the Infernal Hell Fire…Or Did You Mean Hawai’i Daisuki?”
4) Sailors With Wax Wings – S/T
5) The Secret – “Solve et Coagula”
6) Hail of Bullets – “On Divine Winds”
7) Melechesh – “The Epigenesis”
9) Autechre – “Oversteps”
10)Watain – “Lawless Darkness”
Best Album Covers:
1) Howl – “Full of Hell”
2) Thou – “Summit”
3) High on Fire – “Snakes foe the Divine”
Best Album Production:
1) Autechre – “Oversteps”
2) Man’s Gin – “Smiling Dogs”
3) Triptykon – “Shatter” (EP)
Best Live Show:
1) Converge
2) Sulaco
3) Watain
I don’t want to win the prize, as I probably got all the same stuff you got. But here are my votes:
Best album:
1. High On Fire, Snakes for the Divine
2. Iron Maiden, The Final Frontier
3. The Sword, Warp Riders
4. Triptykon, Eparistera Daimones
5. Rob Zombie, Hellbilly Deluxe 2
6. The Absence, Enemy Unbound
7. Rotting Christ, AEALO
8. Negură Bunget, Vîrstele Pămîntului
9. Decrepit Birth, Polarity
10. Enforcer, Diamonds
Best Album Cover:
1. Ihsahn, After
2. Deftones, Diamond Eyes
3. The Sword, Warp Riders
Best Production:
1. Wino, Adrift
2. Kill the Client, Set for Extinction
3. Triptykon, Eparistera Daimones
Best Live Show:
1. Rammstein
2. Iron Maiden
3. Triptykon
Best Album
1. Heathen- The Evolution Of Chaos
2. Forbidden- The Omega Wave
3. Enslaved- Axioma Ethica Odini
4. Exodus- Exhibit B
5. Satanic Warmaster- Nachzehrer
6. Atheist- Jupiter
7. Conan- Horseback Battle Hammer
8. Autopsy- The Tomb Within
9. Iron Maiden- The Final Frontier
10. Death Angel- Relentless Retribution
Best Album Cover
1. Profanatica- Disgusting Blasphemies Against God
2. Satanic Warmaster- Nachzehrer
3. Diamond Eyes- Deftones
Best Production
1. Black Breath- Heavy Breathing
2. Hour Of Penance- Paradogma
3. Atheist- Jupiter
Best Live Show
1. Exodus- Islington Academy
2. The Black Dahlia Murder- Relentless Garage
3. Philip Glass ‘Satyagraha’- The Coliseum
Best Album:
1. Dawnbringer – “Nucleus”
2. The National – “High Violet”
3. Ludicra – “The Tenent”
4. Wovenhand – “The Threshingfloor”
5. Arcade Fire – “The Suburbs”
6. Nachtmystium – “Addicts: Black Meddle Pt. II”
7. Twin Shadow – “Forget”
8. Kylesa – “Spiral Shadow”
9. Enslaved – “Axioma Ethica Odini”
10. LCD Soundsystem – “This Is Happening”
Best Album Cover:
1. Dawnbringer – “Nucleus”
2. Alcest – “Ecailles de Lune”
3. High On Fire – “Snakes for the Divine”
Best Album Production:
1. Ludicra – “The Tenent”
2. The National – “High Violet”
3. Dawnbringer – “Nucleus”
Best Live Show:
1. Iron Maiden
2. The Avett Brothers
3. Amon Amarth
These lists are killer hard. Tried to avoid repeats.
Best album:
1/ Hacavitz – Metztli Obscura
2/ Woe – Quietly, Undramatically
3/ Ophis – Withered Shades
4/ Rosetta – Determinism of Morality
5/ Shining – Blackjazz
6/ Bastard Noise – Culture of Monsters
7/ Ophis – Withered Shades
8/ Christian Mistress – Agony and Opium
9/ Withered – Dualitas
10/ Deafest – Earth Turned Skyward
(11/ haarp.)
Album cover:
1/ Salome – Terminal (srsly)
2/ Flaming Tusk – Old, Blackened Century
3/ Intronaut – Valley of Smoke
Production:
1/ Orphaned Land – The Never Ending Way of ORWarriOR (Steven Wilson)
2/ Persefone – Shin-Ken (also a killer album cover) (Aleix Dorca)
3/ Krieg – The Isolationist (Sanford Parker)
Live show:
1/ Wormrot @ Acheron
2/ Nuclear Assault @ Public Assembly
3/ Isis @ Music Hall of Williamsburg (clearly biased here)
(4/ Batillus. Everywhere. Dooooooomy goodness.)
Best Album:
1. Ludicra-The Tenant
2. High on Fire-Snakes for the Devine
3. Deftones-Diamon Eyes
4. Integrity-The Blackest Curse
5. The Dillinger Escape Plan-Option Paralysis
6. Chronos-Demo 2010
7. The Armed-Common Enemies
8. Immolation-Majesty and Decay
9. Autopsy-The Tomb Within
10. Magrudergrind-Crusher
Best Album Cover:
1. Ludicra-The Tenant
2. High on Fire-Snakes for the Devine
3. Immolation-Majesty and Decay
Best Production:
1. The National-High Violet
2. Autopsy-The Tomb Within
3. Deftones-Diamond Eyes
Best Live Show:
1. Gogol Bordello
2. Deftones
3. Murder By Death
1. Ludicra – The Tenant
2. Alcest – Écailles de Lune
3. Atheist – Jupiter
4. Blind Guardian – At the Edge of Time
5. Watain – Lawless Darkness
6. Iron Maiden – The Final Frontier
7. Man’s Gin – Smiling Dogs
8. Slough Feg – The Animal Spirits
9. The Ocean – Heliocentric
10. Landmine Marathon – Sovereign Descent
Album Cover:
1. Kvelertak – Kvelertak
2. Ludicra – The Tenant
3. Jucifer – Throned in Blood
Production:
1. Man’s Gin – Smiling Dogs
2. Enslaved – Axioma Ethica Odini
3. Dawnbringer – Nucleus
Live Show:
1. Landmine Marathon
2. Alcest
3. Iron Maiden
Best album
This is hard to do. Broke bastard that I have been this year, I don’t own most of the records that are showing up on year-end lists–e.g., Agalloch, Deathspell Omega, Ghost, Dawnbringer—and while I plan on buying at least a couple of these eventually, I don’t think I can adequately judge something based on having streamed it a couple of times on Youtube. What follows, then, are ten albums that came out this year that I do own and have listened to enough times (and on an actual stereo) to know that I really like.
1) Ludicra – The Tenant
2) Triptykon – Eparistera Daimones
3) Iron Maiden – The Final Frontier
4) High on Fire – Snakes for the Divine
5) Vasaeleth – Crypt Born and Tethered to Ruin
6) Darkthrone – Circle the Wagons
7) Melvins –The Bride Screamed Murder
9) Hooded Menace – Never Cross the Dead
10) Freedom Hawk – s/t (I think this came out this year, but it may have been late 2009)
Best Album Cover
1) Ghost – Opus Eponymous (I don’t need to own this album to know that the cover is awesome)
2) Darkthrone – Circle the Wagons
3) Hooded Menace – Never Cross the Dead
Best Production
Again, this is hard, as it’s not easy to pick up on production nuances through my laptop speakers. Still, I’m going to add Intronaut to my list here, and I’m sure I’ll be even more impressed by the production after I buy the album and give it a proper listen.
1) Triptykon – Eparistera Daimones
2) Ludicra – The Tenant
3) Intronaut –Valley of Smoke
Best Live Show
1) Ludicra
2) Iron Maiden
3) Valkyrie
Album
1) Castevet – Mounds of Ash
Coffinworm – When All Became None
2) Thou – Summit
3) Deathspell Omega – Paracletus
4) Black Breath – Heavy Breathing
5) Sailors with Wax Wings – Sailors with Wax Wings
6) Unearthly Trance – V
7) Kvelertak – Kvelertak
9) Sabbath Assembly – Restored to One
10) Kylesa – Spiral Shadow
Album Covers
1) Nightbringer – Apocalypse Sun
2) Unearthly Trance – V
3) Mutant Supremacy – Infinite Suffering
Album Production
1) Castevet – Mounds of Ash
2) Black Breath – Heavy Breathing
3) Coffinworm – When All Became None
Live Shows
1) Iron Age
2) Magrudergrind
3) The Atlas Moth
I have no idea why my 8 in the post above turned into a smiling, sunglasses-wearing emoticon. Please know that has nothing to do with my thoughts on the Swans album.
Cool shades emoticon
Favorite albums of 2010:
10. Alcest – Ecailles De Lune
9. Daughters – s/t
8. Comeback Kid – Symptoms + Cures
7. Ludicra – The Tenant
6. Nails – Unsilent Death
5. Agalloch – Marrow of the Spirit
4. Kylesa – Spiral Shadow
3. Deftones – Diamond Eyes
2. Rotting Christ – AEALO
1. Kvelertak – s/t
Favorite covers of 2010:
3. Thou – Summit
2. Kvelertak – s/t
1. Fuck the Facts – Unnamed EP
Best production:
3. Castevet – Mounds of Ash
2. Nails – Unsilent Death
1. Kvelertak – s/t
Best Album:
1. Hour Of 13 – The Ritualist
2. Ghost – Opus Eponymous
3. Immolation – Majesty and Decay
4. Cathedral – The Guessing Game
5. Ratt – Infestation
6. Grand Magus – Hammer Of The North
7. Christian Mistress – Agony & Opium
8. Enslaved – Axioma Ethica Odini
9. Kylesa – Spiral Shadow
10. Severe Torture – Slaughtered
Best Album Cover:
1. Triptykon – Eparistera Daimones
2. Ghost – Opus Eponymous
3. Cathedral – The Guessing Game
Best Album Production:
1. Triptykon – Eparistera Daimones
2. Enslaved – Axioma Ethica Odini
3. Christian Mistress – Agony & Opium
Best Live Show:
1. YOB
2. Bolt Thrower
3. Y&T
Best Album
1. Winterhorde – Underwatermoon
2. Barren Earth – Curse of the Red River
3. Cleric – Rgressions
4. Equilibrium – Rekreatur
5. Mose Giganticus – Gift Horse
6. Agalloch – Marrow Of The Spirit
7. Howl – Full of Hell
8. In Lingua Mortua – Salon des Refuses
9. Kylesa – Spiral Shadow
10. Year of No Light – Ausserwelt
Also high on the list:
The Contortionist – Exoplanet
Ufomammut – Eve
Solefald – Norron Livskunst
Martriden – Encounter the Monolith
Best Album Cover
1. Winterhorde – Underwatermoon
2. Unearthly Trance – V
3. Barren Earth – Curse of the Red River
Best Album Production
1. Barren Earth – Curse of the Red River
2. Cleric – Regressions
3. Kylesa – Spiral Shadow
I don’t go to live shows, so can’t vote on those.
