[babyBlueSedan]

Round 1 Matchup:

Thumbnail. Click to enlarge.

Miss Machine by The Dillinger Escape Plan

(nominated by BenPaco)

vs.


Filosofem by Burzum

(nominated by Mercury)


<Poll will close in one week>
_________________
And it's hard to be a human being. And it's harder as anything else.

[babyBlueSedan]

...and I'm back. Was too busy with work last week to get to all of the albums but I'm going to try extra hard this week. It helps that I've already heard half of them.

Filosofem is one I've already heard and that I've never been in love with. I do love the first four tracks though, and Jesus' Tod is one of my favorite metal songs ever. The terrible production and the way the drums hit is just incredible. That 25 minute long ambient track is really what kills the album for me; I don't even mind the closer but the track before it is just way too long and too repetitive.

I was a little familiar with Dillinger Escape Plan and had heard they made mathy metal or something like that. Miss Machine wasn't quite what I expected in that it was more straightforward metal / hard rock with some mathy solos. I expected something more along the lines of Converge's Jane Doe, but was actually pleasantly surprised to find that wasn't the case. Not to say that I liked the album all that much - it was an enjoyable listen but wasn't super engaging. It was something high school me would have loved though, kind of sad I didn't discover the band earlier.

Ended up going with Filosofem off of the strength of the 5 tracks off of it I like. I expect that ambient track will steal my vote away from Burzum at some point in this tourney, just not yet.
_________________
And it's hard to be a human being. And it's harder as anything else.

[HazeyTwilight]

I was taken aback by Miss Machine when I heard the first track - I wasn't expecting it to be hit so hard by it. But as it went on, I was getting more into it. Overall, I was pleasantly surprised by it.

However, it's up against a black metal classic with it's creepy, fuzzy atmosphere weaving itself into the depressing melodies. By the way, I actually like the ambient track, strangely soothing coming from the man who's done some sketchy shit around this time. Vote for Burzum.
_________________

[Mercury]

Sketchy, that's the word.

Yeah Filosofem for me. Such a uniquely desolate atmosphere. It gets me every time.
_________________
-Ryan

ONLY 4% of people can understand this chart! Come try!

My Fave Metal - you won't believe #5!!!

[benpaco]

I'm starting to think I just don't "get" metal. I hadn't heard the Burzum album (or any Burzum) before this and it sounds, to my ears, like every stereotypical black metal album with the exception of that one repetitive guitar thing that shows up on most of the tracks. I don't get any special atmosphere off of it, and maybe the problem is that this was a trendsetting album so the bits I've been exposed to later stole from it, but it was about the exact definition of a 70/100 for me - just nothing there of interest but only minor annoyances.

Whereas I adore Miss Machine for its complexity balanced with its accessibility. It's a musically complex album with some interesting mathy moments, but at the same time, there are some tracks here like "Setting Fire to Sleeping Giants" that I'd imagine my Foo Fighters loving friends would be into (OK I lied I know an Foo Fighters fan but I bet he might like it). It's not perfect for me, there are moments that the balance gets a little thrown off and the tone shifts a little too much for me, and for an album that's only 40 minutes it feels like a longer listen, not in a great way. That being said, Highway Robbery is one of my favorite songs of any genre ever, would probably be about top 100 for me, and there are a lot of other bright moments sprinkled throughout, so I still love it.

This was an easy vote for me, though from the scores it looks like I'm in the minority and I totally understand that.
_________________

. . . 2016 . . . 2015 . . .

"While I'm alive, I'll make tiny changes to Earth" - Frightened Rabbit

[Graeme2]

Sketchy
DEP gave me a headache so vote burzum. Though I'm not that fussed on it considering you read places that some think it's the best album ever. Heard it once before and liked a little more this time.

[babyBlueSedan]

[size=180]Filosofem wins, 12-2[/size]
_________________
And it's hard to be a human being. And it's harder as anything else.