GMD Poll: Top Ten Albums of 1999

Results are done. Not a very high scoring round since you fuckers listed 113 unique albums!

I'm out all day so will post the results later this evening or tomorrow.

A weak list in my opinion for what I consider quite a strong year.
 
10) At the Heart of Winter by Immortal
As the face of glacier your mountains tower against the sunset...

81twddH9LnL._SY355_.jpg


"Immortal-at the heart of winter is an incredible album." - @CF87

""At The Heart of Winter is the best Immortal album you fools." - @The Ozzman

(In response to the above) "ya maybe if youre a gay queer fixing for some dicks in the butt"" - @no country for old wainds

"I've grown to like Battles in the North quite a bit but Pure Holocaust is the clear winner. At the Heart of Winter isn't even in the race."- @Slayed Necros

As a response the best black metal albums of all time:

1. Immortal - At The Heart of Winter
2-10. The 9 shortest ones.

- Carcassian

Chosen by:
Sleestaks (#3)

The Ozzman (#3)
Dak (#7)
Anom@nder Rake (#8)
Challenge Everything (#8)

TOTAL POINTS: 26
 
  • Like
Reactions: Bloopy
9) HaPTePHobiC by Sore Plexus
The smooth assassin tiptoes into our mind harbinger of discord...

R-4313195-1472056010-8306.jpeg.jpg


"Sore Plexus are a strange quirky kind of band. I suppose technical progressive metal could categorize them. I would consider them to be in or near the extreme metal category, because they do have some speed and utilize distortion a lot. It's tough to describe them, but maybe a heavier and more spazzed out Psychotic Waltz." - AchrisK

Chosen by:
HamburgerBoy (#1)

Talos of Atmora (#1)
Baroque (#4)

TOTAL POINTS: 27
 
8) Arntor by Windir


220px-Arntor.jpg


"Arntor is by far my favourite of Windir. It feels the most epic to me, and I think it has their best songwriting. It also has Svartesmeden og Lundamyrstrollet, which is my personal favourite metal song of all time. So yeah, I think Arntor is the best, but then, Windir are one of those bands you can't go wrong with..." - SculptedCold

"I couldn't even get into Windir when I was still a Children of Bodom fan, which is saying some serious shit." - @Manic Ferocity

""Windir is probably the easiest BMish band to get into for someone who doesn't care all that much for BM." - @Dak

(In response) "That's what people told me and it resulted in me avoiding the few black metal bands I have come to appreciate. Arntor was my first black metal album iirc." "- @HamburgerBoy

""Arntor" has a handful of majestic songs, apart from that Windir fails to impress me. They're good but hardly OMGbestevar. Moonsorrow's "Verisäkeet" craps on anything Windir has ever produced, for instead. Or try fetching samples of bands like Ancalagon, Heol Telwen, Geist, Helrunar... hell, even Manegarm is better than Windir!" - @Ellestin

Chosen by:
Serjeant Grumbles (#1)

Espada (#5)
Oblivious Maximus (#6)
Challenge Everything (#6)
Baroque (#8)
Dweller in the Dark (#10)

TOTAL POINTS: 30
 
  • Like
Reactions: Serjeant Grumbles
7) World Coming Down by Type O Negative
At times I'm truly terrified 'Cause dope and booze don't help to hide...

220px-Worldcomingdown.jpg


"I have loved Type O for a LONG time. From the first listen I was hooked. As mentioned previously, I would definitely get "October Rust", as it is one of my favorites along with "Bloody Kisses". I am HIGHLY anticipating their new album...and I doubt that it is going to "suck"...I mean, right before the release of "World Coming Down", Peter Steele was quoted as saying the new album sounded like "Sonic Diarrhea". Gotta love his humor...obviously that album was anything but that." - ShadowLioness

"That's a helluva intro to metal. I think I started with World Coming Down by Type O Negative. Still my favorite." - @dwellerINTHEdark

"Slow, Deep, and Hard and Bloody Kisses are the only worth while Type O albums imo. -
Saparmurat_Niyazov

(In response) "World Coming Down, you fucking faggot. That is by far their best album.


