The Revolution

Following my enjoyment of the Suicide Silence feature release last month I was intrigued to see if I was about to go on a deathcore streak with the arrival of Whitechapel in The Revolution hot seat this month. After 3 or 4 listens I remain distinctly underwhelmed in comparison to the more immediate entertainment I found with The Black Crown. First off the bat though, it is important to say I do not hate A New Era of Corruption. It lacks any real depth or grit overall for me though. Despite some interesting breakdowns that allow for the vocals to play just a big a part as the guitars I find them still to be nothing more than a welcome distraction to what I deem to be otherwise quite a monotonous record.

There is an almost mechanical (sadly lacking the "necro" aspect promised by the penultimate track) undertone to this album for me, a real sense of going through the motions. Punctuated only by the all too brief moments of true death metal guttural gurns and the hint of groove to a riff every now and again, this machine-like edge to proceedings soon becomes all I am focusing on. Album closer Single File to Dehumanization is the least enjoyable of all the eleven tracks on offer here and is perhaps the best example of the challenges I have with this record. The added frustration is that it sounds like these guys are better than this record actually shows them to be and that they somehow along the way lost any sense of soul or even fun in what they were doing and fired out a technically proficient yet ultimately boring album.

2.5/5

When I saw that The Black Crown was a deathcore release I went to RYM to check my rated releases to see if I had anything against which to reference it. Turns out I have never knowingly listened to a deathcore album before, which is not really that surprising as I will admit that I often struggle with 'core-related releases, chiefly because I struggle with the vocals. Well, first point goes to Suicide Silence, because I had no issue at all with Mitch Lucker's vocals as they stayed well below the "shouty teenager" level that is my cut-off point, whilst remaining particularly savage and pissed-off sounding. Musically, I actually had a pretty decent time with this, although it is aimed a fair distance from my metal sweet spot. I don't aim to pretend I know what I am talking about regarding a release like this that is so far removed from my usual fare, but I did find myself getting into the groove with a fair few of the riffs and, generally, the whole did provide me with a decent amount of enjoyment on a day when I may well have been in a frame of mind for something a bit different. On several occasions I found myself thinking, oh that sounds a bit like early Slipknot, a band not to everyone's taste I know, but I think they wrote some pretty decent metal tunes and it is meant as a compliment to Suicide Silence, not as a gripe against them. There is a surfeit of angst and vitriol on display and although such anger doesn't really translate to a retired sixty-year-old walking his dog on a beautifully sunny June morning, I can still relate to the sentiment.

As a band Suicide Silence seem very tight and economical - there is very little by way of  superfluous embellishment, the rhythm section is there to drive the tracks forward, not to impress the listener with fancy fills or bass runs. The guitar sound is pretty dense and the riffs are effective with one or two killers - You Only Live Once, for example. Personally I enjoyed the second half of the album more than the first as it adds a couple of small, but cool touches that enhance the experience for me. The opening few songs feel like a band blowing off steam and are totally focussed on aggressive delivery, but after the interlude of March to the Black Crown, which provides a nice mid-album breather with it's ominous sound and choral-style vocalisations, things get a bit more interesting. The interlude is followed by my personal favourite, "Witness the Addiction" which maintains the pissed-off aura of the album, but feels more considered with it's clean vocal sections providing more accesibility without compromise. The acoustic guitar parts of The Only Thing That Sets Us Apart fit into the song very nicely too and is a nice touch.

Overall, I would contend that whilst The Black Crown will probably never feature in my top 100 metal albums, it did provide sufficient enjoyment for me to return to it at some point in the future and, rather like Trivium's In Waves, it may well be an album I turn to when I fancy something outside my usual listening fare. I must also add my agreement with both Daniel and Vinny that, whilst respecting Metal Archives right to regulate their own content, it doesn't follow that this is unwelcome there whilst Rush, Deep Purple and Scorpions are all represented. Metal is metal surely and The Black Crown is certainly worthy of it's inclusion here at Metal Academy.

3.5/5

That's two positive experiences with Revolution features in consecutive months. Maybe I need to reassess my general feeling towards the clan and perhaps I have misunderstood it all along. Conversely, maybe the last two features have just been outstanding choices.

Here are my thoughts on all the selected tracks:

Enda Vinera - "Death's Calling" from Death's Calling (2022)

5/5. There's no better way to start this playlist with a brand new Lorna Shore-inspired epic deathcore band my brother and I both discovered. This is basically "To The Hellfire 2.0", in a way that sounds like far more like a tribute than the rip-off. I wonder if their next couple songs will be similar to "Of the Abyss" and "And I Return to Nothingness"...

Beartooth - "Sunshine!" from Sunshine! (2023)

5/5. Here's another fantastic single, this one being poppy metalcore! Beartooth is where I prefer to get that sound rather than Falling in Reverse. A f***ing killer song to love!

Premonitions of War - "Correspondences" from The True Face of Panic (2002)

4.5/5. This one has some of the most metal blast-beats I've heard from a metal/hardcore band. The deathgrind sound has some abstract chords, opening a wide tunnel with devastating chaos at its end.

Earth Crisis - "Born From Pain" from Destroy the Machines (1995)

5/5. Up next is this introspective blast of heavy weight in the music and lyrics. It was also recently covered by Eighteen Visions in their own cover album.

Code Orange - "I Am King" from I Am King (2014)

4.5/5. This track starts with opening and closing walls of distorted sound before the volume and power increase for their usual hardcore/metalcore.

Shai Hulud - "Outside the Boundaries of a Friend" from Hearts Once Nourished With Hope and Compassion (1997)

5/5. This one has excellent guitar intricacy that would make me say the Owen Wilson "WOW." The perfect devastation comes during the breakdowns in contrast to lightning fast rhythms that sear through.

Strongarm - "Stand Together" from Atonement (1995)

4.5/5. One of my favorites here, with a message of never giving up on grace.

Burst - "Rain" from Prey on Life (2003)

4/5. A beautiful prog-ish metalcore track. What else can I say?

Atreyu - "Ain't Love Grand" from Suicide Notes and Butterfly Kisses (2002)

4.5/5. This song from the band's debut album is greatly addictive! When I was in my late teens, my brother was playing some of his favorite songs on his guitar. This song ain't one of them, but it should've been. I'm barely complaining at all!

Animosity - "Grey Skies" from Shut It Down (2003)

5/5. This nearly 3-minute-long song unleashes the might of their deathcore groove from the two different coasts, even having some Undying-like melody. There isn't anything acoustic, just brutal deathly weight.

Hatebreed - "Not One Truth" from Satisfaction is the Death of Desire (1997)

5/5. One of the best tracks in the playlist, blasting through rebellious lyrics and chorus rhythm.

Cable - "Steel Cage Match" from Variable Speed Drive (1996)

4.5/5. A highlight in which the anger and passion makes up for the slight unpolished mistakes.

Converge - "Homewrecker" from Jane Doe (2001)

5/5. This one cranks the chaos back to full throttle. It is a definitely a killer standout in everything from the lyrics to the vocals and instruments with higher versatility than bands like Botch. There's some more brilliant guitar work and drumming. The brilliant chorus kick a** with drums, riffs, and vocal howls that can really wreck your home if you play it at full blast.

Zao - "Lies of Serpents, a River of Tears" from Where Blood and Fire Bring Rest (1998)

5/5. Continuing that metallic direction is this awesome track, especially in the guitar duo's atonal riffing.

Ice Nine Kills - "Thank God It's Friday" from The Silver Scream (2018)

4.5/5. This song continues the tempo and execution in epic chaotic atmosphere

All That Remains - "Victory Lap" from The Order of Things (2015)

5/5. This is another heavy rock/alt-metal anthem with easier instrumentation. It's actually the song that got me into this band, thanks to my brother who also likes this band (he likes metalcore as well but when it's closer to his usual hard rock/alt-metal taste).

Trivium - "Catastrophist" from What the Dead Men Say (2020)

5/5. There are some risks that end up paying off greatly, such as a radio-friendly singalong chorus. Then at the halfway mark, the mosh pit opens with a face-tearing assault. The furious drumming is what keeps everything together and not fall out of place.

Eighteen Visions - "Prelude to an Epic/Flowers for Ingrid" from Until the Ink Runs Out (2000)

4.5/5. The first part is an epic intro that sounds the intro for one of the songs by Brandan Schieppati's main band Bleeding Through, especially in the background keyboards. Then the second part has the band's usual metalcore.

Prayer for Cleansing - "A Dead Soul Born" from Rain in Endless Fall (1999)

5/5. This one attacks with fantastic black-metalcore that makes you forget that some of these guys are from BTBAM.

Celldweller, The Browning - "A Matter of Time - The Browning Remix" from A Matter of Time (The Browning Remix) (2019)

5/5. A heavy DOOM-style death/metalcore remix of a Celldweller song! If The Browning and Celldweller ever tour together, they should definitely perform this remix live. Although there are a couple slow djenty deathcore breakdowns, at the two-minute mark is a different kind of breakdown, one of aggrotech adrenaline. Total electronic fire! Celldweller has also remixed one of Asking Alexandria's songs. I guess you can consider this remix industrial djenty death/metalcore. I definitely prefer to find electronics in metal rather than pop. This certainly is heavier than Metallica has ever gone, or even Slipknot. I f***ing love this collaboration. The vocals range from brutal to clean, as does the instrumentation enhanced by The Browning in a battle between life and death. Would you believe that this is the same Celldweller that made the 2003 debut? Well... Yes and no! That's how absolutely precious this is.

Despised Icon - "Bad Vibes" from Beast (2016)

4.5/5. "YOU GIVE ME BAD VIBES!" Totally killer deathcore right there.

Impending Doom - "Deceiver" from Baptized in Filth (2012)

5/5. Same with this one, but guess what, this band is Christian! You might find it hard to believe how bad-a** the song is, especially over the two-minute mark, but that's what they are. The vocalist has great range, not just deathly low. And they said Christianity and death metal/core don't mix...

The Word Alive - "The Fortune Teller" from Real (2014)

4.5/5. Start off from the intro that sounds like the beginning of Lady Gaga's "Poker Face", this is a catchy song to jam along to, all the way to the perfect outro. This album Real is filled with solid favorites. The solo at the 3-minute mark is one of the sick performed by Zack Hansen. The lyrics are well thought-put and have deep meaning for your lost struggles, "Here I am now, am I all alone?" Towards the end of the bridge, there's a bit of a Staind vibe, but the song definitely sounds more like Architects than Staind.

Parkway Drive - "Bottom Feeder" from Ire (2015)

4/5. The heaviness returns with a "GO!!" in this mid-paced anthem, starting with an interesting 30-second riff intro. The guitars, drums, and vocals are all in interesting interplay, especially in the gang chorus that makes that song a phenomenal track.

Mouthbreather - "Born Dead" from Pig (2017)

3.5/5. Interesting submission, Daniel. This is actually one of only two tracks I like from this EP, having Daughters-like early 2000s mathcore I prefer.

Any Given Day - "Never Surrender" from Overpower (2019)

4/5. This one sounds a bit like Five Finger Death Punch mixed with 2000s Killswitch Engage. Still it's quite bad-A! Anyone who grew up in the 80s can enjoy Megadeth, but it's the more modern bands I'm looking out for. The chorus almost reminds me of Linkin Park. My favorite song from this band besides "Savior"!

Convictions - "Wreckage" from I Won't Survive (2021)

4.5/5. Another well-done killer metalcore track! That's all I gotta say there.

Sienna Skies - "Quarterlife" from A Darker Shade of Truth (2016)

4/5. I also like this one, though the mixing could've better. Next!

Living Sacrifice - "Apostasy" from The Infinite Order (2010)

4.5/5. As we approach the end of this playlist, here's an epic song that reminds me of Trivium's "The Shadow of the Abattoir".

Gaza - "Not With All the Hope in the World" from No Absolutes in Human Suffering (2012)

4/5. Let's end this with a relentless doomy swansong for this band's career. "It's the same noise every day, we walk back and forth".

Pretty good playlist I've made, huh? Despite some bumpiness near the end. Anyway, I sure would 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!

I've been getting a bit lackadaisical of late with feature releases and have only been listening to those from my chosen clans, so I have vowed to start listening to them all, even if I don't review all of them and first up is this month's Revolution representative, Gaza's second album He Is Never Coming Back. I did check out their debut, I Don't Care Where I Go When I Die, when it was a feature release a couple of years back and I fucking hated it. Consequently, this didn't fill me with a huge amount of enthusiasm for the sophomore and I can't lie, I nearly always struggle with The Revolution and it's metal/mathcore content. That said, I did get much more out of this than I expected to. I still struggle with the vocals as they (in common with so many whatever-core releases) often sound like a toddler having a temper tantrum in Tesco's (a steroid-fuelled, 220lb toddler admittedly, but still!) I did enjoy a large proportion of the musical content however, maybe because the sludge component is more prevalent here than on the debut, or maybe because it feels a bit more accomplished than the earlier release. Whichever way, I wouldn't go out of my way to obtain a copy, but if it was on I wouldn't switch it off either and I think I would enjoy it a whole lot more with a less shout-y vocalist (but I guess that is what The Revolution is all about). A couple of tracks grabbed my attention - the main riff of The Meat of a Leg Joint is brilliant and the epic-sounding, although short, instrumental piece that follows it, The Astronomer, is a gorgeous and portentious-sounding piece. The lengthy, unnamed closer, or hidden track if you will, appeals to my Fallen sensibilities with it's serene and measured build-up and is reminiscent of the likes of Neurosis, proving that Gaza don't have to be super-intense all the time, which is no bad thing (and it has no vocals). Overall, He Is Never Coming Back had some really good moments and I like the overarching structure with the instrumental interludes breaking up the super-intensity of the main tracks, so this is probably as good as it gets for me and The Revolution and as such I would probably have to call it a success.

On a side note, does anyone know if this is this a concept album with the connecting instrumental tracks having intellectual/scientific occupation names?

3.5/5

Here are my thoughts on all the selected tracks:

Converge - "First Light" from You Fail Me (2004)

4.5/5. Before the deranged mayhem of this playlist begins, this track is a gentle atmospheric intro.

Nora - "Theneverendingyouline" from Theneverendingyouline (1999)

4/5. This track is the only one from this EP I can stand. The metal riffing and bass crashes in and kicks you hard in the neck. The mix of metal and hardcore punk works well with the tempo. However, the vocals are too harshly twisted and predictable, like the guy's voice is heavily strained.

Parkway Drive - "Gimme AD" from Killing with a Smile (2005)

4.5/5. This one hits you hard with their prevalent attitude of wrath. It has all that listeners can be ready for; fast riffing, solid drumming, fantastic screaming, and heavy breakdowns. They have it all!

All Shall Perish - "Deconstruction" from Hate.Malice.Revenge (2003)

5/5. This intense yet short track has an incredible blend of punishing rhythms, searing guitars, and hyper-fast blast-beats. And the great intensity doesn't stop from there, continuing and increasing throughout.

Electric Callboy - "Pump It" from Tekkno (2022)

4.5/5. A total pumper! You can work out and run a 10K race to this. My brother loves this slightly more than I do though.

Killswitch Engage - "Temple from the Within" from Killswitch Engage (2000)

5/5. Like the movie Michelle Yeoh won the Best Actress award for shortly before this review, everything everywhere all at once kicks through! Without an intro, the instrumentation hits you non-stop. A great mid-paced perfect experience!

Bleeding Through - "Number Seven with a Bullet" from This is Love, This is Murderous (2003)

5/5. This one has the best riffing of this album, possibly the best by the band, with some breakdowns along the way.

Shadows Fall - "Fleshold" from Of One Blood (2000)

4.5/5. Solid extreme metalcore. Need I say more?

The Ghost Inside - "Engine 45" from Get What You Give (2012)

4.5/5. This is the kind of song you need for any crisis you struggle with. This band needs a lot more fame and glory. Let us have the bravery to choose our actions, break these chains, and keep swinging!

The Red Chord - "Catalepsy" from Fused Together in Revolving Doors (2002)

5/5. Next up is this song having some of the fastest brutality, starting awesome in the riffing without ever stopping. Psyopus did a comedic cover of that song as a hidden track for the album Our Puzzling Encounters Considered.

The Acacia Strain - "Doppelganger" from ...And Life is Very Long (2002)

5/5. This without a doubt serves as an intersection between several of the hardcore/metalcore genres from earlier and later bands; the hardcore of Strife, the metalcore/melodic metalcore of August Burns Red and Parkway Drive, and the deathcore of Chelsea Grin. Fantastic!

Avenged Sevenfold - "Remenissions" from Waking the Fallen (2003)

4.5/5. This one is a little darker, unleashing a brutal growl of pummeling drums and sinister guitars, then they slow down for a great thick verse. What really stands out is the perfectly placed drumming and guitar changes. Soon it goes through mid-tempo before blazing through a hardcore onslaught. It's a fantastic listen! I also love that Hispanic-esque segment.

Crisis - "Surviving the Siren" from The Hollowing (1997)

4.5/5. This is the greatest song of its original album, with every one of Karyn Crisis' vocal styles here; operatic singing, monstrous growling, and banshee-like shrieking. The lyrics seem to twist around The Odyssey, specifically the part with the sirens, in which lust can lead to doom. The drumming gets crazier and descends into chaos as the song progresses, and the only light in the darkness is the beautiful chorus sung by Karyn. You really gotta stick around for that song and have it stick to you!

Emmure - "Sons of Medusa" from Sons of Medusa (2021)

5/5. How long has it been since I last heard a song from this band before this one, almost a year? Apparently, it's an outtake from the album Hindsight, released a year earlier. It could've probably served as the album's intro or something. I cannot miss this band in my life!

Motionless in White - "Soft" from Graveyard Shift (2017)

4.5/5. For a song with that title, it's anything but soft. It's a more hardcore song, especially in the vocals that reach death growling, sounding closer to Slipknot. This song is worth headbanging to at loud volume.

Trivium - "A Crisis of Revelation" from In the Court of the Dragon (2021)

4/5. This Ascendancy-style heavy throwback isn't the best highlight of the new Trivium album but still manages to fit well with the other high-quality tracks.

Any Given Day - "Arise" from Everlasting (2016)

4.5/5. You get to hear some more of Trivium frontman Matt Heafy's perfect vocals here, though only his cleans are present because this is at the time with his blown-out voice hadn't completely healed. F***ing epic headbanging riff fire!

The Devil Wears Prada - "Cancer" from Color Decay (2022)

5/5. Such a masterpiece of a song, like a metalcore power ballad! I watched a music video for an earlier song from this band like 8 years ago, and back then I wasn't totally interested because I didn't start enjoying metalcore yet at the time. Now I'm destined to find more of this band! The song was written by keyboardist Jonathan Gering in memory of a late friend of his. RIP

Northlane - "Impulse" from Node (2015)

4.5/5. People weren't keen at first about vocalist Marcus Bridge when he first joined, but he can really bring new sounds to the old, and that's why he's an awesome vocalist! "So alone in a digital world..." Massive heaviness and diversity right here! That's how much I love this band, and the breakdown rules! Structures had also tackled the topic of the truth of the digital age. It can actually fit in the Digimon video games or anime! The sound would've been what would happen if Underoath didn't have their hiatus after Disambiguation and instead took on a more progressive sound before their recent albums.

Attila - "Pizza" from Pizza (2018)

5/5. I sh*t you not, this actually what got me interested in this band. My brother found the music video for this song and thought it was hilarious. I enjoyed the music enough to give this song and band a thumbs-up. Humor and riff-wrath sound amazing together! Now if you don't like pineapple on pizza, just peel it off. Don't go on a breakdown-infused rage like Fronz in the video.

Wage War - "Twenty-One" from Blueprints (2015)

4.5/5. Another modern metalcore song that has made me smile.

Zao - "All Else Failed" from All Else Failed (1995)

5/5. The 12-minute title epic of the band's debut is their longest track, and one of the longest metalcore epics I've ever encountered. They unleash everything that they can in the first 8 minutes, then after a one-minute break, a 3-minute acoustic ending plays, along with a bit of clean vocals. Epic!

The Dillinger Escape Plan - "Sick on Sunday" from Ire Works (2007)

4.5/5. This one is more experimental, basically heavy breakbeat electro-grind.

Iwrestledabearonce - "Deodorant Can't Fix Ugly" from Ruining It for Everybody (2011)

4.5/5. A very chilling song with amazing vocals by Krysta Cameron who I wish could've been with the band longer, no hate for Courtney LaPlante.

Car Bomb - "Infinite Sun" from Meta (2016)

5/5. This track summarizes all this band has done. Cleans and screams collide as riffs blow your mind. In the middle is some Deftones-like rock before ending with the heaviest djent workout.

Memphis May Fire - "The Redeemed" from The Hollow (2011)

4.5/5. Another track I really like. It motivates you to leave behind the past and move on to the future, all in positive self-empowerment for your life. There's a bit of a link between this band and Christianity. The song is quite excellent, and it can encourage you to fight back against the criticism you might receive for your religion or lifestyle. Despite nothing being eternal, you gotta do what's right for all that's temporary. Anything can and will happen. In a way, this foreshadows what the band would have next in Challenger. Other bands that might have a similar sound and message include Imminence.

Shadow of Intent - "The Tartarus Impalement" from Reclaimer (2017)

4/5. Well, after that metalcore song of motivation comes one more song, of symphonic deathcore destruction and despair. It starts a bit mundane in the first 4 minutes, then the epicness rises at over the 4-minute mark with such great music, lyrics, and vocals. "And I'll never see home again, never comfort my wife as she mourns and I'll never hear the cries of my firstborn son, How can I possibly continue on?!" F***ing d*mn, man! Pure beauty and emotion rolls on throughout that minute. Then comes another amazing minute where the band work together to unleash their power in battle. The final climax goes on the last one and a half minute and the hero impales the enemy and rules in victory. Talk about such a finale for this playlist! Though it probably would've been better in the first half...

HOLY SH*T, this is probably close to the best metalcore playlist I've ever done, with every track ranging from 4.5 to 5 stars, except for a few tracks in the beginning, middle, and end forming a small bump. I sure would recommend this to any metalcore fan and anyone who isn't into metalcore but wants to get into a great start in enjoying 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!