Best album
1. Triptykon – ED
2. The Bastard Noise – A Culture of Monsters
3. Salome – Terminal
4. Bongripper – Satan Worshipping Doom
5. Intronaut – Valley of Smoke
6. Electric Wizard – Black Masses
7. Murder Construct – Murder Construct
8. Extortion – Loose Screws
9. Kill the Client – Set for Extinction
10. Fistula – Goat
Best Album Cover
1. Slaughter Strike – At Life’s End
2. Deathspell Omega – Paracletus
3. Bongripper – Satan Worshipping Doom
Best Production
1. Triptykon – ED
2. Salome – Terminal
3. Nails – Unsilent Death
Best Live Show
1. Sleep (@ Mohawk in Austin)
2. The Bastard Noise w/ Hatred Surge and Mammoth Grinder @ Emos
3. Eyehategod (playing through both their first and second LPs @ Emos)
Best Album
01. Cerebral Bore – Maniacal Miscreation
02. Defeated Sanity – Chapters Of Repugnance
03. Fractured Insanity – Mass Awakeless
04. Decimation – Anthems of an Empyreal Dominion
05. Hour of Penance – Paradogma
06. Embryonic Devourment – Vivid Interpretations Of The Void
07. Cerebral Effusion – Impulsive Psychpathic Acts
08. Inherit Disease – Visceral Transcendence
09. High On Fire – Snakes for the Divine
10. Celestia – Archaenae Perfectii
Best Album Cover
01. Decimation – Anthems of an Empyreal Dominion
02. High On Fire – Snakes for the Divine
03. Defeated Sanity – Chapters Of Repugnance
Best Album Production
01. Defeated Sanity – Chapters Of Repugnance
02. Cerebral Bore – Maniacal Miscreation
03. Decimation – Anthems of an Empyreal Dominion
Best Live Show
In Vietnam, you can’t see any live shows from any foreign metal bands
Best Album:
1. Orphaned Land-The Never-Ending Way of ORWarriOR
2. Triptykon-Eparistera Daimones
3. Metsatoll-Aio
4. Burzum-Belus
5. Heidevolk-Uit Oude Grond
6. Darkthrone-Circle the Wagons
7. Thou-Summit
8. Rotting Christ-Aealo
9. Immolation-Majesty and Decay
10. Hacavitz-Meztli Obscura
Best Art:
1. Immolation-Majesty and Decay
2. Darkthrone-Circle the Wagons
3. Acid Witch-Stoned
Best Production:
1. Triptykon-Eparistera Daimones
2. Darkthrone-Circle the Wagons
3. Amebix-Redux
Best Live Show:
1. Nile
2. Absu
3. eyehategod
Best Album:
1. Los Campesinos – Romance Is Boring
2. Watain – Lawless Darkness
3. Julie Christmas – The Bad Wife
4. Harvey Milk – A Small Turn of Human Kindness
5. Agalloch – Marrow of the Spirit
6. LCD Soundsystem – This Is Happening
7. Darkthrone – Circle the Wagons
8. Triptykon – Eparistera Daimones
9. Swans – My Father Will Guide Me Up a Rope to the Sky
10. Adversarial – All Idols Fall Before the Hammer
Best Album Cover:
1. Triptykon – Eparistera Daimones
2. Darkthrone – Circle the Wagons
3. Deathspell Omega – Paracletus
Best Album Production:
1. Agalloch – Marrow of the Spirit
2. Swans – My Father Will Guide Me Up a Rope to the Sky
3. Triptykon – Eparistera Daimones
Best Live Show:
(I have not actually seen a live show this year that I would put here)
Best album:
1. Triptykon – Eparistera Daimones
2. Sweet cobra – Mercy
3. The Acacia strain – Wormwood
4. Nails – Unsilent death
5. Look what i did – Atlas drugged
6. Black breath – Heavy breathing
7. Gozu – Locust season
8. Momentum – Fixation, at rest
9. Kylesa – spiral shadow
10. Kvelertak – Kvelertak
Best production:
1. Triptykon – Eparistera Daimones
2. Black breath – Heavy breathing
3. Akaname – as above / so below
Best album cover:
1. Kvelertak – Kvelertak
2. The Secret – Solve et coagula
3. Kylesa – Spiral Shadow
Best live show:
1. Karma to burn (Baroeg, Rotterdam)
2. Sleepy time gorilla museum (P60, Amstelveen)
3. Despised Icon (Baroeg, Rotterdam)
Best Album
01. Alcest – Escailles De Lune
02. Eluvium – Similes
03. Dispirit – Demo Tape
04. Mogwai – Special Moves
05. Flying Lotus – Cosmogramme
06. Barn Owl – Ancestral Star
07. The Body – And All the Waters of the Earth …
08. Harvey Milk – A Small Turn of Human Kindness
09. Brain McBride – Effective Disconnect
10. Mouth of the Architect – The Violence Beneath
Best Album Cover
01. The Body – And All the Waters of the Earth …
02. High On Fire – Snakes for the Divine
03. Thrones – Late For Dinner
Best Album Production
01. Castevet – Mounds of Ash
02. Alcest – Escailles De Lune
03. Mouth of the Architect – The Violence Beneath
Best Live Show
01. Krallice
02. Mogwai
03. Thrones
Best Album =
1 Rotting Christ’s “AEALO”
2 Triptykon’s “Eparistera Daimones”
3 Interment’s “Into the Crypts of Blasphemy”
4 Quest for Fire’s “Lights from Paradise”
5 Hooded Menace’s “Never Cross the Dead”
6 A Forest of Stars’ “Opportunistic Thieves of Spring”
7 Ghost’s “Opus Eponymous”
8 Deathspell Omega’s “Paracletus”
9 True’s “Still Life”
10 Orphaned Land’s “The Never Ending Way Of Orwarrior”
Best Album Cover =
1 The Body’s “And All the Waters of the Earth”
2 High On Fire’s “Snakes for the Divine”
3 Ghost’s “Opus Eponymous”
Best Album Production =
1 Triptykon’s “Eparistera Daimones”
2 Rotting Christ’s “AEALO”
3 Hooded Menace’s “Never Cross the Dead”
Best Live Show =
1 Overkill
2 Soulfly
3 Vader
//TB
Still have to think a bit more about mi 2010 tops, but right now this is my list:
Best 10 albums
Ihsahn – After
Shining – Blackjazz
Toundra – (II)
Vektor – Black Future
Ludicra – The Tenant (my respect for this site for it is because Cosmo’s insistence that I discovered such a great band)
Orphaned Land – The Never Ending Way Of ORwarriOR
Triptykon – Eparistera Daimones
Solefald – Norrøn Livskunst
Obsidian Kingdom – 3:11 (this is too personal for me)
Opeth – In Live Concert At The Royal Albert Hall
Best Album Cover
Solefald – Norrøn Livskunst (standard Trine & Kim layout but astounding design nevertheless)
Orphaned Land – The Never Ending Way Of ORwarriOR
Vektor – Black Future (classic never gets old!)
Best Album Production
Ihsahn – After
Shining – Blackjazz
Orphaned Land – The Never Ending Way Of ORwarriOR
Best Live Show
Between The Buried And Me
Orphaned Land (far beyond my expectations, incredible!)
Cynic
This made me realize how little metal I’ve been listening to this year.
Best album
01 Intronaut – Valley of Smoke
02 Decrepit Birth – Polarity
03 Nails – Unsilent Death
04 Nachtmysitium – Addicts: Black Meddle Part II
05 Cephalic Carnage – Misled by Certainty
06 Black Breath – Heavy Breathing
07 Alcest – Ecailles De Lune
08 The Sword – Warp Riders
09 Wormrot – Abuse
10 Shining(NOR) – Blackjazz
Best Album Cover
01 The Sword – Warp Riders
02 Nails – Unsilent Death
03 Intronaut – Valley of Smoke
Best Album Production
01 Intronaut – Valley of Smoke
02 Nachtmystium – Addicts: Black Meddle Part II
03 Black Breath – Heavy Breathing
Best Live Show
01 Converge, Black Breath, Gaza
02 Summer Slaughter (Decapitated, Decrepit Birth, The Faceless, Animals as Leaders…)
03 Cannibal Corpse, Dying Fetus, Vital Remains (even though Pop’s’s sound is always shitty)
Top 10 albums
1 Deathspell Omega – Paracletus
2 Blut Aus Nord – What Once Was… Liber I
3 The Secret – Solve Et Coagula
4 Trap Them – Filth Rations
5 Sailors With Wax Wings – Sailors With Wax Wings
6 Hail Of Bullets – On Divine Winds
7 Enslaved – Axioma Ethica Odini
8 Castevet – Mounds Of Ash
9 Celeste – Morte(s) Nee(s)
10 Daughters – Daughters
Top 10 shows
1 ISIS Farewell show – Club Soda, Montreal
2 Trap Them – Subterranean, Chicago
3 Pelican 10th Anniversary show – Bottom Lounge, Chicago
4 Swans – Bottom Lounge, Chicago
5 Torche / High On Fire – Turner Hall, Milwaukee
6 Melvins / ISIS at 930 Club, Washington, DC
7 1349 – Bottom Lounge, Chicago
8 Cave In – Portland, ME
9 As a tour manager, I seem to not care about shows as much anymore…I can’t even list 10 shows I went to this year. 3 on my list were work related. I’d rather stay at home, drink beer and listen to records.
Best Production
I don’t care… If it sounds awesome, great. If it sounds terrible, but the songs are killer, great. My guess is that Kurt Ballou and Sanford Parker probably made great sounding records that I liked this year.
