February 2024 "The Sphere" Playlist - Metal Academy Radio

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

Tracklisting:

1. Deathstars - "Chertograd" from Night Electric Night (2009) [submitted by Shadowdoom9 (Andi)]

2. Mechina - "Xenon" from Xenon (2014)

3. Strapping Young Lad - "Skeksis" from Alien (2005) [submitted by Shadowdoom9 (Andi)]

4. Godflesh – "Nihil" from Cold World E.P. (1991) [submitted by Daniel]

5. HEALTH - "SICKO [Feat. GODFLESH]" from RAT WARS (2023)

6. Ministry - "Goddamn White Trash" from Goddamn White Trash (2023)

7. Lock the Basement - "Feed Our Lie" from Feed Our Lie (2020)

8. Fear Factory - "Industrial Discipline" from Mechanize (2010) [submitted by Shadowdoom9 (Andi)]

9. Lord of the Lost - "Destruction Manual" from Blood & Glitter (2022)

10. Gothminister - "Devil" from Gothic Electronic Anthems (2003) [submitted by Shadowdoom9 (Andi)]

11. Mnemic - "Jack Vegas" from The Audio Injected Soul (2004) [submitted by Shadowdoom9 (Andi)]

12. Sybreed - "In the Cold Light" from The Pulse of Awakening (2009)

13. Nailbomb - "Cockroaches" from Point Blank (1994) [submitted by Shadowdoom9 (Andi)]

14. Pitchshifter - "Hangar 84" from Infotainment? (1996)

15. Dødheimsgard - "Traces of Reality" from Satanic Art (1998)

16. Static-X - "Otsego Placebo" from Project Regeneration Vol. 1 (2020)

17. Emigrate - "Get Down" Silent So Long (2014)

18. N.K.V.D. - "Sloboda" from Totalitarian Industrial Oppression (2016)

19. Uniform - "Delco" from Shame (2020)

20. 2 Times Terror - "Vielä joskus" from Equals One Sudden Death (2010)

21. KMFDM - "Take'm Out" from Blitz (2009)

22. Autarkh - "Cyclic Terror" from Form in Motion (2021)

23. Eisbrecher - "Im Guten Im Bösen" from Liebe Macht Monster (2021)

24. OOMPH! - "Ein Kleines Bisschen Glück" from Richter Und Henker (2023)

Here are my thoughts on all the selected tracks:

Deathstars - "Chertograd" from Night Electric Night (2009)

5/5. Kicking off this playlist is this song from one of the best bands of cyber/industrial metal. It is an epic beautiful start to another amazing Deathstars album that is Night Electric Night. Chertograd is Russian for "Cursed Town". The female singing sounds serene, but we don't know who performs it.

Mechina - "Xenon" from Xenon (2014)

4.5/5. F***ing underrated epic cinematic cyber metal to love! You can just imagine travelling through lightyears of space and centuries (even millennia) of time.

Strapping Young Lad - "Skeksis" from Alien (2005)

5/5. This brutal track is where you can hear Gene Hoglan's amazing drumming that might've inspired the more metal side of Protest the Hero. The drumming is filled with punishment, no remorse. Finally, the vocals kick in that are amazing as always, along with fast riffs and neat keyboards all over.

Godflesh – "Nihil" from Cold World E.P. (1991)

5/5. One of the best Godflesh songs to strike you with fear and pleasure. Adding to the creepy bleakness is this track being featured in the 1995 film Hideaway. The scene that has that song is a good reason not to sh*t on that poor film. Justin Broadrick is quite a beast when it comes to performing guitars and vocals. With the usual feeling of dread, I both understand and don't understand why their music hasn't ended up any more film soundtracks.

HEALTH - "SICKO [Feat. GODFLESH]" from RAT WARS (2023)

4.5/5. This one follows as another highlight, sampling Godflesh's "Like Rats", specifically its noise-powered bridge ("You breed...like rats!!").

Ministry - "Goddamn White Trash" from Goddamn White Trash (2023)

4/5. A pretty great single for Ministry's upcoming possible final release Hopium for the Masses. Clearly they took some aspects from Alice Cooper and Rob Zombie after being those artists' opening act.

Lock the Basement - "Feed Our Lie" from Feed Our Lie (2020)

3.5/5. A creative banger without ever having to do mathy djent.

