Website feature: The Encyclopaedia Metallum

March 3, 11:34 PMMinneapolis Metal Music ExaminerDaniel Millard

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The penultimate metal resource 

            Of all the metal-related websites that I’ve ever run across, the Encyclopaedia Metallum is certainly the most complete, up-to-date, and useful. The numbers on this website alone are staggering. 66,167 bands, 131,632 registered users, and 42,094 album reviews (all as of 11pm CST 3/3/2009) make this the place to go for band and album information. 

             Upon arrival, the main page of the Metal Archives is somewhat daunting. The entire theme is blood-red and white on a black background. Also, the casual user ought not to delve too deeply into the archives. There is some NASTY content in metal that no one in their right minds should ever write or listen to. I digress, as I’m not a fan of black or the vast majority of death metal (half of the content on the site is devoted to these two genres), but there is a great deal of positive and useful content for other users and genres as well. The webmasters and moderators take great care to provide a neutral and informative experience throughout the band description section of the website (where most of the browsing is done). The forums and reviews are of course, to be viewed and posted in at your own risk. 

            With the huge user base that the Encyclopaedia boasts, information on bands is constantly updated and modified. There is no more complete discography, lyric listing (when applicable), and member line-up listing anywhere else (possibly in existence). One of the best features of the site is the ability to list and comment on your collection, including setting up a want list and trade list to interact with other users. Anyone can modify band information and write album reviews, as long as they are applicable and passably intelligent. 

            Hands down, this is the most informative and useful database on metal I’ve ever seen. It’s easy to navigate, and simple to start using. I jump to this site many times daily (sometimes dozens) to verify and collect information. The founders of the site are to be applauded for their work.