October 2022 "The Infinite" Playlist - Metal Academy Radio

(Thread posted with permission from Saxy)

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2Wtb5QsNObO9w62f7ThQNF

Tracklisting:

01. An Abstract Illusion - "Tear Down This Holy Mountain" (from Woe)

02. Conquering Dystopia - "Lachrymose" (from Conquering Dystopia)

03. Disillusion - "Fall" (from Back to Times of Splendor)

04. Fallujah - "Mindless Omnipotent Master" (from Empyrean)

05. Devin Townsend Project - "Silent Militia" (from Z²)

06. Mastodon - "Stargasm" (from The Hunter)

07. Ihlo - "Haar" (from Haar - Live Sessions From Pirate Studios)

08. ERRA - "Pull From the Ghost" (from Pull From the Ghost)

09. Neurosis - "Water is Not Enough" (from Given to the Rising)

10. Haken - "Nobody" (from The Mountain)

11. Psychonaut - "Violate Consensus Reality" (from Violate Consensus Reality)

12. Leprous - "Nighttime Disguise" (from Aphelion)

13. Soen - "Lotus" (from Lotus)

14. Parius - "Contact!" (from Contact!)

15. Liquid Tension Experiment - "Liquid Evolution" (from LTE3)

16. The Ocean - "Silurian: Age of Sea Scorpions" (from Phanerozoic I: Palaeozoic)

Here are my thoughts on most of the tracks:

An Abstract Illusion - "Tear Down This Holy Mountain" (from Woe)

4.5/5. Greater start than that of the Gateway playlist, but again the experimentation can be SO MUCH in this over 11-minute epic.

Conquering Dystopia - "Lachrymose" (from Conquering Dystopia)

5/5. A beautifully haunting acoustic/electric descent from that torn down holy mountain, with Jeff Loomis (also from Nevermore) playing Jason Becker-like guitar melodies. This could almost work well with lyrics that can turn it into a Nevermore ballad sung by Warrel Dane (RIP). D*mn, there should be an orchestral version of this soul-melting tune! It makes me glad against the sadness, sounding intense while staying beautiful and melodic. There is even a bit of a Last of Us vibe here.

Ihlo - "Haar" (from Haar - Live Sessions From Pirate Studios)

4.5/5. Another nice progressive metal blessing! This amazing song can almost be a total winner. It's bands like Ihlo and VOLA that can guide you through the astral plane then take you on a wild ride through the crescendo. Of course, the intro can also blow your mind. This can nearly reach the f***ing height of g****mn progressive luxury! I wonder how if the name of the song is pronounced like how Germans or sassy pre-teen girls say "hair"...

ERRA - "Pull From the Ghost" (from Pull From the Ghost)

5/5. You can assume that my ongoing progressive metalcore search is an addiction, but the truth is, many of those bands rule! For this one, the guitar riffs sound so godly, and the angelic cleans battle against the demonic growls. Hardcore progressive metal has never sounded so ethereal.

Neurosis - "Water is Not Enough" (from Given to the Rising)

4.5/5. Great band, super-cool song, sick intro, karaoke-worthy vocals. The singing is by Scott Kelly, who has recently confirmed his departure from the band after a shocking revelation of his family abuse. It's not easy to make amends for serious wrongdoings that make you look like a total a**, but the music is still good, despite the outer drama.

Haken - "Nobody" (from The Mountain)

4/5. This can be considered a softer radio version of the song "Somebody", considering the shortened length and the acoustic instrumentation. This sounds so much like Anathema at that time, and I've already moved out of that kind of softness.

Psychonaut - "Violate Consensus Reality" (from Violate Consensus Reality)

4.5/5. You can never be highly disappointed by such a composition! The vocals by Colin H. van Eeckhout from Amenra really add that nice touch. Just how the f*** can this heartfelt emotion get so intense?! This is an immense post-progressive metal composition with awesome vocal power! Colin adds weight to the beautiful groove you cannot miss. It's like a great emotional timebomb! And I thought The Ocean was THE European progressive post-sludge metal collective... I can see and hear lots of magic fire here. Top-notch straight from the first minute!

Parius - "Contact!" (from Contact!)

4.5/5. A short, sweet, sick rocker! Throughout the first half, I wasn't sure about the OK riff. Then the bass and drums in the second half balance things out in greatness and leveled up my rating score a bit. I guess you can think of this like mid-90s Entombed gone Primus.

Liquid Tension Experiment - "Liquid Evolution" (from LTE3)

4/5. A beautiful short jazzy progressive interlude from this instrumental Dream Theater spinoff-band.

The Ocean - "Silurian: Age of Sea Scorpions" (from Phanerozoic I: Palaeozoic)

4.5/5. Then finally, we end the playlist with a bit of the energy from the Precambrian era (of The Ocean).