April 2024 "The Sphere" Playlist - Metal Academy Radio

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

Tracklisting:

1. Bad Omens, Poppy - "V.A.N." from V.A.N. (2024) [submitted by Shadowdoom9 (Andi)]

2. Gothminister - "Dark Salvation" from Empire of Dark Salvation (2005) [submitted by Shadowdoom9 (Andi)]

3. Deathstars - "All the Devil's Toys" from The Perfect Cult (2014) [submitted by Shadowdoom9 (Andi)]

4. Nailbomb - "Vai toma no cu" from Point Blank (1994) [submitted by Daniel]

5. Lord of the Lost - "Blood & Glitter" from Blood & Glitter (2022)

6. Marilyn Manson - "Tourniquet" from Antichrist Superstar (1996)

7. Rammstein - "Morgenstern" from Reise, Reise (2004)

8. Genitorturers - "Devil in a Bottle" from Blackheart Revolution (2009)

9. Rob Zombie - "The Satanic Rites of Blacula" from The Lunar Injection Kool Aid Eclipse Conspiracy (2021)

10. Godflesh - "Shut Me Down" from A World Lit Only by Fire (2014)

11. AP2 - "The Pact" from Suspension of Disbelief (2000)

12. Pain - "Go With the Flow" from Go With the Flow (2024)

13. Peace, Love & Pitbulls - "Kemikal" from 3 (1997)

14. Fear Factory - "Hatred Will Prevail (Monolith Remix)" from Recoded (2022)

15. Mushroomhead - "Just Pretending" from Savior Sorrow (2006) [submitted by Shadowdoom9 (Andi)]

16. In This Moment - "Sanctify Me" from Godmode (2023) [submitted by Shadowdoom9 (Andi)]

17. Author & Punisher - "Misery" from Krüller (2022)

18. Scum of the Earth - "Born Again Masochist" from The Devil Made Me Do It (2012)

19. ASP - "The Shadows Beneath the Roots" from Horrors - A Collection Of Gothic Novellas (2023)

20. Treponem Pal - "Crazy Woman" from Screamers (2023)

21. Emigrate - "In My Tears" from Emigrate (2007)

22. D'espairsRay - "Marry of the Blood -Bloody Minded Mix-" from Coll:Set (2006)

23. Mechina - "Reclamation of Mortal Nature" from Tyrannical Resurrection (2007)

24. Sybreed - "Hightech Versus Lowlife" from God is an Automaton (2012)

25. Neurotech - "Blue Screen Planet (Part II Revelation)" from Blue Screen Planet (2011)

26. Turmion Kätilöt - "To Be Contiuned, Kohtaus 3" from Dance Panique (2017) [submitted by Shadowdoom9 (Andi)]

Here are my thoughts on all the selected tracks:

Bad Omens, Poppy - "V.A.N." from V.A.N. (2024)

5/5. The playlist begins with a kick-A collab between Bad Omens and Poppy. To paraphrase part of the first verse, it gets more powerful every minute. Although Poppy's vocals are both beautiful and wicked, it would've been nice to hear from Bad Omens vocalist Noah Sebastian as well, but the song is still perfect. The lyrics are so disturbing yet intriguing ("Isn't it strange to create something that hates you?" "I AM DEATH AND I AM NOT ALONE!!!!").

Gothminister - "Dark Salvation" from Empire of Dark Salvation (2005)

5/5. This one opens the playlist big, really big, after that Bad Omens/Poppy prologue.

Deathstars - "All the Devil's Toys" from The Perfect Cult (2014)

4.5/5. Another cool cyber/industrial metal song. What else to say?

Nailbomb - "Vai toma no cu" from Point Blank (1994)

4/5. This one's also great in the instrumentation.

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

3.5/5. I applaud this song representing Germany in the Eurovision Song Contest 2023, though it could've been done better.

Marilyn Manson - "Tourniquet" from Antichrist Superstar (1996)

3/5. This one is OK, but let's hope for some more madness in this playlist...

Rammstein - "Morgenstern" from Reise, Reise (2004)

3/5. This seems wonderful, but it's not really the best I've heard from Rammstein.

Genitorturers - "Devil in a Bottle" from Blackheart Revolution (2009)

3.5/5. This one totally rocks out with its Rob Zombie vibe and makes up a lot for the previous songs' fails.

