July 2024 "The Infinite" Playlist - Progressive Metal Constellations

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2Wtb5QsNObO9w62f7ThQNF?si=b367314155094957

1. Amorphis – My Kantele (2010)

2. Anciients – Cloak of the Vast and Black (2024) 

3. Astronoid – Up and Atom (2016) 

4. Cynic – The Space for This (2008) 

5. Dysrhythmia – Coffin of Conviction (2024)

6. Edge of Sanity – Incantation (2006 Remastered)

7. Ever Forthright – Tambora (2024)

8. Evergrey – Cold Dreams (2024)

9. Fallujah – Sapphire (2014)

10. Hippotraktor – Echoes (2024) 

11. Luna’s Call – Signs (2020)

12. Meshuggah – New Millennium Cyanide Christ (1998)

13. Metavore – Cheek (feat. Tymon Kruidenier) (2024) 

14. Nuclear Power Trio – Critical Bass Theory (2023)

15. Psychotic Waltz – All the Bad Men (2020) 

16. Rendezvous Point – Presence (2024) 

17. Richard Henshall – Granular (2024) 

18. Rivers of Nihil – The Void from Which No Sound Escapes (2021)

19. Riverside – Left Out (2009) 

20. Shining – The Madness and the Damage Done (2010) 

21. Spiritbox – Trust Fall (2019) 

22. TesseracT – Burden (2023) 

23. Voivod – Killing Technology (1987)

24. Zeal & Ardor – Gotterdammerung (2022)

Here are my thoughts on some tracks:

Amorphis – My Kantele (2010)

4/5. Let's start this playlist with the Magic & Mayhem album grand finale! The sorrowful lyrics really detail the emotional magic from the Finnish instrument in question ("Its strings gathered from torments, and its pegs from other ills. Truly they lie, they talk utter nonsense... So it will not play, will not rejoice at all. Music will not play to please.") The vocals work well with the guitars and keyboards. The track is basically extended into an epic as the heavy version is combined with the acoustic reprise for a memorable climax of harmonic leads. Beautiful!

Cynic – The Space for This (2008) 

4.5/5. The greatest emotion spawns from the blend of clean melody and harsh heaviness from both the music and vocals, that can help motivate you to battle against the weight of depression. There's space for many great memories of when I listened to more melodic progressive metal bands like Cynic. The band started off as more of a jazzy tech-death in their debut Focus before softening their sound 15 years later in Traced in Air. And the soloing at over the 4-minute mark is out of this world!

Dysrhythmia – Coffin of Conviction (2024)

5/5. If mathy progressive metal does sound wicked awesome as people say it does, I'm highly convinced!

Edge of Sanity – Incantation (2006 Remastered)

4.5/5. This is the best part of the massive Crimson II album/epic/suite for me, with all that glittering melody.

Ever Forthright – Tambora (2024)

4/5. This one's also pretty cool, and I also love its music video.

Evergrey – Cold Dreams (2024)

4.5/5. This new Evergrey single features frontman Tom Englund's daughter Salina and Katatonia's Jonas Renkse. Salina's beautiful vocals show her improvement since her guest appearance in 2011's Glorious Collision (she was a kid back then, but still). But HOLY SH*T, Renkse has regained his growling ability that's absolutely crushing!

Meshuggah – New Millennium Cyanide Christ (1998)

5/5. The best song of Chaosphere has drummer Tomas Haake's shining lyric writing. Those lyrics aren't as complicated as they are clever. That's my second favorite Meshuggah song behind "Future Breed Machine"!

Rivers of Nihil – The Void from Which No Sound Escapes (2021)

4.5/5. Amazing sound of sax-ified deathly progressive metal!

Spiritbox – Trust Fall (2019) 

4/5. I love the vocals by Courtney LaPlante, singing emotional lyrics in simple passion. It's nice how this song can sound heavy and soothing at the same time.

TesseracT – Burden (2023) 

4.5/5. "I'm afraid, and I don't know what I am, and I don't know where to turn, but I'll learn." Lovely lyrics of hope sung by Daniel Tompkins, almost having similar falsetto-like singing to the late Michael Jackson. Just don't expect any of the "HEE-hee!"

Voivod – Killing Technology (1987)

5/5. Killing Technology's title track begins with rumbling ambience and what sounds like heart-monitor beeps, then it stops shortly after a robot says "We are connected". Right then, freaky fast metal riffing crashes in with Snake's signature punkish vocals and lyrics of a paranoid futuristic dystopia. Now that's killer 80s prog-thrash!

Zeal & Ardor – Gotterdammerung (2022)

5/5. Another playlist-ending grand discovery! Avant-garde black metal is blended together with bluesy gospel for a unique sound of pure perfection.