March 2024 "The Revolution" Playlist - Metal Academy Radio

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

Tracklisting:

1. Before I Turn - "Beginning My Descent to Hell" from The Devil Exists (2024)

2. Sonic Syndicate - "Aftermath" from Only Inhuman (2007) [submitted by Shadowdoom9 (Andi)]

3. As Blood Runs Black - "In Dying Days" from Allegiance (2006)

4. War of Ages - "The Awakening" from Fire From the Tomb (2007) [submitted by Shadowdoom9 (Andi)]

5. In This Moment - "This Moment" from Beautiful Tragedy (2007)

6. The Amity Affliction - "Pittsburgh" from Let the Ocean Take Me (2014)

7. Malevolence - "Higher Place" from Malicious Intent (2022)

8. VENUES - "Unspoken Words" from Unspoken Words (2024)

9. Thrown - "Backfire" from Backfire (2024)

10. Acres, Silent Planet - "Nothing." from Burning Throne (2023)

11. One Morning Left - "Emerald Dragon" from Emerald Dragon (2024)

12. Miss May I - "Gone" from Rise of the Lion (2014) [submitted by Shadowdoom9 (Andi)]

13. Unearth - "Zombie Autopilot" from The Oncoming Storm (2004) [submitted by Shadowdoom9 (Andi)]

14. Drown in Sulphur - "Eclipse of the Sun of Eden" from Dark Secrets of the Soul (2024)

15. Osiah - "Street Justice" from Terror Firma (2016)

16. Monasteries - "Dreadwaste" from The Empty Black (2015)

17. Humanity's Last Breath - "Human Swarm" from Humanity's Last Breath (2013)

18. Deadguy - "Nine Stitches" from Fixation on a Co-Worker (1995) [submitted by Shadowdoom9 (Andi)]

19. Circuit Circuit - "I Dream the World Awake" from Body Songs (2023)

20. Great Falls - "Born As An Argument" from Objects Without Pain (2023) [submitted by Daniel]

21. Car Bomb - "The Sentinel" from w^w^^w^w (2012)

22. Zao - "Xenophobe" from The Well-Intentioned Virus (2016) [submitted by Shadowdoom9 (Andi)]

23. Invent Animate - "Indigo" from Stillworld (2016)

24. HEAVENSGATE - "GINSICK" from AND ALL I LOVED, I LOVED ALONE (2023)

25. Feed the Addiction - "Thorn" from Rebirth (2023)

26. Sail's End - "Wishful Thinking" from Live and Die (2023)

27. Architects - "Doomsday" from Holy Hell (2018)

28. Trivium - "The Phalanx" from In the Court of the Dragon (2021)

29. For the Fallen Dreams - "Through the Looking Glass" from Changes (2008) [submitted by Shadowdoom9 (Andi)]

Here are my thoughts on all the selected tracks:

Before I Turn - "Beginning My Descent to Hell" from The Devil Exists (2024)

4.5/5. Continuing from last month's playlist, the Hellfire spreads all over the land and everyone and everything falls. This track almost reminds me of Mechina's "Tyrannos" in the symphonic-ish metalcore instrumentation.

Sonic Syndicate - "Aftermath" from Only Inhuman (2007)

5/5. Then we head into the aftermath. I love this song, and I can't believe I wasn't fully interested in this band until just a few months ago.

As Blood Runs Black - "In Dying Days" from Allegiance (2006)

5/5. Some more melodic awesomeness, this time diving into a bit of deathcore and giving me a reason to enjoy that subgenre. "BRING THE MOTHERF***IN' RUCKUS!"

War of Ages - "The Awakening" from Fire From the Tomb (2007)

5/5. This is the only song from this album that is a new song instead of re-recorded from the band's 2005 self-titled debut, and it was re-recorded for their next album Arise and Conquer. Do I enjoy this song? H*ll yes!

In This Moment - "This Moment" from Beautiful Tragedy (2007)

4.5/5. This one can greatly work as this band's theme song, as least in this early era. It summarizes harsh vocals harmonizing the cleans and blending Swedish melodeath with metalcore breakdowns in this upbeat tune.

The Amity Affliction - "Pittsburgh" from Let the Ocean Take Me (2014)

5/5. I'm really thankful about finding this band via music videos for this song and "The Weigh Down". I really am!

Malevolence - "Higher Place" from Malicious Intent (2022)

4.5/5. That's right, a f***ing metalcore ballad! And one you can definitely sway your phone light to back and forth.

VENUES - "Unspoken Words" from Unspoken Words (2024)

4/5. Unspoken words are what you need to build up strength against toxic situations and become more mentally healthy. This is quite a catchy emotional banger, and almost like Lacuna Coil would sound like if they've expanded their metalcore influences.

Thrown - "Backfire" from Backfire (2024)

3.5/5. If Thrown decide to make their own album, it would just be like 8 songs in 12 minutes. And this one's breakdown at the end goes down HARD.

Acres, Silent Planet - "Nothing." from Burning Throne (2023)

4/5. A great song featuring Garrett Russell of Silent Planet. His screams are addictive and never a disappointment. They really add heaviness to the beautiful colors. I almost feel like crying. The heaviness in the song builds up, leading up to that killer breakdown. The drums, guitars, and bass stand together in unison to guide the vocals. A d*mn powerful song with different aspects of Bad Omens, Royal Blood, and Devin Townsend all in one.

One Morning Left - "Emerald Dragon" from Emerald Dragon (2024)

4.5/5. This band and Blessed by a Broken Heart know how to blend metalcore with 80s synths and a bit of the power metal of DragonForce. Jake Luhrs of August Burns Red conquers this fun banger with his screamed vocals. Their glam-ish aspects stand out quite a bit. You never really hear them in metalcore frequently.

