MetalMusicArchives.com Homepage
Forum Home Forum Home >Metal Music Lounges >Metal Music Lounge
  New Posts New Posts RSS Feed - MMA Best of Year 2020 Discussion Thread
  FAQ FAQ  Forum Search   Events   Register Register  Login Login

MMA Best of Year 2020 Discussion Thread

 Post Reply Post Reply Page  123 5>
Author
Message
Nightfly View Drop Down
Forum Admin Group
Forum Admin Group
Avatar
Death, D/S/D, T/S/G Teams

Joined: 07 Apr 2010
Location: UK
Status: Offline
Points: 4937
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Nightfly Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Topic: MMA Best of Year 2020 Discussion Thread
    Posted: 12 Dec 2020 at 8:55am
Use this thread to discuss anything you want about the MMA Best of Year 2020 vote to help keep the voting thread free of clutter.
Back to Top
Nightfly View Drop Down
Forum Admin Group
Forum Admin Group
Avatar
Death, D/S/D, T/S/G Teams

Joined: 07 Apr 2010
Location: UK
Status: Offline
Points: 4937
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Nightfly Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 12 Dec 2020 at 9:11am
Is it just me or do albums released earlier this year before all this Covid shit kicked off seem like a lifetime ago?
Back to Top
Triceratopsoil View Drop Down
MMA Special Collaborator
MMA Special Collaborator
Avatar
Honorary Collaborator

Joined: 17 Dec 2010
Location: Canada
Status: Offline
Points: 4197
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Triceratopsoil Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 12 Dec 2020 at 9:46am
I was really hoping Dordeduh's album would get released this year but it doesn't seem like it will
Back to Top
Triceratopsoil View Drop Down
MMA Special Collaborator
MMA Special Collaborator
Avatar
Honorary Collaborator

Joined: 17 Dec 2010
Location: Canada
Status: Offline
Points: 4197
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Triceratopsoil Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 12 Dec 2020 at 9:54am
NO is easily the best thing Boris has done in 15 years btw
Back to Top
adg211288 View Drop Down
Forum Admin Group
Forum Admin Group
Avatar
Black Metal, Prog/AG Teams

Joined: 05 Nov 2010
Location: United Kingdom
Status: Offline
Points: 21958
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote adg211288 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 12 Dec 2020 at 11:49am
A word of caution if you're thinking of voting for anything in Metal Related or Non-Metal: not only is only the first of these allowed to be included in an MMA best of vote, but we changed the policy on what goes where this year and a lot of stuff hasn't been moved around yet. If in doubt on anything ask an admin. This change should however allow albums deemed to be of interest to metal fans to be included and should ultimately make the best of votes that bit easier, but right now there's no guarantee that something in Non-Metal shouldn't actually be in Metal Related and eligible and something in Metal Related shouldn't actually be in Non-Metal and ineligible. 

Below is our earlier collab's only announcement on this from September which explains these changes to the two sub-genres:

Originally posted by adg211288 adg211288 wrote:

Hi all, we'd like to provide a run down on the admin team's plans to revise and expand upon the scope of the Metal Related sub-genre on MMA. While everything discussed here is ultimately dependant upon Max to actually do the technical stuff - renaming, rearranging and adding new sub-genres - we've begun work on our plans to both improve this area of the site and make it an easier thing to manage.

To that end, Metal Related will instead be called Metal Related Rock in the future. Metal Related Rock will be a parent sub-genre on MMA and will have child sub-genres of its own. Currently planned are GrungePost-GrungeNoise Rock and Proto-Metal will be placed beneath it as well. The current parent Metal Related Genres (which we don't add anything directly to) will be scrapped, as will Heavy Alternative Rock under Hard Rock. Non-Metal will sit stand-alone outside of this new sub-genre tree.

The goal of Metal Related Rock will be to gather rock music albums that are deemed to be 'of interest' to fans of metal music. While this is not going to be a catch-all on the site for every rock album that doesn't fit into Hard Rock or Hardcore Punk (Non-Metal will still contain rock albums), it is going to be less strict than the current Metal Related system that requires some reasonable actual metal elements. We're partly making the change because it just takes too much time to manually verify a lot of albums over whether they're really okay, since we can't always take other sites like RYM at the word on this.

