December 2023 "The Horde" Playlist - Metal Academy Radio

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0R0a3qxSe1XkOMxBN6gkwi?si=01ba781c20564b94

Tracklisting:

01. Death – “Flesh & The Power It Holds” (from “The Sound Of Perseverance”, 1998) [Submitted by Daniel]

02. Morbid Angel – “Invocation of the Continual One” (from “Formulas Fatal To The Flesh”, 1998) [Submitted by Sonny]

03. A Carnorous Quintet – “Naked With Open Eyes” (from Silence of the World Beyond”, 1996)

04. Gates of Ishtar – “A Bloodred Path” (from “A Bloodred Path”, 1996)

05. Darkthrone – “Land Of Frost” (from “Land Of Frost” demo, 1988) [Submitted by Daniel]

06. Universally Estranged – “Corrupted Mind Palace” (from “Dimension of Deviant Clusters”, 2022) [Submitted by UnhinderbyTalent]

07. Theory in Practice – “Inexplicable Nature” (from “Third Eye Function”, 1997)

08. Nihilist – “Supposed To Rot” (from “Premature Autopsy” demo, 1988) [Submitted by Daniel]

09. Dismember – “Override of the Overture” (from “Like An Everflowing Stream”, 1991) [Submitted by UnhinderbyTalent]

10. Devenial Verdict – “Ash Blind” (from “Ash Blind”, 2022) [Submitted by UnhinderbyTalent]

11. Arch Enemy – “Bury Me An Angel” (from “Black Earth”, 1996)

12. Xecutioner – “Find The Arise” (from “1986 Demo” demo, 1986) [Submitted by Daniel]

13. Nasum – “No Sign of Improvement” (from “Inhale/Exhale”, 1998) [Submitted by Sonny]

14. Yatra – “Terminate By The Sword” (from “Born Into Chaos”, 2022) [Submitted by UnhinderbyTalent]

15. Dehumanized – “Drawn By Blood” (from “Prophecies Foretold”, 1998) [Submitted by Sonny]

16. Tenebro – “Carne umana” (from “Carne umana”, 2022) [Submitted by UnhinderbyTalent]

17. Wharflurch – “Phantasmagorical Fumes” (from “Psychedelic Realms ov Hell”, 2021) [Submitted by UnhinderbyTalent]

18. Neuraxis – “Lid To Your Soul” (from “Imagery”, 1997)

19. Immolation – “No Jesus, No Beast” (from “Failure For Gods”, 1998) [Submitted by Sonny]

20. Sarcofago – “Satanic Lust (Instrumental)” (from “Die… Hard!!!”, 2015) [Submitted by Daniel]

21. Imperial Triumphant – “Black Psychedelia” (from “Abyssal Gods”, 2015)

22. Runemagick – “The Supreme Force” (from “The Supreme Force of Eternity”, 1998) [Submitted by Sonny]

23. Napalm Death – “Rise Above” (from “Mentally Murdered” E.P., 1989) [Submitted by Daniel]

24. Exhumed – “Trapped Under Ice” (from “Garbage Daze Re-Regurgitated”, 2005)

25. Neuropath – “Incantations of Decrepit Nihilism” (from “Desert of Excruciation” demo, 1995) [Submitted by Daniel]

26. Agoraphobic Nosebleed – “Cloved in Twain” (from “Honky Reduction”, 1998) [Submitted by Sonny]

27. Parasitic Ejaculation – “Slow Torture Puke Chamber” (from “Rationing The Sacred Human Remains”, 2013)

28. Traumatomy – “Disintegration in Suffering” (from “Transcendental Evisceration of Necrogenetic Beasts”, 2013)

Nice work, Daniel, I think this may be my favourite Horde playlist to date. There were only the Imperial Triumphant and the last couple of tracks that I really didn't like.

Standout for me was the Nihilist track which, considering I am a bit uncommited when it comes to Entombed, was a nice surprise. Other big-hitters that I am less familiar with were Universally Estranged, Gates of Ishtar, Theory in Practice, Tenebro, Wharflurch and, of course, Neuropath are well worth their place on here. Thanks, man.

