Fellas. Ladies. Enbies. Y'all're fuckin' wild.
Welcome back once again to the year-end event where we throw down to decide the best albums of the year! We have once again continued the upwards trajectory we've been on since the start, breaking both the voting records for the fifth consecutive year. This year we had
225 total eligible ballots cast for
770 individual albums! This is the most amount of ballots we've
ever gotten, and the most individual albums voted for in a year end poll (the mid year polls tend to wipe the floor with those numbers simply due to having much wider fields of eligibility). You guys came to play, and I'll save my rambling bullshit for the end because I know what you're here for. This is!
ALBUM OF THE YEAR 2021***DISCLAIMER*** As of right now, I'm only putting the vote placements for the top ten and will edit the rest in later. This is purely being done to save time because I've already kept the results from you guys a day longer than I'd prefer and I'd rather not spend hours and hours inputting like twelve thousand dashes and zeroes and equal signs right now. I will come back and get it all added as usual within a day or two (unless literally nobody cares) and you have my Scout's Honor that everything will be placed correctly and accurately, but the actual proof is just gonna have to wait. This is just a side effect of the polls getting so damn popular and me foolishly trying to continue running it all myself. In fact, I don't know why I never thought to do this before but
here is the read-only link to the whole damn spreadsheet itself. Have at it!
- The Ruins Of Beverast - The Thule Grimoires: 8-3-6-3-4-1-0-0-0-3 = 416pts
- Spectral Wound - A Diabolic Thirst: 7-2-3-1-3-6-3-4-3-4 = 390pts
- Iron Maiden - Senjutsu: 10-3-2-2-1-0-2-0-2-4 = 388pts
- Stormkeep - Tales of Othertime: 3-7-2-1-4-3-2-3-2-1 = 336pts
- Hooded Menace - The Tritonous Bell: 4-2-4-4-3-3-3-2-1-4 = 330pts
- Carcass - Torn Arteries: 4-4-3-0-4-3-4-1-2-2 = 315pts
- Helloween - Helloween: 4-2-4-3-1-2-3-4-2-6 = 302pts
- Archspire - Bleed the Future: 5-4-2-2-1-0-2-1-2-3 = 284pts
- Pharaoh - The Powers That Be: 5-2-1-1-4-2-1-4-3-0 = 272pts
- Suffering Hour - The Cyclic Reckoning: 4-0-5-3-1-1-1-1-1-2 = 243pts
Craven Idol - Forked Tongues: 223pts- Worm - Foreverglade: 221pts
- Unto Others - Strength: 219pts
- Tribulation - Where the Gloom Becomes Sound: 218pts
- 1914 - Where Fear and Weapons Meet: 215pts
- Ad Nauseam - Imperative Imperceptible Impulse: 209pts
- Mare Cognitum - Solar Paroxysm: 195pts
- Steel Bearing Hand - Slay in Hell: 194pts
- Enforced - Kill Grid: 192pts
- Cannibal Corpse - Violence Unimagined: 190pts
- Ethereal Shroud - Trisagion: 182pts
- Thy Catafalque - Vadak: 181pts
- Panopticon - ...and Again into the Light: 181pts
- Herzel - Le Dernier Rempart: 176pts
- Demoniac - So It Goes: 170pts
- Iotunn - Access All Worlds: 162pts
- Këkht Aräkh - Pale Swordsman: 162pts
- Darkthrone - Eternal Hails.....: 153pts
- Nekromantheon – The Visions of Trismegistos: 146pts
- Wolves in the Throne Room - Primordial Arcana: 145pts
- Tower - Shock to the System: 131pts
- Dordedah - Har: 130pts
- Be'lakor - Coherence: 124pts
- Stargazer - Psychic Secretions: 122pts
- Antediluvian - The Divine Punishment: 121pts
- Mastodon - Hushed and Grim: 119pts
- Trivium - In the Court of the Dragon: 119pts
- Mortiferum - Preserved in Torment: 116pts
- Fluisteraars - Gegrepen Door de Geest der Zielsontluiking: 116pts
- Bewitcher - Cursed Be Thy Kingdom: 114pts
- Cradle of Filth - Existence is Futile: 112pts
- Obscura - A Valediction: 98pts
- Funeral Mist - Deiform: 94pts
- Cryptosis - Bionic Swarm: 94pts
- Kenn Nardi - Trauma: 93pts
- Mystic Storm - From the Ancient Chaos: 91pts
- Exodus - Persona Non Grata: 89pts
- First Fragment - Gloire Éternelle: 85pts
- Malignant Altar - Realms of Exquisite Morbidity: 84pts
- Morgul Blade - Fell Sorcery Abounds: 84pts
- Proscriptor McGovern's Apsû - Proscriptor McGovern's Apsû: 82pts
- Kauan - Ice Fleet: 82pts
- Evergrey - Escape of the Phoenix: 82pts
- Mefitis - Offscourings: 81pts
- Skepticism - Companion: 80pts
- Asphyx - Necroceros: 79pts
- Black Soul Horde – Horrors From The Void: 77pts
- Wheel - Preserved in Time: 77pts
- Dream Unending - Tide Turns Eternal: 77pts
- Heavy Sentence - Bang to Rights: 76pts
- Archgoat - Worship The Eternal Darkness: 76pts
- Der Weg Einer Freiheit - Noktvrn: 74pts
- Eternity's End - Embers of War: 73pts
