Rate the fake album above you

Bringing my favorite game from RYM here.  A user makes up an album, the next users rates it and makes up another one.  You can add tracklists, genre-tag each one, maybe even make up a fake history for the band.

Ovie Aries - Ichor Bath

Genres: War Metal, Avant-Garde Metal

Subgenres: Harsh Noise, Dark Ambient, Prog Metal

1. After the End (2:25, War Metal, Blackened Crust, Prog Metal)

2. Blastemy (4:02, War Metal, Avant-Garde Metal)

3. Left Behind (4:34, War Metal, Melodic Black Metal, Melodic Death Metal)

4. Spill Your Sins (3:46, Avant-Garde Metal, Harsh Noise)

5.Declaration (1:48, Blackened Crust, War Metal)

6. Hey You (Pink Floyd Cover) (6:17, Atmo-Black Metal, Dark Ambient, Nature Recordings)

7. Multitrap (3:39, Avant-Garde Metal, War Metal, Avant-Garde Jazz)

8. The Calm Before the End (2:47, Dark Ambient, Doom Metal, Harsh Noise)

9. Ichor Bath (6:28, Prog Metal, War Metal, Melodic Death Metal)

10. Last Man (0:46, Harsh Noise Wall, Spoken Word)

Cool game, Rex! This is gonna be fun. For that Ovie Aries album, I'm not a fan of war/avant-garde metal, but I can recommend it to any fan of that combo. My personal rating would be 3/5, with "Left Behind" and the title track being my highlights. Now for my turn (two albums from one band if that's OK, might do more in my next turn)...

Band: Kolossal

Album 1: Cryogenic Pandemic

Primary genres: Melodic death metal, thrash metal, progressive metal, symphonic death metal

Secondary genres: Atmospheric black metal, heavy metal, alternative metal, power metal

1. Cold Singularity (Overture) (3:32, epic, Celtic folk, progressive folk, contemporary folk)

2. Cryogenic Pandemic (3:02, technical death metal, cybergrind, melodic death metal, black metal)

3. Octane Destruction (5:30, thrash metal, groove metal, heavy metal)

4. Replaced Existence (3:21, deathcore, melodic death metal, thrash metal, progressive metal)

5. Withering Course (3:17, melodic death metal, progressive metal)

6. Devouring Cataclysm (6:29, atmospheric black metal)

7. Dissonance is Here (3:39, melodic death metal, thrash metal, metalcore, symphonic metal, alternative metal)

8. Projected Wall (5:24, progressive metal, deathcore)

9. Cold Chronos (3:29, atmospheric black metal, symphonic metal, progressive metal)

10. Technical Hell (3:35, progressive metal, thrash metal, groove metal, industrial metal)

11. Siege of Oscillation (5:16, gothic metal, symphonic metal, melodic death metal)

12. Impervious to Death (3:53, thrash metal, power metal, speed metal, heavy metal)

13. Monster of Fear (2:46, heavy metal, power metal, symphonic metal)

14. Welcome to Your Fate (3:23, melodic metalcore, alternative metal, symphonic metal)

15. Fractured Vanguard (4:04, gothic metal, doom metal, alternative metal)

Album 2: Destruction of Equilibrium

Primary genres: Power metal, melodic death metal

Secondary genres: Progressive metal, symphonic metal

1. Destruction of Equilibrium (5:27, deathcore, technical death metal, progressive metal)

2. Seventh Reaction (6:27, folk metal, heavy metal)

3. Telekinetic Allegiance (6:21, progressive metal, power metal, melodic death metal, thrash metal)

4. Brain Storm (Mandragora Scream cover) (5:11, gothic metal)

5. Hell Necrosis (5:44, black metal, melodic death metal)

6. Parallel Resistance (6:36, heavy metal, folk metal, power metal)

7. The Forces of Evil (End of Time Part 1) (5:36, symphonic black metal, melodic death metal)

8. We Are Vengeance (End of Time Part 2) (5:57, melodic death metal, power metal, symphonic metal)

9. Chronos' Death (End of Time Part 3) (8:45, symphonic metal, progressive metal, power metal)

10. Will We Ever Die? (3:23, melodic metalcore, power metal, melodic death metal)

History:

