December 2023 "The Sphere" Playlist - Metal Academy Radio

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

Tracklisting:

1. Dance With the Dead - "March of the Dead" from Driven to Madness (2022)

2. Static-X - "I'm With Stupid" from Wisconsin Death Trip (1999)

3. In This Moment - "Army of Me" from Godmode (2023) [submitted by Shadowdoom9 (Andi)]

4. Godflesh - "ARMY OF NON" from PURGE (2023)

5. Celldweller - "The Wings of Icarus" from Soundtrack for the Voices in My Head Vol. 02 (2012)

6. 16volt - "Perfectly Fake" from Skin (1994) [submitted by Shadowdoom9 (Andi)]

7. Mushroomhead - "Episode 29 (Hardcore Mix)" from Remix (1997) [submitted by Shadowdoom9 (Andi)]

8. Obsydians - "Ascension" from Ascension (2018)

9. Minority Sound - "The End of All" from The Explorer (2012)

10. Kit Walters - "The Stains of Time (Maniac Agenda Mix)" from METAL GEAR RISING REVENGANCE VOCAL TRACKS (2013)

11. Lock the Basement - "Green" from REVITALIZED (2021)

12. Genitorturers - "120 Days" from 120 Days of Genitorture (1993)

13. Omega Lithium - "Nebula" from Dreams in Formaline (2009)

14. Code Orange - "A Drone Opting Out of the Hive" from The Above (2023) [submitted by Shadowdoom9 (Andi)]

15. Fear Factory - "Controlled Demolition" from Mechanize (2010) [submitted by Shadowdoom9 (Andi)]

16. D'espairsRay - "BORN" from BORN (2004)

17. Dawn of Ashes - "Ahriman" from The Crypt Injection II (Non Serviam) (2019)

18. Waltari - "Far Away" from Space Avenue (1997)

19. Gravity Kills - "Never" from Gravity Kills (1996)

20. Till Lindemann - "Lecker" from Zunge (2023)

21. Red Harvest - "Move or Be Moved" from Newrage World Music (1998)

22. Mnemic - "Sons of the System" from Sons of the System (2010)

23. Control Human Delete - "Transporter" from The Prime Mover (2013)

24. Ministry - "Relapse" from Relapse (2012)

25. Strommoussheld - "Era Depression" from Halfdecadence (2004)

26. Bliss Signal - "Bliss Signal" from Bliss Signal (2018)

27. Oomph! - "Ich bin Du" from Oomph! (1992) [submitted by Shadowdoom9 (Andi)]

28. Gothminister - "Boogeyman" from Utopia (2013)

Here are my thoughts on all the selected tracks:

Dance With the Dead - "March of the Dead" from Driven to Madness (2022)

3/5. Let's begin with a darksynth project that made a decent album intro of industrial metal. I guess the best part would have over the one-minute mark which sounds pretty cool. Time to bash some zombie warriors!

Static-X - "I'm With Stupid" from Wisconsin Death Trip (1999)

3.5/5. This one has some great lyrics to like, "HE'S A LOSER!!!"

In This Moment - "Army of Me" from Godmode (2023)

4/5. Maria Brink is quite impressive at making In This Moment covers of pop hits, like this Bjork classic.

Godflesh - "ARMY OF NON" from PURGE (2023)

4.5/5. This one has the band's unabridged purity. It throws back to the glory days of Streetcleaner with the hammering and screeching guitars alongside the harsh vocals of Broadrick. The diversity in the heaviness adds to their bleak aura.

Celldweller - "The Wings of Icarus" from Soundtrack for the Voices in My Head Vol. 02 (2012)

5/5. One of the best instrumental songs I've heard, and it was in the trailer for Real Steel! With my brother loving that movie and these kinds of tracks mixing industrial metal with dubstep and TSFH-like orchestration, you bet he might get a kick out of this kick-A action. When the music rises up until the bass drop at exactly one minute in, you know you're in for an epic treat.

16volt - "Perfectly Fake" from Skin (1994)

4.5/5. A perfect hodgepodge of experimentation, similar to what Candiria was doing at that time, but the hardcore elements are replaced with industrial ones.

Mushroomhead - "Episode 29 (Hardcore Mix)" from Remix (1997)

4/5. "You're a nice person... You're a b***h!" F***ing killer remix!

Obsydians - "Ascension" from Ascension (2018)

3.5/5. Obsydians is a band form by members of Sybreed after that split with Sybreed vocalist Benjamin Nominet moving on to Shadow Domain. Cool guitars and vocals here.