Fear Factory - "Industrial Discipline" from Mechanize (2010)

4/5. This one blasts through with the band's earlier deathly industrial metal. It ends with a cool outro that just stops abruptly. It's a small issue, but quite great nonetheless.

Lord of the Lost - "Destruction Manual" from Blood & Glitter (2022)

3.5/5. Some catchy industrial dance metal there. Enough said!

Gothminister - "Devil" from Gothic Electronic Anthems (2003)

4/5. This one is slightly darker than the other single from Gothminister's debut, "Angel", adding to the "Devil vs. Angel" motive.

Mnemic - "Jack Vegas" from The Audio Injected Soul (2004)

4.5/5. More personality is included in this track, including the dialogue performed by Michael Bøgballe in multiple vocal styles.

Sybreed - "In the Cold Light" from The Pulse of Awakening (2009)

4/5. Who knew a depressive power ballad can fit so f***ing well in industrial/cyber metal? It's suitable for suffering in the despair of the bleak pandemic. The heavy final minute is so beautiful. Think a band like PAIN can do something like that?

Nailbomb - "Cockroaches" from Point Blank (1994)

4.5/5. This one stands out as another favorite, having some of the highest quality in its original album.

Pitchshifter - "Hangar 84" from Infotainment? (1996)

4/5. When you hear what sounds like drum 'n' bass with lots of audio samples, you know that's when Pitchshifter was moving out of their heavier Godflesh-infused sound.

Dødheimsgard - "Traces of Reality" from Satanic Art (1998)

4.5/5. Black metal is often filled with satanic chaos, and as amazing as this one sounds (because it's also close to industrial metal), it's not something I would want to have long-term if I don't want my angelic purity to be TOUCHED BY THE DEVILISH ONE (audio sample from Twin Peaks). Still this is pure f***ing chaos that shows how industrial metal can blend well black metal rather than electro-dance. And this EP is much different from the psychedelic avant-prog metal sound of A Umbra Omega. The beasts of the North are alive, not for the faint of heart.

Static-X - "Otsego Placebo" from Project Regeneration Vol. 1 (2020)

4/5. A pretty great single as part of the first half of the Project Regeneration duo of albums in memory of Wayne Static. Whether or not Xer0 really is Edsel Dope, he knows how to respectfully resurrect Wayne's vocal power. The audio samples are apparently from Total Recall.

Emigrate - "Get Down" Silent So Long (2014)

3.5/5. Hot lyrics and hot vocals from the song's guest vocalist Peaches. The killer heaviness doesn't crash in until literally the last minute.

N.K.V.D. - "Sloboda" from Totalitarian Industrial Oppression (2016)

3/5. Some decent Celtic Frost gone industrial vibes while subtly referencing infamous World War II leaders.

Uniform - "Delco" from Shame (2020)

3.5/5. Pretty solid music here, a bit like a blend of Ministry, Dope, and to a lesser extent, Deftones. "YOU ARE WHAT YOU'VE DONE, YOU ARE WHAT'S BEEN DONE TO YOU!"

2 Times Terror - "Vielä joskus" from Equals One Sudden Death (2010)

4/5. 2 Times Terror was a one-off side-project by MC Raaka Pee of Turmion Katilot, this project having more Rammstein vibes. I probably would love this track more if the lyrics were in English and they did not have the bridge with the baby noises before the final chorus.

KMFDM - "Take'm Out" from Blitz (2009)

3.5/5. Another industrial rock/metal track heavily covered in audio samples. Take it or lose it!

Autarkh - "Cyclic Terror" from Form in Motion (2021)

4/5. Holy sh*t, this is quite g****mn heavy! But I've heard better.

Eisbrecher - "Im Guten Im Bösen" from Liebe Macht Monster (2021)

3.5/5. Eisbrecher knows how to get their sound going in an addictive direction. It's a pity I can't really get the NDH appeal.

OOMPH! - "Ein Kleines Bisschen Glück" from Richter Und Henker (2023)

3/5. Oomph! is still going smoothly after their replacing longtime member Dero Goi with a different vocalist. I still can't get the NDH appeal, but this is still a decent song to conclude another solid Sphere playlist.

Pretty good playlist I've made, huh? Despite some bumpiness throughout, especially in the second 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!