POLL 2011 : and the winner is ... DOOM !

As I did it for the 1st half of the year, I've asked about 30 people, I'm in contact with, to give me their FAVES of 2011, musically of course,because this is what before all gathered us, but not only and eventually what they disliked too on a more personnal point of view... As for the 1st time, half have answered (a big thanx to you) for a global result that is pretty interesting... there's no particular Winners here, this is not the goal at all to just have an exhaustive  list with % in front and even don't know who voted for what, but one thing is sure : it is a great opportunity to know a bit more about people and above all to discover  great new stuff !!! 


* GARY (Usa, STEAMING HEATHEN radioshow)

Top -(16)- of 2011, in no order :

GRIFTER - S/T
THOU - Both 2011 EPs
UNDERSMILE - Split EP with Caretaker
UNCLE ACID and THE DEADBEATS - Blood Lust
ORCHID - Capricorn
FISTULA - Loser
HUNTERS - From Birth To Soil
MALIGNO - S/T
HYDROMEDUSA - S/T
LIFER - Cursing Them Out
KAMCHATKA - Bury Your Roots
LENTO - Icon
BLACK COBRA - Invernal
PLANET OF ZEUS - Macho Libre
VYGR - Hypersleep
-(16)- - every year and every album!


And: WEEDEATER, SOURVEIN, CROWBAR, YOB,HAIL! HORNET


Best Thing About 2011:
Starting Grip Of Delusion Radio!
Worst Thing About 2011:
Getting so big that I keep breaking my office chair.



* EYMERIC Germain (Luxembourg -  FOEDUS AETERNUS zine/distro/prod)

1) FAVE ALBUMS - TOP 3
GRAVEYARD - Hisingen Blues
THE DEVIL'S BLOOD - The Thousandfold Epicentre
VIRUS - The Agent That Shapes the Desert


2) FAVE GIG 2011
URGEHAL @ Metal Méan Festival
SLAYER & METALLICA @ Sonisphere
KATATONIA @ Kulturfabrik Esch/Alzette


3) REVELATION OF THE YEAR
STANGALA - Great French band bringing originality... Hail Doom Rock Glazik !!!


4) WHAT PISSED ME OFF
Total lack of inspiration for working on Foedus Aeternus Zine's next issue + Total lack of inspiration for writing new material for my bands.


5) HERO OF THE YEAR
My ATOLAH's friend Pierre for getting tickets to Roadburn 2012 !


* JONATHAN Théry (Fra - vocals/bass in ATARAXIE)

1) Favorite releases
PENTAGRAM "last rites"
MOURNFUL CONGREAGATION "the book of kings"
SOLSTAFIR "svartir sandar"
DEATHSPELL OMEGA "paracletus"
NECROS CHRISTOS "doom of the occult"
THE WOUNDED KINGS "in the chapel of the black hand"
GRIFTGARD split with LORD VICAR
THE GATES OF SLMUBER "the wretch"
WHILE HEAVEN WEPT "fear of infinity"
RAMESSES "possessed by the rise of magik"
LOSS "despond"


2)Favorite doom gig
YOB : Paris, 9th of October
JUCIFER : Paris, 16th of May


3) Revelations of the year
AUTOPSY "Macabre eternal"! Maybe, that album could have been a little bit more efficient by taking off the weaker tracks... But damn the gods of sick doomed death metal are back again!

4)What PISSED me OFF the most in everyday’s life :
- Selfish parisian people in their filtly and smelly metro
- Everything around the world of finance: economic crisis in general, markets evolutions, nuts stories of our official left winged gangbanger
- The stench of french politics: France is just vulgar banana republic led by a little king which loves playing the teacher.
- The neverending rise of silliness in our society


5) HERO of the year :
Chris Reifert for being so good at doing grunts and howls after 40 years old. I would even said that he has never been so brilliant!

