Daniel's Forum Threads

Chilean metal + Darkthrone influence = Interest piqued!!

Edit: 30 seconds into the first track proper and holy shit, you weren't kidding about the Darkthrone worship Vinny (this is a good thing)!

Cocteau Twins - "The Spangle Maker" E.P. (1984)

While I thoroughly enjoyed 1983's excellent duo of releases in third full-length "Head Over Heels" & the equally high-quality "Sunburst & Snowblind" E.P., "The Spangle Maker" E.P. saw Scotland's Cocteau Twins taking a clear step up into the more elite echelons of popular music with three stunning tracks that never fail to leave me feeling exhilarated through their glistening beauty & emotive elegance. The vocals of Elizabeth Fraser are as spectacular as you'll find & cement her as one of my favourite front women of all time. The first two tracks in particular have simply ruled my playlist so far this week so this should be compulsory listening for dream pop & ethereal wave lovers. 

For fans of Tamaryn, White Flowers & Cranes.

4.5/5

An absolutely epic and emotional highlight with no breakdowns, basically extreme power-ish symphonic metal, enough to qualify in this thread:

The band tries so hard to sound like fellow Christian alt-rock band Skillet here, but there isn't enough ambition and it comes out as one of the worst tracks they've ever done:

Probably the best Demon Hunter track since the highlights from their 3rd, 4th, and 5th albums (the grand album triptych):

One of the only tracks in Demon Hunter's new album to qualify for The Revolution, this opening highlight may be the closest to the band's earlier melodic metalcore roots:

I am no great fan of Ghost, but this debut is a record I keep returning to because it is just so fucking catchy that I can't get enough of it. I am one of those who is not so sure about its metal credentials though. It is one of those records, like Blood Ceremony's debut which sits right on the boundary fence between metal and retro occult rock.

Lewis - "L'Amour" (1983)

The debut album from this Canadian Singer/songwriter is a deep, minimal, introspective & synth-laden ambient pop record that's perfect for relaxing by yourself with a book & a glass of wine. I've quite enjoyed it, even though there are some parts that sound a little dated due to the synthesizer sounds employed.

For fans of Nick Drake, Arthur Russell & "Nebraska"-period Bruce Springsteen.

3.5/5

Scott Kelly - "The Wake" (2008)

After thoroughly enjoying my revisit to Kelly's 2001 debut solo album "Spirit Bound Flesh" recently, I decided to give his sophomore effort (generally regarded as my favourite of Kelly's three solo works) the same treatment. It's a slightly more consistent record than "Spirit Bound Flesh" with the highlight tracks (i.e. "Figures" & "Catholic Blood") both being utterly devastating. You can expect a ridiculously deep, dark & depressing while decidedly stripped back singer/songwriter style folk sound that won't appeal to everyone but will connect with its target audience on a visceral level. The album does tend to fade a little towards the end but there's enough quality in the opening five tracks to make this a rewarding & deeply introspective listen.

For fans of Steve Von Till, Johnny Cash & Red House Painters.

4/5

Plankton AI metal is back again, here's another solid banger:

There are undoubtedly a lot of bands / albums that I've introduced you to over the years (and vice versa), but Children of Bodom are not one of them. I don't think I've ever got through a full track, let alone an album.

Are you sure? I can distinctly remember you rocking over to my place in a brand-new Agalloch "Pale Folklore" t-shirt, raving about Paul Baloff-era Exodus & playing me three of your favourite new metal records from Children of Bodom, Dragonforce & BABYMETAL.

Pentagram - "Be Forewarned" (1994)

The 1994 comeback album from these Virginia-based doom metal legends is generally regarded as somewhat of a triumph in doom circles. And look... I won't deny that I've quite enjoyed the ride this week but I can't say that I prescribe to those lofty statements personally. "Be Forewarned" is certainly a step down from Pentagram's excellent self-titled debut album in my opinion but I do think it's slightly more appealing than their 1987 sophomore effort "Day of Reckoning" without reaching a level that would see me returning to it in the future. The Black Sabbath worship is incredibly extreme here with front man Bobby Liebling doing everything in his power to sound exactly like the Ozz man. There are some crushingly heavy riffs on offer with the production job being tailored to best showcase that element of Pentagram's sound but I don't take much away from the groovier stoner-ish material to be honest. It's also pretty hard to understand why they'd end the record with the three best tracks with the rest of the tracklisting being fairly hit & miss. Anyway... this isn't a bad listen for the more dedicated doom aficionado. Just don't expect fireworks.

