Shadowdoom9 (Andi)'s Forum Replies

A perfect rocker with optimistic vocals and harmonic nostalgia for both heavier metalheads and rock listeners:

Killer new track by experimental alt-metal masters Mushroomhead from their upcoming album Call the Devil:

Cool game! As soon as I buy a White Box from a game shop that sells it, I'll give it a go.

I spent 2 years reading up and learning game design. I can help you design one if you want, but I'd like to get your thoughts on the one I've been developing too. 

Sounds great, thanks Zach!

Game shops sell this thing called "The White Box" it comes with all kinds of dice, tokens, markers, etc. Along with a book on how to design and market a TTRPG or Board Game. Ask you're local shop about it, or you can google it. It's a loooong road, and there will be set backs, and you've got to have a strong ego.

Definitely something cool to have in D&D and any other TTRPG. I'm up to testing out yours, but let's see what the other members think of the idea first.

A high-quality climatic piece of industrial dance-metal from this side-project of Turmion Katilot vocalist MC Raaka Pee:

You know the Metal Academy clan map that I've made (https://metal.academy/forum/23/thread/271)? I made it a few years ago in case anyone here who's good at game designing wanted to make an MMORPG based on Metal Academy. That never happened, though it was fun making that map.

Welcome, Karl! Hope you have a good time here.

In Waves is what first got me into metalcore and other heavier more modern metal genres. Here's my review for the album for the whole story, and I look forward to seeing your thoughts about the album, Zach: https://metal.academy/reviews/5677/5352

Yeah, what a shame we don't get to hear Cathrine Paulsen outside of Trail of Tears, though according to Metal Archives, she was also in symphonic black metal band Lucid Fear that only made a couple demos. For the other two female vocalists, Helena Iren Michaelsen was also in Epica (when they were originally named Sahara Dust) and Ailyn was also in Sirenia. But those two bands are more focused on symphonic metal and therefore not the right bands for you, Zach. Anyway, the best Trail of Tears album to start with for Cathrine's captivating vocals is Bloodstained Endurance.

So today's the 5th anniversary of me first joining Metal Academy (as of my introductory post: https://metal.academy/forum/26/thread/101), and I thought this would be the perfect (and possibly only) chance for me to see if there are any releases that came out on that day and any other releases I like celebrating their 5x-year anniversaries today.

Today is the 15th anniversary of Voivod's Infini, the final album with recordings made by guitarist Piggy before his 2005 passing. RIP... The only album released on the day I first joined Metal Academy is this album by Japanese alt-/power metal band Mary's Blood. Like I said before, it might be hard for me to listen to and review an album from a practically unknown band with lyrics of a different language, even though I sometimes like that aspect, so I'll pass on that one.

Most of my exceptions to deal-breakers are bands and specific releases rather than songs, since my deal-breakers are metal genres. Here are some of those exceptions:

The majority of black metal - There are several black metal bands over the years I've enjoyed before turning my back on them after a while. A band that I've revisited a couple months ago is Samael, via their second album in their black metal era, Blood Ritual, when it was a feature release. I ended up enjoying that album more than I thought I would, slightly more than a couple of Samael's industrial metal albums that I reviewed. The only other North release I still have a rating for is Underoath's Cries of the Past, but I object to that album's position in the clan.

Brutal/slam death metal - I seem to like a bit of brutal death metal more when mixed with deathcore in some occasions. Sometimes it works (Despised Icon's Consumed by Your Poison), sometimes it doesn't (Abnegation's Verses of the Bleeding). I also enjoy the album At Damnation's Core by Daniel's former band Neuropath. If you haven't listened to that Neuropath album, I highly recommend it, Zach.

The more brutal deathcore bands - Similarly with that Despised Icon album, I enjoy a few deathcore bands/releases that are brutal to cross over to the Horde clan as long as they're not highly fixated on gory violence. These include Deformity's Murder Within Sin, Embodyment's Embrace the Eternal, and bands The Red Chord and Rings of Saturn. Damaged's Token Remedies Research and Deformity's Misanthrope also qualify in that category, though they don't work as much.

Drone/funeral doom - N/A

Grindcore - Not all of it is awful. I love The Red Chord and their mix of deathgrind and deathcore. And a few other releases are good or average similarly to Damaged, such as the Agoraphobic Nosebleed/Converge split The Poacher Diaries, Atka's Untitled Album, Genghis Tron's Cloak of Love, OLD's Old Lady Drivers, and PainKiller's Buried Secrets.

I have so many heavy metal green lights, but here's a few of them I could think of:

Epic buildup intro - Totally different from your "fast starts" green light (which I can also relate), Zach, but I like when the instrumentation slowly builds up before beginning its heavy marathon. For example, Trivium's "Kirisute Gomen".

Breakdowns gone all-out brutal - Particularly in deathcore, with the most crushing guitars and demonic screams. Since you also like breakdowns and dirty vocals, Zach, I would recommend the popular ending breakdown of Lorna Shore's "To the Hellfire".

Slow guitar solo followed by fast one - That's one reason why DragonForce is one of the only power metal bands I still listen to today. And this also occurs in many metal songs from Metallica's "Blackened" to the title track of Trivium's In the Court of the Dragon.

