December 2022 "The Revolution" Playlist - Metal Academy Radio

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/1yFgscg5HWKGoIy2s0xRfG

Tracklisting:

1. Make Them Suffer - "Doomswitch" (from Doomswitch, 2022)

2. Bring Me the Horizon - "Can You Feel My Heart" (from Sempiternal, 2013) [submitted by Shadowdoom9 (Andi)]

3. We Came as Romans - "To Plant a Seed" (from To Plant a Seed, 2009) [submitted by Shadowdoom9 (Andi)]

4. Caliban - "Arena of Concealment" (from A Small Boy and a Grey Heaven, 1999)

5. Abnegation - "When the Smoke Clears" (from Verses of the Bleeding, 1998)

6. Annisokay - "Like a Parasite" (from Aurora, 2021)

7. ERRA - "Divisionary" (from ERRA, 2021) [submitted by Shadowdoom9 (Andi)]

8. Any Given Day - "Savior" (from Overpower, 2019)

9. August Burns Red - "What Child is This (Greensleeves)" (from Winter Wilderness, 2018)

10. Trivium - "Betrayer" (from The Sin and the Sentence, 2017) [submitted by Shadowdoom9 (Andi)]

11. Embodyment - "Embrace" (from Embrace the Eternal, 1998)

12. Lorna Shore - "Cursed to Die" (from Pain Remains, 2022)

13. From Here On - "Further Away" (from Hope for a Bleeding Sky, 2000)

14. Converge - "Dead" (from Petitioning the Empty Sky, 1996)

15. Deadguy - "Doom Patrol" (from Fixation on a Co-Worker, 1995)

16. Bleeding Through - "Buried" (from Love Will Kill All, 2018) [submitted by Daniel]

17. Parkway Drive - "The Sound of Violence" (from Ire, 2015) [submitted by Shadowdoom9 (Andi)]

18. Rorschach - "Drawn and Quartered" (from Protestant, 1993)

19. Unbroken - "In the Name of Progression" (from Life. Love. Regret, 1994)

20. After the Burial - "Deluge" (from Dig Deep, 2016)

21. Shadows Fall - "The First Noble Truth" (from Of One Blood, 2000) [submitted by Shadowdoom9 (Andi)]

22. Bad Omens - "Exit Wounds" (from Bad Omens, 2016)

23. Wage War - "Circle the Drain" (from Manic, 2021)

24. Coalesce - "Harvest of Maturity" (from In Tongues We Speak, 1996)

25. My Enemies & I - "Carbon Copy" (from Sick World, 2015)

26. Attila - "Jumanji" (from Rage, 2010) [submitted by Shadowdoom9 (Andi)]

27. Convictions - "The Price of Grace" (from I Won't Survive, 2021)

28. Everyone Dies in Utah - "Planetary" (from Supra, 2021)

29. The Number Twelve Looks Like You - "I'll Make My Own Hours" (from Worse Than Alone, 2009)

30. Like Moths to Flames - "Spiritual Eclipse" (from No Eternity in Gold, 2020)

Here are my thoughts on all the selected tracks:

Make Them Suffer - "Doomswitch" (from Doomswitch, 2022)

5/5. Let's start with a f***ing masterpiece of a banger! Make Them Suffer has returned with a new keyboardist/co-lead vocalist Alex Reade.

Bring Me the Horizon - "Can You Feel My Heart" (from Sempiternal, 2013)

4.5/5. This one already hints at the new plateau the band's just reached in their journey. Vocalist Oli Sykes pours his soul out as he cries out the first verse, "Can you hear the silence? Can you see the dark? Can you fix the broken? Can you feel... Can you feel my heart?!" during an explosion of sonic atmosphere.

We Came as Romans - "To Plant a Seed" (from To Plant a Seed, 2009)

4/5. RIP Kyle Pavone. It's good to look back at where this late young man's journey began, from "the first note that I ever played, the first note that was ever sang". This music deserves much more attention that it has had. It's so good, this seed the band has planted! There are better songs from their later albums like Tracing Back Roots, but let's forever breathe in the beauty of this dude's clean voice...

Caliban - "Arena of Concealment" (from A Small Boy and a Grey Heaven, 1999)

3.5/5. This one has sick screams and the Slayer riffing to creep in your skin and get you headbanging, especially in a pummeling breakdown.

Abnegation - "When the Smoke Clears" (from Verses of the Bleeding, 1998)

3/5. This one is the promising start of one of the most brutal (and weakest) deathcore/death metal albums I've heard, my favorite song of that album as well as the shortest while still having guitar aggression.

Annisokay - "Like a Parasite" (from Aurora, 2021)

3.5/5. Recently my brother has been adding a few metalcore bands/songs to his playlist, and It's good that I discovered this from him, I mean what's not to love? The mix of clean and unclean vocals duel well like a boss. The screams remind me of We Came as Romans' other vocalist Dave Stephens, though Dave does them much better.

ERRA - "Divisionary" (from ERRA, 2021)

4/5. H*ll, these lyrics add relevance to what's happening in this world, and should really blast its way through the galaxy to be heard. Those magical vocals can remind some of Saosin, especially at the one-minute ending verse.

Any Given Day - "Savior" (from Overpower, 2019)

4.5/5. Another wicked metalcore track my brother likes lately, and probably one of my favorites in that category. Everything is emotional!

August Burns Red - "What Child is This (Greensleeves)" (from Winter Wilderness, 2018)

5/5. Since we're already approach "the most wonderful time of the year", it's time for some Christmas metalcore from the style's Christian masters August Burns Red! The drumming is especially creative, adding blast beats that are very unusual to hear in Christmas music. This fresh take on "Greensleeves" is one of the best moments of this EP, nailing it well like a boss. The wacky brass instrumentation adds a bit of a folk vibe. Merry metal Christmas!