- Frozen Soul - Crypt of Ice: 72pts
- Voices - Breaking the Trauma Bond: 71pts
- Gojira - Fortitude: 71pts
- Blazon Stone - Damnation: 69pts
- Kanonenfieber - Menschenmühle: 68pts
- Mystras - Empires Vanquished and Dismantled: 67pts
- Silver Talon - Decadence & Decay: 67pts
- Diskord - Degenrations: 66pts
- Crystal Viper - The Cult: 65pts
- Alda - A Distant Fire: 65pts
- Ningen-Isu – Kuraku: 64pts
- Epica - Omega: 64pts
- Atvm - Famine, Putrid and Fucking Endless: 63pts
- Thulcandra - A Dying Wish: 63pts
- Dvne - Etemen Ænka: 62pts
- Dream Theater - A View from the Top of the World: 61pts
- Seth - La morsure du Christ: 61pts
- Djevel - Tanker som rir natten: 60pts
- Crypta - Echoes of the Soul: 59pts
- Cynic - Ascension Codes: 59pts
- Ænigmatum - Deconsecrate: 59pts
- Paranorm - Empyrean: 59pts
- Harakiri For The Sky - Mære: 57pts
- Seven Sisters - Shadow of a Fallen Star, Pt. 1: 55pts
- Ungfell - Es Grauet: 55pts
- Demiser - Through the Gate Eternal: 55pts
- Duskmourn - Fallen Kings and Broken Crowns: 55pts
- Swallow the Sun - Moonflowers: 55pts
- Ophidian I - Desolate: 54pts
- Spectral Lore - Ετερόφωτος: 54pts
- Orden Ogan – Final Days: 53pts
- Rage - Resurrection Day: 53pts
- At the Gates - The Nightmare of Being: 52pts
- Qrixkuor - Poison Palinopsia: 52pts
- King Woman - Celestial Blues: 52pts
- Tales of Medusa - Antiquity: 52pts
- Рожь - Вечное: 51pts
- Veilburner - Lurkers in the Capsule of Skull: 51pts
- Empyrium - Über den Sternen: 51pts
- Concrete Winds - Nerve Butcherer: 51pts
- Rivers of Nihil - The Work: 51pts
- Plebeian Grandstand - Rien ne suffit: 50pts
- Haunt - Beautiful Distraction: 50pts
- Seven Spires - Gods of Debauchery: 49pts
- Khemmis - Deceiver: 49pts
- Inferno - Paradeigma: 49pts
- Beast in Black - Dark Connection: 48pts
- Deafheaven - Infinite Granite: 48pts
- Hanging Garden - Skeleton Lake: 48pts
- Portrait - At One with None: 48pts
- Leprous - Aphelion: 48pts
- Forhist - Forhist: 48pts
- Blaze Bayley - War Within Me: 48pts
- Vreid - Wild North West: 47pts
- Akhenaten - The Emerald Tablets Of Thoth: 47pts
- Stortregn - Impermanence: 47pts
- Aquilus - Bellum I: 47pts
- Grave Miasma - Abyss of Wrathful Deities: 46pts
- Yoth Iria - As the Flame Withers: 46pts
- Tyrannic - Mortuus Decadence: 45pts
- Dungeon Serpent - World of Sorrows: 45pts
- Bonehunter - Dark Blood Reincarnation System: 45pts
- Phrenelith - Chimaera: 45pts
- Ferriterium - Calvaire: 44pts
- Belore - Artefacts: 43pts
- Seputus - Phantom Indigo: 43pts
- Unanimated - Victory in Blood: 43pts
- The Night Flight Orchestra - Aeromantic II: 43pts
- Flotsam and Jetsam - Blood in the Water: 43pts
- Caverne - La fin de tous les chants: 43pts
- Aorlhac - Pierres brûlées: 42pts
- Cerebral Rot - Excretion of Mortality: 42pts
- Lantlos - Wildhund: 42pts
- Sanguisugabogg - Tortured Whole: 41pts
- Crescent - Carving the Fires of Akhet: 41pts
- Dold Vorde Ens Navn - Mørkere: 41pts
- Tardigrada - Vom Bruch bis zur Freiheit: 41pts
- Impaled Nazarene - Eight Headed Serpent: 41pts
- Labyrinth - Welcome to the Absurd Circus: 40pts
- Cult of Eibon - Black Flame Dominion: 40pts
- Alustrium - A Monument to Silence: 39pts
- Antichrist Siege Machine - Purifying Blade: 39pts
- Cân Bardd - Devoured by the Oak: 39pts
- Esoctrilihum - Dy'th Requiem for the Serpent Telepath: 38pts
- Aeon - God Ends Here: 38pts
- Peste Noire - Le retour des pastoureaux: 38pts
- Diablo Swing Orchestra - Swagger & Stroll Down the Rabbit Hole: 37pts
- Kayo Dot - Moss Grew on the Swords and Plowshares Alike: 37pts
- Iskandr - Vergezicht: 37pts
- Eyehategod - A History of Nomadic Behavior: 37pts
- Year of No Light - Consolamentum: 37pts
- Gloosh - Sylvan Coven: 37pts
- Whoredom Rife - Winds of Wrath: 37pts
- Chainsword - Blightmarch: 36pts
- Havukruunu- Kuu Erkylän Yllä: 36pts
- Therion - Leviathan: 36pts
- The Night Eternal - Moonlit Cross: 36pts
- Necromantia - To the Depths We Descend...: 35pts
- Omnium Gatherum - Origin: 34pts
- The Crown - Royal Destroyer: 34pts
- Lamp of Murmuur - Submission and Slavery: 34pts
- Koldovstvo - Ни царя, ни бога: 34pts
- Dream Troll - Realm of the Tormentor: 34pts
- Oxygen Destroyer - Sinister Monstrosities yadda yadda: 33pts
- Abysmal Grief - Funeral Cult of Personality: 33pts
- Force of Darkness - Twilight of Dark Illumination: 33pts
- Durbin - The Beast Awakens: 33pts
- Mental Cruelty - A Hill to Die Upon: 33pts
- Acid Age - Semper Pessimus: 33pts