For fans of Black Sabbath, Saint Vitus & Witchfinder General.

3.5/5

September 2025

1. Anacrusis – Release (1993)

2. The Anchoret – Forsaken (2023)

3. Baroness – Magnolia (2023)

4. Between the Buried and Me - Obfuscation (2009)

5. Caligula’s Horse – Song for No One (2017)

6. Destiny Potato – Lost Dream (2014)

7. Dissocia – Samsara (2025)

8. Fallujah – Kaleidoscopic Waves (2025)

9. Leprous – Painful Detour (2012)

10. Mastodon – Naked Burn (2004)

11. Mastodon - The Beast (2021)

12. The Ocean Collective – The Grand Inquisitor II: Roots & Locusts (2010)

13. Omnerod – Nothing Was Vain (2023)

14. The Reticent – Stage 2: The Captive (2020)

15. Slugdge – The Spectral Burrows (2018)

16. The Third and the Mortal – Silently I Surrender (2004)

17. Threshold – The Man Who Saw Through Time (2017)

18. Voivod – Meteor (1995)

19. Wheel – Movement (2021)

Messa - The Spin (2025)

Messa's previous album, 2022's "Close" was my AOTY for that year and is one of my favourite albums of the current decade. So expectations were high for their new full-length and while it would be going too far to say I was disappointed with it, initially it fell a little bit short of my undoubtedly unrealistic expectations. Now that I have had some time to really get to grips with it my early lukewarm reaction feels a bit reactionary because "The Spin" has grown on me massively and, whilst not yet quite up there with "Close", it has still proven itself to be a damn fine record.

Leaning more into gothic territory than previously, "The Spin" is not as heavy or doomy as "Close" and is more hook-driven than the earlier album, but the interweaving of various non-metal influences is still present. Whilst undoubtedly an entire band effort, I felt that vocalist Sara Bianchin was the star of "Close", but here I think the big draw is Alberto Piccolo's fantastic guitar work. He unleashes several scintillating solos with "Immolation" and "Void Meridian" being particularly sterling examples, his riffing is spot on and his jangling guitar work is so reminiscent of the 1980's UK gothic rock scene that you would swear that Billy Duffy or Wayne Hussey had guested on the album. Piccolo also plays blues rock under the name "Little Albert" and his slide work on penultimate track "Reveal" suggests he is also proficient in that scene too.

There does seem to be a specific direction of travel to "The Spin". It begins with the emphasis very much on the gothic, specifically the opening brace of "Void Meridian" and "At Races" and the album feels as much about gothic rock as metal, with "Void Meridian" coming on like Siouxsie and the Banshees - tell me the opening bass line doesn't sound like the beginning of "Spellbound"! As the album progresses, though, it starts to move in a heavier direction, culminating with the one-two combo of the album's out and out heaviest track, "The Reveal" and the doomy "Thicker Blood". Along the way though we are treated to tracks that include the band's trademark dalliances with other diverse elements such as blues and jazz, meaning we are never going to get bored or complacent about where the band are going. They even reference Rush and in particular "La Villa Strangiato" from 1978's "Hemispheres" during the album's epic centrepiece, "The Dress" whilst the first half of "Immolation" is a piano ballad that Tori Amos would be proud of.

I sometimes get the feeling with some primarily metal artists who often look to incorporate a lot of non-metal elements that they are almost embarrassed to be tagged as metal, but I never feel that with Messa and despite their eclecticism they feel like a band who revel in their metal roots, even whilst it isn't the totality of their playbook. Sure, I am generally a bit of a caveman when it comes to metal. I love cavernous, old-school death metal, frigid and raw blasting black metal, crawling and monolithic doom, chugging thrash riffs and anthemic, singalong-at-the-top-of-your-voice classic metal choruses, but I am not a complete philistine and I am perfectly capable of enjoying bands who want to bring more to the table. I just prefer when they do it in a listenable way rather than making their albums into a test of the listener's endurance for discomfort. Thankfully, listenability is still an important quality to Messa and their eclecticism is not at the expense of accessibility. "The Spin" may not be an album that initially grabs the average metalhead by the throat, but it does reward those who spend time with it and ultimately reveals itself to be the product of a band who are eminently skillful musicians and songwriters that, despite weaving their metal with influences from bygone days, still produce exceedingly modern-sounding metal.