Trivium - "Betrayer" (from The Sin and the Sentence, 2017)

4.5/5. This is one of the more furiously astonishing tracks that once again bring back the aggression from their earlier material.

Embodyment - "Embrace" (from Embrace the Eternal, 1998)

5/5. The ultimate climax in this track is where, at a 3-minute mark, a mid-paced melodic yet dissonant riff plays that alone would be the big bang for bands like Suicide Silence, Whitechapel, and maybe even Knocked Loose, way better done than Abnegation.

Lorna Shore - "Cursed to Die" (from Pain Remains, 2022)

5/5. In this epic shining highlight, the speed and precision from the band's rhythm section work like a charm. The breakdown fits well right in the middle of this epic glory without being abrupt.

From Here On - "Further Away" (from Hope for a Bleeding Sky, 2000)

4/5. This one has the ultimate best breakdown I've heard in any of the Tommy Rogers/Paul Waggoner bands. Other than that, it's mostly uninspired deathly metal/hardcore.

Converge - "Dead" (from Petitioning the Empty Sky, 1996)

4.5/5. This one has bright melody before jumping slowly into another breakdown spiraling into high-pitched guitar dissonance. Then it all crashes into mind-blowing chaos to end the song.

Deadguy - "Doom Patrol" (from Fixation on a Co-Worker, 1995)

5/5. It starts with a direct punch in the face as speedy riffs sear through riff harmonic dissonance. The intense vocals by Tim Singer (who shouts, not sings) is just what metallic hardcore really needs, working especially well in the slow breakdown.

Bleeding Through - "Buried" (from Love Will Kill All, 2018)

4.5/5. This one brings back the crushing heaviness from their first 3 albums.

Parkway Drive - "The Sound of Violence" (from Ire, 2015)

4/5. Here we have some violent fury that sounds exciting for the band to play live.

Rorschach - "Drawn and Quartered" (from Protestant, 1993)

5/5. Things get weirder here when the Slayer-ish thrash chaos ends up reaching a technical style before becoming a doomy elegy.

Unbroken - "In the Name of Progression" (from Life. Love. Regret, 1994)

4.5/5. This one is slightly more speedy and progressive, and it really hints at the metallic hardcore progression the band was shooting for. There's more madness to come...

After the Burial - "Deluge" (from Dig Deep, 2016)

4/5. A catchy riff opens this song that has a good mix of raw heaviness and clean melody. I wish I could've gotten into this band's music more.

Shadows Fall - "The First Noble Truth" (from Of One Blood, 2000)

4.5/5. This one has a lot you would expect in a melodic metalcore song.

Bad Omens - "Exit Wounds" (from Bad Omens, 2016)

4/5. Another great metalcore track, and I'm sure other fans of the style would agree.

Wage War - "Circle the Drain" (from Manic, 2021)

4.5/5. I love this one! It's amazing to hear even a ballad-like song sound so bad-a**.

Coalesce - "Harvest of Maturity" (from In Tongues We Speak, 1996)

4/5. This one has more relaxed maturity with midpaced riff variation to be explored along with more of the technical drumming. That's what I prefer!

My Enemies & I - "Carbon Copy" (from Sick World, 2015)

4.5/5. The clean and unclean vocals are in a solid balance beyond words that you can never get over. I am stoked to find Disturbed and Cancer Bats influences in the same song. It's quite amazing, especially in this hard breakdown bridge before the final chorus. Somehow this reminds me of a mix of Breaking Benjamin's "The Diary of Jane" and Bring Me the Horizon's "Shadow Moses". Keep it coming, guys!

Attila - "Jumanji" (from Rage, 2010)

4/5. The chorus is too punky and relaxing even though it's not supposed to be relaxing, but the breakdowns are straight-up f***ing brutal as sh*t ("SHUT THE F*** UP!!! THIS IS NOT THE TIME OR PLACE TO START THIS WAR!"). Secrets are no fun, but this song is fun and it's no secret. Jumanji is used as a metaphor here for drugs and strip clubs.

Convictions - "The Price of Grace" (from I Won't Survive, 2021)

4.5/5. I really appreciate all this song has to offer, from the band's work and the listeners' feedback. It relates to anyone who has lost a loved one. Even the brutal breakdown is quite a tear-jerker.

Everyone Dies in Utah - "Planetary" (from Supra, 2021)

4.5/5. Another relatable song for the dark times many of us have been through. The great emotion strikes me through the heart, and that's nice to hear.

The Number Twelve Looks Like You - "I'll Make My Own Hours" (from Worse Than Alone, 2009)

5/5. This is the perfect end of this band's last album in their initial run, in a depressing yet epic message, "Ten thousand times i could tell you over!" An awesome moment is the solo surrounding the 3-minute mark. It's so fantastic I could cry! But this playlist ain't over yet...

Like Moths to Flames - "Spiritual Eclipse" (from No Eternity in Gold, 2020)

5/5. Like Moths to Flames is an underrated with heavy songs and vocal anger. This band and Polaris are parts of the reason why metalcore is still alive and timeless in the 2020s. They can pull off a sonic headbanging closer to the album and this playlist, and it shows!

Pretty good playlist I've made, huh? Despite a few slight bumps throughout... Anyway, I sure would recommend this to any metalcore fan and anyone who isn't into metalcore but wants to get into a great start in enjoying the genre. Thanks Daniel for accepting this, and I hope the rest of you enjoy it like I've had!