November 2021 "The Revolution" Playlist - Metal Academy Radio
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/1yFgscg5HWKGoIy2s0xRfG?si=6a8efa2ae5f04d34
Tracklisting:
01. All That Remains - "This Calling" (from "The Fall of Ideals", 2006) [Submitted by shadowdoom9 (Andi)]
02. Bullet for My Valentine - "Scream Aim Fire" (from "Scream Aim Fire", 2008) [Submitted by shadowdoom9 (Andi)]
03. Unearth - "Watch It Burn" (from "Darkness in the Light", 2011) [Submitted by shadowdoom9 (Andi)]
04. Trivium - "In the Court of the Dragon" (from "In the Court of the Dragon", 2021)
05. Attack Attack! - "Press F" (from "Press F", 2021)
06. Invent Animate - "The Sun Sleeps" (from "The Sun Sleeps", 2021)
07. Lucrecia - "Sleeping Slaves of Fate" (from "Sleeping Slaves of Fate", 2021)
08. Iwrestledabearonce - "You Know That Aint Them Dogs' Real Voice" (from "Ruining It for Everybody", 2011)
09. Void of Vision - "THE LONELY PEOPLE" (from "THE LONELY PEOPLE", 2021)
10. Aviana - "Rage" (from "Rage", 2021)
11. Wage War - "High Horse" (from "Manic", 2021)
12. August Burns Red - "Coordinates" (from "Phantom Anthem", 2017) [Submitted by shadowdoom9 (Andi)]
13. Skycamefalling - "10.21" (from "10.21", 2000) [Submitted by Daniel]
14. We Came as Romans - "Darkbloom" (from "Darkbloom", 2021)
15. Structures - "Extinction" (from "Life Through a Window", 2014)
16. Sleep Waker - "Serenity" (from "Alias", 2021)
17. Spirit Breaker - "The Mountain Between Us" (from "Cura Nata", 2021)
18. Caliban - "Army of Me" (from "The Undying Darkness", 2006)
19. Betraying the Martyrs - "Tapestry of Me" (from "Breathe in Life", 2011) [Submitted by shadowdoom9 (Andi)]
20. Make Them Suffer - "Drown With Me" (from "How to Survive a Funeral", 2020)
21. Shadow of Intent - "The Indexing" (from "Primordial", 2016)
22. Psyopus - "The Burning Halo" (from "Odd Senses", 2009)
23. Defocus - "Disease" (from "Disease", 2021)
24. Bound in Fear - "Saint of Sorrow" (from "The Hand of Violence", 2019)
25. Brand of Sacrifice - "The Branded" (from "God Hand", 2019)
26. Darko US - "(Devine Void)" (from "Pt. 1 Dethmask", 2020)
27. Car Bomb - "Dissect Yourself" (from "Mordial", 2019)
28. The Dillinger Escape Plan - "Sandbox Magician" (from "Under the Running Board", 1998) [Submitted by shadowdoom9 (Andi)]
29. Converge - "Thaw" (from "Jane Doe", 2001) [Submitted by shadowdoom9 (Andi)]
30. Crossfaith - "Astral Heaven" (from "Xeno", 2015)
Story behind playlist order (so you know what to expect when going through the playlist):
The playlist order will help you visualize yourself as a warrior in a post-apocalyptic Earth on a mission to defeat the demonic forces of the underground. The more intense, brutal, and complex the music, the deeper down the underground you go and the stronger and more powerful the monsters are. You start your mission by fighting the monsters on the Earth's surface (the first 4 melodic metalcore tracks). After that you start heading down the caverns from whence they came and slaying more monsters along the way. The metalcore tracks 5-18 (including one mathcore track, one more melodic metalcore track, and a 9-minute soft intermission for a break from the action) signify the normal cavern layer where the monsters are more powerful than on the surface. Then when deathcore tracks arrive from track 19 onward, while the mostly clean yet still intense metalcore and mathcore remains up to track 22, you're in the more dangerous lava cavern layer, where there's lava all around and the monsters are even more powerful. The 4 "explicit" tracks in a row, tracks 23-26 (one metalcore, three deathcore) are for your battle with the first incarnation with the mighty powerful boss in the lava-covered pit at the earth's core. When you defeat the first incarnation, the boss would revive itself as a second incarnation beyond more powerful than any of the monsters you've fought before. It starts burning a hole up through the crust to travel up to the surface. You use a grappling hook to get a hold of its leg. You keep fighting the boss and some more monsters as you hold on travel at a fast speed (mathcore tracks 27-29). And finally, at the end of track 29, when you reach the surface, you deliver a final hit on the boss to defeat it once and for all. When the boss dies, the earth is restored back to its normal self, but you're still above the hole, and you fall right back in just before it closes up, and land in the lava below. You lose your life and end up in the "Astral Heaven" (track 30, the trancecore outro to the playlist) to remain there peacefully as a hero.