* WES Cueto (usa -  GRAVEYARNS *blog* + contributor to CULT NATION and DOOMMANTIA)

ALBUMS

10. DANTESCO - Seven Years Of Battle (StormSpell)
9. THE WOUNDED KINGS - In The Chapel Of... (I Hate)
8. SERPENT VENOM  - Carnal Altar (Church Within)
7. GRAVEYARD  - Hisingen Blues (Nuclear Blast)
6. SOURVEIN - Black Fangs (Candlelight)
5. BLOOD CEREMONY - Living With The Ancients (Rise Above)
4. YOB - Atma (Profound Lore)
3. AUTOPSY - Macabre Eternal (Peaceville)
2. THE GATES OF SLMUBER - The Wretch (Rise Above)
1. ICE DRAGON - The Sorrowful Sun (self-released)

EP's
1. FISTULA - Loser (Patac)
2. HOODED MEANCE/ILSA (Contagion)
3. CONAN vs SLOMATICS split (Burning World) 
4. PAGAN ALTAR vs MIRROR OF DECEPTION split (Cyclone Empire)
5. BONGRIPPER  - Sex Tape/Snuff Film (self-released)
6. PILGRIM/ICE DRAGON - Visage Of Astaroth (Yersinia Pestis)

HONORABLE MENTIONS
Acid Witch, Alaric, Arkham Witch, Amebix, Demonaz, Devil, Dopethrone, Earth, Lord Vicar, Iron Claw, Loss, Pentagram, Premonition 13, Ramesses, Venom, Weedeater, Windhand

BEST MIXTAPES:
From A Wizard's Lyre 
[http://thesoggybogofdoom.podomatic.com/player/web/2011-11-30T05_49_33-08_00]

Codpiece And Steel [http://www.thelefthandpath.com/lefthandpath/index.cfm/event/read/entry/Codpiece_and_Steel]

KILLER SHOWS
Cathedral and C.O.C. @ MDF, Baltimore, MD
Pentagram @ NYC
Premonition 13 and Acid King @ Fall Into Darkness, Portland, OR

MOST ANTICIPATED OF 2012
Candlemass - TBA (RIP)
Cathedral - The Last Spire (RIP)
Orange Goblin - A Eulogy For The Damned
Pallbearer - Sorrow And Extinction
Pilgrim - Misery Wizard
Saint Vitus - Lillie: F-65

AWESOME BEERS I TRIED THIS YEAR
Punctured By Corpses (Porches)
Monster Mash (Lompoc)
The Black And Blue (1/2 Blue Moon, 1/2 Guinness)

GREAT MOVIES 
Kill All Red Neck Pricks: KARP Lives! 1990-1998 - Documentary.
Conan The Barbarian (2011) - Midnight showing.

* WAYNE Furter (Fra - voc/guit in WHEELFALL)

1) Fave ALBUMS
* SERPENT VENOM « Carnal Altar » : Simply the album which came to my mind when I ask myself « which is my fave album of the year ? ». A very fat Doom Metal with the outstanding Gaz's ethereal vocals (who sang on the excellent Sloth's « voice of god » album). Psyche and occult elements, as the Dennis Wheatley like cover tells us !
* SIGIRIYA « return to earth » : Acrimony is back ! Or a major part of Acrimony...Stoner rock with phsyche elements = transcendantal stoner rock. It's so powerful...no, wait : POWERFUL. Nothing can beat theses guys this year in stoner rock. Unfair competition.
* RAMESSES « possessed by the rise of magik » : After the excellent « Take the Curse », the band fleshes out his style... A travel in mud with bad psychotropic experience.
* TEMPLE OF BAAL / RITUALIZATION split « Vision of Fading Manking » : very good Ritualization part, old school spirit... but Temple of Baal part is totally awesome. They crush everyone with no mercy, especially with « Heresy Foerever Enthroned ».... Seriously, it's the best song I heard in this genre for years.
* DISMA « Towards the megalith » : Great Death Metal. Just fucking great.
* LORD VICAR « Signs of Osiris » : trad doom to the heart, catchy, powerful. You like doom metal, you have to listen to it !
* TRENT REZNOR w/ ATTICUS ROSS « Girl with the dragon tattoo soundtrack » : 3 hours of pure awesomeness. Except the How to destroy angels' song (I hate Mariqueen singing), it's like Reznor rejuvenate his work with « Broken », mixed it with « The Fragile » sound, with David Bowie's influence (like « warm place » on Downward Sprial »). Yes, it's give me hope for the new NIN !


