June 2024 "The Sphere" Playlist - Metal Academy Radio

(This graphic is from before we decided on the new playlist name, Industrial Metal Invasion, which will be used in subsequent playlist threads)

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

Tracklisting:

1. Alex Terrible - "BFG Division - Doom" from BFG Division (Doom) (2022)

2. Fear Factory - "Recharger" from Re-Industrialized (2023)

3. Samael - "After the Sepulture (new version)" from Rebellion (1995)

4. Turmion Kätilöt - "Pyhä kolminaisuus" from Omen X (2023) [submitted by Shadowdoom9 (Andi)]

5. PhaseOne, ERRA - "World Unknown" from PhaseOne x UNFD (2023)

6. Ministry - "Belive Me" from Moral Hygiene (2021)

7. ASP - "Ich, Der Teufel Und Du" from Horrors - A Collection of Gothic Novellas (2023)

8. 16volt - "Head of Stone" from Wisdom (1993)

9. Psyclon Nine - "X'S ON HER EYES" from Less to Heaven (2022)

10. KONG - "Hit That Red" from Traders of Truth (2023)

11. Pain - "Push the Pusher" from Push the Pusher (2024) [submitted by Shadowdoom9 (Andi)]

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

13. Godflesh – "Slateman" from Slateman single (1991) [submitted by Daniel]

14. Celldweller - "Blind Lead the Blind" from Satellites (2022) [submitted by Shadowdoom9 (Andi)]

15. Argyle Park - "Leave Me Alone" from Misguided (1994) [submitted by Shadowdoom9 (Andi)]

16. Static-X - "Disco Otsego" from Project Regeneration, Vol. 2 (2024)

17. The Kovenant - "The Human Abstract" from Animatronic (1999)

18. Mechina - "The Iron Law" from Conqueror (2011)

19. The Interbeing - "Deceptive Signal" from Among the Amorphous (2017)

20. Breach the Void - "Falling" from The Monochromatic Era (2010)

21. Peace, Love & Pitbulls - "Futurehead" from Peace, Love & Pitbulls (1992)

22. Rammstein - "Kuss Mich (Fellfrosch)" from Sehnsucht (1997)

23. In This Moment - "Hunting Grounds" from Mother (2020) [submitted by Shadowdoom9 (Andi)]

24. Decree - "Faded Glory" from Fateless (2011)

25. Parasite Inc. - "When All Is Said" from Cyan Night Dreams (2022)

Here are my thoughts on all the selected tracks:

Alex Terrible - "BFG Division - Doom" from BFG Division (Doom) (2022)

4.5/5. Let's start this playlist with the kind of heavy DOOM glory you just gotta hear! This is my second encounter with a vocal version of an instrumental DOOM song, the other being Necromorphic Despair's take on "The Only Thing They Fear is You". SO BRUTAL.

Fear Factory - "Recharger" from Re-Industrialized (2023)

4/5. This unremarkable track has a more complicated formula. Too repetitive in the verse riffs and vocal melodies. But it's still great.

Samael - "After the Sepulture (new version)" from Rebellion (1995)

4.5/5. This is a more industrial remake of the best song of Blood Ritual and perhaps their black metal era, but I prefer the crushing original more. With evil slow riffing and vicious vocals by Vorph, it's a destructive highlight.

Turmion Kätilöt - "Pyhä kolminaisuus" from Omen X (2023)

5/5. This energetic highlight can get you excited with its catchy chaos from the electro synths and riff groove alongside background choirs.

PhaseOne, ERRA - "World Unknown" from PhaseOne x UNFD (2023)

4.5/5. After including PhaseOne's collaboration with Polaris in this month's Revolution playlist, here's one with ERRA! JT's vocal breakdowns give the song that ERRA touch while staying an electro-dance metal tune.

Ministry - "Believe Me" from Moral Hygiene (2021)

4/5. H*ll, this is a great underrated jam with a bit of a Killing Joke sound. "Life will never be the same..."