So basically I made this entire playlist play out like an epic hero story that could fit well in a movie or a video game, which I think could make the playlist more interesting, along with more appealing based on the order, for anyone up to listening to a long 2-hour playlist, but that's just what I think. Enjoy! Of course, since I'm the one who assembled this playlist, I'm gonna share with you my thoughts on all the selected tracks:
All That Remains - "This Calling" (from "The Fall of Ideals", 2006)
5/5. Let's start this album with a scream, literally! this song starts with a high menacing metalcore/close to black metal scream from Phil Labonte over chugging metalcore riffs. After a killer verse, the catchy chorus comes in, then another scream to continue the same path. After the second chorus, the duel guitars keep playing a melodic riff until a breakdown with Labonte's screaming. And finally, a pretty short guitar solo and the final chorus before the closing outro.
Bullet for My Valentine - "Scream Aim Fire" (from "Scream Aim Fire", 2008)
5/5. Then we go to the furious title track of BFMV's second album, containing pounding drums, fired-up screams in the breakdown ("Scream! Aim!! FIRE!!!"), and a signature guitar solo that's #1 in that album!
Unearth - "Watch It Burn" (from "Darkness in the Light", 2011)
4.5/5. Another great extreme starting track in this metalcore journey, containing lots of melody, plus clean vocals rarely heard from this band until the album the song is in. The punishing open-chord breakdown is the best breakdown in this album.
Trivium - "In the Court of the Dragon" (from "In the Court of the Dragon", 2021)
6/5 (not exaggerating). The furious title track of Trivium's latest album erupts with Matt Heafy's f***ing beastly growling vocals. The blast-beat onslaught carries on into the cleanly-sung chorus, occurring before a brutal breakdown. The shredding soloing makes you visualize a bad-a** battle with the dragon in the pit, with your weapon being that guitar soloing. A tune of heavy brilliance that might just be my ultimate favorite song since "In Waves"!
Attack Attack! - "Press F" (from "Press F", 2021)
5/5. And this might be one of my favorite songs from a band I haven't listened to yet (other than "Stick Stickly")! I press Enter to continue...
Invent Animate - "The Sun Sleeps" (from "The Sun Sleeps", 2021)
4.5/5. Another piece of headbanging talent, with guitar riffing and a chorus to love and stay alive! Though it doesn't really push my metalcore era further into including this band in my listen-list...
Lucrecia - "Sleeping Slaves of Fate" (from "Sleeping Slaves of Fate", 2021)
4/5. I'll be honest, I'm not really into anime-influenced female-fronted metalcore, though this song is quite killer. Next!
Iwrestledabearonce - "You Know That Aint Them Dogs' Real Voice" (from "Ruining It for Everybody", 2011)
5/5. Now this is the female-fronted metalcore/mathcore I prefer, influenced from Mr. Bungle and grindcore! Krysta Cameron has done a great job her superb mix of cleans and screams, though this would be her last album with the band. This is as delicious as the "ruined" cake on the album cover. Beyond amazing! I think the "skin-shedding" lyrics might've helped the metalcore-tattoo scene expand for all the right and wrong reasons. Nice beauty in f***ing awesome brutality! It is very impressive when a female does all the vocal work. Just like that cake, some things the unprepared might consider gross but turn out great when you're ready. Paramore would be blown away...