Converge - "Jane Live" (2017)

Another classic album performed in its entirety at the Roadburn Festival & a very well executed one too it has to be said. I'm certainly a big fan of 2001's highly influential "Jane Doe" record although it's worth mentioning that i prefer three or four of Converge's other releases over it so I definitely fall into the minority there. If anything though, this live album only works to strengthen that release's hold on the metalcore community as it highlights everything that makes Converge so great. It's even rawer & more chaotic than the studio version yet the amazing technical skills of the various band members are still perfectly obvious to the listener due to an easily decipherable mix. Sure, as with any live release there are a few songs where I definitely favour the studio versions & I find that these generally match up with the more chaotic material (see "Concubine", "Fault & Fracture", "Phoenix In Flames"). The opposite can be said of the simpler tracks though & I found myself enjoying hardcore stormer "Homewrecker"  for the very first time. The crunchier sludge-infused numbers are the ones that truly destroy me though with this version of the title track potentially representing Converge's crowning achievement. I'd suggest that "Jane Live" should be a no-brainer for Converge fans & essential listening for anyone partial to mathy metacore.

4/5

Here's my review:

I’ve found my taste profile to be increasingly open to The Revolution in recent years but it tends to be only certain pockets that really float my boat with others leaving me a bit flat. Clearly the most appealing style of metalcore for me though is the more chaotic & extreme forms of mathcore, particularly when combined with sludge metal &/or grindcore. I’ve been known to seek out releases that fall into that bracket occasionally in order to satisfy my itch for those sounds & Mouthbreather’s “Pig” appeared to be a very promising prospect based on the information I was reading online with reviews being generally very positive & the grindcore genre receiving regular mentions as an influence so I was pretty confident of finding another off-the-hook addition to my small list of short & psychotic balls of energy.

Interestingly though, the very short seven minute “Pig” E.P. isn’t exactly what I thought it would be. For starters, it’s far from the most technical of mathcore releases. In fact, I’d suggest that it falls somewhere in between mathcore & traditional metalcore even though it’s quite a noisy & chaotic release. It’s structures just aren’t that rhythmically complex & the links to the mathy end of the genre tend to come more from the unusual use of guitar noise which is a feature of the record. Where is the grindcore that people have been referencing though? I can only identify about 30 seconds of grind influence across the whole seven tracks to be honest which left me a touch disappointed given my strong affiliation with The Horde. I can only guess that it’s the very short track lengths that are prompting people to make that link but let's not forget that short track lengths are par for the course in purist hardcore circles.

Anthony Santagati’s over-the-top vocals fall well within the confines of the metalcore spectrum & he does a reasonably good job as he spits his words out with undeniable spite & vitriol. The use of metalcore breakdowns is quite prominent too with the occasional use of gravity drops also being employed to provide a little more oomph. Both of those elements see Mouthbreather losing a little steam for me personally as they start to angle them back towards the masses when they don’t actually sound all that generic. “Ryan Goes To Rehab” is more of a short sludge metal piece which appears to have been included in order to break up the relentless barrage of metallic hardcore aggression. I think it’s fit for purpose too but the same can’t be said for closing sound collage piece “Religion & Tonic” which sees the E.P. petering out in a whimper & is one of the deciding factors in “Pig” missing out on a pass mark from me when you consider that it’s also one of the longer inclusions in the tracklisting. The other main detractor is the noticeable lack of highlights with all six of the metal-based tracks being quite good but none of them ever really threatening to reach a solid 4/5 score. When your closer is as poor as this one then you really need at least a couple of truly great tracks to balance it out but unfortunately that’s not the case here.

I’ve been a little disappointed with “Pig” to be honest as I was expecting more given how highly regarded it seems to be. Bands like Gaza, War From A Harlot’s Mouth & Inside The Beehive do this extreme brand of mathcore much better than this in my opinion & I’d recommend that you explore those artists before venturing towards Mouthbreather. Then again, the seven minute run time hardly requires much investment now, does it?

3/5

Here are my thoughts on all the selected tracks:

Lorna Shore - "To the Hellfire" from ...And I Return to Nothingness (2021)

5/5. Although this brutal opener appeared in Daniel's final Revolution playlist before I started taking over a year and a half ago, I felt ready to once again comment on this song that was previously too intense for me. I'm glad I can stand the deathcore intensity now with this second round. This is perhaps the discovery of deathcore for many listeners, probably including my brother, perhaps from the breakdown alone, which we'll get to soon. It's incredible how rapidly the song's video gained millions of views. The entire band's talent is also beyond incredible, with Ramos taking the front stage with his vocal rage. From this opener, you get the greatest taste of operatic/demonic black-ish deathcore. It's so amazing and better appreciated with headphones. It's hard to believe that this furious breakdown is what caused my bro to convert from alt-metal/pop-punk into full-on epic deathcore right off the bat, but that's what happened. It occurs 5 minutes into the track after some speed metal soloing, with the consuming line of "Swallowed by the womb of death!!!" You would also hear the most demonic shrieks ever! This breakdown is such a f***ing ride with nothing dramatic to precede it.

We Came as Romans - "Intentions" from To Plant a Seed (2009)

4.5/5. RIP Kyle Pavone. His heartful lyrics and beautiful clean vocals are what keep songs like this inspiring since its release. The drumming is also quite creative. All that and the symphonic breakdown add to the song's superb power.

36 Crazyfists - "We Gave It Hell" from The Tide and Its Takers (2008)

4.5/5. This one's super cool. You might think I would listen to this in my high-school-age teens, but NAH. My metal interest was much different back then.

Sikth - "Peep Show" from The Trees Are Dead & Dried Out Wait for Something Wild (2003)

5/5. A brilliant song from a band I can't believe I only just recently discovered. The lyrics are definitely what I love here! The band can take on the beautiful and raging sides coming from the two vocalists in diverse range. The song fits hauntingly well with the autism that I have. I think it can help autistics like myself find pride and hope. The band would go on hiatus after their second album, but I'm glad they returned with more material. The lyrics might sound harsh to some, and I mean the lyrics do sound a bit emo, while still being meaningful, but they're still as awesome as the music. But if anyone tries to harshly put them down, let them know that they have a "flawed opinion".

From Autumn to Ashes - "The After Dinner Payback" from The Fiction We Live (2003)

4.5/5. Another song that needs to be heard more! The singing is so emotional, balancing out with the killer growls. I'm a couple f***ing decades late for when the early 2000s metalcore/post-hardcore scene was rolling, but better late than never. I just love those screams, f*** those who hate it. Too bad the screamer Benjamin Perri left the band before their 4th album and last before their hiatus. Still I'm glad those screams add to the song's heavy aspect.

Motionless in White - "Slaughterhouse" from Scoring the End of the World (2022)

4.5/5. This is a f***ing heavy fun track, featuring Bryan Garris of Knocked Loose. He and Chris Motionless do perfect vocal alternation in the brutal bad-a** breakdowns, alongside political lyrics, "In the land of the free you’re a slave to your wealth". The chorus is slightly out-of-place within the heaviness, but still enjoyable.

Despised Icon - "Absolu" from Consumed by Your Poison (2002)

5/5. An absolute highlight of early deathcore hellfire!

Make Them Suffer - "Maelstrom" from Neverbloom (2012)

5/5. This is an absolute f***ing storm of epic and extreme, and I'm not saying it like a brown-nosing fanboy. This is more true epic deathcore power! A breakdown here might seem simple but it's another one of the most powerful in the album. It is the second of the three 6 and a half minute epics. Once again, the lyrics are so poetic that they can be published as poetry without the music. Those beautiful poetic lyrics are brutalized by the powerful screams of lead vocalist Sean Harmanis with a mighty voice ranging from black metal shrieks to death metal growls. The guitar work here is incredible too. The drumming is great, but it drowns out the bass.

All That Remains - "Become the Catalyst" from The Fall of Ideals (2006)

4.5/5. This one starts with a death growl, fast melodeath riffs, and a simple drum beat. Still the usual fast riffs and drumming, catchy chorus and solos, etc.

Upon This Dawning - "Embrace the Evil" from We Are All Sinners (2014)

4.5/5. Blasting dark metalcore to level up this playlist. I wish this band would be more well-known.

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

5/5. I remember seeing the music video for this song on TV 8 years ago, but I wasn't ready for the noise of metalcore at the time. Now I am, and I'm certainly ready for more of this band! Man, remembering what I found all those years ago makes me feel old, even though I'm currently in my young 20s.

Killswitch Engage - "Eye of the Storm" from As Daylight Dies (2006)

5/5. I also remember this band from around the time that I first saw that Amity Affliction music video, and once again this high-quality melodic metalcore sound hits me much more than it would've back then.

As I Lay Dying - "A Greater Foundation" from Awakened (2012)

5/5. This band I've haven't encountered as early as those two previous bands, but now I recognize their greatness. There's clean vocal insanity to stay in your mind long. The lyrics are so cool! The instrumentation has a bit of a Machine Vibe, though much better performed.

Any Given Day - "Possession" from My Longest Way Home (2014)

4.5/5. I heard my brother listening to this song in one of our car rides last month, and my mind was hooked! Before my brother started listening to this song and a couple others from Any Given Day, the only song I heard from that band was their cover of Rihanna's "Diamonds". For this song, the music is so hammering. This is amazing killer sh*t right here! It was certainly f***ing worth leveling up our city drives. The breakdown at the one-and-a-half minute mark is a brutal surprise. Though the one that occurs two minutes later is legendary, like holy sh*t! Then it all ends with a fading ambient outro.

Candiria - "Temple of Sickness" from The Process of Self-Development (1999)

4.5/5. At over the 4-minute mark is a brutal slam-core breakdown, then a minute later, the vocals reach death-growling while having the mid-paced metalcore of Cold as Life.

The Acacia Strain - "One Thousand Painful Stings" from Slow Decay (2020)

5/5. Destructive deathcore groove with soft pretty vocals from Courtney LaPlante (ex-Iwrestledabearonce, Spiritbox). Keep it up, Acacia!

Asking Alexandria - "I Won't Give In" from The Black (2016)

4.5/5. The dark ages of this band's career are translated into this song with defiant choruses.

108 - "Son of Nanda" from Songs of Separation (1995)

3/5. This song has the best lyrics here of chasing dreams built on emptiness, "Worship the Son of Nanda sweet and become fearless".

Eighteen Visions - "Motionless in White" from The Best Of (2001)

3.5/5. It's so interesting how one of my favorite metalcore bands Motionless in White is named after this song from another one of my favorite bands. Not just any band, but one versatile enough to inspired a new legion of the genre! This song is not really one of the best from this band though.

Wage War - "Godspeed" from Manic (2021)

4/5. D*mn, this one is good and crazy! However, as metal as the song sounds, the clean vocals sound a bit too pop-punky.

Defiler - "Fanueil Falls" from A Deity Depraved (2021)

4.5/5. High-quality ambient metalcore. Enough said!

All Shall Perish - "The Death Plague" from This Is Where It Ends (2011)

5/5. I only discovered All Shall Perish a few months ago, and already I f***ing miss them! An amazing blend of brutal vocals and fantastic guitar, bass, and drums makes this band one of the top 10 of deathcore for me. It would be great if they could continue with a new album. This band can be f***ing creative while staying brutal. In my opinion, this band is more tolerable than Hate Eternal and lightyears better than Suicide Silence. Deathcore is an interesting solid genre that I think shouldn't be hit with so much hate.

Will Haven - "I've Seen My Fate" from El Diablo (1997)

5/5. The grand highlight of this band's debut has the band's signature violence.

The Dillinger Escape Plan - "Widower" from Option Paralysis (2010)

4.5/5. This one has a more open free structure and is one of the band's rare ballads with Greg Puciato's vast vocals alongside piano performed by Mike Garson, best known for performing in some of David Bowie's albums. Then the impulsive riff-barrage returns towards the end.

The Chariot - "The King" from Long Live (2010)

5/5. This one is a 6-minute long epic, a bit like a more experimental heavy Underoath, whose producer Matt Goldman help recorded this album in a live analog technique.

Electric Callboy - "Tekkno Train" from Tekkno (2022)

4.5/5. All aboard!!! This is a train of techno-metalcore innuendo!

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

4.5/5. There's rapid metal complexity all over this amazing yet short track.

Zao - "Man in Cage Jack Wilson" from Liberate Te Ex Inferis (1999)

5/5. I'm sure there are over a dozen notable people with that name mentioned in the title. It starts with an Event Horizon sample that includes the original album's eponymous phrase. It's the same sample as the one heard in the beginning of "Prom Song" from Every Time I Die's debut EP and the intro "Bellum in Abyssus" from Psyclon Nine's Crwn Thy Frnicatr. For this song, we have a dark yet beautiful 7-minute sludgy metalcore Crusade to end this playlist.

HOLY SH*T, this is probably close to the best metalcore playlist I've ever done, with every track ranging from 4.5 to 5 stars, except for a few tracks in the middle forming a small bump. I sure would recommend this to any metalcore fan and anyone who isn't into metalcore but wants to get into a great start in enjoying 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!

Here are my thoughts on all the selected tracks:

Stigmata - "The Heart Grows Harder" (from The Hard Grows Harder, 1992)

4.5/5. A great way to start the playlist is with the best song in its original album by far, a 7-minute opening epic that reminds me of Paradise Lost's Shades of God in the earlier verses. Then midway through, things go as fast as the speed/thrash metal of early Metallica. But there's still a bit of the hardcore/metalcore that represents what the earlier bands of the genre were going for. Then it slows down again to that Paradise Lost-like pace. The rest of the original album is 5 more songs with two scattered interludes, but none of them match the title track's glory.

Bleeding Through - "Fade into the Ash" (from Love Will Kill All, 2018)

5/5. A blistering mix of epicness and extremeness, and one of the most glorious metalcore songs I've ever heard! It displays the band's crushing music with huge hooks and one of the greatest choruses in the album and the band, topped off by symphonic keyboards. Pretty much every element the band has is served in just 3 and a half minutes. WELCOME F***ING BACK!!!

Dead to Fall - "Stupid?" (from Are You Serious?, 2008)

5/5. This one unleashes mighty in-your-face deathly metalcore to make fun of the genre in the lyrics, with Hunt bellowing about how "F***ING STUPID!!!" this song is, mentioning the "OH SH*T!!" At the Gates-like thrashy death metal riff while it's playing, and finally ending it all "WITH A F***ING BREAKDOWN!!!" There's more eclectic programming to come later...

Deadwater Drowning - "The Best Sex I Ever Had Started with a 900-Number and a Credit Card Verification" (from Deadwater Drowning, 2003)

4.5/5. This is perhaps the best song of its original EP, scary with some bits of Drowningman.

Shai Hulud - "The Consummate Dragon" (from That Within Blood Ill-Tempered, 2003)

5/5. One of the best songs of the more hardcore side of metalcore! Lots of people should find this song and witness what's to love there. "How does it sleep at night, this tyrant?! Heaping slaves on the pyre just to watch ambition burn!"

Trivium - "Insurrection" (from Shogun, 2008)

4.5/5. This one has the melodic vocals and thrashy guitar playing from The Crusade while still keeping some sinister metalcore screams and breakdowns.

All That Remains - "The Last Time" (from For We Are Many, 2010)

5/5. This is probably the best song of its original album and my second favorite by the band, behind "Two Weeks" from Overcome. It really brings their metal sound despite mostly clean vocals and the repetitive chorus.

Kingdom of Giants - "Motif" (from All the Hell You've Got to Spare, 2017)

4.5/5. Another track that's really hard to dislike because of how much the band has accomplished. Holy sh*t, the vocal variation is quite a lot!

Lorna Shore - "Into the Earth" (from Pain Remains, 2022)

5/5. Part of the epicness or Lorna Shore's new album, this one drives further with its frantic verses and dramatic chorus.

Slaughter to Prevail - "Demolisher" (from Kostolom, 2021)

4.5/5. And right after that Lorna Shore track is a killer song from a different band with the f***ing monstrous vocalist Alex Terrible. This song tackles the selfishness of their country Russia's government that doesn't care about the wars their citizens are suffering through. At one minute left, there's a f***ing brutal breakdown that fans of the genre would love to headbang to, right after Alex screams the song title "DEMOLISHER!!" This is real deathcore demolition!

From Here On - "Shard of Glass" (from Hope for a Bleeding Sky, 2000)

4.5/5. One of only two great highlights in this EP, this one is a total spine-chiller.

Sikth - "How May I Help You" (from How May I Help You, 2002)

5/5. This fantastic song has a crazy lot of guitar shredding and screaming babbling in a way that I love. Apparently it tells some kind of interesting fictional story.

Void of Vision - "Hole in Me" (from Hyperdaze, 2020)

5/5. There's a redux version of this track that features Kenta Koie of Crossfaith. His scream at over the two and a half minute mark is the f***ing killer sh*t!

Strife - "Angermeans" (from Angermeans, 2001)

4.5/5. Angermeans is an amazing underrated album by this band, Strife, with lots of original emotion. This song is really great, with a f***ing amazing riff to start it. Although there's also a bit of experimentation in that album, it's still like a more metallic Terror.

Ice Nine Kills - "Hip to Be Scared" (from The Silver Scream 2: Welcome to Horrorwood, 2021)

5/5. This one is based on American Psycho, and the first single of the album. They've really executed their sound like an execution! Great parts of the song include the sample of the original Huey Lewis song, and background vocals by Jacoby Shaddix of Papa Roach.

Memphis May Fire - "This Light I Hold" (from This Light I Hold, 2016)

4.5/5. Also featuring Jacoby Shaddix, the lyrics are about people or things being deemed bad by haters who don't bother collecting evidence. That's an excellent metaphor for people putting down metal because of the lyrical themes from death/black metal that they think every metal genre has when they obviously don't.

The Chariot - "David De La Hoz" (from Long Live, 2010)

5/5. A video was made for this diverse highlight. The song features a weird bridge from a hillbilly preacher, and it ends with a soft harp outro.

Unbroken - "Blanket" (from Life. Love. Regret, 1994)

4.5/5. Another intense unforgiving highlight! That's all there is to say...

The Browning - "Carnage" (from Geist, 2018)

5/5. I just love this American take on Crossfaith's electronic metalcore sound. This can work as a wrestling theme.

August Burns Red - "Ghosts" (from Found in Far Away Places, 2015)

4.5/5. This one starts with what almost sounds like the intro to one of the slower In Flames songs. But the song itself is interesting with clean vocals by Jeremy McKinnon from A Day to Remember, balancing out the melody with the mood that haunts you as much as ghosts.

Motionless in White - "Puppets 2 (The Rain)" (from Infamous, 2012)

5/5. This one starts off sounding a bit like brutal death metal. The chorus is sung by Soilwork's Björn Strid alongside the bellowing of Chris. It's clear how much intense passion can be found in these lyrics of storytelling vision.

Parkway Drive - "Deliver Me" (from Sleepwalker, 2010)

4.5/5. This is a brutal yet simple fan favorite to keep the live crowd energized.

Amaranthe - "Danger Zone" (from Massive Addictive, 2014)

4.5/5. This one, having a bit of the metalcore side of the band's sound, continues Elize's angelic siren-like vocals while also displaying Henrik's vocal ability, perfectly suited to hammer through heavy riff breakdowns in a shattering pulse.

From Autumn to Ashes - "Short Stories with Tragic Endings" (from Too Bad You're Beautiful, 2001)

5/5. Such a beautiful 9-minute epic that I love from this band, almost fitting well for a both an anime battle scene and anime romantic scene. So inspiring without anything forced! Within all that emotional passion, the ending is an absolute tear-jerker. It's different from what the band would make in other songs like "The After Dinner Payback". The calm ending occurs after the metalcore storm, from the 6-minute mark onwards. The vocals by Melanie Wills and violin makes this song a symphonic metal/post-hardcore track as a whole. Except the ending doesn't get heavy, and her vocals sound more like Avril Lavigne than any female vocalist in symphonic metal. It's quite bearable for the softer listeners, and works well in the aftermath of a heartbreak. "Did you ever look, did you ever see that one person?"

Rolo Tomassi - "Howl" (from Astraea, 2012)

5/5. Howl to the moon for this mind-blowing band of female-led mathcore that reminds me of The Dillinger Escape Plan and early Between the Buried and Me! How hardcore and heavy can they go?! They can surely dominate the mathcore scene. The breakdown at over the two and a half minute mark is a total headbanger. Nicely done!

Car Bomb - "Blackened Battery" (from Mordial, 2019)

5/5. This one is also unforgiving with their time signature changes. This really displays their Metallica influences, with the title coming from two Metallica songs, and different sections paying tribute to "Blackened" in the most mathcore way possible. It's like cheese, crackers, and milk, a few separate things that make an awesome combo!

Chelsea Grin - "All Hail the Fallen King" (from My Damnation, 2011)

4.5/5. An amazing slaying deathcore song, featuring Philip Bozeman of Whitechapel.

The Last Ten Seconds of Life - "Annihilation Phenomena" (from Disquisition on an Execution, 2022)

4/5. My brother told me about this band that a friend of his enjoys that's heavier than what he's comfortable with. Having experienced this kind of heaviness, I decided to check this band out, and it's probably heavier than what I'm used to. This track is still a great brutal deathcore ripper.

Coalesce - "There is a Word Hidden in the Ground" (from Ox, 2009)

4.5/5. This crushing slow closer is a brilliant favorite of mine to end it all!

HOLY SH*T, this is probably the best metalcore playlist I've ever done, with every track ranging from 4.5 to 5 stars, except for one 4-star track. I sure would recommend this to any metalcore fan and anyone who isn't into metalcore but wants to get into a great start in enjoying 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!

Here's my review summary:

If you can look back at Underoath's past in the couple years before this album in a more outer perspective, you can find the era of Define the Great Line to be the highlight of this band's career, with that album reaching a golden spot on the Billboard. However, I only think most of the second half of that album is good, so they could've just made an EP or something, and that album's future wasn't bright for the band either. They dropped out of the Warped Tour due to Spencer Chamberlain's drug abuse and almost split up. Luckily they stood strong and fought those hard times to unleash one of two more albums, Lost in the Sound of Separation! This is the second album in a row co-produced by Adam Dutkiewicz and Matt Goldman, but now, helping with the mixing was David Bendeth who had also just mixed Paramore album #2 Riot! (coincidentally, Aaron Gillespie would tour with Paramore during Underoath's two-year split). The 11 songs in this album are probably the most massive I've heard from this band, with wide vibes moving you in different directions. Chamberlain's massive growls shake the speakers alongside Gillespie's improved singing and bombastic drumming. One moment there are soothing calm melodies, and the next has the huge guitar riffing from Timothy McTague and James Smith. Grant Brandell’s booming bass and Christopher Dudley's atmospheric keyboards let the instrumentation really pummel away the so-so-ness of Define the Great Line. And one highlight is a very notable one, for me anyway; "Anyone Can Dig A Hole But It Takes A Real Man To Call It Home" may waste a bit of review space with its long title, but the song itself never wastes any time. I sh*t you not, this was used briefly in a TheOdd1sOut video, and that restored my music video memories of this band and got me to start listening to them full-time. Lyrics like "We always assume the worst!" and "How can I still be alive?!" show the theme of anxiety on a frantic search for hope. As for the rest of the album, all the previous Chamberlain-era albums' clichés have been wiped out for ear-piercing fury and unpredictable melody. Underoath have once fallen into their own dark ages but manage to climb out and make this album with the moral that you are never alone. Lost in the Sound of Separation has stabbed the bleak darkness of their times and quality with a ray of optimistic light!