Let's travel 5 years into the future for a glimpse at an upcoming heavily diverse metal band! Kolossal is formed in Gothenburg, Sweden, in 2026, and their intention is to transcend through a huge variety of metal genres that the band members enjoy, all while following a conceptual saga about the Greek god of time, Chronos, with a sci-fi twist. The band consider their style to be "epic massive powerful shapeshifting metal". They record their debut album Cryogenic Pandemic, releasing it on February 19, 2027. The album receives good reception, but criticism is pointed towards the album title (referencing the COVID pandemic too soon), the band's indecisiveness between genres, the large amount of songs, and how condensed many of them are at a short length (mostly 3 to 4 minutes each). Songs released as singles/music videos are "Replaced Existence", "Withering Course", "Projected Wall", "Cold Chronos", "Siege of Oscillation", "Monster of Fear". The popularity of those songs (with "Withering Course" and "Monster of Fear" being the most popular) has encouraged Kolossal to seal a power/melodic death metal sound for their next album Destruction of Equilibrium, often dipping into progressive/symphonic metal, and several other genres though less frequently. There are 10 songs in the album, 9 of which are longer than 5 minutes. The remaining song "Will We Ever Die?" is a bonus re-recording/reprise of "Welcome to Your Fate", with different lyrics and a sound closer to that of the second album. A quest female vocalist was hired for the band's cover of "Brain Storm" by Mandragora Scream, a favorite song of one of the band members that fits well with one part of the concept. "Will We Ever Die?" was released as the album's lead single. This is then followed by singles/music videos for "Telekinetic Allegiance", "Hell Necrosis", "The Forces of Evil", and "We Are Vengeance". The music video for "Chronos' Death" will be released on July 21, 2028, the same day as the second album's release. Metal Academy members who have been on the site for at least a year get a secret link to the full album a week early. So anyone here in the present day, feel free to step into the imaginary future and get a chance to imagine-listen to this album and give it a suitable rating. And there will be more of the future of this band for me to explore in my next turn. Now onwards to a diverse future!

Let's try to keep it to one album at a time for now so that peopl deon't feel like the game takes too much effort.

There's a bit much going on with Kolossal's first album.  Cryogenic Pandemic has a lot to it, and the band does play these songs pretty well, displaying a rare boldness that is trying hard to appeal to the whole metal community.  As a metal work itself, there are various angles of appeal.  The problem is the consistency factor, neglecting that the art of the album matters as well.  For example, there's the run of Withering Course, Devouring Cataclysm and Dissonance Is Here.  it's one thing to switch between a proggy deathcore song to an atmospheric black metal song.  While both songs have an eerie darkness about them in different ways, one is a short burst of After The Burial aggression while the next is a wintery and meditative piece of simplicity with the kind of focus you feel on a Burzum album.  But then with Dissonance is Here, we switch over to a three minute song which is trying to do so much in its short time that it goes against the kind of thing Devouring Cataclysm was building up, almost as is it was an attempt to make early ASF heavier.  It's a shame, because that's the catchiest song on the album.

Their second album might be shorter, but it makes the same mistake.  For example, the band tries to pass themselves off as a power metal band, but only three of the ten songs have a serious level of power metal while the album ambles around various other metal genres, and suddenly it becomes a Bathroy album, a Rhapsody of Fire album and even a Type O negative album that's only connected in style by the singer, who can switch from genre to genre well enough, unlike the rest.  Once again, we have some cool solos and emotional / creepy riffs, but the creepy riffs aren't merging well with the more melodic aspects of the album.  it's obvious these guys are fans of Wintersun and Children of Bodom, but they have the ability to put their own black or punk spin-off on that sound.  Once they really learn how to merge that, we'll have something great.

Album 1: 7.0.  Album 2: 6.5.

