Shadowdoom9 (Andi)'s Forum Replies

Here are my overall ratings for the playlists I've reviewed this month (January):

1. Gateway playlist - 4.5/5 (number of songs commented: 8)

2. Guardians playlist - 4.5/5 (number of songs commented: 9)

3. Infinite playlist - 4.5/5 (number of songs commented: 12)

3. Pit playlist - 4.5/5 (number of songs commented: 12)

4. Revolution playlist - 4.5/5 (number of songs commented: ALL 28)

So far, I've only commented on 8 tracks in the Gateway playlist, 9 tracks in the Guardians playlist, and 12 tracks each in the Infinite and Pit playlists, but I still enjoy the tracks that I had time for, and I'm grateful to Saxy, Xephyr, Vinny for their playlist works all the same and the former two's approval of me helping with creating the playlist threads, and of course to Daniel for accepting those playlists. I really dig the Revolution playlist that I've made! That opinion might seem bad form, but let me even out by saying that I would recommend any metalcore fan and anyone who isn't into metalcore but wants to get into a great start in enjoying the genre. Thanks, Daniel, for accepting my playlist! Good work on these playlists, all!

Here are my ratings for this month's feature releases for all my clans, and a quick summary:

The Gateway: Karnivool - Themata (2005) - 5/5

The Guardians: Rhapsody of Fire - Dawn of Victory (2000) - 5/5

The Infinite: Mastodon - Crack the Skye (2009) - 5/5

The Pit: Sadus - Illusions (1988) - 5/5

The Revolution: Bullet for My Valentine (2001) - 4/5

Another very solid month for feature releases, again probably because of the releases submitted by us Metal Academy members (including myself). All of the feature releases I've reviewed are perfect, except my feature release submission for The Revolution that is great enough for others to try but could've been slightly better. Thanks for these amazing feature releases, guys! Looking forward to more to come...

Ben, please add the 2010 self-titled Escape the Fate album. Its Alternative Metal tag now fits the RYM 2:1 ratio (for: 5 - against: 2).

Oh yeah, well here's what I think is probably the most poppy alt-metalcore song I've heard:

To me, more than anything, extreme metal requires harsh vocals. On top of that, common traits are downtuned guitars with heavier distortion and double bass/blast beat drumming. I think certain genres are almost always extreme metal (Death, Black, Grindcore) and others have bands that are extreme, and some that aren't (Thrash, Doom). I wouldn't call Metallica, Anthrax, or Megadeth extreme metal, but I would call Slayer, Sepultura, and Demolition Hammer extreme metal. The biggest difference is in the vocal deliveries and how often they employ double bass drumming and tremolo picking at high BPMs.

But of course, Funeral Doom is still extreme metal and doesn't often have these fast qualities, so that leaves us with the vocal delivery being the one thing tying them all together. Harsh vocals = extreme metal for me, because it is the most identifiable and forefront trait that will immediately turn a very large group of people away from the music. It is the most likely trait to be a problem for casual music listeners, making the music too "extreme" for mainstream audiences. 

When you think of mainstream appeal, what seems more likely to succeed; a Thrash Metal song with melodic vocals and catchy choruses, or a Pop song with death growls all the way through? Vocal style is the prominent factor in determining what is or isn't too extreme to be considered "normal."

I agree about your thrash metal comparison (including the "Big 4" and Sepultura), but bands like Demolition Hammer and Sadus have remained mostly in the underground in their years of activity, and that's how I like extreme thrash, going extreme without ever hitting the mainstream. Funeral doom and DSBM can also be extreme, though they're often extremely slow and depressive, as opposed to the fast upbeat genres I'm more comfortable with. By the logic of "thrash metal with melodic vocals and catchy chorus" being more successful, Artillery could easily be the most popular band of thrash metal. A pop song with death growls would be very interesting, but it wouldn't really catch on. So definitely the former!

Here's how I would describe "extreme" metal. As much as I'm familiar with the term and can tolerate it, it doesn't seem quite appropriate to stick that label onto bands on a whim just because of how heavy they are/were. Bands that I like and used to like that have fallen into that trap include: Anathema, Converge, Dark Tranquility, Gojira, Katatonia, Lamb of God, My Dying Bride, Nevermore, and Tiamat. Extreme metal, in my opinion, should be reserved for the ultra-heavy genres I try to avoid such as the more brutal ends of death metal and black metal, and grindcore. The word "extreme" might raise some suspicion from my family and friends from the outside world, and that's why I have to be specific to them about the genres the bands play. "Extreme metal" is an OK term, but it shall be used wisely!

I wouldn't recommend that we add Deathcore to The Horde Andi. Most Death Metal fanatics have problems with Deathcore in my experience & the intention of the clans is to is to link subgenres that are likely to appeal to the same audience. I think it's fine residing only in The Revolution although I could be convinced that it's better as a main Genre rather than a subgenre of Metalcore.

On the Trance Metal topic, after putting together The Revolution playlists for a couple of years & religiously including a Trance Metal track I've become very much aware that it doesn't sit all that comfortably alongside the Metalcore subgenre set. I'm interested to get everyone's feedback on whether you think it would sit better in another clan &, if so, which one that might be. The Gateway perhaps? Even The Guardians given the similarities to Power Metal & Symphonic Metal? Thoughts? Where do you think Trance Metal belongs?

On the Trancecore topic, from my playlist programming experience it seems to me that it's more of a variation on Melodic  Metalcore than anything else. Am I wrong?

NOTE: Please bare in mind that all this talk is just hypothetical at this stage because it's a significant exercise to make changes like these.

The deathcore thing is also hypothetical, and I'm comfortable with deathcore staying in just The Revolution, for myself and fans of each separate genre. If we do end up getting rid of trance metal and all bands of that genre go to other clans and genres, it would be quite a tough call, but here are a few examples: Amaranthe can move to the Guardians with the symphonic/power metal parts of the sound along with staying in The Revolution as melodic metalcore. Babymetal can stay in The Gateway as usual, but a few songs might be worth The Guardians, such as their collaboration with DragonForce, "Road of Resistance". Blood Stain Child would, of course, stay in The Horde as melodeath. Trancecore has always been a melodic metalcore subgenre here, so it's fine how it is.