5/5

Recommended tracks: "Breathing in a New Mentality", "Anyone Can Dig A Hole But It Takes A Real Man To Call It Home", "Emergency Broadcast :: The End Is Near", "The Only Survivor Was Miraculously Unharmed", "Too Bright To See, Too Loud To Hear", "Desolate Earth :: The End Is Here"

For fans of: The Chariot, Norma Jean, Every Time I Die

I'm glad that I selected this album as our February 2023 feature release as it's ended up delivering what I'd hoped it would &, in doing so, has probably surpassed it's more familiar 2012 follow-up "One Wing" in terms of creative aggression too. If you simply can't get into the modern metalcore sound with young, skinny white dudes with long fringes, huge round ear rings & obscene neck tattoos swinging their limbs violently around in windmill fashion then I'd suggest that you might struggle a bit with "Long Live", particularly with vocalist Josh Scogin's continuous barrage of rude screaming. However, if you're partial to the odd rebellious breakdown & give "Long Live" enough time to reveal its charms then you may just discover the highly professional & super-intense band within. There's a great electricity & urgency about everything that The Chariot produce for us here & I never found myself reaching for generic metalcore terms, despite the fact that The Chariot are not attempting to reinvent the wheel here. The A side flashes by in an instant & without too much complaint or fanfare but it's the B side that contains all of the real gold in my opinion with the mathy "The Earth", the post-hardcore inspired "Robert Rios" & the crushingly epic album highlight "The King" taking the album to another level & carrying it up a half mark in my eventual rating. The production is spot on for this type of music as it captures every nuance while losing none of it's visceral edge. If you enjoy high quality, no-holds-barred metalcore then I'd suggest that you check out "Long Live".

4/5

Apparently I didn't check out a single The Revolution release from 2022.

Here are my thoughts on all the selected tracks:

Lorna Shore - "Immortal" (from Immortal, 2020)

5/5. Right off the bat, the epic powerful title opener of its original album and this playlist is a surefire deathcore highlight! CJ McCreery lets out every vocal style he could possibly do throughout a thick sea of brutal glory.

Cave In - "Until Your Heart Stops (Segue 2)" (from Until Your Heart Stops, 1998)

4.5/5. Then there's a sudden jump into the title track of Cave In's debut album, with the most Slayer-ish riff-fight you'll ever witness, before some last melodic twists and concluding with the noise-ridden interlude "Segue 2".

This Day Forward - "Sunfalls and Watershine" (from Kairos, 2002)

5/5. I can't believe how old this song is, over 20 years old! It makes you think of "constant dreamscapes" and distant memories. Too bad they switched into the post-hardcore of Alexisonfire after this EP, then split up later. It might be easy for me to sing and scream along to this song. It features Thursday vocalist Geoff Rickly, further solidifying the hardcore scene's knowledge of This Day Forward. Anyone who thinks these bands are bad and ruin scenes should listen and let the nostalgia change their minds.

Drowningman - "Code Breaking Hearts" (from Rock and Roll Killing Machine, 2001)

4.5/5. This is a classic highlight, starting with speedy aggression before some more melodic sections, all great when you're along for the ride.

All Shall Perish - "Never Ending War" (from Hate.Malice.Revenge, 2003)

5/5. This is also a thunderous highlight, a 6 and a half minute epic of powerful chords and leads, not to mention the earthquake-including breakdowns.

Earth Crisis - "Broken Foundation" (from Gomorrah's Season Ends, 1996)

4.5/5. This amazing early metalcore track got my attention rolling from the beginning "PAIN!!!!" scream.

Botch - "Transitions from Persona to Object" (from We Are the Romans, 1999)

5/5. This song greatly represents the organic nature of the album We are the Romans. Every riff is played naturally, never forced, as if the riffs are inventing themselves. After an eerie intro melody, the song continues into its awesomeness, riff after riff, all in a perfect groove mood. The heavy riffs lead to high dissonance in a passage that brings back the lower riffs and vocals. The song ends with frantic discord fading out to a drumbeat.

August Burns Red - "Bones" (from Guardians, 2020)

4.5/5. A soaring anthem with a memorable chorus in great pace.

Issues - "COMA" (from Headspace, 2016)

5/5. I just love this one, including all that lyrical meaning. The bridge near the two-minute mark halts the melody with brief heaviness and growls before continuing that in the final chorus. You can consider Tyler Carter a vocal descendant of the Jonas Brothers and Michael Jackson despite his recent...well, issues.

Northlane - "Singularity" (from Singularity, 2013)

4.5/5. Actually why am I mentioning Michael Jackson? If I worry too much about him, I would become disempowered by media icons. Terrence McKenna gave those who have listened to this album up to this track this advice, and it's amazing advice to follow. The instrumental itself gives me warm chills ("warm chills", sounds oxymoronic), it's so beautiful! The message is now more unbelievably relevant than ever.

Rorschach - "Traditional" (from Protestant, 1993)

5/5. This highlight takes on the hardcore thrash that sounds like Voivod's first two albums in interesting dissonance, often twisting into violent bashing.

Crystal Lake - "Fabricated Refuge" (from The Voyages, 2020)

4.5/5. I hear a bit of a Slaughter to Prevail vibe in this song despite it being mostly amazing metalcore.

The Red Chord - "Dreaming in Dog Years" (from Fused Together in Revolving Doors, 2002)

5/5. This is perhaps the best song of its original album. After an odd 5-second intro, it explodes into absolute mayhem, great for a live setting. And coincidentally, that song is also in this month's Horde playlist.

Downcast - "System" (from Downcast, 1991)

3/5. While this song has helped in the band's attempt to create metalcore that is better off made by those bands, you might wanna check out my review for its album to find out what I really think there.

The Browning - "Standing on the Edge" (from Burn This World, 2011)

3.5/5. Not bad, but not as fantastic as the songs from the album that got me into The Browning, Geist.

Candye♡Syrup - "Idol of Death (Burst Ver.)" (from iDOL Can Dye Sick Rock!!, 2018)

4/5. This is an interesting mind-blower, screaming crust-ish deathcore verses mixed with cute Babymetal-like choruses. Good one, Daniel!

Annisokay - "Coma Blue" (from Arms, 2018)

4.5/5. Christoph Wieczorek is one of the most amazing clean vocalists in metalcore, though this band is not super popular. The bass especially rules in the instrumentation. My metalcore obsession has bled a bit into my brother's music interest that is enough to turn him into a headbanger like I am. The background orchestration is unique!

Impending Doom - "Ravenous Disease" (from Death Will Reign, 2013)

5/5. A brutal part of the Killing Floor 2 soundtrack, which I really enjoy. I need more of this kind of deathcore in my life after gaining more leeway all these years, but don't expect to descend into the depths of Infant Annihilator. The soloing near the 3-minute mark makes me let out a small sinister smile.

Trenches - "Horizons" (from Reckoner, 2022)

5/5. This one continues the intense heaviness while planning out its transition in softer melody, hinting at how melodic its original album would become as you get further.

Vatican - "Reverence" (from Ultra, 2022)

4.5/5. This has more of the heavy rage expected by fans of metalcore. It's also the first song of its original album to be a single and include clean vocals. Yeah, the singing appears sporadically throughout the album, hinting at Deftones-esque ether among the rage.

The Dillinger Escape Plan - "We Are the Storm" (from Miss Machine, 2004)

4/5. This track returns to the band's signature sonic storm attack of atoned chaos. This may be annoying for some of the lighter listeners, but being a heavy metalhead myself, I don't mind at all. There's a nice mellow guitar passage subdued into the next section, but it's a little draggy. Then the chaos returns in the last minute.

Dead to Fall - "Villainy and Virtue" (from Villainy and Virtue, 2004)

4.5/5. I love this band, and how can I not? I'm quite the metalcore addict! I wish they would make more bad-a** material like this. F***ing killer lyrics here, "THE DEPTH OF YOUR COMPASSION IS AS SHALLOW AS YOUR THOUGHTS!"

All That Remains - "The Air That I Breathe" (from The Fall of Ideals, 2006)

5/5. This is a very recognizable track that breaks the formula of its original album with a lot of different things, including the key signature being B minor instead of D and/or G, and a swift solo in the intro. Other than that, the riffs are still slightly the same but the lead melodies are more harmonic.

Trivium - "Shattering the Skies Above" (from In Waves, 2011)

5/5. Absolutely kick-A song from the God of War video game series soundtrack. Enough said!

Hatebreed - "Refuse/Resist" (from For the Lions, 2009)

4.5/5. I like this killer cover of a Sepultura classic, sounding similar while never really a clone "SILENCE BECOMES DEATH!!!"

Phinehas - "Dream Thief" (from The Fire Itself, 2021)

4.5/5. Phinehas (and Ferb. lol) are the masters of reviving the melodeath-ish metalcore scene from the second half of the 2000s. Riffing, soloing, breakdowns... This band has it all here. And great lyrics too!

Sikth - "Philistine Philosophies" (from Opacities, 2015)

5/5. Sikth will never disappoint. They still have the power from their initial run. The vocals are a perfect match to the music that sounds close to Animals as Leaders. F***ing mind-blowing guitar here! Over the two-minute mark, after an awesome verse of "falling like dominoes", the chorus is what I really love is pretty much any of rock/metal. I definitely wish for more of that!

Kingdom of Giants - "The Ride" (from Passenger, 2020)

4.5/5. The huge breakdown rules in this song, alongside the screams and cleans by Courtney LaPlante of Spiritbox in a stunning guest appearance. So beautiful in this awesome song without a doubt! The band is really on fire with the clean/growl vocal variety and lyrical strength. The synths are quite pleasing. If the world ends up f***ing you up, you can't let yourself be lost, you gotta stay in the ride. Interesting Wu-Tang reference there, "CASH RULES EVERYTHING AROUND ME!" The ending breakdown multiples the power twice, sounding close to Void of Vision.

Living Sacrifice - "Despair" (from Ghost Thief, 2013)

5/5. Let's end this playlist with one more fantastic song, featuring the great Dave Peters of Throwdown. It's so brutal while maintaining this band's religious reputation. Now that's metal art! The opening solo sounds close to Slayer, and makes the rest remind me of another swan song for a band's career, the title track of the last Nevermore album The Obsidian Conspiracy. And this song's another one from the Killing Floor 2 soundtrack. "I HAVE TAKEN YOUR DESPAIR!!"

HOLY SH*T, this is probably one of the best metalcore playlists I've ever done, with almost every track ranging from 4.5 to 5 stars. I sure would recommend this to any metalcore fan and anyone who isn't into metalcore but wants to get into a great start in enjoying 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!

I'm in agreement that Challenger absolutely rips. It reminds me a lot of Altarage's Succumb, since the album ends up in a completely different place than where it started. Whereas Succumb starts out as intimidating and swirling Death Metal and slowly devolves into abyssal drone, Challenger begins as a tumultuous and chaotic Mathcore experience that ends up being more of a sludgy chugfest by the end. I've found that I really enjoy this sort of album progression since it worked for me on Succumb, but I think Knut does an even better job at it considering how different the two subgenres seem. I think that the 20 minute closer goes on for a bit too long for repeated listens for me, but it was awesome to see where they were going to go with it the first time around. 

I think this highlights my personal issue with Mathcore though, as even though I really enjoyed this album and, much like Botch's We Are The Romans, I'm going to give it a pretty high score, there's a good chance I won't return to it anytime soon. For me, these sorts of records are only really appealing to me if I'm in a certain mood, and sadly I think that mood is filled by other types of albums that I gravitate towards instead. While I agree that the vocals are impressive, they definitely wear on me given how long of an album Challenger is for this genre. All that being said though, this is a sick album that incorporates sludgy chug in a way that I haven't heard before and I'm 100% down for it. 

4/5

So with the start of a new year it's once again time to have a look at the covers for all the releases for each clan.

Here are the releases that are currently competing for the prestigious 2022 The Revolution Cover of the Year Award (i.e. they have 3 or more ratings):

Vatican - Ultra

Motionless in White - Scoring the End of the World

Lorna Shore - Pain Remains

Static Dress - Rouge Carpet Disaster

Trenches - Reckoner

If you want to contribute and rate some covers, the easiest way is to go to The Gallery and select The Revolution and 2022. Enter this link and rate away: https://metal.academy/gallery?cid=8&type=overall_cover_rating&myRating=&fromYear=2022&toYear=2022&exclude=0

Update on my list:

1. Botch - We Are The Romans (1999)

2. Converge - You Fail Me (2004)

3. Every Time I Die - Radical (2021)

4. Gaza - I Don’t Care Where I Go When I Die (2006)

5. The Dillinger Escape Plan - Calculating Infinity (1999)

6. Deadguy - Fixation on a Coworker (1995)

7. Coalesce - Give Them Rope (1997)

8. Candiria - Beyond Reasonable Doubt (1997)

9. Sikth - How May I Help You? (2002)

10. Knut - Challenger (2002)

Here are my thoughts on all the selected tracks:

Phinehas - "Eternally Apart" (from The Fire Itself, 2021)

5/5. I'm proud of this band for showing great evolution with perhaps their best song since "Crowns" to open their first album since 2017's Dark Flag. Nicely done! One of the masters of Christian metalcore shall continue their reign.

Converge - "Conduit" (from When Forever Comes Crashing, 1998)

4.5/5. This is a crushing metalcore tune that starts with fast chaos, and I swear, the brief riff fiddling that appears a few times sounds exactly like that of the last part of My Dying Bride's "Vast Choirs". I think I'm the only one who has noticed that because of my interest in both metalcore and formerly death-doom. Anyway, that song has slow breakdowns as well, due to the band's mind-blowing ability to change the tempo and time signature.

Starkweather - "Lazarus Runs" (from Crossbearer, 1992)

4/5. This one runs at a slow sludgy pace before leveling it up towards the end.

Misery Signals - "Coma" (from Controller, 2008)

4.5/5. I need to continue revisiting this album along with their other ones like Ultraviolet. The music and even the growled vocals are all beautiful! I kinda like the dark vibe the album has. The lyric "Reach into her guts, take back what's tangled up, I wasted it on you" sounds morbid, but it's a metaphor for the regret of conceiving a child when your wife doesn't want it. Also I hear what might later influence ERRA.

Zao - "Times of Separation" (from The Splinter Shards the Birth of Separation, 1997)

5/5. Considering how similar the intro is to that of Every Time I Die's Radical, you might think the latter made a tribute. Anyway, Shawn's long screaming is often what levels up the quality.

Vision of Disorder - "Element" (from Vision of Disorder, 1996)

5/5. This highlight has lots of angry heaviness. Enough said!

Strife - "Am I the Only One" (from One Truth, 1994)

4.5/5. This one is more hardcore, but it's an awesome anthemic standout!

Earth Crisis - "Forced March" (from Destroy the Machines, 1995)

5/5. This brilliant metalcore track shows you what the album is gonna be about. It was later covered by Between the Buried and Me in their own cover album.

Born of Osiris - "Singularity" (from The Discovery, 2011)

4.5/5. This is one of the best songs of the album and a killer album opening with strong soaring melodies through busy original compositions.

Iwrestledabearonce - "Erase It All" (from Hail Mary, 2015)

4/5. It's too bad this band ended right when they were skyrocketing in fame, with vocalist Courtney LaPlante and guitarist Mike Stringer moving on to Spiritbox. Mike adds in a bit of a Tony Danza Tapdance Extravaganza-like vibe to the guitar. All Shall Perish/Suicide Silence vocalist Eddie Hermida delivers a fantastic brutal guest appearance.

Winds of Plague - "Decimate the Weak" (from Decimate the Weak, 2008)

4.5/5. The album cover has already shown promise to the music's brutality. The band has that epic deathcore sound that would later be developed in all its glory by other bands like Lorna Shore. The weak, beware...

Upon a Burning Body - "Predators" (from Red. White. Green., 2012)

4/5. Then we have more of Winds of Plague vocalist Johnny Plague's beastly vocals in a guest appearance for one of Upon a Burning Body's song of eternal lyrical power.

Abnegation - "Blanket of Black" (from Abnegation / Chapter split, 1996)

4.5/5. Abnegation began their transition from hardcore to metal around that time, and what helped out is this highlight showing more of a speedy deathly metalcore sound. This was considered the most metallic/Slayer-sounding any hardcore band has gone before. It was thanks to this band and that song that every metalcore band would start emphasizing the metal part of their template.

Lorna Shore - "Of the Abyss" (from ...And I Return to Nothingness, 2021)

5/5. This is a 6-minute epic that can really pack some punches right through. Will Ramos warms up his vocals while the band rises from the cinematic orchestral inferno while still attacking from the deepest pits of Hell. This is symphonic black/technical deathcore we're talking about at its most epic, and it might be a new style to add to my metal arsenal. There are new standards in the drumming that just never stop, maintaining its power in every beat. They shoot like a machine-gun above the guitars, bass, and orchestration. In the middle is a spectacular breakdown with perfect vocal precision from Ramos. Super wonderful production once again ensures that the album is one of the best releases of deathcore and perhaps all of metal.

DAGames - "One by One (Doom Song)" (from One by One (Doom Song), 2016)

4.5/5. I love this song, and so does my brother. This is amazing thrashy metalcore suitable for the new DOOM games!

Annisokay - "I Saw What You Did" (from Aurora, 2021)

4/5. Another metalcore song my brother likes, though he was initially confused by the djenty opening that also has a Tony Danza Tapdance Extravaganza-like vibe.

Wage War - "Alive" (from Blueprints, 2015)

4.5/5. This band is capable of writing killer hits like this one, although metal purists might not see them that way.

Northlane - "Vultures" (from Alien, 2019)

5/5. Marcus Bridge is really having more influence from the band whom Northlane named one of their songs after, Architects, including adding melody to his screaming. So insanely epic, continuing the writing of Mesmer while restoring their earlier riff-wrath.

After the Burial - "44891" (from Evergreen, 2019)

4.5/5. The song title is actually "11/26". I'm not quite sure what was up with Spotify over there. Remove the "2" and it would be 11/6, the date a couple months ago when an outside-world friend of mine passed away. He was good at singing and inspired me to continue singing practice at home. Although this song contains only growls/screams which I practice as well. I've managed to hold back my tears as I'm writing this. I just wish I could listen to this band more instead of abandoning this amazing music from them. RIP my outside-world friend. And RIP their former guitarist Justin Lowe.

Car Bomb - "The Oppressor" (from Meta, 2016)

5/5. This one maintains the mathcore feel while heading back and forth to a ballad-like song. Joe Duplantier of Gojira makes another guest appearance, albeit with just clean vocals in those softer sections to set an excellent mood. Near the end there's brutal immense sludge for a riff-powered climax. One of the most experimental tracks here!

Frontierer - "This Magnetic Drift" (from Oxidized, 2021)

4.5/5. F***ing brutal mathcore! I think the guest appearance from Will Haven is what gave me the incentive to listen to and review one of that band's albums.

The Dillinger Escape Plan - "Dead as History" (from Ire Works, 2007)

5/5. This highlight starts with some static noises before beginning some cool riffing and chord progressions that almost come out as a Coheed and Cambria song. Perhaps it's a nice tribute to Chris Pennie leaving Dillinger for Coheed and Cambria, though some of the heavier listeners might hate it.

Bleeding Through - "Damage Done" (from Rage, 2022)

4.5/5. This one reminds me of 2000s-era Dark Tranquillity with more of Peterson's enchanting keyboards, melodeath-ish riffing/soloing, and melancholic atmosphere. The chorus is definitely worth singing along to and makes a modern classic moment, alongside lyrics of love and hate. The final hardcore breakdown crashes through to instantly start a moshpit.

The Browning - "Skybreaker" (from Geist, 2018)

5/5. Wow... WOW!!! When I first listened to this song when my brother played it, it sounded to me like an Emigrate-ish electro-industrial rock/metal ballad. Then sometime later, my brother played another Browning song "Standing on the Edge" that sounds closer to what I'm familiar with in The Revolution. After enjoying that song and finding out that "Skybreaker" is made by the same band, I knew I had to find more of this band, and that I shall do. Thanks bro! The lyrics are the best.

Amaranthe - "Act of Desperation" (from Amaranthe, 2011)

4.5/5. Another great song I love! I still think this band was metalcore back then.

All That Remains - "Hold On" (from For We Are Many, 2010)

4/5. Thundering drumming and merciless pounding rolls in on and once again balances heaviness with melody.

Cookiebreed & Boyinaband - "The Vox" (from The Vox, 2013)

4.5/5. Parodies are often better than originals, and this fun one is no exception, parodying Ylvis' "The Fox" with a lesson about metalcore vocals. Although Cookiebreed makes the vocal noises quite impressively, it's Boyinaband who really takes the spotlight, both in the song and in general fame. He has performed songs with different YouTubers like PewDiePie, TheOdd1sOut, and Jaiden Animations. Having watched videos from the latter two when I was still watching YouTube animator videos, discovering Boyinaband's metal material is an epic double treat! "WHAT DO YOU SAY?!?"

Trivium - "Incineration: The Broken World" (from Vengeance Falls, 2013)

5/5. This track is part of what I consider the epic trilogy of Vengeance Falls. They are longer than the previous songs in the album with the latter two each reaching nearly 6 minutes. They break out of the Disturbed formula. The clean vocals and screams are back to their equal balance. The key signature varies with more than just D-flat minor. And they maintain their signature thrash-metalcore sound. Those 3 songs really bring this album to a pleasantly heavy end.

