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Metal Storm Awards - Voting Closed


Last year we celebrated the 10th edition of the Metal Storm Awards, and earlier this year we observed the Awards' 10th anniversary with its own special competition. Now, finally, the 2014 Awards have come to a close. Countless bands and users alike have come and gone in those years, but the spirit of the Awards has remained the same; as we like to say, it's not about who wins and loses, but about discovering new bands. While this year's Awards had a smaller voter turnout than the previous couple, 2014 still had its fair share of friendly competition.

It was a good year for overturning the dynastic dominance of the Big Band Beat-Downs. Bands like Behemoth, Arch Enemy, and Opeth failed to secure not only nominations, but significant numbers of write-in votes. This was also the first year in Metal Storm Awards history without a release from Amon Amarth, Dark Tranquillity, or Be'lakor, meaning that for once the Melodeath category was open to some fresh, healthy, and legitimate competition. In other words, Insomnium swept it by an absurd margin.

Of course, no edition of the Awards is ever safe; for example, Agalloch dominated Meloblack with upwards of six (!) times more votes than the runner-up. You'll see plenty of other familiar faces as well. We also had the usual spate of poor, misguided sods - from whichever band of vagrants nominated Arch Enemy in half a dozen categories, to the gentleman who wrote in Metallica for Best Cover with their own song.

The Biggest Letdown debate turned very few heads, as is usually the case. Some would argue that "Biggest Letdown" implies at least some expectation of reasonable quality, but In Flames "won" anyway for the third time (a new record!). Somebody (we suspect Marcel) wrote in for Best Debut, "None - All new bands suck and have sucked since 1989." By an astonishing coincidence, nearly every winner this year formed after 1989, with only four exceptions. Biggest Surprise, surprisingly, went to an actual surprise (worthy in itself of Biggest Surprise in next year's Awards, perhaps). Though Behemoth's thoroughly predictable new album came in second, first place ultimately went to the wholly inexplicable Babymetal, who are, if nothing else, unexpected (you know, like a surprise).

And it just wouldn't be the Metal Storm Awards without Wintersun getting slapped with their perennial nomination for? well, something terrible. This year it was Biggest Drama, but after four successive nominations and two wins in Biggest Letdown (2013 Awards excepted), it seems that nipping at Jari's heels is a true homespun tradition.

Well, go on. We know you've been too busy devouring the results to bother reading this much outroductory text, so we won't attempt to hold your attention any longer - but we hope you enjoyed yourselves, and, most importantly, discovered a load of great, new bands.

The Annual Metal Storm Awards Committee, a.k.a.

Winners, winners, chicken dinner.

Metal Storm Staff
Posted: 01.03.2015 by BitterCOld


Comments page 2 / 2

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Comments: 50   [ 2 ignored ]   Visited by: 670 users
01.03.2015 - 19:55
In Bone Factory

In all 33 categories, only 6 of my votes became the winners.
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The End Is Nigh ...
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01.03.2015 - 21:02
Hallford9000

Written by X-Ray Rod on 01.03.2015 at 12:15

Saor not winning was definitely the only disappointment I had. Well, of course they are less known than the winner but they were so close to win! But I'm damn glad they got so much attention and got second. I voted for 3 albums that won.

I agree with Saor. One of those albums i still listen to occasionally. Perhaps my personal AOTY.
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01.03.2015 - 22:18
Vombatus
Potorro
I didn't vote, but could easily predict about 90% of the winners. Every year like that anyways. So, yeah.
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01.03.2015 - 22:27
FYA
Destroyer
BABYMETAl!:D
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01.03.2015 - 22:52
Marcel Hubregtse
Grumpy Old Fuck
Written by Hex_Omega on 01.03.2015 at 16:34

Written by Darkside Momo on 01.03.2015 at 16:25

Well as it was a category with only 5 nominees, that's why it only shows five results. I should actually show 6, btw, as there's a tie for the fifth place

Hm, honestly I don't like that 'system'. Results should contain 10 albums (or more if tie), no matter how many nominees.



Jesus H Christ afloat on a raft please stop crying... it is only an awards thingy, nothing serious...
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Member of the true crusade against European Flower Metal

Yesterday is dead and gone, tomorrow is out of sight
Dawn Crosby (r.i.p.)
05.04.1963 - 15.12.1996

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01.03.2015 - 22:54
Hex_Omega
Gem Seeker
Written by Marcel Hubregtse on 01.03.2015 at 22:52

Jesus H Christ afloat on a raft please stop crying... it is only an awards thingy, nothing serious...