And others excellent releases ... SUNGRAZER « Mirador », SATURNALIA « Aion of Drakon », WOUNDED KINGS « In the Chapel of Black hand »


2) Fave GIGS
GLOWSUN at Charleville Mezière : the first time I saw them live, and... what a slap ! A psychedelic slap, certainly... but : whoa.
PUNISH YOURSELF vs SONIC AREA : special show for Metalride Festival IV. Sonic area came to horn in the music of Punish Yourself, and I fucking loved it. It was ambiant and sinister, sometimes Lynchian, mixed to the violence of Punish Yourself's music. Excellent.


3) Revelations
VALLEY OF THE SUN : basic stoner rock, but very very good
NECROBLOOD : excellent french blackened death metal band. Keep an eye on !
SWAMP WITCH : I discovered "Gnosis" this past summer and...WHOA ! Swimming through a swamp threatened by black magic, sourrounded by rotten corpse...yeah !


4)What enthused myself the most this year
- TRENT RAZNOR writing for Nine inch Nails in 2012
- BLACK SABBATH at Hellfest 2012
- New CRONENBERG movie to be released next week in France : can't wait !
- NICOLAS WINDING REFN confiming AGAIN his talent with "Drive"

* GABRIELE Strazzeri (Ita,  reviewer as "Mourning" in ARISTOCRAZIA webzine)

1)Fave ALBUMS
THE GATES OF SLUMBER “the wretch”
LORD VICAR “signs of Osiris”
ORNE "The Three Of Life
WO FAT "Noche Del Chupacabra"
ORCHID “Capricorn”
THE HEAVY EYES "heavy eyes"
DOPETHRONE “dark foil”
SERPENT VENOM "carnal altar"
DOOMRAISER "mountains of madness"
ETHEREAL RIFFIAN "shaman's visions!
GIDEON SMITH & The DIXIE DAMNED “30 weight”
THE WOUNDED KINGS “embrace now the world”
RAMESSES “possessed by the rise of magik”
SEAL OF BELETH "demo II"
SHROUD EATER "thundernoise"


2) REVELATIONS OF THE YEAR
Too many new acts produced this year a great/good album, if i must  make one choice it would be EVANGELIST, classic doom never die.


3) What PISSED me OFF the most in everyday’s life
The italian government, the absence of money and the Vatican - a cancer for mankind -


4) HEROES OF THE YEAR:
The real worker, the people who maintain a family with 1000 euro or less, those are the real heroes  and more than ever with these hard times

* EWENN Padovan (Fra - TOTEM CAT RECORDS) 

Fave ALBUMS :
RWAKE - Rest
SUNGRAZER - Mirador
ELDER - Dead Roots Stirring
VOIVOD - Warriors Of Ice -live-
SERPENT VENOM - Carnal Altar
WEEDEATER - Jason The Dragon
MORNE - Asylum
TOTAL FUCKING DESTRUCTION - Hater
RAMESSES - Possessed By The Rise Of Magyk
DECEASED... - Surreal Overdose
Fave GIGS :
SOILENT GREEN at The Nouveau Casino, april
GOATSNAKE and CoC at Hellfest

* STEVE Howe (UK, THE SLUDGELORD blog)

Fave ALBUMS

MASTODON - The Hunter

VYGR – Hypersleep

ALL THE EMPIRES OF THE WORLD – Return

ZONDERHOOF – Hakken

YOB – Atma

RAMESSES - Possessed By The Rise Of Magik

SORRY FOR NOTHING – Psycho Monster Resurrection

BORRACHO - Splitting Sky

1000MODS – Super Van Vacation

SIGIRYA - Return To Earth

STONE ANGELS - Within The Witch

SLEESTAK - The Fall of Altrusia

ZIPPO – MAKTUB

ANCIENT WISDOM - A Godlike Inferno

HULDRA - Signals From The Void

Fave GIGS 

YOB - Leeds The Well (UK) - October 2011. Brilliant gig. With great support from Dark Castle, Kongh and WIHT.

ANVIL - Newcastle Academy - June 2011 - Brilliant gig from Veteran Thrash Metallers

REVELATIONS Of The Year

All The Empires of The World - A brilliant band that came out of nowhere and warped my fragile little mind with their brilliant music

VYGR - Releasing one of the best debuts I have ever heard since ISIS Oceanic. Amazing debut album.