Update on my list (still alphabetized and still at Bruno Terrosa's 55):

1. Accept - Metal Heart (1985)

2. All That Remains - Overcome (2008)

3. Annihilator - Alice in Hell (1989)

4. August Burns Red - Constellations (2009)

5. Bleeding Through - Love Will Kill All (2018)

6. Born of Osiris - The Discovery (2011)

7. Botch - We are the Romans (1999)

8. Bring Me the Horizon - Sempiternal (2013)

9. Bruce Dickinson - Accident of Birth (1997)

10. Bullet for My Valentine - The Poison (2005)

11. Converge & Chelsea Wolfe - Bloodmoon: I (2021)

12. Coroner - Mental Vortex (1991)

13. Crimson Glory - Transcendence (1988)

14. Dark Angel - Time Does Not Heal (1991)

15. Demolition Hammer - Tortured Existence (1990)

16. Devin Townsend - Empath (2019)

17. Dir En Grey - Uroboros (2008)

18. Disillusion - Back to Times of Splendor (2004)

19. Fates Warning - The Spectre Within (1985)

20. God Forbid - IV: Constitution of Treason (2005)

21. Green Carnation - Light of Day, Day of Darkness (2001)

22. Hopesfall - No Wings to Speak of (2001)

23. Horse the Band - Desperate Living (2009)

24. Ice Nine Kills - The Silver Scream (2018)

25. Karnivool - Themata (2005)

26. Leprous - Tall Poppy Syndrome (2009)

27. Liquid Tension Experiment - Liquid Tension Experiment 3 (2021)

28. Lord - Fallen Idols (2019)

29. Lost Horizon - A Flame to the Ground Beneath (2003)

30. Make Them Suffer - Neverbloom (2012)

31. Maudlin of the Well - Bath (2001)

32. Meshuggah - Catch Thirty-Three (2005)

33. Motionless in White - Creatures (2010)

34. Ne Obliviscaris - Portal of I (2012)

35. Neurosis - Through Silver in Blood (1996)

36. Parkway Drive - Horizons (2007)

37. Plini - Impulse Voices (2020)

38. Prayer for Cleansing - Rain in Endless Fall (1999)

39. Protest the Hero - Kezia (2005)

40. Queensryche - The Warning (1984)

41. Riot - Thundersteel (1988)

42. Running Wild - Death or Glory (1989)

43. Savatage - Dead Winter Dead (1995)

44. Seventh Wonder - Mercy Falls (2008)

45. Silent Planet - Iridescent (2021)

46. Skyharbor - Blinding White Noise: Illusion and Chaos (2012)

47. Textures - Dualism (2011)

48. The Dillinger Escape Plan - Calculating Infinity (1999)

49. Trivium - In Waves (2011)

50. Veil of Maya - [id] (2010)

51. Vektor - Black Future (2009)

52. Virgin Steele - The Marriage of Heaven and Hell Part II (1995)

53. Voivod - Dimension Hatross (1988)

54. Wuthering Heights - The Shadow Cabinet (2006)

55. X Japan - Art of Life (1993)

Before we get to my latest list update, I would like to point out an early hint for next month's Revolution Spotify playlist that I'm assembling. I tend to focus on the years when all of the Revolution genres/subgenres are existent. Sure there are great classics in the genres that have been around since before 2006, but I didn't want some of the genres to feel left out. Still I can sneak add a few tracks from as early as the late 90s (I haven't forgotten about your Cold as Life track suggestion, Daniel), kind of like some bands who are formed 30 years ago, but choose to mainly play songs live from as early as 2006, with one or a few throwback tracks as early as 1998. With all that said, I'm going to try categorizing the different metal eras again, this time to suit the different eras of The Revolution genres. So here's my updated list:

Beginning oldies (1978-1989)/B.M. (Before Metalcore):

1978: Riot - Rock City (yes I know, everyone says the year is 1977, but I don't quite suspect that as its true release year, more info about that in this separate thread reply: https://metal.academy/forum/28/thread/362#topic_6048)

1979: Riot - Narita

1980: Accept - I'm a Rebel

1981: Accept - Breaker

1982: Virgin Steele - Virgin Steele

1983: Savatage - Sirens

1984: Queensryche - The Warning

1985: Fates Warning - The Spectre Within

1986: Crimson Glory - Crimson Glory

1987: Savatage - Hall of the Mountain King

1988: Riot - Thundersteel

1989: Running Wild - Death or Glory

Old golden classics (1990-1997)/Humble metalcore beginnings:

1990: Demolition Hammer - Tortured Existence

1991: Dark Angel - Time Does Not Heal

1992: Sadus - A Vision of Misery

1993: X Japan - Art of Life

1994: Savatage - Handful of Rain

1995: Savatage - Dead Winter Dead

1996: Converge - Petitioning the Empty Sky

1997: Bruce Dickinson - Accident of Birth

Millennium transition highlights (1998-2005)/Light of day-seeing metalcore classics:

1998: Meshuggah - Chaosphere

1999: Botch - We are the Romans

2000: Skycamefalling - 10.21

2001: Converge - Jane Doe

2002: Hopesfall - The Satellite Years

2003: The Lord Weird Slough Feg - Traveller

2004: Wuthering Heights - Far From the Madding Crowd

2005: Trivium - Ascendancy

Modern favorites (2006-2013)/Rise of the full Revolution:

2006: Wuthering Heights - The Shadow Cabinet

2007: The Dillinger Escape Plan - Ire Works

2008: Textures - Silhouettes

2009: August Burns Red - Constellations

2010: Motionless in White - Creatures

2011: Trivium - In Waves

2012: Skyharbor - Blinding White Noise: Illusion and Chaos

2013: We Came as Romans - Tracing Back Roots

The best of the most recent (2014-2021)/A greater new uprising:

2014: Ne Obliviscaris - Citadel

2015: Bullet for My Valentine - Venom

2016: Vektor - Terminal Redux

2017: Trivium - The Sin and the Sentence

2018: Silent Planet - When the End Began

2019: Devin Townsend - Empath

2020: Trivium - What the Dead Men Say

2021: Trivium - In the Court of the Dragon

With the last third of 2021 being filled with the greatest amount of amazing new releases to end that year, that also marks the grand ending to that 8-year phase in my opinion, with this year 2022 possibly starting a new one.

2022 albums I'm looking forward to getting:

Underoath - Voyeurist

Persefone - Metanoia

Cult of Luna - The Long Road North

Voivod - Synchro Anarchy

Annihilator - Metal II (nearly entire re-recording of their Metal album)

Animals as Leaders - Parrhesia

Rate Your Music (which is where the metal genre/subgenre categories came from for Metal Academy) has recently switched melodic metalcore into a metalcore subgenre instead of one of the main metal genres, so now it's the same level as deathcore. I think it really would make sense if deathcore is a main metal genre since it mixes metalcore with death metal, maybe for both The Horde and The Revolution? Then again, I would end up quitting assembling the Revolution monthly playlist because I lost my tolerance for death metal last year (more info here: https://metal.academy/forum/10/thread/748). I once made a couple clan challenge proposals for Ben; one to make clan challenges for the remaining main genres, and the other to make clan challenges for all the subgenres, but the latter idea would take too much work, and he's currently taking a hiatus from creating new clan challenges. I've sent to him via private message some release ideas for the remaining genre clan challenges for in case he decides to continue making them (I can privately tell you my release ideas for the trance metal clan challenge if you would like). When I assemble the Revolution playlists, I make sure to include all of its genres and subgenres while considering an appropriate ratio between them based on release notability, and I kind of think of trance metal and trancecore as the same thing because of their similarity in sound and the very little amount of releases for both of them. Trance metal has much less! Either way, any Revolution genre and subgenre is welcome in the Revolution playlists, so please feel free to submit your Revolution track suggestion here (one per non-members): https://metal.academy/forum/14/thread/484

PS: Sorry to hear you have the virus. Feel better soon, Scarecrow.