- Wode - Burn in Many Mirrors: 33pts
- Witchseeker - Scene of the Wild: 33pts
- Anatomia - Corporeal Torment: 33pts
- Primeval Well - Talking in Tongues with Mountain Spirits: 33pts
- Dormant Ordeal - The Grand Scheme Of Things: 32pts
- Mānbryne - Heilsweg: O udręce ciała i tułaczce duszy: 32pts
- Accept - Too Mean to Die: 32pts
- Warrior Path - The Mad King: 32pts
- Dread Sovereign - Alchemical Warfare: 32pts
- Korpiklaani - Jylhä: 31pts
- Kvadrat - Ψυχική Αποσύνθεση
- Throne - Pestilent Dawn: 31pts
- Siderean - Lost on Void's Horizon: 31pts
- Coronary - Sinbad: 31pts
- Ergholae Somptator - Mille vertiges fondent sur les âmes vides: 30pts
- Fyrnask - VII: Kenoma: 30pts
- Circle of Ouroborus - Kiromantia: 30pts
- Monolord - Your Time to Shine: 30pts
- Grima - Rotting Garden: 30pts
- Full of Hell - Garden of Burning Apparitions: 29pts
- Malignament - Hypocrisis Absolution: 29pts
- In Mourning - The Bleeding Veil: 29pts
- Old Nick - A New Generation Of Vampiric Conspiracies: 29pts
- Inferi - Vile Genesis: 29pts
- Evil - Possessed by Evil: 29pts
- Insania - V (Praeparatus Supervivet): 28pts
- Morgal - Nightmare Realm: 28pts
- Cathartic Demise - In Absence: 28pts
- Nordjevel- Fenriir: 28pts
- Powerwolf - Call of the Wild: 28pts
- Aara - Triade I: Eos: 28pts
- Fortress - Don't Spare the Wicked: 28pts
- Aephanemer - A Dream of Wilderness: 27pts
- Auld Ridge - Consanguineous Tales of Bloodshed and Treachery: 27pts
- Stone Healer - Conquistador: 27pts
- The Temple - The Temple: 27pts
- Green Lung - Black Harvest: 27pts
- Victory Over The Sun - Nowherer: 27pts
- Klabautamann - Numbered: 27pts
- Ildaruni - Beyond Unseen Gateways: 27pts
- Spelljammer - Abyssal Trip: 27pts
- Gabestok - En gang rådden, altid rådden: 27pts
- Obsolete - Animate//Isolate: 26pts
- Ustalost - Before The Glinting Spell Unvests: 26pts
- Hypocrisy - Worship: 26pts
- Blood Red Throne - Imperial Congregation: 26pts
- Helleruin - War upon Man: 26pts
- Nunslaughter - Red is the Color of Ripping Death: 26pts
- Transilvania – Of Sleep and Death: 26pts
- Shores of Ladon - Witterung: 26pts
- Bhleg - Ödhin: 26pts
- Leiþa - Sisyphus: 25pts
- Bornholm – Apotheosis: 25pts
- Bloodbound - Creatures of the Dark Realm: 25pts
- Witherfall - Curse of Autumn: 25pts
- Reveal! - Doppelherz: 25pts
- Our Place of Worship Is Silence - Disavowed, and Left Hopeless: 25pts
- Portal - Avow: 25pts
- Sanctuaire - Spectre de mondes passés: 24pts
- Pestilence - Exitivm: 24pts
- Venefixion - A Sign from Below: 24pts
- Vulture - Dealin' Death: 24pts
- Reinforcer – Prince of the Tribes: 24pts
- Claymorean - Eulogy For the Gods: 24pts
- Hitten - Triumph & Tragedy: 24pts
- Significant Point – Into the Storm: 24pts
- Brainstorm - Wall of Skulls: 23pts
- The Body - I've Seen All I Need To See: 23pts
- Blackdeath - Also Sprach das Chaos: 23pts
- Volbeat - Servant Of The Mind: 22pts
- Todd La Torre - Rejoice in the Suffering: 22pts
- Spire - Temple Of Khronos: 22pts
- Alluvial - Sarcoma: 22pts
- Wormwood – Arkivet: 22pts
- Windfaerer - Breaths of Elder Dawns: 22pts
- Untamed Land - Like Creatures Seeking Their Own Forms: 22pts
- Memory Garden - 1349: 22pts
- Dr. Colossus- I'm A Stupid Moron...: 22pts
- Dodsrit - Mortal Coil: 22pts
- Baxaxaxa - Catacomb Cult: 22pts
- Eisenhand - Fires Within
- Midnight Odyssey - Biolume Part 2: The Golden Orb: 21pts
- 200 Stab Wounds - Slave to the Scalpel: 21pts
- Metalite - A Virtual World: 21pts
- Ossaert - Pelgrimsoord: 21pts
- Mork - Katedralen: 21pts
- Vvilderness - As Above, So Below: 21pts
- Gatecreeper - An Unexpected Reality: 21pts
- DSKNT - Vacuum y-Noise Transition: 21pts
- Varmia - Bal lada: 21pts
- Apostle of Solitude - Until the Darkness Goes: 21pts
- Decline of the I - Johannes: 20pts
- Thyrfing - Vanagandr: 20pts
- Baest - Necro Sapiens: 20pts
- Hate - Rugia: 20pts
- Artillery - X: 20pts
- Hyperdontia - Hideous Entity: 20pts
- Fear Factory - Aggression Continuum: 20pts
- Warmoon Lord - Battlespells: 20pts
- Rituals of the Dead Hand - With Hoof and Horn: 20pts
- Code - Flyblown Prince: 20pts
- Cauldron Born - Legacy of Atlantean Kings: 20pts
- Morning Dwell - The Power Will Go On: 19pts
- Cave of Swimmers - Aurora: 19pts
- Fetid Zombie - Transmutations: 19pts
- Zornheym - The Zornheim Sleep Experiment: 19pts
- Lucifer - Lucifer IV: 19pts
- Eclipse - Wired: 19pts
- Moonspell - Hermitage: 18pts
- Cathexis - Untethered Abyss: 18pts
- Mega Colossus - Riptime: 18pts
