Judgement Submissions

https://metal.academy/hall/533

As with Primus' first two albums, I can't identify any metal whatsoever on this bad boy. The links between Primus & metal music are purely a myth with this record sitting very comfortably under an experimental/psychedelic rock description. Therefore, I'd like to see "Pork Soda" removed from The Gateway so that it can reside under the Non-Metal grouping.

https://metal.academy/hall/532

Atheist's popular 1993 third album "Elements" is generally referred to as being progressive/technical death metal but I have question the album's claim to our The Horde clan because I don't hear any death metal whatsoever on this record. It's purely a progressive metal record as far as I can see so I'd like to see "Elements" removed from The Horde & reside solely in The Infinite.

https://metal.academy/hall/531

Fixed

I just gave this Sadist album some listening and a review to continue my on-off thrashy progressive death metal exploration. There is a bit of thrash riffing going on, but I'm still one of those people who would consider this a progressive death metal album, maybe even technical death metal. Most of the speedy riffing has more to do with the more technical side of death metal, helped out by some neoclassical leads, all that combined with the keyboard ambience stirring up the progressiveness in the sound. I'm afraid I'll have to give this entry a NO vote, Daniel. And I encourage Horde members to please add the technical death metal subgenre to the album's release page.

https://metal.academy/hall/528

Unanimated's debut album is clearly a melodic black/death metal hybrid in my opinion. In fact, I'd go so far as to say that it's more black metal than it is death metal & could well have been the catalyst for the entire melodic black metal phenomenon that took off out of Sweden later in 1993. For that reason, I'd like to see "In the Forest of the Dreaming Dead" added to The North on top of its existing position in The Horde.

https://metal.academy/hall/526

Heretical as it might be to some, I actually agree with this.

To me, Motörhead always felt like hard rock with as much of a punk element as a metal one, at least in the earlier works (and to some degree even on the later ones).

This nomination has now been posted in the Hall of Judgement.

https://metal.academy/hall/525

A couple tracks are definitely deathly, but looking back at the other tracks, they don't quite reach that level. Sure they're dark and heavy but they've tamed down to more of a bleak atmospheric industrial metal direction. So this entry is getting a YES vote from me.

I remember listening to this In Mourning album long ago, and from what I can recall, the vocals aren't the only thing deathly there. With that and the melodeath riffing going on often, it reminded me a lot of Dark Tranquillity's Haven gone Opeth. So for this entry, I'll have to give it a NO vote, Daniel.

OK, thanks Daniel.

This nomination has been posted in the Hall of judgement:

https://metal.academy/hall/522

I've passed this nomination uncontested Andi.

I've passed these two nominations uncontested Andi.

Correct indeed! Throes of Absolution is progressive tech-/melodeath fury as it should be and a must-hear for all metalheads out there. The Infinite clan still hasn't been added to its release page though. Could you please fix that, Daniel? Thanks.

Based on the mess RYM have made of their genre-tagging in recent years, I wouldn't worry too much about what their members think Rex as there's not a lot of genuine understanding there. More importantly, we need a few more The Guardians members to vote on this release in the Hall of Judgement so that we can achieve a clear position.

I know.  I'm just expressing my pleasure that it's at least staying there for a while.  I don't have an RYM account as the staff isn't making the best decisions, but I wanted a place to express the pleasure anyway.

I just listened to it, and I agree and will vote YES for this entry. This short review of mine explains my thoughts, and if bands with only non-metal albums end up getting removed from the site, I'm sure Gloios will get the axe here once the entry succeeds. https://metal.academy/reviews/35730/33939

This nomination has been posted in the Hall of Judgement.

https://metal.academy/hall/520

Mythra's "The Death & Destiny E.P." is not only the earliest legitimate metal release to come out of the NWOBHM in my opinion but it's also the very first release I deem to be worthy of the speed metal tag due to the inclusion of "Killer" & "Overload" which are both built on tremolo-picked riffs & high tempos. Please vote YES to have the E.P. added the The Pit on top of its existing position in The Guardians.

https://metal.academy/hall/518

After revisiting "Overkill" this week, I've come to the conclusion that any suggestions that the early Motörhead records were metal releases are clearly misguided. The only thing metal about the entire record is the double-kick work in the opening title track. Outside of that we have a raw & dirty hard rock record that should really be sitting under Non-Metal. Please vote YES to facilitate that change.

https://metal.academy/hall/516

With a unanimous vote tally of YES 5 NO 0, I've decided to pass this old Hall of Judgement nomination & have changed the database to reflect the change. Thank you to everyone who contributed to a result that I feel is undeniably correct.

