August 2024 "Metalcore Revolution" Playlist - Metal Academy Radio
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/1yFgscg5HWKGoIy2s0xRfG
Tracklisting:
1. Memphis May Fire - "Without Walls" from Challenger (2012)
2. Trivium - "In Waves" from In Waves (2011)
3. Of Mice & Men - "Second & Sebring" from Of Mice & Men (2010)
4. The Ghost Inside - "Faith of Forgiveness" from Fury and the Fallen Ones (2008)
5. Unearth - "Invictus" from The Wretched; the Ruinous (2023) [submitted by Shadowdoom9 (Andi)]
6. Betraying the Martyrs - "The Covenant" from The Hurt the Divine the Light (2009) [submitted by Shadowdoom9 (Andi)]
7. Shadow of Intent - "The Migrant" from The Migrant (2023)
8. Shai Hulud - "Two and Twenty Misfortunes" from That Within Blood Ill-Tempered (2003) [submitted by Shadowdoom9 (Andi)]
9. Veil of Maya - "Punisher" from Eclipse (2012)
10. Varials - "The Cycle of Violence: Chapter 1" from Scars for You to Remember (2022)
11. Earth Crisis – "Stand By" (title swapped with "Ecocide" on Spotify) from All Out War E.P. (1992) [submitted by Daniel]
12. From Autumn to Ashes - "Every Reason To" from The Fiction We Live (2003) [submitted by Shadowdoom9 (Andi)]
13. Counterparts - "Compass" from The Difference Between Hell And Home (2013)
14. God Forbid - "The Lonely Dead" from IV: Constitution of Treason (2005) [submitted by Shadowdoom9 (Andi)]
15. Killswitch Engage - "My Last Serenade" from Alive or Just Breathing (2002)
16. All That Remains - "Let You Go" from Let You Go (2024)
17. Frontierer - "Gower St." from Unloved (2018)
18. The Number Twelve Looks Like You - "If They Holler, Don't Let Go" from Worse Than Alone (2009)
19. Iwrestledabearonce - "Eli Cash vs. the Godless Savages" from It's All Happening (2009)
20. Osiah - "Seeds of Despair" from Chronos (2023)
21. Signs of the Swarm - "Tower of Torsos" from Amongst the Low & Empty (2023)
22. Phinehas - "Communion for Ravens" from Dark Flag (2017) [submitted by Shadowdoom9 (Andi)]
23. Ankor - "Oblivion" from Oblivion (2023)
24. Novelists - "Souvenirs" from Souvenirs (2015)
25. Zao - "The Latter Rain" from Where Blood and Fire Bring Rest (1998)
26. The Devil Wears Prada - "Lord Xenu" from With Roots Above and Branches Below (2009) [submitted by Shadowdoom9 (Andi)]
27. Norma Jean - "Sun Dies, Blood Moon" from Wrongdoers (2013)
Here are my thoughts on all the selected tracks:
Memphis May Fire - "Without Walls" from Challenger (2012)
4.5/5. Now this is how to start a playlist, with a heavy intro by one of the idols of metalcore before a greater idol band of mine...
Trivium - "In Waves" from In Waves (2011)
5/5 (maybe even 6/5). I know this is the 3rd time this glorious song is in a Revolution playlist, but let's face it, this will remain my ultimate favorite metalcore song today! It starts off with an Ascendancy-like metalcore breakdown with Matt Heafy repeatedly screaming the name of the song, then it leads to a melodic Crusade-like chorus. There's also a complicated solo in the middle, but other than that, the riffs are simple yet catchy. That's what I like!
Of Mice & Men - "Second & Sebring" from Of Mice & Men (2010)
4.5/5. Of Mice & Men's self-titled 2010 debut is nothing more than a post-hardcore album with barely any of the metalcore/alt-metal in subsequent albums. In saying that, there are a couple tracks in the album that I enjoy and they qualify as metalcore. This one, written in memory of unclean vocalist Austin Carlile's mother who passed from a aneurysm induced by Marfan Syndrome, takes on the melodic metalcore of his previous band Attack Attack!, specifically that band's debut Someday Came Suddenly, albeit without the autotune and trance-y dance-y synths.
