October 2023 "The Guardians" Playlist - Metal Academy Radio

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3w8wz5HBOoks78mYzldAMq

Tracklisting:

1. DragonForce - "Doomsday Party" from Doomsday Party (2023)

2. Volbeat - "Lola Montez" from Outlaw Gentlemen & Shady Ladies (2013)

3. Ozzy Osbourne - "Dead and Gone" from Patient Number 9 (2022)

4. Iron Maiden - "Days of Future Past" from Senjutsu (2021)

5. Queensryche - "Realms" from Digital Noise Alliance (2022)

6. Judas Priest - "Turbo Love" from Turbo (1986)

7. Scorpions - "The Zoo" from Animal Magnetism (1980)

8. W.A.S.P. - "Wild Child" from The Last Command (1985)

9. Warrior - "Fighting for the Earth" from Fighting for the Earth (1985)

10. Motley Crue - "Too Young to Fall in Love" from Shout at the Devil (1983)

11. Vicious Rumors - "Digital Dictator" from Digital Dictator (1988) [submitted by Daniel]

12. Dio - "Wild One" from Lock Up the Wolves (1990)

13. Trivium - "Blind Leading the Blind" from Silence in the Snow (2015)

14. Rhapsody - "Land of Immortals" from Legendary Tales (1997)

15. Elvenking - "Your Heroes Are Dead" from Red Silent Tides (2010) [submitted by Shadowdoom9 (Andi)]

16. Lost Horizon - "World Through My Fateless Eyes" from Awakening the World (2001)

17. Blind Guardian - "Violent Shadows" from The God Machine (2022)

18. Epica - "Code of Life" from Omega (2021)

19. Xandria - "The Wonders Still Awaiting" from The Wonders Still Awaiting (2023)

20. Within Temptation - "Forsaken - The Aftermath" from Forsaken (The Aftermath) (2022)

21. Amberian Dawn - "Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! (A Man After Midnight)" from Take a Chance - a Metal Tribute to ABBA (2022)

22. Helloween - "Halloween" from Keeper of the Seven Keys, Pt. 1 (1987)

23. Cacophony - "Speed Metal Symphony" from Speed Metal Symphony (1987)

Here are my thoughts on all the selected tracks in this playlist I've made in Xephyr's absence:

DragonForce - "Doomsday Party" from Doomsday Party (2023)

5/5. LET'S F***ING GO!!! The UK speedy power metal heroes are back with a brand-new catchy singalong single! With the one-two-punch of Reaching Into Infinity and Extreme Power Metal, could they continue that streak with their next album?!? I certainly hope so...

Volbeat - "Lola Montez" from Outlaw Gentlemen & Shady Ladies (2013)

4.5/5. My brother likes a couple songs from this band, this song being one of them. When he plays this song during one of our car rides, it's like a sunny day has become much brighter and happier! Even in rush-hour traffic, I'm in a superb mood.

Ozzy Osbourne - "Dead and Gone" from Patient Number 9 (2022)

4/5. Depression is a battle some people out there are facing. I'm not one of those people, but I'm someone who can help. Ozzy's lyric-writing has really paid off. I can imagine this song being great for a funeral.

Iron Maiden - "Days of Future Past" from Senjutsu (2021)

4.5/5. Wow, this song can give listeners more pure energy than Red Bull! It's short but it full displays the vocal strength of Bruce Dickinson, the guitar wizardry of Adrian Smith, and the songwriting abilities of both. Bruce is still so Bruce since starting his second era with the band in Brave New World. They might just rock this song out live! Some might be reminded of Cain and Stephen King's The Dark Tower in the lyrics. The band is still as hard-working as ever throughout nearly half a century.

Queensryche - "Realms" from Digital Noise Alliance (2022)

4/5. Another heavy metal track with lots of energy! Queensryche is still pretty strong with a different lead vocalist.

Judas Priest - "Turbo Love" from Turbo (1986)

3.5/5. Now let's head back to the 80s when songs like this can easily end up in action movies or shows. I can hear how lively this song is, but it's from their most glam album Turbo and sounds a bit cheesy.

Scorpions - "The Zoo" from Animal Magnetism (1980)

4/5. Same thing with this song. However, the "Roots of Metal" project has made me realize its appeal. The chorus is melodic while having aggressive metal fury in the leads, hard to match in most of the band's other tracks with its bouncy groove.

W.A.S.P. - "Wild Child" from The Last Command (1985)

3.5/5. More glam, but better lyrics. This song sounds quite cool despite coming out 14 years before I was born. Some oldies don't have a lot of perfect glory but can still be good. And sh*t, this is so mesmerizing! Children of Bodom frontman Alexi Laiho adopted his nickname "Wild Child" from this song. RIP... Also, the part at the 3 and a half minute mark with what sounds like cat meowing kind of threw me off.

Warrior - "Fighting for the Earth" from Fighting for the Earth (1985)

4/5. Great mastering on this track for an 80s song. Warrior have done their motivational fantasy lyrics that are popularized by Manowar. Somehow this reminds me of the first two Stratovarius albums, specifically the mid-paced tracks like "Break the Ice". 80s greatness is hard to find nowadays...

Motley Crue - "Too Young to Fall in Love" from Shout at the Devil (1983)

3.5/5. Although I'm still not getting the glam appeal, I have to admit, Mick Mars is an underrated guitarist.