Born from the Slime - Old-Ass Genesis Games

Genres: Crossover Thrash, Melodic Metalcore

Subgenres: Melodic Hardcore, Funk Metal, Avant-Garde Metal, Comedy Rock

1. The Gory Rebirth of Alex Kidd (2:10, Melodic Hardcore, Crossover Thrash / Grunge, Noisecore, Comedy Rock)

2. Drink (Alestorm Cover) (4:07, Melodic Metalcore, Crossover Thrash / Power Metal, Funk Metal)

3. In One Word: Fucked (4:29, Funk Metal, Crossover Thrash / Melodic Metalcore, Noise Rock)

4. The Long One (A Musical Representation of Our Dicks) (7:44, Crossover Thrash, Melodic Metalcore, Comedy Rock / Avant-Garde Metal, Funk Metal)

5. The Short One (The Edward Elric Song) (1:40, Crossover Thrash, Funk Metal)

6. I Burst Through a Wall and Felt Real Good (3:46, Melodic Metalcore / Melodic Hardcore, Groove Metal)

7. Satanic Messages in the Static (3:21, Crossover Thrash, Melodic Metalcore / Noisecore, Avant-Garde Metal)

8. Here's Your Grand Finale (5:18, Melodic Metalcore, Melodic Hardcore / Crossover Thrash, Prog Metal, Fanfare)

Fair enough, Rex, for both the rule and what you think of the Kolossal albums. To be honest, when I was writing those song titles, a lot of ideas for what genres they should have came to mind, and I think I let my ideas run a little too wild. I tried to keep them in control for the second album, but it's still a similar problem to the first. Maybe if the songs I mentioned to have singles/music videos are compiled into their own album, we'll have a more enjoyable release of melodic death/power/symphonic metal. Anyway...

Now this Born from the Slime album is a little more up my alley! Crossover thrash/melodic metalcore are blended together along with some fun comedic elements, scoring some cool highlights in "The Gory Rebirth of Alex Kidd", "Drink", "I Burst Through a Wall and Felt Real Good", "Satanic Messages in the Static", and "Here's Your Grand Finale". The remaining 3 songs are too funky for me though. I give that album a personal rating of 4/5. My turn again, also with a different band...

Firebound - The Game of Flame

Primary genres: Technical thrash metal, progressive metal, heavy metal

Secondary genres: Power metal, neo-classical metal

1. Overpowered Beast (4:19, technical thrash metal, progressive metal)

2. The Game of Flame (4:49, progressive metal, technical thrash metal, heavy metal, power metal)

3. Everything Runs Wild (6:08, heavy metal, progressive metal, neo-classical metal)

4. Hell's Sofa (Instrumental) (7:30, technical thrash metal, progressive metal, neo-classical metal)

5. Over the Leviathan (7:38, technical thrash metal, symphonic death metal, progressive metal)

6. Dead Yet Victorious (5:30, technical thrash metal)

7. Shadows Falling (5:56, technical thrash metal, heavy metal)

8. Invictus Drift (4:15, progressive metal, heavy metal, power metal)

9. Ethereal Dreams (6:40, progressive metal, neo-classical metal)

10. Neon Paradise (3:54, progressive metal, power metal, heavy metal)

History:

Continuing the Kolossal story with a year added to the future, in late 2027, before recording of the band's second album can commence, one of their guitarists, who goes by the pseudonym Flameson Prime, calls it quits due to being dissatisfied with the band's indecisiveness between genres. Flameson wants to start a different band that can stick firmly in two or three genres that he likes with occasional visits to other genres. His new band Firebound is formed in early 2028, a technical thrash/progressive/heavy metal band with elements of power metal and neo-classical metal, a style he calls "epic bad@$$ action metal". The band record their debut The Game of Flame, releasing it on February 23, 2029. Songs released as singles/music videos are "Overpowered Beast", the title track, and "Over the Leviathan". There's also a music video for "Hell's Sofa", a 7 and a half minute instrumental tribute track to some of Flameson's favorite technical thrash and progressive metal bands, with the title parodying one of Dream Theater's instrumentals "Hell's Kitchen". The album gains more positive reception than any of the two Kolossal albums, with reviewers commenting on Flameson's motive for the band's sound being the right move, and mostly fitting well for the technical thrash revival, as many more bands of the subgenre are already forming thanks to bands like Coroner, Dark Angel, Demolition Hammer, and Sadus releasing their first albums in two or three decades (assuming that happens in the future). So anyone here in the present day, feel free to step into the imaginary future and get a chance to imagine-listen to this album and give it a suitable rating. A good future of technical thrash is nigh!

