Brave Murder May Bracket A: Voting/Evisceration

[Ellestin]

I'm writing this on my dumbphone due to an impromptu absence from home sweet home for a couple days and so apologize for the absence of proper comments. Will possibly make up for it next bracket

SUBROSA
HAVUKRUUNU

INQUSITION
MGLA

ILDRA
DORDEDUH

BORKNAGAR
LUDICRA

Borknagar's candidate managed to not even meet my reasonably low expectations, while Ludicra surprised me with the most provocative discovery this bracket had to offer.

DEATHSPELL OMEGA
ARCH/MATHEOS

VAURA
SKALD IN VEUM

I'm glad I listened to that Skald in Veum album though, as it means I'll get to never click on a Skald in Veum-bound hyperlink ever again.

BLUT AUS NORD
RUINS OF BEVERAST

GRIS
HORTOR

MACABRE OMEN
DEFEATED SANITY

Macabre Omen rekindled the old one-click buy routine. Defeated Sanity are a very good live band and this album is cool but honestly its presence anywhere near a decade best of feels like a glitch zapped it past a good dozen better death metal albums.

ZEBULON PIKE
ASH BORER

I've long meant to check out Zebulon Pike on account of their name. Thanks for the opportunity.

SPECTRAL LORE
CULTES DES GHOULES: Coven

CdG's music became an insufferable navel-gaze fest after Henbane, and I will admit that Henbane carries the seeds of this transformation for the worst to an extent though I still vouch for this album's (and earlier material's) unique tone and much more focused songwriting.

TRIBULATION
ANATHEMA

Tribulation by KO after 10 seconds. New Anathema is not my definition of endorsable pinkage.

ÉTERNAL CHAMPION
PATHOLOGY

I'd rather vote to kick out both albums immediately tbh...

LEPROUS
HESYCHAST

See above but with slightly less violent kicking

CULTES DES GHOULES: Henbane
WYTCH HAZEL

BURZUM
IMMOLATION

I do love me a good Immolation record and this one is among their finest no doubt, but Varg's almost swan song proved too strong an opponent for even the nastiest hellblasting and devastating groove.

 

[SonOfNun]

Here's what I could do. My winners in red:

SubRosa - No Help For the Mighty Ones vs. Havukrunuu - Kelle Surut Soi

I don't like SubRosa. Too much dissonant wankery and sludge and I don't like female lead vocalists. Some fine riffs in the later songs, but not my thing. This Havukrunuu is good. It's a style I enjoy more, but it didn't seem exceptional. Still, some unruly riffs in songs like "Noidanhauta" and I enjoy the folky atmosphere on stuff like "Vaeltaja."

Ildra - Edelland vs. Dordeduh - Dar De Duh

This is a good match-up. I really like the Ildra and it's Viking-style riffage. This is exactly the kind of sound that I favor in this style of music and they are pretty consistent throughout the album. Reminds me a bit of the Slechtvalk I nominated. The Dordeduh is good, but much less immediate. Obviously reminds of "N Crugu Bradului" with the sound of an impenetrable forest (feel like I'm in Matataki Village). Might be appreciated more in time, but if I had to pick what I'd reach for more often it's Ildra.

Borknagar - True North vs. Ludicra - Tenant

Ludrica is OK modern blackish metal. It's interesting because it's like Lengsel's Solace (a record where you can feel that it's Extol playing Unblack Metal), in that you can tell from those guitar leads and the construction of songs like "In Stable" that this band is connected with Hammers of Misfortune. I really enjoy the last few Borknagar records though. I don't think "True North" is as good as "Winter Thrice," but these two records are the best they've been since "Empiricism" and I love it.

Deathspell Omega - The Furnaces of Palingenesia vs. Arch/Matheos - Sympathetic Resonance

I used to like DsO, though I obviously now despise their ideology. Listened a little and heard some bits that sound familiar, but they seem to have changed too. And become more boring. The Arch/Matheos is not really in my wheelhouse, but it's OK and I have been enjoying some progressive stuff lately. "Midnight Serenade" is enough to win.

