July 2023 "The Sphere" Playlist - Metal Academy Radio

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/45Xj4PCyW3LavsE8NMtncN

Tracklisting:

1. Motionless in White - "Disguise" from Disguise (2019) [submitted by Shadowdoom9 (Andi)]

2. Omega Lithium - "Infest" from Dreams in Formaline (2009)

3. Gothminister - "Liar" from Anima Inferna (2011) [submitted by Shadowdoom9 (Andi)]

4. Deathstars - "Everything Destroys You" from Everything Destroys You (2023) [submitted by Shadowdoom9 (Andi)]

5. Pain - "Party in My Head" from Party in My Head (2021) [submitted by Shadowdoom9 (Andi)]

6. Ministry - "Search and Destroy" from Moral Hygiene (2021)

7. Megaherz - "Komet" from Komet (2018)

8. Oomph! - "Come and Kick Me" from Defekt (1995) [submitted by Shadowdoom9 (Andi)]

9. Misery Loves Co. - "Private Hell" from Misery Loves Co. (1995)

10. Schwarzer Engel - "Endzeit" from Sieben (2022)

11. SKYND - "Jim Jones" from Chapter II (2019)

12. Erdling - "Rabenherz" from Helheim (2021)

13. Ost+Front - "Ikarus" from Dein Helfer in der Not (2020)

14. Rammstein - "OK" from Zeit (2022)

15. Static-X - "Sweat of the Bud" from Wisconsin Death Trip (1999)

16. Fear Factory - "Suffer Age" from Soul of a New Machine (1992) [submitted by Daniel]

17. Strapping Young Lad - "Aftermath" from Strapping Young Lad (2003)

18. Danzig - "Cult Without a Name" from 6:66: Satan's Child (1999)

19. Red Harvest - "Sick Transit Gloria Mundi" from Sick Transit Gloria Mundi (2002)

20. Viral Millennium - "Destroy" from Vomitosis (2014)

21. Avulsed - "Pastvoracity - Frozen Speed" from Cybergore (1998)

22. Assimilate - "Apparatus" from EP (2014)

23. Herrschaft - "Rat in Cage" from Les 12 Vertiges (2010)

24. Neurotech - "Brighten" from Stigma (2015)

25. S.U.P - "In Those Times - Demo" from Transfer (remix) (1996)

26. Yutaka Minobe - "The Last Way" from SHADOW THE HEDGEHOG OFFICIAL SOUNDTRACK (2006)

27. Dodheimsgard - "Completion" from 666 International (1999)

28. Godflesh - "Forgive Our Fathers" from A World Lit Only by Fire (2014) [submitted by Shadowdoom9 (Andi)]

Here are my thoughts on all the selected tracks:

Motionless in White - "Disguise" from Disguise (2019)

4.5/5. The opener for this playlist and the song's original album begins with a jack-in-the-box melody, then pop goes Chris Motionless yelling "GET UP! GET UP!" The guitar and drums kick in with the band's signature sound. The catchy chorus with Chris' cleans is easy to listen to. The harder breakdowns builds up with an excellent breakdown. Chris has a lot of vocal emotion.

Omega Lithium - "Infest" from Dreams in Formaline (2009)

5/5. Just how could this awesome band be short-lived?!? This band can add electronics into metal without ever going into hip-hop territory! The sexy vocals sounds far better than Lady Gaga. Absolutely precious!

Gothminister - "Liar" from Anima Inferna (2011)

4.5/5. This album's single has an electro-synth intro that expands through the guitars and vocals. Brem has excellent vocal range and harmonic effect. The track drives through in the beat and melody.

Deathstars - "Everything Destroys You" from Everything Destroys You (2023)

5/5. Magic fills the air from this band that I still can't believe I didn't discover until last year when I'm already a young adult. They can continue their sound without caring about any harsh opinions. Welcome back, Deathstars!

Pain - "Party in My Head" from Party in My Head (2021)

5/5. Who knew industrial metal can sound so h*lla beautiful?! The lyrics are quite fun to sing! "There's a party in my head! You're all invited, you're all my friends."

Ministry - "Search and Destroy" from Moral Hygiene (2021)

4.5/5. This one's quite excellent. Industrial metal genius Al Jourgensen thought it would be a good idea to turn an Iggy Pop song into a cover by Ministry, and it seems like he has quite f***ing nailed it!

Megaherz - "Komet" from Komet (2018)

4/5. It's interesting how despite having decided that Neue Deutsche Härte is part of conventional industrial metal rather than a separate subgenre, I still found enough NDH tracks to make up most of the second quarter of this playlist. This track has some good wonders of the subgenre.

Oomph! - "Come and Kick Me" from Defekt (1995)

4.5/5. Perhaps the best of this NDH second quarter! I don't have much words to describe its beauty.

Misery Loves Co. - "Private Hell" from Misery Loves Co. (1995)

4/5. Next up is a winning standout with sharp riffing especially in the chorus.

Schwarzer Engel - "Endzeit" from Sieben (2022)

3.5/5. This is another partying industrial metal song to like. I still can't get the full appeal of bands like Schwarzer Engel and Rammstein though. Nonetheless, the music is pretty good whether or not you can understand the lyrics.