Void of Vision - "THE LONELY PEOPLE" (from "THE LONELY PEOPLE", 2021)
5/5. The Australian metalcore scene is really pulverizing everything in its path, and Void of Vision is doing a chaotic job cranking up the distorted destruction to 11. Anyone not in the same tolerance level as me, listen at your own risk!
Aviana - "Rage" (from "Rage", 2021)
4.5/5. A headbanger built up from a famous quote from a Dylan Thomas poem. Enough said!
Wage War - "High Horse" (from "Manic", 2021)
5/5. This song my brother was listening to, and why not? This is a catchy killer song to love, especially in lyrics such as "Caught the scent, took the bait, now the hunter is the prey". Definitely worth headbanging to!
August Burns Red - "Coordinates" (from "Phantom Anthem", 2017)
4.5/5. This one shows vocalist Jake Luhrs trying clean vocals for the first prominent time. The song itself has some twangy blues vibes, and while I'm not normally into those kinds of vibes, I know other fans of ABR's experimentation can enjoy it.
Skycamefalling - "10.21" (from "10.21", 2000)
5/5. Thanks Daniel for the idea of a soft intermission in this playlist! The instrumental title epic of the only Skycamefalling album contains 9 minutes of acoustic guitar, clean piano sounding a bit Eastern, and light percussion, leading to an ending crescendo. A soft break while you breathe in the flames of creativity!
We Came as Romans - "Darkbloom" (from "Darkbloom", 2021)
5.5/5 (not exaggerating). While assembling the playlist, I've been hooked by some of the bands I haven't listened to yet, and this song really struck out higher than the rest. A f***ing amazing banger in the heart of dark fire!
Structures - "Extinction" (from "Life Through a Window", 2014)
5/5. A more melodic song while staying heavy, compared to the heaviness of most of the previous songs. A better change of pace!
Sleep Waker - "Serenity" (from "Alias", 2021)
4.5/5. Another crazy progressive-ish metalcore song that deserves some recognition, despite the brutality. The 15-second section in the middle is all fired up and heavy as sh*t. The ending kinda gets me off-guard though. A modern headbanger that would surely surpass Korn!
Spirit Breaker - "The Mountain Between Us" (from "Cura Nata", 2021)
4/5. This might take time to get used to, at least for me anyway, but it does stir up nostalgic vibes of at least 10 years ago when prog-ish metalcore was being developed. A good exciting insane song to get you pumped with early In Hearts Wake vibes. I love the fantastic chorus that's just on fire, while the rest of the song is a d*mn good straight banger. Though the high screams I'm not so sure. Still a decently great song to love.
Caliban - "Army of Me" (from "The Undying Darkness", 2006)
4.5/5. This is an interesting one, a bad-a** metalcore cover of a Bjork song. Sensational beauty right here! Not entirely though, since the only slight flaw is the female voice who, while doing a good job imitating Bjork, lacks power.
Betraying the Martyrs - "Tapestry of Me" (from "Breathe in Life", 2011)
5/5. I love this band, with the best brutal growls from Aaron Matts, who would unfortunately leave the band recently. This is probably, for me, the best song of its album Breathe in Life with a f***ing amazing blend of heavy and clean. The chorus is the catchiest of that album, and everything else is awesome! I really love the perfect clean vocals. Unlike Born of Osiris and Periphery, they add a bit of orchestration in place of progressiveness for their metalcore/deathcore. So incredible! Let's see what else I can describe here... Some think they the instrumentation is so mixed up, but it's still wicked for me, a great improvement from their 5-song EP. That 30-second section starting at the one-minute mark is so f***ing bad-a** that I should be careful walking the streets when listening on an iPod, if I had one. This kind of music we should spread the word about! This is great soundtrack the virus apocalypse we're trapped in. For anyone feeling suicidal, the lyrics encourage to never give up.