From Autumn to Ashes - "Abandon Your Friends" (from Abandon Your Friends, 2005)

4.5/5. It really is around this year 2005 when the older metalcore followers start listening to From Autumn to Ashes, despite the softness of songs like this one and "Short Stories with Tragic Endings". The somber atmosphere of this song is what really makes it amazing, suitable for Winter, even though my country doesn't have snow. The band has already gotten back together, I wonder if they'll make more material. This is actually suitable for a situation last week when I left a Discord server that I was in for almost a year due to a big argument, so the song is kind of my therapy for a toxic end of an era. The piano melody might work for the soundtrack of computer games like Resident Evil or Silent Hill. Honestly, emo/post-hardcore does not deserve to be stoned (the stone-throwing kind) just because they think it's more flash than substance. Amazing works of art like this (before low-tuned breakdowns took the reign) shouldn't be taken for granted. These guys are real music geniuses. To h*ll with Rebecca Black!

HOLY SH*T, this is probably one of the best metalcore playlists I've ever done, with all tracks ranging from 4 to 5 stars. I sure would recommend this to any metalcore fan and anyone who isn't into metalcore but wants to get into a great start in enjoying 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!

I did my review, here's its summary:

Formed in San Francisco, Admiral Angry can feed listeners some anger that might be terrifying for the inexperienced. Originally a grindcore band, they then switched to their own sound that combines the sludge of Neurosis, the hardcore of Black Flag, and the doom-ish heavy metal of Black Sabbath. Vocalist Chris Lindblad delivers some of the most tortured-sounding vocals in extreme metal/hardcore. The sludgy low tempo shows some talent in writing, while being a bit restrained. What you can expect is slow heavy downtuned sludge, often as djenty as Meshuggah, with a few occasional brief hardcore speed-ups. In fact, there really isn't any metalcore prominence, and only one of the songs sounds close enough to metalcore in the drumming and riffing. The rest is tight tough heaviness you wish for more of from the band members. Sadly, founding guitarist Daniel Krauss passed away from cystic fibrosis at age 22 after recording this album and one more EP. I felt some pain in my heart when I found out because I lost an outside-world friend of mine last month (as of this review), same age, similar cause of death. In the beginning of my full review, I asked you all to remember the work of this band and their fallen guitarist. Buster is a good album with some of the heaviest dread. RIP those two young fellows gone too soon; Daniel Krauss and my outside-world friend....

4/5

Here's my top 10:

1. Lorna Shore - Pain Remains

2. Upon a Burning Body - Fury

3. Fear, and Loathing in Las Vegas - Cocoon for the Golden Future

4. Motionless in White - Scoring the End of the World

5. Deadguy - Buyer's Remorse

6. Betraying the Martyrs - Silver Lining

7. Chelsea Grin - Suffer in Hell

8. We Came as Romans - Darkbloom

9. Underoath - Voyeurist

10. Bleeding Through - Rage

Here are my thoughts on all the selected tracks:

Make Them Suffer - "Doomswitch" (from Doomswitch, 2022)

5/5. Let's start with a f***ing masterpiece of a banger! Make Them Suffer has returned with a new keyboardist/co-lead vocalist Alex Reade.

Bring Me the Horizon - "Can You Feel My Heart" (from Sempiternal, 2013)

4.5/5. This one already hints at the new plateau the band's just reached in their journey. Vocalist Oli Sykes pours his soul out as he cries out the first verse, "Can you hear the silence? Can you see the dark? Can you fix the broken? Can you feel... Can you feel my heart?!" during an explosion of sonic atmosphere.

We Came as Romans - "To Plant a Seed" (from To Plant a Seed, 2009)

4/5. RIP Kyle Pavone. It's good to look back at where this late young man's journey began, from "the first note that I ever played, the first note that was ever sang". This music deserves much more attention that it has had. It's so good, this seed the band has planted! There are better songs from their later albums like Tracing Back Roots, but let's forever breathe in the beauty of this dude's clean voice...

Caliban - "Arena of Concealment" (from A Small Boy and a Grey Heaven, 1999)

3.5/5. This one has sick screams and the Slayer riffing to creep in your skin and get you headbanging, especially in a pummeling breakdown.

Abnegation - "When the Smoke Clears" (from Verses of the Bleeding, 1998)

3/5. This one is the promising start of one of the most brutal (and weakest) deathcore/death metal albums I've heard, my favorite song of that album as well as the shortest while still having guitar aggression.

Annisokay - "Like a Parasite" (from Aurora, 2021)

3.5/5. Recently my brother has been adding a few metalcore bands/songs to his playlist, and It's good that I discovered this from him, I mean what's not to love? The mix of clean and unclean vocals duel well like a boss. The screams remind me of We Came as Romans' other vocalist Dave Stephens, though Dave does them much better.

ERRA - "Divisionary" (from ERRA, 2021)

4/5. H*ll, these lyrics add relevance to what's happening in this world, and should really blast its way through the galaxy to be heard. Those magical vocals can remind some of Saosin, especially at the one-minute ending verse.

Any Given Day - "Savior" (from Overpower, 2019)

4.5/5. Another wicked metalcore track my brother likes lately, and probably one of my favorites in that category. Everything is emotional!

August Burns Red - "What Child is This (Greensleeves)" (from Winter Wilderness, 2018)

5/5. Since we're already approach "the most wonderful time of the year", it's time for some Christmas metalcore from the style's Christian masters August Burns Red! The drumming is especially creative, adding blast beats that are very unusual to hear in Christmas music. This fresh take on "Greensleeves" is one of the best moments of this EP, nailing it well like a boss. The wacky brass instrumentation adds a bit of a folk vibe. Merry metal Christmas!

Trivium - "Betrayer" (from The Sin and the Sentence, 2017)

4.5/5. This is one of the more furiously astonishing tracks that once again bring back the aggression from their earlier material.

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

5/5. The ultimate climax in this track is where, at a 3-minute mark, a mid-paced melodic yet dissonant riff plays that alone would be the big bang for bands like Suicide Silence, Whitechapel, and maybe even Knocked Loose, way better done than Abnegation.

Lorna Shore - "Cursed to Die" (from Pain Remains, 2022)

5/5. In this epic shining highlight, the speed and precision from the band's rhythm section work like a charm. The breakdown fits well right in the middle of this epic glory without being abrupt.

From Here On - "Further Away" (from Hope for a Bleeding Sky, 2000)

4/5. This one has the ultimate best breakdown I've heard in any of the Tommy Rogers/Paul Waggoner bands. Other than that, it's mostly uninspired deathly metal/hardcore.

Converge - "Dead" (from Petitioning the Empty Sky, 1996)

4.5/5. This one has bright melody before jumping slowly into another breakdown spiraling into high-pitched guitar dissonance. Then it all crashes into mind-blowing chaos to end the song.

Deadguy - "Doom Patrol" (from Fixation on a Co-Worker, 1995)

5/5. It starts with a direct punch in the face as speedy riffs sear through riff harmonic dissonance. The intense vocals by Tim Singer (who shouts, not sings) is just what metallic hardcore really needs, working especially well in the slow breakdown.

Bleeding Through - "Buried" (from Love Will Kill All, 2018)

4.5/5. This one brings back the crushing heaviness from their first 3 albums.

Parkway Drive - "The Sound of Violence" (from Ire, 2015)

4/5. Here we have some violent fury that sounds exciting for the band to play live.

Rorschach - "Drawn and Quartered" (from Protestant, 1993)

5/5. Things get weirder here when the Slayer-ish thrash chaos ends up reaching a technical style before becoming a doomy elegy.

Unbroken - "In the Name of Progression" (from Life. Love. Regret, 1994)

4.5/5. This one is slightly more speedy and progressive, and it really hints at the metallic hardcore progression the band was shooting for. There's more madness to come...

After the Burial - "Deluge" (from Dig Deep, 2016)

4/5. A catchy riff opens this song that has a good mix of raw heaviness and clean melody. I wish I could've gotten into this band's music more.

Shadows Fall - "The First Noble Truth" (from Of One Blood, 2000)

4.5/5. This one has a lot you would expect in a melodic metalcore song.

Bad Omens - "Exit Wounds" (from Bad Omens, 2016)

4/5. Another great metalcore track, and I'm sure other fans of the style would agree.

Wage War - "Circle the Drain" (from Manic, 2021)

4.5/5. I love this one! It's amazing to hear even a ballad-like song sound so bad-a**.

Coalesce - "Harvest of Maturity" (from In Tongues We Speak, 1996)

4/5. This one has more relaxed maturity with midpaced riff variation to be explored along with more of the technical drumming. That's what I prefer!

My Enemies & I - "Carbon Copy" (from Sick World, 2015)

4.5/5. The clean and unclean vocals are in a solid balance beyond words that you can never get over. I am stoked to find Disturbed and Cancer Bats influences in the same song. It's quite amazing, especially in this hard breakdown bridge before the final chorus. Somehow this reminds me of a mix of Breaking Benjamin's "The Diary of Jane" and Bring Me the Horizon's "Shadow Moses". Keep it coming, guys!

Attila - "Jumanji" (from Rage, 2010)

4/5. The chorus is too punky and relaxing even though it's not supposed to be relaxing, but the breakdowns are straight-up f***ing brutal as sh*t ("SHUT THE F*** UP!!! THIS IS NOT THE TIME OR PLACE TO START THIS WAR!"). Secrets are no fun, but this song is fun and it's no secret. Jumanji is used as a metaphor here for drugs and strip clubs.

Convictions - "The Price of Grace" (from I Won't Survive, 2021)

4.5/5. I really appreciate all this song has to offer, from the band's work and the listeners' feedback. It relates to anyone who has lost a loved one. Even the brutal breakdown is quite a tear-jerker.

Everyone Dies in Utah - "Planetary" (from Supra, 2021)

4.5/5. Another relatable song for the dark times many of us have been through. The great emotion strikes me through the heart, and that's nice to hear.

The Number Twelve Looks Like You - "I'll Make My Own Hours" (from Worse Than Alone, 2009)

5/5. This is the perfect end of this band's last album in their initial run, in a depressing yet epic message, "Ten thousand times i could tell you over!" An awesome moment is the solo surrounding the 3-minute mark. It's so fantastic I could cry! But this playlist ain't over yet...

Like Moths to Flames - "Spiritual Eclipse" (from No Eternity in Gold, 2020)

5/5. Like Moths to Flames is an underrated with heavy songs and vocal anger. This band and Polaris are parts of the reason why metalcore is still alive and timeless in the 2020s. They can pull off a sonic headbanging closer to the album and this playlist, and it shows!

Pretty good playlist I've made, huh? Despite a few slight bumps throughout... Anyway, I sure would recommend this to any metalcore fan and anyone who isn't into metalcore but wants to get into a great start in enjoying the genre. Thanks Daniel for accepting this, and I hope the rest of you enjoy it like I've had!

I struggled with this one a bit to be honest. The drumming is certainly nice & brutal but the symphonics are pulled straight out of European power metal which takes most of that edge off & everything sounds far too clinical. It's records like this one that make me question the relevance of the -core reference in the deathcore tagging too because this E.P. is about as far away from the DIY hardcore punk ethos as you're likely to find. 

For fans of Worm Shepherd, Mental Cruelty & Make Them Suffer.

3/5

To be honest, I wasn't sure about giving this Strife album In This Defiance a listen and a review because their debut One Truth wasn't all that great and I even thought it was too hardcore to be metal, hence that judgement submission. But when I put this album on play, boy was I blown away! This is a higher, more metallic step from their debut, and it has just what I'm looking for from this band. Everything is at the right tone for Strife. This is a full tight metallic hardcore sound with brisk tempos. Rick Rodney has his hardcore bellowing skills that are often hard to understand, but at the same time, so compelling, all in 10 songs of metal/hardcore fury. There are a few prominent guests assisting in the action; ex-Sepultura drummer Igor Cavalera, Fear Factory guitarist Igor Cavalera, and most notably, Deftones vocalist Chino Moreno. The two other tracks each from separate ends of the album are just horror movie sound effects that almost makes the album a soundtrack for such a film, though those pointless interludes don't affect the rest of this album perfection that makes In This Defiance an astonishing stunner. This is standard E-tuned thrashy metal/hardcore at its best. I'm glad to find the greatness of Strife!

5/5

And that's the last of these albums that I had planned for this metalcore rediscovery voyage. Once again, I'm gonna try discovering a few extra releases from those times to add more year variety in later Revolution playlists, and that would be a different small journey that isn't part of this thread. Anyway...that's all in this thread, folks!

Here are my thoughts on all the selected tracks:

Underoath - "Heart of Stone" (from Act of Depression, 1999)

4.5/5. After some strange witch-cackling, the opener for this playlist and Underoath's most deathly album, Act of Depression, starts off the extreme metalcore action greatly. That's what I expect for this album!

Code Orange - "Forever" (from Forever, 2017)

5/5. This one starts a spectacular gauntlet, opening with a furious fistful of riffing. You can't ignore all that confidence, especially with the declaration of "CODE ORANGE IS FOREVER!!!" and the brutal breakdown that follows.

Silent Planet - "The New Eternity" (from When the End Began, 2018)

4.5/5. Insane drumming and an insane amount of lyrical references in this song. This band rules!

After the Burial - "In Flux" (from Evergreen, 2019)

4/5. I really need to return to listening to this band someday. This is a purely insane banger with good vocals.

Clear - "Falling Into Ashes" (from Deeper Than Blood, 1999)

3.5/5. The only good track in a sh*tty album that I wonder why I even reviewed it.

One Second Thought - "Step Back" (from Self Inflicted, 1999)

3/5. Same with this one.

Lorna Shore - "Death Portrait" (from Immortal, 2020)

5/5. Now this is the epicness I prefer rather than the symphonic power metal I've brushed aside! This is a brutal work of splendor to fit well with a dangerous battle against demons on top of a snow mountain under a solar eclipse. Probably the most impressive deathcore band for me by many miles! The vocals sound filthy and disgusting. However, what's really filthy and disgusting is what this album's vocalist has done that got him fired. Nonetheless, this song shows deathcore's transcendence to fame.

Caliban - "Partisan" (from The Split Program, 2000)

3.5/5. This cover of a Heaven Shall Burn's song is very good, though not as much as most of those bands' split EP.

The Human Abstract - "Crossing the Rubicon" (from Nocturne, 2006)

4/5. This one continues the complex time changes while getting caught in guitar tornadoes. An 8-bit version was used as the theme song for Youtuber AngryJoeShow.

From Autumn to Ashes - "Short for Show" (from Abandon Your Friends, 2005)

4.5/5. Starting off with an early Avenged Sevenfold-like metalcore riff, and...well, the rest of this song is metalcore too in an excellent heavy example.

Trivium - "The Defiant" (from What the Dead Men Say, 2020)

5/5. I absolute love this one. It is my second-favorite track in its original album (behind the title track), recalling the older days of Ascendancy, blending with the modern songwriting and fantastic lyrics found in this album. Even the unclean vocals are beautiful. With all that and the perfect instrumentation overall, that would make older fans ecstatic and newer fans in love.

Coalesce - "Have Patience" (from Give Them Rope, 1997)

4.5/5. This impressive assault blasts off and has made quite an impact for my first time with this album, delivering heaviness beyond 11. If anyone thought Spinal Tap made heavy history, that track would prove them wrong.

The Tony Danza Tapdance Extravaganza - "The Electric Boogaloo" (from Danza II: Electric Boogaloo, 2007)

4/5. I miss this song, and while this isn't their absolute best song, what levels this track up is the vocals by Bruce Fitzhugh of Living Sacrifice, a band I gotta hear more of because I f***ing enjoy his vocals.

Candiria - "Year One" (from Beyond Reasonable Doubt, 1997)

4.5/5. An irresistible blend of metal and jazz continues to form with incisive riffs and rhythms as changes surround the sound.

The Showdown - "Dagon Undone (The Reckoning)" (from A Chorus of Obliteration, 2004)

5/5. Hear what I mean about Bruce Fitzhugh's guest vocals?! This is one of the best Christian metalcore songs I've discovered, and I'm up for much more...

Demon Hunter - "Sixteen" (from Storm the Gates of Hell, 2007)

4.5/5. This one sounds more original, starting with a long experimental chamber cello/guitar one and a half minute intro before vocals come in, including those awesome edgy guest vocals by Bruce Fitzhugh of Living Sacrifice in the pre-chorus, in contrast to the clean chorus. The breakdown has interesting lyrics.

Integrity - "Evacuate" (from Den of Iniquity, 1994)

4/5. This Negative Approach cover closes the band's 1994 compilation smoothly, but there's more in this playlist to come...

Strife - "Calm the Fire" (from One Truth, 1994)

3.5/5. This one is not so calm for the most part, but there's heavier fire here to end this close-to-mediocre hardcore offering. Again, there's more left in this playlist...

All That Remains - "What If I Was Nothing" (from A War You Cannot Win, 2012)

4/5. Let's break things up a bit with this ballad that has a similar vibe to Five Finger Death Punch ballads.

Starkweather - "Tumult" (from Crossbearer, 1992)

4.5/5. You'll definitely hear p*ssed-off metalcore starting shortly after the intro verse of the opener of the first album to mix metalcore with alt-metal.

Deformity - "Misanthrope" (from Murder Within Sin, 1999)

4/5. Taking its name from an earlier EP, this is an athletic hooker where brutal breakdowns are in great balance with the other aspects.

Scarlet - "The Joy Decoys are Coming" (from Cult Classic, 2004)

4.5/5. I f***ing love this kind of metallic mathcore, and this is almost guaranteed to make a cult classic.

Uni/Vs - "Ghost of Me" (from Ghost of Me, 2022)

4/5. The YouTube algorithm has once again worked the great rare way and given me a song close to what I like via an ad! Great guitar and drums, with both the unclean and clean vocals filled with clear emotion. It's not everyday that someone from a slightly remote country like Malaysia (that someone being me) can find great metalcore from different parts of the globe. Heavy fast verses and soft slow sections all around in a f***ing cool balance. This should be worth giving to my brother for another one of our city drives, and he might enjoy it slightly more. You can definitely hear some vibes from August Burns Red, Fit for a King, and definitely Architects here.

Architects - "A New Moral Low Ground" (from A New Moral Low Ground, 2022)

3.5/5. Speaking of Architects, this is a good metalcore anthem from their new alt-/industrial metal album, though not as glorious as songs from their metalcore releases.

Wage War - "Youngblood" (from Blueprints, 2015)

4/5. It's a little weird that I, a metalcore fan, started listening to this band thanks to my alt-metal-loving brother, though of course, it's a different song, not this one. There's nothing bad about this song at all, and it makes sure the band will never be forgotten.

Asking Alexandria - "The Lost Souls" (from The Black, 2016)

4.5/5. This symphonic anthem has perfectly delicate reflections of the band's past.

Issues - "Someone Who Does" (from Headspace, 2016)

5/5. Now here's some poppy alt-metalcore magic right here! This, along with "Coma", are my two favorite songs in that album.

The Word Alive - "Dark Matter" (from Dark Matter, 2016)

5/5. Continuing that poppy metalcore vibe with a darker audio aesthetic. I love it!

Botch - "Hives" (from American Nervoso, 1998)

4.5/5. This is a killer closer to this playlist and a good album of mathcore madness, but I wish it would have a more interesting ending like a piano melody or something after the rest of the instrumentation fades, but that didn't happen. Oh well...

Pretty good playlist I've made, huh? Despite a few slight bumps throughout... Anyway, I sure would recommend this to any metalcore fan and anyone who isn't into metalcore but wants to get into a great start in enjoying the genre. Thanks Daniel for accepting this, and I hope the rest of you enjoy it like I've had!

Bleeding Through - "Love Will Kill All" (2018)

I’d heard quite a bit of Californian metalcore outfit Bleeding Through while preparing the monthly The Revolution playlists but had never felt the need to investigate them further upon until this point. Perhaps I’ve been put off by their associations with the more melodic side of the genre or it may be because they simply don’t seem all that likely to appeal to my taste. I’m not too sure but my commitment to the Hall of Judgement & a site with the highest level of accuracy in regard to our genre-tagging has finally brought me face to face with my very first Bleeding Through album & I’m gonna do my best to keep an open mind.

As is very much the norm with the more well-known metalcore acts, “Love Will Kill All” is a really well-produced & executed record with polished & shiny performances from all of the band members. It’s a big, in-your-face collection of short & catchy metal tunes that’s made to appeal to a particular audience. You see, while Bleeding Through certainly integrate various external influences into their sound to good effect, they also showcase all of the signature traits of the metalcore genre at the same time so fans will never find themselves feeling the slightest bit alienated. I wouldn’t describe Bleeding Through as sticking to the conventional metalcore model here but neither would I say that the album is a melodic metalcore release either. It kinda sits in the middle with the band jumping from a straight down the line aggressive tune to a more melodic one with a clean-sung chorus hook quite consistently. If anything I’d probably suggest that the melodic side wins out in the end but a dual tagging is probably the most appropriate result.

The points of difference for “Love Will Kill All” are twofold. On the one hand you have a clear melodic death metal influence with At The Gates seeming to be the obvious point of reference through the driving, up-tempo yet melodic tremolo-picked riffage. Then we also see a clear melodic black metal influence in the use of gothic symphonics & well-executed blast-beats. Cradle of Filth is undoubtedly the source of those sounds. Having never been the biggest Cradle of Filth fan, I have to admit to struggling a bit with the overly melodramatic gothicisms on offer even though they do make for something a little different which is certainly required with a record like this one. The clean choruses on the more melodic tracks remind me quite a bit of Fear Factory so I wouldn’t be at all surprised to find that they were somewhat of an inspiration too.

One of the problems here though is the more generic elements of Bleeding Through’s sound as they kinda overshadow their more creative ones. The breakdowns are very much the standard model for metalcore & whenever they pop up I find myself snoozing a bit. The vocals of front man Brandan Schieppati are also terribly common. I mean he sounds EXACTLY like every other metalcore vocalist in America & that’s a big detractor for me personally. There are a couple of really enjoyable tracks here though & they generally occur when Bleeding Through simply release the shackles & go for broke like they do on album highlight “Buried” or the pretty decent “Cold World”. The rest of the album seems to drift into areas of insignificance though I’m afraid, even though there’s nothing particularly terrible here either.

At the end of the day I just don’t think I’m the target audience for a record like “Love Will Kill All”. I'd imagine that it’s exactly what the band were trying to achieve & that it’s disappointed very few of their rabid fanbase but it’s simply not something that would generally appeal to me. In fact, the only reason I’ve even found myself listening to it is to assist Andi with his Hall of Judgement entry to have it removed from The Horde & in that undertaking Andi will be receiving a resounding YES vote from me as (despite the At the Gates influence) there’s absolutely no way that this is a death metal record.