To this end, there are going to be three reasons why a rock album might be acceptable to include on MMA as a Metal Related Rock release. Which are in order of likelihood:

The release is a primarily non-metal release by a metal band we have accepted to the site. The current tag on such a release might be Metal Related or Non-Metal, but both could be acceptable under these new guidelines as Metal Related Rock. There will be exceptions. There are many forms of rock music and some are more far removed from metal than others. We intend to come up with a list of rock genres to be wary of in due course, but we're talking about things like pop rock and AOR to start with. Note that this system only applies to Metal bands. Unacceptable releases by Hard Rock and Hardcore Punk acts would use Non-Metal unless they pass the second criteria, which also details other releases by acts who pass for Metal Related Rock for any part of their output.

The second criteria for Metal Related Rock will be the most familiar – rock music that has some metal relevance through being heavy. This may be through metal elements like the classic definition of Metal Related or they might be a general heavy rock act that isn't strictly considered to belong to the Hard Rock genre. We already expanded this way a bit with Heavy Alternative Rock, but those bands will now instead be moved to Metal Related Rock with Grunge and Post-Grunge called out in their respective sub-genres. Only acceptable releases from such acts will use the Metal Related Rock tag (or child sub tags), we won't be blanket tagging artists who get in for only a couple of releases with the Metal Related Rock tag. Just the albums deemed to be of interest. We have already added the band Spock's Beard under this criteria as a sometimes heavy progressive rock band.

Finally Metal Related Rock will now also allow non-heavy rock bands that have been accepted to be included on the site due to being part of the metal scene and thus of interest that way. Transatlantic is usually the band we use as an example of this. Previously such an act could be here but strictly as Non-Metal. Non rock acts added for the same reason (such as acts from black metal's ambient/neoclassical darkwave sub-scene) will still use Non-Metal.

The changes will also see some releases currently in Metal Related be switched to Non-Metal, because they are not primarily rock music releases. The artists that I personally can think this will apply to include Tina Guo, whose Game On! album is primarily classical music, the act Les Chants Du Hasard who plays black metal influenced classical music, and Cypress Hill's MR material, as they are primarily rap/hip-hop. Bottom line is you won't be able to use Metal Related Rock any anything which is not rock music - regardless of metal elements - and that will count for the current Metal Related sub as well, which we wait for changes to be made. Likewise, new additions in the Grunge, Post-Grunge and Noise Rock genres can be added now, the former pair to Heavy Alternative Rock (which needs emptying of acts that don't fit under those terms) and the latter to Metal Related.

So to summarise, we are adopting a three type Metal Related Rock system:

Type1: Misc rock releases by metal bands (example: Opeth's prog rock releases, including Damnation & Pale Communion). Misc rock releases by acts in Hard Rock, Hardcore Punk, or Metal Related Rock child subs must pass for Type 2 on their own merit or use Non-Metal.

Type 2: Metal influenced rock albums / heavy rock albums that don't fit into Hard Rock (examples: Spock's Beard, Arena, Porcupine Tree), Hardcore Punk or Metal Related Rock child subs. Artists added as Metal Related Rock with no other tags will, as always, be subject to admin approval. Acts added to be moved to planned child subs need not get admin approval. All Type 2 will use the 50% rule as with a metal sub. Hard Rock and Hardcore are also returning to this rule. 

Type 3: Rock bands who are not heavy but part of the metal scene (example: Transatlantic). This is also determined by the admin team and will be rare inclusions. 

There will be exceptions to this system, at least for Type 1. Acts where the metal release is the odd one out will instead use the isolated metal tag with Non-Metal being featured elsewhere regardless of being rock or not, unless they pass Type 2's definition. This is usually true for artists who weren't metal to begin with. Likewise acts that have long abandoned metal will also continue to use Non-Metal, representative of the act having 'left the scene'. For example, Ulver released an art rock album amongst a long stream of non-rock/metal releases, which would be best left as Non-Metal.

Regarding the removal of Heavy Alternative Rock, while most of that will ultimately default to Metal Related Rock / Grunge / Post-Grunge, it's possible that some releases could instead be put in Hard Rock, in cases where it equally descends from alt rock / hard rock styles. The default on the current system has been HAR as a child sub of Hard Rock but under the changed system it will be an either/or situation, depending on what is the better fit. 

Any questions/concerns, please drop them there. 



Edited by adg211288 - 12 Dec 2020 at 11:49am
Earn Money Online (NOT a scam):
GG2U

Adam's Film Corner on Quora
Back to Top
Unitron View Drop Down
MMA Special Collaborator
MMA Special Collaborator
Avatar
Honorary Collaborator

Joined: 30 Apr 2014
Location: Cypress Hill
Status: Offline
Points: 8051
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Unitron Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 12 Dec 2020 at 5:06pm
Originally posted by Triceratopsoil Triceratopsoil wrote:

NO is easily the best thing Boris has done in 15 years btw


Been meaning to check it out, I like Boris best when they go all out sludge so I'd probably enjoy it.