4.5/5 (A-)

I couldn't find any of the Cream Abdul Babar tracks from that split EP on YouTube, but I was able to find the sh*tter of Teen Cthulhu's side:

The more black metal-ish track of Teen Cthulhu's side of the EP:

Marilyn Manson - "Antichrist Superstar" (1996)

Surprisingly, this has been my very first attempt at a full Marilyn Manson record but I've quite enjoyed the ride, even if I do have to question how this album is strong enough to justify the global attention that Marilyn built off the back of it. It's a lengthy effort at 77 minutes & seventeen tracks but there's not a huge amount of filler to be found with only three songs failing to connect with me. His sound sits somewhere between industrial rock & industrial metal but there's enough metal here to justify the record's inclusion at the Academy in my opinion. Hit single "The Beautiful People" is certainly one of the best pieces along with "Dried Up, Tied & Dead to the World", "Little Horn" & "Deformography", all of which reside in the first half of the tracklisting so things do fade a touch over the B side. There can be no denying Manson's charisma as a front man though, even if you put aside his horrific image & stage presence. I'm happy to say that "Antichrist Superstar" is definitely worth a listen or two although I can't see myself returning to it any time soon.

For fans of Nine Inch Nails, Rob Zombie & Ministry.

3.5/5

Ben, please add Ära Krâ.

I have never listened through an Imperial Triumphant record but I always imagined it would sound exactly like Sonny described it.

Grief - "Come to Grief" (1994)

The debut full-length from this Boston-based sludge metal outfit sees Grief taking a step up from 1993's excellent "Dismal" E.P. & has subsequently gone on to become one of my favourite sludge releases of all time. "Come to Grief" is made up of eight oppressive tracks of ultra-doomy, abrasive & aggressive pieces of rat-infested glory, highlighted by the incisive vocals of front man Jeff Hayward who is thoroughly believable throughout. This is a wonderful example of what the genre is trying to achieve & one that highlights the ease with which some of the premier American bands seem to be able to tap into a downtrodden crack den for inspiration. I'm not sure what that says about the country as a whole though.

For fans of Noothgrush, Dystopia & Eyehategod.

4.5/5

Glenn Branca - "Lesson No. 1" E.P. (1980)

The debut solo release from this Pennsylvania guitarist sees him coming up with a completely new musical concept that's based predominantly on theoretical concepts. Totalism sees an artist adding additional energy & rhythmic complexity to the ideas presented in the classical genre of minimalism & Branca pulls it off with utmost ease here, although it has to be said that this doesn't always amount to an enjoyable listen. The first of the two lengthy tracks ("Lesson No. 1 for Electric Guitar") is a beauty & sees the concept presented in an easily palatable & highly professional format that's built around repeated, rhythmically-phasing melodic phrases. The noisy & musically awkward twelve-minute B side ("Dissonance") doesn't fair nearly as well though & ruins the release's chances of making a marked impression on me. Still... I'm interested to hear what Branca would become in the future so I can see myself checking out some more of his work in the future.

For fans of Manuel Göttsching, This Heat & Steve Reich.

3/5

Early Norwegian progressive/power metal with wonderful singing by Roy Khan who would later join Kamelot:

Totally devastated that I couldn't revive this old Suffocation long-sleeve due to the size of the holes in the elbows. Oh well... it means I get the chance to replace it with something equally cool now. ;)

This old Razor hoodie packed it in last month.

Karl, please submit your suggestions by close of play on Monday if you want them included in October's playlist.

Nile - "Amongst the Catacombs of Nephren-Ka" (1998)

A very solid debut album from this South Carolina trio & one that shows a strong understanding of the death metal genre & what makes it so great. I really love the dark production job which further enhances the high-quality performances to make this a bit of a beast of a record. The middle eastern themes are perhaps not as prevalent as they would become in the future but that's never been the attraction to Nile for me personally. I just love the sheer relentlessness of this band & that's showcased beautifully here. Nile certainly have better records (see the classic "Annihilation of the Wicked", the excellent "Those Whom the Gods Detest" or the rock-solid "In Their Darkened Shrines" for example) but that shouldn't detract from death metal fans enjoying Nile's first-up effort as it still contains everything that makes these Americans a household name in extreme metal circles. In fact, I reckon I might even take this one over its 2000 follow-up "Black Seeds of Vengeance" these days, if by a fairly miniscule margin. Just listen to those over-the-top guitar solos which hark back to early Deicide. That's what death metal is all about guys.

