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Metal Storm Awards 2011
So that's another year come and gone. It's time to cut through all the crap and take a look at what is the cream of the crop for 2011.
2011 was a particularly interesting year for metal, or any form of cult-based music for that matter. The internet has been used for promoting music since its inception, but this year marks possibly the biggest explosion in bands offering free, or pay-what-you-want copies of their albums as a form of promotion. Not only has this given underground bands a boost up when it comes to getting their name out there, but it also means easier accessibility for us listeners. The average music fans catalogue is no longer dictated by what labels have the best promotion, but rather by the bands themselves making their music more readily available. Sure, it's something that's been happening for years, but 2011 seems to be the pinnacle year for this breakthrough. Despite being less lucrative than it once was, the world of music is looking brighter, and more innovative than ever.
All this adds up to an interesting year for the Metal Storm Awards. More great underground bands than ever are elbowing their way into a nomination spot, while some more well-known acts are being held accountable for severe creative, and not-so-creative missteps, not mentioning any specific should-be retirees. Sure, you will still see some well deserving veterans get their nomination slot, but for every household name nominated here, there's a handful of great up-and-comers itchin' for you to check out their music.
As with last year, we're continuing our Clandestine Cut Of The Year category, showcasing what you thought was the best from all our issues of the EP & Demo spotlight Clandestine Cuts over the past year. There is also a few new categories worth mentioning; Melodic Black (hey, melodeath gets its own category, why not meloblack?), Post Metal, Metalgaze & Avant-garde all have their individual categories now, Industrial has now expanded into Industrial, Cyber & Electronic Metal, while we see the dawn of a new category entirely: Djent/Math metal!
Also, if this is your first year tuning into the Metal Storm Awards, and you notice we've overlooked a great album for nomination, there is a write-in vote option. The polls are open for a whole month, so we suggest taking the time to check out all the albums you have yet to hear before voting, it'll be worth it!
For comments, please use this forum topic.
Have fun & enjoy!
Metal Storm Staff
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