August 2026 "Industrial Metal Invasion" Playlist - Metal Academy Radio

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

Tracklisting:

1. ALTUS Sound Team, ATLUS GAME MUSIC - "Ephemeral" from Shin Megami Tensei V Original Soundtrack (2021)

2. Dawn of Ashes - "The Serpent of Eden" from The Crypt Injection II (Non Serviam) (2019)

3. Rammstein - "Links 2 3 4" from Mutter (2001)

4. Rob Zombie - "F.T.W. 84" from The Great Satan (2026)

5. Julien-K - "Waking Up" from SHADOW THE HEDGEHOG OFFICIAL SOUNDTRACK (2006)

6. Turmion Katilot - "Sikiö" from Universal Satan (2018) [submitted by Shadowdoom9 (Andi)]

7. Fear Factory - "Christploitation" from Mechanize (2010) [submitted by Shadowdoom9 (Andi)]

8. Synthetic Breed - "Neuro Connectivity" from Catatonic (2008)

9. The Clay People - "Plug" from The Clay People (1998)

10. Halo - "Filling the Empty Spaces With Cash" from Body of Light (2003)

11. 1000 Homo DJs - "Supernaut (Trent Vocals)" from Trax Box (1990/2015)

12. Combichrist - "Broken United" from One Fire (2019)

13. Motionless in White - "Voices" from Graveyard Shift (2017)

14. Youth Code, King Yosef, Matt Pike - "Head Underwater" from A Skeleton Key in the Doors of Depression (2021)

15. Lord of the Lost - "La Vie Est Hell" from OPVS NOIR Vol. 3 (2026)

16. In This Moment - "Crawl" from Crawl (2026)

17. KMFDM - "Flesh" from Nihil (1995)

18. Strapping Young Lad - "Dirt Pride" from Strapping Young Lad (2003) [submitted by Shadowdoom9 (Andi)]

19. Psyclon Nine - "And With Fire" from Icon of the Adversary (2018) [submitted by Shadowdoom9 (Andi)]

20. Toxic Grind Machine - "Hymnlock" from Embryonic Emission (2012)

21. Vortech - "The Dark City" from The Shadow Presence (2022)

22. Mechina - "Planetfall" from Progenitor (2016) [submitted by Shadowdoom9 (Andi)]

23. Daedalean Complex - "A Garden of Lies" from After the Fall (2017)

24. Jacob Lizotte - "THE GREY" from THE GREY (2026)

25. Celldweller, SWARM, REEBZ - "Fakebreaker" from Fakebreaker (2025)

26. Sielwolf - "Antimon #3" from Metastasen (1994)

27. Neurotech - "No Matter the Rain" from In Delta Negative (2026) [submitted by Shadowdoom9 (Andi)]

Here are my thoughts on all selected tracks:

ALTUS Sound Team, ATLUS GAME MUSIC - "Ephemeral" from Shin Megami Tensei V Original Soundtrack (2021)

2.5/5. It is sometimes hard for me to be able to find enough industrial metal tracks to fit into a two-hour playlist, so I'd just pick anything from a random release in the Sphere clan page. I guess this works as an ambient intro for this playlist, but quite a rough start. And I can imagine some listeners having the same thought. Don't worry though, there are better tracks to come...

Dawn of Ashes - "The Serpent of Eden" from The Crypt Injection II (Non Serviam) (2019)

3/5. Here we start with some blackened electro-industrial metal. Try playing this during a Christian family outing. Let me know how it goes. ...Yeah, maybe don't. Anyway, this kind of electronic darkness I actually prefer to hear from Psyclon Nine. That being said, there's great intensity during the bridge that covers the last one or two minutes.

Rammstein - "Links 2 3 4" from Mutter (2001)

3.5/5. A more well-known single with political lyrics by the band to brush aside the earlier Nazi allegations, "They want my heart in the right place, but then I look below, it beats to the left." The music marches through, especially in the chorus with a more choral vibe. Not really enough to be a standout despite its goodness.

Rob Zombie - "F.T.W. 84" from The Great Satan (2026)

4/5. A f***ing killer anthem from the Great Satan, the Great Mr. Zombie!

Julien-K - "Waking Up" from SHADOW THE HEDGEHOG OFFICIAL SOUNDTRACK (2006)

4.5/5. Another song from a game soundtrack, and this time an actual industrial rock/metal song! You may know this band not just because it's an Orgy spin-off project but also from their association with the late Chester Bennington of Linkin Park. So while Crush 40 has made theme songs for Sonic, Julien-K has made one for Shadow. This may also fit well in The Matrix or a Marvel movie or... Sonic the Hedgehog 3! How could they not add that song in that movie's soundtrack?! I think when Chester helped produce the band's 2009 debut is what gave him the idea for the more electronic direction in A Thousand Suns. That and both groups' collab in the side-project Dead by Sunrise.