Extreme metal gone symphonic - The amount of heaviness and symphonics should be in the right balance, enough to spawn symphonic death metal masterpieces like Waltari's Yeah! Yeah! Die! Die! and Dethklok's The Doomstar Requiem, along with bands like Trail of Tears and Lorna Shore.

A female member of a band performs occasional vocals - This time I'm not talking about a band with a female co-vocalist (e.g. Trail of Tears), I mean a female band member performing an instrument occasionally singing. I agree that she should sound METAL, though I don't mind her being operatic. Examples: Make Them Suffer, Skillet

Vocals that you can't understand. Cookie monster vocals. If I can't understand you then I assume you are not proud of what you say and it's not worth me hearing.

How about lyrics in a language you don't speak?

i personally think foreign language stuff is cool, but I do like having an English translation if it’s real good.

Same here, though I'm not into a lot of bands that entirely rely on foreign language stuff with little-to-no English (e.g. Neue Deutsche Härte bands).

Down tuned extended range guitars. It's not the guitars but how these types of bands use them. The tone has become so generic and bland. Every production sounds the same.

As much as I enjoy modern metal/djent and its common usage of downtuned guitars, I agree that the tone and production sound the same and can therefore be monotonous and tiring. We need more than just tuning the guitars so earth-quakingly low. This may be an unpopular opinion, but I think the idea of tuning up a semitone or two higher than the standard E tuning should catch on, like how Vektor used to have guitars tuned up to F. Maybe even F# or have 7-string guitars tuned up to C or C#, that would be something. Of course, we have the risk of a string breaking. But never mind, any tuning, no matter how tired I am of it, is a good deal for me.

Vocals play a massive part in music for me and are probably the thing most likely to get me hitting the off button, so:

1. Shouty hardcore-style vocals where the singer sounds like a three-year old throwing a tantrum in Tesco.

2. Power metal vocals where the singer thinks Bruce Dickinson is OK, but is far too restrained in his delivery.

3. Gothicy vocals where the singer wants you to believe that he really is a romantically melancholy vampire rather than some sad act in a leather trenchcoat. Chances are Andrew Eldritch has already done this ten times better.

I never usually have any problems with vocals when it comes to different styles. For me, it's the strength and timing that matters. I don't really like when the vocals sound weak (Lars Eikind in some Before the Dawn songs) or are completely different from the main style of the album and in an odd place (5 minutes of female operatic chanting in the middle of Green Carnation's Light of Day, Day of Darkness that almost made cross off a half-star from my perfect 5-star rating for that album/suite).

Hidden tracks are NEVER a good idea. Thankfully they were related to the length of CDs, so hopefully are gone now.

I rarely ever enjoy cover tracks, unless they match the feel of the rest of the album. On that note, I dislike tracks that have a really different production to the rest of the album too.

I actually like a few hidden tracks like the one at the end of the original 1995 Zao debut All Else Failed and the long sludgy closing instrumental of Gaza's He Is Never Coming Back, but yeah, there are some hidden tracks that I would certainly give a thumbs-down to. The cover tracks I prefer are ones that stay true to the band's sound and are much better than the originals. The ones that just follow the song's original style (especially a non-metal genre) without much of their own are a total no-no for me.

I can't be the only member of this whole site that has these. What am I talking about? Deal breakers, Bad Omens, and Empending Doom (not the fun kind). The shit that makes you tap out, turn the dial, give ya the ick as the kids say.

LOL. I almost thought you were going to rant about two of my favorite Revolution bands there.

I'm going to start compiling a list. Here's what I got. Keep in mind we all have them, these are just mine. 

1) "Airy" female soprano... she's not in the band, it's a backing track. The same backing track every band that does this shit uses.

2) Track on the METAL album has no METAL elements. This shit pisses me off, I grew up very poor, deep in the country, in the bible belt. Getting Metal was a once a year oppourtunity. You just spent $20 on an album. The album has 9 tracks. One of them is a 3-5minute string and piano piece. BRINGS MY PISS TO A BOIL!

"Im going through changes..." Yeah Ozzy I wish you'd change to some shit I paid to hear. Tony Iommi is in your band. He's a pretty fuckin' good guitar player. Let him play it!

3) Beauty and the Beast Vocals-"Airy" female Soprano's evil twin. He says GRRRRR, she says "Ah--ahh-ah". Zero says fuck this shit.

Based on those three, symphonic metal will definitely never be the metal genre for you, Zach. I used to enjoy symphonic metal a lot 10 years ago, but then I started tapping out in favor of heavier, more modern metal genres. Still I enjoy some bands with symphonic elements. One of those bands is Trail of Tears which also has those 3 pet peeves of yours; female soprano (Helena Iren Michaelsen/Cathrine Paulsen/Ailyn), Beauty and the Beast vocals (when Ronny Thorsen growls alongside the female soprano), and a track with no metal elements (e.g. "Illusion?" from Disclosure in Red, "Countdown to Ruin" from Profoundemonium). The only album from that band that doesn't have any of your pet peeves and I would recommend to you is their fully metal male vocal-only 2005 album Free Fall Into Fear. Everything else from that band, NOT IN YOUR HOUSE.