World Coming Down and Slow, Deep and Hard are the best albums the band did." - @The Ozzman

Chosen by:
Dweller in the Dark (#1)

Oblivious Maximus (#2)
The Ozzman (#2)
Zerostatic (#8)

TOTAL POINTS: 31
 
  • Like
Reactions: The Ozzman
6) Damnanus Dominum by Nox Intempesta
now entering the laughter sarcastic demons in clairvoyant flesh!

maxresdefault.jpg


"Nox Intempesta fucking rule...I just discovered them last year and boy am I glad I did." - @unknown

"Man I took that recommendation from MalignParadigm about Nox Intempesta and downloaded Damnanus Dominum to check them out. This is some ace shit." - Perdition's Light

"They play an extremely effective kind of complex, ritualistic and brutal black metal with some death metal influences that avoids clichés and bestial bullshit" - @Omni

"Damnanus Dominum is bloody brilliant black/death metal. One of the finest metal albums to come out of Germany, as far as I'm concerned." - @Slayed Necros

" Similar riffing style to "Pure Holocaust" era Immortal, but with a greater emphasis on layering and background textures a la "In the Nightside Eclipse". Very recommended." -
Cynical

"Riff after riff of pure savagery. A near perfect example of black/death metal and how to flawlessly integrate both."
@Phylactery

Chosen by:
Omni (#1)

Phylactery (#1)
Slayed Necros (#2)
Talos of Atmora (#8)

TOTAL POINTS: 32
 
  • Like
Reactions: Slayed Necros
=4) Twilight of the Idols by Slough Feg
On a horse black, the dark lord takes to flight...

TheLordWeirdSloughFeg-TwilightOfTheIdols.jpg


"Twilight of the Idols > Traveller and Down Among the Deadmen" - @Vilden

"Twilight of the Idols is an amazing album. Highlander is one of my favorite songs by them." - Guthrum

"Twilight of the Idols is my least favorite by them, but there's still a lot of good stuff in that album. 7/10" - @MoSeN

"Twilight of the Idols is kind of a weird album for me. I can hear the echoes of what Slough Feg was going to sound like later in songs like this and Highlander but, to me, this still sounds like they are trying to find their sound. Still, though, this song is awesome. "
- @Master_Yoda77

Chosen by:
Krow (#1)

Hamburger Boy (#2)
Talos of Atmora (#3)
rms (#4)
Omni (#9)


TOTAL POINTS: 36

=4) Stronghold by Summoning
I need no call of clamant bell that rings iron tongued in the towers of earthly kings

Summoning_Stronghold.jpg


"The only albums that give Stronghold a run for its money are Dol Guldur and Nightshade Forests (the latter might actually be my favorite overall)." - @Manic Ferocity

"Stronghold is absolutely phenomenal. I love the songwriting and the production on that record." - @Einherjar86

"stronghold was the last summoning album i truly appreciated. i like the recent ones, but minas morgul and dol guldur, and nightshade forests are supreme black metal." - J.

"I am getting totally destroyed by Summoning's "Stronghold." After about 10 years of reading how great they are, I finally got this album and holy shit. It's been a long time since I have been this impressed with an album."
- @Pitiless Wanderer

"I always go back and forth between Stronghold and Dol Guldur, can't make up which album is the best. Usually the one I'm listening to at the moment."
- @Vilden

"Stronghold is alright but I really don't see what is the big deal with Summoning and why people feel the need to mention them so much on this board." -
Whiskey Funeral

Chosen by:
Dak (#1)
Dweller in the Dark (#2)
Serjeant Grumbles (#2)

Anom@nder Rake (#4)
Espada (#10)

TOTAL POINTS: 36

Noticed that @Dak's list is not numbered and so may not be in order. If it isn't, it would change the position of Summoning.
 
3) Pale Folklore by Agalloch
Kiss me coldly and drain this life from my lips...