Make Them Suffer - "Drown With Me" (from "How to Survive a Funeral", 2020)
4/5. This song I don't mind, a straight heavy song released as one of this album's in-advance singles. When I first heard it, I thought it was one of the most radical recent songs by the band, but now that I've heard the other wilder tracks in the album, it's now my d*mn least favorite song in the album. It just doesn't hold up! Booka Nile's chorus in that song is the weakest here. Still great for recent Make Them Suffer fans!
Shadow of Intent - "The Indexing" (from "Primordial", 2016)
4.5/5. Another dope song! Think of this like a killer blend of Betraying the Martyrs, At the Gates, and Yngwie Malmsteen.
Psyopus - "The Burning Halo" (from "Odd Senses", 2009)
5/5. Holy f***ing sh*t!!! I love this mathcore madness!! With a crazy riff! Things get epically insane at 0:42, then 42 more seconds later is where things get way better. The high-screeching riffs might annoy those who aren't in the same level as me, but it's a brilliant assault for my ears. Towards the end, a preacher who sounds like Marco Hietala from Nightwish yells "Demon...WHO ARE YOU??!" before a final pulverizing breakdown. I would say this track is math-death-cyber-grindcore. Truly chaotic!! Apparently, this is about Anneliese Michel, a victim to abusive exorcism by her religious parents. As an avant-garde mathcore band, Psyopus has done what their fans have expected, and that's what I like about this, though I'm not a fan...YET.
Defocus - "Disease" (from "Disease", 2021)
4.5/5. Another metalcore banger! Enough said...
Bound in Fear - "Saint of Sorrow" (from "The Hand of Violence", 2019)
3.5/5. This is more of an intro song to the album's original release, but it's a f***ing tough one that acts as the first part of the brutal deathcore trio. Even the strongest would be disturbed! Listen at your own risk, seriously!
Brand of Sacrifice - "The Branded" (from "God Hand", 2019)
4/5. Probably one of the heaviest deathcore bands on Planet f***ing Earth! Anyone listening to this might feel the urge to go berserk and slay as many demons as they can, ripping the demons' guts and shoving them up the demons' a**es.
Darko US - "(Devine Void)" (from "Pt. 1 Dethmask", 2020)
4.5/5. Another powerful deathcore track with big rhythm! What else is there to say?
Car Bomb - "Dissect Yourself" (from "Mordial", 2019)
5/5. Another perfect quantum-physical mathcore track that can shoot more powerful than planet-destroying laser beams! Think of this like Gaza, Gojira, and the more brutal Lamb of God all mixed in one cauldron.
The Dillinger Escape Plan - "Sandbox Magician" (from "Under the Running Board", 1998)
4.5/5. Still amazing mathcore/metalcore lovers since its release slightly before I was born, with a cool ending past the two-minute mark.
Converge - "Thaw" (from "Jane Doe", 2001)
5/5. Then it flows to this wonderful gem. You can feel the intense vocal emotion overpower you as he screams over the brutal instrumentation. I would've suggested the 11-minute title epic, but I wasn't up to taking up too much space. Maybe next time...
Crossfaith - "Astral Heaven" (from "Xeno", 2015)
4.5/5. And finally we end with a killer outro from the one Revolution subgenre I hadn't tackled yet, trancecore. Anyone having survived the rest of my playlist, enjoy the cool trance of this outro. You've earned it!
Wow, I really dig this playlist that I've made! That opinion might seem bad form, but let me even out by saying that I would recommend any metalcore fan and anyone who isn't into metalcore but wants to get into a great start in enjoy the genre. Thanks Daniel for accepting my playlist, and I hope the rest of you enjoy it like I've had!