Anyway, I have a few deal-breaking metal genres to show that my expanding taste in metal has limits:

The majority of black metal - I tend to avoid the Satanic bands of the genre and definitely the neo-Nazi NSBM. Though I've enjoyed some black metal bands before that never relied on Satanism for the most part.

Brutal/slam death metal - I'm not really into the gory violence of those two subgenres and some of the more notable bands of standard death metal. Though I still enjoy subgenres like melodic/symphonic/progressive death metal.

The more brutal deathcore bands - Same issue as brutal/slam death metal. Though just like death metal, I like bands that are more melodic/symphonic/progressive.

Drone/funeral doom - So slow, long, and depressing that it's hard for me to pay attention nor resist speeding up the tempo to 2x.

Grindcore - The total opposite of drone/funeral doom, fast and short, but that's also an issue for me, along with a lot of bands of that genre having highly offensive lyrics and band names (such as A.C.). I definitely say no to subgenres like goregrind/pornogrind. In fact, I've listened to and reviewed a few releases by grindcore bands (F*** the Facts, Gigantic Brain, Bologna Violenta, and PainKiller's debut), and they're a few of the only releases in which I've given each of them a rating of less than two stars. I pretty much had a similar "knock it after trying it" attitude to your half-star reviews when writing this one, Zach (keep in mind that almost every other review I've made that's currently up is much more positive and less rage-filled than this): https://metal.academy/reviews/28695/3144

Welcome, Max!

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

Celldweller - "Soul Parasites (Northlane Remix)" (3:23) from Satellites (Remixed) (2023)

Deathstars - "Cyanide" (3:55) from Termination Bliss (2006)

Dodheimsgard - "Final Conquest" (5:59) from 666 International (1999)

Fear Factory - "Self Immolation (Liquid Sky Mix)" (6:06) from Fear is the Mindkiller (1993)

Gothminister - "Battle of the Underworlds" (5:22) from Pandemonium II: The Battle of the Underworlds (2024)

Strapping Young Lad - "Oh My Fucking God" (3:34) from City (1997)

Total length: 28:19

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

As I Lay Dying - "The Truth of My Perception" (3:06) from Shadows are Security (2005)

August Burns Red, Will Ramos - "The Cleansing" (8:00) from The Cleansing (2024)

The Ghost Inside - "Split" (3:11) from Searching for Solace (2024)

Shai Hulud - "Reach Beyond the Sun" (3:00) from Reach Beyond the Sun (2013)

Underoath - "Moving for the Sake of Motion" (3:15) from Define the Great Line (2006)

Unearth - "The Great Dividers" (4:02) from The Oncoming Storm (2004)

War of Ages - "Famine" (4:13) from Dominion (2023)

Total length: 28:47

Here are my submissions for the July Infinite playlist:

Amorphis - "My Kantele" (6:49) from Magic & Mayhem – Tales from the Early Years (2010)

Edge of Sanity - "Incantation" (3:01) from When All is Said/The Best of Edge of Sanity (2006)

Meshuggah - "New Millennium Cyanide Christ" (5:35) from Chaosphere (1998)

Rivers of Nihil - "The Void From Which No Sound Escapes" (6:43) from The Work (2021)

Voivod - "Killing Technology" (7:33) from Killing Technology (1987)

Total length: 29:41

Here are my submissions for the July Gateway playlist:

BOI WHAT - "The Both of Us" (2:41) from The Both of Us (2024)

Crossfaith - "Godspeed" (3:16) from Godspeed (2024)

Dog Fashion Disco - "Tastes So Sweet" (3:18) from Sweet Nothings (2014)

Jeris Johnson - "Ode to Metal" (3:57) from Ode to Metal (2024)

Memphis May Fire - "Misery (feat. Atreyu)" (3:12) from Misery (feat. Atreyu) (2023)

Nik Nocturnal, Ankor - "Unforgiven" (2:59) from Unforgiven (2023)

Northlane - "Miasma" (4:18) from Mirror's Edge (2024)

Of Mice & Men - "Tether" (3:55) from Tether (2023)

Total length: 27:36

Nice!

OK, thanks Daniel.

Here are my thoughts on all the selected tracks:

Alex Terrible - "BFG Division - Doom" from BFG Division (Doom) (2022)

4.5/5. Let's start this playlist with the kind of heavy DOOM glory you just gotta hear! This is my second encounter with a vocal version of an instrumental DOOM song, the other being Necromorphic Despair's take on "The Only Thing They Fear is You". SO BRUTAL.

Fear Factory - "Recharger" from Re-Industrialized (2023)

4/5. This unremarkable track has a more complicated formula. Too repetitive in the verse riffs and vocal melodies. But it's still great.

Samael - "After the Sepulture (new version)" from Rebellion (1995)

4.5/5. This is a more industrial remake of the best song of Blood Ritual and perhaps their black metal era, but I prefer the crushing original more. With evil slow riffing and vicious vocals by Vorph, it's a destructive highlight.

Turmion Kätilöt - "Pyhä kolminaisuus" from Omen X (2023)

5/5. This energetic highlight can get you excited with its catchy chaos from the electro synths and riff groove alongside background choirs.

