On personal front, Sahar was a great guy. I never realised that it will reach upto the point of animosity with staff, and shockingly for years. Lately, she was showing her signs of taking it personally, but from many years?Strange
Thank you all once again for all of the suggestions and recommendations from 2014, and for following this list over the year! I can't promise I'll get to all of the suggestions, nor will I make this list as much of a priority. However, I will probably get to them at some point in the near future. The only thing I need to do is adjust my ratings, which are skewed very high at the moment.
My future plans: Well, I'm going to be primarily pilfering metal selections from everyone else for a little while. I don't know if I'll contribute by making a 2015 list or not. I'm very interested in making an alternative metal or all-time favourites list, so that's my next project. I imagine you'll see another 2015 list materialize, but it will probably be later than usual.
Qualeaceans - Capture Of Ziz [9.8] Experimental death metal with a little bit of kraut midway for taste. Thanks to mz for bringing this album to my attention!
2.
Amogh Symphony - Vectorscan [9.7] Easily the best avant-garde metal I have heard since uneXpect's Fables of the Sleepless Empire in 2011. This is an absolutely stunning piece of avant-garde jazz fusion metal, remarkable simply because it remains cohesive without skimping out on experimentation/technical guitar work (an enormous challenge that very few of their contemporaries have overcome). This stands light years away from The Quantum Hack Code, and if you didn't already know the name, you wouldn't suspect Vishal made both of these records. A definite album of the year candidate, and my personal favourite Amogh Symphony album.
3.
Schammasch - Contradiction [9.3] An extreme metal tour de force, with some creepy nuances and an astonishing vocal performance all around. This album is actually better than Emptiness's Nothing But the Whole, mainly because it injects some much needed personality to make the album cross the other side.
4.
Kayo Dot - Coffins On Io [9.3] Prog with avant-garde tendencies- probably the closest thing we'll get to the progressive rock album of the year. Toby Driver's impressive vocal performance conjures memories of Peter Gabriel's Genesis days, but his ability to finely control his falsetto is the real icing on the cake. Add the "Future Noir" Blade Runner styled atmosphere, and you've got a winner all around. Fantastic.
Zaum - Oracles [9.0] Middle-Eastern styled doom from Moncton, NB
10.
Space Witch - Space Witch [9.0] Instrumental psychadelic sludge metal
11.
Persisting Absolution - MMXIV [8.9] A really exciting technical thrash/death metal band that's producing some of the best local music I've heard in a long time. This demo is absolutely enormous. This is fun and technical, like a thrashier version of Gorod without the jazz-based additions. Be sure to check out Barra Xul as well. http://persistingabsolution.bandcamp.com/album/mmxiv
12.
Ride for Revenge - Enter the Gauntlet [8.9] Death metal
Rishloo - Living As Ghosts With Buildings As Teeth [8.2] The renuited band has released a stunning comeback that paves a new pathway between Eidolon and Feathergun, on the one hand, while straying into even more unique territory. The most unpredictable record in their discography- there are some really unsettling moments and also some tantalizing psychadelic noodlings, along with some downright stunning vocal performances by Drew. Will not disappoint.
51.
Deumuseth - Deumuseth [8.2]
52.
The Bellerophon Project - Mental Abscess [EP] [8.2]
That Mourning Dawn release has potential. A little "slow" sometimes - I am not a big fan of that kind of doom - now I have to listen to disc 2...enormous album.
Also, I didn't like that Warknife album so much. Like you said, the vocals are the big turnoff. Keep the recs coming.
Alright, here's my first shot: Mourning Dawn - Les Sacrifiés
This album is a beast. I've been trying to give it a few full, thorough listens through before evaluating it, a task that will be easier to achieve now that school is done. I've been rating things that are easy to evaluate for a little while, so I just thought I'd justify why it's not on the list yet.
Any more recommendations?
I do believe that once again, we will be in huge disagreement about album of the year. Maybe it's not that bad, but once you mention 3 of the most respected extreme metal bands, deathspell omega, esoteric and gorguts as similar to something, you set the expectation level pretty high.
It's like calling your son Jesus.