Rob Zombie - "The Satanic Rites of Blacula" from The Lunar Injection Kool Aid Eclipse Conspiracy (2021)

4/5. Speaking of Rob Zombie... Da da da-da-da, da da da-da-da! H*ll, this sounds good and catchy, though a bit Satanic.

Godflesh - "Shut Me Down" from A World Lit Only by Fire (2014)

4.5/5. I like the shuffled rhythm in this one. Light it up, Godflesh!

AP2 - "The Pact" from Suspension of Disbelief (2000)

5/5. My favorite song in this AP2 album is a softer industrial rock/metal track with no lyrics, only Indian-style chanting by vocalist Sage. That and the catchy pop-ish tone might remind some of The Prayer Chain, and the song shows actions can sing louder than words.

Pain - "Go With the Flow" from Go With the Flow (2024)

5/5. Incredible track from Pain's upcoming album I Am! This could get a lengthy extension and I would still enjoy it.

Peace, Love & Pitbulls - "Kemikal" from 3 (1997)

4.5/5. An amazing NIN-like song with good vocals, that should've ended up in a Resident Evil soundtrack.

Fear Factory - "Hatred Will Prevail (Monolith Remix)" from Recoded (2022)

4/5. A killer remix of "Monolith", done by session member Rhys Fulber who's best known as a member of Front Line Assembly. I enjoy the vocals at the end.

Mushroomhead - "Just Pretending" from Savior Sorrow (2006)

4.5/5. Horns up to this wicked track that makes me up to reviewing Mushroomhead's discography leading up to this month's feature release.

In This Moment - "Sanctify Me" from Godmode (2023)

5/5. Maria Brink can really scream in the verses of this powerful highlight.

Author & Punisher - "Misery" from Krüller (2022)

4.5/5. Drone-ish industrial metal misery. Next!

Scum of the Earth - "Born Again Masochist" from The Devil Made Me Do It (2012)

4/5. F***ing h*ll, this band can blend metal and dubstep seamlessly after Korn's attempt to do that in The Path of Totality. Mike Riggs' creativity shines like a motherf***er.

ASP - "The Shadows Beneath the Roots" from Horrors - A Collection Of Gothic Novellas (2023)

3.5/5. Here's some dark Neue Deutsche Härte like a more gothic Rammstein. I still can't get the appeal of that subgenre though.

Treponem Pal - "Crazy Woman" from Screamers (2023)

4/5. Another song I like. I like this "Crazy, Crazy Woman".

Emigrate - "In My Tears" from Emigrate (2007)

4.5/5. Another cool song from this Rammstein side-project.

D'espairsRay - "Marry of the Blood -Bloody Minded Mix-" from Coll:Set (2006)

5/5. After a year of adding a few D'espairsRay songs into The Sphere playlists, I'm finally enjoying this band's material, including this lovely remix.

Mechina - "Reclamation of Mortal Nature" from Tyrannical Resurrection (2007)

4.5/5. Some songs from Mechina's debut The Assembly of Tyrants were re-recorded for this EP Tyrannical Resurrection. This band can sound killer even at a time before adding a bombastic truckload of symphonics and female vocals to their subsequent releases.

Sybreed - "Hightech Versus Lowlife" from God is an Automaton (2012)

4/5. The intro and the midsection sound so brutal as part of the cyber/industrial metal greatness.

Neurotech - "Blue Screen Planet (Part II Revelation)" from Blue Screen Planet (2011)

4.5/5. Most metalheads and more upbeat music listeners can't go past the first half of this serene Hans Zimmer-like composition, but I can! It's amazing how magical this piece sounds as it transports you out of the harsh reality of Earth into the astral plane. It works well with the video game No Man's Sky. So instead of unleashing metal in maximum power, let the cool ambience move you into this different dimension. By the 5th minute, you'll already be one with the multiverse.

Turmion Kätilöt - "To Be Contiuned, Kohtaus 3" from Dance Panique (2017)

5/5. Then after waking up from that universal dream, it's time to party with this incredible finale that's much better than the first two "To Be Continued" acts, sounding more like a real song or epic. Nothing bad about that one at all!

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!