PhaseOne, ERRA - "World Unknown" from PhaseOne x UNFD (2023)

4.5/5. After including PhaseOne's collaboration with Polaris in this month's Revolution playlist, here's one with ERRA! JT's vocal breakdowns give the song that ERRA touch while staying an electro-dance metal tune.

Ministry - "Believe Me" from Moral Hygiene (2021)

4/5. H*ll, this is a great underrated jam with a bit of a Killing Joke sound. "Life will never be the same..."

ASP - "Ich, Der Teufel Und Du" from Horrors - A Collection of Gothic Novellas (2023)

3.5/5. A beautiful piece of Neue Deutsche Härte, though I'm still not up for that subgenre/scene.

16volt - "Head of Stone" from Wisdom (1993)

4/5. Another example of what industrial rock/metal should really be about, all in great balance.

Psyclon Nine - "X'S ON HER EYES" from Less to Heaven (2022)

4.5/5. An eerie piece of blackened electro-industrial metal to love. Some might reminded of the film 28 Days Later.

KONG - "Hit That Red" from Traders of Truth (2023)

4/5. A pretty great tune from this band that almost always utilizes samples as the sole vocal style.

Pain - "Push the Pusher" from Push the Pusher (2024)

4.5/5. Solid single from the new Pain album I Am! And cool anime-style music video too.

Gothminister - "Hatred" from Gothic Electronic Anthems (2003)

5/5. This highlight smashes through as industrial dance-metal that should really make a hit.

Godflesh – "Slateman" from Slateman single (1991)

4.5/5. I can hear a lot from Godflesh's classic hits like this one.

Celldweller - "Blind Lead the Blind" from Satellites (2022)

5/5. Klayton never ceases to amaze me with his projects Celldweller and Circle of Dust. This is one of the most f***ing bad-a** songs of the new album, not gonna lie!

Argyle Park - "Leave Me Alone" from Misguided (1994)

4.5/5. Also we can't forget about another project Klayton was involved in, Argyle Park. I bet this is the kind of music that planted the seed for video game soundtracks like Crash Bandicoot. Yeah, a little more industrial than metal, but still excellent.

Static-X - "Disco Otsego" from Project Regeneration, Vol. 2 (2024)

4/5. This is one of the songs from the Project Regeneration album series to have vocals from both Xer0 and Wayne Static. It also has the same audio samples as "I'm With Stupid" from their debut Wisconsin Death Trip.

The Kovenant - "The Human Abstract" from Animatronic (1999)

4.5/5. Bizarre yet amazing song from these gothic-ish cyber metal pioneers. No word on if that's where progressive metalcore band The Human Abstract got their name.

Mechina - "The Iron Law" from Conqueror (2011)

4/5. Now this is a great song for a sci-fi boss battle. The lyrics are definitely worth shouting along to, "TOTAL. SYSTEM. FAILURE!!!!"

The Interbeing - "Deceptive Signal" from Among the Amorphous (2017)

4.5/5. Some underrated otherworldly cyber metal for those who want similar music to Mnemic. The brutal verses go well with the epic chorus.

Breach the Void - "Falling" from The Monochromatic Era (2010)

4/5. The lyrics in this song are totally understandable, especially the first verse, "Simulated happiness is my everyday, f***ed up life". How can I not love cyberpunk melodeath track!? Well the harsh vocals could've been much better...

Peace, Love & Pitbulls - "Futurehead" from Peace, Love & Pitbulls (1992)

3.5/5. Pretty good but sometimes things are better left in the past for a greater future.

Rammstein - "Kuss Mich (Fellfrosch)" from Sehnsucht (1997)

4/5. It's interesting how this track is about oral sex, while the song uses cartoony sound effects. Understandable why they never played this live.

In This Moment - "Hunting Grounds" from Mother (2020)

4.5/5. This one stands out with its pummeling heaviness and Brink's duet with Joe Cotela of Ded, whom Brink is currently in a relationship with, as the vocal harmonies bleed well into guitar melodies, "One of us is going down, let's do this anyway".

Decree - "Faded Glory" from Fateless (2011)

4/5. Imagine Godflesh but slower and as industrial as the band HALO. This great song is the result!

Parasite Inc. - "When All Is Said" from Cyan Night Dreams (2022)

4.5/5. The closing track of the playlist and its original album and the most synthwave-ish track here. But the modern heaviness is still around and ends it all perfectly.

Pretty good playlist I've made, huh? Despite some slight drops in quality throughout. Anyway, 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 Daniel for accepting this and your help with your submission, and I hope the rest of you enjoy it like I've had!

Here are my thoughts on all the selected tracks:

Make Them Suffer - "Epitaph" from Epitaph (2024)

5/5. H*ll yeah! Make Them Suffer have another new single, and this one starts this playlist off hard.

Carnifex - "Torn in Two" from Necromanteum (2023)

4.5/5. Carnifex have their kick-A deathcore sound going on. And holy sh*t, you can hear some eerie orchestration in the background! That's how influential Lorna Shore is.

The Convalescence - "Anthem" from The Process (2014)

4/5. Now that I think about it, this track would be better off as the playlist's intro. Still it's another killer deathcore track.

Within the Ruins - "Death of the Rockstar" from Halfway Human (2017)

4.5/5. More like "Twinkle Twinkle Little Rockstar" in the chorus! We also have the astonishing shredding soloing followed by bad-a** riffing with thick guitar.