I actually really liked this one.  It was pretty consistent, and kept its multiple sides balanced.  The classical side of the album never becomes too much, as the symphonic ends are very carefully utilized.  Because of this diversity, the bridge between thrash and death flows naturally with that of symphonic and neoclassical, risky genres to pair with thrash at all.  But since there is such a thing as symphonic death metal, Firebound proves it can be done.  The imagery induced by Hell's Sofa without any lyrics is the most impressive part.  The only problem I have is that the last third doesn't even have one thrash song, but at the same time they were also focusing pretty heavily on theme.  This also toned down some of the Coroner worship, so it's not totally unjustifiable.

96/100.

Fanguine - The Crimson Veracity

Genres: Slam Death Metal, Tech Death Metal

Secondaries: Avant-Garde Metal, Deathcore, Black Metal

Taking slam into a more unique direction, Fanguine refuses to be the stereotypical slam band that makes itself look cool with gory paintings and lots of big words.  Instead they tell horror stories, focusing on a theme of maturing and getting used to the perils around you.  The album even has a simple cover with a werewolf wearing a baseball cap and grinning with a little blood dripping out of the one toothless spot.  Considering that track one starts this theme with accepting that life is more real than cartoons allow, this cover image is considered an allusion to the cartoon series Fangface.  The final track, Genocidal Genesis, compares siding with a popular agenda and the mental slavery of sidepicking to the first steps of desire to see the other side of the argument and its followers be persecuted in oftentimes horrible ways.  Including many references to times of persecution and slaughter throughout human history, there is even a controversial final lyrical verse on this track (and the album) making an illusion to Nazism by mentioning the same kind of ovens used to kill Jews.  This attracted nationwide attention, and led to their online popularity.  The album sold well in its first couple weeks, but largely due to some buying copies only to bury or break them.  Since then, the song has been a staple in their concerts.

The album's themes include commentary on censored violence (1, 2, 6), lacking morality (1, 7, 9, 10), hopelessness (2, 4, 8), death (2, 6), politics (3, 6), conspiracy theories (3, 8), hidden opinions (4, 7, 9), sexual lust (4, 5, 9), war (6, 10), persecution (1, 4, 7), agnosticism (8) and the desire for violence (4, 6, 7, 10).