- Dauþuz - Vom schwarzen Schmied: 18pts
- Waldgeflüster - Dahoam: 18pts
- Nervosa - Perpetual Chaos: 18pts
- Count Raven - The Sixth Storm: 18pts
- Altarage - Succumb: 18pts
- Ghosts of Atlantis - 3/6/2/4: 18pts
- Paydretz - Chroniques de l’insurrection: 18pts
- Black Mass - Feast From The Forbidden Tree: 18pts
- Running Wild - Blood on Blood: 17pts
- Knife - Knife: 17pts
- Sielunvihollinen - Teloituskäsky: 17pts
- Nature Morte - Messe Basse: 16pts
- Lvcifyre - The Broken Seal: 16pts
- Häxkapell - Eldhymner: 16pts
- Misotheist - For the Glory of Your Redeemer: 16pts
- Diabolizer - Khalkedonian Death: 16pts
- Starlight Ritual - Sealed In Starlight: 16pts
- Bunker 66 - Beyond the Help of Prayers: 16pts
- Human Serpent - Heirlooms Eternal: 16pts
- Celestial Sanctuary - Soul Diminished: 16pts
- Rapture - Malevolent Demise Incarnation: 15pts
- The Silver - Ward of Roses: 15pts
- Rhapsody of Fire - Glory for Salvation: 15pts
- Lucifer's Hammer - The Trip: 14pts
- The Lion’s Daughter – Skin Show: 14pts
- Crypts of Despair - All Light Swallowed: 14pts
- Kjeld - Ôfstan: 14pts
- The Flight of Sleipnir - Eventide: 14pts
- Conjureth - Majestic Dissolve: 14pts
- Cross Vault - As Strangers We Depart: 14pts
- Passeisme - Eminence: 14pts
- Cadaveric Fumes - Echoing Chambers of Soul: 13pts
- Serpent Column - Katartisis: 13pts
- Lovebites - Glory, Glory To The World: 13pts
- Stam1na - Novus Ordo Mundi: 13pts
- Alchemy of Flesh - Ageless Abominations: 13pts
- Project: Roenwolfe - Edge of Saturn: 13pts
- Funeral Chant - Dawn of Annihilation: 12pts
- Graveland - Hour of Ragnarok: 12pts
- Reverorum Ib Malacht - Svag I Döden: 12pts
- Existance - Wolf Attack: 12pts
- The Lurking Fear - Death, Madness, Horror, Decay: 12pts
- Deathfucker - Firespawn: 12pts
- Evile - Hell Unleashed: 12pts
- Vile Haint - Ol Hatchie Haint: 12pts
- Lunar Shadow - Wish to Leave: 12pts
- Dornenreich - Du wilde Liebe sei: 12pts
- Doctor Smoke - Dreamers and the Dead: 12pts
- Replicant - Malignant Reality: 12pts
- Stress Angel - Bursting Church: 12pts
- Lordi - Abracadaver: 11pts
- Morbific - Ominous Seep Of Putridity: 11pts
- U.D.O - Game Over: 11pts
- Wraith - Undo the Chains: 11pts
- Aborted - Maniacult: 10pts
- Kör - The Horns of Ylmir: 10pts
- Sagenland - Oale Groond: 10pts
- Fuath - II: 10pts
- Sacred Oath - Return of the Dragon: 9pts
- Hannes Grossmann - To Where the Light Retreats: 9pts
- Møl – Diorama: 9pts
- Vallendusk - Heralds of Strife: 8pts
- Northtale - Eternal Flame: 8pts
- Clouds - Despartire: 8pts
- Hulder - Godslastering: Hymns of a Forlorn Peasantry: 8pts
- Imperialist - Zenith: 8pts
- Inhuman Condition - Rat°God: 8pts
- Wizardthrone – Hypercube Necrodimensions: 7pts
- Timo Tolkki's Avalon - The Enigma Birth: 6pts
- Alkonost - Vedomye Vetrom: 6pts
- Lynx - Watcher of Skies: 6pts
- Vertebra Atlantis - Lustral Purge in Cerulean Bliss: 5pts
- Wardrum - Mavericks: 5pts
- King of Asgard - Svartrviðr: 5pts
- Acid Mammoth - Caravan: 3pts
- Sijjin - Sumerian Promises: 3pts
- Ultra Raptor - Tyrants: 3pts
- Paladine - Entering The Abyss: 3pts
- Sarke - Allsighr: 3pts
- KK's Priest - Sermons of the Sinner: 3pts
- Paradox - Heresy II: End of a Legend: 3pts
- Wormwitch - Wolf Hex: 2pts
- Helslave - From The Sulphur Depths: 2pts
Wew
fuckin' lad. Three hundred and sixty god damned four non-randos have been tallied and we have our definitive winner.
The Ruins of Beverast has taken home the title in 2021 with their/his sixth full length,
The Thule Grimoires. We didn't break a total points record for the winner this year (gonna be real tough to top Ulcerate's 526 last year) but we do have the highest overall point total for the top ten as a whole by a galactic longshot. Typically breaking 300 points nearly guarantees you a spot in the top two or three, but this year the top
seven all broke that milestone, and you've gotta go down to #17 to get below 200. Part of this is simply because there were more ballots than ever this year, but I find TRoB's win all the more impressive because this means the field was
really fuckin' tight this year, so whoever wound up winning was going to have to earn it via sheer teeth grinding attrition instead of the blowout victory we sometimes have. Meilenwald's cult black metal institution pulled it out over some incredibly stiff competition (and I believe the most diverse top ten yet) and I'm proud to give Beverast a sincere Congratulations on winning MA AOTY 2021!