For fans of Unearth, The Agonist & early Shadows Fall.

3/5

Here's my review:

Belgian trio Arkangel seem to have built up a fairly strong reputation in the underground metalcore scene over the years with all of their releases being held in quite high regard by those in the know. I recently realised that I hadn’t actually checked them out before & found the links to thrash & death metal to be quite the drawcard. Their most critically acclaimed debut E.P. seemed to be a good starting point given its short run time so I thought I’d start there with this month’s The Revolution feature release seeming like the perfect opportunity for us all to explore 1998’s “Prayers Upon Deaf Ears” together.

My first impressions of Arkangel weren’t great it has to be said. The production job on “Prayers Upon Deaf Ears” is subpar at best with the levels being all over the place, a fairly ordinary snare sound & the vocals blaring over the top at obscene volumes. The level of musicianship isn’t real flash either to be honest & this leaves the band sounding a bit unprofessional to tell you the truth. Some of the six tracks simply don’t gel with the vocals sounding like they could be screaming over a completely different song to the one their band mates are trying to produce. I think the production probably accentuates that effect further too. The vocals are admittedly quite aggressive & are one of Arkangel’s strengths but I can’t find seem to find myself getting all that excited about them which tells me that they’re being done an injustice by their accompaniments.

Arkangel’s sound is pretty vicious for the late 90’s & is strongly influenced by extreme metal. The guitar tone is very much in line with US thrash/groove metal outfit Exhorder & some of the riffs remind me of them too actually. You can also expect some pretty blatant Slayer worship going on at times while some of the tremolo-picked single notes riffs seem to have been plucked straight out of the early Entombed playbook. That all sounds great on paper & I would have thought it would have amounted to an enjoyable release for me but it wasn’t to be with the last few tracks seeing my hopes being further dashed & leading into one of those awfully meaningless hidden tracks after a pause of about a minute.

I imagine that releases like “Prayers Upon Deaf Ears” build their reputations on pure vitriol but I need a bit more quality to keep me interested so I can’t help but feel that it’s an overrated record. The technical deficiencies are too blaringly obvious & the overall package seems more like a demo than a proper release.

For fans All Out War, Day Of Suffering & xRepentancex.

3/5

Here are my thoughts on all the selected tracks:

Atka - "1xs{aix:ccc}3xs{/a1:cc}4xs{Ij8}4xs{:::comtlkcc}" (from Untitled Album 1, 2018)

2.5/5. WARNING: This intro track suggested by Daniel (thanks for that, by the way) may be too intense for most music listeners, so if you can't handle the extra-spicy grind-mathcore, you might wanna skip it. Or if you want a more melodic start, go to track #4 and start there, then save these first 3 tracks for last.

Between the Buried and Me - "More of Myself to Kill" (from Between the Buried and Me, 2002)

4/5. Of course, this isn't as intense as that Atka track, but it's Between the Buried and Me at their most bonkers, when their original sound was basically deathly progressive metalcore. Still the "Memories keeping all these tears inside" section would have you raising your fist to this beauty. The cleans are really great, and I remember when I was listening to this band in my late teens. This pandemic sh*t really decimated the band's live plans, for they had the chance to remaster their first 4 albums and work on their recent album Colors II. The pace makes sure those 7 minutes don't last forever. Paul Waggoner has done excellent guitar tabs, not just in that aforementioned clean section, but during the first minute and half as well. This album and The Silent Circus show the band's heaviest material. The remastering has really paid off, and g****mn, the return to heaviness midway through gets my attention all the time.

Botch - "Hutton's Great Heat Engine" (from American Nervoso, 1998)

4.5/5. This fantastic highlight, "Hutton’s Great Heat Engine" has great chaotic moves including the guitar dive-bombing into a sludgy riff breakdown. Guitarist Dave Knudson has such extraordinary talent. He performs so naturally and helps the band gain its sense of individuality.

The Ghost Inside - "Avalanche" (from Dear Youth, 2014)

5/5. The Ghost Inside has some of the most blazing fire in metalcore and have managed to stay in their road through success. This album was released a year before the band's terrible accident. It's great that they've recovered after those subsequent years and continue to make f***ing awesome music like this. Dear Youth is a solid step up from Get What You Give, and would stay in that path for their self-titled comeback album.

Beartooth - "In Between" (from Disgusting, 2014)

5/5. The catchy chorus is so great within the melody and lyrics, in perfect balance with the raging verses. Gotta get more of this band!

Silent Planet - "Native Blood" (from The Night God Slept, 2014)

4.5/5. Another heart-toucher! The timeless music and powerful lyrics are amazing ("We were dressed in potential, now we're draped in sorrow").

Oh, Sleeper - "Hush Yael" (from Children of Fire, 2011)

5/5. I discovered this awesome band when my brother shared this song to me and made his own 8-bit version of it. For those who don't know what the story is about, Samir Kuntar was a terrorist who killed half a family when he was 16 in the 1979 Nahariya attack. He shot and drowned the father, then crushed the daughter's head. Yael is the other daughter whom her mother (the only survivor of the family) accidentally choked while trying to silence her cries. Kuntar was sent to prison for life, but was freed after nearly 3 decades. I didn't wanna have to spoil this much, but I guess it's good to know before you get to the song.

Caliban - "Assassin to Love" (from The Split Program, 2000)

4.5/5. A good thrash/groove riff rises after a great scream beginning this song. There are two f***ing brilliant breakdowns, but afterwards, the song sounds a bit draggy.

Deadguy - "Human Pig" (from Screamin' with the Deadguy Quintet, 1996)

5/5. This one gets you started in the same way as their debut, to level up your energy. After siren-like wailing of the guitar, the drumming gets all crazy, and vocalist Tim "Pops" Naumann (replacing Tim Singer) screams all over the place up to the end.

Unbroken - "End of a Life Time" (from Life. Love. Regret, 1994)

4.5/5. This one is also so good, and the more hardcore fans might keep coming back more.

Miss May I - "Relentless Chaos" (from Monument, 2010)

5/5. Another newfound favorite that would make me up for more of this band!

Betraying the Martyrs - "Embers" (from Silver Lining, 2022)

4.5/5. Nice melodic drama, though I miss when their earlier material had more prominent symphonics mixed with death/metalcore. The addictive cleans and killer screams make an amazing mix, especially in the huge chorus. Despite the ambience, the excellent metalcore heaviness is still around, and I love the exciting breakdown over the two-minute mark, energizing me more than coffee! This shows that, while the earlier epic vibe is lost, their new direction can be quite promising.

Underoath - "Writing on the Walls" (from Define the Great Line, 2006)

5/5. One of the best songs of this album and by the band! That's the music video I found on TV a few years before getting interested in this band, and it still rules! The vocals are really delivered well.

Fire From the Gods - "Excuse Me" (from Narrative, 2016)

4.5/5. If you wish to start with the more commercial metal sounds without going into older territory, this is a great place to start with multiple vocal styles, mixing rap with metal and hardcore. I'm not usually into a lot of this style besides Attila, how the f*** is this so good?! So radical!

Coalesce - "Every Reason to" (from Give Them Rope, 1997)

5/5. This band can pummel with every instrumentation aspect, including the heavy groove bass of Stacey Hilt, the smashing drums of James Dewees and the technical destruction in the guitar riffs by Jes Steineger. Altogether with Sean Ingram's mighty roars.

Psyopus - "Insects" (from Our Puzzling Encounters Considered, 2007)

4.5/5. It's too bad this band didn't get a lot of attention and ended up splitting up after only 3 albums. This is crushing technical mathcore, probably more technical than even tech-death bands like Cattle Decapitation and Job for a Cowboy. I'm enjoying this despite being half a world apart from this band. This is basically jazzy grind/mathcore more well-played and tolerable than Atka, with lots of notes. This really should've grabbed the world's attention than Kanye West, though it might cause a major p*ss. Those video-game-sounding guitars and vocal shrieks are not to be missed!

Electric Callboy - "Hypa Hypa" (from MMXX, 2020)

4/5. Once again my brother is really in the zone listening to this band, and while it's not exactly what I'm up for, this song would've definitely dominated Eurovision.

Motionless in White - "B.F.B.T.G.: Corpse Nation" (from Scoring the End of the World, 2021)

4/5. I'm glad to find this band last year. Their new album has a lot to touch my industrial alt-metalcore soul.

Scarlet - "Don't Hold Your Breath" (from Breaking the Dead Stare, 2000)

4.5/5. This is the best song in this EP, filled with top-notch raw math/metalcore brutality! Honestly, this is the kind of metalcore sound bands like Underoath, All That Remains, and Lamb of God were starting out at that time. Yep, that's brilliant mathcore right there!

Volumes - "Happier?" (from Happier?, 2021)

5/5. 100% loving this song, probably one of the best of last year! An incredible song to jam along to in a happy Summer after a depressing time. This emotional groove can pretty much make me shed tears of joy. I really love the lyrics, including that magical chorus. Volumes will never disappoint, instead making me happier!

Haste the Day - "Stitches" (from Pressure the Hinges, 2007)

5/5. Another beautiful song from another underrated band, worth listening to during an early morning motorbike ride.

State Craft - "Season's End" (from To Celebrate the Forlorn Seasons, 2000)

4.5/5. The ending epic to this album is the only one there that stands out well. The outro reminds of that of Trivium's Ember to Inferno. And speaking of Trivium...

Trivium - "The Shadow of the Abattoir" (from In the Court of the Dragon, 2021)

5/5. This brooding masterpiece of a song is the first of not one, not two, but THREE 7+ minute epics in the new Trivium album! This one might just have Heafy's best vocals EVER!! The verses go slow like a power ballad from Blind Guardian or Slough Feg with deep baritone vocals before rising to higher power in the chorus in a depressive journey ("Don't go searching for the battle, you won't find any beasts to slay, you'll rip yourself to pieces, you'll drive yourself insane, in the shadow of the abattoir...") The heavier bridge is more complex with key-switching breakdowns and extensive soloing that ends by perfectly replicating the chorus vocal harmony, before the final chorus itself where the background vocal harmony of bassist Paolo Gregoletto puts more emphasis in the harmony than before. EPIC!!

Crown the Empire - "Lucky Us" (from Retrograde, 2016)

5/5. Another song I just found that I now love. Lots of emotional passion that can make an instant favorite!

Bury Tomorrow - "Lionheart" (from The Union of Crowns, 2012)

5/5. Yet another instant #1! I want more of this band really bad.

Wage War - "Manic" (from Manic, 2021)

4.5/5. This song would have you repeating it over and over. F***ing great sh*t to headbang to! This is like a movie soundtrack to getting ready for fight and, during the heavy choruses and breakdown, fighting the enemies brutally. The Ghostemane vibes are quite accurate. I have a feeling there will be mosh-pits larger than any of the World Wars...

Make Them Suffer - "Bones" (from How to Survive a Funeral, 2020)

4.5/5. This one starts with Sean shouting "I CAN'T BREATHE!!", which in the wake of certain protests, might make you think that's what the song is about, but most likely not. Anyway, that song is one of the grooviest tunes by the band and my personal favorite of this album. The punchy guitar tones and jumpy drums sounds like the song might've been inspired by Issues. It is greatly memorable for its catchy chorus, where the instrumentation gets brighter and Sean sings cleanly for the first time, sounding like August Burns Red's Jake Luhrs' attempts in clean singing, in contrast to the darker djent-core passages. The final chorus especially would be worth singing along to once the band can go on gigs again. Speaking of August Burns Red, I love both MTS' "Bones" and ABR's "Bones", they're both great!

Oceans Ate Alaska - "Dead Behind the Eyes" (from Disparity, 2022)

5/5. Another song of kick-A greatness from Oceans Ate Alaska! It features I Prevail unclean vocalist Eric Vanlerberghe. I can repeat this part of the playlist any time! The clean vocals only appear during the last 20 seconds of the song and make a big impact.

Lorna Shore - "...And I Return to Nothingness" (from ...And I Return to Nothingness, 2021)

5/5. And finally, we have the title track to behold in all its epic glory. This is pure massive destruction that the band had in earlier material, perhaps much more than that. The death metal elements carry on in a steady rhythm, as the vocals are unleashed with berserk might, and the guitars shine even more. The riffs have incredible technical speed. Ramos doesn't have any mistakes in his vocals and the dark lyrics he reads. It's all in intentional thought and focus. His lines are made high while breaking through the lows. While the breakdown fury is an important aspect to the other two songs, and pretty much many other deathcore bands, for this track, fast blasting technicality is the key. Speaking of technicality and keys, the final climatic minute marks a couple raises in the key signature, blows you away with the last of the technical speed, and ends it all with an operatic outro. That final epic is probably the best of the 3 and one of the most glorious extreme metal songs in my entire lifetime!

Ice Nine Kills - "IT is the End" (from The Silver Scream, 2018)

5/5. OK, THIS is the final song of the playlist, a chaotic crown of disturbing glory, "IT is the End", and I think you already know what it's based on. It has many elements but they're used much better and features a few final guest vocalists, Peter "JR" Wasilewski and Buddy Schaub of Less Than Jake and Will Salazar of Fenix TX. It is indeed the craziest and most horrific of the album, and I love it! I made an entire scenario for this album, but I've spoiled enough, so check out my review. Happy Halloween!

HOLY SH*T, this is probably one of the best metalcore playlists I've ever done, with most of the tracks reaching 4.5 or 5 stars, and only a few tough speed bumps including a rough start (sorry, Daniel). Anyway, I sure would recommend this to any metalcore fan and anyone who isn't into metalcore but wants to get into a great start in enjoying 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!

I've always enjoyed this little collaboration between two of the more highly regarded names in metal. The usual Dillinger intensity is somewhat off-set by the avant-garde experi(mental) stylings of Patton which makes for some really interesting listening as you never quite know what to expect next. In fact, I was surprised to discover that Patton's influence has extended far further than I would have thought likely as you could be forgiven for thinking this was a Mr. Bungle record during certain sections. The Aphex Twin cover version was a nice surprise too although it doesn't quite match the original for twisted scare-factor. "Irony Is A Dead Scene" is a unique alternative for fans of either artist & should satisfy those who enjoy Converge, Mr. Bungle & Car Bomb.

4/5

Here are my thoughts on all the selected tracks:

Asking Alexandria - "Don't Pray for Me" from From Death to Destiny (2013)

5/5. Now this is an awesome way to start an album and playlist! The one-and-a-half minute intro is basically like a main menu theme for one of the HALO games, then FFDP-ish alt-metalcore is unleashed. Asking Alexandria is one of my recent favorite bands, and this song helps seal the deal!

Phinehas - "I am the Lion" from Thegodmachine (2011)

4.5/5. Another fantastic melodic metalcore song to love! The guitar leads two minutes on are hard to replicate, that's what unique this band is.

Coalesce - "Simulcast" from Coalesce (1995)

4/5. This track is in its original demo form, but still the only incredible song here, with some changes into an occasional sludgy sound that would hint at the band's incoming technical experimentation and emotion.

Parkway Drive - "Wild Eyes" from Atlas (2012)

4.5/5. This one has epic background chants and a cool bridge. The lyrics continue the theme of was from the past causing atrocities in the world today, this time in an anthem that you can sing and shout along to. VIVA THE UNDERDOGS!!

Silent Planet - "Afterdusk" from When the End Began (2018)

5/5. Imagine taking the metal/hardcore sound and lyrics of Underminded and The Warriors into Christian ambient progressive territory. This is the kind of greatness you're bound to love if you're up for that style.

Upon a Burning Body - "Fake Plastic Smile" from Straight from the Barrio (2016)

4.5/5. Danny Leal is a kick-A vocalist in sick songs like this one, though some lyrics are questionable. Both his unclean and clean vocals are f***ing kick-A, especially the Breaking Benjamin influence in the latter.

From Autumn to Ashes - "Milligram Smile" from The Fiction We Live (2003)

4.5/5. From Autumn to Ashes is another band that deserves more fame and f***ing respect. This heavily flawless song would fit well for that xXx snowboarding scene as much as the Hatebreed song that was chosen for that scene. The band has already reformed after a hiatus and intends to make more music. I can't believe I'm 23 and didn't discover this band until earlier this year. The indifferent listeners don't know what they miss. I kinda wish for more of that singing girl who appeared in a couple other songs.

Deadguy - "Turk 182" from Screamin' with the Deadguy Quintet (1996)

5/5. This one makes the band sounds more unique than most other hardcore/metalcore bands, but not the most unique themselves. That's good because everything gets balanced well for perfect enjoyment.

CMD81 - "Subsequent" from VOL_1 (2021)

4.5/5. This is one of those songs I've discovered from a YouTube ad that I can't skip unlike many of those sh*tty ads YouTube has nowadays. This is f***ing sick heaviness! Put this one on your workout playlist.

Earth Crisis - "The Wrath of Sanity" from Destroy the Machines (1995)

5/5. This song touches my metal heart the most of all hardcore-oriented tracks with probably the best breakdown of that genre.

Bury Tomorrow - "Man on Fire" from Runes (2014)

5/5. Another underrated unique metalcore band with perfect vocals, both clean and unclean. The lyrics, riffs, and beats also kick a**! I f***ing love this can't wait to find more from this band. It's almost worth a peaceful walk by yourself alone. Why the f*** can't this song get more popular?! Definitely some Parkway Drive/Silent Planet vibes here!

The Number Twelve Looks Like You - "Raised and Erased" from Wild Gods (2019)

4.5/5. With Wild Gods, #12 made their comeback for the more of the fantastic material mathcore fans have been craving for, including a bit of the emotional chaos of Put on Your Rosy Red Glasses. I'm digging this amazing sh*t, including the bridge that starts near the 3-minute mark.

Car Bomb - "Solid Grey" from Centralia (2007)

4/5. The mathcore madness is demonstrated yet again in this solid track.

Nineironspitfire - "Charcoal Drawings / Weapon of Choice" from Seventh Soul Sacrificed (1996)

3/5. The least agonizing song in this EP is their best attempt at the mathcore Deadguy developed more properly, in a two-part epic.

Veil of Maya - "It's Not Safe to Swim Today" from The Common Man's Collapse (2008)

4.5/5. This one has more melodic guitar skills along with unique drumming including the usual blast beats and...A WOOD BLOCK!!

Bring Me the Horizon - "Liquor & Love Lost" from Count Your Blessings (2006)

4/5. A strong sensational deathcore track. It kind of makes me think of a more death-ified take on Avenged Sevenfold's heavier metalcore material. The ending breakdown is so cool and brutal as f***.

Day of Suffering - "Shades of Red" from The Eternal Jihad (1997)

4.5/5. This one is a better highlight, with as much blasting intensity as Deicide before settling into hardcore groove. There's a chanting chorus important for live shows.

Demon Hunter - "We Don't Care" from True Defiance (2012)

5/5. Here's an awesome anthem that sounds like a Christian battle song of apathy, where Christians don't care if the world around them is condemned by sin. A heavy song with a heavy theme!

I, the Breather - "The Beginning" from Truth and Purpose (2012)

5/5. I love this kick-A song. Another instant favorite for me! The chorus has quite a message, "Fight for what you're longing for, hold tight, life has its funny ways, follow your heart when you can't think straight, life has its funny ways". This band has awesome metalcore roars. If I still had that electronic drum kit we ended up giving away and got better at drums, I would've performed a drum cover for this song. The pinch-harmonic breakdown reminds me of Born of Osiris.

The Devil Wears Prada - "Watchtower" from Watchtower (2022)

5/5. After a few false attempts to get into listening to this band, this is where I got my jump-start! Nothing disappointing even after 17 long years for the band!

Glass Houses - "Wellspring" from Wellspring (2016)

4.5/5. Holy f***, this is an excellent Skillet-ish anthem with unique lyrics! Quite heavenly...

Bad Omens - "The Fountain" from Bad Omens (2016)

4/5. Another good anthemic hit to live on forevermore...

The Artificials - "Tunnel Vision" from Heart (2017)

4.5/5. I can listen to this track a few times in a row, mixing blissful melody with angry rhythm. Close to a beautiful winner!

Elitist - "Equinox" from Reshape Reason (2012)

5/5. Ah yeah, let's hear it for an amazing round of melodic/technical metalcore! Obviously not all the vocals are clean, but I'm obsessed with the clean chorus, "The secrets of time are dying for more, than the weakness of our existence holds", in awesome contrast with the riffs and breakdowns. I would love more of this album and band! Standard 7-string B tuning is absolutely worth jamming out to, though I don't have a guitar, and the one my brother has is only 6-string. What makes this great song impressive is the ability to not overdo the clean vocals in metalcore, and that's why they rule here. So don't go telling a band to "drop their vocalist" just because of the cleans. There are some similarities to the djenty technicality of Born of Osiris and Volumes, and the melodic power of As I Lay Dying and All That Remains, but at least these guys are pros who don't rip off. Their riffs have gone through different unique ways...

Damaged - "Swine Eyed Sheep" from Token Remedies Research (1997)

3.5/5. The extreme-infused deathgrind/deathcore sound Damaged had in their career is proven in this good killer track.

Within the Ruins - "Roads" from Invade (2010)

4/5. A 6-minute two-part instrumental epic from this Massachusetts-based djenty metal/deathcore band, though it would've been better with some vocals...

Miss May I - "Masses of a Dying Breed" from Monument (2010)

5/5. This one's another nice highlight to get me into this band I've only recently discovered. Some editions say this features Caleb Shomo (ex-Attack Attack! and Beartooth), but I don't hear him, so that's probably just a mistake to overlook.

Everyone Dies in Utah - "Regenerate" from Infra (2021)

4.5/5. Another beautiful song worth headbanging to! I'm nearly a year late for this, but no prob. This is quite an amazing that I'm glad it's available on Spotify. Interesting that this band isn't highly well-known despite being active since the late 2000s.

Convictions - "Last Cell" from I Won't Survive (2021)

4/5. Slightly less quality while a great rocker. Enough said!