But isn't deathcore already under the Revolution banner already? You make it sound like deathcore isn't already something you can put in the Revolution playlist, when it seems like you can from what I read. I am interested in seeing the clan challenge proposals, as I think it's a super cool and educational (for lack of a better word) idea. I hope Ben's hiatus isn't for too long, it would be a shame if the idea was abandoned. I also agree that trancecore and trance metal are incredibly similar in sound, if not entirely indistinguishable. 

Hi Scarecrow. Very valid questions. When we originally created the Metal Academy website we had to decide on a reasonable configuration & wouldn't profess to be experts in every metal subgenre so we simply went with the most well informed position we could at the time. In saying that though, we're always looking for ways to improve the site & have made dozens of changes over time. I agree with you that in hindsight Melodic Metalcore should be under Metalcore & it's likely be something that we'll look to change in the future. Just bare in mind that every change we make to the database structure can create a considerable logistical challenge as we've already got tens of thousands of releases in play under the current structure. There's also a financial cost for us to make most changes so we tend to do them in batches in order to get the most bang for buck with our developer.

As for why there's not a trance metal clan challenge, that's because there are very few genuine trance metal releases of any note which makes it pretty irrelevant as a guide to a potential new clan member's understanding of The Revolution. In fact, I'm now of the opinion that Trance Metal probably doesn't belong in The Revolution & may not even warrant its own subgenre. That might be something we look at over time too.

I understand that. If it's more about the logistics/cost behind it then yeah I don't see a reason to prioritize this change either.

I would be a little sad if trance metal was done away with because I like the genre. I know it's definitely smaller than a lot of the other genres here, but I feel like eliminating it entirely would leave some bands/albums without genres that truly describe their sound (Like, what would you call Blood Stain Child if not trance metal? Melodeath? That would feel slightly misleading). 

Of course, deathcore already is in The Revolution, but if it has the death metal riffing, blast beats, and deep growls, would it fit well as part of death metal and The Horde? That would make sense, but it's already residing in just The Revolution, and it should probably stay as it is. Getting red of the trance genres just because there are so few releases in those genres would be awful because that's the best way to describe some of the bands of those two genres. Amaranthe's sound has elements of power metal and melodic death/metalcore combined with electronic/symphonic influences, but describing that as a concluding set of genres is misleading. Similarly, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas combine metalcore/post-hardcore with electronic/symphonic influences, but that's not how I would describe them. What if we at least categorize trance metal and trancecore as one genre? Call it "trance metal/core", and whether it ends up as a main genre or a subgenre, what matters is, we still have it. I'm glad you agree about how similar those two genres sound, Scarecrow.

Rate Your Music (which is where the metal genre/subgenre categories came from for Metal Academy) has recently switched melodic metalcore into a metalcore subgenre instead of one of the main metal genres, so now it's the same level as deathcore. I think it really would make sense if deathcore is a main metal genre since it mixes metalcore with death metal, maybe for both The Horde and The Revolution? Then again, I would end up quitting assembling the Revolution monthly playlist because I lost my tolerance for death metal last year (more info here: https://metal.academy/forum/10/thread/748). I once made a couple clan challenge proposals for Ben; one to make clan challenges for the remaining main genres, and the other to make clan challenges for all the subgenres, but the latter idea would take too much work, and he's currently taking a hiatus from creating new clan challenges. I've sent to him via private message some release ideas for the remaining genre clan challenges for in case he decides to continue making them (I can privately tell you my release ideas for the trance metal clan challenge if you would like). When I assemble the Revolution playlists, I make sure to include all of its genres and subgenres while considering an appropriate ratio between them based on release notability, and I kind of think of trance metal and trancecore as the same thing because of their similarity in sound and the very little amount of releases for both of them. Trance metal has much less! Either way, any Revolution genre and subgenre is welcome in the Revolution playlists, so please feel free to submit your Revolution track suggestion here (one per non-members): https://metal.academy/forum/14/thread/484

PS: Sorry to hear you have the virus. Feel better soon, Scarecrow.

There are some people out there who think of extreme metal as a genre, but it's definitely not. It's an umbrella term! That's like if someone asks you "What's your favorite movie?", and you say "The Marvel Cinematic Universe!" You don't have to treat a huge franchise like one film! Anyway, extreme metal is often split into 4 of the heavier metal genres; the speed metal of Venom, the thrash metal of Slayer, the black metal of Darkthrone and Emperor, and the death metal of Morbid Angel (even melodeath such as Dark Tranquillity), though this also includes heavy doom albums from the early 90s made by bands such as Anathema, Katatonia, My Dying Bride, and Tiamat. Then there are a few bands whom the extreme metal has stuck to them like a nametag, with one notable example being Cradle of Filth. You can definitely think of their sound as black metal, gothic metal, and symphonic metal, but extreme metal is the way to go because that's what the band is most comfortable with and a great compromise to not cause any severe arguments. Extremity is indeed suitable for music that expands your comfort zone and anyone who doesn't tolerate that level shouldn't proceed. I absolutely can tolerate extreme, but I know some people in the outside world can't, so I have to stay in control, especially when it comes to black metal, death metal, and doom metal. So... extremity can kinda both be (based on these song titles):

and

That's a lot of Meshuggah in your list, Daniel! Djent is a really cool heavy subgenre, but I haven't listened to that as much as the rest of progressive metal. Still going by my one-band-per-entry rule, I'll start with a top 5:

5. Born of Osiris - The Simulation (2019)

4. Veil of Maya - Matriarch (2015)

3. Meshuggah - Catch Thirtythree (2005)

2. Textures - Dualism (2011)

1. The Contortionist - Exoplanet (2010)

Finally made my draft a public post! It's right here: https://www.reddit.com/user/shadowdoom9/comments/rw8mvq/my_thoughts_on_loudwires_big_4_bands_of_17_metal/

Continuing my Sadus review journey, this track is a thrash classic that deserves more attention:

It was down for a few hours one day last week for maintenance but other than that as far as I'm aware it's OK. I've never had the issue, but apparently it is notorious for not responding or kicking you out if you are flicking from page to page too quickly as it thinks you are a bot. Maybe that is part of the issue Andi?