220px-Palefolklore.jpg


"I know Agalloch's The Mantle gets a lot of acclaim, and it is a great album...but I personally think Pale Folklore is better. Better atmosphere, better songwriting, better emotions, etc etc...even though production is weaker and it isn't as tight as The Mantle." - Face of Godzila

"Not too hard of a question. The Mantle is pretty much superior in every way. I mean the lyrics are far more poetic and intelligent. The songs are much better in sturcture as is the album. The Mantle flows so perfectly as it peaks and dips at the right moments, the same can't be said about Pale Folklore, which loses a lot of momentum after Dead Winter Days. The Mantle is more diverse. The Mantle has superior vocal performances. The Mantle even has better artwork. All in all Pale Folklore is a solid album with a few stunning tracks, The Mantle on the other hand is a virtually flawless masterpiece which takes lots of time to fully grasp." - @crimsonfloyd

"I've only heard Pale Folklore and thought it was ..... zzZZzZzZz, a snoozefest.."
- Technical Barbarity

"Jesus Christ people. Agalloch is boring as fuck and and their songwriting is barely above the level of ambient music. Opeth aren't perfect, but they at least know what a riff is." -
@zabu of nΩd

(In response) "I've only heard Pale Folklore, but it's far better than anything I've ever heard by Opeth." - @Vegard Pompey

"Only one I'd consider black metal is Pale Folklore which also happens to be their best.....by far" - J.

Chosen by:
Challenge Everything (#2)

Rms (#3)
Crimsonfloyd (#5)
Dweller in the Dark (#6)
Krow (#7)
Dak (#8)
Anom@der Rake (#10)
Serjeant Grumbles (#10)

TOTAL POINTS: 37
 
2) Failures for Gods by Immolation
At the coming of the dawn we've seen into the dark...

1000x1000.jpg


"What in the fuck? Unholy Cult at 9? That's fucking BONKERS dude. Failures for Gods is incredible, yes, but damn man...Harnessing Ruin fucking sucks." - @Master_Yoda77

"Cool to see Failures For Gods mentioned. I feel like that album is never really talked about. The Devil I Know is one of my favorite songs by em." - KafkaX

"Immolation's Failures for Gods is another one of those "good music, shit production" albums" -@Anom@nder Rake

"Old Immolation is some of the best death metal production ever man. Dawn of Possession and Failures For Gods are two of the best sounding albums I've ever heard." - GarethSE

Chosen by:
Zerostatic (#4)

HamburgerBoy (#5)
Sleestaks (#5)
Talos of Atmora (#5)
Anom@nder Rake (#6)
Slayed Necros (#6)

Omni (#7)
Crimsonfloyd (#8)


TOTAL POINTS: 42

1) Karisma by Sabbat
Evil brings to eat the moonlight, dream of illusion appears to scream...

R-2139525-1330758292.jpeg.jpg


"Karisma and Karmagmassacre are pretty equally fucking awesome. Also, Sabbatical Holocaust is a nice thing to have, as it compiles their earlier, more traditional Thrash works." - Skeptik

"Karisma" was their best. I haven't heard every single thing by them (holy shit, who has with a catalogue of one trillion releases?), but I've heard most of their stuff: I couldn't even fathom them doing better than that album. "The Dwelling" fucking rules as well." - Jean-Pierre

"What the fuck, do you guys only recommend the earliest stuff and The Dwelling to hide that they actually have good riffs on some of their less known stuff? This is awesome, I’ve heard people compare them to Destruction but never found them even in the same ballpark until this. Although there’s a cool mournful Adramelch melodic speed metal vibe here as well. Downloading this album now." - @HamburgerBoy

Chosen by:
Anom@nder Rake (#2)
Rms (#2)
Talos of Atmora (#2)
HamburgerBoy (#3)

Slayed Necros (#4)
Omni (#5)
Phylactery (#7)


TOTAL POINTS: 52
 
Last edited:
Even with the inclusion of Summoning and Agalloch on the list?!

The list isn't nearly as good as it could have been for such a good year. I like Pale Folklore actually, but feel it's ranked way too high. At the Heart of Winter isn't very good imo and I've never been a fan of Type O Negative. The only triumphs of this list are that Sabbat won which was totally unexpected and that Nox Intempesta made it.
 
I knew they'd make it so no biggie. Four of my top five made it in, which is better than most years iirc. I actually have a slight nostalgic soft-spot for that Windir album as well even though I never want to listen to it. I think I'd probably like that Nox Intempesta album as well, I meant to check it out but never got around to it.