Architects - "Memento Mori" from All Our Gods Have Abandoned Us (2016)

5/5. This astonishing epic, along with the rest of this album, was written, recorded, and released in the last months of the life of guitarist Tom Searle, and the lyrics include a couple recorded quotes from Alan Watts that perfectly do justice to the inevitable transcendence into infinite darkness that awaited him. Absolutely amazing, emotional, and deserving to be heard beyond the universe. RIP this amazing legend... My mind is blown by such great remembrance for the memory of a talent young man gone too soon. And if one day, I end up passing too, this would be my funeral song. The power of the music and lyrics can be absolutely gripping. In fact, the lyrics and melody (specifically at the 4-minute mark) is revisited in "Death is Not Defeat", the opener of their next album and first without Tom. If you end up on the brink of death with no way out, just let it be. It is your fate. An inspirational message from this glorious epic to end this album and playlist. RIP Tom Searle. Memento Mori, be mindful of death....

HOLY SH*T, this is probably one of the best metalcore playlists I've ever done, with most of the tracks reaching 4.5 or 5 stars, and only a few tough speed bumps. I sure would recommend this to any metalcore fan and anyone who isn't into metalcore but wants to get into a great start in enjoying 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!

PURE…… CHAOS……

PURE… UNADULTERATED…. UNMITIGATED…. RELENTLESS CHAOS!!!!

That’s what German mathgrind outfit Atka bring to the table alright. Seventeen short, sharp shocks to the system through incredible insanity, complexity, urgency & savagery & a front man who must surely be only moments away from a hernia given just how nuts he goes on every track. I’m honestly not sure how a band like Atka can keep this up for more than one or two releases & that seems to have rung true for Atka who haven’t been seen or heard of since.

I really am a sucker for inexcusably brutal yet well produced extreme metal music, aren’t I? Particularly when the level of musicianship is as high as it is here. I mean if The Dillinger Escape Plan looked side to side I’m sure they’d see Atka sitting right alongside them in that department only they’re carrying a whole array of super-intense blast-beats to scare your boss, your girlfriend & your Aunty’s best friend right back to wherever it is they came from. At just thirty minutes in duration you would think that a record like this one would be well-served by the short runtime but I would think that even such a brief dalliance with the senses would be almost too much to bare in one sitting for the majority of casual metal fans. Thankfully I’m not a casual metal fan by any means & this record was right up my alley. May the song structures have ADD & the blast-beats be eternal I say!

For fans of Discordance Axis, Antigama & Fuck The Facts.

4/5

Once again, I continue to shine more of the spotlight on tracks from the 90s and early 2000s, since my earlier playlists barely have any songs from those eras like one or two per playlist. Of course, I've also added some new tracks from the 2020s, and the in-betweens of the mid-late 2000s and 2010s. I might bring back the spotlight on the new tracks in later playlists once I switch my focus out of those older tracks. After all, brand-new tracks are an essential part of playlists, right? Anyway, I like the way this all turned out, so here are my thoughts on all the selected tracks:

Integrity - "Those Who Fear Tomorrow" from Those Who Fear Tomorrow (1991)

4/5. Dwid Hellion makes an unforgettable shout of "MICHA!!!" that kick-starts this track and playlist, similar to the "NIGHTFALL!!!" scream that begins Dark Tranquillity's debut Skydancer. This was an important part of 90s hardcore, already signifying the metalcore vision of Earth Crisis and Hatebreed, even Killswitch Engage.

Avenged Sevenfold - "Unholy Confessions" from Waking the Fallen (2003)

4.5/5. The real melodic metalcore action begins with this recognizable track, a perfect embodiment of 2003 A7X!! The distinct hammering guitar intro is decently familiar in the metalcore realm, along with the power slides and other varieties in the mix. The tight drumming is so awesome and inspiring. No one can do it like the late Rev! (RIP) The bass patterns are tricky to hear but you can still feel them. The vocals are more enjoyable in the diverse sense than in any other part of the band's discography, alternating between screaming and clean singing. I also enjoy the catchy chorus and harmonies. I'll never argue with the fact that "Unholy Confessions" is the band's breakthrough hit!

Black Veil Brides - "Knives and Pens" from We Stitch the Wounds (2010)

5/5. I found this song that has similar riffing to that Avenged Sevenfold song, and that actually beats that one! I'm starting to love this band already and might support them directly as well, despite dumping those metalcore/emo (man, I hate that latter word) roots. SO AWESOME!!!

Asking Alexandria - "Not the American Average" from Stand Up and Scream (2009)

5/5. One more awesome song to follow the "Unholy Confessions"-like riffing chain, despite the somewhat immature lyrics ("YOU STUPID! F***ING!! WH*RE!!!").

Iwrestledabearonce - "Corey Feldman Holocaust" from Iwrestledabearonce (2007)

4.5/5. Another awesome band who knows how to make a brutal breakdown after a blissful clean bridge. They have definitely surpassed August Burns Red in adding experimentation to metalcore while staying true to the genre. Holy sh*t, the lyrics are sick without having to understand! Part of the experimentation comes from comedic samples including, towards the end, the iconic Super Mario Bros. jingle and, shortly after, a line from Clerks, "Hey try not to suck any d*ck on the way to the parking lot."

The Tony Danza Tapdance Extravaganza - "Paul Bunyan and the Blue Ox" from Danza 4: The Alpha - the Omega (2012)

5/5. This is pure beauty! Probably the most insane mathcore swarm without vocals, that you can tap-dance to so hard that you can cause an earthquake on the streets. So much intricate elegance in perhaps my favorite song of this f***ing sick and killer album!

Rorschach - "In the Year of Our Lord" from Remain Sedate (1990)

4.5/5. The name of this track can easily refer to this year being the year of the creators of metalcore, Rorschach!

Trivium - "Ember to Inferno" from Ember to Inferno (2003)

5/5. Here they unleash their upbeat yet heavy metalcore guitar riffs, similar to Shadows Fall, that not only sound good but keep the listener going through the music, not just the lyrics, including its incredible lightning-fast solo.

Premonitions of War - "Time for Iron" from Premonitions of War (2000)

2.5/5. Wow, this sounds worse than I thought in Spotify! Why the f*** did I choose this?! Probably because it's under a minute long and I wanna get this sh*t out of here fast in my early metalcore subgenres tour.

Born of Osiris - "Rosecrance" from The New Reign (2007)

3.5/5. This is an unusual yet mind-blowing opening track. It is one of the oldest songs by the band to be re-recorded from an earlier demo, the first version being as early as 2004, when they were a post-hardcore/deathcore band called Your Heart Engraved. In the song, the keyboard doesn't appear until the end. There's a lot of sharp chugging in the guitars, made groove-sounding with the impressive vocals. After over the first half-minute is a lovable but annoying break that would confuse you until you listen to more of the riff-wrath and drumming.

Converge - "Eagles Become Vultures" from You Fail Me (2004)

5/5. Totally the best song in its original album! The intro drum fill sends you into the great hellfire of energetic riffs, insane drums, and vocals screaming scathing lyrics. There's a fantastic breakdown with dissonant chords with Bannon shrieking, "Our eagles become our vultures!!"

Earth Crisis - "Firestorm/Forged in the Flames" from Firestorm (1993)

5/5. Karl Buechner indirectly screams out a message against all the world's problems, in the popular title track of this EP Firestorm, "A chemically tainted welfare generation, absolute complete moral degeneration". The track is indexed together with "Forged in the Flames", an incredible anthem for The Revolution.

Snapcase - "Killing Yourself To Live" from Progression Through Unlearning (1997)

4.5/5. Now this kicks a**! This was back in the hardcore side of metalcore was still reigning and can cause cool riots. I'm not currently thinking of continuing my non-melodic metalcore rediscovery journey, but if I do, this album might be a good one to start with. Great one, Daniel!

Deadguy - "Free Mustache Rides" from Screamin' with the Deadguy Quintet (1996)

5/5. This is the odd yet best one in this EP. The lyrics and screams can be scary as sh*t for newcomers while having a bit of humor, particularly in the title.

Deformity - "The Dark Sun" from Murder Within Sin (1999)

4.5/5. The centerpiece of this song's entire album, and a great underrated part of death metal/deathcore history. The riffing starts off sounding like Slayer before leading into bruising death, complete with screams and growls in the vocals. That's how explosive death metal/core can be!

Crawlspace - "Enter the Realm of Chaos" from Enter the Realm of Chaos (2001)

3/5. The best song for me in this poor attempt of a death metal/core EP, with good drums in the mix, and once it's all over, the album's piano/string intro is reprised.

God Forbid - "Chains of Humanity" from IV: Constitution of Treason (2005)

5/5. This is the strongest headbanging track of its original album, binding together extreme Megadeth-like riffing with an intense yet melodic chorus. The "STRENGTH! BEYOND STRENGTH!!" bridge with Byron Davis’ shouting really gives the song more commanding force.

Underoath - "The Only Survivor Was Miraculously Unharmed" from Lost in the Sound of Separation (2008)

5/5. This is a furious follow-up, stunning you way hard. Once again, what makes that song a highlight is the drumming by Gillespie. That and his singing keeps getting better album after album, dominating alongside melodic chanting after all that fire and brimstone.

Electric Callboy - "We Got the Moves" from We Got the Moves (2021)

4.5/5. Another music video from Electric Callboy that my brother likes and gave me the idea to add this song to the playlist. Keep the trance-dance up and high! It's so bizarre yet worth approaching, this wild roller.

Memphis May Fire - "Wanting More" from This Light I Hold (2016)

4.5/5. H*ll yes, I want some more of this!

Upon a Burning Body - "Snake Eyes" from A New Responsibility (2022)

5/5. ...And even more of this! This banger shows Upon a Burning Body channeling their Pantera spirit while reminding some of Throwdown. You can hear that all the way to the ending bass line! This would be a crazy good live staple. SO G****MN AWESOME!!! Well done, guys!

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

5/5. The lyrics are well-written from this solid band! At least there isn't a wild breakdown in every moment (except the bridge), easier for this song to be preserved for eternity.

Northlane - "Citizen" from Mesmer (2017)

5/5. Both this album and that In Hearts Wake album were released a year after both bands' collaborative EP. For this track, OMG, I have no words to describe this beauty!

Down & Dirty - "Heaven Sent" from Heaven Sent (2017)

4.5/5. This is one of those songs you can use to comfort yourself after a painful relationship, especially those cool lyrics. This can almost be like a combination of Architects and the early 2010s eras of Asking Alexandria and Bring Me the Horizon. This can really show how relationships can end up dead in Hell. The vocals rule here!

Kingdom of Giants - "Wayfinder" from Passenger (2020)

4/5. Another underrated song with cool production, though I'm not into the synthwave undertone.

Sienna Skies - "Misunderstood" from A Darker Shade of Truth (2016)

4.5/5. The vocals sound really good, almost like early 2010s Parkway Drive, though there is a clean chorus.

Wage War - "If Tomorrow Never Comes" from Manic (2021)

5/5. If tomorrow never comes and we watch the world burn, at least we have this awesome banger!

Betraying the Martyrs - "Swan Song" from Silver Lining (2022)

5/5. This is pretty awesome! With a new frontman, Betraying the Martyrs have completed their transformation from symphonic deathcore to technical metalcore that Make Them Suffer have completed two years prior. Probably my favorite track in this EP!

Shadow of Intent - "The Dreaded Mystic Abyss" from Melancholy (2020)

4.5/5. Another long instrumental epic, a mind-blowing monster that has hit me the hardest in my 9 years of metal. I still only have mild interest in Shadow of Intent, though I guess this could be what the DOOM soundtrack would sound like if Angel Vivaldi teamed up with Mick Gordon. 10 minutes of atmospheric, epic, and brutal genius!

Every Time I Die - "We Go Together" from Radical (2021)

5/5. This track ends this playlist and Every Time I Die's final album similarly to Between the Buried and Me's Automata pair of albums, a theatrical metal ending encouraging us to go together. I didn't the band would actually go for real... RIP

HOLY SH*T, this is probably one of the best metalcore playlists I've ever done, with most of the tracks reaching 4.5 or 5 stars, and only a few tough speed bumps. I sure would recommend this to any metalcore fan and anyone who isn't into metalcore but wants to get into a great start in enjoying 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!

For this month's playlist, I decided to shine more of the spotlight on tracks from the 90s and early 2000s, since my earlier playlists barely have any songs from those eras like one or two per playlist. Part of the inspiration for that motive came from my rediscovery of bands from all different metalcore subgenres (except melodic metalcore when that subgenre wasn't a primary genre at that time), and I would sometimes feel up to adding more to my journey. I like the way this all turned out, so I might continue this for another playlist or so. Of course, I would have to control myself so I don't run out of options from those eras too fast. So here are my thoughts on all the selected tracks:

Eighteen Visions - "1996" from 1996 (2021)

5/5. If we're going travel back to 1996 and its surrounding years, might as well start with a recent song about that year. This is heavy old-school-sounding metalcore that would have you party like it's that year!

Ice Nine Kills - "Funeral Derangements" from The Silver Scream 2: Welcome to Horrorwood (2021)

4.5/5. This is a heavy fast one based on Pet Sematary, in fact basing the music and lyrics on the score and sounds of the movie, the latter coming from a truck horn and a laughing child.

Coalesce - "Simulcast" from 002 (1996)

4/5. This is the only incredible song in that false start of an EP, with some changes into an occasional sludgy sound that would hint at the band's incoming technical experimentation and emotion.

Kublai Khan - "The Truest Love" from Absolute (2019)

3.5/5. Kublai Khan is one of the few bands still around to stay heavy instead of going soft. In fact, the only other band that has probably done the same is Knocked Loose. "FEET TO THE F***ING EARTH!"

Static Dress - "Fleahouse" from Rouge Carpet Disaster (2022)

4/5. This is a melodic starter for its album, bouncing through a noisy mix of singing choruses and harsh verses. It's the perfect setup for what to expect in the album. Things would keep expanding as it all goes on, as the crew stabilize the foundation.

Embodyment - "Religious Infamy" from Embrace the Eternal (1998)

4.5/5. Recorded from an earlier demo is this killer track with brutal growls from Bruce Fitzhugh of Living Sacrifice.

Reprisal - "The Shadow of Mankind" from Boundless Human Stupidity (2000)

3/5. This is the only song that really slightly stands out in this album, reminding me of Underoath at that time.

Caliban - "A Small Boy and a Grey Heaven" from A Small Boy and a Grey Heaven (1999)

3.5/5. This track has the hardcore bass crunch going on that's actually audible, though low and ominous. That's how early metalcore shall roll around here!

Threat Signal - "As I Destruct" from Under Reprisal (2006)

4/5. I loved Threat Signal quite a lot when I was still listening to melodeath mixed with metalcore. The riffs, solos, and drums can be violent in contrast to the melodic singing in the chorus and the awesome solo, probably the best in this playlist that, at this point, has so far gone down to 1996. It's so f***ing good and heavy! I can hear what caused ERRA to be. I would consider the track cyber-ish heavy metalcore.

Bullet for My Valentine - "You Want a Battle? (Here's a War)" from Venom (2015)

4.5/5. This stadium-ready gang-singing anthem really shows the band's higher strengths, having some potential as a theme for a WWE wrestling montage.

Strife - "Question Mark" from One Truth (1994)

4/5. This is the most f***ing metal track in this album, especially that shriek towards the end.

Attack Attack! - "What Happens If I Can't Check My Myspace When We Get There?" from Someday Came Suddenly (2008)

4.5/5. Honestly, this sounds like a mix of metalcore-era Avenged Sevenfold, Black Veil Brides, and Asking Alexandria, plus a bit of Underoath. This is a killer mix of metal and electronics, why exactly do people treat it like sh*t?!

Electric Callboy - "Spaceman" from Spaceman (2022)

4/5. OK, there might be a good amount of metalheads who might hate this, probably hate it far more than Elton John. Sure the instrumentation, vocals, and lyrics might sound ridiculous, but it's still quite fun, and my brother likes it, which is why I submitted this. "The universe is down for my rave attack!"

Integrity - "Jimson Isolation" from Den of Iniquity (1994)

4.5/5. This demo is a sneak peek to their next album System Overload, and has a nice Danzig/Sabbath influence in the pace.

Deadguy - "Die With Your Mask On" from Fixation on a Coworker (1995)

5/5. This mid-paced cruiser keeps up the standard-tuned riff wrath as you hear a ranting frenzy in the vocals ("so quick to deny and patronize"). That's a much better way to start mathcore than the overly experimental Candiria!

Car Bomb - "Vague Skies" from Meta (2019)

4.5/5. An unforgiving sonic crusher.

Damaged - "The Mirror Perils" from Token Remedies Research (1997)

4.5/5. This track is the best of its original album! It turns things around from the sh*tty first half of that album by mixing their deathgrind/deathcore sound with more extreme yet melodic influence than just nu metal.

Rorschach - "Pavlov's Dogs" from Remain Sedate (1990)

5/5. There's not much justice done if I describe in words a song from the very first metalcore album, but this one blasts out into metalcore fury right from its very creation. And those interrogators in Zero Dark Thirty though this music would be torture...

The Artificials - "Lone" from Parables of the Human Spirit (2019)

4.5/5. This is quite f***ing insane! It sounds so emotional, especially the female vocals and that scream over the one-minute mark. The last half-minute is so otherworldly, taking me to another dimension!

Oceans Ate Alaska - "Hansha" from Hikari (2017)

5/5. A different morph between metalcore and ambience. I love it!

Make Them Suffer - "Vortex (Interdimensional Spiral Hindering Inexplicable Euphoria)" from Worlds Apart (2017)

4.5/5. If you pay close attention to this track, the part where vocalist Sean Harmanis screams "A-A A-A-A A-A-A-A A-A A", that's actually Morse code for the subtitle's acronym "ISHIE". Cool, right?!

Betraying the Martyrs - "Black Hole" from Black Hole (2021)

5/5. Sensational new single from BTM! Gotta get the Silver Lining EP as soon as I can...

In Hearts Wake - "Timebomb" from Kaliyuga (2020)

5/5. Alongside the awesome breakdown, this song has a devastating mix of Parkway Drive verses and and Linkin Park choruses. I'm so thankful to find one of the best songs I've heard in this playlist! This amazing fiery banger is what I need to take my mind off the ongoing virus. I can definitely hear a bit of a Crystal Lake vibe in the vocals. The melodic guitars are quite fun as h*ll.

Memphis May Fire - "Sever the Ties" from This Light I Hold (2016)

4.5/5. Another insanely good track! Matty Mullins continues leveling up his vocal intensity.

Parkway Drive - "A Deathless Song" from Ire (2015)

4/5. This is a killer 6-minute finale to its original album, opening with an uplifting acoustic intro before the melody transcends into heavy overdrive. The lyrics are as epic as the song while having a few hilariously cheesy lines like "Let me be your drum of war and love." I still like it! The deluxe edition has a shortened version of the song with guest vocals by Jenna McDougall of Tonight Alive, along with a couple other bonus tracks. My brother likes that shortened version, and so do I. However, I just prefer the original epic, since it seems more Revolution-worthy.

Trivium - "Declaration" from Ascendancy (2005)

5/5. The epic of the pinnacle album of Trivium's career is the album’s 7-minute final track. Intense harmonies, lightning-fast beats and solid grooves mingle together to form a driving wall of sound, basically everything metal fans can surely enjoy. The vocals range from deep growls to higher clean vocals that will strike through the heart of any metal listener.

We Came as Romans - "I Knew You Were Trouble" from Punk Goes Pop, Vol. 6 (2014)

4.5/5. An odd song to choose here, but I still quite love this Taylor Swift cover and this band, We Came as Romans. It's an awesome motivator for when I something going on later today (as of this comment). In fact, much better than Taylor Swift's original song! Kyle Pavone really nailed the vocals here. RIP

Arkangel - "Killing to Keep the World Turning" from Arkangel is Your Enemy (2008)

4/5. Well, time for a few brutal songs to close this playlist. This one's quite killer.

Deformity - "177252: God Defined" from Misanthrope (1997)

3.5/5. working the best and most memorable in its original EP is this 4-minute riff-monster, actually adopting fast breakdowns and catchy vocal sections, despite lyrics of Alien-like extraterrestrial murder.

Unbroken - "Curtain" from Life. Love. Regret (1994)

4/5. This playlist ends with a 9-minute epic to shape up top-notch progressive hardcore/metalcore for a different metal future. Everything is wrapped up with long feedback outro to pleasantly end the short yet wholesome journey this band has made. I know the more hardcore fans would certainly look forward to give this playlist and the song's original album a spin again.

This playlist really worked well with this "early throwback" motive, despite a few slight bumps in the beginning, and I look forward to continuing that idea wisely. I sure would recommend this to any metalcore fan and anyone who isn't into metalcore but wants to get into a great start in enjoying 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!

Here's my synopsis from the time of release:

I first became acquainted with Buffalo-based metalcore outfit Every Time I Die back in 2012 through their "Ex Lives" album which I really enjoyed so I thought I'd check this one out after seeing it receiving a fair bit of praise from fans & media. It's a very solid release too. You'll find all of the usual metalcore traits here but the difference is that Every Time I Die are a class act & execute everything splendidly. There's a sophistication to the instrumentation which occasionally borders on mathcore complexity but there's also plenty of variation with the band throwing in a few more commercially focused alternative rock influenced numbers that show off a surprising amount of talent in song-writing & hook-development amidst their usual hardcore-fuelled ferocity. Front man Keith Buckley screams his fucking head off as expected but also showcases a variety of alternative influences from Tom Araya to Serj Tankian to Zack de la Rocha at various times. The album opens & closes with its best tracks which are both absolutely sublime & I left the experience feeling well satisfied with my efforts.

For fans of Coalesce, Ithaca & Drowningman.

4/5

Ok, so this is a fantastic example of metallic New York hardcore that will surely appeal to the vast majority of our regulars. Snapcase have an extremely well-defined sound that's tight as a nun's nasty & heavy as a bulldozer. You can easily pick out the much talked about influence of alternative metal stars Helmet in the staccato riff structures. The vocals of front man Daryl Taberski are suitably aggressive & entirely captivating while the guitar tone is simply devastating. I can't say that I understand the affection for the snare drum sound which would seem to be a little thin & tinny & stands out like a sore thumb on top of an otherwise superb production job in my opinion but otherwise this is an extremely consistent & thoroughly rewarding hardcore-driven experience that's placed "Progression Through Unlearning" straight into the middle of my all-time top ten for Conventional Metalcore.

4/5

Please be aware that after much deliberation & discussion the Trancecore subgenre has been removed from the database with the vast majority of releases having been tossed into the Melodic Metalcore basket.

Here are my thoughts on all the selected tracks:

We Came as Romans/Brand of Sacrifice - "Darkbloom" (Reimagined) from Darkbloom (2022)

5/5. Let's start with a killer deathcore-infused remake of We Came as Romans' new epic metalcore single, so I thought I would add it as a tribute to one of my favorite songs from my first assembled Revolution playlist from November. A f***ing amazing banger in the heart of dark fire!