The Ghost Inside - "Faith of Forgiveness" from Fury and the Fallen Ones (2008)
4/5. A memorable highlight, still performed live to this day, including their comeback show over a decade later.
Unearth - "Invictus" from The Wretched; the Ruinous (2023)
4.5/5. Then we have the thrashy blaster. The strong breakdown isn't highly hardcore, but it has the brutal-melodic blend of Shogun-era Trivium.
Betraying the Martyrs - "The Covenant" from The Hurt the Divine the Light (2009)
5/5. When I was in my teens, power/symphonic metal were the genres I enjoyed. Betraying the Martyrs is one of the first bands I've discovered since my move to modern metal genres to have symphonic elements. The lyrics of this concept EP are based on Genesis from the Bible. The death growls are so killer here.
Shadow of Intent - "The Migrant" from The Migrant (2023)
4.5/5. F*** YES, Shadow of Intent are really channeling their inner Lorna Shore in this new single.
Shai Hulud - "Two and Twenty Misfortunes" from That Within Blood Ill-Tempered (2003)
4/5. This song is obviously not the symphonic deathcore of the previous two tracks, but it certainly has the layers of a hardcore/metalcore symphony.
Veil of Maya - "Punisher" from Eclipse (2012)
4.5/5. "All they have is just, baowdit baodidawaow ranudiuh ranuhdiduh." A young man mocks Periphery in a hate video towards that band, and then Veil of Maya mocks that guy in return with one of the most kick-A riffs in djent, reminding me a lot of After the Burial.
Varials - "The Cycle of Violence: Chapter 1" from Scars for You to Remember (2022)
5/5. Mitchell Rogers is a total beast of a vocalist! At least compared to Travis Tabron from that other Varials song a couple playlists back.
Earth Crisis – "Stand By" (title swapped with "Ecocide" on Spotify) from All Out War E.P. (1992)
3/5. This track is not really as spectacular as the first two of this Earth Crisis EP, but it's part of a decent start of the band's journey vastly improved by their mid-90s material.
From Autumn to Ashes - "Every Reason To" from The Fiction We Live (2003)
3.5/5. Most people have discovered this band in the mid-2000s, but for me, it was only over a couple years ago. Are they good at what they do? You bet it shows! Those were the good times that I'm a couple decades late for.
Counterparts - "Compass" from The Difference Between Hell And Home (2013)
4/5. This one stands out well in the music and lyrics. "I am a compass, constantly spinning, constantly searching for the end." The drumming and riffing sound progressive, and the midsection breakdown touches down hard. The outro after a small break from heaviness has some absolutely chilling lyrics, ending with Murphy yelling the album title, "You're the difference between Hell and Home!"
God Forbid - "The Lonely Dead" from IV: Constitution of Treason (2005)
4.5/5. This one begins with headbanging riffs for a minute followed by a catchy lead. The lyrics serve good metaphors for after the virus, with people mourning all of the dead victims. Byron Davis continues his screaming while the Coyle brothers sing cleanly in the chorus while doing some great guitar work. Pretty cool post-solo riff! And that catchy lead riff returns again at the 4 and a half minute mark. Satisfying! The pretty piano outro was played by the Coyle brothers' dad Kevin Coyle. Those brothers really got their music talents from their Dad, did they?
Killswitch Engage - "My Last Serenade" from Alive or Just Breathing (2002)
5/5. I can't believe it took me so long to become interested in this band until finally last year. I think during the pandemic and its tail-end, I became more in the mood to find some bands to cure my part of that global depression. Thanks to that great boost, I'm able to appreciate masterpiece highlights like this one much more!
All That Remains - "Let You Go" from Let You Go (2024)
4.5/5. Another powerful comeback single from All That Remains! A little more over the place than "Divine", but still superb.
