M2TM 2017

[Blake_Porter]

It looks like death metal band Infected Dead won the mammoth 10-band final in Kent.

I was hoping for Alastria who are a great power metal act.

So far, there's been 1 symphonic (Aonia), 1 folk (Na Cruithne) and 1 power metal act (Alastria) who have been in the finals. None of them got through. They all lost to stoner/sludge or death metal bands...

M2TM is a complete farce. This is exactly why I wouldn't even bother competing of my band was anything other than a bland death metal or stoned band.

[angel_of_death]

It looks like death metal band Infected Dead won the mammoth 10-band final in Kent.

I was hoping for Alastria who are a great power metal act.

So far, there's been 1 symphonic (Aonia), 1 folk (Na Cruithne) and 1 power metal act (Alastria) who have been in the finals. None of them got through. They all lost to stoner/sludge or death metal bands...

M2TM is a complete farce. This is exactly why I wouldn't even bother competing of my band was anything other than a bland death metal or stoned band.

I'm not in a death metal, or a stoner band..we won..

Birmingham M2TM final doesn't have any death metal..and only one band you could possibly consider stoner...but aren't really!

[Haldamir319]

I get the sentiment about there being more of certain kinds of bands booked. Part of the problem is that we - on here - know very little about a lot of the regions and how their qualifying for the final goes.

Having being quite close to the guys that ran our heats in Sheff this year, we discussed about concerns people have aired over the years of bias towards certain bands/genres and steps were taken to try and make it as fair as possible (the judges scoring cards had a semi-convoluted points system that bears similarities to figure skating and gymnastics). They deliberately picked judges with different tastes/preferences in rock/metal and all of them tried their best to be neutral with their scoring.

I can safely say that, through the combined system of the above and fans votes, the final 6 bands we got was close to the 6 I would have pegged myself - the only exception being that I think they should have made it a 7 band final after two bands tied for the final spot in one of the semi-finals.

All that being said, I do know of a small cluster of bands who decided not to enter because of the perceived biases in the past. We're hoping that, seeing how this year went (and the diversity of our final) that they'll enter next year.

[robin8585]

One of the big problems I think, is that no matter how much you do with the local judging (and I think Manchester's event has made a good positive change this year in that regard, we've got a 4 very different bands for a change), the final is always done by someone coming in from Bloodstock. So after 14 rounds of competition, suddenly the judging criteria changes from a group of people scoring in categories, to one dude saying what he likes best.

[JPMC]

The Hitchin Metal to the Masses is coming up shortly on June 30th. The quality of bands has been excellent! And the final is really showcasing what noise we're making in the leafy parts of North Herts. Just a quick rundown (from memory) the finalists are Everest Queen (really good progressive sludge type band, reminded me of a heavyish Acid Bath, maybe Down?), Thirteen (melodic metal with some great guitar playing), Cerberus Unchained (I'm just going to say older At The Gates... go and check them out now!) and Raze the Void (great riffs and some awesome breakdowns). Anyway, a little taste if your own local events are done and you fancy just a little more.

Just to point out, I'm not biased as my band fell out of the running a few heats back; the bands that are left are really seriously good! And the venue is a five minute stumble from the station with Trooper on tap and an amazing as fuck lava lamp!

Shameless plug done!

[robin8585]

Another shameless plug, this is the Manchester Finals for Sunday:

Doors at 15:00, free entry with a free BBQ, running order is :

15:45 – 16:15 Impavidus
16:30 – 17:00 RedEye Revival
17:15 – 17:45 BAD EARTH
18:00 – 18:30 Regulus
19:00 - 21:45 - M2TM Finals - Voodoo Blood, Skeletal Damage, Prognosis and Gorehead, order to be drawn on the day
22.00-23.00 – Red Rum

Level of interest right now on the Facebook event page suggests it'll be busier than the kick off event back in February where they hit venue capacity and had to implement one in/one out, so get down early (which you want to do regardless because Impavidus are superb).

[Jay1993]

Another shameless plug, this is the Manchester Finals for Sunday:

Doors at 15:00, free entry with a free BBQ, running order is :

15:45 – 16:15 Impavidus
16:30 – 17:00 RedEye Revival
17:15 – 17:45 BAD EARTH
18:00 – 18:30 Regulus
19:00 - 21:45 - M2TM Finals - Voodoo Blood, Skeletal Damage, Prognosis and Gorehead, order to be drawn on the day
22.00-23.00 – Red Rum

Level of interest right now on the Facebook event page suggests it'll be busier than the kick off event back in February where they hit venue capacity and had to implement one in/one out, so get down early (which you want to do regardless because Impavidus are superb).

