GMD Poll: Top Ten Albums of 1996

[HamburgerBoy]

Obviously it's weirder, that's why it's also compared to Demilich a lot. It's like a middle ground between Demigod and Demilich, but it has never done as much for me as either of those two.

The weirdness is what contributes to the atmosphere though. Psychostasia seems to operate from a broad palette, Slumber just relies on the essentials with the occasional atmospheric part.

 

[TechnicalBarbarity]

Slumber is rather pedestrian in comparison to Psychostasia

 

[no country for old wainds]

can we do slumber of sullen eyes song survivor pls

 

[HamburgerBoy]

I advocated that in the previous thread. Pretty sure half the people that call it an all-time favorite couldn't even discern half the tracks from each other.

 

[no country for old wainds]

this coming from a guy who bases his opinions on notes he wrote in wordpad after 1 listen 10 years ago

 

[HamburgerBoy]

That's to remember albums I don't find memorable. I would never call Slumber an all-time favorite, it's overlong and full of mediocre songs.

 

[crimsonfloyd]

Slumber is more uniform in style, but does do a great job at that specific style. Psychostasia, on the other hand, is more stimulating from start to finish. Ardamelech's style is simply more dynamic. More often, I prefer the later, but Slumber is a great listen when in the right mood.

 

[-CC-]

I'd have to disagree with TB here. I'm in the camp that Slumber is darker and more atmospheric than Psychostasia. I think it's mainly due to the different production values though.

Controversial: I also think in the pantheon of old school Finnish death metal, Psychostasia doesn't quite land in the top 10. Yet it was my #2 on this years list. Was there ever a better metal scene? Methinks not.

 

[Master_Yoda77]

I've really fallen out of touch with the style in recent years. I can't really be bothered to listen to any of it anymore but if I was comprising a list Demigod, Demilich, and Rippikoulu would definitely be my top 3. I'd also probably list early Amorphis, Convulse, Sentenced, and then stuff like Cartilage, Funebre, Mordicus, and Adramelech would be in the lower half of my top 10. It's a great album and stuff, but it's really just a pale shadow compared to that Demigod album.

 

[-CC-]

I've really fallen out of touch with the style in recent years. I can't really be bothered to listen to any of it anymore but if I was comprising a list Demigod, Demilich, and Rippikoulu would definitely be my top 3. I'd also probably list early Amorphis, Convulse, Sentenced, and then stuff like Cartilage, Funebre, Mordicus, and Adramelech would be in the lower half of my top 10. It's a great album and stuff, but it's really just a pale shadow compared to that Demigod album.

That's pretty much exactly how my list would go. (And by Adramelech in top 10 it would entail Spring of Recovery)

 

[TechnicalBarbarity]

I'd have to disagree with TB here. I'm in the camp that Slumber is darker and more atmospheric than Psychostasia. I

its okay, that just means you're wrong. Look, im not saying which of the two is a better album or what not ... and clearly some of you(yoda) dont understand this as evident from the responses. But saying it's darker or has more atmosphere is just wrong on every possible level. It's not something that should even be up for debate quite honestly.

Atmospheric is not even a word i would use to describe Slumber, and that's not a knock on it at all really. Its just a so by-the-books dm album that it would be impossible to refer to it as a such. Psychostasia on the other hand is an album that is just dripping atmosphere, more in line with Demilich and Rippikoulu rather than the more streamlined sound of Demigod. Those three bands share much more in common than any of them do with Demigod, which sounds more like a hybrid of floridian death metal and swedish dm.


me: saying which album is darker and more atmospheric(pointing out the facts)
you guys: "But i like Slumber more."

ok.

 

[Mort Divine]

Mordicus

dances from left is such an interesting album, feels like it isn't as focused as it should be though

 

[Master_Yoda77]

its okay, that just means you're wrong. Look, im not saying which of the two is a better album or what not ... and clearly some of you(yoda) dont understand this as evident from the responses. But saying it's darker or has more atmosphere is just wrong on every possible level. It's not something that should even be up for debate quite honestly.

Atmospheric is not even a word i would use to describe Slumber, and that's not a knock at all really. Its just a so by-the-books dm album that it would be impossible to refer to it as a such. Psychostatsia on the other is an album that is just dripping atmosphere, more in line with Demelich and Rippikoulu rather than the more streamlined sound of Demigod. Those three bands share much more in common than any of them do with Demigod, which sounds more like a hybrid of floridian death metal and swedish dm.


me: saying which album is darker and more atmospheric(pointing out the facts)
you guys: "But i like Slumber more."

ok.

You do see the irony there, right?

I understand what you are saying and I think you are wrong in thinking that way. Why does everything have to be an argument with you?

 

[TechnicalBarbarity]

understanding is clearly not one of your strong points bro. You're just an imbecile ... and i say that in the warmest, friendliest possible way

 

[CiG]

This is the least I think I've ever cared about a debate on UM.

 

[The Ozzman]

I go back to Mordicus more than I do Demigod or Adramelech

 

[Master_Yoda77]

Thats because that Mordicus album is weird as fuck.

 

[alex76]

The big black metal bands had moved on to more experimental stuff, with the other black metal bands in tow. Nu-metal was making its debut. Some alt-metal was in fashion. Your more standard metal bands didn't know what the fuck to do at this point.

1. Iced Earth - The Dark Saga
2. Carcass - Swansong
3. Immolation - Here in After
4. Psychotic Waltz - Bleeding
5. Brutality - In Mourning
6. Bathory - Blood on Ice
7. Mystifier - The World Is So Good That Who Made It Doesn't Live Here
8. In Flames - The Jester Race
9. Cryptopsy - None So Vile
10. Edge of Sanity - Crimson

Honorable Mentions (in no particular order):

Katatonia - Brave Murder Day
The Lord Weird Slough Feg - The Lord Weird Slough Feg
Rotting Christ - Triarchy of the Lost Lovers
James Murphy - Convergence
Corrosion of Conformity - Wiseblood
Adramelech - Psychostasia

 

[Mort Divine]

and i thought ozzmans list was bad

 

[The Ozzman]

Too much death metal for your dungeonsynth sensibilities? Let me go put some 2deep4u black metal in my list brb.

Alex's list is better than most tbh