I do believe that once again, we will be in huge disagreement about album of the year. Maybe it's not that bad, but once you mention 3 of the most respected extreme metal bands, deathspell omega, esoteric and gorguts as similar to something, you set the expectation level pretty high.
It's like calling your son Jesus.
In retrospect, Esoteric was probably a stretch but I do definitely hear some Gorguts and Deathspell in there. I only meant to imply that they were clear influences in the music, which is predominantly Fen-like. Indeed, the album has been getting some acclaim in the underground and for good reason- after a few listens, I can honestly say I enjoy this album a little more than Fen's work (and I'm a Fen fanboy).
Oh yeah, and if you get the chance, you should check out Smallman's Envision album. I highly doubt it'll end up making your list, but it's probably my favourite alternative metal album released this year and an album I feel more people should know about!
Oh yeah, and if you get the chance, you should check out Smallman's Envision album. I highly doubt it'll end up making your list,
I don't know man, it actually might, that first song on bandcamp was really good :p I'll listen to the full thing when I get the chance.
(just FYI, I don't dislike alternative metal, I just haven't explored a lot of it besides Faith No More )
Oh yeah, and if you get the chance, you should check out Smallman's Envision album. I highly doubt it'll end up making your list,
I don't know man, it actually might, that first song on bandcamp was really good :p I'll listen to the full thing when I get the chance.
(just FYI, I don't dislike alternative metal, I just haven't explored a lot of it besides Faith No More )
Yeah, alternative metal is an odd little genre. It's been a pretty shitty year for alt metal if I had to be honest, although the new Rishloo might make up for it still. In 2013, it was pretty much all I was listening to. I have a soft spot for it even if many of the genre's largest stars produce albums in which only 75% of the songs are truly great. I really like the way Smallman incorporate the bagpipe at times, and the vocalist (while not unique) manages to bring me back for repeated listens.
As We Draw was fucking massive. Downloading Lines Breaking Circles now.
As for Fjort, the first track was also pretty sweet. I will download that one as well!
I found Lines Breaking Circles less interesting and too similar to the big names in post-metal they must be taking their inspiration from. But it's still a nice album, I love the sudden screamo moments. Although I wouldn't mind hearing a remaster of it in the future, if they ever make one.
By the way they did a 3-way split with Euglena and Hexis. Worth checking out, especially for Euglena. Hexis, you must already know them by now.
I have definitely heard Dust Sculptures before. Did they release something last year as well?
I have only recently got familiar with this band. Apparently, he had also released another album named Nostalgia in 2013.
PS: I also edited my previous post as it was not properly linking.
I have definitely heard Dust Sculptures before. Did they release something last year as well?
I have only recently got familiar with this band. Apparently, he had also released another album named Nostalgia in 2013.
PS: I also edited my previous post as it was not properly linking.
Yeah I recall listening to them (and funny enough, it was on my 2013 list). I'll give it a gander! Thanks, dude.
Written by [user id=109200] on 09.12.2014 at 14:54
I think this fits the bill perfectly for you. Top notch progressive not unlike In The Silence, with a hint of dreary atmospherics ala Ghost Brigade.
Ooh thanks for the recommendation, yo. When I'm done with last-minute school stuff, I'll check it out. I also have to check out Ghost Brigade's newest, seeing as most people have rated it a 9.
Written by [user id=4365] on 09.12.2014 at 14:55
I've never had a peanut butter burger. It sounds nice.
Peanut butter burgers are decent- would rank them as a 9 using the Metal Storm ranking system! It's an odd flavour because the peanut butter, typically a dominant sort of flavour in sandwiches, is reduced to being more subtle. It's a little bit messy because the peanut butter coagulates into goo as soon as it is exposed to the warm patty, but it is considered a local delicacy where I'm from. Just don't put too much on the top bun when you first try it.
Peanut butter burgers are decent- would rank them as a 9 using the Metal Storm ranking system! It's an odd flavour because the peanut butter, typically a dominant sort of flavour in sandwiches, is reduced to being more subtle. It's a little bit messy because the peanut butter coagulates into goo as soon as it is exposed to the warm patty, but it is considered a local delicacy where I'm from. Just don't put too much on the top bun when you first try it.
I don't know of anywhere locally that would do such a thing, but I might consider trying that in my home. I will use your list picture as a guide