Vaura - Selenelion vs. Skald in Veum - Stridslysten

If Skald is derivative of 1349 and Marduk, Vaura is derivative of the whole artsy, post-whatever weenie music that it rips to shreds.

Gris - À l'âme enflammée, l'äme constellée... vs. Hortor - Dharma Esencia de Impureza

I didn't expect the Hortor to be popular either for its message or stylistically, but I think Henrik Main gave it the most reasonable and fair review. It's a style of music that has always had a special place for me and this is remarkably well-executed for a one-man project. He writes some of my favorite riffs and is an excellent songwriter and I don't care what anyone else says. I don't have six years to listen to Gris piddle around.

Macabre Omen - Gods of War vs. Defeated Sanity - Passages Into Deformity

Macabre Omen won about as soon as that epic opening riff dropped. This is just a great sound and like Ildra is exactly the kind of thing that I'm really enjoying right now. I don't mind a straight-up Death Metal album, but this Defeated Sanity is not really my style. I like the more old school sounding stuff with a lot of groove, not so much this tech death stuff with gurgly vocals. Good for the style though.

Zebulon Pike - Nostalgia For the Unreal vs. Ash Borer - The Irrepassable Gate

If I'm going to reach for Black Metal, Ash Borer ain't it chief.

Spectral Lore - III vs. Cultes de Ghoules - Coven

I have not enjoyed Spectral Lore as much as I thought I would. Perhaps in time. It's a lot for my patience currently. I have no patience for CdG.

Eternal Champion - The Armor of Ire vs. Pathology - The Time of Great Purification

I'm glad that Henrik Main is putting some meat and potatoes into this tournament cause there's some overly pretentious stuff here. But I dig what Eternal Champion is doing.

Leprous - Bilateral vs. Hesychast - Ageless

Hesychast is practically unique and deserves better.

Cultes des Ghoules - Henbane vs. Wytch Hazel - II: Sojourn

Wytch Hazel rules. Sojourn is not their best album. Both the one before it and after are better. The comments Erik made about the vocal mix, for instance, is better on the debut. They really knock the whole NWOTHM thing out of the park with excellent songwriting and incredibly catchy choruses. If you like what they are doing here but think it could be better try one of the other records.



New stuff that I liked: Ildra, Macabre Omen, Eternal Champion

 

[J.]

I have not enjoyed Spectral Lore as much as I thought I would. Perhaps in time. It's a lot for my patience currently.

HA! I almost sold "II" and gave up on them before it alljust clicked. So I feel ya. Dordeduh is in the same boat.

And I think you forgot Immolation vs Burzum

 

[SonOfNun]

Yeah, I figure those two would take a lot more spins than there is time for right now. But, I'm intrigued enough by both to come back.

 

[Reign in Acai]

Rock the vote.

Elsewise may impose a reco penalty for expansion. ie if you cant give af to vote, why should we listen to your shit?

I know some folk procrastinate so not trying to sound like a turd (really truly saying this as a sweetheart rest assured), just throwing it out thar. Polls close in 12ish hrs.

 

[einride]

I used to like DsO, though I obviously now despise their ideology.

this is not trying to convince you to like dso because i don't give two rats' butts about dso, but just an aside:

while researching this album i noted that it seems like they basically dropped the so-called "orthodox satanism" or whatever the fuck it was they were trying to do before

they use some biblical-ish language to sound obscure and cool but i was surprised when reading the lyrics to find out that this album is basically about politics. i don't care enough to find out what they're trying to say exactly but it's like some sort of elaboration on what happens to a society when fascist rule takes hold.

 

[J.]

some sort of elaboration on what happens to a society when fascist rule takes hold.

so edgy

 

[einride]

so edgy

i think much like mgla, they feel like they're such extremely smart people that they've seen through the veil of complexity and analyzed the entirety of how human society functions, but because they are dark and evil black metal people, they're not interested in solving problems or making statements, they just paint bleak images of what humans are capable of at their worst and stand back and point and laugh and revel in all the misery they think they've uncovered

it's like slayer "angel of death" for the new millennium -- not taking sides exactly, just doing it for shock value. except now it's got glasses on and its face buried in dusty books*



* thesauri

 

[Doom]

Winners in bold.