What PISSED me OFF the most in everyday’s life 

Financial Crisis (UK and Abroad)

Religious Fanatics

UK Politicians. These muppets dont have a clue about everyday working class life.

Rip Off Ticket Agencies like SeeTickets and TicketMaster. Why the f**k should I pay about £10 more for a gig ticket for booking fee and processing cost. Twats.

HERO OF THE YEAR

MIKE SCHEIDT (YOB) - Releasing their best work yet and performing the gig of the year for me. Also for being one of the nicest people in Rock/Metal I have had the pleasure to meet.

* NATHANIEL Colas (Fra - vocals in RESISTANCE)

* Top 10 ALBUMS
1-MANILLA ROAD-Playground of the damned LP
2-NECRO CHRISTOS-Doom of the occult LP
3-VENENUM-venenum Tape
4-UNGOD-cloaked in eternal darkness LP
5-HEADHUNTER DC-In unholy mourning CD (still haven't listened to it, but the DEATH CULT can NEVER disappoint me!)
6-CIANIDE-gods of death LP
7-HATESPAWN/CHARON-split EP
8-CHILDREN OF DOOM-doom, be doomed or fuck off CD
9-ASPHYX/HOODED MENACE-split EP
10-NECROWRETCH-Putrefactive infestation EP


* DEAN Tavernier (USA - guit/vocals in STONE MAGNUM)

1. Favorite ALBUMS
AUTOPSY "Macabre Eternal"
BARABBAS "S/T"
ARTILLERY "My Blood"
ACID WITCH "Stoned"
CIANIDE "Gods of Death"
THE GATES OF SLUMBER "The Wretch"


2. Favorite GIG
ACID WITCH at The Beat Kitchen in Chicago




3. REVELATION
BORROWED TIME


4. Pisses me off
Department Of Homeland Security
Foreign banking cartel



* EDWARD Gerard Brophy (Ireland - BORN AGAIN NIHILIST webzine)

Fave Albums
-MASTODON, The Hunter
-SUNGRAZER, Mirador
-AVER, Self titled
-MOCKING BIRD/RED SUN, Split
-Eggnogg? Moments in Vacuum
-OTIS REAPER, Self titled
-TRIGGERMAN, Brand New Day
-EASTERN CRANK, Songs From the Suburban Archives

Fave GIGS
-KYLESA/ KYUSS Lives/ THE MELVINS/ DOWN, all at Hellfest 2011.


REVELATIONS OF THE YEAR
-Heat the oven slowly...


What PISSED me OFF the most in everyday’s life
-Austerity measures, and a poor haircut choice at one stage.


 HERO of the year :
-Keiron Black of the King Kong Club for showing me the ropes.


* PHILIPPE Courtois (Fra, vocals in MISANTHROPE)

Fave ALBUMS
AZARATH "blasphemers maledictions"
VALLENFYRE "a fragile king"
GHOST "opus eponymous"
CROM "of flames and death"
IN FLAMES "sounds of a playground fading"
THULCANDRA "under a frozen sun"
NOMED "thrashing insanity"
SUICIDAL TENDENCIES  "original album classics" 5 CDs Box
POWERWOLF "blood of the saints"
MASTODON "the hunter"


Fave GIGS
D.R.I. at Hellfest
AGRESSIVE AGRICULTOR at Motocultor fest


REVELATION of the year
TEMPLE OF PERDITION blog


What PISSED me OFF the most his year
primary Socialist Elections in France


HERO of the year : 
DSK




* HELENA Stern (UK - guit/voc in UNDERSMILE)

Albums of the Year
[in no particular order]

BORIS – Attention Please
DARK CASTLE – Surrender to All Life Beyond Form
THE WOUNDED KINGS – In the Chapel of the Black Hand
YOB – Atma
WIZARD'S BEARD – Pure Filth
WIHT – The Harrowing of the North
CULTURA TRES – El Mal Del Bien
SMASHING PUMPKINS – Siamese Dream Reissue
CHELSEA WOLFE - Apokalypsis 
SERPENT VENOM - Carnal Altar
RWAKE - Rest
GREG(O)RIAN – Settlements and Burial Chambers

Gigs of the Year
[we've been to shamefully few gigs this year, due to abject poverty]

