2026 Metal Academy Awards Discussion - The Infinite Edition

With Ben busy beavering away on developing the new site, I thought I would instigate the threads for the "Metal Academy Releases of the Year Awards" and begin them early in the hope of drumming up some interest in the concept and in promoting new releases.

There will be a "Release of the Year" for each clan and I will also compile a Top 10 for the site as a whole. In addition there will be an award for the "Cover of the Year" for each clan. These will be determined by the site rating for each release, based on a to-be-determined minimum number of ratings. It is necessary to implement a minimum number of ratings as it seems unfair for a release with, for example, one 5 star rating to be placed above a release with a 4.5 average from 5 ratings. This minimum number of ratings may be different for each clan as the participation levels vary so significantly, but I would expect the final minimum to be whatever meaningful number returns a reasonable quantity of contenders, say at least five, for each clan. In the event of there being a tie for clan winner the release with the highest number of ratings wins out.

Please use this thread to post recommendations for any Infinite releases from 2026 that you think deserve a shot at ROTY for the clan and hopefully a bit of exposure will get folks rating it. Any suggestions and/or comments about the concept more generally are also more than welcome.

There are ten releases from the Infinite's 2026 release schedule that have already hit the minimum number of ratings. Interestingly, a number of them also lead the rankings in several other clans as well as here in The Infinite.

1. Neurosis - An Undying Love for a Burning World [4.50] (#1 by virtue of higher number of ratings) Also #1 in The Fallen

2. Kaatayra - Caminhos de água [4.50] #1 in The North

3. Cryptic Shift - Overspace & Supertime [4.33] #1 in both the Horde and The Pit

4. Protest the Hero - Within [4.17]

5. Myrath - Wilderness of Mirrors [4.00] #1 in The Guardians

6. Crimson Glory - Chasing the Hydra [4.00]

7. Plini - An Unnameable Desire [3.83]

8. Urne - Setting Fire to the Sky [3.38]

9. Stam1na Apnea [3.33]

10. ERRA Silence Outlives the Earth [3.13]

It is quite incredible that releases that sit under The Infinite umbrella are leading in six out of the nine clans. I guess the Metal Academy likes progressiveness in their metal more than is immediately apparent.

The Infinite is another clan from which I have listened to nothing so far this year (although I have got Cryptic Shift on as I type this) so please post any red hot recs for myself and anyone else who is interested to check out.