Should be coming to this. Free entry and loads of bands, can't argue with that!

[Bizza]

So far there's been 1 symphonic (Aonia), 1 folk (Na Cruithne) and 1 power metal act (Alastria) who have been in the finals. None of them got through.

Just as well we have plenty of those kind of bands already

[robin8585]

Ward XVI won in Burnley tonight. Good to see something a little different make it.

[Tet]

Having being quite close to the guys that ran our heats in Sheff this year, we discussed about concerns people have aired over the years of bias towards certain bands/genres and steps were taken to try and make it as fair as possible

[...]

All that being said, I do know of a small cluster of bands who decided not to enter because of the perceived biases in the past.

I'm very glad to hear that. Whenever I've raised this in that past, the response I've had has always been "there is no bias, and no problem". I've pointed out that real or not, if there's a perceived bias (and there is - I know of similar problems in other regions where bands won't enter because of it), then it's something that needs sorting.

I've seen too many of the usual suspects burying their heads in the sand and claiming that all is well with M2TM, that it shows a healthy underground scene, and that complaints about it are just sour grapes from those that didn't get through. As an outsider, that's not how I see it. For me, M2TM is a good thing, but it has image problems that should be addressed, and until they are, it won't be all that it could (and should) be.

[Gandalf the Red]

It's a strange one. Local bands to me were playing the Manchester one and Manchester bands were playing the Liverpool one. Mainly because they know that certain types of bands will go down better in different cities.

An example is Midnight Prophecy. Decent Power Metal band, but there aren't many Power Metal fans around Liverpool. So they had a better chance playing the Manchester one.

[Jay1993]

Prognosis won a slot on the New Blood Stage tonight in Manchester. Voodoo Blood also won a slot on the Jager stage.

Voodoo Blood were my personal favourite of the night so very glad they've been given a chance on the Jager stage, think they'll go down well there. Wasn't overly keen on Prognosis but they're extremely proficient musicians who deserved the win!

[robin8585]

Prognosis won a slot on the New Blood Stage tonight in Manchester. Voodoo Blood also won a slot on the Jager stage.

Voodoo Blood were my personal favourite of the night so very glad they've been given a chance on the Jager stage, think they'll go down well there. Wasn't overly keen on Prognosis but they're extremely proficient musicians who deserved the win!

Also thought Voodoo Blood deserved the win, but a slot on the Jager stage is a good conselation prize. I fully expect to see them on the Sophie stage in the future. Not sure how well that small stage will suit them, but given the frontwoman's tendency to climb all over everything I'm sure they'll be fine.

Prognosis were off tonight. Not sure if there were nerves or technical problems, but in the rounds they were a band that were absolutely no question going to win and tonight, they weren't. Glad to see them get the slot, but I didn't think they were the best band on the night.

Skeletal Damage were also having an off night; not as good as they have been previously by far, pretty disapointing.

Gorehead are still bad.

Hopefully Simon Hall will have noticed the exceptional reception Impavidus got as the first band on and will get them on the Sophie next year, they were incredible as always and deserve to go far.

[Haldamir319]

Oh man, Ward XVI are ace!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tT9dI1bNf2M

[Jay1993]

Prognosis won a slot on the New Blood Stage tonight in Manchester. Voodoo Blood also won a slot on the Jager stage.

Voodoo Blood were my personal favourite of the night so very glad they've been given a chance on the Jager stage, think they'll go down well there. Wasn't overly keen on Prognosis but they're extremely proficient musicians who deserved the win!

Also thought Voodoo Blood deserved the win, but a slot on the Jager stage is a good conselation prize. I fully expect to see them on the Sophie stage in the future. Not sure how well that small stage will suit them, but given the frontwoman's tendency to climb all over everything I'm sure they'll be fine.

Prognosis were off tonight. Not sure if there were nerves or technical problems, but in the rounds they were a band that were absolutely no question going to win and tonight, they weren't. Glad to see them get the slot, but I didn't think they were the best band on the night.

Skeletal Damage were also having an off night; not as good as they have been previously by far, pretty disapointing.

Gorehead are still bad.

Hopefully Simon Hall will have noticed the exceptional reception Impavidus got as the first band on and will get them on the Sophie next year, they were incredible as always and deserve to go far.

I wonder if it was technical problems with Prognosis. I was struggling to hear everything that was going on in the mix so most of the time I could only really make out the widdley stuff on the guitars which they seemed to do a lot of

I thought Gorehead were really good at what they do and got a great reception, just not the biggest grind fan myself. Unfortunately only caught the last song of Skeletal Damage and missed Impavidus, Red Rum were brilliant though!