Diario

Greetings! I used to do things like this here and there, but it has been quite some time, but recently got the urge and felt that this site would be a good platform to get some of the reader voting response. I tried to keep it to bands who released an album before 1995 and who have at least a small fanbase somewhere. Also, all pairings are completely randomized (Using a list randomizer), so no complaints about how two of your favorite bands are unfairly paired up in the first round. I decided to do it that way instead of going through the headache of putting bands in precise locations. But anyways, on to the good part.

Vote by picking one of the bands in a pairing and bolding that band name. Don't care to vote on a matchup? Don't. Not a big deal and we should get enough votes in the long run to make up for it. Thank you for your time and if you know anyone who's a fan of this style, send them this way. The tournament is single elimination and as of right now I don't have a set period or vote limit where I will end each round…

(678)
1349 4x
Abhorrot
Aborted 2x
Absu 4x
Abysmal Grief
Abyssous
Acherontas 3x
Ad-hoc
Adorned Brood
Aether
Aeveron
Affliction Gate
Agatus
Agrypnie
Akrasatrum 3x
Akrea
Akrival
Alchemyst 2x
Alestorm 2x
Altum Atramentum 2x
Amon Amarth 2x
Ancient Rites
Andras 2x
Angantyr 3x
Angel Corpse
Angel Witch
Angst Skvadron
Annihilation 666
Antaeus
Anthrax 2x
Antichrist 2x
AOK Schrott
Aosoth
Arafel
Arch Enemy
Archgoat 2x
Arkhon Infaustus
Arkona 3x (RUS)
Arranged Chaos
Arroganz 2x
Arsis 3x
Ascension 2x
Asenblut
Asmodeus
Asphyx 4x
Assaulter 2x
At The Gates
At War
Atanatos 2x
Atras Cineris
Attic
Aura Noir 3x
Autopsy
Azaghal
Azarath 2x
…

When rating prog albums I try to do so in a historical context, that is how an album compares against the entire body of prog. This means that the best album for any given year, which most people would rate with top marks may not receive the same rating in my charts as only the best albums of all time should get the highest ratings... This chart does not include compilations or live albums.

My Ratings:
Note: I vote on a bell curve, anything above 6 is really good, anything much below 4 really isn't :D
http://dl.dropbox.com/u/7082504/bellcurve.jpg
1. (=) Steven Wilson - The Raven That Refused to Sing (and Other Stories) (2013) - 7.72
2. (=) Discipline - To Shatter All Accord (2011) - 7.58
3. (=) Phideaux - Snowtorch (2011) - 7.30
4. (=) Ian Anderson - Thick As a Brick 2 (2012) - 7.10
5. (=) Elephant9 - Walk The Nile (2010) - 7.09
6. (=) Big Big Train - English Electric, Part One (2012) - 6.98
7. (=) Magma - Félicité thösz (2012) - 6.80
…

The fall weather's got me thinking. Time to look back and see what I listened to the most in the past year... lets say the top 10 songs. On the computer anyways...

So what did I listen to and why are those songs so damn great?

9. Försvinn Du Som Lyser - 12 plays
These plays came from just recently. I was listening to Visor Om Slutet and thinking much fun it sounds like they were having making it. This song in particularly is extra fun to listen to, and was probably extra fun to make. And sure, it's got the most plays, but the best part of the album is it's not even the one standout track on there.

9. Miss America - 12 plays
I'll start off by saying this would have triple the plays if car music was included. It was only this summer when I really discovered Styx after having mostly ignored them. They wrote some rockin' riffs in the 70s and this song has just one of them.

6. Stairway to the Stars - 13 plays
Another simple rockin' song. …

Journal under construction! Reviews and album covers are missing. I am adding stuff all the time, but I don't have much time anymore.

Welcome to my nearly complete list of albums I own (+ band merch)! This journal contains a chronologically sorted list with all the CD's, LP's and band merch I own.

2007 - 2008 - 2009 - 2010 - 2011 - Albums I own + Band merch

Green color means that this album is awesome.

The syntax is:
Date bought: Artist - Album (place bought) {extra information}


Albums
27. January 2007: The Red Chord - Clients
(Mefisto, Stavanger, Rogaland, Norway) {CD}

14th June 2007: Skyggegjemsel - God's Enemy
(Folken, Stavanger, Rogaland, Norway) {CD - changed name to Uburen, before splitting up}

11th July 2007: Hatebreed - Supremacy
(Ivar Skei, Sandnes, Rogaland, Norway) {CD}

26th July 2007: Wolfmother - Wolfmother
(Platekompaniet, Bergen, Norway) {CD}

26th July 2007: Lamb of God - Ashes Of The Wake
…

By which I mean, two years since I started up this last.fm account.

So basically I'm just going to go through a series of artists I discovered either directly or indirectly through last.fm, and prattle on about how great they are.

Solstice:
Doom Metal band from the UK. I obtained two albums - Halcyon, and New Dark Age. Both are brilliant. The title track from the latter album appears to be based in Lovecraftian lore, which just awards it bonus points. Highly recommended for anyone with a taste for epic Doom.

Candlemass:
Yeah, I know, heretical for me to say it, but I'm really not a great fan of their work with Messiah. This may admittedly be due to me viewing Marcolin himself as an utter douchebag. That said, Epicus Doomicus Metallicus, Nightfall, From the 13th Sun, and everything from King Of The Grey Islands onward are all bloody fantastic albums. Lowe absolutely kicks ass in his place as the new 'Mass vocalist, as he does in every band he features in.

…

1.Church of Misery-Houses Of The Unholy
2.Yob-The Great Cessation
3.Metalucifer-Heavy Metal Bulldozer
4.Drudkh-Microcosmos
5.Månegarm-Nattväsen
6.Shining-VI: Klagopsalmer
7.The Chasm-Farseeing The Paranormal Abysm
8.Hürlement-De Sang Et D'Acier
9.Wo Fat-Psychedelonaut
10.Nocturnal Fear-Metal To The Honor
11.Krallice-Dimensional Bleedthrough
12.Candlemass-Death Magic Doom
13.Arkona-Goi, Rode, Goi!
14.Slough Feg-Ape Uprising!
15.Nokturnal Mortum-The Voice Of Steel
16.Heaven & Hell-The Devil You Know
17.Vektor-Black Future
18.Urgehal-Ikonoklast
19.Absu-Absu
20.Furia-Grudzien Za Grudniem

21.Immortal-All Shall Fall
22.Katatonia-Night Is The New Day
23.Solstice-To Dust
24.Inferno-Black Devotion
25.Bestial Holocaust-Temple Of Damnation
26.The No-Mads-The Age Of Demise
27.Hellwitch-Omnipotent Convocation
28.Wine From Tears-Through The Eyes Of A Mad
…