For fans of Hate Eternal, Suffocation & Dying Fetus.

4/5

September 2025

1. 40 Below Summer – Rope (2002)

2. Bleed – Silver (2021)

3. Breaking Benjamin – Had Enough (2006)

4. Calva Louise – Lo Que Vale (2025)

5. Cojum Dip – Waltz in E-Major, Op. 15 “Moon Waltz (2019)

6. Coldrain – Paradise (Kill the Silence) (2022)

7. Demon Hunter – Sorrow Light the Way (2025)

8. Digital Summer – Counting the Hours (2010)

9. Fire From the Gods – Thousand Lifetimes (2022)

10. Gemini Syndrome – IDK (2021)

11. Hacktivist – (Rock) Superstar (2016)

12. Haji’s Kitchen – Sucker Punch (2001)

13. Ice Nine Kills – The Great Unknown (2025)

14. Linkin Park – Breaking the Habit (2003)

15. Mass Hysteria – Reprendre mes Esprits (2018)

16. Puya – Bembele (2009)

17. O’Funk’illo – En el campito (2001)

18. Ravenface – Colder (2018)

19. Self Deception – The Shift (2011)

20. Shortie – Let’s Kill the World (2001)

21. Stavesacre – Shiv (1997)

22. Twisted Method – Inside Out (2003)

23. Vexed – Anti-Fetish (2023)

Limp Bizkit - "Significant Other" (1999)

Another pretty decent Limp Bizkit album that tends to be overly maligned due to people's hatred for Fred Durst's hobbo-isms. The band are really very capable & have a great understanding of dynamics & how to get a crowd jumping with the hip hop component being particularly strong throughout. This is a slightly stronger & more consistent record than the more popular 2000 follow-up album "Chocolate Starfish & the Hot Dog Flavored Water" in my opinion & I've actually quite enjoyed it if I'm being completely honest. 

For fans of Papa Roach, Korn & P.O.D.

3.5/5

Here's my updated Top Ten Nu Metal Releases of All Time list:

01. Linkin Park - "Meteora" (2003)

02. Korn - "Korn" (1994)

03. Slipknot - "Iowa" (2001)

04. Linkin Park - "Hybrid Theory" (2000)

05. Deftones - "Adrenaline" (1995)

06. Korn - "Life is Peachy" (1996)

07. Korn - "Follow the Leader" (1998)

08. Limp Bizkit - "Significant Other" (1999)

09. Sevendust - "Animosity" (2001)

10. Korn - "Issues" (1999)

https://metal.academy/lists/single/313

Another well-done piece of gothic/industrial metal:

Starting off hard is this majestic opener of aggression and beauty:

Massive Attack v Mad Professor - "No Protection" (1995)

Stoners should look no further than this wonderful remix album that contains eight stripped-back takes on tracks taken from Bristol trip hop kings Massive Attack's brilliant 1994 sophomore album "Protection". Guyana dub legend Mad Professor does a wonderful job at keeping the original depth of the pieces & taking them into even more cerebral directions. I can't tell you how many times my best mate & I numbed ourselves to this record during my 2000's club days. Massive Attack are one of my absolute favourite artists & this is one of the truest examples of an underrated gem you'll find.

For fans of Thievery Corporation, Hooverphonic & DJ Shadow.

4.5/5

Sorry for the delay. 

How about these, think they all fit.

