Judgement Submissions

I can't seem to locate the original thread that Ben posted when he nominated Marduk's debut album "Dark Endless" for the Hall of Judgement so I thought I'd create a new one to announce the result. I've decided to pass Ben's submission to remove "Dark Endless" from The North based on the fact that the current vote count is 4-0 in the positive which gives a strong indication that the vote will eventually pass & also that if the album were added to the site today it wouldn't qualify for a position in The North. This was Ben's original argument:

"I've been listening to Marduk's Dark Endless this week and have been surprised by just how little black metal it contains. There are a couple of riffs that border on black metal, but the vast majority of it is clear-cut death metal. Despite Marduk's long discography of black metal material that they've released since this album was dropped, it feels very wrong for the debut to be associated with The North."

Finnish producer Heaven Pierce Her's "ULTRAKILL: INFINITE HYPERDEATH" release is a pretty typical video game soundtrack in that it mashes together a whole bunch of different subgenres, one of which is certainly industrial metal. Unfortunately I don't think that this component is significant enough to warrant inclusion as a metal release overall as it amounts to only around a third of the overall run time with the rest being made up of drum & bass, ambient, jazz, progressive electronic, breakbeat, classical, etc.  Therefore I'd like to see this release removed from The Sphere & placed into the Non-Metal bucket.

I gave this album four spins over the last few days & I'm not sure I agree that it should qualify as a metal release. It's worth noting that I don't consider Kyuss to be a metal band either though. For "Reflections Of A Floating World" I'd go with a dual Progressive Rock & Stoner Rock tag with a Heavy Psych secondary. I think the psychedelic component is being overstated on RYM. To my ears the most prominent attribute is progressive rock (with Yes being a major influence) so it's really surprising that there's no progressive primary.

There is just as much grungy Alice In Chains & Soundgarden style Alternative Metal on this release as there is Down-inspired Stoner Metal so I'd like to see Floodgate's sole 1996 album "Penalty" added to The Gateway on top of its existing position in The Fallen.

The 2014 "Free..." E.P. from San Francisco stoner metal outfit Acid King offer four tracks with the first two sitting in the space between stoner metal & doom metal, the third being a total doom-fest & the fourth sticking more in the stoner camp. For that reason I feel that it needs a Doom Metal tag on top of its existing Stoner Metal one.

The music compiled within Virginia-based stoner metallers Alabama Thunderpussy's 2006 album "Open Fire" is generally regarded as stoner/Southern metal however in reality it's more of a combination of your more traditional heavy metal riffs & song structures with a stoner metal production job & aesthetic. You definitely get your fair share of stoner groove but those moments are comfortably out-weighed by fast-paced Judas Priest riffage, Saxon-esque hard rock crunch & Iron Maiden style guitar harmonies. For that reason I'd like to see it sitting in The Guardians under Heavy Metal while maintaining its position in The Fallen under Stoner Metal.

These two submissions have now be posted in the Hall of Judgement.

If I had given this album a closer listen before, not just after, choosing this album as this month's Gateway feature release so I would remember more than just those metal tracks from all those years ago, I probably would chosen a different release. Memories can be tricky that way, huh? So I would have to agree with you on this one, Daniel, along with your submission for Code Orange's Underneath that offers far more than that band's earlier metalcore. We'll see the fate of those releases' clan positions in the Hall.

Code Orange's 2020 "Underneath" album is very much a combination of metalcore & alternative metal with the industrial elements layered over the top. In fact, I'm surprised that it's not already in The Gateway actually as the the alternative component is easily as strong as the industrial one in my opinion. There's plenty of alternative metal & even Linkin Park/Korn style nu metal in Code Orange's sound with a number of tracks that have nothing to do with metalcore whatsoever so I think it warrants inclusion in The Gateway under the Alternative Metal genre.

With you on this one: there's a strong thrash influence present, but to me it feels like a stoner metal piece with as much influence from punk as from thrash.

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

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

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

So I finally got around to checking this album out over the last day or so & I have to admit that I disagree about it being a metal release. There are a lot more components to Blood Ceremony's sound than just doom metal with psychedelic rock, stoner rock & progressive rock all playing a strong role along with the odd bit of folk. I can definitely see where the two of you are coming from as there's no denying that there are Iommi-worshipping doom metal riffs here but the guitar tone is centered in hard rock territory which gives the album more of a rock feel & this is accentuated by the flute, organ & vocals to leave me feeling that a dual heavy psych/stoner rock primary is all I think this needs. I mean by definition stoner rock "combines blues rock, psychedelia & the repetitive riffs of doom metal" & that sums this record up pretty well in my opinion so I've gone with a NO on this occasion.

I'd be interested in your thoughts on this one Ben.

"Paracletus" was added to The infinite after receiving a unanimous 15-1 YES vote in the Hall of Judgement.

Vektor's "Black Future" was added to The Infinite after receiving a unanimous 14-1 YES vote in the Hall of Judgement.

Cool, thanks Daniel!

The 1980 debut album "Cycle Of Life" from Finnish heavy metal outfit Sarcofagus is one of the earliest examples of Progressive Metal in my opinion & should therefore be located in The Infinite.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

This nomination has no been posted in the Hall of Judgement.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

This nomination has now been posted in the Hall of Judgement. We've already fixed up the War Metal tagging as it legitimately qualifies now anyway.

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

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

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

Thanks, Daniel!

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

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

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

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

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

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