Varials - "Empire of Dirt" from Pain Again (2017)

5/5. Holy f***, this is so brutally awesome! From the first 40 seconds to the guest appearance by Bryan Garris of Knocked Loose, this is the kind of metalcore heaviness I'm always in search of. And those f***ing breakdowns are worth moshing to in the pit. The music and lyrics are all d*mn heavy. It's the perfect way to take your rage out on the state of the world. The final drum hits occur after 3 minutes than the song fades in an ambient outro. The song is a true example of what makes this genre revolutionary!

Thrown - "Parasite" from EXTENDED PAIN (2022)

4.5/5. The Knocked Loose-like brutal metalcore continues here with lower vocals. A killer track for a workout!

Until I Wake - "Hope Ur Happy" from Inside My Head (2022)

4.5/5. Another solid track you just gotta love and share.

The Autumn Offering - "Revelation" from Revelations of the Unsung (2004)

5/5. Now this is epic melodic metalcore ahead of its time! That's the kind of sound fans have heard as early as their teens. I was more into power metal when I was a teen, and didn't start my metalcore exploration until I became a young adult. The soft break at the 3-minute mark followed by the powerful bridge and dramatic outro is all glorious!

Zao - "A Well-Intentioned Virus" from The Well-Intentioned Virus (2016)

4.5/5. The lyrics are some of the best from this band, filled with anger and doubt. An excellent throwback to the band's perfect glory before their 2001 Self-Titled album.

Bring Me the Horizon - "Shadow Moses" from Sempiternal (2013)

5/5. This epic track is a great choice for its original album's first single and a true highlight. The verses are aggressive as always, but the infectious chorus would kick you hard in the face, leaving a big footprint. ("Can you see by the look in our eyes? We're going nowhere! We live our lives like we're ready to die. We're going nowhere!")

Lorna Shore - "Sun//Eater" from Pain Remains (2022)

4.5/5. The first single released for this victorious Lorna Shore album, having psyched fans up with its furious fret force and mythological lyric themes. A young choir of angels appear, chanting "Kyrie Eleison" ("Lord Have Mercy") in the beginning.

Darko US - "FUTURE DOOM" from Dethmask, Pt. 2 (2022)

4.5/5. Some nice brutal punches packed in this song. The verse at the two and a half minute mark is just b*lls-on hard.

All That Remains - "Divine" from Divine (2024)

5/5. F*** yeah, All That Remains are back! This perfect comeback single is basically This Darkened Heart (especially with that album's bassist Matt Deis rejoining) gone Killswitch Engage. This surely does justice to the legacy of their fallen guitarist Oli Herbert. RIP

Killswitch Engage - "Breathe Life" from The End of Heartache (2004)

4.5/5. And how about some more Killswitch Engage?! I love how the solo can sound beautiful without fast technicality!

Sonic Syndicate - "Damage Control" from Love and Other Disasters (2008)

5/5. Another epic piece of melodic metalcore. What else can I say?

Prompts - "Of Nothing" from Fracture (2022)

4.5/5. Now this one is a progressive nu metalcore beast! The cleans add a more melodic side to this hard banger. I'll be waiting for more of this to come...

Seeing Things - "Consume" from Paranoia (2022)

4.5/5. Here's another top-notch metalcore banger, from Seeing Things and Abbie Falls! This can certainly have people listening to this playlist on the edge of their seats. I love the fantastic breakdown in this one. So f***ing good!

Falling in Reverse - "Ronald" from Ronald (2024)

5/5. If you thought those previous two tracks were some of the heaviest in this playlist, this one is a massive explosion of death/metalcore with a rapping verse by Tech N9ne. But the epic climax comes in beyond the two and a half minute mark leading into a brutal breakdown more powerful than anything Lorna Shore has done, for real! Everything is so deathly and melodic all at once! Plus bit of an Underoath vibe in the first half. This killer track shall definitely see its upcoming album appear in this site.

Invent Animate - "Shade Astray" from Heavener (2023)

4.5/5. What's not to love about this amazing heavenly song?

After the Burial - "A Pulse Exchanged" from Evergreen (2019)

4/5. RIP Justin Lowe. The band really throw back to his stellar guitar work in the chaotic ending. Dan Carle has limbs of steel to be able to pull off those blasts well.

PhaseOne, Polaris - "Icarus" from PhaseOne x UNFD (2023)

4.5/5. PhaseOne is an electronic artist known for some collaborations with metal bands. This one with Polaris is f***ing heavy!

Trivium - "Fall Into Your Hands" from In the Court of the Dragon (2021)

5/5. While it's tough to pick highlights for perfect albums because of how strong the songs are that make the album as cohesive as true heavy metal classics from the 80s, this song comes close, a headbanging epic that is the longest song by the band to not be an album's title track or a cover song. It has vocally the best chorus of the album with all 3 vocalists (one lead + two background) uniting. You get to hear killer thrashy riffing along with lots of soloing and instrumentation good for air-guitar. Besides the album's intro, Ihsahn has performed strings that are buried in the background, but this song is where those strings really shine, especially in their own glorious outro.

Imminence - "The Black" from The Black (2024)

5/5. And here's some more majestic symphonic metalcore!

