April 2022 "The Infinite" Playlist - Metal Academy Radio

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2Wtb5QsNObO9w62f7ThQNF?si=2ec1de4e17f84aba

1. Hath - The Million Violations (2022)

2. Converge & Chelsea Wolfe – Coil (2021) Requested by Andi

3. Slice The Cake – Unending Waltz (2016)

4. Earthside – Crater (2015) Requested by Xephyr

5. Meshuggah – Light the Shortening Fuse (2022)

6. Opeth – Burden (2008) Requested by Andi

7. Periphery – Catch Fire (2016)

8. Enslaved – The Dead Stare (2003) Requested by Xephyr

9. Playgrounded – Rituals (2022)

10. Plini – Handmade Cities (2016) Requested by Andi

11. Alcest – Les jardins de minuit (2019)

12. Skyharbor – Synthetic Hands (2018) Requested by Andi

13. Monuments – False Providence (2022)

14. Toundra – Ruinas (2022) Requested by Xephyr

15. Liquid Tension Experiment – Rhapsody in Blue (2021)

16. Voivod – Brain Scan (1988) Requested by Andi

17. Animals As Leaders – Red Miso (2022)

18. Eight Bells – Premonition (2022) Requested by Xephyr

19. Haken – As Death Embraces (2013)

Here are my thoughts on some tracks:

Hath - The Million Violations (2022)

4.5/5. Interesting way to start this playlist, with an ominous intro before you get hit hard by the progressive black/death metal action. Sounds absolutely killer, but don't expect to get that extreme in my taste nowadays.

Converge & Chelsea Wolfe – Coil (2021)

5/5. Then things quiet down in this song where Chelsea Wolfe's influence shines strongly, in a grand acoustic/orchestral rock single of heartbreak.

Slice The Cake – Unending Waltz (2016)

4.5/5. This sounds quite awesome, but the heavier parts, especially in the final minute, sound closer to Hath's progressive black/death metal. I'm not quite sure if this qualifies as having the deathcore elements you guys keep talking about.

Earthside – Crater (2015)

4.5/5. This also has amazing potential in the sound. The guest vocals by Björn Strid of Soilwork work almost as greatly as in Demon Hunter's "Collapsing". So simple yet close to epic! The intrinsic time signatures and ambient guitar fit with the vocals. There's no doubt how amazing this can be. I should hear some more of Speed's vocals. The album is mixed and mastered by Jens Bogren who has also worked with the spectacular Devin Townsend. About 90% of this song I like, especially the complementary guitar tone. Somehow I think of this as Breaking Benjamin gone The Contortionist. Could be longer though...

Meshuggah – Light the Shortening Fuse (2022)

5/5. Another hail of a killer song from the Swedish djent inventors' new album, for a f***ing awesome moshing future! Well, the album has come out last week on April 1, and we haven't seen the black hole Andrew O'Neill predicted in the History of Heavy Metal book, but I might see for myself when I listen to and review the rest of Immutable. Best of luck to us all! At two and a half minutes is a cleaner part that's the best here. I'm sure Jinjer has done the same in one of their songs.

Opeth – Burden (2008)

4.5/5. The beautiful ballad, "Burden" is a hint of the pressures from Roadrunner for a more commercial sound that the band would have entirely later. Still it is a really nice song reminiscent of 70s prog rock.

Enslaved – The Dead Stare (2003)

4.5/5. A great song from when I still listened to this progressive black metal band. From nearly the two-minute mark on, things sound so godly, and then at over the 3-minute mark, the fantastic riff brings it up to legendary status. One of the songs I love from this album in which the greatness would continue their next 3 offerings. I'm working on my metal taste away from black metal at the moment, but the beauty is something I wished I could've enjoyed more. So cool!

Playgrounded – Rituals (2022)

4/5. Very good, but a little too much on the rock side. Next!

Plini – Handmade Cities (2016)

4.5/5. Also closer to prog-rock while staying progressive metal, but it's quite brilliant. It's well-known for the guitar rhythm during its solo being plagiarized for that of the guitar solo in American pop singer Doja Cat's 2020 metal remix of "Say So". Despite the slight controversy, the original solo at the 3 and a half minute mark is so melodic.

Liquid Tension Experiment – Rhapsody in Blue (2021)

5/5. This is a more fascinating instrumental track, being a 13-minute epic based on a George Gershwin composition, originally performed during Liquid Tension Experiment's 2008 tour, with the middle section at slightly over the 4-minute mark inspiring the midsection of "The Count of Tuscany" from Dream Theater's Black Clouds & Silver Linings. So progressive and innovative! Then at nearly the 7-minute mark is a King Crimson-inspired bridge. LTE and Dream Theater make great connection between the two side-projects. The final soloing starting at nearly 11-minutes in is some of the most beautiful I've heard. Well done, guys!

Voivod – Brain Scan (1988)

4.5/5. This has some things worth mentioning including a jazzy chorus with complex drumming. You've read right...jazz! More of those jazz influences come from the otherworldly diminished chords of Piggy (Denis D'Amour) (RIP). His replacement guitarist Daniel Mongrain's former band Martyr covered that song before Martyr's hiatus.

Animals As Leaders – Red Miso (2022)

5/5. Animals as Leaders is another band with a new album having come out recently, and this song might just be my new favorite of them. Here you get to hear old and new riffs from Tosin Abasi. And then shortly after the two and a half minute mark is a sick breakneck 30-second djent breakdown, the most killer from this band! I really gotta listen to the rest of this album.