May 2024 "The Revolution" Playlist - Metal Academy Radio

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

Tracklisting:

1. Like Moths to Flames - "All That You Lost" from Where the Light Refuses to Go (2019) [submitted by Shadowdoom9 (Andi)]

2. Bullet for My Valentine - "Your Betrayal" from Fever (2010) [submitted by Shadowdoom9 (Andi)]

3. Any Given Day - "Get That Done" from Limitless (2024)

4. Killswitch Engage - "In Due Time" from Disarm the Descent (2013)

5. Thrown - "On the Verge" from On the Verge (2023)

6. If I Were You - "Hate Me" from Radiant Dark (2020)

7. Fit for a King - "Backbreaker" from Dark Skies (2018) [submitted by Shadowdoom9 (Andi)]

8. In Hearts Wake - "Frequency" from Ark (2017) [submitted by Shadowdoom9 (Andi)]

9. Crown the Empire - "Johnny Ringo" from Limitless (2011)

10. Space of Variations - "Tribe" from Tribe (2024)

11. Threat Signal - "Trust in None" from Threat Signal (2011) [submitted by Shadowdoom9 (Andi)]

12. Dragoncorpse - "A Quest for Truth" from A Quest for Truth (2024)

13. Within Destruction - "Toxic" from Lotus (2022)

14. Embodyment - "Blinded" from Embrace the Eternal (1998)

15. As Blood Runs Black - "Angel City Gamble" from Instinct (2011)

16. Amaranthe - "Re-Vision" from The Catalyst (2024)

17. Currents - "The Death We Seek" from The Death We Seek (2023)

18. Half Me - "Wraith" from Soma (2023)

19. Volumes - "Vahle" from No Sleep (2014)

20. Rolo Tomassi - "Fofteen" from Hysterics (2008)

21. Car Bomb - "Pieces of You" from Centralia (2007)

22. Protest the Hero - "Limb from Limb" from Fortress (2008) [submitted by Shadowdoom9 (Andi)]

23. Iwrestledabearonce - "Pazuzu for the Win" from It's All Happening (2009)

24. The Number Twelve Looks Like You - "The Weekly Wars" from Mongrel (2007)

25. PSYCHO-FRAME - "The Plot To Nuke The Midwest" from Automatic Death Protocol E.P. (2023) [submitted by Daniel]

26. Whitechapel - "This Is Exile" from This Is Exile (2008) [submitted by Shadowdoom9 (Andi)]

27. The Acacia Strain - "House of Abandon" from Death is the Only Mortal (2012)

28. VEXED - "It's Not the End" from Negative Energy (2023)

29. Zao - "The Web" from The Crimson Corridor (2021)

Here are my thoughts on all selected tracks:

Like Moths to Flames - "All That You Lost" from Where the Light Refuses to Go (2019)

4.5/5. First track of this playlist and we're already get some vicious low growls and high screams. The balance of soft ambience and heavy aggression is cranked up and ready for action. For the most hardcore fans of metalcore, it's showtime!

Bullet for My Valentine - "Your Betrayal" from Fever (2010)

5/5. is simple yet killer! It starts with a military marching drum intro for soldiers to prepare for war with a mood similar to a song from The Poison. The simple elements continue on including drop-C tuned guitars, screams and whispers. After the second chorus, the middle section is different from your typical BFMV song. No guitar solo, just siren-like wailing vocals over heavy guitar. It does show some maturity, but it would've been better if the guitar solo does the siren-like wailing. Still perfect all the same!

Any Given Day - "Get That Done" from Limitless (2024)

4.5/5. An excellent song that oughta level up some mornings for me and my brother who likes this band. It definitely has some similarity to the likes of Killswitch Engage! And speak of the devil....

Killswitch Engage - "In Due Time" from Disarm the Descent (2013)

5/5. The main riff in this song is pure heavy metalcore bliss. Awesome music, awesome lyrics ("Shadows will give way to light")!

Thrown - "On the Verge" from On the Verge (2023)

4.5/5. Nicely brutal! Don't let the occasional trap-like beat throw you off though.

If I Were You - "Hate Me" from Radiant Dark (2020)

4/5. Also nicely brutal! You can hear a lot of heaviness from the DOOM-line intro riff to the screams of Ryan Kirby from Fit for a King.

Fit for a King - "Backbreaker" from Dark Skies (2018)

4.5/5. And here's a killer song from that band, Fit for a King! I'm so thankful for being able to discover bands like this.

In Hearts Wake - "Frequency" from Ark (2017)

5/5. This perfect song can still be f***ing powerful even after the brutality of the previous 3 tracks in this playlist are toned down, particularly in the chorus riffing. Apparently, it's about the lonely 52-hertz whale.

Crown the Empire - "Johnny Ringo" from Limitless (2011)

4.5/5. The story of Johnny Ringo is detailed in this EP and the first two Crown the Empire albums, with its main focus in the "Johnny" tracks. This is powerful theatrical metalcore in a similar vein to Ice Nine Kills. "Don't ever trust the devil, b***h!"

Space of Variations - "Tribe" from Tribe (2024)

4/5. Get spaced out with another killer track to enjoy!

Threat Signal - "Trust in None" from Threat Signal (2011)

4.5/5. An underrated song from a great band that needs more attention. The modern melodic metalcore sound is real and cool as f***. I should really get back to listening to this band someday.

