August 2021 "The Guardians" Playlist - Metal Academy Radio
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3w8wz5HBOoks78mYzldAMq?si=3bf92e1ad84f47ce
Tracklisting:
01. Battle Beast – “Neuromancer” (from “Battle Beast”, 2013) [Submitted by shadowdoom9 (Andi)]
02. Lovebites – “Dystopia Symphony” (from “Glory, Glory, To The World”, 2021)
03. Septic Flesh – “The Eldest Cosmonaut” (from “A Fallen Temple”, 1998) [Submitted by shadowdoom9 (Andi)]
04. Angra – “Make Believe” (from “Holy Land”, 1996) [Submitted by shadowdoom9 (Andi)]
05. Cirith Ungol – “Half Past Human” (from “Half Past Human E.P., 2021)
06. Angel Witch – “Angel Witch” (from “Angel Witch”, 1980)
07. Manilla Road – “Necropolis” (from “Crystal Logic”, 1983)
08. Freedom Call – “Farewell” (from “Crystal Empire”, 2001) [Submitted by shadowdoom9 (Andi)]
09. Herzel – ”L'épée des dieux” (from “Le dernier rampart”, 2021)
10. Dio – “Fever Dreams” (from “Magica”, 2000) [Submitted by Vinny]
11. Dread Sovereign – “The Great Beast We Serve” (from “Alchemical Warfare”, 2021)
12. Helloween – “Skyfall” (from “Helloween”, 2021)
13. Warrior Path – “Beast Of Hate” (from “The Mad King”, 2021)
14. Yngwie J. Malmsteen’s Rising Force – “Spellbound” (from “Spellbound”, 2012)
15. Orden Ogan – “Let The Fire Rain” (from “Final Days”, 2021)
16. Darkthrone – “Leave No Cross Unturned” (from “The Underground Resistance”, 2013) [Submitted by Vinny]
17. Machinae Supremacy – “Hero” (from “Origin”, 2001) [Submitted by shadowdoom9 (Andi)]
18. Epica – “Kingdom of Heaven Prt. 3 - The Antediluvian Universe” (from “Omega”, 2021)
19. Kryptos – “Red Dawn” (from “Afterburner”, 2019) [Submitted by Vinny]
20. Unleash The Archers – “Cleanse The Bloodlines” (from “Apex”, 2017) [Submitted by Vinny]
My thoughts on some tracks:
Battle Beast – “Neuromancer” (from “Battle Beast”, 2013)
5/5. For the first song of this playlist, what do you get when you heavy metal with cyberpunk (the novel genre, NOT cyber metal gone punk)? A fantastic combo! This song is what I like to hear; 80s Judas Priest/WASP-like vibes without actually heading to those bands, especially in the bad-a** solo. This would definitely make MTV more colorful (and more metal). And since one of this band's songs is covered by Sabaton (NOT this one), an actual Battle Beast/Sabaton collaboration would be a match made in metal heaven! This song is one of my favorites in Battle Beast's kick-A self-titled album. Noora's soft singing works greatly as well. Amazing songs from one of the best bands of the 2010s heavy/power metal period! It's kinda sad that this one of the last power metal bands in my high-school-age earlier epic metal taste before my big taste reset, but it's still a great memory, and it warms my Guardian heart. The guitar even reminds me a bit of Michael Jackson's "Beat It". Not a lot of people in my home country has heard of these bands, but this one has great possible potential of catching on. I also like the band's debut Steel though that album has a different female singer. Either way, that band really spiced up the blandness metal has nowadays. Thanks for accepting this song submission, Daniel!
Lovebites – “Dystopia Symphony” (from “Glory, Glory, To The World”, 2021)
5/5. Now this is another heavy metal masterpiece! Japanese anime symphonic power metal, but it's not just the singer who's female... It's the entire band!! Looking forward to more music to listen to from these metal girls...
Septic Flesh – “The Eldest Cosmonaut (Dark Version)” (from “A Fallen Temple”, 1998)
4.5/5. The song in the Spotify playlist is actually the original version, but that's fine. I used to enjoy Septicflesh a lot before my death metal departure, and this is one of the few earlier songs from the band to actually be more Therion-like symphonic metal than just death metal all the way. Fabulous memories from one or two years ago! The melody is kinda like what Egyptians use to summon ancient aliens. Excellent symphonic metal classic!
Angra – “Make Believe” (from “Holy Land”, 1996)
4.5/5. Too beautiful to describe in words! RIP Angra/Viper vocalist Andre Matos...
Freedom Call – “Farewell” (from “Crystal Empire”, 2001)
5/5. I haven't heard this one in 5 years, and it's great to hear some more f***ing pure power metal again! The song sounds so happy, as opposed to the anger of other bands and metal genres. Let the bells toll for this Helloween-inspired band! That's what I expect for this new generation of metal, to be happier and less depressing (not the doom kind of depressing). Hail to a happy power metal farewell! This band sits nicely somewhere in my list of old favorites of power metal; DragonForce, Gamma Ray, Stratovarius, Freedom Call, HammerFall, Blind Guardian, Rhapsody of Fire, and Sabaton. Far better than Babymetal's kawaii sh*t taking over the scene today...
Machinae Supremacy – “Hero” (from “Origin”, 2001)
5/5. One of Machinae Supremacy's first songs! I actually like this original version slightly better than the newer version from 10 years later in Rise of a Digital Nation, the original has raw intensity. A couple of DragonForce's songs from their own debut were about Starfire and her evil sister Blackfire; This Machinae song is about video game heroes in general. How pleasantly fantastic! Back then, they were an underground band making music for a website before assembling their first official album. This would be awesome for a sci-fi remake of RuneScape! This is good heavenly sh*t to please the 8-bit metal community. This should have far more YouTube views than the dreaded Frozen's "Let It Go". This Machinae song has an awesome upbeat feeling, and would actually work well for Guitar Hero. Machinae Supremacy has also made the soundtrack for the Jets'n'Guns game, and this song should've been part of it as well. Nothing bad at all, just 8-bit-synth-powered metal in the face. Well done!
Epica – “Kingdom of Heaven Prt. 3 - The Antediluvian Universe” (from “Omega”, 2021)
5.5/5 (not exaggerating). Now it's time to put your video games aside and watch a real epic battle up close, with the closure of one of the greatest achieved trilogies of the millennium! The godly intro and chorus is so brilliant in this masterpiece. The vocals by Simone Simons are so hauntingly good, especially in the 9 and a half minute mark. So incredibly beautiful! With a few epic songs I found in this album, probably more than Avantasia's Moonglow, I really gotta check out the entire Omega album someday. A grand use of time during COVID lockdown! The orchestral intro and breaks in the middle remind me of their second album Consign to Oblivion. And g****mn, those choruses are so serene! Just like the Star Wars Skywalker Saga, a 3x3 multitude of tales have reached an epic conclusion, and so is my time in this month's Guardians playlist....
Septic Flesh – “The Eldest Cosmonaut (Dark Version)” (from “A Fallen Temple”, 1998)
4.5/5. The song in the Spotify playlist is actually the original version, but that's fine.
I've fixed this up now Andi. It was just an oversight.
Actually Andi, I've just listened to the Dark Version & have quickly reverted to the original. It's pretty obvious that neither belong on a The Guardians playlist though.
Actually Andi, I've just listened to the Dark Version & have quickly reverted to the original. It's pretty obvious that neither belong on a The Guardians playlist though.
It's true that a song from a death metal band like Septicflesh wouldn't fit in a Guardians playlist, but with that song's more Therion-like symphonic metal sound than death metal, I thought it was a good one to submit.