Convocation – Portal Closed (from “Ashes Coalesce”, 2020)

Coffincraft – “Sympathectomy” (from “IV.I.VIII”, 2014)

Emma Ruth Rundle & Thou - “Ancestral Recall” (from “May Our Chambers Be Full”, 2020)

16 – “Summer of ‘96” (from “Dream Squasher”, 2020)

High on Fire “Blessed Black Wings” (from “Blessed Black Wings”, 2005)

Children of Bodom-esque melodeath from a band once known for its neoclassical power metal sound:

Armoured Angel - "Mysterium" E.P. (1994)

I was well into this Canberra trio as a young chap & they would play a serious role in inspiring me to become a musician myself. Although they may not be all that well known outside of Australia, Armoured Angel are probably the most widely respected death metal act ever to come from these shores & this release comes from their peak period, a time when I would experience them in a live environment on numerous occasions. Armoured Angel's 1985 demo tape "Banished in Blood" was a pretty lacklustre affair but it was their two late 80's thrash metal demos "Wings of Death" & "Communion" that initially gained my attention, if not leaving me totally convinced. Once they sold their souls to the burgeoning death metal sound with 1992's "Stigmartyr" E.P. then there was no going back though & "Mysterium" sees the band continuing down that route, be it with their usual thrashy edge. Listening back now, I have to say that "Mysterium" doesn't hit as hard as the career-defining "Stigmartyr" did. The two highlight tracks ("Myth of Creation" & "Enigmatize") are both excellent but the other material doesn't live up to that promise, particularly the two combined pieces that close the release in "Pray for Me/Elegy" which don't do much for me. Still... there's enough quality to keep me interested & see me donning my old "Mysterium" t-shirt with pride although I do think I'd probably take the "Communion" demo over this CD these days if I'm being honest which isn't how I felt back in the day. The "Stigmartyr" E.P. is where you should direct your attention if you're looking to experience some premium Aussie death metal though.

For fans of Ares Kingdom, House of Atreus & Mi'gauss.

3.5/5

Discharge - "Fight Back" E.P. (1980)

A short six & a half minute shot of adrenaline containing five high-octane tracks that whip past you in no time at all. The Motorhead influence is obvious throughout & this is all enjoyable stuff, even for someone like myself who doesn't class themselves as a big punk fan. It's interesting that the two songs on the B side are comfortably the best material so I feel that Discharge would have been better served with an alternate arrangement of the tracklisting. Still... this is a decent way to fill a very small gap in your day. I just can't see myself thinking to return to it any time soon.

For fans of Poison Idea, Negative Approach & Anti-Cimex.

3.5/5

Alcest - "Les chants de l'aurore" (2024)

So, I've spent a bit of time with the French post-blackgaze stalwarts' seventh full-length now & have developed the feeling that it's not a bad record, if not one that I'm likely to reach for when I feel the urge for some Alcest. The tracklisting is without blemish but the overall atmosphere is extremely whispy & melodic (even for them) with the shoegaze influence being far more prevalent than the post-rock on this occasion. The black metal shrieks aren't used as regularly as they have been in the past either but the instrumentation has plenty of black metal about it. Overall, I'm gonna suggest that "Les chants de l'aurore" is probably Alcest's least impressive album since 2014's "Shelter" but it's still worth a few listens, even if (much like the Frenchmen's previous record "Spiritual Instinct") I can't say that this is an essential release for those looking for the elite-level blackgaze.

For fans of Amesoeurs, Lantlôs & Deafheaven.

3.5/5

These tracks were in the original 1992 edition of Circle of Dust's self-titled debut and were never re-recorded because of how much Klayton hated them. And I have to agree, these two sh*tty tracks should never have existed:

Jesu - "Jesu" (2004)

This week's revisit to this old favourite has finally seen me understanding what it is that people call "doomgaze". Forget how many websites tag this record. There's bugger-all drone metal or straight-up post-metal here. It's a combination of industrial metal & doom metal with a clear shoegaze influence to some of the vocals & melodic components which leaves me opting for an industrial doomgaze tag. It's a fantastic metal release too, one of my all-time favourites in fact with the more industrial material sounding very much like classic Godflesh & the doomier & more emotional inclusions being nothing short of incredible. This is some of Justin Broadrick (Fall of Because/Godflesh/Napalm Death) & drummer Ted Parsons' (Godflesh/Killing Joke/Prong/Swans) finest work.

For fans of Nadja, Godflesh & Isis.

