An observation on the 2004 lists...

[JayKeeley]

First of all, the overall list takes into account the positioning of each individual album in each writer list. It's a simple tally based on weighting where #1 = 10 points, #2 = 9 points, and so forth.

The list does NOT also rank against how many times an album appeared across all the individual lists.

Therefore, as an example, Anthrax appeared once, but it did so at #2 which garners it 9 points. Neurosis, on the other hand, appeared twice at #7 (4 points) and #8 (3 points), totalling 7 points. Anthrax therefore still leads....

The message is clear, don't pay too much attention to the overall list, heh, particularly at the nether regions. It's just a bit of fun to tally the totals, that's all.

Secondly, a quick correction: there is a miscount on the overall list...

Drudkh appeared at #7 (BWD), #1 (Erik), #2 (JK), #1 (NAD) = 33 points
Ayreon appeared at #4 (ChiefB), #1 (Evil C), #1 (PJ) = 27 points
Orphaned Land appeared at #1 (ChiefB), #4 (Evil C), #1 (JK) = 27 points
Iced Earth appeared at #2 (ChiefB), #1 (Gen Zod) = 19 points
Isis appeared at #1 (BWD), #9 (Gen Zod), #5 (JK) = 18 points
Angra appeared at #2 (Gen Zod), #3 (JK) = 17 points

Therefore, the overall Top 5 should be:

1. Drudkh - Autumn Aurora
2. Ayreon - Human Equation
2. Orphaned Land - Mabool
3. Iced Earth - Glorious Burden
4. Isis - Panopticon
5. Angra - Temple of Shadows

The tie between Ayreon and Orphaned Land pushes everything up the list, which opens up the #10 position: The next biggest scorers after Amon Amarth and Cradle of Filth were Esoteric, Anthrax, and Blut Aus Nord each appearing at #2 and therefore awared with 9 points each.

So, to clarify the rest of the list:

6. Megadeth - The System Has Failed
7. Mar De Grises - The Tatterdemallion Express
7. Void of Silence - Human Antithesis
7. Hate Forest - Battlefields
8. Wolverine - Cold Light of Monday
8. The Chasm - Spell of Retribution
8. Into Eternity - Buried in Oblivion
9. Amon Amarth - Fate of Norns
9. Cradle of Filth - Nymphetamine
10. Esoteric - Subconscious Dissolution....
10. Anthrax - The Greater of Two Evils
10. Blut Aus Nord - The Work Which Transforms God

Some observations....

Drudkh was the clear cut leader. It appeared 4 times and gained 1 honorable mention.

Interestingly enough, Megadeth appeared the most, in 4 top 10 lists, and 2 honorable mentions. Since it's position was lower overall, it came in at #6 in the overall list, but still, who would have believed?

Drudkh, Ayreon, and Orphaned Land were quite easily "three of the best" as you can see on the tally totals (33, 27, 27 respectively). I have no problem with that. I might have listened to Ayreon twice before handing the promo over, so maybe next year I'll look into it....

Mastodon pretty much came and went, considering the hype. It did, however, have one of the nicest covers.

Arsis didn't appear anywhere, considering the hype. Not even it's cover art could save it.

When I look back to forum discussions on 2003 releases such as 'N Crugu Bradului, The August Engine, and Choirs of the Eye, I would guess that 2003 may have been a slightly more 'exciting' year than 2004.

Considering what's on the horizon for 2005, I am practically wetting myself in anticipation....

 

[Papa Josh]

2003>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>2004.

 

[Black Winter Day]

I'm with NAD: 2004 was full of quantity, but not quality. Overall, I'd rank it as a "pretty good" year. Come back to me in 6 months and I may think it's the most glorious year of music, though.

 

[NAD]

My opinion of 2004 improved as I was putting together my list, especially since great albums like Mar de Grises and Isis didn't make the top 10. But the fact remains that only one album was close to a perfect 10/10, whereas 2003 had 2 such albums, and a whole bunch of albums that were better than almost everything 2004 had to offer.

2003 > 2004

 

[Krilons Resa]

Fuck the Megadeth, Ayreon, Orphaned Land, and Iced Earth albums. Meh


The staff just has more people into that kind of music than others.

 

[Papa Josh]

I was surprised to se Ayreon turn up as many times as it did. As much as I liked the new Megadeth, it probably would've been in the up-teens of my Top 25.

And I still have not heard that Orphaned Land.

 

[J.]

yeah, I like the Orphaned Land, but it's nowhere near as good as the lists make it out to be. Then again, those aren't my lists.

 

[Papa Josh]

I think EvilC played me a bit once, but it didn't really get me. I remember having a dubbed copy of Sahara back in the day and that didn't do a lot for me either.

As far as the new Exodus, that one and the new Death Angel were tough ones to turn down..

But when frequency of play is concerned, I haven't picked 'em up too often lately... well, not the Exodus at least.

 

[Black Winter Day]

Yeah, I didn't know so many other writers loved prog/power metal that much! Chief B and General Zod especially.

 

[Ayeka]

Therefore, as an example, Anthrax appeared once, but it did so at #2 which garners it 9 points. Neurosis, on the other hand, appeared twice at #7 (4 points) and #8 (3 points), totalling 7 points. Anthrax therefore still leads....