Dragoncorpse - "A Quest for Truth" from A Quest for Truth (2024)

4/5. Dragoncorpse is the answer to the question "What if you can easily blend deathcore with power metal?" This song ended up having one of the most comedic music videos ever in all of metal. And I love the keyboard solo here. I guess you can consider this a more metalcore Into Eternity. A great track with some weird stellar sh*t! The secret to originality in power metal is to mix it with a different metal genre. And we reach a beautiful climax at the 4-minute point.

Within Destruction - "Toxic" from Lotus (2022)

4.5/5. Within Destruction started off as deathcore, then they switched to modern metalcore. And holy sh*t, there's some impressive fire here, especially in the drumming.

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

5/5. If you combine the metalcore of Converge at that time with the Christian death metal of Mortification, this killer highlight would be it.

As Blood Runs Black - "Angel City Gamble" from Instinct (2011)

4.5/5. This band is willing to "RISK. IT. ALL!!!!!" to combine melodic death metal with deathcore, and it paid off with a wicked heavy sound that shall never die. Absolutely phenomenal! The riffing melody shines at the start of the last 3rd of the track before a face-punching ending breakdown with a f***ing killer scream of "DO NOT FEAR THE FAILURES!" Another deathcore band that can blend melody and brutality in the riffing like that is All Shall Perish. That band and this one is proof that deathcore can still be metal despite what pure metalheads believe. "WILL YOU PURSUE?!"

Amaranthe - "Re-Vision" from The Catalyst (2024)

5/5. This driving highlight breaks through hard with vocoder and the harmony of the vocal trio. A perfect standout!

Currents - "The Death We Seek" from The Death We Seek (2023)

4.5/5. Sick modern metalcore, but there are other bands for me...

Half Me - "Wraith" from Soma (2023)

4/5. And there's more of that sick modern metalcore where that came from! The vocals, riffing, and breakdown all go f***ing hard.

Volumes - "Vahle" from No Sleep (2014)

4.5/5. This powerful underrated song has emotional lyrics in memory of someone the band knew who's last name was Vahle. "Why'd you have to go, why'd you have to go? I've been waiting... Staring at the floor, staring at the phone."

Rolo Tomassi - "Fofteen" from Hysterics (2008)

5/5. This legendary female-fronted mathcore band started off with a more brutal sound before the more serene cleanly-sung later albums. Fantastic!

Car Bomb - "Pieces of You" from Centralia (2007)

4.5/5. Urgently, the drums roll into an opening explosion of the discordant chaos that make up Car Bomb. Seriously, it's TDEP's Irony is a Dead Scene on steroids! This is dark extreme mathcore that marks a killer break from the black metal/grindcore that extreme metal is often associated with.

Protest the Hero - "Limb from Limb" from Fortress (2008)

5/5. Another favorite here! Rody Walker's awesome vocal range varies rapidly, perfectly playing together with the guitar work without overshadowing it. The lower death growls are a bit unnecessary but fit well for the experimentation in the music. The common tapping is still there, but then we find something unique, groovy keyboard soloing by Vadim Pruzhanov from DragonForce. Wicked but I wanna hear from that band's guitarists too.

Iwrestledabearonce - "Pazuzu for the Win" from It's All Happening (2009)

5/5. Another female-fronted mathcore band with a perfect blend of brutality and melody. IWABO FTW!

The Number Twelve Looks Like You - "The Weekly Wars" from Mongrel (2007)

4.5/5. There are so many underrated mathcore bands, and #12 is one of them! Mongrel picks up where the band's wicked mathcore sound in Nuclear Sad Nuclear left off but with more melody, later perfected in Worse Than Alone. What I love is the building ascent and top-notch lyrics. The sound is a more mathcore take on the progressiveness of BTBAM and Cynic, and that's something to remember.

PSYCHO-FRAME - "The Plot To Nuke The Midwest" from Automatic Death Protocol E.P. (2023)

4/5. Now here's some wild brutal deathcore suitable for the moshpit. That f***ing snare though!

Whitechapel - "This Is Exile" from This Is Exile (2008)

4.5/5. This track uses kind of an oriental harmonic guitar scale, especially in the breakdown when one guitar plays the melody, while the other two play the ravaging rhythm.

The Acacia Strain - "House of Abandon" from Death is the Only Mortal (2012)

5/5. The Acacia Strain have already bringing deathcore down to its deathcore variant earlier than other bands. This is also one of the best ways to end a deathcore album. "LIFE IS THE SLOWEST DAY TO DIE!!!!"

VEXED - "It's Not the End" from Negative Energy (2023)

4.5/5. That's right, it's not the end of the playlist yet. This heavy yet beautiful track pays tribute to anyone who has lost their loved ones. Within heartbreak and sorrow, there's hope and strength in all of us. Even when losing a lot that you hold dear, you should never give up. Let out your emotion from the heart so you don't keep it all bottled up. We may not live forever, but the memories of who we lost shall stay eternal. Make sure you have a nice life with your family while any of you are still around. On top of that, we shouldn't put down metalcore while it's still evolving and more female-fronted bands are rolling in like Vexed and Spiritbox. The deepest tears can be shed as you reminisce in grief, but you can always help yourself overcome these tough times. And don't forget, Megan Targett can really master both heavenly cleans and hellish growls.

Zao - "The Web" from The Crimson Corridor (2021)

5/5. Now this is how the playlist should end, with a 10-minute epic filled with the post-/progressive metal aspects of Cult of Luna. Not as f***ing long as The Acacia Strain's "Observer", but quite a journey within a journey.

Pretty good playlist I've made, huh? Despite some slight drops in quality throughout. 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!