And now for something completely the same, all those lonely souls who wound up with only one vote throughout the month. Great albums nonetheless, but still shuttled off to the side to make the list readable. I give you:
RANDO CORNER
1st place: 25pts
Ancient Wisdom - A Celebration in Honor of Death
Bizarrekult - Vi Overlevde
Black Sheep Wall - Songs for the Enamel Queen
Caedes Cruenta - Of Ritual Necrophagia and Mysterious Ghoul Cults
Cirith Ungol - Half Past Human
Crystal Throne - Crystal Throne
Decrepisy - Emetic Communion
Dying Wish - Fragments of a Dying Memory
Embrace of Souls - The Number of Destiny
Ezra Brooks/Serpent Rider - Visions of Esoteric Splendor
Feuerschwanz - Memento Mori
Grand Cadaver - Into the Maw of Death
Grey Aura - Swart Vierkant
Grole - With A Pike Upon My Shoulder
Metal Guard Pacifica - The Crying Game
Pure – Seeds of Despair
Signum Draconis - The Divine Comedy:Inferno
Starer - 18° Below the Horizon
Tassi | 水树-Northland I • II
Tattva - Nirjara
Terra Odium - Ne Plus Ultra
The Slow Death - Siege
Ulvegr - Isbold
Unto Others - I Believe in Halloween
Vetrar Draugurinn - The Night Sky
2nd place: 18pts
Aeon Zen - Transversal
Arde - Ancestral Cult
Arkhé-Dépression
Caliban – Zeitgeister
Carmeria - Advenae
Conviction - Conviction
Crawl Below - 9 Mile Square
Felled – The Intimate Earth
Fulci - Exhumed Information
Gärgäntuäh - Urmystyk
Gargoyle - Hail To the Necrodoom
Gorgon - Traditio Satanae
Gosudar - Morbid Despotic Ritual
Hanternoz - Au fleuve de Loire
Horns of Domination - Where Voices Leave No Echo
Insomnium - Argent Moon
Ironbound - The Lightbringer
Jute Gyte - Mitrealität
Livløs - And Then There Were None
Lycopolis - The Procession
Maquahuitl - Con su pistola en la mano
Marius Danielson's Legend of Valley Doom - Legend of Valley Doom Pt.3
Mentalist - A Journey into the Unknown
Naurrakar – Uranfaust
Oppressive Descent - Astral Projections from Beyond the Grave
Phantom Elite - Titanium
Primitai - Violence of the Skies
Primordial Ooze - Parasitic Intoxicant
Regnans - Serpent Sheds Its Skin
Ruadh - Eternal
Sadness - Rain Chamber
Skyeye - Soldiers of Light
Snailmageddon - Swansong for a Snail
Stíny Plamenů: Jediný poskrvrněný přítok
Violet Cold - Empire of Love
Withered - Verloren
3rd place: 15pts
Body Void - Bury Me Beneath This Rotting Earth
Chest Rockwell - The Existentialist
Death Has Spoken - Call of the Abyss
Defacement - Defacement
Déhà-A Fleur de Peau - IV - No More Dawn
Desaster - Churches Without Saint
Dipygus - Bushmeat
Dodskold - Ödesriket
Fearancy - Dæmonium
Galneryus - Union Gives Strength
Helwetti – Helwetti
House By the Cemetery - Rise of the Rotten
Issolei - Cilicium
Kły - Chen
Korpse- Insufferable Violence
Krossfyre - Rites of Extermination
Lady Beast - Omens
Maléfice: Le dernier drapeau
Malum - Devil's Creation
Marco Garau's Magic Opera - The Golden Pentacle
Midnight Spell - Sky Destroyer
Mournful Winter - Mother's Demise
Nak'ay - Closed Doors, Open Veins
Noctule - Wretched Abyss
Old Nick - Iam Vampire Castle
Olhava - Frozen Bloom
Oryx - Lamenting a Dead World
P.H.O.B.O.S. - Bleaker Beater
Rothadás - Kopár hant... az alvilág felé
Sepulcros - Vazio
Skratte – Akt 1 – Ein Feuer entfacht
Sunnata - Burning in Heaven, Melting on Earth
Teramaze - And the Beauty They Perceive
Trhä - endlhëtonëg
Trollfest - Happy Heroes
Tyrann - Djavulens musik
Woman is the Earth - Dust of Forever
4th place: 12pts
Agent Steel - No Other Godz Before Me
Black Sites - Untrue
Bloodbeat - Process of Extinction
Carnal Offerings - From Visceral Plaguelands...
Choria - A Dismal Repertoire
Corpseater - The Stench of Mutilated Corpses
Corpus Diavolis - Apocatastase
Corr Mhóna - Abhainn
Darkwoods My Betrothed - Angel Of Carnage Unleashed
Dead and Dripping - Miasmic Eulogies Predicating an Eternal Nocturne
Demande A la poussière – Quietude Hostile
Dragony - Viribus Unitis
Ekulu - Unscrew My Head
Electric Crown - Prophecy of Doom
Eremit - Bearer Of Many Names
Fluids - Not Dark Yet
Genune - Inert & Unerring
Hamergilde - Wiking
If I Were the Devil - If I Were the Devil
Khandra - All Occupied By Sole Death
Kings Winter – Edge of Existence
Laparotomy - Ascendancy Through Hypnagogic Thought Process
Lordi - Superflytrap
Miasmata – Unlight : Songs of Earth and Atrophy
Mesarthim - Vacuum Solution
Nakhara - The Procession
Need - Norchestrion: A Song for the End
Night Crowned - Hädanfärd
Pan-Amerikan Native Front - Little Turtle's War
Pharmacist – Carnal Pollution
Prison Hell – The Dark Science
Revulsion - Revulsion
Skeletoon - The 1.21 Gigawatts Club
Solemn Echoes - Into the Depths of Sorrow
Solstice - Casting the Die
The Answer Lies in the Black Void - Forlorn
Thumos - Nothing Further Beyond
Thy Light - Thy Light
Vegard - Aeons Of Winter Eclipse
Vokonis - Odyssey
Wanton Attack - Wanton Attack
Yautja - The Lurch
5th place: 10pts
100 Years War - Stand Amongst the Fallen
Agrypnie – Metamorphosis
Apostasy - Death Return
Arion - Vultures Die Alone
Autumnfall - Ghosts of Light
Bohemyst - Čerň a Smrt
Daius - Ascuns
Demon King - The Final Tyranny
Domkraft - Seeds
Elegiac - Father of Death
Emptiness - Vide
Feldgrau - Demo
Firienholt - A Forgotten Legacy
Glyph - We are None of Us
Hämatom – Berlin (Ein akustischer Tanz auf dem Vulkan)
Hegemon - Sidereus Nuncius
Hollow - Tower
Lawrence Wallace - Journey Through Time
Lostregos - Onde Calan os Corazóns, Ruxen as Pedras
Medenera - Bronzo
Moon Coven - Slumber Wood
Moonworshipper - 13 Fullmoon Nights of Doubt
Noctambulist - Noctambulist I: Elegieën
Runespell - Verses in Regicide
Secret Sphere - Lifeblood
Space Chaser - Give us Life
Surturs Lohe - Wielandstahl
The Absence - Coffinized
Tom Gekas-Deliverance
Unleashed - No Sign Of Life
Volc Vermaledide - Nietig
Wharflurch - Psychedelic Realms ov Hell
Words of Farewell - Inner Universe II
6th place: 8pts
Æthĕrĭa Conscĭentĭa - Corrupted Pillars of Vanity
Anakim - The Elysian Void
Animal Man Machine – Until We See the Light
Antioch - Antioch V
Bloodshed Walhalla - Second Chapter
Bodom After Midnight - Paint the Sky with Blood
Cambion - Conflagrate the Celestial Refugium
Canvas Solaris - Chromosphere
Cruda Sorte - Fortgang in Terror
Dakhma - Blessings of Amurdad
Earthshine - My Bones Shall Rest Upon The Mountain
Fallensun - The Wake Of The Fall
Fractal Generator - Macrocosmos
Ghastly - Mercurial Passages
Gold Spire - Gold Spire
Hellsword - Cold is the Grave
Hesperia - Roma Vol. II
Hoofmark - Evil Blues
Impera - Spirit of Alchemy
Kal-El - Dark Majesty
Keys of Orthanc - Of the Lineage of Kings
Lavaborne - Black Winged Gods
Los Males del Mundo - Descent Towards Death
Massacre - Resurgence
Mechina - Siege
Mort Froide-Death in the Wasteland
Mourn The Light- Suffer, Then We're Gone
Odd Dimension - The Blue Dawn
Ravendust – The Gold of the Aura
Sapientia Diaboli - Black is the Messenger. Black is the Destiny.