Best Cover
1 The Secret – Solve Et Coagula
2 Swans – My Father Will Guide Me Up A Rope To Heaven
3 Castevet – Mounds Of Ash
4 East Of The Wall – Ressentiment
5 Negura Bunget – Virstele Pamintului
6 Triptykon – Esparistera Daimones
7 Knut – Challenger (LP reissue on Hydra Head)
8 Mammifer – Hirror Eniffer (LP on Sige Records)
9 Rosetta – A Determinism of Morality
10 Neurosis – Live At Roadburn
1. Hour of 13 – The Ritualist
2. Watain – Lawless Darkness
3. Briton Rites – For Mircalla
4. Ghost – Opus Eponymous
5. Procession – Destroyers of the Faith
6. Triptykon – Eparistera Daimones
7. Sargeist – Let the Devil In
8. Slough Feg – Animal Spirits
9. Burzum – Belus
10. Dio – Dio at Donington UK: Live 1983 & 1987
1. Acid Witch – stoned
2. Inquisition – Into the Infernal Regions of the Ancient Cult (new re-release artwork)
3. Procession – Destroyers of the Faith
LIVE
1. Watain
2. Triptykon
3. Cardiac Arrest
Is is okay to vote for album and cover only? I haven’t been to a single show this year.
Best albums:
1. Thou- Summit
2. Horseback- The Invisible Mountain (reissue)
3. Castevet- Mounds Of Ash
4. Ludicra- The Tenant
5. Locrian- The Crystal World
6. Ehnahre- Taming The Cannibals
7. Twilight- Monument To Time End
8. Agalloch- Marrow of The Spirit
9. The Body- All The Waters of the Earth Turn To Blood
10. High On Fire- Snacks For the Divine
Best Album Cover:
1. Locrian- The Crystal World (no contest)
2. Thou- Summit
3. The Body- All The Waters (very iconic)
Best production:
1. Castevet- Mounds of Ash
2. Triptykon- Esparistera Daimones
3. Sailors With Wax Wings- s/t
Best Live show:
1. Isis farewell shows (because they’re my favorite band)
2. Torche
3. Triptykon
A more comprehensive list can be found at my blog sf sludge, which you can access by clicking through on my name
Best Albums:
1. US Christmas- Run Thick in The Night
2. Deftones-Diamond Eyes
3. Kvelertak- S/T
4. Ion Dissonance- Cursed
5. Early Graves- Goner
6. Circle Of Dead Children- Psalm of the Grand Destroyer
7. Deathspell Omega- Paracletus
8. Intronaut- Valley of Smoke
9. Swans- My Father Will Guide Me Up A Rope To Heaven
10. Twilight- Monument to Time End
Best Album Covers:
1. US Christmas- Run Thick in the Night
2. Intronaut- Valley of Smoke
3. Salome- Terminal
Best Production:
1. US Christmas- Run Thick in the Night
2. Deftones- Diamond Eyes
3. Deathspell Omega- Paracletus
Best Live Show:
1. Portal
2. Swans
3. Faith No More
Best Albums.
1. Deftones – Diamond Eyes
2. Salome – Terminal
3. The Acacia Strain – Wormwood
4. The Chariot – Long Live
5. Kylesa – Spiral Shawdow
6. The Bled – Heat Fetish
7. Cancer Bats – Bears, Mayors, Scraps and Bones
8. Triptykon – Eparistera Daimones
9. As I Lay Dying – The Powerless Lies
10. The Dillinger Escape Plan – Option Paralysis
Best Live Bands (only got to two shows this year
)
1. The Bled
2. Monarch
Best Production
1. Deftones – Diamond Eyes
2. Triptykon – Eparistera Daimones
3. The Acacia Strain – Wormwood
Album
1. Thou – Summit
2. Salome – Terminal
3. Bongripper – Satan Worshipping Doom
4. Ludicra – The Tenant
5. Torche – Songs for Singles
6. Kylesa – Spiral Shadow
7. Agalloch – Marrow of the Spirit
8. Zoroaster – Matador
Best Cover
1. Thou – Summit
2. Bongripper – Satan Worshipping Doom
3. Intronaut – Valley of Smoke
Best Production
1. Bongripper – Satan Worshipping Doom
2. Salome – Terminal
3. Nails – Unsilent Death
Best Live
1. Coalesce
2. Converge
3. Thou
Best Albums:
1. Yakuza – Of Seismic Consequence
2. Ihsahn – After
3. Howl – Full Of Hell
4. Triptykon – Eparistera Daimones
5. High On Fire – Snakes For The Divine
6. Ludicra – The Tenant
7. Castevet – Mounds Of Ash
8. Horseback – The Invisible Mountain
9. Kvelertak – Kvelertak
10. Hour Of Penance – Paradogma
Best Album Covers
1. Flaming Tusk – Old, Blackened Century
2. Howl – Full Of Hell
3. Kvelertak – Kvelertak
Best Production
1. Triptykon – Eparistera Daimones
2. Ihsahn – After
3. Ludicra – The Tenant
Best Live Show
I don’t feel I can really comment on this… I was too much of a homebody this year.
Best Albums:
1. Intronaut- Valley of Smoke
2. East of the Wall- Ressentiment
3. Portal- Swarth
4. National Sunday Law- The Fifth Ape
5. The Ocean- Anthropocentric
6. Massive Attack- Heligoland
7. Kylesa- Spiral Shadows
8. The Binary Code- Priest
9. The Orb- Metallic Spheres
10. Dysrhythmia- Psychic Maps (Not actually sure if that was this year but it was, nonetheless, insane.)
Best Albums Covers:
1. Intronaut- Valley of Smoke
2. The Ocean- Anthropocentric
3. Kylesa- Spiral Shadows
Best Production:
1. Intronaut- Valley of Smoke
2. Massive Attack- Heligoland
3. Kylesa- Spiral Shadows
4. National Sunday Law- The Fifth Ape
5. East of the Wall- Ressentiment
6. Portal- Swarth (Obviously it’s not supposed to sound good but it sounds like this is exactly what they had imagined for themselves from the start.)
Best Live Show:
1. Tool
2. Massive Attack
3. Intronaut and Dysrhythmia (Cynic felt completely uninspired, it was a huge letdown.)
sickofmotion et al. – If you didn’t go to any shows this year, then you needn’t vote for any. If you’re blind, you needn’t vote for any albums covers. And so on.
i love that Vektor album, but that was from twentyzeroandnine.
Best albums (I doubt there’s 10)
1.Manilla Road – Mark of The Beast reissue
2.Krieg – the isolationist
3.Decrepitaph – Beyond The Cursed Tombs
4.Convulse – World Without God reissue
5.Cruciamentum – Convocation of Crawling Chaos
6.Hooded Menace – Never Cross The Dead
7.Tombstones – Not For The Squeamish
8.Graveland – Cold Winter Blades
9.Malevolent Creation – unreleased 1987 CD
10.Immolation – Majesty & Decay
Best Album Covers
1.Melechesch – The Epigenesis
2.Prosanctus Inferi – Pandemonic Ululations of Vesperic Palpitation
3.Tombstones – Not For The Squeamish
Production
1.Krieg – The Isolationist
2.Electic Wizard – Black Masses
3.Cruciamentum – Convocation of Crawling Chaos
Best in Show
1.D.R.I.
2.Autopsy
3.Ween
As you can tell by my oldschool disposition I must be 40 but I’m actually in my mid-20s, I just don’t like much new shit. I really don’t like all this bad grunge and nu-metal being dressed up as arty stoner metal, or indie “black metal” so while I did hear alot of albums this year the more traditional stuff kept my attention.
Best album
01 Castevet – Mounds Of Ash
02 Coffinworm – When All Became None
03 Unearthly Trance – V
04 Harvey Milk – A Small Turn Of Human Kindness
05 Vasaeleth – Crypt Born & Tethered To Ruin
06 Immolation – Majesty & Decay
07 Ludicra – The Tenant
08 Twilight – Monument To Time End
09 The Howling Wind – Into The Cryosphere
10 Defeatist – Sixth Extinction
Best Album Cover
01 Locrian – Crystal World
02 Unearthly Trance – V
03 Ghost-Opus Eponymous
Best Album Production
01 Castevet – Mounds Of Ash
02 Unearthly Trance – V
03 Coliseum – House With A Curse
Best Live Show
01 Psychic Limb
02 Psychic Limb
03 Psychic Limb
Albums
1. Christian Mistress – “Agony And Opium”
2. Ludicra – “The Tenant”
3. Electric Wizard – “Black Masses”
4. Intronaut – “Valley Of Smoke”
5. Withered – “Dualitas”
6. Kylesa – “Spiral Shadow”
7. Mares Of Thrace – “The Moulting”
Covers
1. Agalloch – “Marrow Of The Spirit”
2. Kylesa – “Spiral Shadow”
3. Deathspell Omega – “Paracletus”
Production
1. Electric Wizard – “Black Masses”
2. Jucifer – “Throned In Blood”
3. Intronaut – “Valley Of Smoke”
Live
1. Portal
2. Converge
3. Lightning Bolt
Best Albums
1. Nechochwen – Azimuths to the Other World
2. Ereb Altor – The End
3. Panopticon / When Bitter Spring Sleeps
4. Les Discrets – Septembre et ses dernières Pensées
5. The Meads of Asphodel – The Murder of Jesus the Jew
6. Inquisition – Ominous Doctrines of the Perpetual Mystical Macrocosm
7. Rotting Christ – AEALO
8. Witchrist – Beheaded Ouroboros
9. Christian Mistress – Agony and Opium
10. Virgin Steele – The Black Light Bacchanalia
Best Album Art
1. Mortualia – Blood of the Hermit
2. Les Discrets – Septembre et ses dernières Pensées
3. Menace Ruine – Union of Irreconcilables
Best Production
1. Iron Thrones – The Wretched Sun
2. Witchrist – Beheaded Ouroboros
3. Nechochwen – Azimuths to the Other World
Best Live Performances
1. Immolation
2. Iron Maiden
3. Amon Amarth
Best albums
1. Enslaved – Axioma Ethica Odini
2. Sigh – Scenes from Hell
3. Deathspell Omega – Paracletus
4. Winterfylleth – The Mercian Sphere
5. Darkthrone – Circle the Wagons
6. Helloween – 7 Sinners
7. Ihsahn – After
8. Iron Maiden – The Final Frontier
9. Burzum – Belus
10. Atheist – Jupiter
Best album art
1. Darkthrone – Circle the Wagons
2. Enslaved – Axioma Ethica Odini
3. Wuthering Heights – Salt
Best Production
1. Helloween – 7 Sinners
2. Negura Bunget – Vîrstele Pamîntului
3. Sodom – In War & Pieces
Best Live Show
1. Voivod – Southampton Joiners
2. Sigh – Hellfest
3. Twisted Sister – Hellfest
1. Christian Mistress – Agony and Opium
2. Slough Feg – Animal Spirits
3. Deathspell Omega – Paracletus
4. Electric Wizard – Black Mass
5. Ghost – Elizabeth
6. Horseback – Invisible Mountain
7. Ludicra – The Tenant
8. High on Fire – Snakes of the Divine
9. Twilight – Monument to Time End
10.The Devil’s Blood – The Time of No Time Evermore
Best Album Cover
1. Acid Witch – Stoned
2. Landmine Marathon – Sovereign Descent
3. High on Fire – Snakes of the Divine
Best Production
1. Horseback – Invisible Mountain
2. Inquisition – Ominous Doctrines of the Perpetual Mystical Macrocosm
3. Black Pyramid – Black Pyramid
Best Live Show
1. Mutilation Rites
2. Nachtmystium
3. Wolves and Jackals
My favorite metal (etc.) albums of 2010:
1) Ludicra – The Tenant
2) Charred Walls of the Damned – s/t
3) Atheist – Jupiter
4) Killing Joke – Absolute Dissent
5) Kayo Dot – Coyote
6) Deathspell Omega – Paracletus
Album:
10. Deftones – Diamond Eyes
9. Kvelertak – Kvelertak
8. Immolation – Majesty & Decay
7. The Dillinger Escape Plan – Option Paralysis
6. Flying Lotus – Cosmogramma
5. Arcade Fire – The Suburbs
4. Alcest – Écailles de Lune
3. Swans – My Father Will Guide Me Up a Rope to the Sky
2. Triptykon – Eparistera Daimones (+ Shatter EP)
1. Agalloch – Marrow of the Spirit
Cover:
3. Kvelertak – Kvelertak
2. Nails – Unsilent Death
1. Celeste – Morte(s) Nee(s)
Production:
3. Agalloch – Marrow of the Spirit (screw the haters, the production fits the atmosphere of this album perfectly)
2. Gonjasufi – A Sufi and a Killer
1. Triptykon – Eparistera Daimones
Live:
3. Bloodbath
2. Baroness
1. Devin Townsend (more specifically “The Devin Townsend Project”)
I haven’t even got my thoughts together really when it comes to best albums, but I’ll do it anyway. This is just off the top of my head.