4.5/5

Here are my sneak peek submissions for the October Sphere playlist:

Blue Stahli - "Not Over Til We Say So" (3:41) from The Devil (2015)

A Dark Halo - "Unbreakable" (4:27) from Catalyst (2006)

The Interbeing - "In the Transcendence" (3:08) from Edge of the Obscure (2011)

Mechina - "Praise Hydrus" (8:15) from Venator (2022)

Neurotech - "Escapism" (6:22) from Exo Escapism (2025)

Omega Lithium - "Point Blank" (3:57) from Dreams in Formaline (2009)

Total length: 29:50

Here are my sneak peek submissions for the October Revolution playlist:

The Breathing Process - "Metamorphosis" (4:21) from Odyssey (Un)Dead (2010)

Cave In - "N.I.B." (4:17) from Anomalies, Vol. 1 (2010) (RIP Ozzy Osbourne)

Fear of Domination - "Inner Lies" (4:03) from VI: Revelation (2021)

It Dies Today - "Marigold" (3:06) from The Caitiff Choir (2004)

We Came as Romans - "Dreams" (4:15) from To Plant a Seed (2009)

While She Sleeps - "Gates of Paradise" (5:20) from So What? (2019)

Winds of Plague - "The Impaler" (3:01) from Decimate the Weak (2008)

Total length: 28:23

For the October Infinite playlist, I'd like to nominate this long epic that's one of the best of melodic progressive metal:

Symphony X - "The Odyssey" (24:09) from The Odyssey (2002)

Here are my sneak peek submissions for the October Guardians playlist:

Galneryus - "My Hope is Gone" (7:00) from Into the Purgatory (2019)

Masterplan - "Music" (7:27) from PumpKings (2017)

Powerwolf - "Fire & Forgive" (4:30) from The Sacrament of Sin (2018)

Visions of Atlantis - "Lemuria" (3:41) from Cast Away (2004)

Warkings - "Armata Strigoi" (4:14) from Morgana (2022)

Total length: 26:52

While checking out Vio-Lence AND some post-bop, I'm also using minor bits of free time to check out the extremely short albums of this trap artist named Dave Blunts, known for his complex beats and his large weight.  I read that he's going to work hard to try and lose that weight for personal reasons.  His beats are quite fine, but when it comes to his lyrical rhythms and rhymes, the humor doesn't change the fact that he's basically another run-of-the-mill trap artist.  Hopefully he makes his beats more unique while working on his health.  He obviously has some smarts in some respects, and I'd like to see those expand.

Vio-Lence - Eternal Nightmare

Genres: Thrash Metal

After hearing the band's two early demos, I still didn't have much of an inkling as to their true abilities because the recording quality, demo or not, was terrible for the first demo and slightly better for the second.  With this one, they got a real producer to handle the sound quality, which maximizes everything they're capable of.  Thing is, while these guys are still stylistically generic, not really standing out with a style of their own, theycan sure jam like fuck and play at Star Trek levels of warp speed.  Much of the frontal work is done by later Machine Head guitarist Robb Flynn, who totally understand what thrash power and riffage needs to sound like.  For the most part, the rest of the instrumentalists aren't really struggling to keep up with him at all.  They match his power pretty easily, which is incredible considering that the single hiring of one different person would almost send this album toppling.  Of course, that's as far as the instrumentation goes.  Although this is a perfectly produced album with song great songwriting, I'm really not digging Sean Killian's vocals.  Not only is he joining the chained-to-a-wall kink train of thinking shouting the same way through a whole album is somehow the coolest thing you can do, but it sounds like he's in the wrong genre.  He sounds like he belongs in a power metal band or a Queensryche knockoff, like he's adjusting his voice for thrash to hide this and failing.  As well, with half these songs sharing very similar tempos and practically all of them bearing the same vibe, they don't really push any boundaries beyond raw instrumentality.  As well, some of the songs drag on much longer than they likely need to, largely because the album's mostly an exercize in showing off both instrumental and production techniques rather than an example of depth.  So I think it's right that I give this a good rating for some incredible strengths, but from a broader perspective, it's not the most enlightening... just addictingly thrashy.

83

Rotting Christ - "Non serviam" (1994)

The highly regarded sophomore album from these Hellenic black metal kings also happens to be my favourite Rotting Christ release. I picked it up on CD at the time of release & have always seen it as a step up from their debut full-length "Thy Mighty Contract". It's a measured, consistent & highly focused release that sees the band keeping well within their limited technical abilities while championing a unique atmosphere built on repetitive mid-range tempos & palm-muted death metal riffs that are given a black metal feel by shrieking vocals & subtle synthesizer use, ending up somewhere between the melodic & conventional black metal subgenres. The use of melodic lead guitar themes definitely borrows from the early doom/death movement too & sees "Non serviam" sitting in the top couple of releases from the whole Hellenic black metal movement in my opinion. Highly recommended.