Subrosa - Havukruunu
Inquisition - Mgla
Ildra - Dordeduh
Borknagar - Ludicra
DsO - Arch/Matheos
Vaura - Skald In Veum
Blut Aus Nord - Ruins of Beverest
Gris - Hortor
Macabre Omen - Defeated Sanity
Zebulon Pike - Ash Borer
Spectral Lore - CdG
Tribulation - Anathema
Eternal Champion - Pathology
Leprous - Hesychast
CdG - Wytch Hazel
Burzum - Immolation

Macabre Omen was definitely the stand-out discovery for me, I wasn't even familiar with the name before this. Also that Spectral Lore album will be getting a lot more listens - I didn't have much hope for it based on the length and having read it wasn't a particularly easy listen, but something definitely hit me even on first listen. Tribulation/Anathema was probably the hardest choice for me, I had given up bothering with anything new from Anathema but I enjoyed that album first couple of listens, but I went with the Tribulation in the end. There was a surprising number of flat out annoying albums.

 

[Ellestin]

There was a surprising number of flat out annoying albums

this at least is something we can all agree on
And it's fine in my book though I fully expect the coming batch to be way less in one ear out the other (or worse).

 

[einride]

i'm glad pretty much everyone is loving macabre omen

 

[Henrik Main]

i'm glad pretty much everyone is loving macabre omen

They stole a Darkthrone riff though

 

[einride]

They stole a Darkthrone riff though

darkthrone stole a million bathory riffs

and macabre omen are like greek bathory

so... circle of life?

 

[Henrik Main]

You paint such beautiful images with your words

 

[einride]

You paint such beautiful images with your words

kiss me

 

[Henrik Main]

If you create a Bracket B playlist on Spotter'n

 

[Reign in Acai]

Updated Poll Numbers

SUBROSA V
HAVUKRUUNU V

INQUSITION VII
MGLA II

ILDRA IIII
DORDEDUH VI

BORKNAGAR III
LUDICRA VII

DEATHSPELL OMEGA VI
ARCH/MATHEOS IIII

VAURA VIII
SKALD IN VEUM II

BLUT AUS NORD iIII
RUINS OF BEVERAST V

GRIS VIII
HORTOR II

MACABRE OMEN VIIII
DEFEATED SANITY I

ZEBULON PIKE V
ASH BORER V

SPECTRAL LORE VIIII
CULTES DES GHOULES: Coven I

TRIBULATION VII
ANATHEMA II

ÉTERNAL CHAMPION VI
PATHOLOGY IIII

LEPROUS VI
HESYCHAST IIII

CULTES DES GHOULES: Henbane VI
WYTCH HAZEL II: SOJOURN IIII

BURZUM VI
IMMOLATION III


HAVUKRUUNU made that last furlong sprint to catch up with SubRosa.

@MFJ @DarkGift @swizzlenuts

Lets close the polls in 4 hours. If nobody else chimes in, we'll have to come up with a tie breaker.

My idea is bring in some kind soul @~Neurotica to be the final arbiter if necessary. Lets face it some people arent up for 32 albums of consumption in 2 weeks. We need a nice arbiter going forward to break up matters. (Unless you partook in this fiasco and plan on voting for the entire kit n kaboodle?)

 

[~Neurotica]

Lets face it some people arent up for 32 albums of consumption in 2 weeks.

I appreciate the gesture, Jerry, but I'm currently that person, unfortunately. Just too much work and study (that I listen to, as well) etc etc atm.
I do seem to find time for googling chubby chicks though........

Anyway, I love Leprous, and it's been the last show I've seen before the whole covid mess so if that counts somehow...

 

[Reign in Acai]

Its all right. We'll find another kind soul.

@Carabeu (You were my first choice, I swear!)

 

[einride]

If you create a Bracket B playlist on Spotter'n

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5PtFNvfODbWZzLslJdOQLO?si=ylOUWzz4QAKmy0PNhG8PIQ

fine