Thanks mate. You may not have noticed but I've stopped focusing so much on brand new material since you started submitting tracks each month & I think it's changed things a touch. I've already covered a lot of the more significant releases from the more niche subgenres (gorenoise, pornogrind, death 'n' roll, cybergrind, mincecore, goregrind) too which means that most of the material is coming from the core group of death/grind subgenres that we all enjoy these days. Glad you could deal with a demo tracks I've been including too as I wasn't too sure how they'd go down. Underground demos were such an important part of how the scene began though & I was heavily involved in it so I wanted to share some of those experiences with people that might not have given themselves the chance.

I  hadn't really noticed that you had reduced the focus on newer material, Daniel.  Is there any particular reason for it?

I've got an idea what most of those niche genres are, but wtf is mincecore?

I find that the efficacy of demo tracks within a playlist depends a bit on the other tracks around them. If they are quite a bit quieter, or excessively messy-sounding and the tracks around them have crystal clear or beefed-up production then the transition from one to the other can be a bit jarring and take the listener out of their headspace, but reasonable-sounding demos that fit in with the other tracks can be pretty interesting.

I  hadn't really noticed that you had reduced the focus on newer material, Daniel.  Is there any particular reason for it?

I noticed that most of the submissions were falling into two subgenres & they correlated with where most of the new releases were sitting so it became tricky to fit in other subgenres & more underground inclusions from those main subgenres once we had more people nominating tracks. I've found it a more enjoyable process since I've relaxed my position on making a third of the playlist tracks from the current year.

I've got an idea what most of those niche genres are, but wtf is mincecore?

To quote RYM:

"Mincecore is a raw and simplistic form of Grindcore which is based in Hardcore Punk and takes comparatively little influence from Metal. The guitar riffs are simple and heavily distorted and the drumming is characterized by alternation between blast beats and a groovy, mid-tempo kick-snare-kick-snare pattern often referred to as the tupa tupa. Lyrical themes are similar to political Punk bands and include topics such as anarchism, veganism, and antifascism.

The term mincecore was coined by the Belgian band Agathocles, formed in 1985. Their original intention was to return grindcore to its roots and offer resistance against the sexism, homophobia, and racism that was becoming common in the scene. The name comes from the slang word "mince", used as an insult against gay men.

By the early 1990s, many bands started to pop up around the world inspired by this sound and ideology, notably Unholy Grave, Rot, Malignant Tumour, Abortion, and Archagathus. In the 2010s, a new variant became popular, known as "mincegore," a mixture of the lo-fi, midtempo mincecore sound and the pitch-shifted vocals and gory imagery associated with Goregrind. Some notable bands making mincegore include Haggus and Hyperemesis."

i.e. another useless & tenuous subgenre from RYM.

I have not been listening to many of the recent Horde playlists to be honest but have taken some time out whilst on holiday for the festive season to listen to this month's and can see how the more established and historic tracks work better.  I often find it easy to represent more old-school stuf on The Pit playlist since Daniel and Sonny usually pick from the 80's heyday with consistency which frees me up to venture for the more modern releases.  I have never had a strict rule around a specific proposrtion of the list being modern or from the current year.  Prefer the "organic" approach.

One thing that struck me when I played through this moth's Horde list was how little patient I have whatsoever for melodic death metal nowadays.  I have this mindset with death metal that it should never be diluted, otherwise it is not really death metal anymore.  Odd, as I don't mind melodic black metal.  Tracks three and four on the list soon got skipped and I was grateful of the down and dirty Darkthrone demo.  I think the last melodic death metal that I listened to regularly was Heartwork by Carcass.

Nasum are a band I should be flogged for neglecting like I do.  I keep telling myself that I need to spend more time with their stuff but somehow never quite get around to it.  I actually sat through that Imperial Triumphant track which is progress for me - I still don't get the hype around them though.  I will get around to a full Neuropath album review eventually but this track underlines the Suffocation influence brilliantly for me.  The diving guitars and stop/start rhythms are great.

I will get around to a full Neuropath album review eventually but this track underlines the Suffocation influence brilliantly for me.  The diving guitars and stop/start rhythms are great.

I'm not surprised that you've picked up the clear Suffocation influence in that particular track either as it was the last song I wrote for the "Desert of Excruciation" demo & "Pierced From Within" was the biggest release for me that year. I'm sure everyone's well aware that they're still my favourite band to this day too.

For the record, I share your struggles with the melodic death metal subgenre too.