ASP - "Ich, Der Teufel Und Du" from Horrors - A Collection of Gothic Novellas (2023)

3.5/5. A beautiful piece of Neue Deutsche Härte, though I'm still not up for that subgenre/scene.

16volt - "Head of Stone" from Wisdom (1993)

4/5. Another example of what industrial rock/metal should really be about, all in great balance.

Psyclon Nine - "X'S ON HER EYES" from Less to Heaven (2022)

4.5/5. An eerie piece of blackened electro-industrial metal to love. Some might reminded of the film 28 Days Later.

KONG - "Hit That Red" from Traders of Truth (2023)

4/5. A pretty great tune from this band that almost always utilizes samples as the sole vocal style.

Pain - "Push the Pusher" from Push the Pusher (2024)

4.5/5. Solid single from the new Pain album I Am! And cool anime-style music video too.

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

5/5. This highlight smashes through as industrial dance-metal that should really make a hit.

Godflesh – "Slateman" from Slateman single (1991)

4.5/5. I can hear a lot from Godflesh's classic hits like this one.

Celldweller - "Blind Lead the Blind" from Satellites (2022)

5/5. Klayton never ceases to amaze me with his projects Celldweller and Circle of Dust. This is one of the most f***ing bad-a** songs of the new album, not gonna lie!

Argyle Park - "Leave Me Alone" from Misguided (1994)

4.5/5. Also we can't forget about another project Klayton was involved in, Argyle Park. I bet this is the kind of music that planted the seed for video game soundtracks like Crash Bandicoot. Yeah, a little more industrial than metal, but still excellent.

Static-X - "Disco Otsego" from Project Regeneration, Vol. 2 (2024)

4/5. This is one of the songs from the Project Regeneration album series to have vocals from both Xer0 and Wayne Static. It also has the same audio samples as "I'm With Stupid" from their debut Wisconsin Death Trip.

The Kovenant - "The Human Abstract" from Animatronic (1999)

4.5/5. Bizarre yet amazing song from these gothic-ish cyber metal pioneers. No word on if that's where progressive metalcore band The Human Abstract got their name.

Mechina - "The Iron Law" from Conqueror (2011)

4/5. Now this is a great song for a sci-fi boss battle. The lyrics are definitely worth shouting along to, "TOTAL. SYSTEM. FAILURE!!!!"

The Interbeing - "Deceptive Signal" from Among the Amorphous (2017)

4.5/5. Some underrated otherworldly cyber metal for those who want similar music to Mnemic. The brutal verses go well with the epic chorus.

Breach the Void - "Falling" from The Monochromatic Era (2010)

4/5. The lyrics in this song are totally understandable, especially the first verse, "Simulated happiness is my everyday, f***ed up life". How can I not love cyberpunk melodeath track!? Well the harsh vocals could've been much better...

Peace, Love & Pitbulls - "Futurehead" from Peace, Love & Pitbulls (1992)

3.5/5. Pretty good but sometimes things are better left in the past for a greater future.

Rammstein - "Kuss Mich (Fellfrosch)" from Sehnsucht (1997)

4/5. It's interesting how this track is about oral sex, while the song uses cartoony sound effects. Understandable why they never played this live.

In This Moment - "Hunting Grounds" from Mother (2020)

4.5/5. This one stands out with its pummeling heaviness and Brink's duet with Joe Cotela of Ded, whom Brink is currently in a relationship with, as the vocal harmonies bleed well into guitar melodies, "One of us is going down, let's do this anyway".

Decree - "Faded Glory" from Fateless (2011)

4/5. Imagine Godflesh but slower and as industrial as the band HALO. This great song is the result!

Parasite Inc. - "When All Is Said" from Cyan Night Dreams (2022)

4.5/5. The closing track of the playlist and its original album and the most synthwave-ish track here. But the modern heaviness is still around and ends it all perfectly.

Pretty good playlist I've made, huh? Despite some slight drops in quality throughout. 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!