Gotta say, 2020's been one of the best years for music in a while imo. Some really fresh and energized sounding stuff from both new artists and some old. Dealer is hands down my favorite new metal band at the moment, and as if their EP from last year wasn't awesome enough this year's Saint is even better. New Jurassic Jade is fantastic too, one of the best thrash albums in recent years.
If I say fuck two more times that's forty-six fucks in this fucked up rhyme
Back to Top
Triceratopsoil View Drop Down
MMA Special Collaborator
MMA Special Collaborator
Avatar
Honorary Collaborator

Joined: 17 Dec 2010
Location: Canada
Status: Offline
Points: 4197
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Triceratopsoil Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 12 Dec 2020 at 5:11pm
most of the new stuff I've found has been completely based on album art this year LOL
Back to Top
Tupan View Drop Down
MMA Special Collaborator
MMA Special Collaborator
Avatar
Honorary Collaborator

Joined: 28 Mar 2010
Location: Brasil
Status: Offline
Points: 1623
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Tupan Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 13 Dec 2020 at 9:39am
Napalm Death released a monster of an album, and I'm glad I'm seeing many bands returning this year, despite the plague (White Walls, Dark Quarterer, etc).
Back to Top
Tupan View Drop Down
MMA Special Collaborator
MMA Special Collaborator
Avatar
Honorary Collaborator

Joined: 28 Mar 2010
Location: Brasil
Status: Offline
Points: 1623
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Tupan Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 13 Dec 2020 at 9:40am
Originally posted by Nightfly Nightfly wrote:

Is it just me or do albums released earlier this year before all this Covid shit kicked off seem like a lifetime ago?

EVERYTHING from before covid seems a lifetime ago...


Edited by Tupan - 13 Dec 2020 at 9:40am
Back to Top
Nightfly View Drop Down
Forum Admin Group
Forum Admin Group
Avatar
Death, D/S/D, T/S/G Teams

Joined: 07 Apr 2010
Location: UK
Status: Offline
Points: 4937
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Nightfly Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 13 Dec 2020 at 11:52am
Originally posted by Tupan Tupan wrote:

Napalm Death released a monster of an album, and I'm glad I'm seeing many bands returning this year, despite the plague (White Walls, Dark Quarterer, etc).

Yes, it's been a good year in music despite covid.
Back to Top
adg211288 View Drop Down
Forum Admin Group
Forum Admin Group
Avatar
Black Metal, Prog/AG Teams

Joined: 05 Nov 2010
Location: United Kingdom
Status: Offline
Points: 21958
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote adg211288 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 15 Dec 2020 at 3:23am
Well I've tried again and I'm going to just say it: Haken's 2020 offering is one of my biggest letdowns of the year. I like the first song, but after that it just fails to really resonate at all. Ouch
Earn Money Online (NOT a scam):
GG2U

Adam's Film Corner on Quora
Back to Top
UMUR View Drop Down
MMA Special Collaborator
MMA Special Collaborator
Avatar
Errors & Omissions Team / Retired Admin

Joined: 25 Mar 2010
Location: Denmark
Status: Offline
Points: 18042
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote UMUR Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 15 Dec 2020 at 9:43am
LIke last year I haven´t had the time to listen to and review many 2020 releases Cry. Some of the ones I´ve listened to and reviewed and which will end up in my top 10 are:

Paradise Lost - Obsidian
Sinister - Deformation of the Holy Realm
Testament - Titans Of Creation
White Stones - Kuarahy
Sepultura - Quadra
Benediction - Scriptures
Ulcerate - Stare into Death and Be Still
Necrophobic - Dawn of the Damned
The Black Dahlia Murder - Verminous
My Dying Bride - The Ghost of Orion
My Dying Bride - Macabre Cabaret
AC/DC - Power Up

I´ve listened to more than that, but I have a rule that I don´t vote for anything I haven´t yet had the time to review, and that unfortunately rules out the new Napalm Death and the related project Brave the Cold´s debut album. The new Carcass EP too Unhappy.
Back to Top
Nightfly View Drop Down
Forum Admin Group
Forum Admin Group
Avatar
Death, D/S/D, T/S/G Teams

Joined: 07 Apr 2010
Location: UK
Status: Offline
Points: 4937
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Nightfly Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 18 Dec 2020 at 4:50pm
Originally posted by adg211288 adg211288 wrote:

Well I've tried again and I'm going to just say it: Haken's 2020 offering is one of my biggest letdowns of the year. I like the first song, but after that it just fails to really resonate at all. Ouch