Sonic Youth/Shellac @ Shepherds Bush Empire, London
Weedeater, Zoroaster @ Camden Underworld, London
EHG/Church of Misery @ Camden Underworld, London
Crowbar @ O2 Academy, Oxford
Seven Churches Festival @ Fighting Cocks, Kingston, London

ROD Reinhardt (Germany, CAPTAIN BEYOND ZEN)

Unfortunately I didn't finish my top 40 list 2011, but without a doubt the following 5 albums will be in my top 10:

1) (in alphabetical order)
Dopethrone - Dark Foil
Ice Dragon- The Sorrowful Sun
Orchid - Capricorn
The Gates of SLumber - The Wretch
Uncle Acid and the deadbeats - Blood Lust  

2) Fave gigs:
Red Fang, Stuttgart, 26.06.11
Mastodon, Stuttgart, 09.06.11
Blackland, Tübingen, 29.01.11

3) REVELATIONS OF THE YEAR
Temple of Perdition blog

4)What PISSED me OFF the most in everyday’s life
Traffic jams and high gasoline prices

5) HERO of the year
Marcel Gleffe - he saved the lives of several people during the massacre on the island of Utøya.

VANIA YOSIFOVA (Bulgaria, underground activist,imminently contributing for T.O.P.)

1) Fave Albums in alphabetical order:
1000mods – Super Van Vacation
Amplifier – The Octopus
And So I Watch You From Afar - Gangs
A Storm Of Light - As the Valley of Death Becomes Us, Our Silver Memories Fade
Brotherhood Of Sleep - Dark As Light
Cultura Tres – El Mal Del Bien
Graveyard – Hisingen Blues
Hijos de Mayo – In Sound Underground
Lento – Icon
Poseidótica – Crónicas del Futuro
Red Fang – Murder the Mountains
Russian Circles – Empros
Rwake – Rest

2)Fave GIGS
Kyuss Lives! – Vienna, March 22nd
1000mods – Sofia, Oct 1st
Judas Priest – Sofia, July 8th

3) REVELATIONS OF THE YEAR
universe217 – from Athens, Greece, probably the best female vocals I’ve heard in ages
Pyramidal – from Spain, no time for the debut to reach my favourites
Undersmile

4)What PISSED me OFF the most in everyday’s life
1. Arrogance and hypocrisy
2. 22 years after the fall of the communist regime my country is slowly turning into a one party-one leader dictatorship, this time supported and encouraged by the Western governments, and very few people seem to care. Irony: the bodyguard of the last communist leader is now prime minister.

5) HERO of the year
My mother

STEPHANE Le Saux (Fra, TEMPLE OF PERDITION .... "like" the page on FB !)

 1)Fave Albums
 
THE GATES OF SLUMBER “the wretch” (Karl and Jason have puted so much of themselves in here; I've been completely shocked buy this album, this is exactly what I expect from Doom in 2011)
LORD VICAR “signs of Osiris”
ICE DRAGON “the sorrowful sun”
YOB “Atma”
ORCHID “Capricorn”
UNCLE ACID & The Deadbeats “blood lust”
DOPETHRONE “dark foil”
BARABBAS “s/t”
BLOOD CEREMONY “living with the ancients”
OBRERO “mortui vivos docent”
GIDEON SMITH & The DIXIE DAMNED “30 weight”
THE WOUNDED KINGS “embrace now the world”
RAMESSES “possessed by the rise of magik”

2)Fave GIGS
CANDLEMASS and THE GATES OF SLUMBER at Roadburn
YOB - Paris, October 09th –

special mention to Philippe KATERINE and Catherine RINGER (ex RITA MITSUKO) for their amazing performance at LE Pont Du Rock fest.

3)REVELATIONS OF THE YEAR
STONE MAGNUM : too bad it’s not released yet, otherwise their awesome debut album would have been on my podium for sure, then it’s gonna be for 2012 !
VENENUM : THE best new death metal band for ages

4)What PISSED me OFF the most in everyday’s life
- all the bullshit medias dealing with the economical problems of the EEC
- the increasing price of oil combined with the HUGE profits of oil companies
- the beginning of the French presidential campaign
- the sexual beast DSK and the omnipotent SARKOZY

5) HEROes of the year :
my MOTHER for her courage and strength in front of disease(s) and her infinite tenderness
Sébastien LOEB (French god, Rally world champion for the 8th year in row)