(Side note: I haven’t heard many of my favorite bands’ new albums such as Withered, Enslaved, Electric Wizard, Darkthrone, etc.)
Best Albums:
1. Agalloch-Marrow of the Spirit
2. Les Discrets-Septembre Et Ses Dernières Pensées
3. The Arcade Fire-The Suburbs
4. Twilight-Monument to Time End
5. Burzum-Belus
6. Nails-Unsilent Death
7. Deathspell Omega-Paracletus
8. Hooded Menace-Never Cross The Dead
9. Austerity Program-Backsliders and Apostates Will Burn
10. Tryptikon-Eparistera Daimones
Best Album Cover:
1. Hooded Menace-Never Cross the Dead (just had to do it)
2. Les Discrets-Septembre Et Ses Dernières Pensées
3. Darkthrone-Circle the Wagons
Best Live Show:
1. Sleep
2. Converge
3. Mondo Cane
FUCK, I take it back, the #1 best album art should go to Bongripper’s fucking amazing HAIL SATAN WORSHIP DOOM artwork.
Albums:
1.Thou-Summit
2.Zoroaster-Matador
3.Cough-Ritual Abuse
4.Unearthly Trance-V
5.Coffinworm-When All Became None
6.Hooded Menace-Never Cross The Dead
7.The Body-All The Waters Of The Earth Turn To Blood
8.Kylesa-Spiral Shadow
9.The High Confessions-Turning Lead Into Gold…
10.Hail Of Bullets-On Divine Winds
Cover Art:
1.Thou-Summit(CD and Vinyl)
2.Coffinworm-When All Became None
3.Unearthly Trance-V
Production:
1.Cough-Ritual Abuse
2.Unearthly Trance-V
3.Thou-Summit
Live Show:
1.Thou
2.Agalloch
3.Nails
Honorable Mention:The return of From Ashes Rise!
Best Albums:
1. Man’s Gin – Smiling Dogs
2. Salome – Terminal
3. Thou – Summit
4. Cough – Ritual Abuse
5. The Body – All The Waters Of Earth Turn To Blood
6. Agalloch – Marrow Of The Spirit
7. Harvey Milk – A Small Turn Of Human Kindness
8. Horseback – The Invisible Mountain
9. Kylesa – Spiral Shadow
10. Twilight – Monument To Time End
Best Cover Art:
1. Fistula – Goat
2. The Body – All The Waters Of Earth Turn To Blood
3. Thou – Summit
Best Production:
1. Man’s Gin – Smiling Dogs
2. Kylesa – Spiral Shadow
3. Bongripper – Satan Worshiping Doom
Best Live Show:
I have no idea.
Top 10 Albums
1.- Deathspell Omega-Paracletus
2.- Agalloch-Marrow Of The Spirit
3.- Castevet-Mounds Of Ash
4.- Kylesa-Spiral Shadow
5.- Ludicra-The Tenant
6.- Watain-Lawless Darkness
7.- Ghost-Opus Eponymous
8.- Intronaut-Valley Of Smoke
9.- Thou-Summit
10.- Kvelertak-Kvelertak
Best Album Covers
1.- Ghost-Opus Eponymous
2.- Thou-Summit
3.- Dawnbringer-Nucleus
Best Production
1.- Ludicra-The Tenant
2.- Kylesa-Spiral Shadow
3.- Ghost-Opus Eponymous
Best album:
1. Kvelertak – Kvelertak
2. Enslaved – Axioma Ethica Odini
3. Cloudkicker – Beacons
4. Ihsahn – After
5. I’ll Eat Your Face – Irritant
6. Darkthrone – Circle The Wagons
7. Shining – Blackjazz
8. Slough Feg – The Animal Spirits
9. Torture Divison – Evighetens Dårar
10. Levi / Werstler – Avalanche of Worms
Best album cover:
1. Darkthrone – Circle The Wagons
2. Slough Feg – The Animal Spirits
3. Kvelertak – Kvelertak
Best production:
1. Ihsahn – After
2. Shining – Blackjazz
3. Slough Feg – The Animal Spirits
Best live show:
1. Jethro Tull
2. Iron Maiden
3. Saxon
Being underage and Norwegian makes it hard to see any live shows at all.
Best albums:
1. Enslaved – Axioma Ethica Odini
2. Mar de Grises – Streams Inwards
3. Triptykon – Eparistera Daimones
4. Deathspell Omega – Paracletus
5. Immolation – Majesty and Decay
6. Agalloch – Marrow of the Spirit
7. Negura Bunget – Maiestrit
8. Rotting Christ – Aealo
9. Ihsahn – After
10. Ophis – Withered Shades
I won’t vote on the other categories.
@trumbum: damn, you’re totally right! Cosmo, please, just ignore my Vektor choice. I won’t ask you to edit my votes, I think they’re fine as they are
Albums:
1. Ludicra – The Tenant
2. Ghost – Opus Anonymous
3. Christian Mistress – Agony And Opium
4. Hayaino Daisuki – Invincible Gate Mind Of The Infernal Fire Hell
5. Landmine Marathon – Sovereign Descent
6. Dawnbringer – Nucleus
7. Electric Wizard – Black Masses
8. Kvelertak – Kvelertak
9. Salome – Terminal
10. Manowar – Battle Hymns 2011 (not heard this yet, but NOTHING could fuck up those songs…)
Covers
1. Shining (NOR) – Blackjazz
2. Bongripper
3. Salome – Terminal
Production
1. Ghost
2. Salome
3. Electric Wizard
Live
1. Devil’s Blood – London, UK
2. Wolves In The Throne Room – London, UK
3. Manowar – Madrid, Spain
Will try to do this without thinking too much:
Best album
01 Island – Enigma of the Stars
02 Burzum – Belus
03 Castevet – Mounds of Ash
04 Fleurety – Evoco Bestias
05 Island – Island
06 Ekpyrosis – Ein Ewiges Bild
07 Yurei – Working Class Demon
08 Whirling – Faceless Phenomena
09 Nidingr – Wolf-Father
10 Ättestupa – Begraven Mot Norr
Best Album Cover
01 Fleurety – Evoco Bestias
02 Island – Island
03 Solefald – Norrøn Livskunst
Best Album Production
01 Ekpyrosis – Ein Ewiges Bild
02 Deathspell Omega – Paracletus
03 Abigor – Time is the Sulphur in the Veins of the Saint
Best Live Show
nope
1. Kvelertak- S/T
2. Yakuza- Of Seismic Consequence
3. Dillinger Escape Plan- Option Paralysis
4. Kylesa- Spiral Shadow
5. Nachtmystium- Addicts
6. The Body- All The Waters Of The Earth Will Turn To Blood
7. No Hawaii- Snake My Charms
8. Bison BC- Dark Ages
9. Deathspel Omega-Paracletus
10. Withered- Dualitas
Covers:
Deathspell Omega
Kvelertak
The Secret
Best Production:
Kvelertak
Dawnbringer
Nachtmystium
Live:
Foals
Kvelertak
Bison BC
Albums (I assume it’s ok to include EPs)
1. Fleshgod Apocalypse – Mafia
2. The Dillinger Escape Plan – Option Paralysis
3. The Ocean – Heliocentric
4. Kvelertak – Kvelertak
5. Ghost – Opus Eponymous
6. Harvey Milk – A Small Turn Of Human Kindness
7. Kylesa – Spiral Shadow
8. Decrepit Birth – Polarity
9. Nails – Unsilent Death
10. The Body – All The Waters Of The Earth Shall Turn To Blood
Best Album Cover
1. Kvelertak – Kvelertak
2. The Sword – Warp Riders
3. Ghost – Opus Eponymous
Best Production
1. The Dillinger Escape Plan – Option Paralysis
2. Nails – Unsilent Death
3. Fleshgod Apocalypse – Mafia
Best Live Show
1. The Dillinger Escape Plan
2. The Ocean
3. Devin Townsend Project
When I think about it I realize it has been a good year..