I still think that my idea is better
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01.03.2015 - 23:45
Darkside Momo
Retired
Written by Warman on 01.03.2015 at 19:13

I love that Behemoth's "Blow Your Trumpets Gabriel" won best video both 2013 and now 2014. It's a great video, I gave it my vote a year ago.

thanks for noticing that. nuked. Now the winner is really a 2014 video
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My Author's Blog (in French)


"You must stay drunk on writing so reality cannot destroy you"

"I've lost too many years now
I'm stealing back my soul
I am awake"
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02.03.2015 - 00:13
Karlabos
Meat and Potatos
Just now I noticed the gems on that outroductory text.
" first place ultimately went to the wholly inexplicable Babymetal, who are, if nothing else, unexpected"
So true. How is a band releasing a debut surprising? Xp

"In other words, Insomnium swept it by an absurd margin."

"to the gentleman who wrote in Metallica for Best Cover with their own song."
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"Aah! The cat turned into a cat!"
- Reimu Hakurei
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02.03.2015 - 01:21
X-Ray Rod
Skandino
Written by deadone on 02.03.2015 at 00:33
I actually have decided MS Staff haven't got a clue about thrash when they harp on about Hatriot's new one, include Revocation in it (more Death/melodic death these days than Thrash) and call Ghoul's Hang Ten the best thing they've ever done (and it isn't even Thrash).


Well, considering that it is possible for contributors to go one-up and actualy be involved in the Awards... It would be cool if you can do more work of your own so by next year you can help us make the thrash category more up to your liking.
My comment is actually more than 50% serious though. Several categories got new faces and it definitely showed in the nominees for many categories such as post-metal and hardcore. So it's not impossible.
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Written by BloodTears on 19.08.2011 at 18:29
Like you could kiss my ass
Written by Milena on 20.06.2012 at 10:49
Rod, let me love you.
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02.03.2015 - 01:32
X-Ray Rod
Skandino
Written by deadone on 02.03.2015 at 01:28
To be fair I'm surprised some such as the new Bodycount were excluded despite being reviewed here.

I really wanted it to be nominated. But hey, that's the thing with a collective. To think that everybody actually agrees with the nominees is just plain wrong.
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Written by BloodTears on 19.08.2011 at 18:29
Like you could kiss my ass
Written by Milena on 20.06.2012 at 10:49
Rod, let me love you.
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02.03.2015 - 02:40
Andrew_Deer
None,really
Idk guys.. Eluveitie? Isn't there any other joke category?
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02.03.2015 - 04:49
Auntie Sahar
Drone Empress
Written by deadone on 01.03.2015 at 23:57

Quote:
"None - All new bands suck and have sucked since 1989."


That was moi.

I'd say that's an incredibly fatalistic statement
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I am the Magician and the Exorcist. I am the axle of the wheel, and the cube in the circle. “Come unto me” is a foolish word: for it is I that go.

~ II. VII
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02.03.2015 - 05:35
Czerny Reiter

Eluveitie in Folk and Alcest in Blackgaze were just egregious. Mayhem in Black, Agalloch in Meloblack and Ne Obliviscaris in Extreme Progressive were also winners on the underwhelming side.

That is my list of gripes, abridged and ordered from worst to just meh (since, to be fair, I haven't actually listened to Ne Obliviscaris' latest).

Black Metal is the category that had the largest number of viable winners and still managed to fall onto banality, just like last year's Inquisition win.
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02.03.2015 - 05:50
EricAxel36

Insomnium's album was extremely bland and boring. There definitely were muuch better melodeath albums released, and I'm an insomnium fan. Disappointed.
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02.03.2015 - 08:30
Frudd
Account deleted
Very predictable
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02.03.2015 - 11:53
Cynic Metalhead
Paisa Vich Nasha
Written by Andrew_Deer on 02.03.2015 at 02:40

Idk guys.. Eluveitie? Isn't there any other joke category?


Probabaly you'll find half of the winners are joke 'cause non-deserving candidates always take the floor. No worry.

We have listen to great albums in 2014 and if those didn't get proper votes - fuck it. No one can change the fact that they are and always been great records. Anyway, Folk cat was nail-biting(the one I was most interested in). I really wished Cruachan win this category, at least not winning but be in top 3 - sadly, hanged on 8th position. I'm sad.

But then again another terrific release Saor is runner up by mere 11 votes(happy happy!). Big fan of Eluveitie but Origin wasn't a spectacular release whatsoever and thus i didn't feel it'll gather so much votes(sadly, it happend and i am sad again).