SKYND - "Jim Jones" from Chapter II (2019)

4/5. As part of the disturbing haunting darkness of this band's lyrics of true crime, this is based on the Jonestown Massacre, a mass murder-suicide in which approximately 909 people died, a 3rd of that amount being children, and most of them drank Flavor Aid cyanide. Jim Jones was the cult leader, and he shot himself in the head. The song is darker than even the more extreme metal genres, and yet I'm intrigued. Just remember, life is too precious to be laid down.

Erdling - "Rabenherz" from Helheim (2021)

3.5/5. Now this one's a destructive pounder! I like "Absolutus Rex" (from the May playlist) slightly better, but this one's quite catchy. What's great is when there's around 30 seconds left, the band picks up some killer speed!!! There's even a nice bit of the sound of Schwarzer Engel, which is pretty cool. Once again NDH has never been my favorite, but songs like this are fun to listen.

Ost+Front - "Ikarus" from Dein Helfer in der Not (2020)

3/5. OK, this one's quite decent, having the gothic sound of ASP which sound cool, I guess. However, this really could have a little more heat for strength. But at least they're nowhere near as medieval-sounding as Saltatio Mortis.

Rammstein - "OK" from Zeit (2022)

3.5/5. This one full-on rages in the vein of their early 2000s work. The soaring choir and Pantera-like groove is what levels up my enjoyment.

Static-X - "Sweat of the Bud" from Wisconsin Death Trip (1999)

4/5. Stepping in again the metal aspect for this song while having more of the programmed drums and vocals from earlier.

Fear Factory - "Suffer Age" from Soul of a New Machine (1992)

4.5/5. This one starts with tight guitar before the bass and drums join along with background cleans. The riffing continues to expand alongside the drums. Then finally, EXPLOSIVE DEATH METAL CHAOS!!!! The dominant drums and vocals work with the guitars to tear this f***ing place apart! They stay steady despite the samples and tempo changes. Then there's a clean bridge before more of the deathliness. It ends a bit abruptly, but still worth some fun in a mosh pit.

Strapping Young Lad - "Aftermath" from Strapping Young Lad (2003)

5/5. Now this is a real gem in this playlist and it's original album. It's like a massive war anthem! Near the end is some amazing riffing energy that any metalhead should love.

Danzig - "Cult Without a Name" from 6:66: Satan's Child (1999)

4.5/5. This one shows how well Glenn Danzig can blow listeners' minds away with his voice. He can sing clean whispers and then roar like a bull in smashing intent. An excellent way to lead the drums, guitars, and bass!

Red Harvest - "Sick Transit Gloria Mundi" from Sick Transit Gloria Mundi (2002)

5/5. One of the best songs I've heard from this band that I need listen to more of! I should continue my journey through this band with this album and Cold Dark Matter.

Viral Millennium - "Destroy" from Vomitosis (2014)

4.5/5. This one is also quite underrated, a track of both beauty and brutality! It's basically a killer mix of symphonic industrial/cyber metal. I hope to find more music like in this song, maybe in other bands?

Avulsed - "Pastvoracity - Frozen Speed" from Cybergore (1998)

4/5. Brutal death metal gone industrial/proto cyber metal, eh? Not an ideal mix, but has great potential.

Assimilate - "Apparatus" from EP (2014)

3.5/5. A nice song to like. What else can I say?

Herrschaft - "Rat in Cage" from Les 12 Vertiges (2010)

3/5. I also like some parts of this song, but it could've been way better.

Neurotech - "Brighten" from Stigma (2015)

3.5/5. More and more I keep discovering some good songs from bands and projects like Neurotech that brighten my mood a bit. Industrial/cyber metal is never highly boring, and you can have fun with tracks like this. If they ever make a film based on Cyberpunk 2077, or the next John Wick or Matrix film, you bet this song would be part of the soundtrack! It's quite well done! What's keeping the score down is, it sounds like a little too much like Depeche Mode.

S.U.P - "In Those Times - Demo" from Transfer (remix) (1996)

4/5. This is a more of a throwaway track before the final 3 songs of this playlist. Again, not ideal, but having great potential.

Yutaka Minobe - "The Last Way" from SHADOW THE HEDGEHOG OFFICIAL SOUNDTRACK (2006)

4.5/5. Now here's a shocker, a video game OST track that isn't Doom, sounding close to industrial metal! Well, in this case, it's industrial metal mixed with 16-beat cinematic ambience. But hey, if this song can appear towards the end of the Shadow the Hedgehog game, it can surely fit well towards the end of this playlist.

Dodheimsgard - "Completion" from 666 International (1999)

5/5. And that track that can completes the full game here has a blend of black metal and industrial experimentation. My only complaint that doesn't detract the perfect score is when a Machine Head-ish riff appears that sounds out of place. Despite that, this can be a brilliant closing track for that amazing journey!

Godflesh - "Forgive Our Fathers" from A World Lit Only by Fire (2014)

4.5/5. ...Except we have one more track to finish things off, having dreamy atmosphere that's never out of place. Justin Broadrick continues his vocal variation once more, from his usual low growls to the occasional usage of clean singing.

Pretty good playlist I've made, huh? Despite some bumpiness in some places. Anyway, I recommend this to any industrial metal fan and anyone who isn't into industrial metal 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!