Frontierer - "Gower St." from Unloved (2018)
4/5. You don't have to go all-out death metal/core for brutality. Mathcore is its chaotic future! Though the drums are a bit compressed.
The Number Twelve Looks Like You - "If They Holler, Don't Let Go" from Worse Than Alone (2009)
4.5/5. #12 has made some of the most talented mathcore around, and this is one of my favorite tracks from their 2009 album. Glad they're active again after their temporary split between this album's release and their reformation 8 years ago. This song shall grab your attention from start to finish. Guitarist Jamie McIlroy left the band between the Here at the End of All Things concert and this album's recording, so the band became a 5-piece. The ridiculous diversity of their earlier material is front and center, almost competing with Between the Buried and Me. The only difference is, BTBAM dropped the metalcore part of their sound entirely after that, while #12 kept theirs while having some of that other band's progressiveness. Don't let go of this band!
Iwrestledabearonce - "Eli Cash vs. the Godless Savages" from It's All Happening (2009)
4/5. Iwrestledabearonce is another mathcore band gone too soon, this time with no chance of reforming. Later members vocalist Courtney LaPlante and guitarist Mike Stringer went on to form Spiritbox. Still there's a lot to love about the chaotic metalcore subgenre that is mathcore.
Osiah - "Seeds of Despair" from Chronos (2023)
3.5/5. If you thought Gojira could make "The Heaviest Matter of the Universe", this deathcore band can slam you to the ground like a gravitational sledgehammer. This track is one of the heaviest, most monstrous tracks I've heard in deathcore. In saying that, it can't beat the epic greatness of the earlier symphonic deathcore section. Still you don't wanna miss this d*mn heavy ending breakdown at the 4-minute mark that can shatter the world in half.
Signs of the Swarm - "Tower of Torsos" from Amongst the Low & Empty (2023)
3/5. Killer drumming in this decent deathcore track that I don't love too much but still can give it a thumbs-up.
Phinehas - "Communion for Ravens" from Dark Flag (2017)
3.5/5. We're back into the melodic side with a short soft intro leading into more headbanging heaviness. The lyrics are a bit confusing which brings the score down a bit.
Ankor - "Oblivion" from Oblivion (2023)
4/5. I'm so impressed by the vocal stylings of Jessie Williams, ranging between poppy singing, Beyond the Black-ish mezzo-soprano, and harsh growls. Even when it all sounds so serene, the guitars and drums can still be heavy. I need to thank my brother for discovering this band first.
Novelists - "Souvenirs" from Souvenirs (2015)
4.5/5. No journey is ever complete without... souvenirs! Novelists has a lot of them in metalcore, whether they're clean melody or djenty technicality. The latter is presented well in f***ing great riffing at the two-minute point. It's stories like this that can help inspire your own stories and universe, specifically your characters' deep heavy problems such as abuse or death. So insanely phenomenal! The vocals are so intense and have brilliant synergy with the lyrics. If I ever start my own band, I'll make sure to nail that heavy/melodic blend as much as I can. There's just a lot to enjoy and headbang to. And they say only Too Close to Touch has that kind of emotion...
Zao - "The Latter Rain" from Where Blood and Fire Bring Rest (1998)
5/5. This one's a greater step, another 6-and-a-half-minute epic! Though it's not the end yet...
The Devil Wears Prada - "Lord Xenu" from With Roots Above and Branches Below (2009)
5/5. This one would've closed the playlist in epic heaviness, but there's still one more epic left....
Norma Jean - "Sun Dies, Blood Moon" from Wrongdoers (2013)
4.5/5. That over 15-minute epic from Norma Jean's debut with The Chariot vocalist Josh Scogin may be their most ambitious achievement, but this one comes close. Beautiful music and poetic lyrics shape this track up to an almost perfect masterpiece. The most climatic part actually comes 6 minutes in that then pummels into a brutal collapse. And just when you think it's over, we have the final 6 minutes of sludgy doom. "Make my way through my designer home....."
Pretty good playlist I've made, huh? Despite a couple 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!