For fans of Varathron, Samael & Thou Art Lord.

4/5

Here's my updated Top Ten Melodic Black Metal Releases of All Time list:

01. Dissection – “Storm Of The Light’s Bane” (1995)

02. Mare Cognitum – “Solar Paroxysm” (2021)

03. Les Chat de Nihil – “Le tyran et l’esthete” (2021)

04. Rotting Christ – “Non Seriam” (1994)

05. Dawn - "Nær sólen gar niþer for evogher" (1994)

06. Dawn – “Slaughtersun (Crown Of The Triarchy)” (1998)

07. Iskald – “The Sun I Carried Alone” (2011)

08. Naglfar – “Teras” (2012)

09. Abigail Williams - "In The Absence Of Light" (2010)

10. Dissection - "The Somberlain" (1993)

https://metal.academy/lists/single/164

September 2025

1. Architects - "Deep Fake" from The Classic Symptoms of a Broken Spirit (2022) [submitted by Shadowdoom9 (Andi)]

2. Lord of the Lost, Within Temptation - "Light Can Only Shine in the Darkness" from Light Can Only Shine in the Darkness (2025)

3. Mechina - "Vanquisher" from Acheron (2015) [submitted by Shadowdoom9 (Andi)]

4. Fear Factory - "Martyr" from Soul of a New Machine (1992)

5. Misery Loves Co. - "Sonic Attack" from Misery Loves Co. (1995)

6. Acumen Nation - "Queener" from Territory=Universe (1996)

7. Tyrant of Death - "Because Death is Not Ready Yet" from Re Connect (2012)

8. Mass Hysteria - "Matiere Noire" from Matiere Noire (2015)

9. Sonic Violence - "Ritual" from Jagd (1990)

10. Killing Joke - "Mathematics of Chaos" from Pandemonium (1994)

11. Zynthetic - "Bled Dry" from Soundtrack for the Apocalypse (2010)

12. Rammstein - "Ich Will" from Mutter (2001)

13. OOMPH! - "Breathtaker" from Sperm (1994)

14. Circle of Dust - "Deviate (Blue Stahli Remix)" from alt_Machines (2018) [submitted by Shadowdoom9 (Andi)]

15. Illidiance - "Mind Hunters" from Damage Theory (2010) [submitted by Shadowdoom9 (Andi)]

16. Realize - "In Silence" from Two Human Minutes (2023)

17. Raubtier - "Varldsherravalde" from Skriet Fran Vildmarken (2010)

18. Skymning - "Trolltekk / Aggrotekk" from Machina Genova (2004)

19. Bong-Ra - "Bloodclot" from Black Noise (2025)

20. NOWHERE2RUN, Loathe - "Ant in the Afterbirth" from Ant in the Afterbith (2024)

21. Turmion Katilot - "Helvetin Torvet" from Universal Satan (2018)

22. Atrocious Filth - "Moans" (5:21) from Moans (2016)

23. Eisbrecher - "Atem" from Die Holle Muss Warten (2012)

24. Neurotech - "Memory Eternal" from Memory Eternal (2024) [submitted by Shadowdoom9 (Andi)]

25. Fear of Domination - "Ruin" from Metanoia (2018) [submitted by Shadowdoom9 (Andi)]

September 2025

1. Aftershock - "Prelude to Forever" from Through the Looking Glass (1999)

2. Overcast - "Root Bound Apollo" from Reborn to Kill Again (2008)

3. Nora - "For the Travelers" from Loser's Intuition (2001)

4. Zao - "The Race of Standing Still" from (Self-Titled) (2001) [submitted by Shadowdoom9 (Andi)]

5. August Burns Red - "Composure" from Messengers (2007) [submitted by Shadowdoom9 (Andi)]

6. Poison the Well - "12/23/93" from The Opposite of December... A Season of Separation (1999)

7. The Breathing Process - "Inferno" from In Waking: Divinity (2008) [submitted by Shadowdoom9 (Andi)]

8. Neaera - "Desecrators" from Let the Tempest Come (2006) [submitted by Shadowdoom9 (Andi)]

9. Strife - "Lift" (3:35) from One Truth (1994)

10. Blood of the Martyrs - "I Know Why the Caged Bird Kills" (3:41) from Once More With Feeling (2011)

