October 2024 "Industrial Metal Invasion" Playlist - Metal Academy Radio

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

Tracklisting:

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

2. Blue Stahli - "Prognosis" from Obsidian (2021)

3. Killing Joke - "Aeon" from Democracy (1996)

4. The Amenta - "Plague of Locus" from Plague of Locus (2023) [submitted by Shadowdoom9 (Andi)]

5. Megaherz - "Kopf Durch Die Wand" from Wer Bist Du (1997)

6. Eisbrecher - "Bombe" from Eiszeit (2010)

7. OOMPH! - "Sandmann" from Monster (2008)

8. Motionless in White - "America" from Infamous (2012)

9. Marilyn Manson - "The Nobodies" from Holy Wood (2000)

10. Deathstars - "Metal" from The Greatest Hits on Earth (2011)

11. Genitorturers - "Falling Stars" from Blackheart Revolution (2009) [submitted by Shadowdoom9 (Andi)]

12. Samael - "Us" from Eternal (1999) [submitted by Shadowdoom9 (Andi)]

13. KMFDM - "From Here on Out" from WWIII (2003)

14. In This Moment - "Fly Like an Eagle" from Mother (2020)

15. Mnemic - "There's No Tomorrow" from Mnemesis (2012)

16. Diabolos Rising - "Genocide-I Am God" from 666 (1994)

17. Nik Nocturnal, Our Mirage - "NEIN!" (Rammstein parody track) from How to Metal, Vol. 1 (2023)

18. The Interbeing - "Perplexion" from Icon of the Hopeless (2022)

19. Tyrant of Death - "Gone Too Far" from Superior Firepower (2019)

20. Mechina - "Tartarus" from Xenon (2014)

21. Psyclon Nine - "Order of the Shadow (The Heretic Awakened)" from Order of the Shadow: Act 1 (2013) [submitted by Shadowdoom9 (Andi)]

22. Celldweller - "Birthright" from Wish Upon a Blackstar (2012) [submitted by Shadowdoom9 (Andi)]

23. Front Line Assembly - "Surface Patterns" from Millennium (1994)

24. Godhead - "Anybody Else" from Evolver (2003)

25. Ruoska - "Rumavirsi" from Radium (2005)

26. Ministry - "Ricky's Hand" from HOPIUM FOR THE MASSES (2024)

27. Napalm Death - "Contemptuous" from Utopia Banished (1992) [submitted by Daniel]

Here are my thoughts on all the selected tracks:

Gothminister - "Stonehenge" from Anima Inferna (2011)

5/5. The opening track for its original album and playlist begins with heavy guitar crunch and interesting synth harmonies. Then the guitars calm down to let Brem's baritone vocals shine. Sounds quite evil for a then-recently-married and domestically happy man, proving his ability to maintain the earlier darkness. Optimistic lyrics ain't gonna make the gloomy vocals fade away in this battle of life and death.

Blue Stahli - "Prognosis" from Obsidian (2021)

5/5. The effects and lyrics astonish me, and I'm certainly up for more of this music from Blue Stahli.

Killing Joke - "Aeon" from Democracy (1996)

4.5/5. This 8-minute epic has a spectacular mix of the band's new wave/post-punk sound from the 80s with the industrial rock/metal style that shaped up Pandemonium. Probably the best song of its original album and by the band!

The Amenta - "Plague of Locus" from Plague of Locus (2023)

4/5. The title track of this Amenta cover album is its second original track, this one being a full song. The brutality hits hard with heavy riffs, synths, and vocals, growing harder as the song progresses.

Megaherz - "Kopf Durch Die Wand" from Wer Bist Du (1997)

3.5/5. Pretty nice, but as always, NDH isn't really for me. Next!

Eisbrecher - "Bombe" from Eiszeit (2010)

4/5. Quite the bomb, but still missing a bit of impact.

OOMPH! - "Sandmann" from Monster (2008)

4.5/5. The lyrics are quite interesting as they detail the horrors of children disappearing in Germany while Hungary has them all protected.

Motionless in White - "America" from Infamous (2012)

5/5. This awesome highlight expands the band's sound yet again. This is more like the gothic industrial metal of Gothminister, especially the deeper cleans in the verses. Michael Vampire of Vampires Everywhere! sings together with Chris in a sing-along gang chorus, one of the best of the genre! That song can definitely reach the hard rock/metal charts. America, F*** YEAH!!!!

Marilyn Manson - "The Nobodies" from Holy Wood (2000)

4.5/5. The lyrics for this song are quite deep as well, addressing the Columbine shooters whom the band was falsely accusing of influencing, and the song title taking a quote from John Lennon's murderer. A remix would appear next year in the film From Hell starring Johnny Depp.