Turmion Katilot - "Sikiö" from Universal Satan (2018)

5/5. One of the best songs I've heard from this album and the band's discography. Holy h*ll, what a total gem, and a genuine reason for the album's full 5-star rating!

Fear Factory - "Christploitation" from Mechanize (2010)

4.5/5. Hitting things harder is this song that's furious enough to obliterate some of the earlier ones in this playlist. That's quite a lot of heaviness so far, and it's amazing!

Synthetic Breed - "Neuro Connectivity" from Catatonic (2008)

5/5. I'm glad to finally get into listening to this djenty industrial metal band with some hints at death/groove metal. Just don't get it confused with Sybreed from Switzerland.

The Clay People - "Plug" from The Clay People (1998)

4.5/5. Another underrated piece of industrial rock/metal. The Clay People were mixing that genre with alt-metal shortly before Static-X and, to a lesser extent, Disturbed.

Halo - "Filling the Empty Spaces With Cash" from Body of Light (2003)

4/5. I'm not totally into the more drone-ish industrial metal, but this one has great potential.

1000 Homo DJs - "Supernaut (Trent Vocals)" from Trax Box (1990/2015)

3.5/5. I've added this track to a Sphere playlist before, though that one was the official version with Ministry's Al Jourgensen on vocals. This original version is sung by Trent Reznor of Nine Inch Nails, replaced in the original EP due to record label issues.

Combichrist - "Broken United" from One Fire (2019)

3/5. The blend of electronics and guitars may be reminiscent of a heavier Icon of Coil. A bit boring, reminding me how glad I am that my teenage years were filled with melodic upbeat power metal instead of overly electronic sh*t.

Motionless in White - "Voices" from Graveyard Shift (2017)

3.5/5. There are still some good tracks made by this band, this one well-executed in the lyrics, especially in the verses. It's so kick-A, it can be a UFC fighter's victory song.

Youth Code, King Yosef, Matt Pike - "Head Underwater" from A Skeleton Key in the Doors of Depression (2021)

4/5. Wow, they were really high on fire in this track! And that pun was intended because it features that band's frontman Matt Pike.

Lord of the Lost - "La Vie Est Hell" from OPVS NOIR Vol. 3 (2026)

4.5/5. This one is based on Les Fleurs du Mal, complete with some French singing by Kissin' Dynamite vocalist Hannes Braun. It's filled with beautiful melancholy, which is kinda what I'm looking for in a ballad.

In This Moment - "Crawl" from Crawl (2026)

4.5/5. In This Moment's new album Witch will come out later this month, and it sounds like they're going more industrial than ever before.

KMFDM - "Flesh" from Nihil (1995)

4/5. This one is slower in the verses, but speeds up in the chorus and definitely towards the end.

Strapping Young Lad - "Dirt Pride" from Strapping Young Lad (2003)

4.5/5. "DIRT PRIDE!!! MY PRIDE!!!" A wild song from the Hevy Devy archives.

Psyclon Nine - "And With Fire" from Icon of the Adversary (2018)

5/5. With metal fire there's electronic air, formed together in sinister darkness.

Toxic Grind Machine - "Hymnlock" from Embryonic Emission (2012)

4.5/5. Then the darkness has some cyber light to make a futuristic hymn.

Vortech - "The Dark City" from The Shadow Presence (2022)

4/5. But it's still a dark city, you'll have to embrace the present shadow.

Mechina - "Planetfall" from Progenitor (2016)

4.5/5. Anyone who thinks mixing metal genres together doesn't work is wrong. Mechina have made their own cauldron of epic destruction and brought in Dean Arnold (Primal Frost/Vital Remains) for a guitar solo at the end. Absolute intense and can fit well for a space war. Even Fear Factory hasn't been this crushing! And that blend of speed and orchestration has got to be what planted the seed for symphonic blackened deathcore bands like Lorna Shore.

Daedalean Complex - "A Garden of Lies" from After the Fall (2017)

4/5. After the planet's fall lies a garden of lies. Nice sorrowful gothic-infused blackened industrial metal there.

Jacob Lizotte - "THE GREY" from THE GREY (2026)

4.5/5. From the killer intro to the pleasant outro, Jacob Lizotte still has his talent in the music after his Dark Matter album. As amazing and diverse this track is, the vocals could've had a small boost in volume to make this 100% perfect.

Celldweller, SWARM, REEBZ - "Fakebreaker" from Fakebreaker (2025)

5/5. Celldweller made a crushing collab with SWARM and REEBZ that really shows Klayton's talent and ability that he's had throughout the project's 25-year tenure.

Sielwolf - "Antimon #3" from Metastasen (1994)

4.5/5. Now how about an experimental epic before the final track?

Neurotech - "No Matter the Rain" from In Delta Negative (2026)

4/5. It sometimes pains me that my love for some bands and projects don't last long. But no matter the pain or rain, Neurotech deserves to be recognized and remembered.

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 to anyone who have contributed with their own submissions, and I hope the rest of you enjoy it like I've had!