The Number Twelve Looks Like You - "Don't Get Blood on My Prada Shoes" from Put on Your Rosy Red Glasses (2003)

4.5/5. Beginning the mathcore section of the playlist is this track of mind-blowing rage with awesome guitar. The band know how to tear down the walls of mathcore.

Daughters - "Fur Beach" from Canada Songs (2003)

4/5. A h*lla fast and short track. Enough said!

Converge - "Phoenix in Flames" from Jane Doe (2001)

4.5/5. This one is just drums and vocals, allowing Bannon's awesomely demented vocals to really shine.

Circuit Circuit - "Blood in My Eye (Holy Human)" from Body Songs (2023)

4/5. This one starts with a guitar riff loop that then squeals its way into speed. The vocalist's impressive range blasts in before another killer breakdown and some more riff crunch. Disorienting, but a better track for the band's nu metal-ish side.

The Tony Danza Tapdance Extravaganza - "Hold the Line" from Danza 4: The Alpha - the Omega (2012)

4.5/5. A song about the people you care about going to war, dedicated to America's Armed Forces, it starts off brutal with heavy moments like around 40 seconds in. And while this band may be gone, at least we have Born of Osiris as a go-to band for metalcore technicality. Absolutely underrated! Throughout the second half is a long sad beautiful outro with samples of war. You can't end a mathcore song better than that!

Iwrestledabearonce - "Break It Down Camacho" from Ruining It for Everybody (2011)

4/5. These masters of female-fronted mathcore sure know how to break things down.

The Acacia Strain - "Cold Gloom" from Gravebloom (2017)

4.5/5. Another downtempo deathcore song from this band. It can't beat the monolithic "Observer", but it still has that epic's anger and depression, with some d*mn feeling-hitting lyrics, "There’s nobody out there, and no one can help. I am blistered from the frozen sun, find your own way home." The ambient break around the 3 and a half minute break is quite golden. It's so f***ing doomy, giving more character to the downtempo deathcore subgenre. I wouldn't change anything about this track, not even the drumming which takes its time without any forced speed. It also hints at the sludge doom direction the band would take in Failure Will Follow. An absolute blessing! Gravebloom is perhaps the point where their quest to become heavier, more brutal, and doomier, since The Dead Walk, has reached full circle. And it all wasn't just a dream...

Rorschach - "Ornaments" from Protestant (1993)

5/5. Triggering dissonant atmosphere in the best light is the most atmospheric swansong to end this band's short career and this playlist.

Pretty good playlist I've made, huh? Despite some slight drops in quality throughout. Anyway, I recommend this to any metalcore fan and anyone who isn't into metalcore but is up to getting into a great start for the genre. Thanks Daniel for accepting this and your help with your submission, and I hope the rest of you enjoy it like I've had!

Battle jackets look awesome, but all I can afford is band T-shirts.

So cool, Zero!

Here are my thoughts on some tracks:

Amorphis – Course of Fate (2009)

4/5. A nice song to start with from this Finnish melodic prog-metal band.

Animarum – Vikalpa (2024)

4.5/5. New bands have quite the magic touch when they make sick songs like this. There's some killer fire in the lyrics. A f***ing cool discovery! Those vocals can be performed well without choking, including the clean harmonies. Excellent!

Becoming the Archetype – The Balance of Eternity (The Physics of Fire Pt. 4) (2007)

5/5. The 4th and final part of this suite perfectly summarizes the lyrical theme of faith vs. fire, connecting well with this progressive epic to bring its original album, a glorious offering, to a fantastic close.

Dream Theater – About to Crash (2002)

4.5/5. Anyone listening to this after the return original drummer Mike Portnoy? His drumming talent goes well with the emotion of this part of the "Six Degrees" suite.

Pain of Salvation – Reasons (2017)

4/5. If you're wondering why I haven't listened to these melodic prog-metal bands now as much as in the last decade, I have my reasons. Still this Pain of Salvation album was a standout album for me back in early 2017.

Rendezvous Point – Utopia (2024)

4.5/5. Some well-done beautiful progressive metal/rock there! A bit of a Muse vibe, even being as short as their songs in a length of 4 minutes. Impressive!

Rivers of Nihil – Criminals (2024)

4/5. It's insane how well drum solos can turn out like this brief one that starts the last minute. The song is another total banger overall with a fine line between their earlier tech-death albums and The Work. I look forward to more!

Scar Symmetry – Reichsfall (2023)

4.5/5. There's dynamic elegance in the intro before the usual heavy fight and melodic flight. The pace often slows down right before the chorus, losing a bit of dynamic while still sounding cool. The vocals are amazing, but I can't tell the higher notes are real or done with a vocoder similar to Cynic. Either way, that along with the guitar melodies spawn a pleasant Blind Guardian vibe. What a progressive adventure within an adventure!

Teramaze – Step Right Up (2024)

4.5/5. Step right up for some more mesmerizing progressive metal!

Textures – Awake (2008)

5/5. For a few years, I've been enjoying this band. And how can I not?! They made a lot of songs that are both hard-hitting and melodic. There are also seems to be some influence from the heavier side of Devin Townsend. I love this!