Best Albums
1-Ufomammut – Eve
2-Nails – Unsilent Death
3-Sloath – Self Titled
4-Begrime Exemious – Impending Funeral of Man
5-Brulvanahtu – Last Living Dream
6-Lightning Swords of Death – The Extra Dimensional Wound
7-Funerot – And Then You FUcking Die Man
8-US CHristmas – Run Thick in the Night
9-Masakari – The Profit Feeds
10-Mona de Bo – Nekavejies SIs ir Speles Ar Tevu
Best Covers
2-us christmas – run thick in the night
1-mutant supremacy – infinite suffering
3-burial invocation – rituals of te grotesque
did not see aenough live shows to rate appropriately
i like shitty production in which case I say whoever handled the duties for begrime exemious record…
Best Album
01 Agalloch – Marrow Of The Spirit
02 Castevet – Mounds Of Ash
03 Trap Them – Filth Rations
04 Torche – Songs for Singles
05 The Secret – Solve Et Coagula
06 Black Breath – Heavy Breathing
07 Daughters – S/T
08 Coliseum – House With a Curse
09 Kylesa – Spiral Shadow
10 Year of No Light – Ausserwelt
Best Album Cover
01 All Pigs Must Die EP
02 The Secret – Solve Et Coagula
03 Agalloch – Marrow Of The Spirit
Best Album Production
01 Black Breath – Heavy Breathing
02 Nachtmystium – Addicts: Black Meddle Part II
03 Deftones – Diamond Eyes
Best Live Show
01 Red Sparowes
02 Coliseum
03 Kvelertak
@ Bryan P.
SNACKS for the Divine. HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!
Best Album
1 Immolation – Majesty and Decay
2 Inquisition – Ominous Doctrines of the Perpetual Mystical Macrocosm
3 Melechesh – The Epigenesis
4 Agollach – Marrow of the Spirit
5 Ludicra – The Tenant
6 Arsis – Starve for the Devil
7 Landmine Marathon – Sovereign Descent
8 Howl – Full of Hell
9 Watain – Lawless Darkness
10 Mendoza – Cabre Noche
Best Album Cover
1 Conan – Horseback Battle Hammer
2 Weapon – From the Devil’s Tomb
3 Speedblow – Fields of Doom
Best Album Production
1 Inquisition – Ominous Doctrines of the Perpetual Mystical Macrocosm
2 Immolation – Majesty and Decay
3 Agollach – Marrow of the Spirit
Best Live Show
1 Goatwhore – Championship Bar, Trenton
2 Overkill – Trocadero, Philadelphia
3 Dreaming Dead – Trocadero, Philadelphia
Favorite Albums:
1.Cough-Ritual Abuse
2.High On Fire-Snakes Of The Divine
3.U.S. Christmas- Run Thick Through The Night
4.Inter Arma-Sundown
5.Unearthly Trance- V
Favorite Album Covers:
1.Ghost – Opus Eponymous (Hate the band/album but it is some really cool artwork)
2. Inter Arma-Sundown
3. Unearthly Trance- V
Favorite Album Production:
Didn’t really hear anything that stood out as being amazing to me.
Favorite live show:
1. Sleep
2. Windhand
3. US Christmas
Best Album
1. Ihasahn – “After”
2. The Abominable Iron Sloth – The Id Will Overcome
3. Coliseum – House with a Curse
4. Integrity – The Blackest Curse
5. Sick of it All – Based on a True Story
6. The High Confessions – Turning Lead Into Gold with the High Confessions
7. Vasaeleth – Crypt Born and Tethered to Ruin
8. Zoroaster – Matador
9. Fucked Up – Couple Tracks: Singles 2002 – 2009
10. Early Graves – Goner
Best Album Cover
1. Agalloch – “Marrow of the Spirit”
2. Morne – Untold Wait
3. Salome – Terminal
Best Album Production
1. Agalloch – “Marrow of the Spirit”
2. Wormrot – “Abuse”
3. Coliseum – “House with a Curse”
Best Live Show
1. Tombs
2. Planks
3. Dale Watson
1 – Enslaved – Axioma Ethica Odini
2 – Deathspell Omega – Paracletus
3 – Black Breath – Heavy Breathing
4 – Rose Kemp – Golden Shroud
5 – Hayaino Daisuki – Invincible Gate Mind Of The Infernal Fire Hell
6 – Kvelertak – Kvelertak
7 – Shining – Blackjazz
8 – Unearthly Trance – V
9 – Valborg – Crown Of Sorrow
10 – Ufomammut – Eve
Best Album Cover
1 – Black Breath – Heavy Breathing
2 – Rose Kemp – Golden Shroud
3 – Agalloch – Marrow Of The Spirit
Best Album Production
1 – Deathspell Omega – Paracletus
2 – Kvelertak – Kvelertak
3 – Enslaved – Axioma Ethica Odini
Best Live Show
1 – Orange Goblin
2 – Electric Wizard
3 – Eagle Twin
ALBUM
1. Wormed – quasineutrality
2. Harvey Milk – a small turn of human kindness
3. Starkweather – this sheltering night
4. Hooded Menace – never cross the dead
5. the Tony Danza Tapdance Extravaganza – Danza III
6. Celeste – Morte(s) Nee(s)
7. Masakari – the profit feeds
8. Early Graves – GONER
9. Excrementory Grindfuckers – Headliner Der Herzen
10. Dax Riggs – say goodnight to the world
best album cover
1. Fukpig – belief is the death of intelligence
2. Hooded menace – Never Cross The Dead
3. Faust – from glory to infinity (I’ve never even heard this either, hahaha)
best album production
1. Fukpig – Belief is the Death of Intelligence
2. Masakari – the profit feeds
3. the Tony Danza Tapdance Extravaganza – Danza III
best live show
1. Gaza
2. Atari teenage Riot
3. Keelhaul
BEST ALBUM
1. Ihsahn – After
2. Dax Riggs – Say Goodnight to the World
3. Enslaved – Axioma Ethica Odini
4. Ghost – Opus Eponymous
5. Unearthly Trance – V
6. The High Confessions – Turning Lead into Gold
7. Man’s Gin – Smiling Dogs
8. Agrimonia – Host of the Winged
9. Sailors With Wax Wings – Sailors With Wax Wings
10. Deathspell Omega – Paracletus
Best album
1. Ludicra – The Tenant
2. Salome – Terminal
3. High on Fire – Snakes of The Dive
4. Thou – Summit
5. Abscess – Dawn of Inhumanity
6. The Howling Wind-ITC
7. Black Tusk – Taste The Sin
8. Living Sacrifice – The Infinite Order
9. Overkill – Ironbound
10. Kylesa – Spiral Shadow
Best Album Cover
1. Abscess – Dawn of Inhumanity
2. Kylesa – Spiral Shadow
3. Salome – Terminal
Best Production
1. Ludicra-The Tenant
2. Salome – Terminal
3. Nails – Unsilent Death
Best Live Show
1. Kylesa
2. Overkill
3. High on Fire
album
1. ludicra. the tenant
2. sigh. scenes from hell
3. a forest of stars. opportunistic thieves of spring
4. black breath. heavy breathing
5. integrity. the blackest curse
6. triptykon. eparistera daimones
7. cathedral. the guessing game
8. withered. dualitis
9. portal. swarth
10.blood revolt. indoctrine
album cover
1. sigh. scenes from hell
2. cathedral. the guessing game
3. howl. full of hell
production
1. black breath. heavy breathing
2. withered. dualitis
3. ludicra. the tenant
live act
1. ludicra
2. black breath
3. nails
not all metal, but deal with it:
Best album
1. Enslaved – Axioma Ethica Odini
2. Lesbian – Statospheria Cubensis
3. Majeure – Timespan
4. Titan – Sweet Dreams
5. Ghost – Opus Eponymous
6. Danzig – Deth Red Saboath
7. Wovenhand – The Threshingfloor
8. Fatso Jetson – Archiac Volumes
9. The Wounded Kings – The Shadow Over Atlantis
10. The Howling Wind – Into the Cryosphere
Best Album Cover
I’m blind.
Best Album Production
1. Enslaved – Axioma Ethica Odini
2. Majeure – Timespan
3. Darkthrone – Circle the Wagons
Best Live Show
1. SLEEP
2. Primus
3. Tombs
Best Albums:
1. Slough Feg – The Animal Spirits
2. Electric Wizard – Black Masses
3. Wino – Adrift
4. Leeches of Lore – Attack The Future
5. Grails – Black Tar Prophecies IV
6. Cathedral – The Guessing Game
7. Blizaro – City Of The Living Nightmare
8. Black Mountain – Wilderness Heart
9. Against Nature – Drawing Arrows
10. Melvins – The Bride Screamed Murder
Best Cover:
Cathedral – The Guessing Game
Best Production:
Electric Wizard – Black Masses
Best Concert:
Pagan Altar/Blood Ceremony/Revelation/Cauchemar – Montreal, QC
Records:
1. Black Breah – Heavy Breathing
2. Coliseum – House With A Curse
3. Kylesa – Spiral Shadow
4. Dillinger Escape Plan – Option Paralysis
5. Black Mountain – Wilderness Heart
6. Trap Them – Filth Rations
7. High On Fire – Snakes For The Divine
8. All Pigs Must Die – S/T
9. Torche – Songs For Singles
10. Nails – Unsilent Death
Covers:
1. All Pigs Must Die – S/T
2. The Secret – Solve Et Coagula
3. Integity – The Blackest Curse
Productions:
1. Black Breath – Heavy Breathing
2. Integrity – The Blackest Curse
3. Coliseum – House With A Curse
Live:
1. Black Breath
2. Torche
3. Isis
Prepare for metal hipster sum!
Best album
01 Kylesa – Spiral Shadow
02 High on Fire – Snakes for the Divine
03 Kvelertak – Kvelertak
04 Torche – Songs For Singles
05 Agalloch – Marrow of the Spirit
06 Alcest – Ecailles De Lune
07 Electric Wizard – Black Masses
08 Ihsahn – After
09 The Dillinger Escape Plan – Option Paralysis
10 Celeste – Morte(s) Nee(s)
Best Album Cover
01 Kvelertak – Kvelertak
02 Agalloch – Marrow of the Spirit
03 Unearthly Trance – V
Best Album Production
01 Kvelertak-Kvelertak
02 Ihsahn – After
03 Periphery – Periphery
Best Live Show
01 High on Fire
02 Kylesa
03 Torche
Now that I think of it, I should have voted Sirens and Us – The Trap for best production. Anyway, doesn’t matter, it would have been the only vote.