1. The Pencil Lead Bites (4:05, Tech Death Metal, Slam Death Metal / Broken Transmission)

2. Sulfuric Penetration (2:57, Deathcore, Slam Death Metal / Sludge Metal)

3. Postulated Subterfuge (4:36, Tech Death Metal, Brutal Death Metal / Black Metal, Prog Metal)

4. Hidden Neutrality (5:44, Avant-Garde Metal, Tech Death Metal / Deathcore, Slam Death Metal)

5. Irresistable (instrumental) (2:40, Slam Death Metal / Groove Metal)

6. Pyro (6:23, Avant-Garde Metal, Slam Death Metal / Atmospheric Black Metal, Thrash Metal)

7. Those Who Dream of Gallows (3:32, Deathcore, Slam Death Metal / Tech Death Metal

8. The Other End (5:17, Tech Death Metal, Brutal Death Metal / Atmo-Black Metal, Post-Metal)

9. Let Me Explain (2:00, Broken Transmission, Deathcore)

10. Genocidal Genesis (6:10, Tech Death Metal, Prog Metal, Slam Death Metal / Avant-Garde Metal)

Slam death metal is never usually my thing, as I tend to avoid the more brutal death metal subgenres, but Fanguine takes on a strong diverse direction in both the music and lyrical themes, instead of just gore, gore, and more gore. The music sounds quite good despite still sounding brutal, with several other metal genres thrown into their main technical/slam death metal sound. A couple highlights for me are the final two tracks; "Let Me Explain" with its "broken transmission" deathcore, and "Genocidal Genesis", a decently long progressive epic that still stands by their usual sound. I can definitely imagine the latter track making history in the extreme metal scene, and that final verse with "Angel of Death"-esque Nazi lyrics would definitely be making headlines. Lots of great moments in the album! Still too brutal for me, but highly recommendable for the more extreme metalheads. I give that album a personal rating of 3/5, or a percentage rating of 64%.

Emotional Suffering - Nocturnal Solitude

Primary genres: deathcore, melodic death metal

Secondary genres: dark folk, symphonic black metal, gothic metal

In November 19, 2027, an album is released to continue the rising scene of epic deathcore popularized by bands like Shadow of Intent, Lorna Shore, and Mental Cruelty. This is... Nocturnal Solitude by Emotional Suffering, a deathcore/melodic death metal band from Wisconsin. They expand on the dark lyrical themes mostly of death, depression, and loss, close to the lyrical themes that many doom metal bands have, but of course in a different sound. While sticking firmly in melodic deathcore, elements of genres like dark folk, symphonic black metal, and gothic metal are added into the mix. The ethereal yet spooky cover art is by a young artist inspired by the late Mariusz Lewandowski, a tree being blown heavily by a dark lightning storm, with a background mirage of a Grim Reaper. After the short symphonic blackened deathcore introductory title track that starts with a one-minute intro, you can expect a solid run of diverse melodic deathcore. Background female vocals can be found in the tracks "Darkness and Sorrow", "It's All We've Loved", and "Beyond the Killing End". The latter track is the 3-part 16-minute final epic, in a similar vein to the title suites of Shadow of Intent's Elegy and Lorna Shore's Pain Remains, though indexed as a full track. The second part is a 4-minute dark folk/ambient interlude, sandwiched between the two other 6-minute parts that have the usual melodic deathcore sound with symphonic black metal elements. The third part has less emphasis on deathcore, but it unleashes one final deathcore breakdown that, despite not being a single, can surpass that of Lorna Shore's "To the Hellfire", and a one-minute dark folk outro to end the album. Or at least the standard edition of the album. The edition released in Japan has a bonus track, a cover of Lorna Shore's "Immortal" released on YouTube the prior year, so popular upon upload, that's how they have gained a record label. The album sells well in a steady pace, and the aforementioned final breakdown and folk outro is often played at the end of concerts.

Lyrical themes: sadness (1, 5, 6, 7), death (2, 3, 4, 8, 9), loss (2, 4, 5, 6, 7), sorrow (3, 4, 8, 9), depression (3, 5, 7, 8)

1. Nocturnal Solitude (2:53, dark folk, deathcore, symphonic black metal)

2. Cut Up Alone (4:42, deathcore, melodic death metal)

3. Darkness and Sorrow (3:25, deathcore, gothic metal, melodic death metal)

4. Dead Tomorrow After Living Today (6:15, deathcore, melodic death metal, technical death metal)

5. Coma Eclipse (4:43, deathcore, folk metal, dark folk)

6. The Blackened Path of Silence (4:13, deathcore, melodic death metal)

7. Distant Calling (5:27, deathcore, melodic death metal, gothic metal)

8. It's All We've Loved (5:27, deathcore, gothic metal)

9. Beyond the Killing End (16:07, deathcore, melodic death metal, symphonic black metal, dark folk, dark ambient)

I. The Dwelling of Death (deathcore, melodic death metal, symphonic black metal)

II. Sun Without a New Year (dark folk, dark ambient)

III. It Ends Forever (melodic death metal, symphonic black metal, deathcore, dark folk)

10. Immortal (Lorna Shore cover) (Japanese edition bonus track) (6:48, deathcore, symphonic black metal, technical death metal)