Wheel – Saboteur (2024)

4.5/5. Let's wrap up this playlist with another brooding heavy crusher. The chorus and its vocals are so mind-blowing! The Wheel shall keep turning....

Here are my thoughts on all selected tracks:

24-7 Spyz – Why (1994)

4/5. Why did this playlist have to start with something so funky? Never mind, this is still great.

Avatar – Make It Rain (2024)

4.5/5. An excellent single from these masters of carnival-ish melodeath/alt-metal!

Bad Omens – Kingdom of Cards (2019)

5/5. This highlight practically starts where the previous Bad Omens album ended with "The Fountain". There isn't any thunderous metal riffing, but it shines with anthemic beauty, a bit like early 2010s Linkin Park but greater (no disrespect to Chester Bennington, RIP). It is a pleasant start to the journey, and I enjoy the vocals by Noah Sebastian.

Cave In – Trepanning (2005)

4.5/5. RIP Caleb Scofield. His screams and bass gave songs like instant memorability. Practically every fan of this band has discovered them when they were in high school, but for me, it was just a couple years before this comment. This f***ing sh*t rocks hard! I especially the groovy bridge midway through. And my first encounter with Caleb's vocals was from his guest appearances with Converge, Isis, and The Ocean. He will truly be missed...

Dog Fashion Disco – Struck By Lightning (2014)

5/5. Some more experimental alt-metal to love from this band that I've also enjoyed for a year or two! Sweet Nothings continues the sound of Adultery, though with not as much consistency in some tracks. You can almost think of this as Five Finger Death Punch gone Infected Mushroom.

Dreamshade – Where My Heart Belongs (2016)

4.5/5. So heavy and beautiful at the same time! Though I find more in common with Bullet for My Valentine when it comes to this band.

Evanescence – Lithium (2006)

4/5. There's a bit of a Queensryche influence in this piano-powered track.

Future Palace – Paradise (2022)

4/5. Another one of those songs my brother likes recently. Nice glitch-ish effect to go with this female-led alt-metal/rock sound.

Linkin Park – QWERTY (2024)

4.5/5. This is a strong standout that I would recommend for fans of the band's heavier work. It sounds like this should've been in The Hunting Party, the only album to not have a song in the Papercuts compilation.

Mushroomhead – Your Demise (2010)

5/5. The vocal contrast stands out the most here between vocalists Waylon Reavis and Jeffrey Hatrix. Topping it all off is excellent soloing by Dave Felton.

Nik Nocturnal, Bad Wolves – Octane (2024)

4.5/5. My brother has also been getting along well the music of Nik Nocturnal. Here's a high-octane collaboration between Nik Nocturnal and Bad Wolves.

Sleep Token – Alkaline (2021)

5/5. Sleep Token are the alt-pop metal secret agents we all need. I'll never f***ing regret this band! Things get spine-chilling when it builds up to the one and a half minute mark with Vessel singing "Oooh, let's talk about chemistry" as the heaviness opens up. There are definitely some similar vibes to 2010s Anathema/Katatonia.

Stuck Mojo – Rising (1998)

4.5/5. Begin this playlist with a funky track, end it with a rap one. But h*ll, this is still quite dope! The heavy chorus has similar vibes to more iconic alt-rock/metal bands like Pearl Jam and Soundgarden. It actually makes my playlist-commenting homework worthwhile. This band can play well for a rap metal one. Meanwhile, the more melodic classic metalheads are having some of the heavy metal of Iron Maiden and Judas Priest and the thrash metal of Metallica and Megadeth in their minds. But I still prefer the heavier groove of Meshuggah, Fear Factory, and Dark Tranquillity, along with the progressiveness of Mastodon, Nevermore, and Opeth that I should revisit someday.

Sludgy noise-mathcore from a new band by most of the members of the band Gaza formed after their split-up:

Cool playlist, Zero! Lots of different bands and variety there.

An epic standout of Of Mice & Men's more melodic atmospheric direction:

This highlight lays out a more melodic structure, while there's still as much heaviness as the hammer of Thor:

I've done my review, here's its summary:

Wow! As the band continues to grow, they can still sound as wonderful as they had 10 years ago. The blend of heaviness and melody continues to shine, though they're going back to their more melodic side. Tether is actually the most atmospheric they've ever gone, almost as much as Silent Planet, but not enough to be considered post-metal or, more accurately, post-metalcore. Nonetheless, there's always room for emotional anthems. Many of them lay out a more melodic structure, while there's still as much heaviness as the hammer of Thor. Aaron Pauley's clean harmonies fit quite well with the synths, guitars, and bass. The atmospheric soundscape allows you to feel the emotion much more. This astral experience is a new path for these modern metalcore titans, and we can only wonder what the band will do next. Quite promising!

4.5/5

Recommended tracks: "Integration", "Shiver", "Into the Sun", "Tether", "Zephyros"

For fans of: Beartooth, Silent Planet, Spiritbox

A heavenly highlight relatable for anyone suffering the loss of a family member and wanting to be grateful for all the memories in life, whether good or bad:

Of Mice & Men return to the metalcore heaviness of The Flood in Earthandsky, and this is the ultimate standout of the album:

A nu metal standout jam-packed with growls and violence, not too far off from the likes of Slipknot and Linkin Park:

Restoring Force has a more diverse mature direction for the band, but their metalcore roots are still hitting high in this relatable highlight...