Shadecrown - Solitarian
Sonic Haven - Vagabond
Spirit Adrift - Forge Your Future
Starforger - Wreath of Frost
Syning - Syning
This Ending - Needles of Rust
Thorium - Empires in the Sun
Thundering Hooves - Vestiges
Tombstoner - Victims of Vile Torture
Urdôl Ur - Seven Portals to the Arcane Realms
Wardruna - Kvitravn
Whitechapel - Kin
Winter Eternal - Land of Darkness
7th place: 6pts
Ad Infinitum - Chapter II: Legacy
Blinding Sun - The Magic Mountain
Cognizance - Upheaval
Dee Snider - Leave A Scar
Demonized Priest – Necromantic Rituals
Devin Townsend - Acoustically Inclined, Live In Leeds
Devoid of Thought - Outer World Graves
Drawn And Quartered - Congregation Pestilence
Elderwind - Fires
Elffor - Condemned to Wander
Goatchrist - Odes to the Radiant Ones
Gotmoor - Zonderlingen
Grabunhold - Heldentod
Gravesend - Methods For Human Disposal
Hellight – Until The Silence Embraces
Hope Drone - Husk
Iron Fate - Crimson Messiah
John The Baptist - John The Baptist
Kaevum - Fedrelandets Alter
Killing - Face the Madness
Knife – The Eye Of Infernal Wisdom
Küenring - Neon Nights
Les Chants de Nihil - Le tyran et l'esthète
Lucifer's Fall - III - From the Deep
Magna Mortalis - Procreation of the Plague
Marius Danielsen's Legend of Valley Doom - s/t pt 3
Mental Devastation - The Delusional Mystery of the Self Part I
Mossgiver - Lead by the Glowing River
Neurotech - Solace
Noltem - Illusions in the Wake
Oldskull- Nether Hollow Of No Return
Osiah - Loss
Outre-Tombe - Abysse Mortifère
Perennial Isolation - Portraits
Primalfrost - Lost Elegies
Profane Desecration - Abysmal Stillness
Profeci – Aporia
Redd Baron - Sands of Time
Sickle of Dust - Where the Sun Glare Danced
Sphere - π
Subterranean Masquerade - Mountain Fever
Superstatic - Glimmering Veil
Temple of Dread - Hades Unleashed
Tentation - Le Berceau des Dieux
The Aggross - City Kids
The Agonist - Days Before The World Wept
The Plague - Within Death
Trance - Metal Forces
Ulver - Hexahedron
Vardok Nalt-Minner Dekket Av Tåke
Vexillum- When Good Men go to War
Волколак - Чёрная Моя
8th place: 4pts
Abigorum – Vergessene Stille
Abiotic - Ikigai
Autokrator - Persecution
Azazel - Aegrum Satanas Tecum
Balmog - Eve
Blazon Rite - Endless Halls of Golden Totem
Bongzilla - Weedsconsin
Carthage - Sicilian Wars
Einherjer - North Star
Enshine - Transcending Fire
Eternal Valley - Kingdom of Misery
Evil King - The Dark Age
Funeral Pile - Evoked in Flames
Funeral Winds: Gruzelementen
Funeralium - Decrepit
Graveyard Of Souls - Infinity Equal Zero
Hands of Despair - Crimson Boughs
Igric - Svet svetlom stvorený
In Crucem Agere - Calling the Void
Kaal Akuma - In the Mouth of Madness
Kły - Cienie
Knowledge Through Suffering - Concealment
Laceration - Demise
Liquid Tension Experiment – LTE3
Marianas Rest - Fata Morgana
Master Spy – The Train
Mavorim - Non Omnis Moria
Memoriam - To The End
Nemorous - Nemorous
Nocturnal Effigy - Gaze ov the Wampyr
Null - Hiraeth
Omination - NGR
Rascal-Headed Towards Destruction
Red Fang - Arrows
Scarred - Scarred
Sexmag - Sex Metal
Shade of Memories - Glaciers of Tomorrow
Sommo Inquisitore - Anno Mille
Spiritworld - Pagan Rhythms
Stagwounder - The Shrouded Muse of the World's Lament
Summoning The Lich - United In Chaos
Thalarion - Dying on the Scorched Plains
Ulver - Scary Muzak
Wellborn Road - Resiliency
White Ward - Debemur Morti
9th place: 2pts
Alkerdeel - Slonk
An Autumn For Crippled Children-All Fell Silent, Everything Went Quiet
Ancient Mastery - Chapter One: Across the Mountains of the Drämmarskol
Anthropophagous - Death Fugue
Ascète - Calamite & les Calamités
Castle of the Winds - Until Segontium Burns
Crystal Coffin - The Starway Eternal
Cult of Occult - Ruin
Deviant Process - Nurture
Doedsvangr: Serpents ov Old
Drakon Ho Megas - Drakon Ho Megas
Fimir - Tomb of God
Fragments of Lost Memories - Where the Soul Goes
Frozen Crown - Winterbane
Gallows - 66 Black Wings
Gautama Buddha - Purvajanam Part 1
Hån - Breathing the Void
Hellrock - This Is Metal
In Vain - All Hope is Gone
Labored Breath - Dyspnea
Mulla - Don't cry my Africa
Odal - Welten Mutter
Pantokrator - Marching Out of Babylon
Rübezahl - Remnants of Grief & Glory
RüYYn- RüYYn
Skorbvstr - Akkurat Min Kopp Te
Solemn Lament - Solemn Lament
Spider God - Skugglösa ljuset / Shadowless Light
Stabat Mater - Treason By Son Of Man
Swampbeast - Seven Evils Spawned of Seven Heads
Teramaze - Sorella Minore