Worth persevering with, not their best for sure and Vektor is superior by quite a margin but it'll probably make my top 30, though not high.
Back to Top
UMUR View Drop Down
MMA Special Collaborator
MMA Special Collaborator
Avatar
Errors & Omissions Team / Retired Admin

Joined: 25 Mar 2010
Location: Denmark
Status: Offline
Points: 18042
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote UMUR Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 19 Dec 2020 at 3:06am
Originally posted by UMUR UMUR wrote:

LIke last year I haven´t had the time to listen to and review many 2020 releases Cry. Some of the ones I´ve listened to and reviewed and which will end up in my top 10 are:

Paradise Lost - Obsidian
Sinister - Deformation of the Holy Realm
Testament - Titans Of Creation
White Stones - Kuarahy
Sepultura - Quadra
Benediction - Scriptures
Ulcerate - Stare into Death and Be Still
Necrophobic - Dawn of the Damned
The Black Dahlia Murder - Verminous
My Dying Bride - The Ghost of Orion
My Dying Bride - Macabre Cabaret
AC/DC - Power Up

I´ve listened to more than that, but I have a rule that I don´t vote for anything I haven´t yet had the time to review, and that unfortunately rules out the new Napalm Death and the related project Brave the Cold´s debut album. The new Carcass EP too Unhappy.


I´ve now time to review the new Carcass EP, so it´ll now make my list this year.
Back to Top
Nightfly View Drop Down
Forum Admin Group
Forum Admin Group
Avatar
Death, D/S/D, T/S/G Teams

Joined: 07 Apr 2010
Location: UK
Status: Offline
Points: 4937
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Nightfly Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 19 Dec 2020 at 7:33am
^ I've only listened to it once but it sounded pretty good. I was going to buy it but can't find it any cheaper than about £11 which is a bit steep for 4 tracks. Looking forward to the new album.
Back to Top
UMUR View Drop Down
MMA Special Collaborator
MMA Special Collaborator
Avatar
Errors & Omissions Team / Retired Admin

Joined: 25 Mar 2010
Location: Denmark
Status: Offline
Points: 18042
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote UMUR Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 19 Dec 2020 at 8:21am
^I´m thinking the EP tracks are leftover tracks from the album recording sessions. They are pretty good songs, but I hope the quality is a little higher on the album.
Back to Top
Nightfly View Drop Down
Forum Admin Group
Forum Admin Group
Avatar
Death, D/S/D, T/S/G Teams

Joined: 07 Apr 2010
Location: UK
Status: Offline
Points: 4937
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Nightfly Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 19 Dec 2020 at 8:59am
Yes, you're probably right. In fact I seem to remember reading somewhere that they had excess tracks for the album.
Back to Top
Tupan View Drop Down
MMA Special Collaborator
MMA Special Collaborator
Avatar
Honorary Collaborator

Joined: 28 Mar 2010
Location: Brasil
Status: Offline
Points: 1623
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Tupan Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 29 Dec 2020 at 9:19pm
Almost forgot to put the most recent Protest The Hero in my list... 
Back to Top
UMUR View Drop Down
MMA Special Collaborator
MMA Special Collaborator
Avatar
Errors & Omissions Team / Retired Admin

Joined: 25 Mar 2010
Location: Denmark
Status: Offline
Points: 18042
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote UMUR Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 30 Dec 2020 at 3:34am
It´s shaping up a little more now, as I´ve had time to listen to a review a few more 2020 releases. I hope to be able to review a few more during January though, so I won´t post my best of 2020 list until the last minute.

Currently listening to Cult of Lilith - Mara. Great tech death album that one.


Edited by UMUR - 30 Dec 2020 at 3:35am
Back to Top
adg211288 View Drop Down
Forum Admin Group
Forum Admin Group
Avatar
Black Metal, Prog/AG Teams

Joined: 05 Nov 2010
Location: United Kingdom
Status: Offline
Points: 21958
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote adg211288 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 30 Dec 2020 at 5:29am
I find myself short on albums this year that really excited me. I have a handful to listen to again and rank. Maybe a few I haven't heard at all. 

I'll consider any recommendations given. I think most of you have an idea of what I tend to like. Big smile
Earn Money Online (NOT a scam):
GG2U

Adam's Film Corner on Quora
Back to Top
 Post Reply Post Reply Page  123 5>
  Share Topic   

Forum Jump Forum Permissions View Drop Down

Forum Software by Web Wiz Forums® version 10.16
Copyright ©2001-2013 Web Wiz Ltd.

This page was generated in 0.170 seconds.