...And this bonus track from the Full Circle reissue:

The Flood is where Of Mice & Men's journey really begins as a huge step from their post-hardcore debut with absolutely heavy fury in highlights like this one...

...And this one from their more brutal bonus CD in the reissue. What a shame this track didn't end up in the main album:

Of Mice & Men's self-titled 2010 debut is nothing more than a post-hardcore album with barely any of the metalcore/alt-metal in subsequent albums. In saying that, there are a couple tracks in the album that I enjoy and they qualify for this thread. This one, written in memory of unclean vocalist Austin Carlile's mother who passed from a aneurysm induced by Marfan Syndrome, takes on the melodic metalcore of his previous band Attack Attack!, specifically that band's debut Someday Came Suddenly, albeit without the autotune and trance-y dance-y synths:

And this one is closer to the standard metalcore of their next album The Flood, having some vibes from 2000s A Day to Remember and The Ghost Inside here and there:

Last year, Dragoncorpse united deathcore and power metal together at ease. This year, Jeris Johnson showed the world that melodic metalcore, power metal, and medieval folk can co-exist with each other in this fun tune. If this single had its own clans, they would be both The Guardians and The Revolution, maybe enough folk for The North.

I've never really listened to a lot of EDM, but long ago, shortly before I first became interested in metal, there were a couple electronic music artists that I liked a few songs from:

The Prodigy (breakbeat) - "Firestarter", "Invaders Must Die", "Omen"

Skrillex (dubstep) - "Scary Monsters and Nice Sprites", "First of the Year (Equinox)", "Bangarang", "Cinema" (remix of Benny Benassi song)

Playlist: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/53FqDTxE8FwmPEIqppLCpC

Fun fact: Skrillex (real name: Sonny Moore) was the lead vocalist of post-hardcore band From First to Last for the first two albums before he left the band to become a dubstep DJ. I've recently listened to and reviewed their metalcore album Dead Trees, though in that album, the lead vocalist is Spencer Sotelo from Periphery.

I have taken a quick look at your ratings. If you'd like to stick with the genres you're already familiar with, then it's a tie between The Pit and The Guardians. If you'd like to try something different and follow your wife's footsteps, The Sphere is a good option. I used to not like industrial metal, but then I found a lot of interesting stuff from that genre as well, and it eventually became one of my current favorite genres and made The Sphere part of my current clan lineup. So you might have some good potential there.

Just out of curiosity, do you plan on doing an additional clan challenge for a 4th clan later on? If so, which one of the remaining clans do you think suits you the best?

Probably one of the heaviest and most hardcore tracks the band has done to date. I mean, listen to Architects, Hatebreed, or Knocked Loose, and you might find a lot this song has in common with any of those bands:

One of the most memorable earlier highlights of the band being given the live treatment is probably the best moment of their comeback show:

I've done my review, here's its summary:

Almost 4 years after The Ghost Inside's horrific tour bus crash, the band made their return from the void with a comeback show on July 13, 2019. The concert was recorded for this live album that was released two years later in 2021, with a physical release another 6 months after. Now let's witness the phoenix rise! The audience knows a lot of the band's lyrics and are there to accompany vocalist Jonathan Vigil as the band perform. The instrumentation is excellent too, with guitarwork ranging from heavy to melodic and Andrew Tkaczyk's intense drumming talent that really stands out in many of the tracks he performs, even after losing his leg in the crash. Most of the songs chosen for the setlist in Rise From the Ashes: Live at the Shrine are some of the best highlights from their first 4 albums. There are really only a couple duds, pretty much all the other songs are golden inspirational anthems. The band really knew how to make their return in full-on modern metalcore grace. Let us have the bravery to choose our actions, break these chains, and keep swinging!

4.5/5

Recommended tracks: "Avalanche", "Dear Youth (Day 52)", "Between the Lines", "Shiner", "Dark Horse", "Chrono", "Faith or Forgiveness", "Engine 45"

For fans of: 2000s A Day to Remember, Parkway Drive, For the Fallen Dreams

Why would a discord of just Metal Academy be toxic? Everyone here seems pretty chill and reasonable... it'd only be toxic if you make it toxic. If a Discord got started I'd join, I'm not interested in live chats, but it'd certainly be easier to have casual conversations.

We're talking about other Discord servers being toxic. There wouldn't be anything toxic about a Metal Academy Discord server. But since those other servers have tainted my experiences there, I've sworn off Discord with no chance of ever returning.

As for site functions... two things I'd be interested in would be an actual weighting system to releases (more ratings=more weight, even if it was only a small amount. This could even be a toggle feature, if the community is split about it) and the ability to rate alternate album covers, such as on re-releases or odd examples where the album kinda has two official artworks (Like God Hates Us All does for censorship reasons).

Those site functions sound like good ideas. For alternate album covers, we can have a clean cover and an explicit cover for each release that has both, and only the clean covers would be visible to non-members so they have to create an account and log in to see the explicit covers. Then again, I'm a little worried about if we do that with the Scorpions album Virgin Killer, though that's not an issue right now since we've just established that album's not metal enough for the site.