The bot thing is true, you would have to do one of those captcha tests to get back in if you've gone through too many pages in a short amount of time. So yeah, maybe.

Anyway, it's working fine again. Fingers crossed here...

Vinny, you seriously need to listen to this month's Pit featured release of ultra-fast thrash greatness:

Ultra-fast thrash greatness! Any fan of Dark Angel, Slayer, or Kreator, should take a break from those bands and give this one a chance:

I did my review, here's its summary:

With this album, thrash has reached the ultimate limit of furious velocity! This is the beginning of my review journey from their chaotic debut Illusions (also known as Chemical Exposure) to their swan song-ish album Out for Blood. Darren Travis performs lightning-fast riffs and awesome raw vocals, while Steve Di Giorgio foreshadows his later supreme bass talent. Scream "Slayer" all you want, but with Illusions, Sadus has played some of the fastest, most technical and memorable thrash I've heard in my life. Despite some minor errors in mixing, this is a perfect thrash album, like "in your f***ing face" thrash that very few bands executed so greatly. Any fan of Dark Angel, Slayer, or Kreator, should take a break from those bands and listen to this holy grail of thrash!

5/5

Perth-based Aussie alternative metal for fans of Tool, Chevelle & Korn.

Also a good heavy highlight!

Daniel, I would be interested to see you share your thoughts on Karnivool's debut Themata, seeing how motivated you are to do so since they're from your homeland and you saw them perform live. This song is a brilliant highlight from that album, to please fans of late-90s Incubus, A Perfect Circle, and the non-rapping tracks of Linkin Park:

I did my review, here's its summary:

Karnivool is now currently known as an Australian avant-prog rock band, but two decades before this review, they were known as an alt/nu metal outfit that released a couple EPs and received numerous awards nationwide. Wanting to take on the rest of the world, they recorded an album with the sound as the EPs but in a more progressive turn. Themata was released in 2005 in their homeland before releasing it in the US and UK two years later. Get ready for some noisy greatness from down under, with prog-ish songs of multilayered majesty and even a bit of a Linkin Park-like nu metal approach in some places. I'm glad to have finally given this album a listen, and I have a feeling that each subsequent listen will be better than the last. With an amazing sound like that, no wonder they picked up so many awards in Australia and had many prominent live sets before they even thought of making a full album. Themata has a huge rock/metal combo of guitars and melodies in multiple layers. Get this album from a more magical land than Oz!

5/5

We're having our two bedroom apartment internally repainted on Thursday, Friday & Saturday. We'll be packing the kids into the car & heading south of Sydney for a few days while it's done. My wife is currently forcing me to make a decision between ten different shades of white. One of us is taking this decision far too seriously while the other couldn't give a flying fuck which shade we go for & is getting very annoyed with having to be involved. I'll let you guess which one I am.

The latter?

I'm doing my sneak peek submissions for the Revolution playlist again, but now 6 of them, slowly building back up to 7. If Theo-Wyoming decides to submit track suggestions again, I can remove one of my own and decide whether to save the one I take out for this playlist anyway or a different playlist. Anyway, here are my 6 sneak peek submissions for the February Revolution playlist:

Bleeding Through - "Dearly Demented" (5:22) from The Truth (2006)

Born of Osiris - "The New Reign" (2:22) from The New Reign (2007)

Demon Hunter - "Collapsing" (3:38) from The World is a Thorn (2010)

Make Them Suffer - "Neverbloom" (6:34) from Neverbloom (2012)

Parkway Drive - "Sleepwalker" (4:01) from Deep Blue (2010) (This was already in one of last year's playlists, but I'm submitting it anyway because my brother let it play in our family car's radio last week. You can't let a good song down!)

Trivium - "Amongst the Shadows & the Stones" (5:40) from What the Dead Men Say (2020)

Total length: 27:37

Here are my submissions for the February Guardians playlist:

Angra - "Mystery Machine" (4:11) from Fireworks (1998)

DragonForce - "My Heart Will Go On" (3:23) from Extreme Power Metal (2019)

HammerFall - "Hearts on Fire" (3:51) from Crimson Thunder (2002)

Nightwish - "The Poet and the Pendulum" (13:53) from Dark Passion Play (2007)

Sonata Arctica - "8th Commandment" (3:41) from Ecliptica (1999)

Total length: 28:59

Here are my submissions for the February Gateway playlist (I'm gonna keep it at 7 of them until I can shorten the track length average to 8 suggestions):

Breaking Benjamin - "Torn in Two" (4:17) from Ember (2018)

Bullet for My Valentine - "Piece of Me" (3:26) from Gravity (2018)

Dir En Grey - "輪郭 (Rinkaku)" (5:43) from Arche (2014)

Linkin Park - "Krwlng" (5:40) from Reanimation (2002)

Machinae Supremacy - "A View from the End of the World" (3:52) from A View from the End of the World (2010)

Motionless in White - "Another Life" (3:25) from Disguise (2019)

While She Sleeps - "Division Street" (3:34) from Sleeps Society (2021)

Total length: 29:57

There's no better definition of power metal than this, for fans of DragonForce, Gloryhammer, and ReinXeed/Majestica:

I did my review, here's its summary:

Rhapsody (of Fire) are known for their unique power metal style, adding epic orchestration to killer anthems of the genre, and these dragon warriors from Italy have made no exception in Dawn of Victory! This is the underrated continuation of the Emerald Sword saga that started in the band's first two more popular albums. I know some of you dislike this kind of power metal including the cheesy keyboards and fantasy lyrics. However, as the power metal fan I used to fully be, I say there's lots of talent that deserve praise. Nowadays I prefer the American power metal over most of the European style, but I still haven't forgotten the legendary status of this offering. The greater power metal fans might expect the neoclassical power metal soloing from guitar wiz Luca Turilli, great bass, drum attacks, and catchy vocals that define power metal, not to mention the aforementioned epic orchestration, all to be found in fast tracks and slower semi-ballads. Dawn of Victory shows Rhapsody making material at higher quality without giving up on what makes them the legends they are. The first 3 albums make a stellar start to their career and saga, and this is the more underrated part of that trilogy in my opinion. I definitely recommend this to any fan of this style of epic neoclassical power metal. With no filler and barely any weakness, Dawn of Victory is up there as one of my favorite albums of power metal and an essential part of any power metal collection!

5/5

Recommended tracks: "Dawn of Victory", "The Village of Dwarves", "Dargor, Shadowlord of the Black Mountain", "Holy Thunderforce", "The Mighty Ride of the Firelord"

For fans of: DragonForce, Gloryhammer, ReinXeed/Majestica

Think we'll find it is Life of Agony not "Life in Agony".

Whoops!

I like that idea, Sonny! That way, I wouldn't have to make a review to-do list anymore whenever I have so many releases that I plan on reviewing.

