July 2024 "The Gateway" Playlist - Alternative Metal Authority

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/7aY7WjCGySb3Lb4x79Dk5T?si=d38d5e4f55c24d49

1. Any Given Day – Apocalypse (2024)

2. BOI WHAT – The Both of Us (2024)

3. Chevelle – Send the Pain Below (2002)

4. Coldrain – Miss you (2010)

5. Crossfaith – Godspeed (2024)

6. Dog Fashion Disco – Tastes So Sweet (2014)

7. Fudge Tunnel – Spanish Fly (1991)

8. Four Stroke Baron – 1000 Threads (2024)

9. Jeris Johnson – Ode to Metal (2024)

10. Jucifer – Hennin Hardine (2006)

11. Memphis May Fire – Misery (feat. Atreyu) (2023)

12. Moron Police – Prepopherous, This Prepophery (I Will Not Have It) (2014)

13. New Years Day – Relentless (2015)

14. Nik Nocturnal, Ankor – Unforgiven (2023)

15. Northlane – Miasma (2024)

16. Of Mice & Men – Tether (2023)

17. OSI – Free (2006)

18. Pyogenesis – Twinaleblood (1995)

19. Reliqa – A Spark (2024)

20. Rishloo – Lovely Room (2004)

21. Sevendust – Too Close To Hate (1997)

22. Signals of Bedlam – Pendulum in Swing (2021)

23. Twelve Foot Ninja – Over and Out (2021)

24. VOLA – Break My Lying Tongue (2024)

Here are my thoughts on some tracks:

Any Given Day – Apocalypse (2024)

4.5/5. Let's start with some d*mn fire with this Any Given Day track!

BOI WHAT – The Both of Us (2024)

4/5. The "Plan Z/Neon Tide" Plankton AI metal saga continues with this song featuring Sandy, stirring up a similar vibe to a more hardcore 2010s Skillet. The animated music video is one of the most epic I've ever seen! And the instrumental bridge is a killer homage to the "Grass Skirt Chase" soundtrack.

Chevelle – Send the Pain Below (2002)

4.5/5. Lots of classic alt-metal wonders from this song that made me understand where bands like Bad Wolves get their sound. Thumbs up for this kind of music!

Coldrain – Miss you (2010)

4/5. This semi-acoustic ballad is where Masato and Sugi take the front stage, the latter bringing his clean/acoustic guitar.

Crossfaith – Godspeed (2024)

4.5/5. Another Japanese alt-metalcore band follows, bringing in the energetic Wargasm for an electrifying banger. And in the same month is Babymetal's collab with Electric Callboy. If all 4 bands can collaborate together, we would have an unstoppable electro-metal alliance!

Dog Fashion Disco – Tastes So Sweet (2014)

5/5. Speaking of Electric Callboy, tone down that band's trance-y dance-y electronics and replace them with the wacky experimentation of Mr. Bungle, and you get this sweet band! Seriously, this band should've been a f***ing lot more popular.

Jeris Johnson – Ode to Metal (2024)

4.5/5. This one is more of an ode to modern metal, but it's still really cool. After starting with a cinematic symphonic intro that would almost make you think it might lead to symphonic metal, the track is actually an alt-metal blend of a Linkin Park-esque rapping verse, a pop punk chorus inspired by A Day To Remember, and a bridge filled with the melodic metalcore of early Avenged Sevenfold and the nu metal of Slipknot, all 4 of those bands paid lyrical tribute to in said chorus.

Jucifer – Hennin Hardine (2006)

5/5. What the Jucifer?! This is noise-filled sludgy alt-metal from a husband-wife duo that sounds absolutely tempting for me! The only other time I've heard of this band is when they guest starred in an unfinished film that was later revamped into Sound of Metal.

Memphis May Fire – Misery (feat. Atreyu) (2023)

4.5/5. Some more d*mn fire coming from another superb collab from Memphis May Fire with Atreyu's Brandon Saller. The vocals by Matty and Brandon really make it all worthwhile. It's amazing how this can please even the more classic metalheads. The chorus and breakdown are both so catchy. If any metalcore fans haven't listened to Memphis May Fire or Atreyu yet, I would recommend doing so right away. This makes almost another perfect highlight for this playlist. It's almost like a mix of Hollywood Undead and Skillet. The lyrics can still be heard clearly in all this vocal distortion.

Nik Nocturnal, Ankor – Unforgiven (2023)

4/5. Nik Nocturnal and Ankor are two of my brother's recent favorite metal musicians. This is a catchy kick-A piece of K-pop metal, and the girl isn't even Korean!

Northlane – Miasma (2024)

4/5. This one has that Obsidian-like blend of electronics and metal, along with another guest vocalist, Parkway Drive's Winston McCall with his own destructive breakdown.

Of Mice & Men – Tether (2023)

4.5/5. Another standout despite its more stripped-down sound for the most part. Pauley's singing slowly ascends until the other members join in for the epic final chorus.

Twelve Foot Ninja – Over and Out (2021)

5/5. This jazzy standout was already in last February's Gateway playlist, but I'll let it slide. It might remind some of Faith No More, features Tatiana Shmayluk of Jinjer who's known as a beautiful beast of a vocalist in her band. Though her poppy cleans appear here rather than her unclean vocals. And I just wanna say thanks to Twelve Foot Ninja for blessing us with this music before their hiatus.

VOLA – Break My Lying Tongue (2024)

5/5. And voila, one more grand discovery to close this playlist! I love the chorus and the synth melodies here. How in the world have I not heard this band before?!? I need more of this newfound favorite band of mine! They can prove that djent doesn't have to be as all-out brutal as Meshuggah, instead balancing those relentless downtuned guitar rhythms with soothing melodies. This is the kind of direction I want to travel through, and I hope to continue making out those playlist discoveries like a bandit. My alt-/prog metal knowledge shall expand, thanks to playlist owner Saxy.