Terrordome - Straight Outta Smogtown
Thronehammer - Incantation Rites
Ulvik - Cascades
Universally Estranged - Reared Up in Spectral Predation
Unmother - Lay Down the Sun
Utburd – Story of Frozen Souls
Varhhorn - Varhhorn
Void Vator - Great Fear Rising
Warloghe - Three Angled Void
Zeegang-De poëzie van vallende sneeuw
10th place: 1pt
Acausal Intrusion - Nulitas
Ars Magna Umbrae - Throne Between Worlds
Asylum - Sharpen
Behemoth - Prometherion
Białywilk - Próżnia
Bihargam - Blood in the Temple
Blackwater Holylight - Silence/Motion
Caina - Take Me Away From All This Death
Carved in Wood-The Beautiful Chaos
Commander Agares: Legions of Descending Twilight
Cursed Past – Defiled Graves
Dark The Suns - Suru raivosi sydameni pimeydessa
Divide and Dissolve - Gas Lit
Divine Incarnation - Wrath
Eldritch - Eos
Ereb Altor - Eldens Boning
Fustilarian - All This Promiscuous Decadence
Gaahls Wyrd - The Humming Mountain
Grunt - Discipline
Haenesy - Garabontzia
Hexorcist - Evil Reaping Death
Hidden Intent - Dead End Destiny
Illudium - Ash of the Womb
Impure Wilhelmina - Antidote
Krallice - Demonic Wealth
Kranholm - A Wind in the Cold Night
Krigsgrav - The Sundering
Lock Up - The Dregs of Hades
Lugubrum - Bruyne Kroon
Melphomene - Shine
Moral Collapse - Moral Collapse
Nightfall - At Night We Prey
Nýr Gata – Luna Aeterna
Percival- Riders Of The Sun
Ringarë - Thrall of Winter's Majesty
Saille - V
Scald - Regius I
Servants to the Tide - Servants to the Tide
Silent Winter - Empire of Sins
Tales and Legends - Struggle of the Gods
Temperance - Diamanti
Tetrarch - Unstable
Thelemite - Thelemism
Times of Grace - Songs of Loss and Separation
Unendlich - Paradox of a Broken World
Vandor - On a Moonlit Night
Vukari - Omnes Nihil
Сергей Маврин - Иди и смотри
I've decided to end the Debut of the Year tally this year, and the fact that only one person in the other thread expressed mild disappointment and only two ballots included a vote for it out of habit, I feel like I made the right choice in just saving myself the work. If you want to give accolades anyway, feel free to give it to
Stormkeep, whose debut,
Tales of Othertime landed all the way up at #4.
BH's Final ThoughtsWithout a doubt this was the most intense month of polling we've ever done, breaking records left and right. As a result I'm completely exhausted (even skipping most of the extraneous data I usually include this still wound up taking like three hours to type up) but beyond please with how the community once again pulled together for this. I usually take this time to note two observations that usually hold true, but I think neither of them really do this year. Firstly I usually note how genres are split, with black metal saturating the fuck out of rando corner while thrash and power metal have comparatively way fewer representatives but tend to place higher on the list. Well, three of the top four, including the winner, are all black metal this year, so even if rando corner is still loaded with obscure raw BM demos I really can't say that fans of the genre didn't have obvious favorites this year. Power metal also nearly managed to pull out a massive underdog victory, since Helloween's self titled was actually keeping the #1 spot warm for almost the entire month, only falling to #2 early in the last week and eventually getting surpassed by several more during The Push that always happens on the final day. My other usual talking point pertains to how legacy bands always do extremely well, to the point where I get personally annoyed with how often old bands seem to get cookies simply for still existing and not releasing Illud. While there's an element of that here as always (it's no secret that I think modern Iron Maiden is terrible) I don't think it's as prevalent as I sometimes feel it is. Sure, the top ten includes Iron Maiden, Carcass, and Helloween, three bands that easily fit my criticism, but the winner is fuckin' Ruins of Beverast. Sure it's a cult classic project and an MA darling but it's nowhere
near the level of historical significance and widespread notoriety as the aforementioned three. Darkthrone and Cannibal Corpse both missed the top twenty while much newer and more niche bands like Stormkeep, Ad Nauseam, and Worm beat them without much of a sweat. I think it's safe to say that my ageist bullshit is just that: alarmist bullshit.