As with Black Sabbath's first two classic albums, the age-old consensus that 1971's "Master of Reality" is a "heavy metal" record doesn't stack up to closer scrutiny, at least not when you take into account the modern metal genre tree. If the album was released today by as the debut release from a new band then I feel confident that it'd be tagged as a stoner metal record which is in line with my long-term feeling that it doesn't sit all that comfortably alongside your Judas Priests & Iron Maidens.

For the record, this is how I've tagged the album:

1. Sweet Leaf - Stoner metal

2. After Forever - Hard rock

3. Embryo - English folk music

4. Children of the Grave - Heavy metal

5. Orchid - Contemporary folk

6. Lord of This World - Stoner metal

7. Solitude - Psychedelic folk

8. Into The Void - Stoner metal

The folk interludes are pretty insignificant in the grand scheme of things but it is worth noting that the only one of any length (i.e. 'Solitude') has a psychedelic feel which again plays closer to stoner than it does heavy metal. There's only really the one heavy metal tune included in "Children of the Grave". Therefore, I'd like to see 'Master of Reality' removed from The Guardians & the Heavy Metal genre while maintaining its position in The Fallen under Stoner Metal.

This nomination has been posted in the Hall of Judgement.

https://metal.academy/hall/515

With a vote tally of YES 8 NO 3, my Hall of Judgement submission to have Black Sabbath's "Master of Reality" album added into The Fallen under the Stoner Metal genre has been passed. The database has been updated to reflect the change.

This nomination has been posted in the Hall of Judgement.

https://metal.academy/hall/514

So, we've finally reached an outcome on "Ride The Lightning" with the vote tally finishing at YES 4 NO 8 to deny its entry into The Guardians. Thank you to everyone who participated in reaching this result.

I've passed this nomination uncontested Andi.

These two nominations have now been posted in the Hall of Judgement Andi.

https://metal.academy/hall/512

https://metal.academy/hall/513

I've passed this nomination uncontested Andi.

The sole 1979 album from Connecticut's Legend is generally tagged as one of America's first genuine heavy metal records but I'm going to have to question that theory as I simply can't identify enough genuine metal to qualify for a primary tag. The record is much more of a progressive/hard rock release in my opinion with heavy metal & jazz fusion playing more supporting roles. For that reason, I'd like to see "Fröm the Fjörds" removed from The Guardians & added to Non-Metal.

This nomination has been posted in the Hall of Judgement.

https://metal.academy/hall/511

Sacred Reich's third album is generally tagged as a thrash metal record but I feel that's inaccurate with the riffs & general tone having much more in common with Machine Head than they do with Vio-lence. I'd like to see 'Independent' removed from the Thrash Metal genre & added to the Groove Metal one instead.

This nomination has been posted in the Hall of Judgement.

https://metal.academy/hall/510

Fear Factory's death metal credentials were a little tenuous at the best of times but their 1993 remix E.P. moves them further afield again & I feel that it's a poor fit for The Horde. Please vote YES to have it removed from The Horde so that it resides solely in The Sphere where it belongs.

This nomination has been posted in the Hall of Judgement.

https://metal.academy/hall/509

This nomination has been posted in the Hall of Judgement.

https://metal.academy/hall/508

This nomination has been posted in the Hall of Judgement.

https://metal.academy/hall/507

OH wait a minute. I crossed up two diferent concepts. The idea isn't that Sabbath isn't metal-as in hard rock that shouldn't be here that's what I had in my tortured mind. This is just about moving it from Guardians to Fallen. I dunno man. I guess I don't feel strongly about either one.

At the risk of stirring the pot, because for the life of me I can't seam not to...

Genre classifications were developed for marketing, broadcasting, radio stations, and record store reasons. They served as a rough guide to what you might be getting from an unknown artist. In an era where streaming is the most common form of music consumption what purpose do such debates really serve, or even reviews for that matter? You can read my rating and review of an album sure, but in the same amount of time you could have queued it on you platform of choice and been 5 minutes deep into actually hearing it yourself. I'm obviously not against such things as I vigorously participate in this website, but the creative and restless mind keeps me wondering if we could look at music criticism in a new light and find something more constructive and fresh to do with this passion? 