All That Remains - "Madness" from Madness (2017)

4.5/5. This is a heavy groove song that was a good choice for a single. The political lyrics are somewhat repetitive, but the rest of the song is pure heavy metal madness, enjoyed by me and my brother!

Ice Nine Kills - "Assault & Batteries" from The Silver Scream 2: Welcome to Horrorwood (2021)

5/5. The experimentation continues in this track, based on the Chucky series (Child's Play), where after a couple news broadcast samples, child singing adds to the incoming terror. While mostly referring to the first Chucky film, his bride is sometimes mentioned ("stitched back together it seems, by the evil bride of his dreams"), further expanding the concept to the rest of the franchise. I thought the "Hey Andy..." part spooked me a bit, since that's close to my name.

Currents - "Delusion" from The Place I Feel Safest (2017)

4.5/5. Another good band that deserves to be more popular. This is quite d*mn sick as f*** with a good amount to love in this tune, especially the djent soloing in under the 3-minute mark. It's much more deserving than that overrated pop/rap cr*p.

Among Them - "Still" from Coming and Going (2018)

4.5/5. This one has quite some meaning in the lyrics, along with killer depth in the growls and djent influence. This band has potential to go big in fame. Probably the best part is near the 3 and a half minute mark when the guitar harmony and bass have heavy emotion. F***ing sick, man! I should keep my eyes and ears for more modern djenty metalcore like this and listen to them. However, a minute before that best part is the second-best, a brutal yet emotional breakdown. Nice!

For the Fallen Dreams - "10 Years" from Six (2018)

5/5. Now this is an awesome band! Holy f***ing h*ll, I love this furious fire! My brother has listened to a few songs from this band around the time of this album's release, but somehow I never got around there until now.

Northlane - "Colourwave" from Mesmer (2017)

5/5. The breakdown here is one of the best, and it has stirred up a new favorite song and band here. I'm so pumped up for more of this album and band entering my comfort zone. I've reached a good street in the metalcore highway.

Upon a Burning Body - "A New Responsibility" from Fury (2022)

5/5. Let's f***ing roll with another killer band that's a recent favorite of mine!

Demon Hunter - The Negative" from War (2019)

4.5/5. This one's excellent, showing more of the vicious growls/screams in ways never usually heard from the band.

Dreamwake - "Paradise" from Virtual Reality (2022)

4/5. I found this song via a YouTube ad, and I like this quite a bit. Who knew you can add saxophone to an ending metal breakdown?!

Invent Animate - "Shapeshifter" from Greyview (2020)

4.5/5. D*mn, there's a bit of Cult of Luna-like clean ambience while still being upbeat metalcore. This combination with the vocals of Garrett Russell from Silent Planet works like a boss. I especially love the bridge at the two and a half minute mark before the last chorus. The lyrics are slightly heavier than the music and never disappoint. While I enjoy the Garrett's vocals, the rest of the song is still silver and enjoyable. It definitely puts the band near the top trio of Architects, Northlane, and In Hearts Wake, helped out by the middle breakdown. They should go on tour with Polaris!

Crystal Lake - "Freewill" from The Voyages (2020)

5/5. I can't put to words how perfect this is. Listen for yourself!

Born of Osiris - "Throw Me in the Jungle" from Soul Sphere (2015)

4.5/5. This one has some of the most varying vocal styles in a Born of Osiris song; lows, mids, highs, cleans, you name it. However, the harsh/clean dueling chorus is a little flat and the lyrics can be a bit confusing, but that doesn't affect the rest of the track.

Employed to Serve - "I Spend My Days" from The Warmth of a Dying Sun (2017)

4/5. Another automatically recommendation, this time from Spotify when I was assembling this playlist. D*mn, this sounds almost as f***ing brutal as Gojira. Some pretty good bad-a** sh*t right here!

War From A Harlots Mouth - "The Polyglutamine Pact" from MMX (2010)

4.5/5. This is definitely the best track here with riffs crushing through frantic drumming. Great choice, Daniel!

Converge - "Trespasses" from All We Love We Leave Behind (2012)

4.5/5. This one punches in a full assault of blazing percussion, indecipherable screaming, and intricate guitars and bass. The ugly and nasty production gives the track an excellent advantage. The tremendous speed works much better than the earlier calculated rhythm.

The Dillinger Escape Plan - "Calculating Infinity" from Calculating Infinity (1999)

4/5. This interlude is softer with some guitar crunch before building up building into the maximum tension needed for the later tracks.

Car Bomb - "HeLa" from Mordial (2019)

4.5/5. This is a basic mathy metalcore song that's isn't bad at all. Good break from the unique heavy intensity while keeping a bit of it.

Gaza - "Cult" from I Don't Care Where I Go When I Die (2006)

4.5/5. Also not as highly insane as the first two mathcore tracks, but it does have some funny lyrics ("Hey kids, the Jesus-reaper wears a cowboy hat!!!!") and a guest appearance Trevor Strnad of The Black Dahlia Murder with his own shrieking verse. RIP...

The Contortionist - "Oscillator" from Exoplanet (2010)

5/5. This is the only re-recording from this band's EP Apparition to keep the original title and practically be the same as the original, yet it has better production that further lightens up the drum talent and the song's epic outro lead solo.

Enter Shikari - "Adieu" from Take to the Skies (2007)

4.5/5. This is one of the most beautiful ballads from a Revolution album I've heard. This band is the best at making pleasant surprises for the listeners. A beautiful soft break from all that intensity before it makes a sinister return in the next song...

Polaris - "The Descent" from The Death of Me (2020)

5/5. The metalcore power returns, hitting you like a bullet-train. F***ING INCREDIBLE!!! It's moments like the last third of the track that makes you wonder why this band isn't so highly popular. Absolutely underrated!

Emmure - "203" from Hindsight (2020)

5/5. This is the kind of music I can probably make when I start making my own metal compositions, simple yet deep in the meaning while giving you a dark blast in the face. I love this one and there's more I gotta find from this band!

Make Them Suffer - "How to Survive a Funeral" from How to Survive a Funeral (2020)

4.5/5. This track's drum beats, piano melodies, and soft vocals show a different side of Make Them Suffer, as if it's something new yet something old. I'm OK with that! All those dynamic changes integrated sound greatly thought-out to the point where the next album should have deeper experimentation, just as long as they stand by the sound that they've been known for.

Chelsea Grin - "Hostage" from Eternal Nightmare (2018)

4.5/5. This is some sick deathcore in this song for you to fight the world at war. At the two and a half minute mark is a short soft ambient section that would work for a trap remix, not that I would ever be a fan of trap music. The new vocalist f***ing rules! Do you see your demons?!

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

5/5. This is another song re-recorded from a demo. It really stays true to the deathcore sound this album has spawned, and is one of the best here.

Trivium - "Shogun" from Shogun (2008)

5.5/5 (not exaggerating). The title track of Trivium's 4th album Shogun is the longest track they've ever made at nearly 12 minutes. It is the most epic and progressive song of the album, pretty much partly inspired by Dream Theater. The guitar work in the verses is a little sludgy, but once again contains some battling contrasts between clean vocals and screams, and the chorus is as well-done as steak. Then after a few minutes of soft vocals and soloing, the song builds up to an epic climax featuring lightning fast soloing, chaotic drums, and Heafy's vocals become more powerful than ever before. Then it's back to the chorus followed by the repetitive yet still nice outro. Here's how I would describe the song in an epic fantasy tale: 0:00-3:54 - A knight goes on a huge journey to track down an evil overlord and his army threatening to destroy the land. The knight fights some monsters on the way. 3:54-7:13 - The knight reaches the overlord's lair and goes around finding some allies willing to form an army for the knight. 7:13-7:43 - The knight and his assembled army are ready to fight the overlord's army. 7:43-9:40 - An epic battle commences between the two armies and between the knight and the overlord. 9:40-end - The overlord and his army are defeated, the knight's army wins in victory, peace is restored, and the knight heads off into the unknown.

Motionless in White - "Eternally Yours" from Graveyard Shift (2017)

5/5. Then the knight finds the princess of the kingdom and elopes with her, living eternally ever after. Very much some alt-metalcore fire before calming down for a final outro to pleasantly end this playlist.

Holy wars, this is probably the best Revolution playlist I've assembled, with all songs reaching 4 to 5 stars! To make sure my opinion doesn't sound selfish or bad form, I would recommend this to any metalcore fan and anyone who isn't into metalcore but wants to get into a great start in enjoying 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!

Bonus epilogue part of this journey before really putting it to rest:

With their debut, Satisfaction is the Death of Desire, it amazingly describes the band's lack of satisfaction for life's advantages and disadvantages. In its release year 1997, their former label Victory Records was still focused on hardcore/early metalcore bands that included not just Hatebreed but also Earth Crisis, Integrity, and Strife. If this early debut isn't an honor for the metalcore sound that would stick with Hatebreed, I don't know what is! You can hear a lot of strong guitar, smashing drumming, and rebellious lyrics in this awesome metal/hardcore gem that is quite short, but length doesn't matter here. I'm glad to finally complete my early metalcore rediscovery voyage with this album. Thanks Ben for adding this to the site, and I ever come across some more albums that can top this one, I'm up for that challenge. Bring on the hate for me to love!

5/5

I really enjoyed this feature Andi. It's certainly helped by an excellent production job which allows the chaotic music to jump out of the speakers at you as it should with all mathcore. The Meshuggah influence is obvious in the significant djent component of their sound. I really dig the harsh vocals which remind me very much of Phil Anselmo's screamier material. In fact, that's not the only hint at a Pantera influence with many of the djenty riffs leaning heavily on the groove metal superstars for inspiration as well. The clean vocals seem to be influenced by Deftones' Chino Moreno but aren't nearly as effective as the screams & are the clear weakness of the album in my opinion along with some overly ambitious rhythmic complexity that sees things crossing the chaos line by more than I'm comfortable with on tracks like "Naked Fuse". Still... Car Bomb are a quality outfit full of accomplished musicians & with an appropriate level of aggression & angst. What's not to love about that?

4/5

This one has not yet reached the point of death, though it might later this year if I keep wearing it more often. Behold, my over two-years-old Trivium t-shirt!

Here are my thoughts on all the selected tracks:

Memphis May Fire - "The Sinner" from The Hollow (2011)

5/5. Let's start with this mighty metalcore opener that would make you want more, especially the first chorus at the one-minute mark!

The Ghost Inside - "Between the Lines" from Returners (2010)

4.5/5. I'm glad this band is still here after that near-fatal tour bus crash in 2015. You get to witness the band create more tunes that follow the ones before the crash. I love the brilliant lyrics here. "Where have the words gone?!"

ERRA - "Gungrave" from ERRA (2021)

5/5. I love this one! The artwork for that album is quite cyberpunk-ish. The sound here is awesome too!

Of Mice & Men - "Echo" from Echo (2021)

5/5. I've heard of this band a few years ago and never gotten the chance to actually listen to much of them... But now I might feel up for that again with this amazing track! Aaron Pauley's vocals sound awesome despite having to go solo.

Any Given Day - "Loveless" from Overpower (2019)

4.5/5. Any Given Day sounds like they continue the groove anthems Five Finger Death Punch had in their earlier albums, while sticking to their own metalcore recipe. There are great lyrics in this one!

Crystal Lake - "Aeon" from Helix (2018)

5/5. Another band that has now become one of my favorites, because of this wild rollercoaster ride through progressive metalcore, deathcore, djent-core, and tech-black-death. That's how diverse this can be!

If I Were You - "Broken" from Inner Signals (2018)

4.5/5. Another great song really worth listening to. Enough said!

Architects - "Death Is Not Defeat" from Holy Hell (2018)

5/5. Some of the most intense lyrics and music I've heard in this amazing masterpiece of a song! It fits well for the band after their earlier guitarist Tom Searle passed away. RIP... If death catches up to me on an untimely moment, I'd like this as my funeral song. Absolutely underrated! The rhythm in the final minute, towards the end, shows the Tom era coming full circle.

Currents - "Origin" from The Way It Ends (2020)

4.5/5. Quite some fire here. Feel it burn!

Trivium - "Watch the World Burn" from In Waves (2011)

5/5. And then watch it burn as this track branches out beyond the band's usual sound of thrash metalcore. It still keeps that style but it's a more progressive track. The song has pretty much everything from heavy riffs and a progressive bridge with epic singing and screaming vocals to a melodic thrash chorus.

Demon Hunter - "This is the Line" from The World is a Thorn (2010)

5/5. Another awesome heavy song. That song's chorus is a little cheesy with more clean singing and not as much shouting as the rest of the song that the shouting plagues. Outstanding song choice there, Daniel!

Ice Nine Kills - "Rainy Day" from The Silver Scream 2: Welcome to Horrorwood (2021)

4.5/5. This is based on the Resident Evil movie, which itself is based on the video game series and that makes me wonder if they should've saved it for a horror video game tribute album. The highly different gamer-industrial tones produce a vibe of video games and early 2000s action film soundtracks.

Attila - "Proving Grounds" from Guilty Pleasure (2014)

4.5/5. One of the best Attila songs for me! I love how this song is based on Fronz's real-life stories in a way that almost stretches the truth of his struggles in the music industry with his "b****rds be damned" like attitude. Not the super-best, and not the most appreciated but still so good. Makes you want to "Hit the back button, repeat this song." Except if you're like my mother who can't stand the heavier metal/core or if you're sensitive to a bit of homophobia in the middle ("WHO'S THE F****T NOW?!"), in which case you might wanna go somewhere else. Can Of Mice & Men reach that level? Most likely not.

Make Them Suffer - "Fake" from Old Souls (2015)

5/5. For a song titled "Fake", it's never fake. It's a real punishing song with sharp riffs and menacing views towards hypocrisy and indoctrination that basically say "To h*ll with religion!" A great standout!

War From a Harlots Mouth - "Spineless" from MMX (2010)

4.5/5. Without a doubt, this has some of the best instrumentation here. Catchy breakdowns, a well-placed clean section, and crushing riffs keep leveling up.

The Dillinger Escape Plan - "Mouth of Ghosts" from Ire Works (2007)

5/5. Probably the longest TDEP song at almost 7 minutes. After 4 minutes of mellow jazz piano, things start building up before the guitars enter one last time in an almost theatrical conclusion.

ExitWounds - "Sickened" from Heaven is Empty (Hell is in My Mind) (2021)

4.5/5. This is quite a sick banger, with nearly the right metalcore vibe!

Convictions - "The War That Followed Me Home" from I Won't Survive (2021)

4/5. If the band Reflections married Norma Jean and then cheated on that band for Veil of Maya, this song is what would be spawned. You can definitely hear the influences from those bands within the guitars.

Lost in Separation - "The Secrets We Keep" from The Secrets We Keep (2022)

4/5. It's no secret what there is for the heavier metalcore fans to love. Some cool metalcore hype here! The vocals are quite a chiller, especially in the chorus. Quite some beautiful killer jamming there. Sworn In has really influenced this band to make such a banger.

The Parallel - "Monochrome" from Weaver (2018)

4.5/5. D*mn, that chorus has powerful meaning! Other than that, I don't have a lot to say.

Void of Vision - "GOTHIKA" from CHRONICLES I: LUST (2021)

5/5. Filthy synths and breakdowns are gonna make Ocean Grove regret not having them longer. The playlist gets better again with this d*mn underrated band. So ravaging this sound! And I thought their song "VAMPYR" from the March playlist was the heaviest those guys can do. The mixing is f***ing brilliant, a fantastic distorted beast of a song! I don't know any other filthy banger that could top this. The unclean vocals really transcend through realms, maybe one of them being Emmure. Your bones would be crushed in a moshpit activated when this song is blasted live. Heavy in a decent level for me, kinda like Northlane at their heaviest.

The Afterimage - "Cerulean" from Eve (2020)

4.5/5. Apparently the vocalist of this band is also in deathcore band Brand of Sacrifice. Quite fascinating! The riffing/rhythm in the intro and bridge reminds me a bit of Meshuggah, specifically the Nothing era.

Dead by April - "As a Butterfly" from Let the World Know (2014)

5/5. High-quality beautiful lyrics in this excellent song! If the tempo was two times faster, this would've made the song more metalcore. But there's already enough strength to brush aside that weakness like it's nothing.

Asking Alexandria - "Moving On" from From Death to Destiny (2013)

4.5/5. A great song from Asking Alexandria, and one of my favorite metal ballads, to break things up a bit.

Chelsea Grin - "Blind Kings" from Blind Kings (2020)

4/5. Chelsea Grin is back at it again with some searing deathcore only suitable for those who can go underground.

Underoath - "Act of Depression" from Act of Depression (1999)

3.5/5. Some of Dallas' best screaming comes from the 10-minute title epic of this band's deathly metalcore debut. The lyrics deal with suicide, but the way he screams those lyrics with pain and depression in his voice is the best aspect of the track. Christians normally condemn suicide, but the lyrics tell the story of someone who was bullied (as you can hear from the sound samples at the 7-minute mark). The lyrics are meant to discourage such a tragic action, instead of encourage, and that's what Christians prefer. However, it can't beat the rest of this playlist.

Betraying the Martyrs - "When You're Alone" from Breathe in Life (2011)

4/5. A killer song to roll with the f***ing punches. You can hear the deathcore elements of Whitechapel combined with the symphonic black metal of Dimmu Borgir, mixed into this band's own unique sound.

Slice the Cake - "The Holy Mountain" from Odyssey to the West (2016)

4.5/5. This fits well as the closing single track epic to both this playlist and its original album, mixing all and additional elements to end this theatrical journey. Nothing is simple! The melody and rhythm fades, and you might just feel up to repeating this journey again.

Holy wars, this is probably the best Revolution playlist I've assembled, particularly the first half with all songs from that half reaching 4.5 and 5 stars! To make my opinion not sound selfish or bad form, I would recommend this to any metalcore fan and anyone who isn't into metalcore but wants to get into a great start in enjoying 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!

Following my dalliance with Bad Omens this past few weeks and also making more of a conscious effort to stretch the boundaries of my taste, I decided to give War From A Harlots Mouth a try.  I didn't hate this by a long chalk but by the same token I find it a little to fluid in its transitions to the point where I find myself switching off.  For some reason I expected I would need less concentration for this to still seep through the room and into whatever I was doing at the same time.  However, without physically sitting down and focussing on the record I find little that sticks.  When I am in the zone with it the polyrhythms do attach themselves better but I still won't pretend that I keep up with it all the time.

The jazzy interludes are the parts that really standout to me,, otherwise it is too much for my tiny brain to comprehend in the main.

3/5

Here are my thoughts on all the selected tracks:

Attack Attack! - "The Revolution" from Attack Attack! (2012)

4.5/5. Let's start this playlist with a suitable anthems for The Revolution and metalcore, the first of which being an amazing Attack Attack song! And why wouldn't it be the Revolution anthem? This is full-on metalcore power that fans of the genre love. Wow, this is absolutely worth headbanging to! It's surprising fitting for the recent Capitol Riot. The 30-second intro might bore some, but it's all for suspense before the action starts. And there's more metalcore greatness to come in this playlist...

Attila - "Metalcore Manson" from Closure (2021)

4/5. Here's the other beginning metalcore anthem of lit fire. Actually like the title suggests, it mixes metalcore with the more alt-metal side of Marilyn Manson. Very cool metalcore that could remind some of an X-rated partying recent Architects. A f***ing crazy banger!

Code Orange - "Swallowing the Rabbit Whole" from Underneath (2020)

5/5. Another climatic start point of the action, this one is awesome! One funky section has an average one time change per second in 7 seconds!

Bullet for My Valentine - "4 Words (To Choke Upon)" from The Poison (2005)

4.5/5. Another really good song with excellent lyrics, amazing drums, and a good solo!

Trivium - "Strife" from Vengeance Falls (2013)

5/5. This is of the best songs from the band and its album, combining a small bit of the Disturbed formula with the band's signature thrash elements. Though it still cannot beat the ultimate favorite which is the title track of the previous album In Waves.

Dreamshade - "Photographs" from The Gift of Life (2013)

4.5/5. "Look at these photographs, every time I do it makes me laugh..." Just kidding, it's not that song. Such strong lyrics in this melodic Dreamshade song, so intense to fit well with the emotional music. The heavy rhythm levels up the vocals. There's even a bit of synth power here and there. I might show this song to my brother who's having a bit of melodic metalcore in his playlist. "Through my eyes you're fading..."

From Sorrow to Serenity - "Perpetrator" from Reclaim (2019)

4.5/5. This d*mn underrated good sh*t goes hard, an excellent hammering single they've nailed. Such a brutal beast, so new and unique! And holy f***, that chorus sounds amazing! Lots of djent-core riffing here. This guys cleans sound a bit like James Hetfield. Some things might be a bit confusing, but I'll this band do what they love.

TheCityIsOurs - "Violent" from COMA (2021)

4/5. Found this cool song and snuck it in here. This might please the heavier fans who enjoy metalcore with a more f***ing violent edge.

Silent Planet - "Nervosa" from Everything Was Sound (2016)

4.5/5. This song is apparently about anorexia and encourages people suffering from that disorder to overcome with passion. Such captivating lyrics from this amazing song, with guest vocals from Cory Brandan of Norma Jean.

Phinehas - "Grace Disguised by Darkness" from The God Machine (2011)

5/5. "I scream Your name! Your name!! Your Name!!! Are You outside Your wrath?! OH GOD~!!! YOUR NAME!!!!" Some of the best music! What more can we f***ing get?!? I feel like conquering the rest of their discography.

Northlane - "Bloodline" from Alien (2019)

5/5. Absolutely awesome lyrics and production here! So atmospheric while dark and heavy. Fantastic prog-ish alt-metalcore!

Sleep Waker - "Alias" from Alias (2021)

4.5/5. This is quite a heavy jam! I love the cleans here. The story might take some time to understand, but the song is an amazing chiller. This is a brand new generation of metalcore this band is, along with Polaris, ERRA, and Crystal Lake (the latter two bands we'll hear later in this playlist). The screams are great too and essential for such a metalcore banger. It is killer, but the best I can give this is 9 out of 10. Still this band is quite f***ing underrated. Metalcore started in 1990 as an experiment to add metallic elements into hardcore, and listen to that genre now! Good music that shall keeping moving forward, probably as far as Cane Hill.