Surely if Neurosis appeared twice at #7 it should earn 4 + 4, + 3 for #8 = 11 points?

 

[JayKeeley]

Surely if Neurosis appeared twice at #7 it should earn 4 + 4, + 3 for #8 = 11 points?

No sorry, I meant it appeared twice in total -- once at #7 and once at #8. Therefore, 4 + 3 =7.

 

[Ayeka]

Ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooh I see now! >_< DOY!

 

[JayKeeley]

Fuck the Megadeth, Ayreon, Orphaned Land, and Iced Earth albums. Meh

Doomcifer - I've been trying to respond to this for hours now so it seems......anyway, PLEASE do not write off the Orphaned Land just yet. Do me a favour, and check out track # 11, "The Storm Still Rages Inside". Holy shit man, that is just epic and FLOODING with emotion. You gotta listen to it with the headphones, not as background music, etc. Let me know what you think of it.

P.S. I got the new batch of CDs and frisbee - thanks.

 

[General Zod]

Fuck the Megadeth, Ayreon, Orphaned Land, and Iced Earth albums. Meh. The staff just has more people into that kind of music than others.

True. While some of the writers have a strong appreciation of Power and Prog, it seems that most forum members much prefer the more extreme genres. I'm probably most guilty of this. While this forum has introduced to some cool shit (Drudkh, Isis, Primordial, etc. etc. etc.), I still favor Power and Prog.

Zod

 

[Krilons Resa]

Doomcifer - I've been trying to respond to this for hours now so it seems......anyway, PLEASE do not write off the Orphaned Land just yet. Do me a favour, and check out track # 11, "The Storm Still Rages Inside". Holy shit man, that is just epic and FLOODING with emotion. You gotta listen to it with the headphones, not as background music, etc. Let me know what you think of it.

P.S. I got the new batch of CDs and frisbee - thanks.

I'll trryyy agaiiin. This should be about the 5th try.

Enjoy the frisbee.

 

[Krilons Resa]

True. While some of the writers have a strong appreciation of Power and Prog, it seems that most forum members much prefer the more extreme genres. I'm probably most guilty of this. While this forum has introduced to some cool shit (Drudkh, Isis, Primordial, etc. etc. etc.), I still favor Power and Prog.

Zod

Correct. The noticeable favoritism towards power/prog does indeed skew the overall conglomerated ranking list.

 

[lurch70]

you mean to tell me that Exodus did not even make the list, but Anthrax did?

you kidding me right?

 

[speed]

Doomcifer, try Orphaned Land's second album El' Nora Allah. It is much much better, it is paradise lost style death/doom perfectly mixed with Arabic music. None of this overblown power prog stuff they went for in Mabool. Sahara their first album is pretty good also, it has much more of a death metal influence.

 

[Demonspell]

I think the disparity between the amount of power/prog on the list and the tastes of the forum members, along with the amount of discussion devoted to death metal, black metal, and generally more experimental release, is what causes the list to look somewhat unrepresentative. While the grading system does cause some headscratching, at least it proves that RC is more than just a DM/BM webzine...

 

[JayKeeley]

Correct. The noticeable favoritism towards power/prog does indeed skew the overall conglomerated ranking list.

Ignore the overall list then because it's all in fun at the end of the day.

However, if you lot want to look at this from a different angle, look at occurences only (and forget tallying the score).

We get the following:

Megadeth appeared in 6 out of 8 lists (2 honorable mentions).
Drudkh: 5 out of 8 lists (1 honorable mention).
Into Eternity: 5 out of 8 lists (2 honorable mentions)
Iced Earth: 5 out of 8 lists (3 honorable mentions, although 1 was for "Gettysburg" second CD only - me)
Isis: 4 out of 8 lists. (1 honorable mention)
Mar de Grises: 4 out of 8 lists (1 honorable mention)
Orphaned Land: 3 out of 8 lists.
Ayreon: 3 out of 8 lists.
Wolverine: 3 out of 8 lists.
Morgion: 3 out of 8 lists (1 honorable mention)
Nasheim: 3 out of 8 lists (2 honorable mentions)

And then there's a whole bunch of albums that appeared twice so I gave up counting, but the above logic would give you a list like this:

1. Megadeth - The System Has Failed
2. Drudkh - Autumn Aurora
3. Into Eternity - Buried in Oblivion
4. Iced Earth - Glorious Burden + Gettysburg
-5. Isis - Panopticon - TIE
-5. Mar de Grises - The Tatterdemallion Express - TIE
-6. Orphaned Land - Mabool - TIE
-6. Ayreon - Human Equation - TIE
-6. Wolverine - Cold Light of Day - TIE
7. Morgion - Cloaked in Ages....
8. Nasheim - Evighet/Undergang

etc.

Personally, I think that this has to be MORE representative of the staff tastes simply based on how many times a band appeared in the lists, REGARDLESS of positioning. Thoughts?

I mean, I personally look at those 10 albums listed above and not only do I own each one, but I enjoy all them immensely too. That list works brilliantly for me.

Perhaps I should include it on the 'zine as an 'alternative' overall top 10.

Anyone agree/disagree? Thoughts?