Best Album:
1. Unearthly Trance: V
2. Ludicra: The Tenant
3. Agalloch: Marrow of the Spirit
4. Coffinworm: When All Became None
5. Thou: Summit
6. The Howling Wind: Into the Cryosphere
7. Ramesses: Take the Curse
8. The Body: All the Waters of the Earth Shall Turn to Blood
9. Pollution: SMUT
10. Harvey Milk: A Small Turn of Human Kindness
Best Cover
1. Unearthly Trance: V
2. Thou: Summit
3. Coffinworm: When All Became None
Production
1. Ludicra: The Tenant
2. Unearthly Trance: V
3. Ramesses: Take the Curse
Live:
1. Sleep
2. Ludicra
3. Altar of Plagues
Best Album:
The Dillinger Escape Plan – Option Paralysis
Intronaut – Valley of Smoke
Agalloch – Marrow of the Spirit
Deathspell Omega – Paracletus
Kylesa – Spiral Shadow
Daughters – Daughters
Shining – Blackjazz
Periphery – Periphery
Howl – Full of Hell
Avenged Sevenfold – Nightmare
Best Album Cover:
Agalloch – Marrow of the Spirit
Sigh – Scenes From Hell
Black Tusk – Taste The Sin
Best Production:
The Dillinger Escape Plan – Option Paralysis
Intronaut – Valley of Smoke
Periphery – Periphery
Best Album
1) Castevet: Mounds of Ash
Nightbringer: Apocalypse Sun
2) Ghost: Opus Eponymous
3) Ihsahn: After
4) Autopsy: The Tomb Within
5) Hooded Menace: Never Cross the Dead
6) Stargazer: Great Work of Ages
7) Triptykon: Eparistera Daimones
9) Nocturnal Blood: Devastated Graves
10) Immolation: Majesty and Decay
Best Album Cover
1) Autopsy: The Tomb Within
2) Ghost: Opus Eponymous
3) Hooded Menace: Never Cross the Dead
Best Production
1) Castevet: Mounds of Ash
2) Triptykon: Eparistera Daimones
3) Nocturnal Blood: Devastated Graves
Best Live Show
1) Immolation
2) Deceased
3) Iron Maiden
Wow… I wasn’t the only one to get Cerebral Bore’s full length, and acknowledge it on a site in the comments! As for my list, I’m getting more albums soon, many of which will probably be from this year, so I’ll post after I get them.
Best Albums:
1 Deathspell Omega – Paracletus
2 Hooded Menace – Never Cross the Dead
3 Stargazer – A Great Work of Ages
4 Enslaved – Axiom Ethica Odini
5 Thou – Summit
6 Twilight – Monument to Time End
7 Nightbringer – Apollyon Sun
8 Weapon – From the Devil’s Tomb
9 Immolation – Majesty and Decay
10 Sigh – Scenes from Hell
Best album covers:
1 Sigh – Scenes from Hell (Eliran Kantor)
2 Hooded Menace – Never Cross the Dead (Eric “Rot” Engelmann)
3 Blood of Kingu – Sun in the House of the Scorpion (Beksinski – one of my alltime fav artists)
Best Production:
1 Twilight Monument to Time End
2 Deathspell Omega – Paracletus
3 Withered – Dualitas
Best Live Show:
1 Isis – Final show
2 Fuck the Facts
3 Goatwhore
Best Live:
1. Ludicra (sabor lounge)
2. Boris (el rey)
3. Crom (mountain bar)
Best Albums
1. Nachtmystium – Addicts: Black Meddle, Pt. II
2. Watain – Lawless Darkness
3. Agalloch – Marrow of the Spirit
4. Cathedral – The Guessing Game
5. High on Fire – Snakes for the Divine
6. Burzum – Belus
7. Ea – Au Ellai
8. Alcest – Écailles de Lune
9. Iron Maiden – The Final Frontier
10. Ghost – Opus Eponymous
Best Album Cover
1. Triptykon – Eparistera Daimones
2. Cathedral – The Guessing Game
3. The Sword – Warp Riders
Best Album Production
1. Cathedral – The Guessing Game
2. Ghost – Opus Eponymous
3. Triptykon – Eparistera Daimones
Best Live Show
1-3. wot?
Album:
1. Deafheaven – Demo
2. Dawnbringer – Nucleus
3. Alcest – Ecailles De Lune
4. Kvelertak – S/T
5. Ludicra – The Tenant
6. Howl – Full Of Hell
7. Cough – Ritual Abuse
8. Twilight – Monument to Time End
9. Thou – Summit
10. Nails – Unsilent Death
Covers:
1. Ghost
2. Hooded Menace
3. Cough
Production:
1. Haarp
2. Coffinworm
3. Dawnbringer
Show:
1. Alice In Chains
2. Saviours
3. Ludicra
An Oceano beach ball??!! Jesus, what would the Earache PR people come up with next? Toss that out of the car window the next time you pass by I-5!
1. Deathspell Omega – Paracletus
2. Immolation – Majesty and Decay
3. Dillinger Escape Plan – Option Paralysis
4. CELESTE – Morte(s) Nee(s)
5. Rotting Christ – AEALO
6. Black Breath – Heavy Breathing
7. Triptykon – Eparistera Daimones
8. Nails – Unsilent Death
9. Black Anvil – Triumvirate
10. True – Still Life
Best Cover
1. Howl – Full of Hell
2. Black Anvil – Triumvirate
3. Celeste – Morte(s) Nee(s)
Best Production
1. Immolation – Majesty and Decay
This really was the only album where, to me, the production really stood out. Last year it was Skeletonwitch, whose album had that dry, organic and fitting sound.
Top 10 albums:
1: Kvelertak – s/t
2: Kylesa – Spiral Shadow
3: Yakuza – Of Siesmic Consequence
4: Twilight – Monument to Time End
5: Finntroll – Nifelvind
6: Black Breath – Heavy Breathing
7: Arsis – Starve for the Devil
8: Les Discrets – Septembre…
9: Shining – Blackjazz
10: Triptykon – Eparistera Diamones
Best Covers:
1: Alcest – Écailles de lune
2: Kvelertak
Production:
No vote, since the only one I noticed was Kvelertak.
Live Show:
1: Darkest Hour (SXSW)
2: Triptykon
3: Black Tusk
Best Album
1. Ludicra – The Tenant
2. Agalloch – Marrow
3. Eluvium – Similes
4. Triptykon – Eparistera
5. Thou – Summit
6. Ghost – Opus
7. Castevet – Mounds
8. Emeralds – Does it look like i’m here?
9. Ophis – Withered Shades
10.Tallest Man On Earth – the Wild Hunt
Best Album Cover
1. Alcest – Escailles
2. Thou – Summit
3. Deathspell Omega
Best Album Production
1. Twilight
2. Agalloch
3. Thou
Best Live Show
1. Boris
2. Earthless
3. Keelhaul
and for the hell of it…
Best non-2010 album discoveries
October Tide – Rain Without End
Bardo Pond – Lapsed
Mar De Grises – Draining the Waterheart
Atomic Rooster – Death Walks Behind You
Genghis Tron – Board Up The House (holy shit good!)
Albums:
1. Watain – Lawless Darkness
2. Burzum – Belus
3. Year of no Light – Ausserwelt
4. Deathspell Omega – Paracletus
5. Immolation – Majesty and Decay
6. The Secret – Solve Et Coagula
7. Inquisition – Ominous Doctrines of the Perpetual Mystical Macrocosm
8. Celeste – Morte(s) Née(s)
9. High on Fire – Snakes for the Divine
10. Thou – Summit
11. Blasphemophagher – For Chaos, Obscurity and Desolation
12. Ufomammut – Eve
13. Black September – The Forbidden Gates Beyond
14. Necrite – Sic Transit Gloria Mundi
15. Haarp – The Filth
16. Witchrist – Beheaded Ouroboros
17. Njiqahdda – Divisionals
18. Negura Bunget – Maiestrit
19. Urfaust – Der freiwillige Bettler
20. Algor Mortis – Die Freiheit des denkenden Geistes
Covers:
1. Year of no Light – Ausserwelt
2. Celeste – Morte(s) Née(s)
3. Dawnbringer – Nucleus
Best Album
1. Enslaved – Axioma Ethica Odini
2. Alcest – Ecailles de Lune
3. Aborym – Psychogrotesque
4. Salome – Terminal
5. Agalloch – Marrow of the Spirit
6. Burzum – Belus
7. Darkthrone – Circle the Wagons
8. Pathology – Legacy of the Ancients
9. Melechesh – The Epigenesis
10. Finntroll – Nifelvind
Best Album Art
1. Howl – Full of Hell
2. Sodom – In War and Pieces
3. Deathspell Omega – Paracletus
Best Production
1. Enslaved – Axioma Ethica Odini
2. Ihsahn – After
3. Negura Bunget – Virstele Pamintului
Best Live Show
1. Krisiun
2. Gwar
3. Russian Circles
Best Album
1. Triptykon – Eparistera Daimones
2. Kvelertak – Kvelertak
3. Decrepit Birth – Polarity
4. Enslaved – Axioma Ethica Odini
5. Agalloch – Marrow of the Spirit
6. Watain – Lawless Darkness
7. The Dillinger Escape Plan – Option Paralysis
8. Salome – Terminal
9. Grand Magus – Hammer of the North
10. Unearthly Trance – V
Best Album Cover
1. Howl – Full of Hell
2. Kvelertak – Kvelertak
3. Death Angel – Relentless Retribution
Best Album Production
1. Triptykon – Eparistera Daimones
2. Unearthly Trance – V
3. Salome – Terminal
BEST ALBUM
1 » Triptykon: Eparistera Daimones
2 » Dawnbringer: Nucleus
3 » Enslaved: Axioma Ethica Odini
4 » Watain: Lawless Darkness
5 » Alcest: Écailles de Lune
6 » Anna von Hausswolff: Songs from the Grave
7 » Kylesa: Spiral Shadow
8 » Darkthrone: Circle the Wagons
9 » Imperial State Electric: S/t
10 » Deathspell Omega: Paracletus
BEST COVER
1 » Alcest: Écailles de Lune
2 » Intronaut: Valley of Smoke
3 » Ghost: Opus Eponymous
BEST PRODUCTION
1 » Enslaved: Axioma Ethica Odini
2 » Intronaut: Valley of Smoke
3 » Khoma: A Final Storm
BEST LIVE SHOW
1 » Anna von Hausswolff
2 » Converge / Kylesa
3 » Opeth
Best Albums
1. Kingdom of Sorrow – Behind The Blackest Tears
2. Below – St Anthony’s Fire
3. Black Tusk – Taste The Sin
4. Wino – Adrift
5. Archon – The Ruins At Dusk
6. The Sword – Warp Riders
7. Hooded Menace – Never Cross The Dead
8. Wolf People – Steeple
9. Wiht – Wiht
10. Black Thai – Blood From On High
Best Cover
1. Hooded Menace – Never Cross The Dead
Best Live Show
1. Earthless
2. Rage Against The Machine anti X Factor celebration
3. Shrinebuilder
xmas travels have me way behind on this most momentous of posts…
ALBUM:
1. Triptykon – Eparistera Daimones
2. Hooded Menace – Never Cross the Dead
3. Dawnbringer – Nucleus
4. Ihsahn – After
5. Deathspell Omega – Paracletus
6. Unearthly Trance – V
7. Winterfylleth – The Mercian Sphere
8. Immolation – Majesty & Decay
9. Nails – Unsilent Death
10. Hail of Bullets – On Divine Winds
ARTWORK:
1. Hooded Menace – Never Cross the Dead
2. Deathspell Omega – Paracletus
3. Ghost – Opus Eponymous
PRODUCTION:
1. Triptykon – Eparistera Daimones
2. Unearthly Trance – V
3. Deathspell Omega – Paracletus
LIVE SHOW:
1. Slough Feg
2. Cannibal Corpse
3. Blind Guardian
(sadly I’ve still got a few 2010 albums to check out such as Inquisition, Sigh, Murder Construct, and a few more…)
This is what I can come up with now… I still have a lot more listening to do before I can make a definitive top 10 of 2010.