Yeah, I can see that. No issues for the previous lists though. That is odd...

Similarly to last month's playlist, this one plays out like an epic hero story that could fit well in a movie or a video game, except after the final boss level during the 11-minute epic, a final soft track plays as en epilogue. This I think could make the playlist more interesting, along with more appealing based on the order, for anyone up to listening to a long 2-hour playlist, but that's just what I think. Enjoy! I'm gonna share with you my thoughts on all the selected tracks:

Bullet for My Valentine - "Parasite" (from Bullet for My Valentine, 2021)

4.5/5. After a minute of half of distorted brief radio samples of BFMV's greatest hits from practically every album, the song itself (and the playlist) blasts through pure metal to have you fist-pumping and headbanging in no time.

Atreyu - "Doomsday" (from Lead Sails Paper Anchor, 2007)

5/5. One of the best songs I've discovered via playlist submissions! Thank you, Theo, you didn't have to delete your submissions out of shame, if that's what you felt. This one has a mix of metalcore and hard rock/metal, especially proven by Dan Jacobs' Halen-inspired guitar soloing. It's so great to find this band via a song from an album released in 2007. This underrated band has just become one of my favorites in metalcore!

Bleeding Through - "Love Lost in a Hail of Gun Fire" (from This is Love, This is Murderous, 2003)

5/5. This one opens with a sound sample from the movie The Boondock Saints (not to be confused with that comic strip The Boondocks). Then the band starts their attack of powerful riff energy and Brandan Schieppati's fueled-up harsh vocals. This song features one of only a few instances of clean vocals in this album, sounding not too tough and not at all nasal, but somewhere in between.

From Autumn to Ashes - "Daylight Slaving" (from Holding a Wolf by the Ears, 2007)

5/5. Another amazing banger! This is well known as one of the songs from the soundtrack for Madden NFL 08.

Trivium - "Feast of Fire" (from In the Court of the Dragon, 2021)

4.5/5. After those first 4 songs starting the playlist heavy, the radio anthem "Feast of Fire" has a different riff that spawned from an unknown demo. There's killer strength and maturity that levels this song up more than the similar mid-tempo songs from The Crusade. The balance between heaviness and melody continues to suit Trivium's latest album and makes sure it's not just a sequel to the one from last year.

Parkway Drive - "Boneyards" (from Horizons, 2007)

5/5. One of the first and best Parkway Drive songs I've listened to, indeed a brutal bruiser with urgent up-tempo bursts! A killer flashback to the heaviness of their debut! I love that killer metalcore monster.

Currents - "Better Days" (from The Way It Ends, 2020)

4.5/5. Another d*mn amazing song to strike my soul! This almost describes the current situation of the world. The lyrics never disappoint, they hit f***ing hard and motivate you to break out of these hard times ("Suffocating, can’t breathe but you’ve got a f***ing mouth to feed"). Unbelievable! I think this is like a more metal Rise Against.

Neon Graves - "Sanctuary" (from All That Brings Us Down, 2020)

4.5/5. This is the second song I've heard from this band, and it's still not even close to bad. Spread the sound! In a time when real life is in a sh*tty level, sick songs like this are worth hearing to escape reality. It is also useful for dealing with breakups. Great song, but not perfect enough to start a relationship with the band's music.

Every Time I Die - "Prom Song" (from The Burial Plot Bidding War, 2000)

4/5. Another cool headbanger! The intro sample is from the movie Event Horizon. This EP and their debut Last Night in Town are the most brutal start to this band's journey. This is bad-a** killer sh*t that we're gonna miss, especially since recently, Keith Buckley is having his hiatus from the band. Who knows what their fate might be...

Motionless in White - "Dragula" (from Creatures, 2010)

4.5/5. A friend of mine from the outside world showed me a Rob Zombie song, "Dragula", in which a remix version was used in the first Matrix movie. That song is industrial metal, but the kind of industrial metal I prefer is not the "alt-" kind heard in that song, but rather the more experimental industrial metal bands like Godflesh, Strapping Young Lad, Samael, and Motionless in White, the latter having done a cover of that song with a gothic-ish metalcore twist in style, as you can hear here. You can also find one of Motionless in White's industrial songs in this month's Sphere playlist.

Knocked Loose - "Where Light Divides the Holler" (from A Tear in the Fabric of Life, 2021)

5/5. I just found this band thanks to Daniel's suggestion. After a minute of someone driving their car while browsing through different radio channels, the driver ends up in a car crash at the one-minute mark, and the chaotic metalcore action begins. F*** YEAH!!!! I love this headbanger, especially the breakdown near the 3-minute mark. This song is clearly inspired by Meshuggah's Destroy Erase Improve, while going nowhere near djent and sticking to their metallic hardcore guns. Thanks for this, Daniel!

Unearth - "Letting Go" (from The March, 2008)

3.5/5. This ballad-ish track can be considered the negative of its album, though it adds some deep restraint to the album, enough for me to make that playlist submission and recommend it to any melodic metalcore fans out there.

Like Moths to Flames - "YOTM" (from No Eternity in Gold, 2020)

5/5. Sometimes discoveries can be made on my own, and I can't wait for more of this awesome band!

Inventure - "Renaissance" (from No Time to Waste, 2020)

4.5/5. I haven't listened to this band before, but wow, I'm impressed by some of the great aspects! Killer lyrics, screaming vocals, and unbelievable technicality. The cleans are brilliant too! I would pass this on to someone who likes the more brutal metalcore more than me if I were...me.

Anticline - "Headspinning Bias" (from Urgency, 2020)

4.5/5. I found another f***ing killer band who can perform incredible riffs, clear bass, and sick grooves. Hitting so g****mn HARD, especially the furious breakdown at the two-minute mark. The aggression follows through all the way until the end with barely any melody, with the chorus riffing being mainly heavy groove. This brings more variety than the emo sh*t that chicks dig. Again, that song's for the more brutal fans.

Spirit Breaker - "Pure Fury & Wonder" (from Cura Nata, 2021)

4/5. Almost incredible, though the fire is often too engulfing. Next!

Blueshift - "Voyager" (from Voyager, 2020)

4.5/5. There some grand prog-metalcore gold here, clearly inspired by the Australian scene of bands such as Polaris, Thornhill, and Northlane, despite this band and the similar-sounding Erra being from Alabama.

36 Crazyfists - "The Tide And Its Takers" (from The Tide And Its Takers, 2008)

5/5. An interesting submission from Theo, a beautiful semi-acoustic ballad to break up the playlist a bit. I've tried listening to 36 Crazyfists for a few attempts, but maybe this could be my gateway to listening to that band, despite being different from what they usually do. So emotion-inducing! It reminds of when I changed the tempo of My Dying Bride's "Two Winters Only" to be 2x faster. This can very well be one of my favorite songs from a metal band to not be metal! If people start a mosh pit when they perform this song live, that would be ridiculous. And this is the same band who made the song "Slit Wrist Theory". So lovely and poetic, I would pay for it if I could!

