January 2021 "The Infinite" Playlist - Metal Academy Radio
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/1hIvcpydPnVMfhC3JmwCKN?si=kkMfdF3vT7yScJvweVHjbg
Tracklisting:
01. Coroner – “Internal Conflicts” (from “Grin”, 1993)
02. Ved Buens Ende..... – “I Sang For The Swans” (from “Written In Waters”, 1995)
03. Boris with Merzbow – “To The Beach” (from “2R0I2P0”, 2020)
04. Sólstafir – “Fjara” (from “Svartir Sandar”, 2011)
05. Fantômas – “Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me” (from “The Director’s Cut”, 2001)
06. Mattias Ia Eklundh – “Print This!” (from “Freak Guitar: The Road Less Travelled”, 2004)
07. Lucid Planet – “Anamnesis” (from “Lucid Planet II”, 2020) [Submitted by Xephyr]
08. David Maxim Micic – “Rise & Shine” (from “Bilo 2.0” E.P., 2012)
09. Dir en Grey – “Lotus” (from “Dum Spiro Spero”, 2011)
10. Watchtower – “The Fall Of Reason” (from “Control & Resistance”, 1988)
11. Dream Theater – “Lie” (from “Awake”, 1994) [Submitted by shadowdoom9]
12. Caligula’s Horse – “Valkyrie” (from “Rise Radiant”, 2020) [Submitted by Xephyr]
13. Blotted Science – “Cretaceous Chasm” (from “The Animation Of Entimology” E.P., 2011)
14. Russian Circles – “Death Rides A Horse” (from “Enter”, 2006)
15. The Ocean Collective – “Jurassic / Cretaceous” (from “Phanerozoic II: Mesozoic / Cenozoic”, 2020)
16. Nevermore – “Optimist or Pessimist” (from “In Memory” E.P., 1996)
17. Meshuggah – New Millenium Cyanide Christ” (from “Chaosphere”, 1998) [Submitted by shadowdoom9]
18. Extol – “Undeceived” (from “Undeceived”, 2000)
19. Imperial Triumphant – “The Greater Good” (from “Alphaville”, 2020) [Submitted by Xephyr]
My thoughts on some of the tracks (including my suggested songs):
Coroner – “Internal Conflicts” (from “Grin”, 1993)
8/10. Interesting song to start this playlist, though this is from Coroner's most experimental album. The usual energetic thrash enters the groove arena with lively proposition and pounding atmosphere without ruining too much.
Sólstafir – “Fjara” (from “Svartir Sandar”, 2011)
7/10. A beautiful song, though it sounds more like an Icelandic Pink Floyd gone grunge. Done talking about this one!
Dream Theater – “Lie” (from “Awake”, 1994)
9/10. One of the best Dream Theater songs ever, besides the ones from their other 90s albums! The riffs by John Petrucci sound massive and dark, inducing great amounts of headbanging. Killer song from a great album and band, including that solo and ending! Though the singer sounds a bit like Ian Astbury from The Cult (band). The solo near the 4-minute mark has one of the great balances of melody and technicality, showing Petrucci's impressive virtuosity. Then after another chorus with clear bass, at over the 5-minute mark is a small metalcore-ish breakdown before those were a thing. Also there's a bit of an early Tool influence. Love this song!
The Ocean Collective – “Jurassic / Cretaceous” (from “Phanerozoic II: Mesozoic / Cenozoic”, 2020)
10/10. Not The Ocean song I've submitted, but I won't bite. This is The Ocean's epic comeback to continue their Phanerozoic saga with guest vocals by Katatonia's Jonas Renkse. This is almost like Dream Theater's "Lie" on steroids, enough to put that Dream Theater song to shame! I got no other words to describe this supermassive epic. Please, just listen to that piece!
Nevermore – “Optimist or Pessimist” (from “In Memory” E.P., 1996)
9/10. A short but killer progressive piece, with killer guitar playing by Jeff Loomis and amazing vocals by Warrel Dane. The lineup for this EP had already recently fallen apart with the passing of Warrel Dane (RIP), and temporary guitarist Pat O'Brien's arrest for breaking into a woman's house and attacking her.
Meshuggah – New Millennium Cyanide Christ” (from “Chaosphere”, 1998)
10/10. The best song of Chaosphere, with 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"!