Miss May I - "Gone" from Rise of the Lion (2014)

5/5. One of the best songs I've heard from this band! The screaming and singing make a perfect contrast with each other.

Unearth - "Zombie Autopilot" from The Oncoming Storm (2004)

5/5. This one totally rules! The extreme action starts with an awesome melodic riff and dueling leads. The band really shines there, giving them the fame they deserve! As if the song title doesn't tribute to In Flames enough, the song soars with an amazing soaring duel solo that the band was missing out in their debut. However, if there are a couple very small flaws to point out, they would be the spoken section ("all days are lost") and the overused breakdowns breaking part of the melodic flow. Remove those small flaws and that's an awesome extreme metalcore song!

Drown in Sulphur - "Eclipse of the Sun of Eden" from Dark Secrets of the Soul (2024)

4.5/5. A crushing modern blackened riff commences in this track with spectacular growling vocals.

Osiah - "Street Justice" from Terror Firma (2016)

4/5. When it comes to brutal deathcore, there's bound to be a face-melting blast break like that at the one and a half minute mark, followed then by an explosive breakdown less than 30 seconds later.

Monasteries - "Dreadwaste" from The Empty Black (2015)

4/5. Early Lamb of God gone f***ing brutal deathcore. Enough said!

Humanity's Last Breath - "Human Swarm" from Humanity's Last Breath (2013)

4.5/5. You can't go wrong with brutality in deathcore, that's what most of the subgenre is made of. They know how to bust sh*t hard. After a spoken line of "We stop the wind from blowing", then comes a f***ing massive breakdown near the 3-minute mark. A nice surprise for the more extreme 'core listeners. Practically heavier than all that's heavy! Quite hard and evil for the moshpit.

Deadguy - "Nine Stitches" from Fixation on a Co-Worker (1995)

5/5. This early mathcore highlight has the kind of bridge you wish to have in music class, with as many time changes as The Dillinger Escape Plan can have, enough to induce f***ing confused headbanging.

Circuit Circuit - "I Dream the World Awake" from Body Songs (2023)

4.5/5. This one opens with a guitar riff loop before vocals crash in. Then the guitar halts for a bit of drum tapping before exploding into total riff noise. The riffing basically mashes together the early 2000s eras of Converge and Linkin Park.

Great Falls - "Born As An Argument" from Objects Without Pain (2023)

4/5. This song is from a sludge metal band and album. I've given it some listening, and I agree with Daniel that it has the sludgy mathcore sound of 2000s Converge and Gaza. And it sound quite killer.

Car Bomb - "The Sentinel" from w^w^^w^w (2012)

4.5/5. This one shows the drumming action pummeling over complex riffing and bass strokes.

Zao - "Xenophobe" from The Well-Intentioned Virus (2016)

5/5. The vocals by Dan Weyandt are quite haunting. I'm glad this band is still alive along with fellow metalcore forerunners Converge. And they still have the glory from their earlier albums like Where Blood and Fire Bring Rest.

Invent Animate - "Indigo" from Stillworld (2016)

4.5/5. Ex-vocalist Ben English has the heart of a f***ing wolf. A metalcore wolf!

HEAVENSGATE - "GINSICK" from AND ALL I LOVED, I LOVED ALONE (2023)

4/5. I'm proud of how well the band can put some f***ing massive great sh*t. Over a minute in is when they get more emotional while staying brutal.

Feed the Addiction - "Thorn" from Rebirth (2023)

3.5/5. The metalcore sound of Volumes can go quite big in this song. You can pretty much travel through space with this ambient deathly metalcore sound. It's almost a solid sequel to that Before I Turn song at the start of this playlist. The f***ing heavy breakdown is worth jamming to as all the members break through with their instruments.

Sail's End - "Wishful Thinking" from Live and Die (2023)

4/5. Another song with Before I Turn vibes! The cleans and screams are amazing, fitting well with the production. And that breakdown at the last minute is f***ing monstrous.

Architects - "Doomsday" from Holy Hell (2018)

4.5/5. A smooth cool example of Architects sound after the passing of guitarist Tom Searle (RIP). Soft verses make a brilliant contrast with the soaring chorus.

Trivium - "The Phalanx" from In the Court of the Dragon (2021)

5/5. The triumphant closer of Trivium's latest album starts with grand intro riffing before a mid-tempo verse that starts building up speed when Heafy starts his usual screaming. Strings return to prominence again in the pre-chorus before the chorus of heroic glory. This epic pretty much summarizes everything they've had in the album, with sublime soloing by Corey Beaulieu. Drummer Alex Bent really keeps his pace with the riffs and elevating them. The song's lyrical theme of fighting demons fit the song's music video like a glove, and that video is a collaboration with Bethesda Game Studios based on the Elder Scrolls Online. And to cap it all off beautifully is an ultra-epic two-minute outro as Matt's vocals lead the band and the one-man orchestra to victory, until next time...

For the Fallen Dreams - "Through the Looking Glass" from Changes (2008)

5/5. Actually, there's still the last bit of the metalcore war in this awesome 6-minute epic. The one-minute intro is beautiful, but not as much as the final two minutes of epic glory, concluding the song and the album with synthesized strings that fade into a solitary snare drum, as the war ends and the surviving soldiers march home...

Pretty good playlist I've made, huh? Despite some bumpiness in a couple places. Anyway, I recommend this to any metalcore fan and anyone who isn't into metalcore but is up to getting into a great start for the genre. Thanks Daniel for accepting this and your help with your submission, and I hope the rest of you enjoy it like I've had!