1. Triptykon – Eparistera Daimones
2. Integrity – The Blackest Curse
3. The Austerity Program – Backsliders and Apostates Will Burn
4. Torche – Songs for Singles
5. Salome – Terminal
6. High on Fire – Snakes for the Divine
7. Electric Wizard – Black Masses
8. Harvey Milk – A Small Turn of Human Kindness
9. Thou – Summit
10. Agalloch – Marrow of the Spirit
Covers:
1. Kylesa – Spiral Shadow
2. Thou – Summit
3. Intronaut – Valley of Smoke
Production:
1. Electric Wizard – Black Masses
2. Melvins – The Bride Screamed Murder
3. Kylesa – Spiral Shadow
(Making awesome-sounding records with two drummers is an impressive feat)
Shows:
1. Melvins
2. Triptykon
3. Converge
albums of the year:
1. ÆSAHÆTTR – S/T CS
2. The Body – and the waters of the earth turned to blood
3. deathspell omega – paracletus
4. ludicra – the tenant
5. agalloch – marrow of the spirit
6. dawnbringer – nucleus
7. blind guardian – at the edge of time
8. woe – quietly, undramatically
9. locrian – territories
10. ensorcelor – urartica begins CS
covers:
1. ludicra – the tenant
2. thou – summit
3. salome – terminal
production:
1. nails – unsilent death
2. castevet – mounds of ash
3. hooded menance – never cross the dead
shows:
1. portal @ MDF
2. liturgy @ the mopery, chicago, il
3. ludicra @ some shitty venue in wrigleyville, chicago, il
(runner-up: alcest @ reggie’s rock club, chicago, il)
Best 5 Albums
1. Intronaut – Valley of Smoke
2. the Ocean – Anthropocentric
3. Ihsahn – After
4. East of the Wall – Ressentiment
5. Deftones – Diamond Eyes
Best Album Cover
1. Dukatalon – Saved By Fear
2. Unearthly Trance – V
3. Intronaut – Valley of Smoke
Best Album Production
1. Intronaut – Valley of Smoke
2. Ghost – Opus Eponymous
3. the Sword – Warp Riders
Best Live Show
Cynic
Between the Buried and Me
Baroness
Judging from the live show commentary, y’all need to get out more.
EP’s and reissues that came out this year are fine for tallying purposes. I will simply ignore releases that came out in other years.
Jesus – I thought you listened to Slayer?
RARF – You crack me up. You and Sadus are the resident cranks here. Good to have you around.
James Howlett – I am curious how a presumably Caucasian guy who loves technical death metal ends up in Vietnam. Also, are there any good Vietnamese metal bands?
Carm – Actually, a Wormrot bath towel would be pretty handy.
Top Seven albums of the year:
Triptykon – Eparistera Daimones
Kylesa – Spiral Shadow
Vasaeleth – Crypt Born and Tethered to Ruin
Drudkh – A Handful of Stars
Les Discrets – Septembre et ses dernieres pensees
Cerebral Bore – Maniacal Bore
Intronaut – Valley of Smoke
Best Album Covers
Enslaved – Axiom Ethica Odini
Kylsea – Spiral Shadow
The Dillinger Escape Plan – Option Paralysis
Best Album Production
Triptykon – Eparistera Daimones
Cradle of Filth – Darkly, Darkly, Venus Aversa
Nocturnal Blood – Devastated Graves: The Morbid Celebration
Best Live Act
Converge
Kylesa
Devin Townsend
Listened to Most Frequently in 2010:
Horseback – The Invisible Mountain
Misantropic – Insomnia
Alcest – Ecailles de Lune
Wolvserpent – Blood Seed
Gog – Heavy Fierce Brightness
Ghost – Opus Eponymous
Castevet – Mounds of Ash
Wormrot – Wormrot / I Abhor split
Conan – Horseback Battle Hammer
Hayaino Daisuki – The Invincible Gate Mind…
Best Album Covers
Ghost – Opus Eponymous
Howl – Full of Hell
The Sword – Warp Riders
Best Album Production
Black Breath – Heavy Breathing
Kylesa – Spiral Shadow
Ghost – Opus Eponymous
Best Live Show
N/A – only went to one show this year and lack a well-formed opinion.
Album:
01 – Kylesa – Spiral Shadow
02 – Alcest – Ecailles de Lune
03 – The Body – All the Waters of the Earth Turn to Blood
04 – Rammesses – Take the Curse
05 – Agalloch – Marrow of the Spirit
06 – Ufomammut – Eve
07 – Thou – Summit
08 – Hooded Menace – Never Cross the Dead
09 – Locrian – The Crystal World
10 – Salome – Terminal
Album Cover:
Locrian – The Crystal World
Ufomammut – Eve
Thou – Summit (LP, not CD)
Album Production:
The Body – All the Waters of the Earth Turn to Blood
Horseback – Invisible Mountain
Alcest – Ecailles de Lune
Live:
Kylesa
Thou
High on Fire
Album: Triptykon “Eparistera Daimones”
Album Cover: Triptykon “Eparistera Daimones”
Production: Triptykon “Eparistera Daimones”
Live show: Triptykon
Triptykon is seriously the band of 2010 in Metal.
Best album
1. Torche – Songs for Singles
2. Sailors With Wax Wings – Sailors with Wax Wings
3. Coliseum – House with a Curse
4. The Howling Wind – Into the Cryosphere
5. Wino – Adrift
6. The Melvins – The Bride Screamed Murder
7. Unearthly Trance – V
8. Alcest – Écailles de Lune
9. Zoroaster – Matador
10. Christian Mistress – Agony & Opium
Best Album Cover
1. Taint – All Bees to the Sea
2. Ghost – Opus Eponymous
3. U.S. Christmas – Run Thick in the Night
Best Production
1. Coliseum – House with a Curse
2. Twilight –
3. Ghost – Opus Eponymous
Best Live Show
1. Saviours
2. Grails
3. Neurosis
Top ten albums
1)Decrepit Birth- Polarity
2)Conan- Horseback Battle Hammer
3)Cough- Ritual Abuse
4)Bongripper- Satan Worshiping Doom
5)Acid Witch- Witch House EP
6)Cephalic Carnage- Misled By Certainty
7)Fleshgod Apocalypse- Mafia
8)U.S Christmas- Run Thick In The Night
9) Unearthly Trance- V
10)Torche- Songs For Singles
best album covers
1)Unearthly Trance- V
2)Bongripper- Satan Worshiping Doom
3)Fleshgod Apocalypse- Mafia EP
Best live shows
1)Animals As Leaders
2)Fleshgod Apocalypse
3)The Faceless
Albums:
1. Woe- Queitly, Undramatically
2. High on Fire- Snakes for the Divine
3. Early Graves- Goner
4. haarp- The Filth
5. Landmine Marathon- Sovereign Descent
6. Melechesh- The Epigenesis
7. Black Breath- Heavy Breathing
8. The Crown- Doomsday King
9. Bison B.C.- Dark Ages
10. Misery Index- Heirs to Theievery
Live:
1. Vektor
2. Wormrot
3. Death Angel
Can I check back later with album covers?
Yes, you can finish incomplete ballots here, as long as you do so by the deadline of midnight PST tomorrow the 29th.
Just don’t go around changing the rest of your ballots or anything. This will be a headache to compile, as is. (What did I get myself into???)
Album
1. Kylesa – Spiral Shadow
2. High on Fire – Snakes for the Devine
3. US Christmas – Run Thick in the Night
4. Dawnbringer – Nucleaus
5. Triptykon – Eparistera Daimones
6. Ufomammut – Eve
7. Cough – Ritual Abuse
8. Black Tust – Taste the Sin
9. Zoroaster – Matador
10. Horseback – The Invisible Mountain
Album cover
1. Triptykon – Eparistera Diamones
2. Black Tusk – Taste the Sin
3. US Christmas – Run Thick in the Night
Production
1. Dawnbringer – Nucleus
2. US Christmas – Run Thick in the Night
3. Triptykon – Eparister Diamones
Shows
1. Corrosion of Conformity
2. Kowloon Walled City
3. Kylesa
Best Album-
Apostle of Solitude- Last Sunrise
Unearthly Trance- V
Deathspell Omega- Paracletus
Triptykon- Eparistera Daimones
Killing Joke- Absolute Dissent
Dax Riggs- Say Goodnight to the World
Withered- Dualitas
Torche- Songs for Singles
Ludicra- The Tennant
Hour of 13- The Ritualist
Best Album Cover-
Unearthly Trance- V
Dishammer- under the sign of the b-beat mark
Ghost- Opus Eponymous
Best Production-
Triptykon- Eparistera Daimones
Deathspell Omega- Paracletus
Ludicra- the tenant
Live-
EYEHATEGOD
Unearthly Trance
Goatwhore
Torche
Goddammit, just realized I listed four bands under “live”. Sorry, guess it’s just my public school education.