11. The Dillinger Escape Plan - "Horse Hunter" (3:11) from Ire Works (2007)

12. Car Bomb - "Blindsides" from Tiles Whispers Dreams (2025)

13. Converge - "Worms Will Feed / Rats Will Feast" from Axe to Fall (2009)

14. Frontierer - "Bunsen" from Orange Mathematics (2015)

15. Cult Leader - "Craft of Mourning" from A Patient Man (2018)

16. Drown in Sulphur - "The Sleeping Abomination" from Sulphur Cvlt (2021) [submitted by Shadowdoom9 (Andi)]

17. Mental Cruelty - "Chapter II - The Rise of the Antichrist" from Purgatorium (2018) [submitted by Shadowdoom9 (Andi)]

18. A Wake in Providence - "The Court ov the Trinity" from Eternity (2022)

19. The Red Chord - "Breed the Cancer" from Fused Together in Revolving Doors (2002) [submitted by Shadowdoom9 (Andi)]

20. Spitfire - "Quintenessence at Glance" from The Dead Next Door (1999)

21. Trivium - "Bury Me With My Screams" from Bury Me With My Screams (2025)

22. Annisokay - "Into the Gray" from Abyss Pt II (2025)

23. Avenged Sevenfold - "Second Heartbeat" from Waking the Fallen (2003)

24. Vision of Disorder - "Jada Bloom" from Imprint (1998)

25. Hope for the Dying - "Legacy" from Legacy (2016)

26. Wolves at the Gate - "The Father's Bargain" from VxV (2014)

September 2025

1. Blind Guardian - "Imaginations From the Other Side" from Imaginations From the Other Side (1995)

2. Galneryus - "Finally, It Comes!" from The Stars Will Light the Way (2024)

3. Trivium - "Until the World Goes Cold" from Silence in the Snow (2015)

4. Black Sabbath - "Hole in the Sky" from Sabotage (1975)

5. Battle Beast - "Here We Are" from Here We Are (2025)

6. Metal Church - "Metal Church" from Metal Church (1984)

7. Halford - "Resurrection" from Resurrection (2000)

8. Judas Priest - "The Serpent and the King" from Invincible Shield (2024)

9. Ozzy Osbourne - "Believer" from Diary of a Madmen (1981)

10. Crimson Glory - "Masque of the Red Death" from Transcendence (1988)

11. Accept - "Shadow Soldiers" from Stalingrad (2012) [Suggested by Sonny]

12. Mercyful Fate - "Melissa" from Melissa (1983)

13. Manowar - "Battle Hymn" from Battle Hymns (1982)

14. Sabaton - "The Duelist" from The Duelist (2025)

15. Beyond the Black - "Break the Silence" from Break the Silence (2025)

16. Xandria - "Fight Me" from India (2005)

17. Amberian Dawn - "River of Tuoni" from River of Tuoni (2008)

18. Within Temptation - "Iron" from The Unforgiving (2011)

19. Kiuas - "Warrior Soul" from The Spirit of Ukko (2005) [Suggested by Shadowdoom9 (Andi)]

20. Golden Resurrection - "Identity in Christ" from Man with a Mission (2011)

21. Yngwie Malmsteen - "World on Fire" from World on Fire (2016)

22. Visions of Atlantis - "Seven Seas" from Trinity (2007)

23. Dark Moor - "Dies Irae (Amadeus)" from The Gates of Oblivion (2002)

24. Stratovarius - "Goodbye" from Fright Night (1989)

Here's my submission for the October Gateway playlist, my first single-track submission since my switch from The Gateway to The Guardians, and it's a long epic too:

Slipknot - Iowa (from Iowa, 2001)

Update for October:

THE FALLEN: VINNY, Sonny

THE GATEWAY: ANDI, Saxy

THE GUARDIANS: ANDI, Sonny, Karl

THE HORDE: KARL, Vinny, Sonny

THE INFINITE: SAXY, Andi

THE NORTH: SONNY, Karl, Vinny

THE PIT: SONNY, Vinny

THE REVOLUTION: ANDI

THE SPHERE: ANDI