Deathstars - "Metal" from The Greatest Hits on Earth (2011)

4/5. A great piece of cyber/industrial metal from the masters of the genre.

Genitorturers - "Falling Stars" from Blackheart Revolution (2009)

3.5/5. Then we have another nice alt-ish anthem that's more melodic while still heavy. The guitar distortion of their 90s material is blended with an old-school rhythm that can easily be tapped by tambourine.

Samael - "Us" from Eternal (1999)

4/5. This one soars through the industrial metal cosmos once again with a memorable chorus despite it being a bit too noise-ridden in the background.

KMFDM - "From Here on Out" from WWIII (2003)

4.5/5. "Don't risk your life and the lives of your comrades. Leave now and go home, watch your children learn." I enjoy those lyrics sung by Lucia Cifarelli in an excellent that can be both relaxing and kick-A.

In This Moment - "Fly Like an Eagle" from Mother (2020)

5/5. The band took a Steve Miller song and covered it to make it dark and beautiful. Maria Brink's vocal power is incredible! The intro itself is almost a cover of the Terminator theme. I f***ing love it!

Mnemic - "There's No Tomorrow" from Mnemesis (2012)

5/5. What really brings the band back to a time 25 years before this album is "There's No Tomorrow", the 6-minute epic that almost sounds like a power ballad ala Bon Jovi/Dokken. There's even a beautiful guitar soloing crescendo. Of course, the brutal growls are still in great passion.

Diabolos Rising - "Genocide-I Am God" from 666 (1994)

4.5/5. Creepy yet excellent blackened industrial metal right here, though I would never have listened to this in my early teen years.

Nik Nocturnal, Our Mirage - "NEIN!" (Rammstein parody track) from How to Metal, Vol. 1 (2023)

4/5. Any Rammstein-inspired song should end up in a Sphere playlist without a doubt. Slightly better than most of the songs from the band parodied here.

The Interbeing - "Perplexion" from Icon of the Hopeless (2022)

4.5/5. This one kicks up the heaviness like an upgrade from Fear Factory and Mnemic in the riffing while making room for the epic melodic chorus. Often the riffing takes a turn from industrial metal to leaning close to metalcore, which actually opens up more outer dimensions in the music-verse.

Tyrant of Death - "Gone Too Far" from Superior Firepower (2019)

4/5. Another f***ing sick cyber metal banger that shall take you through an alternate reality. It's so heavily stellar!

Mechina - "Tartarus" from Xenon (2014)

4.5/5. You can swim through different dimensions ranging from cyber to deathly, as a saga unfolds, almost competing with Marvel, Star Wars, and even The Elder Scrolls. A truly dark and ethereal collision!

Psyclon Nine - "Order of the Shadow (The Heretic Awakened)" from Order of the Shadow: Act 1 (2013)

4.5/5. F***ing amazing as h*ll this song is, probably the best of its original album! It is lightyears beyond the aggrotech sound of their debut. It would've been perfect if Nero Bellum's high shrieks had better improvement.

Celldweller - "Birthright" from Wish Upon a Blackstar (2012)

5/5. A slightly better one, and perhaps the best one of Wish Upon a Blackstar. Klayton is a true master of modern electro-industrial rock/metal!

Front Line Assembly - "Surface Patterns" from Millennium (1994)

4.5/5. This one uses samples from songs by other metal bands, with this one using that famous riff from "Walk" by Pantera, followed by "Don't Tread On Me" by Metallica.

Godhead - "Anybody Else" from Evolver (2003)

4.5/5. Excellent track, but I'm better off anywhere else.

Ruoska - "Rumavirsi" from Radium (2005)

5/5. D*mn awesome sh*t from this Finnish industrial metal band. Here's to another album in the future!

Ministry - "Ricky's Hand" from HOPIUM FOR THE MASSES (2024)

4.5/5. Sounds like Ministry is going back to their 90s/early 2000s material with this cover of an 80s synthpop hit. A bit more prominent guitar would've been necessary for me and the rest of the metal audience.

Napalm Death - "Contemptuous" from Utopia Banished (1992)

4/5. Ending this playlist is the second Napalm Death track suggestion submitted by Daniel, the first one from the Sphere playlist exactly one year ago. Sounds like the band has a little more creative freedom when experimenting with shoegaze-ish industrial metal. The band's usual violent deathgrind has been turned away for bleak industrial darkness of Godflesh. The riffing has beautiful atmosphere before leading into the final fading bass chords. I personally would pick this one and that other submission, "Evolved as One", over their more well-known grind that I'm not up for.

Pretty good playlist I've made, huh? 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!