April 2021 "The Revolution" Playlist - Metal Academy Radio
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0PHvSGSE7y58q5LNhsCmJD?si=zfGAmB_nTAy06FktJyRxUw
Tracklisting:
01. Gulch – “Bolt Swallower” (from “Gulch/Sunami” split E.P., 2021)
02. Fit For A King – “Louder Voice” (from “The Path”, 2020)
03. Within The Ruins – “Ataxia II” (from “Elite”, 2013) [Submitted by shadowdoom9]
04. Juan Bond – “Morbid Mortgage” (from “Womb”, 2021)
05. Enter Shikari – “Sorry, You’re Not A Winner” (from “Take To the Skies”, 2007)
06. Amaranthe – “Maximize” (from “Maximalism”, 2016)
07. Underøath – “Emergency Broadcast / The End Is Near” (from “Lost In The Sound Of Separation”, 2008) [Submitted by shadowdoom9]
08. Bring Me The Horizon – “It Never Ends” (from “There Is a Hell, Believe Me I've Seen It. There Is a Heaven, Let's Keep It a Secret”, 2010)
09. Norma Jean – “A Media Friendly Turn For The Worse” (from “Meridional”, 2010)
10. Bullet For My Valentine – “Your Betrayal” (from “Fever”, 2010)
11. Trivium – “In Waves” (from “In Waves”, 2011) [Submitted by Sonny92]
12. Starkweather – “Murder In Technicolor” (from “Crossbearer”, 1992)
13. Candiria – “Faction” (from “Beyond Reasonable Doubt”, 1997)
14. Demon Hunter – “Not Ready To Die” (from “Summer Of Darkness”, 2004) [Submitted by shadowdoom9]
15. Fuck The Facts – “An Ending” (from “Pleine noirceur”, 2020)
16. Rorschach – “Pavlov’s Dogs” (from “Remain Sedate”, 1990)
17. Born Of Osiris – “Empires Erased” (from “The New Reign”, 2007) [Submitted by shadowdoom9]
18. Parkway Drive – “Sleepwalker” (from “Deep Blue”, 2010)
19. Converge – “The High Cost Of Playing God” (from “When Forever Comes Crashing”, 1998) [Submitted by Daniel]
20. Hazing Over – “Ungodly” (from “Pestilence” E.P., 2021)
21. Bury Your Dead – “House Of Straw” (from “Beauty & The Breakdown”, 2006) [Submitted by MacabreEternal]
22. God Forbid – “Article I: The Twilight of Civilization, Section I: The End of the World” (from “IV: Constitution of Treason”, 2005) [Submitted by shadowdoom9]
23. Killswitch Engage – “Temple From The Within” (from “Killswitch Engage”, 2000)
24. Hatebreed – “Let Them All Rot” (from “Weight Of The False Self”, 2020)
25. Chamber – “Cost Of Sacrifice” (from “Cost Of Sacrifice”, 2020)
26. Alpha Wolf – “Rot In Pieces” (from “A Quiet Place To Die”, 2020)
27. Venom Prison – “Usurper Of the Throne” (from “Primeval”, 2020)
28. Humanity’s Last Breath – “Descent” (from “Välde”, 2021)
29. Despised Icon – “Compelled To Copulate” (from “Consumed By Your Poison”, 2002)
30. Ann Pest – “Swordmaiden” (from “Dark Arms Reach Skyward With Bone White Fingers”, 2021) [Submitted by Xephyr]
My thoughts on some tracks (including my suggested ones):
Within The Ruins – “Ataxia II” (from “Elite”, 2013)
5/5. While this isn't the first song of the playlist, it's a good intro for the selected amount of songs I'm commenting. Within the Ruins are known for their Ataxia instrumentals that they've had in every album except Creature, and this part continues that killer streak. An incredible technical death/metalcore instrumental attack!
Amaranthe – “Maximize” (from “Maximalism”, 2016)
4.5/5. This is one of the better highlights of the album Maximalism, a fantastic synth-rocker with some of the best vocals from Elize Ryd while varying with the other two vocalists. I'm glad that this song was chosen instead of one of the weak poppy songs later on in the album.
Underøath – “Emergency Broadcast / The End Is Near” (from “Lost In The Sound Of Separation”, 2008)
5.5/5. (not exaggerating) This is a heavy song, one of the heaviest songs in the metalcore scene! The bassline at the one-minute mark builds up until unleashing the chaos. This is probably the most epic song of Lost in the Sound of Separation, especially that 45-second moment with shiver-inducing guitar, one minute after that bassline. The singing by drummer Aaron Gillespie helps level up the song, though that album without him after this one is great too. F***ing amazing! And my true like for Underoath all started because TheOdd1sOut used another song from Lost in the Sound of Separation in one of his videos. The Cult of Luna influence that they had in Define the Great Line can definitely be found in this sick song. Well done, guys!
Bullet For My Valentine – “Your Betrayal” (from “Fever”, 2010)
4.5/5. 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.
Trivium – “In Waves” (from “In Waves”, 2011)
6/5 (not exaggerating). Sonny suggested this one as his submission for this month's playlist, and even though I already submitted that one as part of the first ever Revolution playlist, I won't argue here. It's my favorite song from this album and possibly of metalcore in general. 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! During my original epic power metal taste a few years ago, I found the music video for the song "In Waves" on TV, then about a year later, the friend I told you about in my first forum thread introduced me to a heavier modern side of metal starting with this band. For that, I owe him big-time!
Demon Hunter – “Not Ready To Die” (from “Summer Of Darkness”, 2004)
4.5/5. Exploding right into the metalcore action of Summer of Darkness after their self-titled nu metal debut, Ryan Clark does his screaming/growling in the verses before moving to the melodic chanting chorus. The song has dark lyrics about what life is like before the end and the music has almost everything the band has in one song. "If only 33 years can save my life, I have 23 more to make things right..." Was Ryan 10 years old when he wrote those anti-optimistic lyrics?!
Born Of Osiris – “Empires Erased” (from “The New Reign”, 2007)
4/5. A good song to listen to, not the best but still good for anyone starting their technical deathcore interest anew. It has a catchy main riff, along with harmonized guitar and speedy bass. The groovier parts are the best, but what really hits the spot is the epic video game-like keyboarding.
Parkway Drive – “Sleepwalker” (from “Deep Blue”, 2010)
4/5. This single is nothing like most of the other songs I've commented above, or songs from the previous album Horizons like "Boneyards", but it still has a great amount of excellent riffing and amazing ending soloing.
Converge – “The High Cost Of Playing God” (from “When Forever Comes Crashing”, 1998)
4.5/5. You'll find a huge heap of berserk metalcore until it ends with strange melodic chords with vocalist Jacob Bannon's whining cries. It's not my favorite song of the album, but it's still a prime example of 90s metalcore.
God Forbid – “Article I: The Twilight of Civilization, Section I: The End of the World” (from “IV: Constitution of Treason”, 2005)
5/5. We've come to the end of my commenting section with "The End of the World" that happens to be the epic beginning of a metalcore concept album. The song begins with an epic acoustic rising to electric intro as a sign of everyone first hearing of a deadly virus that's spreading all over the world. As the actual heaviness begins, everyone outside panics and begins running to their respective homes, unaware that the virus has caught up with most of them. Yeah, I was a little scared of the virus when it started hitting my country and we were gonna be put in lockdown. Check out my review for this album for the scenario I made: https://metal.academy/reviews/5715/6250