Vicious Rumors - "Digital Dictator" from Digital Dictator (1988)

4/5. RIP Carl Albert. His golden voice is what made tunes like this quite killer. And that guitar solo is the most brilliant part of the song here. Believe in the Digital Dictator!

Dio - "Wild One" from Lock Up the Wolves (1990)

4.5/5. Another great song for the classic heavy metal crowd. RIP Dio

Trivium - "Blind Leading the Blind" from Silence in the Snow (2015)

5/5. One of many favorite Trivium songs of mine, casting a great surge of immediacy and riffing.

Rhapsody - "Land of Immortals" from Legendary Tales (1997)

4.5/5. This was one of my favorite Rhapsody (of Fire) songs when I was still listening to that band. I thought it was an epic classic. Even though the tremendous Fabio Lione is out of the band (one reason for my initial move out of power metal), the sound of his albums with Rhapsody will live on.

Elvenking - "Your Heroes Are Dead" from Red Silent Tides (2010)

4/5. This Elvenking song is still like because rather than having the heavy emphasis on folk from as early as Heathenreel, the strength lies in the metal instrumentation. A bad-a** evolution! Well this isn't the heaviest the band has gone, there's also the dark melodeath elements blended with their usual power/folk metal in The Scythe. This folky power metal sound might work well while playing World of Warcraft and RuneScape. Of course, if a band decides to go a different path, it's their decision, not the audience's. The track has some beautiful moments, like the violin solo at the one and a half minute mark that shows creativity and variety in just a small serene melody, probably more so than Nightwish. If anyone prefers the band's earlier material over this killer song, that's all right. Also I heard that the name of this band comes from Schubert's "Der Erlkönig". The music video for this Elvenking song is pretty cool too, having some Metalocalypse-esque animation. And don't forget those interesting poetic lyrics. It's power metal bands like Elvenking that really made my teen days. But this song kind of foreshadows my metalcore era that I would subsequently dump my folk/power metal taste for. H*ll, this actually reminds me of Bullet for My Valentine's Scream Aim Fire album. And even though I'm tired of folk/power metal, that song still works pretty well for me.

Lost Horizon - "World Through My Fateless Eyes" from Awakening the World (2001)

4.5/5. F***ing mighty vocals by Daniel Heiman, singing lyrics written by guitarist Wojtek Lisicki. So I'm not too tired of power metal in some cases.

Blind Guardian - "Violent Shadows" from The God Machine (2022)

4/5. The God Machine has been hailed as a prime example of the power metal sound the band is known for. However, this song is filled with the violent thrashy speed metal sound from their late-80s era. "I will not surrender, let it be"

Epica - "Code of Life" from Omega (2021)

4.5/5. This song shows that Epica still have what it takes with enjoyable vocal technique, both the operatic singing and demonic growling, the former shining the most in the sublime final chorus close to the last minute. The f***ing kick-A riffing helps balance things out. I say this should end up in a soundtrack for a Prince of Persia/The Mummy movie. Of course, this album also has some ballads to make sure things don't have too much heavy power. The Arabic lyrics are a godly touch, sung by Zaher Zorgati of Myrath. So everyone keep calm and listen to Epica!

Xandria - "The Wonders Still Awaiting" from The Wonders Still Awaiting (2023)

4/5. Beautiful choirs and unpredictable melodies give the track cinematic freshness. During the bridge that starts the last third of the track, Ambre Vourvahis' vocals rise into sounding as operatic as Simone Simons of Epica. Gorgeous!

Within Temptation - "Forsaken - The Aftermath" from Forsaken (The Aftermath) (2022)

4.5/5. Excellent re-recording with great lyrics. Enough said!

Amberian Dawn - "Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! (A Man After Midnight)" from Take a Chance - a Metal Tribute to ABBA (2022)

4/5. Amberian Dawn have recently released an entire tribute cover album to ABBA. Capri Virkkunen can perform such phenomenal vocals. I guess you can call this band "ABBArian Dawn", am I right?

Helloween - "Halloween" from Keeper of the Seven Keys, Pt. 1 (1987)

3.5/5. It's October, so you know there's gotta be a Halloween song in this playlist. Somehow I was never really interested in Helloween, not even my European power metal-loving teen years, despite this band having pioneered that genre. This 13-minute epic has some good potential. IT'S HALLOWEEN!!!

Cacophony - "Speed Metal Symphony" from Speed Metal Symphony (1987)

4/5. Now here's one more epic to end this playlist, and it's a neoclassical metal instrumental. This dense energy would've also been better for me in my teenage years, but it's out of this universe! Those notes are meant to be nicely absorbed into your mind. Jason Becker was 17 at that time, and he's still a musical genius, even with his crippling ALS. This heavily guitar-focused composition can be considered quite an achievement for Jason and Marty Friedman. Geniuses like those two guys can be a sheer rarity.

Pretty good playlist I've made, huh? Despite a bit of bumpiness... Anyway, I would recommend this to heavy/power/symphonic/neoclassical metal fans and anyone who isn't into those genres but is up to getting into a great start in enjoying them. Thanks Daniel for letting me take over on the Guardians playlist for this month, and your help with your submission, and I hope the rest of you enjoy it like I've had!