GMD Poll: Top Ten Albums of 1989

[Krow]

Thrash metal bands sticking a random cover in the middle of their albums was an awful trend. Nothingface is cool btw but I dont feel like it holds up to the best albums this year at all.

 

[CiG]

I'm a Voivod fanboy so there's a certain amount of nostalgia/bias. Their style just resonates with me.

 

[CiG]

Hold on a second, @Krow you put Nothingface in your top 10.

 

[Krow]

Hold on a second, @Krow you put Nothingface in your top 10.

Yes, I did. I just think it pales in comparison to my top five.

 

[CiG]

But it holds up in the bottom 5 of your 10 favourite albums released in 1989... but it doesn't hold up to the best albums this year at all.

 

[Krow]

Noticeable power gap from 1-5 to 6-10, yes.

 

[CiG]

Fair enough, I guess I didn't expect that for a year this classic.

 

[Mort Divine]

1. Helstar - Nosferatu
2. Bolt Thrower - Realm of Chaos
3. Pestilence - Consuming Impulse
4. Godflesh - Streetcleaner
5. Sabbat - Dreamweaver
6. Terrorizer - World Downfall
7. Morbid Angel - Altars of Madness
8. Paradox - Heresy
9. Sepultura - Beneath the Remains
10. Death SS - Black Mass

 

[Burkhard]

What are your favorite songs on the album? Any particular parts that send shivers down your spine or something to that effect?

My favourite songs are "Astronomy Domine" (which I like better than the original version) and the last three songs. Some of my favourite parts - there are more - are the beginning of "Into My Hypercube" and especially the part of "Sub-Effect" from about 3:08 to 3:48. I generally like the parts on this album where the bass is about as dominant as or even more dominant than the guitar. "Nothingface" is also an album to which I listen nearly exclusively with my headphones, eyes closed and fully concentrating on the music.

 

[HamburgerBoy]

Missing Sequences is probably my very favorite Voivod song, and my favorite on Nothingface (though Into My Hypercube and X-Ray Mirror are also 10/10s).

Actually, just had to relisten to the album to verify, make probably a definitely. From the 0:00 to 2:09 it's more like a 17/10, constant movement from the slow almost nursery-rhyme intro with that playful staggered drumming nudging passers-by with a hint of scenery into something more wistful yet directed, building into gorgeous tremolo melody before throwing you into the depths of the struggle with that stilted ugly morse code rhythm in a shift only they could pull off. Then it's suddenly horror and environmental gore set over dissonant speed metal riffing that explodes into pure aggression. Two perfect minutes. And as far as breaks go, the "I did, I didn't know" break is probably the best one by a metal band that doesn't sound like a metal break; like there are dozens of excellent thrash breaks out there but in that song it's almost more like a funk break, just a few bars of totally fucking amazing groove before going into one of Piggy's greatest solos. All in three minutes. There are a handful of songs that have as many or more transcendent moments, but it's hard to think of ones that have so many in a 2-3 minute period.

 

[VoltronLions]

Registered 17 years ago and barely 100 posts. Maximum lurker power!

Ha ha yeah Ive been posting at Metal Sludge but getting sick of it over there enjoying this board more

 

[Somethingface]

You might also want to hear the Krixhjälters LP, since you've liked the songs from it that I've submitted in the mixtape game. Just pointing that out since it's probably not gonna show up very high in your RYM chart.

You might be able to help me here I'm listening to Evilution at the moment and was reading the only review on RYM and it says:

This is a strange album, it's like a thrash metal gone pop punk. Sounds bad on paper but actually it works. There are some ripoffs just like the Megadeth segment "I" (7 min version!), or the '67-'68 Pink Floyd moment in "Kill Each Other", etc but there are some original elements just like the flute, panpipes, cello, trombone, piano, female vocals, some (not many) gloomy moments, interesting acoustic riffs, etc.

I'm not hearing any of the bolded stuff? It seems like there may be different versions of this album, but surely the music has not radically changed? If I'm being honest it doesn't really sound any more 'pop punk' or 'pop' than a lot of Metal in the 80s. I feel like the reviewer is listening to a completely different album.

 

[Vegard Pompey]

There's female vocals on "I", saxophone on "The Perfect Hand" (bonus track), some kind of bowed string instrument on "i" (bonus track) and some other stuff, but overall that review overstates how weird the instrumentation is. I wouldn't exactly call it pop punk either but at least I understand that comparison, several songs have sardonically upbeat riffs or choruses that come across kinda poppy.

 

[Somethingface]

Thanks for that, man. Makes sense as I haven't heard those bonus tracks.

Definitely enjoying the album on the first few spins.

 

[HamburgerBoy]

Check out their album as Omnitron if you want more of the weird instrumentation side of things.

 

[Vegard Pompey]

1. Voivod - Nothingface
2. Blind Guardian - Follow the Blind
3. Holocaust - The Sound of Souls
4. Helstar - Nosferatu
5. The Krixhjälters - Evilution
6. Titan Force - Titan Force
7. Dream Theater - When Dream and Day Unite
8. X Japan - Blue Blood
9. Sepultura - Beneath the Remains
10. Morbid Angel - Altars of Madness

HMs:
Sacred Warrior - Master's Command

Follow the Blind would be an easy #1 pick if it didn't end with that godawful Barbara Ann cover.

 

[Serjeant Grumbles]

I like the Barbara Ann cover just for how jarring it is.

 

[CiG]

3 days until deadline, anybody who needs more time let me know.

 

[Somethingface]

I will be able to post my list on the weekend if that is all good?

 

[CiG]

That's fine.