I suppose they may have started that way, but these days genres are a bit more wide-ranging than marketing.  Take film for example.  Would you ever buy a movie labeled "kitchen sink cinema?"  I mean, if I walk into a store and actually see a "blackgaze" or "doomgaze" section, I'd find it very cool that the local community has an interest enough to justify a shelf in a store, but most genre-tags now seem more like last.fm-style reference points for bands that encompass certain underground varieties, albeit without the surprisingly still-going meme of tagging Bieber as black metal.  They're useful if you want a distinct sound, even thought sometimes it gets out of hand.

As with Black Sabbath's first three classic albums, the age-old consensus that 1972's "Vol 4" is a "heavy metal" record doesn't stack up to closer scrutiny, at least not when you take into account the modern metal genre tree. If the album was released today as the debut release from a new band then I feel confident that it'd be tagged as a stoner metal record which is in line with my long-term feeling that it doesn't sit all that comfortably alongside your Judas Priests & Iron Maidens.

For the record, this is how I've tagged the album:

01. Wheels of Confusion - Heavy psych

02. Tomorrow's Dream - Stoner metal

03. Changes - Piano rock

04. FX - Experimental

05. Supernaut - Stoner rock

06. Snowblind - Stoner metal

07. Cornucopia - Stoner metal

08. Laguna Sunrise - Chamber folk

09. St. Vitus Dance - Stoner rock

10. Under The Sun - Stoner metal

As you can see, more than 50% of the tracklisting falls outside of the metal space however the stoner rock & heavy psych inclusions are also closely aligned with the stoner metal tag & there is enough genuine metal to qualify for the Academy anyway. Given that we've recently voted to have "Vol 4" added to The Fallen under the Stoner Metal genre, I'd like to see it removed from The Guardians & the Heavy Metal genre so that it resides solely in The Fallen under Stoner Metal.

https://metal.academy/hall/506

OK, thanks Daniel.

This nomination has been posted in the Hall of Judgement.

https://metal.academy/hall/504

This nomination has just been posted in the Hall of Judgement.

https://metal.academy/hall/502

Yeah, I'm particularly proud of these results as it's the ultimate sign that Metal Academy are running our own race & are presenting things in the way that they really are rather than simply following the consensus. I even waited until we had the full quota of votes on these ones because I knew how controversial they may be if they were passed.

With a vote tally of YES 8 NO 0, this Hall of Judgement entry has been successful & the release has now been added to The Fallen under the Stoner Metal genre.

This Hall of Judgement entry seems to be going in only one direction with the current vote tally sitting at YES 5 NO 0 so I've decided to pass it. The release has now been changed to reflect the new position under both The Horde & The Infinite with the Progressive Metal genre having been added.

Once more I have to agree, Daniel. There are certainly death doom passages, but not really enough to justify a primary - a secondary tag absolutely, but not a primary. I must admit that when I first listened to it, I was surprised that Ben had nominated it for The Fallen as it didn't exactly scratch that Fallen itch for me, very good record that it is, though. I also recognise that my review focusses on the death doom aspect, but given my well-publicised preferences, I guess that isn't much of a surprise to long-time Academy members!

Absolutely, Daniel. I think Cathedral play very little doom metal outside the debut and Endtyme and are much more of a stoner metal band.

I totally agree with you, Daniel. Jar of Kingdom is so experimental that the avant-garde metal tag is a must! Except I still find a lot of progressiveness from the complex structures and twists enough that the progressive metal tag isn't redundant. So while I'm voting YES for this entry, I'll vote NO for your possible later entry of taking out the progressive metal tag.

The 2006 "First Daze Here Too" compilation of Pentagram's 1970's material only contains one metal track with the rest of the 22 song tracklisting sitting predominantly in the heavy psych & hard rock space. Therefore, I'd like to see it removed from The Guardians & retagged as Non-Metal.

https://metal.academy/hall/499

The 2002 "First Daze Here" compilation of Pentagram's 1970's material only contains a few metal track with the vast majority sitting more in the hard rock space so I'd like to see it removed from The Guardians & retagged as Non-Metal.

https://metal.academy/hall/498

OK, thanks Daniel.