Polaris - "Landmine" (from The Death of Me, 2020)

5/5. One of the best songs here, slightly better than the Inventure one! First track from this band I've listened to, and I'll definitely pay more attention to them. That insane breakdown really crushes and revives my soul. This band's heaviness shall wipe out the fluffiness of the mainstream. This band can combine some of the nu metal of Stray From the Path and Slipknot with the metalcore of Architects and The Devil Wears Prada. Or just be Make Them Suffer without female singing and with Northlane-like riffing.

Amaranthe - "Director's Cut" (from Amaranthe, 2011)

5/5. This is the longest song ever by Amaranthe, an almost 5-minute progressive-ish epic! Man, they have got to make more songs like that. Seriously, I need to fill up the trancecore/trance metal space in these playlists!

Brand of Sacrifice - "God Hand" (from God Hand, 2019)

4.5/5. We are now entering the dangerous deathcore zone, so if you can't handle the brutality, lyrical gore, and a bit of nude cover art, stay out the Revolution Hell's Kitchen. I probably will, despite this song being killer.

Slaughter to Prevail - "Baba Yaga" (from Kostolom, 2021)

4/5. Once you're about 20 seconds in, you already enter the hellish mosh-pit of chaos in a good song worth headbanging to. Listen to this at school without headphones, I dare you to survive that dare!

Darko US - "Pale Tongue" (from Darko, 2021)

4/5. There's just so much heavy destruction in this song, heavier than the largest elephant and possibly anything in existence. What's a heavier word than "heavy" and a more brutal word than "brutal"? Heavy enough for my liking but not perfectly appealing.

Bound in Fear - "Penance" (from Penance, 2021)

4.5/5. Another brutal headbanger with downtempo breakdowns to let rip!

Attila - "Payback" (from Outlawed, 2011)

5/5. Wow, what a beautiful Christian love song...NOT!!! A perfect song for the heavier metalheads! I'm not ashamed to admit that I was brought to this song by a video from one of the YouTube animator channels I used to like. I love this song, so beautiful, but brutal all the way. This heavy metal/deathcore song shouldn't be forgotten. It'll blow your f***ing mind! This amazing sh*t's on fire! The next time someone says "metalcore sucks", use that song against them.

The Ghost Inside - "Dear Youth (Day 52)" (from Dear Youth, 2014)

5/5. Finally we reach the last of Theo's submissions, a mega mood-fitting song for me to love, with some similarities to Crystal Lake, especially the vocals. From the 2-and-a-half-minute-mark onward is an epic breakdown until the ending fade.

Botch - "Man the Ramparts" (from We are the Romans, 1999)

5/5. The 11-minute closer "Man the Ramparts" is the perfect way to end Botch's two-album career (other than the EP). Epic gigantic chords soar throughout its long duration. Soon there's a passage where a choir sings the album's title, "We are the Romans", in glorious grandeur before being overtaken by one more furious devastating riff as a proper farewell from the band members. A grand atmospheric outro to bring that album to a heavy epic end! However, there's one more track to end this playlist...

The Dillinger Escape Plan - "Dissociation" (from Dissociation, 2016)

4.5/5. The Dillinger Escape Plan wanted to really say farewell in their final album before their end-tour and split, with the final title track. It starts with melancholic strings before electronic beats come in and Greg Puciato starts singing in a truly tender voice. It's NOT as soft as an acoustic ballad but at the same time obviously NOT heavy. And finally, strings and organic drums and cymbals keep playing as Puciato repeatedly sings "Finding a way to die alone" as the mix fades and he sings that line a couple more times and...it's over, that album, the band's career, and this playlist.

Wow, I really dig this playlist! I don't have to feel bad about saying that myself because of a couple great helpers in making this playlist; Daniel and Theo-Wyoming. Great submissions, guys, I look forward to listening to more of those bands! I would recommend this to any metalcore fan and anyone who isn't into metalcore but wants to get into a great start in enjoying the genre. Thanks Daniel for accepting this, and I hope the rest of you enjoy it like I've had!

Glad to help, Saxy! Here are some of my track thoughts:

Opeth - "Harvest" (from Blackwater Park)

4/5. Soft acoustic ambiance. A good start.

Rosetta - "Soot" (from Flies to Flame)

4.5/5. A beautiful inspiring throwback to the sound of A Determinism of Moralism. A great song to love in my life! This seems to lyrically pick up where The Anaesthete left off. It's truly a lookback to their doomy post-metal roots similar to Isis.

Mastodon - "Ancient Kingdom" (from Emperor of Sand)

4.5/5. More eclectic in an awesome way! Enough said...

Dream Theater - "Scene Four: Beyond This Life" (from Metropolis, Pt. 2: Scenes from a Memory)

5/5. This is a longer song that has more of the great guitar soloing that are isolated from the concept without ruining it. The murder-suicide incident was mentioned in a newspaper article. Nicholas, doubting those events, has a conversation with an older man familiar with the case. Nicholas decides that the only way to move on is to solve this murder mystery.

Between The Buried And Me - "The Proverbial Bellow" (from Automata II)

4.5/5. I've had fun listening to this band and both parts of their Automata album that was split into two CDs, with this song starting the second. This 13-minute epic is so incredible, despite me leaving this band behind, that it's hard for me to explain in detail. Just listen for yourself while having a pizza or something!

Symphony X - "The Relic" (from Twilight in Olympus)

5/5. I love this one, especially the progressive solo, in this great album. This band, along with Dream Theater and Ayreon are how I started my love for progressive metal, back when my taste was more melodic. The bass and drums are awesome! The album Twilight in Olympus still doesn't beat their masterpiece The Divine Wings of Tragedy. Still this is absolutely underrated! There's epic neoclassical brilliance in the riffs and rhythms that reminds some of Yngwie Malmsteen. There's also a bit of Megadeth-like heaviness but not too much like that. Seriously, enough with the overrated mainstream thrash of Megadeth and Metallica, listen to this great progressive band instead!

Cynic - "Mythical Serpents" (from Ascension Codes)

4.5/5. A great highlight to show each member's skill! Moving on...

Haken - "In Memoriam" (from The Mountain)

4.5/5. This is a mind-blowing track that deserves greater recognition, and that final section at the 3 and a half minute mark is one of the most epic parts of a progressive metal song, even after ages since I left this band behind simply because it would've been more suitable for me, say, 5 years ago.

Stone Healer - "One Whisper" (from Conquistador)

4/5. Very great, but as I've said in this month's Pit playlist comments, a favorite genre of mine getting "blackened" at times isn't always the right deal.