Minority Sound - "The End of All" from The Explorer (2012)

3/5. This one starts off pretty cool, but the long ending is a little too much.

Kit Walters - "The Stains of Time (Maniac Agenda Mix)" from METAL GEAR RISING REVENGANCE VOCAL TRACKS (2013)

3.5/5. Pretty good song to love for some cyber metal action from Metal Gear Rising.

Lock the Basement - "Green" from REVITALIZED (2021)

4/5. Although this is more of a HIM/Red Hot Chili Peppers-like track, it fits well for the concept of a strange claustrophobic future of disillusionment and desperation.

Genitorturers - "120 Days" from 120 Days of Genitorture (1993)

4.5/5. The dark sinister vibe is spawned straight from this track. The name of that song and this album reference Marquis de Sade’s unfinished erotic novel 120 Days of Sodom. Already, the lyrical message has some deep power.

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

5/5. The humanity-threatened monster continues to roam in this scary yet catchy masterpiece composition. Within the evil synthesized violins and cold vocals, the creature has DNA from the aliens of Nebula who wage war on Earth to tire out the human rebellion.

Code Orange - "A Drone Opting Out of the Hive" from The Above (2023)

5/5. A perfect hip-hop-ish industrial metal track in which this crossover idea works so well!

Fear Factory - "Controlled Demolition" from Mechanize (2010)

4.5/5. This one also stands out with its heaviness, with lyrics detailing the government being blamed for 9/11. Of course, there's something different to blame, so theorists should cut the bullsh*t. In the bridge is a sample of the 911 call from one of the victims in the World Trade Center as the tower started collapsing ("OH GOD! HELP-").

D'espairsRay - "BORN" from BORN (2004)

5/5. D*mn, I love this insane song. The vocals blend well with the instruments without getting drowned out. It's sad that a band this awesome gets poor attention.

Dawn of Ashes - "Ahriman" from The Crypt Injection II (Non Serviam) (2019)

4.5/5. Black-ish industrial metal/aggrotech similar to Psyclon Nine. Enough said.

Waltari - "Far Away" from Space Avenue (1997)

5/5. A catchy poppy industrial metal single, with more of the cosmic keyboards and vocal fuzz.

Gravity Kills - "Never" from Gravity Kills (1996)

3.5/5. A heavy track with decent singing. What else to say?

Till Lindemann - "Lecker" from Zunge (2023)

4/5. I really like this track that has gigantic synths and grooves as Lindemann shines in melody and occasional raspy vocals that he has been using recently.

Red Harvest - "Move or Be Moved" from Newrage World Music (1998)

4.5/5. Excellent preview to a song later appearing in Cold Dark Matter.

Mnemic - "Sons of the System" from Sons of the System (2010)

5/5. This one brings back some of the band's earlier riff technicality especially in the fast thrashy verses, but they haven't forgotten about their more recent catchy choruses worth singing along to.

Control Human Delete - "Transporter" from The Prime Mover (2013)

4.5/5. Black-ish industrial metal similar to that Dawn of Ashes track, but without any aggrotech.

Ministry - "Relapse" from Relapse (2012)

4/5. Al Jourgensen continues to kick a**, as his vocals, guitars, and beats get better and smash through, with some cool samples to add to the punch, though the lyrics are a bit off. This unstoppable drug-hungry force might just be in the famous metal club of Black Sabbath, Pantera, Slayer, and Metallica. Here, Ministry is reinventing the Psalm 69 wheel and adding a bit of an alt-nu metal vibe to the usual industrial metal. The cymbals sounds a little weird in the chaos. The drugs Al has been taking during the recording of Relapse seem to enhance the mayhem. Just hang in there...

Strommoussheld - "Era Depression" from Halfdecadence (2004)

3.5/5. Great bass line in this song, but I have nothing else to comment there.

Bliss Signal - "Bliss Signal" from Bliss Signal (2018)

4/5. This one's also pretty great, adding some blackgaze to industrial metal.

Oomph! - "Ich bin Du" from Oomph! (1992)

4.5/5. This is actually one of my favorite Oomph! songs and, yep I'm saying this, it's metal enough to be in this playlist with some guitars in full prominence at the most needed parts.

Gothminister - "Boogeyman" from Utopia (2013)

5/5. And finally, we finishing this playlist with a complex entertaining 6-minute epic.

Pretty good playlist I've made, huh? Despite some bumpiness throughout, especially in the first half. 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 I hope the rest of you enjoy it like I've had!