The Ansible - "Maestranza (Lost)" from Forever (2019)

4.5/5. Some more amazing atmosphere and tempo. A f***ing sick and amazing single! This is atmospheric prog-ish metalcore similar to the Silent Planet and Northlane songs from earlier. Though the singing sounds like Brendon Urie from Panic at the Disco.

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

4/5. Another consistent banger for the new decade, but the Dreamshade song a slightly higher edge.

Dealer - "Tourniquet" from Saint (2020)

3.5/5. The intro sounds almost like that of Godflesh's "Crush My Soul", and the rest is just nu metalcore that close to Attila's level but not as much of an anthem.

Amaranthe - "Fury" from Maximalism (2016)

3/5. This blaster displays Henrik Englund charging like a raging bull with vocal venom, actually sounding like Blood Stain Child-esque melodeath for the first 40 seconds, until it gets ruined by Elize Ryd trying to impersonate Rihanna. What a joke! So why did I submit this? Because I wanna hear Amaranthe once more before the fate of trance metal.

ERRA - "White Noise" from Impulse (2011)

5/5. Can you believe that I've never actually listened to a full song from this band until I was assembling this playlist?! The tone and depth is all in perfect dissonance! Definitely a piece of perfection that makes me want more of this band.

Monasteries - "Allowing Your Traitors to Die" (2021)

4.5/5. A mathy deathcore ripper to flex upon. Enough said!

Bound in Fear - "Cardinal Sin" from Eternal (2021)

4/5. Same with this sick hammering track. But I would have to have real deathcore man b*lls to go that far into brutality.

Impending Doom - "Chaos: Reborn" from Baptized In Filth (2012)

5/5. Actually I might! Indeed this is deathcore, but with Christian faith instead of that satanic sh*t. There's a bit of a Meshuggah influence here, so that's interesting... If anybody thought deathcore/death metal doesn't mix with Christian themes, they would be wrong. Thanks for this submission, Daniel!

Betraying the Martyrs - "The Righteous with the Wicked" from The Hurt the Divine the Light (2009)

4.5/5. I still enjoy the kind of deathcore I used to strictly be into, which is when the genre has more symphonic/progressive elements. Think of this one as a killer mix of the mid-2000s eras of Bring Me the Horizon and Bleeding Through, and Septicflesh.

Shadow of Intent - "Gravesinger" from Melancholy (2019)

4.5/5. Seems like Shadow of Intent took Betraying the Martyrs' earlier sound to a much darker level alongside some classical elements of Bach and Beethoven mixed with some of the most brutal metal subgenres out there. This might also include some Dimmu Borgir-like symphonic black metal in the middle. And the outro with neoclassical soloing before a symphonic closure is just EPIC.

The Tony Danza Tapdance Extravaganza - "Yippie-Kay-Yay Mother!@#$%^" from Danza 3: The Series of Unfortunate Events (2010)

5/5. Fans of the Die Hard film series would definitely recognize that track title. This is f***ing incredible underrated mathcore in the house!

The Number Twelve Looks Like You - "The Garden's All Nighters" from Worse Than Alone (2009)

5/5. In early 2009, this band released their last album before breaking up for 6 years. I now recognize what a f***ing amazing band #12 is! A new adventure awaits to add to my ongoing journey. At over the 4-minute mark is one of the most beautiful while still wild mathcore sections around.

The Dillinger Escape Plan - "43% Burnt" from Calculating Infinity (1999)

5/5. The most popular track in its album and possibly mathcore! The fans love it enough for the song to remain a staple in the band's stage setlist. The song opens with screeching chords, before continuing into what may be the anthem of mathcore. The last minute and a half is just a trance-inducing mantra that slowly fades out. I think that's the 43% of the song that's burnt. The song still has a lot of the potential the band has offered; a playful section, atmospheric guitar, enraged lyrics, and more tempo changes than most other bands' albums. Beautiful yet defiant!

Gaza - "Mostly Hair and Bones Now" from No Absolutes in Human Suffering (2012)

4.5/5. This one starts Gaza's last album amazingly, as nicely intense as mints!

Crystal Lake - "Into the Great Beyond" from The Voyages (2020)

5/5. First thing when I starting getting some more band's discographies, this one, Crystal Lake! More perfect greatness beyond...

Resolve - "Between Me and the Machine" from Between Me and the Machine (2021)

4.5/5. As this journey comes in, one thing I don't wanna miss is a long epic, this one lasting 8 and a half minutes! It almost summarizes everything we've witnessed in this playlist, and the breakdown/solo mix is just heavenly. There are times when it seems like they f***ing nailed what they have in that amount of length. Such a climatic epic would make this complete, though I expected slightly more.

Enter Shikari - "Reprise 2" from Take to the Skies (2007)

4/5. Also known as "Closing", this marks the outro of Enter Shikari's most metal album, their debut Take to the Skies, and it's suitable for ending this playlist, still having the metalcore instrumentation in the first half, including the weird growls that not many other bands can do. "And still we will be here, standing like statues!"

Wow, this playlist turned out pretty well! I'm glad to have some good help from Daniel with his submission. I look forward to listening to more of the bands that are perfect for me. I would recommend this to any metalcore fan and anyone who isn't into metalcore but wants to get into a great start in enjoying the genre. Thanks Daniel for accepting this, and I hope the rest of you enjoy it like I've had!

With so many bands of metalcore and its different styles/subgenres I started listening to this weekend, like 10 bands (because of my Revolution monthly playlists), I decided to present not only what those bands are but also a food pyramid-like guide to metalcore for people just discovering that genre and wanting to find more. So behold:

Other bands to fit in the guide:

MELODIC - Issues

STYLISTIC - Architects

STANDARD - Beartooth

DEATHCORE - Lorna Shore

Saxy, Sonny, Vinny... do any of you guys feel up to sharing what each of you think are the 10 most essential songs in The Revolution?

Nothing from me.

OK, so I've relented from and deleted the original vitriolic rant I posted for Demon Hunter's 2010 album, The World is A Thorn, although I still think that's a terrible title. I truly don't like shitting on any metal albums too much because there's always bound to be someone who enjoys the album in question even if I don't and I suppose you have to respect that. Despite that, I didn't enjoy this at all I'm afraid and I know it isn't aimed at me, but that is part of the issue - why should it be "aimed" at anyone? 

I think I am so affronted by albums like this that are so obviously aimed at maximising commercial success because they go against the fundamental principles of why I listen to metal. I want to hear bands that maintain their integrity and play music they can justify artistically, not because they want to get played on Kerrang!! TV or get a cover story on Metal Hammer so they can sell hoodies or play bigger venues. This just sounds like an album that is chock full of compromises. There's a few shouty, angsty tracks to get the kids' attention, but there's also some radio fodder such as Collapsing and (even worse) Driving Nails that those kids can play to their mum so she'll think it sounds like that lovely Nickelback guy and buy the album for them, or at the very least allow them to wear the band's merchandise.

Albums like these seem to plague The Revolution and are the reason why I struggle with the clan so much. The rebellion they attempt to illustrate is so contrived and compromised that it becomes laughable. True rebellion is playing what you want with no compromises to the money machine or fashion police and if people like it then great or if they don't then that's OK too. I guess that's why guys like Fenriz have to have a day job too (he's a forest ranger if you didn't know).

Shit, I know - it still sounds like a rant doesn't it? Well that's the best you're going to get I'm afraid. Sorry.

1/5

Here are my thoughts on all the selected tracks:

Amaranthe - "Leave Everything Behind" (from Amaranthe, 2011)

5/5. This track to begin the playlist is one of the first songs by the band and it has melodeath, alt-metal, power metal, and a bit of trance all in a perfect balance. The choruses are catchy while staying epic, especially in the guitar solo during the last one.

All That Remains - "Two Weeks" from (Overcome, 2008)

5.5/5 (not exaggerating). This is one of the band's first songs to discard most of their metalcore sound, but I still love it anyway! This is the band's best track on the album, probably the band's best one in general. Dueling guitars, deep bass, relentless drumming, this song has it all. And I can thank my usually alt-rock-loving brother for getting me into this melodic metalcore glory!

Invent Animate - "Cloud Cascade" (from Greyview, 2020)

4.5/5. Very good and dark, just the way I like it!

Like Moths to Flames - "Do Not Resuscitate" (from Pure Like Porcelain, 2021)

5/5. Now this is what I really love, melodic-ish metalcore with a brutal breakdown! Like Moths to Flames is a band I wish to discover more of. The chorus rhythm is in excellent progression. The lyrics seem to relate to Alzheimer's. The brutal breakdown groove occurs in the last 30 seconds of the song, one of the best of the year! Though there is an emotional verse a minute earlier. Also there's a bit of amazing soul-touching piano in the middle. The band can go in like a lion and out like a lamb, then vice versa! Seems like after their recent 11-track album, they decided to release another EP. This heavy bomb is phenomenal. An absolute metalcore banger!

Savage Hands - "Memory" (from The Truth in Your Eyes, 2020)

4/5. Gnarly riffs, great vocals, catchy melodies... This band can stay quite sharp!

We Came as Romans - "Daggers" (from Daggers, 2021)

4.5/5. How is this band staying on without Kyle Pavone?! Either way, this single has killer potential! RIP Kyle

Within the Ruins - "Feeding Frenzy" (from Elite, 2013)

5/5. Another fantastic metalcore band! The screaming can sound emotional while staying aggressive along with the rest of the music which also beautiful melody. I f***ing love it! Screams don't ruin metal, it makes it better.

Thornhill - "In My Skin" (from The Dark Pool, 2019)

4.5/5. An atmospheric journey that allows you to drift along with this unique captivating music. The vocals give the track a melodic vibe. However, in my quest to try to score a home-run for this band, I'm stuck in 3rd base.

Void of Vision - "VAMPYR" (from CHRONICLES I: DUST, 2021)

5/5. Here's what I prefer to go for in metalcore, dark aggression! After that heavenly drift in the Thornhill track, the Void of Vision one forcefully drags you through Hell, reaching the deepest most violent depth during the end. One of the best!

InVisions - "Deadlock" (from Deadlock, 2022)

4/5. First song I've heard from this band, and I can hear a bit of their stellar talent.

Saving Vice - "Endgame" (from Hello There, 2020)

4.5/5. A sweet killer balance between brutality and melody. So amazingly bad-a**! This is kind of the equivalent to the limbo realm between Heaven and Hell, when you visualize the aftermath of an untimely death, like in the next track...

August Burns Red - "Indonesia" (from Constellations, 2009)

5.5/5 (not exaggerating). This is my favorite song on this song's album and probably the band and this playlist. It is dedicated to David Clapper, drummer Matt Greiner's second cousin, who was a missionary killed in a plane crash in Indonesia. There's a lot of sweeping and breakdowns, plus a guest clean vocal appearance by Tommy Rogers from Between the Buried and Me.

Weeping Wound - "23[23]23" (from PAIN, 2019)

4.5/5. Now this is some heavy sh*t that's barely bad at all, a f***ing satisfying banger! We shall get more of this amazingness further...

Aviana - "Oblivion" (from Obsession, 2022)

4/5. D*mn, this sounds quite useful for a DOOM-like video game soundtrack. F***ing good heaviness!

Trivium - "Sever the Hand" (from The Sin and the Sentence, 2017)

4.5/5. Speaking of DOOM, my brother's been listening to this song lately because it reminds him of the soundtrack to that game. And why not??? This one really kicks things up to high gear and has a darker thrash metal-influenced sound.

Bullet For My Valentine - "Shatter" (from Bullet For My Valentine, 2021)

3.5/5. After that slight ballad, there's more Hell to unleash with rising feedback before the dark verses and fierce moshing chorus. Interesting choice, Daniel!

Bring Me the Horizon - "Pray for Plagues" (from Count Your Blessings, 2006)

4/5. This band, THIS BAND wrote dark lyrics and brutal music?!? Yep, and it still hits right after all these years! While this isn't as perfect as their metalcore material, it really beats their recent alt-pop-rock phase. This heaviness keeps me both calm and active during the late-night hours of me writing these comments. Seriously, f*** the pop rock sh*t, the older material is what the heavier fans should get. When Oliver Sykes does his amazing screams to say the album's title, that's the best part. So underrated!

Make Them Suffer - "Contraband" (from Contraband, 2021)

5/5. This Australian symphonic metalcore band has returned with a brand new single to start a mosh pit at home. The piano melody is hauntingly beautiful, but Booka Nile doesn't sing in that song. In fact, she was in hiatus due to taking time off to participate in Married At First Sight Australia, then just recently, she was fired from the band. For this song, the band brought in Courtney LaPlante of Spiritbox to perform female vocals. If she wasn't committed to her main band, she might have a chance to join this one. Anyway, this track is kind of like a bridge from their previous album How to Survive a Funeral to whatever comes next, and can be considered August Burns Red with female singing. Still I miss the glory days of Neverbloom and Old Souls.

Psyopus - "The White Light" (from Ideas of Reference, 2004)

4.5/5. Here's a nostalgic throwback to when mathcore was rising in the early 2000s. Only someone who has mastered experience this kind of complex chaos can truly enjoy this track as much as I do. Listen at your own risk!

A Trust Unclean - "Aeon" (from Parturition, 2017)

4/5. F***ing underrated heavy technical deathcore right here! This can please the heavier fans looking for radical brutality.

Alpha Wolf - "The Mind Bends to a Will of Its Own" (from A Quiet Place to Die, 2020)

5/5. Another heavy headbanger! The lyrics follow the breakdown ridiculously well. The blast beats blow you away like a gigantic wind tunnel. A Warp Tour is in order for this band! This is basically Slipknot gone hardcore bonkers. I can definitely hear some Knocked Loose influences. The last-minute breakdown starts with a scream, literally!

Darko US - "Insects" (from Darko, 2021)

4.5/5. These lyrics are quite addictive in this f***ing slammer! What other band can go that wild?...

Brand of Sacrifice - "Demon King" (from Lifeblood, 2021)

4/5. I first started listening to metal when I was 13. Little did I know that, 10 years later, I would be exposed to some of the most berserk music I've heard in my life! Still I would reserve for the more brutal professional fans.

Gaza - "Gristle" (from I Don't Care Where I Go When I Die, 2006)

4.5/5. This one starts hard on the guitar then goes light before heading back into the heavy waves, sounding like another song inspired by early Converge. The song rolls with a heavy punch at the end.

Daughters - "Cheers Pricks" (from Hell Songs, 2006)

5/5. This long 6-minute epic has one of the most catchy bass loops I've heard.

Vein - "Doomtech" (from Errorzone, 2018)

5/5. Here you can find some intimidating hardcore. These 5 minutes are filled with chaotic changes to spin your head in uncontrollable directions.

Shadows Fall - "Somber Angel" (from Somber Eyes to the Sky, 1997)

4.5/5. Another incredible song! The first minute is a beautiful acoustic intro, then the rest is pure melodeath-inspired metalcore mayhem.

Underoath - "Pneumonia" (from Voyeurist, 2022)

4/5. This closing finale is worth describing on its own. It is the band's first 7-minute epic since the one at the end of Define the Great Line (still not as long as any of the songs from Cries of the Past). Basically it's brooding drone/post-metal that really emphasizes the first part of the post-hardcore name. Things start to build up to a final phenomenal climax. All in just that last minute, you hear more energy exploding than a supernova before it's all over. It's Underoath's "Nighttime Disguise"!

Wow, this playlist turned out pretty well! I'm glad to have some good help from Daniel with his submission. I look forward to listening to more of the bands that are perfect for me. I would recommend this to any metalcore fan and anyone who isn't into metalcore but wants to get into a great start in enjoying the genre. Thanks Daniel for accepting this, and I hope the rest of you enjoy it like I've had!

I'm back into the Revolution zone early, all!

After having fun with the "most popular 50 Infinite albums and EPs in 2021" last week, I've decided to the same with my other 3 clans. So here they are for The Revolution, with the number of ratings and average score:

#1 Between the Buried and Me - Colors II (2256 / 3.51)

#2 Poppy - Eat (NXT Soundtrack) (2164 / 3.67)

#3 Frontier - Oxidized (1992 / 3.50)

#4 Every Time I Die - Radical (1593 / 3.55)

#5 Knocked Loose - A Tear in the Fabric of Life (1578 / 3.77)

#6 Pupil Slicer - Mirrors (1163 / 3.41)

#7 Trivium - In the Court of the Dragon (938 / 3.47)

#8 SeeYouSpaceCowboy - The Romance of Affliction (807 / 3.46)

#9 Lorna Shore - ...And I Return to Nothingness (706 / 3.51)

#10 Sunami / Gulch - Sunami / Gulch (606 / 3.51)

#11 ERRA - ERRA (592 / 3.39)

#12 For Your Health - In Spite Of (578 / 3.24)

#13 Yautja - The Lurch (563 / 3.45)

#14 Anna Pest - Dark Arms Reach Skyward With Bone White Fingers (481 / 3.14)

#15 Humanity's Last Breath - Välde (435 / 3.30)

#16 SeeYouSpaceCowboy / If I Die First - A Sure Disaster (430 / 3.53)

#17 Brand of Sacrifice - Lifeblood (414 / 3.26)

#18 Ice Nine Kills - The Silver Scream 2: Welcome to Horrorwood (397 / 3.31)

#19 Death Goals - The Horrible and The Miserable (384 / 3.43)

#20 Zao - The Crimson Corridor (369 / 3.46)

#21 Jinjer - Wallflowers (366 / 3.29)

#22 The Devil Wears Prada - ZII (315 / 3.47)

#23 Fawn Limbs - Darwin Falls (311 / 3.35)

#24 Bullet for My Valentine - Bullet for My Valentine (310 / 2.89)

#25 Hazing Over - Pestilence (309 / 3.39)

#26 Born of Osiris - Angel or Alien (292 / 3.16)

#27 Slaughter to Prevail - Kostolom (275 / 2.77)

#28 Silent Planet - Iridescent (275 / 3.44)

#29 While She Sleeps - Sleeps Society (256 / 3.14)

#30 Dying Wish - Fragments of a Bitter Memory (251 / 3.46)

#31 Wristmeetrazor - Replica of a Strange Love (250 / 3.31)

#32 Circuit Circuit - Circuit Circuit (247 / 3.53)

#33 MouthBreather - I'm Sorry Mr. Salesman (244 / 3.48)

#34 God’s Hate - God’s Hate (239 / 3.27)

#35 Employed to Serve - Conquering (215 / 3.14)

#36 Kaonashi - Dear Lemon House, You Ruined Me: Senior Year (208 / 3.24)

#37 Darko - Darko (200 / 3.34)

#38 Skin Tension - Machinic Impulses of the Hyperreal (190 / 3.26)

#39 Wanderer - Liberation From a Brutalist Existence (181 / 3.40)

#40 Mental Cruelty - A Hill to Die Upon (179 / 3.28)

#41 Carnifex - Graveside Confessions (176 / 3.30)

#42 Wage War - Manic (175 / 3.35)

#43 Abiotic - Ikigai (174 / 3.14)

#44 Ghostemane - Fear Network II (161 / 2.58)

#45 Of Mice & Men - Echo (155 / 3.44)

#46 Bridge Burner - Disempath (140 / 3.44)

#47 Juan Bond - Womb (138 / 3.01)

#48 Waking the Cadaver - Authority Through Intimidation (126 / 3.32)

#49 LANDMVRKS - Lost in the Waves (125 / 3.12)

#50 Of Mice & Men - Timeless (124 / 3.34)

I'm not at all versed in the ways of deathcore (or almost any-core to be honest) and I'm not even sure I know what breakdowns or gravity drops really are - sorry I'm just exceptionally ill-informed (or possibly uninterested) in that respect. I think this is probably a generational thing and, being an older metal fan, deathcore, metalcore etc. have never played a huge part in my listening habits and I'm perfectly happy to leave it to you younger whippersnappers. In truth any kind of djenty chugging immediately puts me off, but hey, good luck to you if that's your thing - I don't consider it a lesser form of metal, it just isn't my thing, so shoot me. Consequently I have no idea if this is any good or not in the deathcore pantheon, but I didn't take against it anything like as much as I thought I might. Sure, by album's end I was glad it was over but at least I made it that far which is pretty good going for me when faced with a -core album and OK it's only 34 minutes so that helps. The band's personal beliefs are irrelevant to me also but I guess if they are christians it may well have hindered their popularity in the metal scene as a significant number of metal fans are kind of weird that way. I'm not sure if comparing the vocalist to Phil Anselmo is any great advert for the band either, it certainly doesn't make me any more sympathetic towards them and yes, Daniel, the accusation of Kroegerness is valid as regards the clean sung vocals on My Light Unseen.

So that's all I have to contribute really and essentially Baptised in Filth is an album I am mostly indifferent to, but at least I didn't hate it, so there's a plus!

2.5/5

Hey all, I'm gonna be taking a two-week break from The Revolution. I still enjoy all the bands I like from metalcore and its related subgenres and I still wanna keep my clan lineup intact. I just need a small break from the rebellion. Hope you all understand. As some of you know, I write my own book series aimed for young children, and I'm currently writing an activity book. What does this have to do with my break from The Revolution, you may ask? Well because I tried to make my character a little more rebellious but my parents rejected that, saying that it's inappropriate for my target group; younger kids who can easily imitate stuff. So for the next two weeks, I'll be taking my mind of rebellious things such as metalcore to make sure the activity part of the activity book is good for everyone. And don't worry, once I'm done with my break, I would be ready to share my thoughts about the feature release and playlist I've submitted for March when they're available to the public. Well, time to make march out of the rebellion until the beginning of March!

My thoughts on a couple more tracks (as part of my Revolution playlist band catchup):

Every Time I Die – “Moor” (from “From Parts Unknown”, 2014)

4.5/5. A sick underrated song! Enough said.

The Ghost Inside – “Aftermath” (from “The Ghost Inside”, 2020)

5/5. YES!!! My second attempt to try this song and it's still solid! Some might be reminded of Stick to Your Guns at some points. The last minute and a half hit hard. I'm glad the band is still going strong after recovering from that bus crash, including Andrew Tkaczyk, who lost one of his legs in the crash, still having his impressive drumming skills.

The Every Time I Die record was a worthy winner here in my opinion although I was pleasantly surprised by the Bullet For My Valentine one & it wasn't as far behind as I would have thought prior to giving it a few spins. "Radical" is beautifully executed though & it showcases a high class outfit that have sadly since dissolved due to internal conflict.