Protest the Hero - "Tongue-splitter" (from Scurrilous)

4.5/5. This apologetic yet aggressive song takes some shots away from the usual self-loathing ("I'm not asking for your pity 'Oh woe is me' sarcastically"). That song really pumps me up with its adrenaline. Well done guys!

Vektor - "Charging the Void" (from Terminal Redux)

5/5. This is a great epic to prepare for the incoming elements of this album. New elements are mixed with older ones from previous albums. Another thing new is clean singing, here being sung by what sounds like a soul choir, bringing to mind Disney film soundtracks such as Frozen and Moana. Fortunately, there isn't any harm to the band's music and instead adds more atmosphere. Of course, the other new element is the superb concept, which is already written for this album, but I made my own in a review.

Converge, Chelsea Wolfe - "Tongues Playing Dead" (from Bloodmoon: I)

5/5. Jacob Bannon really shines in his vocals in this pummeling highlight!

I decided to dive into part of the Pit playlist because of this month's Pit feature release that I enjoy (Sadus' Illusions/Chemical Exposure) and it felt like a good time to test out my thrash interest. So here are my thoughts on some tracks:

Sadus – “Under the Knife” (from “A Vision of Misery”, 1992)

5/5. I'll start with this hurricane of death-ish complications beyond any band whose song comments are set to come!

Morbid Saint– “Depth of Sanity” (from “Destruction System”, 1992)

5/5. Holy f***ing d*mn, this is some of the best untouchable thrash here! This is how to master this genre, and the voice is very good. Thanks for submitting this, Daniel, and Vinny for accepting it to the playlist!

Nocturnal – “Rising Demons” (from “Storming Evil”, 2014)

4.5/5. The riffing might remind some of old-school Exodus, and it is quite awesome, but the black metal-ish vocals are a bit too much.

Viking – “Berserker” (from “Do or Die”, 1988)

5/5. Another awesome golden oldie! Great kick-A thrash that's berserk as f***. That's another way to master this genre. Thanks for submitting this, Sonny, and Vinny for accepting it to the playlist!

Bewitched – “Hard as Steel (Hot as Hell)” (from “Diabolical Desecration”, 1996)

4.5/5. The quality is quite amazing here, but once again, the Venom-like old-school black metal elements are a bit too much. I appreciate the welcome, thank you, but I prefer to stay out of Hell.

Slayer – “Repentless” (from “Repentless”, 2015)

4/5. SLAYER!!!!!! This song really sums up humanity in a nutshell, with good sound quality. Drummer Paul Bostaph replaces Dave Lombardo once again in the final album before Slayer's farewell tour and retirement. Bad-a** thrash right here! Except the more popular thrash bands are kinda out of bounds from my thrash league. Thrash tastes better as an underground dish, that's part of the appeal of Morbid Saint and Viking that I'm glad to discover.

Eternal Evil – “Terror of The Sphinx” (from “The Warriors Awakening Brings the Unholy Slaughter”, 2021)

4.5/5. This one's really good, continuing the Slayer-like thrash with a different singing style. Awesome soloing and riffing combines thrash from both America and Europe. Killer shredding! Still doesn't beat the older underground thrash bands though.

Celtic Frost – “Jewel Throne” (from “To Mega Therion”, 1985)

4/5. This one has chord patterns to reflect the balance of primal composition against riffs of thrash energy and muscular drum groove intensity. I'm sure there are many other great thrash examples throughout the decades that followed, but a true thrashy metalhead would bang their head and swing their fists to those interestingly brutal riffs. I'm not even a fan of this darker kind of thrash metal and I'm already doing that!

Division Speed – “Panzerkommando” (from “Division Speed”, 2015)

3.5/5. The heavy/speed/thrash/death metal mix here is a bit too wild, but it works as part of a soundtrack for the World Wars.

Home Style Surgery – “Necrodecoration” (from “Brain Drill Poetry”, 2021)

3/5. Even though the music is actual thrash, the vocals sound a bit ridiculous and bring the score down some. At least it's way better than that Cremator release with the same name as this band.

Acrassicauda – “Quest for Eternity” (from “Gilgamesh”, 2016)

4.5/5. This one's more excellent! Lamb of God-like groove metal from Iraq with a different idea of adding clean singing.

Nevermore– “The Psalm of Lydia” (from “This Godless Endeavour”, 2005)

5/5. I'll stop after one more song, the most technical song on the playlist, its album, probably by the band. The intro and part of the first verse both have a crazily technical riff, and there's a killer guitar solo battle in the middle of the song.

Glad to help, Xephyr! Here are my thoughts on some tracks:

Rhapsody of Fire - "Glory for Salvation" (from Glory for Salvation)

4.5/5. The title track for the latest Rhapsody of Fire album blasts your speakers with Roberto De Micheli's technical guitar lightning.

Saxon - "Sniper" (from Thunderbolt)

4/5. Probably the heaviest track I've commented in the playlist so far and the album the song was in, sounding slightly heavier than Judas Priest and making sure your hand stays clenched into a fist.

After Forever - "Emphasis" (from Decipher)

4.5/5. I have quite a lot to say about this song while commenting in the second morning of the new year. In 2005, After Forever was touring with other symphonic metal bands, Therion and Nightwish, shortly before Tarja Turunen was fired from the latter band. Then in a series of events lasting several years, Anette Olzon became Nightwish's front-woman, and Nightwish's first album with Anette was released on the same year as the final album from After Forever before their split-up. A few of the members moved on to different bands including supergroup Mayan and Floor's short-lived project ReVamp. I said short-lived because when Anette left Nightwish, guess who became the new singer? Floor Jansen! After releasing her first album with Nightwish, she ended ReVamp and put all her focus on Nightwish. Anyway, an epic godly intro starts this beautiful song that has an excellent message. Those symphonic gothic metal memories remain in my high-school-age days that are now replaced with my young adult reality of heavier metal genres. And by the way, Floor Jansen and Mark Jansen (the latter later leaving this band to start his own, Epica) are not related. Coincidence? Definitely yes!

Kamelot - "Rhydin" (from Siege Perilous)

5/5. Another fantastic song back in those life-changing days! I love the vocals of Roy Khan, though not much as those of their new singer Tommy Karevik.

Symphony X - "Pharaoh" (from The Divine Wings of Tragedy)

4.5/5. Slowing things down a bit in a bombastic way again is this heavy mid-tempo beast. Once again, the chorus is unique and catchy at the same time. Allen's manipulating vocal performance is magnificent, especially in that chorus.