Album
01. Agalloch – Marrow of the Spirit
02. Triptykon – Eparistera Daimones
03. Darkthrone – Circle the Wagons
04. Ghost – Opus Eponymous
05. Watain – Lawless Darkness
06. Hour of 13 – The Ritualist
07. Burzum – Belus
08. Abscess – Dawn of Inhumanity
09. Electric Wizard – Black Masses
10. Ludicra – The Tenant
Album Cover
01. Alcest – Écailles De Lune
02. Triptykon – Eparistera Daimones
03. Watain – Lawless Darkness
Production
01. Triptykon – Eparistera Daimones
02. Ghost – Opus Eponymous
03. Darkthrone – Circle the Wagons
Live
01. Watain
02. Triptykon
03. D.R.I.
Adding album cover votes to my previous post:
1. Locrian – Crystal World
2. Alcest – Ecailles de Lune
3. Sigh – Scenes From Hell
Albums
1. Deathspell Omega – Paracletus
2. Alcest – Ecailles de Lune
3. Agalloch – Marrow of the Spirit
4. Iron Maiden – The Final Frontier
5. Sodom – In War and Pieces
6. Hail of Bullets – On Divine Winds
7. Blaze Bayley – Promise and Terror
8. Overkill – Ironbound
9. Triptykon – Eparistera Daimones
10. Desultory – Counting Our Scars
Artwork
1. Triptykon – Eparistera Daimones
2. Sigh – Scenes from Hell
3. Sodom – In War and Pieces
Live Bands
1. Blaze Bayley
2. Exodus
3. Kataklysm
1) Ludicra – The Tenant
Autopsy – The Tomb Within
2) Coffinworm – When All Became None
3) Agalloch – Marrow of the Spirit
4) Ophis – Withered Shades
5) Dawnbringer – Nucleus
6) Intronaut – Valley of Smoke
7) Deathspell Omega – Paracletus
9) Immolation – Majesty & Decay
10) Triptykon – Eparistera Daimones
Album Art
1) Sigh – Scenes from Hell (good thing you don’t have to listen to the cover)
2) Atheist – Jupiter
3) Locrian – The Crystal World
Production
1) Ludicra – The Tenant
2) Deathspell Omega – Paracletus
3) Immolation – Majesty & Decay
Live
1) Megadeth
2) Skeletonwitch
3) Gorguts
Best Album
1. Triptykon – Eparistera Daimones
2. Deathspell Omega – Paracletus
3. Burzum – Belus
4. Immolation – Majesty and Decay
5. Hacavitz – Meztli Obscura
6. Nightbringer – Apocalypse Sun
7. Melvins – The Bride Screamed Murder
8. Danzig – Deth Red Sabaoth
That’s about all the new releases I absorbed this year (Though the Bongripper album has recently caught my attention.)
Best Album Cover
Danzig – Deth Red Sabaoth
Triptykon – Eparistera Daimones
Nightbringer – Apocalypse Sun
Best Production
I abstain because production has actually detracted (a little bit) from the best music this year).
Live Show
I don’t ever see live music. Call me Patrick Bateman but I just don’t have time or money (and I’m kind of a pussy). I really need to see Sunn O))) before I die.
Album
1. Black Breath – Heavy Breathing
2. Agalloch – Marrow Of The Spirit
3. Kylesa – Spiral Shadow
4. Year of No Light – Ausserwelt
5. Enslaved – Axioma Ethica Odini
6. Kvelertak – Kvelertak
7. Ufomammut – Eve
8. Lantlôs – .Neon
9. Burning Love – Songs for Burning Lovers
10. U.S. Christmas – Run Thick In The Night
Album Cover
1. Alcest – Écailles De Lune
2. Lantlôs – Neige de Mars
3. Howl – Full of Hell
Best Live Show
1. Goatwhore
2. Kylesa
3. High on Fire
Hey, Cosmo, I’d suggest you adding “best song of the year” to next year’s voting category. I didn’t vote on production because I don’t think production matters too much in the quality of an album. The song-writing does. For example, no album I chose would have decreased or increased in placement for best of the year due to production values. I don’t think so anyway. As long as an album doesn’t sound like it was recorded in a tin can, production doesn’t matter a whole lot to me as long as the song-writing is good (…And Justice For All is my favorite Metallica record and though I wish I could hear bass it’s not essential to my enjoyment of the record). Anyone else have opinions on this?
I, Monarch
I’m glad you posted this idea because it made me realize that I completely don’t agree with you. It’s not that songwriting nor songs are important. They are. It’s that albums are more important. Maybe metal is that last arena where full albums are still valued highly. I mean, it’s not, but it’s one of the forms of independent music where it is still highly valued. If the metal journalism community starts placing emphasis on songs when they could be keeping it on albums that can only contribute to the already eroding focus on albums. I know it’s not much, but it might buy the album some time. Ya know?
I, Monarch and Miskatonic – Metal is in no danger of becoming a pop single format. It has survived for 40 years on albums. People download metal albums; they don’t download metal songs.
So it might actually be interesting to have a “Best Song” category next year. That would make people pay more attention to the details of songs, to appreciate songcraft more, and to heed the units that make up live sets. Songs make up live sets, not albums. I think a lot of people misunderstand valuing the album as “having it clattering in the background continuously”. An album is an active listening experience, and it is composed of songs. The most classic metal albums have the most classic songs.
Miskatonic,
I do think that albums are immensely important. But an album may be either greater than the sum of its parts as when there are peaks and valleys in energy or atmosphere to create an album more like a journey comprised of songs FITTING TOGETHER in the right way but perhaps not working as well if presented as standalone song (I present Les Discrets as my example–It’s my #2 album, and I can’t remember the name or track number of any particular stand out song, but I know that when I listen to the album it’s just nearly perfect to me). Or they can be less so as when there’s only a few standout songs in an otherwise unspectacular album, thus ruining the listening experience of the album (My Morning Jacket’s Evil Urges comes to mind).
There are just some songs, that stand out to me from albums that may not have reached my top 10 of the year, and I think they deserve a mention on a year-end list
Re: the production issue raised by I, Monarch: I have to disagree, but the importance of production will come down to personal taste. Personally, I think atmosphere is an essential component in an album’s success or failure. Sure, there are albums that succeed despite their production (Justice being a great example), and marvelously produced slabs of shit… But either way, production is still a component of that final sound. To me, the production on the new Agalloch renders that album worthless. I wish I could say it was due to a crappy download, but I own the cd… And yet it’s not an issue for a lot of you. Guess I’m just saying… I like the category as it’s so dependent on taste, should be interesting to see the final results.
Wash Jones – Indeed, production can make or break albums in metal. In my experience, it and electronic dance music are the genres where production is discussed the most. Much of the music’s power comes from, well, power (and other characteristics – atmosphere, etc.), and production provides that. While I wish songcraft were more highly valued, sheer power can trump lyrical/songwriting finesse in metal. See, e.g., Judas Priest’s hits.
Crap. Forgot to include best production.
Best Album Production
1. Black Breath – Heavy Breathing
2. Agalloch – Marrow Of The Spirit
3. Enslaved – Axioma Ethica Odini
This has been another great year but weird for me since there’s so much I didn’t get to hear or see. Tho’ this is only part of what I loved in 2010.
ALBUMS
1. Agalloch – Marrow of the Spirit (Profound Lore)
2. Burzum – Belus (Byelobog)
3. Children of Technology – It’s Time to Face the Doomsday (Hell’s Headbangers)
4. Christian Mistress – Agony and Opium (20 Buck Spin)
5. Coffinworm – When All Becomes None (Profound Lore) Doomy, heavy as fuck and filthy.
6. Darkthrone – Circle the Wagons (Peaceville)
7. Iron Maiden – The Final Frontier (E1) – First 21st century ‘Maiden that’s really grabbed me.
8. Kerasphorus – Cloven Hooves at the Holocaust Dawn (Nuclear War Now!)
9. Ludicra – The Tenant (Profound Lore)
10. Triptykon – Eparistera Daimones (Century Media) – A lack of “ouh!”/”ouuuugh!”s but still very heavy & potent.
BEST ALBUM COVERS
1. Bongripper – Satan Worshipping Doom
2. Slough Feg – The Animal Spirits
3. Thou – Summit
BEST PRODUCTION
1. Christian Mistress – Agony & Opium – how they made a 2010 record sound almost like an Acid (Belgium) LP from ‘82 is quite nice.
2. Kerasphorus – Cloven Hooves at the Holocaust Dawn – very big sound for underground Black/Death Metal
3. Amebix – Redux
BEST LIVE SHOWS
1. St. Vitus at DNA Lounge – both Jan 29th & June 27th
2. Triptykon at Slim’s
3. Deviated Instinct at Gilman St.
Any chance we can include best demos. I got some great demo tapes & CD-Rs this year.
ALBUMS
1. Ghost – Opus Eponymous
2. Kvelertak – Kvelertak
3. Enslaved – Axioma Ethica Odini
4. Alcest – Écailles de Lune
5. Agalloch – Marrow of the Spirit
6. Watain – Lawless Darkness
7. Sargeist – Let the Devil In
8. Gypsyhawk – Patience and Perseverance
9. StarGazer – A Great Work of Ages / A Work Of Great Ages
10. Keep of Kalessin – Reptilian
BEST ALBUM COVERS
1. Les Discrets – Septembre Et Ses Dernières Pensées
2. Garden of Worm – Garden of Worm
3. Ghost – Opus Eponymous (I once read someone describe this as “Scooby-Doo metal,” and I can’t argue; this cover only reinforces that)
BEST PRODUCTION
1. Christian Mistress – Agony & Opium
2. Electric Wizard – Black Masses
3. Slough Feg – The Animal Spirits
BEST LIVE SHOWS
1. ABSU – Columbus, OH
2. Skeletonwitch – FUBAR (St. Louis)
3. Cannibal Corpse / Decrepit Birth – Pop’s (St. Louis)
Albums:
1. Enslaved – Axioma Ethica Odini
2. Electric Wizard – Black Masses
3. Salome – Terminal
4. Decrepit Birth – Polarity
5. Celeste – Morte(s) Nee(s)
6. Immolation – Majesty and Decay
7. Arsis – Starve for the Devil
8. Kvelertak – Kvelertak
9. Zoroaster – Matador
10.Kalmah – 12 Gauge
Album Covers:
1. Dawnbringer – Nucleus
2. Alcest – Écailles De Lune
3. Watain – Lawless Darkness
Best Live Shows:
1. Goatwhore
2. EYEHATEGOD
3. Revocation
VOTING IS NOW CLOSED FOR THIS.
Now to tally up this sumbitch.