Another disappointing category is Grindcore. Never in dream I've thought American grinders will grind the grindcore category. Such a stepdown output by those grinders who had awesome release in '08( Amber Gray). It was one sided affair to be really honest as I felt Desphosphorous will swept majority of votes with another terrific album(close to Desph i thought is Corrupt Moral Altar but sadly, Corrupt landed on 7th spot).

I missed doom releases in '14 so don't have any clue whether winner in those categories are deserving or not. Again, Heavy Metal was one-sided sailing - Accept(truly deserving). Melodeath - hilarious! No comments. Post-Metal - well, didn't dig it much but my favorite won. Hurray!

Alt Metal - mixed bag. 'Knot should have won.

Drone - Good choice. I even thought the same but voted for Sunn O)))

Progressive Metal - beep beep! Devin in, who the hell gonna beat him?! Symph - deserving.

Thrash metal - most amusing. The one I have a raucous laughing.

All in all, I had fun. Waiting for next year MS awards.
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02.03.2015 - 14:59
ManiacBlasphemer
Black Knight
Ambient / Drone - Come on, WITTR over the new Nadja or even Menace Ruine?

Avantgarde / Experimental - Would've went for Trioscapes... but then again Kolysanki was not that bad either, but way too chaotic.

Alternative - Other than the new Ravenscry opus and November-7, pretty much nothing good there.

Nothing against Black Metal, Death Metal, Djent / Math Metal and Doom Metal (though I opted for Doom:VS, Pallbearer is great too).

Extreme Doom Metal - I struggled to choose between Shattered Hope and Arcana Coelestia, eventually choosing the second. Still, kinda surprised seeing Waters of Lethe reaching no.2 after seeing the low ratings it got.

Nothing against the Extreme Prog Metal category as well as the Gothic Metal one.

Folk / Pagan / Viking Metal - Eluveitie? You kiding? Though I went for the new Vintersorg, I would never choose it over the new Saor.

Grindcore - Went for Jig-Ai but here I really have no interest in who would win. This was the only album I listened.

Nothing against the Hardcore / Metalcore / Deathcore category as well as the Heavy / Melodic Metal one (though I chose Grave Digger over Accept).

I expected Anaal Nathrakh to win in the Industrial / Cyber / Electronic Metal though I went for Mechina's Xenon.

For the Melodic Death category I went for the new At The Gates, though I wasn't expecting Insomnium to win at such a great distance. Expected to see more competition between these two.

The Metalgaze category is the most outrageous of all, Alcest's new opus is a joke. Went for the new Empyrium album.

In the Power Metal category I opted for Triosphere, though it was predictable to see Sabaton on the 1st place. Same in Prog Metal category, went for Evergrey though it was obvious that Devin will win.

Nothing against Post-Metal, Sludge / Stoner and Symphonic Metal categories. As for the Thrash Metal category, the new Overkill is good, in line with the previous two good efforts they made, but nothing compared to the new Goatwhore. The new Exodus was not that good either.

Almost forgot about the meloblack category... Agalloch was dissapointing with the new release... went with Panopticon. And for the hard rock category I went with Blues Pills (as well as in the debut album category).

From the 33 categories I only got 10.
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05.03.2015 - 12:00
M C Vice
ex-polydactyl
I know it's not practicle and it'd take up too much room, but I'm interested to see all the albums that only got 1 vote.
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"Another day, another Doug."
"I'll fight you on one condition. That you lower your nipples."
" 'Tis a lie! Thy backside is whole and ungobbled, thou ungrateful whelp!"
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07.03.2015 - 15:54
crucifiedjesus

Would be nice to see the runners up, feel like i would probably see more that interests in that list than this one. I can agree with a couple of these Soen, Mastodon, Anaal Nathraak, but how is insomnium far and away the best melodeth album of the year. Imo Gormathon's following the beast was a much needed injection of energy for the genre and it probably wasnt even mentioned. Insomnium was just more of the same boring crap that has plagued this genre recently. Was hoping to see something surprising that i missed here but thats not happening i guess
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26.03.2015 - 19:05
ScreamingSteelUS
Editor-in-Chief
Written by deadone on 02.03.2015 at 00:33

I actually have decided MS Staff haven't got a clue about thrash when they harp on about Hatriot's new one, include Revocation in it (more Death/melodic death these days than Thrash) and call Ghoul's Hang Ten the best thing they've ever done (and it isn't even Thrash).

I was the one harping on about Hatriot, which I do still think was a fantastic album. I'm with you on Revocation and Ghoul, though - Revocation was far more tech death than thrash, and Ghoul was fairly abysmal.

And since you mentioned Body Count, I was also quite enthusiastic about it; but, unfortunately, it just didn't make the cut.
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"Earth is small and I hate it" - Lum Invader

I'm the Agent of Steel.
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