I also feel like this could potentially be a very controversial top ten. TRoB is an MA Pet Band so their win isn't necessarily surprising (Exuvium was #3 in 2017 so they have a history of performing well), but Spectral Wound pulled second place despite
demolishing the vote total by a wide margin. Spectral Wound placed on 36 ballots while TRoB only placed on 27. Stormkeep, Hooded Menace, Carcass, and Helloween all had equal or more total votes than the winner, but fell short due to placement of the votes themselves, and Iron Maiden had more #1 votes than anybody else but landed #3 overall. But hey, that's why I do the grand prix thing! It's more impressive to be considered "The Best" than "one of the best" as far as I'm concerned. That balance of consistency and excellence is hard to nail and that's why winning isn't easy. And while they didn't win, I'm sure we're gonna keep seeing some Discourse about Iron Maiden's incredibly strong showing considering how many pages of the other thread were spent arguing about whether they were being propped up by oldnoobs with no interest in the present and future of metal or if they were being unfairly shunned by kids and snobs who can't appreciate some classic Heavy Fucking Metal without pretentious modern trappings. Either way, I foresee complaints and slapfights over this top ten more than any previous year, and honestly, I'm here for it! Discussion is good and that's why we do this, because we all love and are passionate about this music.
And lastly, the booby prizes! As always we have the
Rando Calrissian Award for "highest placement with no first place votes", which this year goes to
Këkht Aräkh - Pale Swordsman, likely the first time it has ever gone to a project I've literally never heard of before. I checked it out and I get the appeal, this type of super poetic/romantic/weepy black metal is pretty unique in the grand scheme of things so it's neat to see it do so well. There's also the
Beltre Award for "hitting for the cycle", aka scoring at least one vote in all ten possible positions. This is much less impressive nowadays since we get more and more votes in total each year, but I'll keep tracking it and give special mentions to
Spectral Wound,
Stormkeep,
Hooded Menace,
Helloween,
Worm,
Steel Bearing Hand, and
Thy Catafalque for all pulling it off this year. It's funny how this was a big deal after nobody managing the feat for the first three years, and now seven god damned albums pulled it off at once. Oh well, might have to stop keeping track of that one if it keeps trending this way.
Lastly, this means nothing, but at one point during the voting period the top four were Spectral Wound, Helloween, Iron Maiden, and The Ruins of Beverast. Part of me was really hoping that would hold just so the top four could be anagram'd as SHIT.
Thank you all so much for another phenomenal year! Let us now use this thread for discussion, list sharing, and calling me an asshole. This was a ton of fun as usual and I'm glad we pulled it together for the sixth year in a row, even if I did miss posting on the 1st for the first time.
Also be sure to tell me where I fucked up in Rando Corner because I always, always do!
HALL OF FAME
2020
- Ulcerate - Stare Into Death and Be Still: 11-6-8-3-1-3-0-1-0-3 = 526pts
- Havukruunu - Uinuos syömein sota: 8-6-4-5-2-0-1-2-5-1 = 473pts
- Eternal Champion - Ravening Iron: 6-9-0-5-1-2-3-3-4-1 = 437pts
- Wytch Hazel - III: Pentecost: 6-5-2-5-3-1-0-3-0-1 = 381pts
- Oranssi Pazuzu - Mestarin Kynsi: 3-1-2-0-4-3-3-3-2-1 = 220pts
- Akhlys - Melinoë: 0-1-6-2-5-0-3-1-2-1 = 209pts
- Unleash the Archers - Abyss: 6-1-1-0-0-1-0-1-0-2 = 197pts
- Paradise Lost - Obsidian: 3-0-2-3-0-2-4-1-0-5 = 190pts
- Cirith Ungol – Forever Black: 2-1-2-2-3-1-1-2-1-2 = 178pts
- Vader - Solitude in Madness: 2-0-4-2-2-1-1-2-0-1 = 177pts
2019
- Blood Incantation – Hidden History of the Human Race: 8-3-6-5-5-4-4-2-2-3 = 525pts
- Idle Hands – Mana: 6-6-2-2-1-1-0-0-1-1 = 333pts
- Atlantean Kodex – The Course of Empire: 4-5-2-2-1-2-0-0-0-0 = 270pts
- Misþyrming – Algleymi: 3-2-2-3-1-3-2-1-1-0 = 229pts
- Obsequiae – The Palms of Sorrowed Kings: 4-2-1-0-4-1-2-3-1-3 = 228pts
- Traveler – Traveler: 1-4-4-3-2-1-0-1-1-0 = 227pts
- Crypt Sermon – The Ruins of Fading Light: 3-0-2-2-3-2-5-2-0-1 = 214pts
- Deathspell Omega – The Furnaces of Palingenesia: 3-0-4-2-1-2-0-2-5-0 = 203pts
- Tomb Mold – Planetary Clairvoyance: 0-2-3-2-1-5-1-2-1-1 = 172pts
- Cult of Luna – A Dawn to Fear: 4-2-0-0-2-1-0-0-2-2 = 170pts
2018
- Visigoth – Conqueror's Oath = 293pts
- Amorphis – Queen of Time = 292pts
- Solstice – White Horse Hill = 245pts
- Satan – Cruel Magic = 244pts
- Voivod – The Wake = 243pts
- Varathron – Patriarchs of Evil = 214pts
- Primordial – Exile Amongst the Ruins = 191pts
- Judas Priest – Firepower = 179pts
- Horrendous – Idol = 168pts
- Chapel of Disease - …and as We Have Seen the Storm... = 163pts
2017
- Power Trip - Nightmare Logic = 368pts
- Immolation - Atonement = 258pts
- The Ruins of Beverast - Exuvia = 249pts
- Satan's Hallow - Satan's Hallow = 222pts
- Spectral Voice - Eroded Corridors of Unbeing = 196pts
- Bell Witch - Mirror Reaper = 165pts
- Elder - Reflections of a Falling World = 164pts
- Nokturnal Mortum - Verity = 160pts
- Malokarpatan - Nordkarpatenland = 159pts
- Dying Fetus - Wrong One to Fuck With = 158pts
2016
- Vektor - Terminal Redux = 411pts
- Deathspell Omega - The Synarchy of Molten Bones = 231pts
- Blood Incantation - Starspawn = 230pts
- Avantasia - Ghostlights = 201pts
- Sumerlands - Sumerlands = 197pts
- Eternal Champion - The Armor of Ire = 157pts
- Ulcerate - Shrines of Paralysis = 137pts
- Mithras - On Strange Loops = 137pts
- Moonsorrow - Jumalten Aika = 132pts
- Inquisition - Bloodshed Across the Empyrean Altar Beyond the Celestial Zenith = 130pts
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