Christian Muenzner - "Wing Commander" (from Path of the Hero)

4/5. This one is very cool and all, but it has put me right in the middle of two genres I used to enjoy but not so much now. I haven't found any different neoclassical metal artists or bands that I've enjoyed in 5 years now because my Guardians tolerance isn't the same as it would've been back then. On the other hand, this dude has played for several tech-death bands; Necrophagist, Defeated Sanity, Spawn of Possession, Obscura, and I've already made my move out of that genre. Quite a tough call there...

ANGRA - "Wuthering Heights" (from Angels Cry)

5/5. I miss this man, the beautifully singing Andre Matos. It's been over two and a half years since his passing. I can still hear him in this nostalgic music from when I was a power metal-listening teenager, and I'm still not tired of it. Andre shall be immortalized for his vocal range that rarely any other man can have. This song with a homesick vibe I love so much! A masterful heavenly voice! It's so sad to find out about brilliant music artists dropping out of life. His time with Angra was his greatest vocal height, and this song brings back such good memories. I still love it!!! He was one of the kings of Brazilian metal. This is a cover of a song by Kate Bush, and not only does it do the original justice, but I think it might've inspired the name of Danish progressive power metal band Wuthering Heights. Andre Matos was a star that was put out too soon, deserving worldwide attention. A fantastic singer who left us with a big loss. His beautiful voice really keeps up with the rhythm to level up this awesome song with his transcending talent. His legacy shall never be forgotten. This sensational magnificence fits very well in this Guardians playlist. With Andre, Angra had quite a dominating era with not just Angels Cry but also their next two albums, Holy Land and Fireworks. Anyone finding a beautifully singing maestro? Well done...

Seven Spires - "Dare to Live" (from Gods of Debauchery)

4.5/5. This one's excellent in a majority of aspects, including the fact that many of the members are young and talented. Another great combo of female vocals (singing and screaming) and metal guitar! The lyrics are quite motivational; "We all yearn for something when a fire burns inside." "Will you take the chance?" The song is quite f***ing great with extraordinary talent to admire, and a cool one for the second day of the new year (as of commenting). An insanely excellent song balancing heavy and melodic. Think of this like a mix of Arch Enemy, Dream Theater, Amaranthe, and Epica! The female growling could've had some more work though.

Dragonland - "Supernova" (from Astronomy)

5/5. One of the Swedish masters of mixing classical with metal has taken a break from their fantasy saga to explore more philosophical themes in this album, Astronomy. Absolutely amazing magic all around!

My thoughts on some tracks (sorry about most of the selected tracks being my own submissions):

Spiritbox - "Sun Killer" (from Eternal Blue)

5/5. The climatic opener of both the playlist and the album this was in breaks the dam and consumes you with crushing waves as Courtney LaPlante sings about her battle against depression ("I was born to break").

Avatar - "New Land" (from Feathers & Flesh)

4.5/5. I miss this awesome song! The lyrics are f***ing odd at times but still make some sense. The intro riffing might remind some of Motorhead's "Ace of Spades". I'm surprised this song hasn't been featured in Devil May Cry.

Bad Wolves - "On the Case" (from Dear Monsters)

4/5. This is where Bad Wolves get serious with their metal, unleashing groove riff punches and great screams. This bad-A song can really sink its teeth into the skin of your eardrums. Not the best alt-metal song, but a killer one.

Bullet for My Valentine - "Rainbow Veins" (from Bullet for My Valentine)

4.5/5. Changing the pace from the metalcore that dominates its album to a slight, JUST slight, alt-metal break, this one continues the monstrous groove, but with more clean singing than the unclean growls of the other songs there. This rhythmic tune emphasizes on waves of sorrow in the aftermath of a revolution, containing a melancholic chorus followed by a destructive bridge. You feelin' it now?

Dir En Grey - "艶かしき安息、躊躇いに微笑み (NAMAMEKASHIKI ANSOKU, TAMERAI NI HOHOEMI)"

5/5. One of the most awesome songs by Japanese alt-metal masters Dir En Grey! Beautiful gold! It starts soft with acoustic riffing similar to In Flames' The Jester Race, and then at the 4-minute mark, Kyo screams into a final chorus that's as heavy as In Flames' The Jester Race (the metal parts).

Linkin Park - "Faint" (from Meteora)

4.5/5. This mighty hit single is a sudden change of mood that can get you pumping and jumping. The drums are faster with nice guitar layers, though not reaching its strong point until the bridge. Great single!

Machinae Supremacy - "Sid Icarus" (from Overworld)

5/5. I love this band's music, both instrumentally and vocally, especially during my earlier epic metal taste (they're also considered power metal), and they have composed music for the computer game Jets n' Guns. They mix alt/power metal with 8-bit sounds similar to Nintendo-metalcore bands such as HORSE the Band and Sky Eats Airplane. Not everyone's a fan of the vocals, but I think they're unique to much of rock and metal. The song is based on the composition "Flight of the Toyota" used in Jets n' Guns that I've heard when playing the demo level. This kind of metal style the band calls "SID metal". They've also toured with melodeath bands Ensiferum and Children of Bodom.

Type O Negative - "I Don't Wanna Be Me" (from Life Is Killing Me)

4.5/5. This song I loved back when I was still in The Fallen, and I first heard of it when Trivium did a cover of the song. It is relatable for people who have lost a loved one. However, it could be foreshadowing of the passing of frontman Peter Steele. RIP... The ambient outro ends the playlist nicely though.

I've enjoyed creating the threads for the clan playlists (mostly on behalf of Saxy and Xephyr) along with the free-to-use images for the graphics, that not only did I make a new version of my avatar by overlaying the original one over the Gateway (see my profile), but I've also made a panoramic combination of that and the other images to create a new semi-official logo for my username. I even used my username to cover up the sh*tty watermark the program won't let me remove. Check it out!

January 2022

01. Opeth - "Harvest" (from Blackwater Park)

02. Turbulence - "Inside the Gaze" (from Frontal)

03. Kayo Dot - "Get Out of the Tower" (from Moss Grew on the Swords and Plowshares Alike)

04. Amorphis - "The Moon" (from The Moon)

05. Intronaut - "Fast Worms" (from The Direction of Last Things)

06. Rosetta - "Soot" (from Flies to Flame)

07. Thank You Scientist - "Soul Diver" (from Plague Accommodations)

08. Mastodon - "Ancient Kingdom" (from Emperor of Sand)

09. Dream Theater - "Scene Four: Beyond This Life" (from Metropolis, Pt. 2: Scenes from a Memory)

10. Between The Buried And Me - "The Proverbial Bellow" (from Automata II)

11. Symphony X - "The Relic" (from Twilight in Olympus)

12. Cynic - "Mythical Serpents" (from Ascension Codes)

13. Haken - "In Memoriam" (from The Mountain)

14. Stone Healer - "One Whisper" (from Conquistador)

15. Protest the Hero - "Tongue-splitter" (from Scurrilous)

16. Vektor - "Charging the Void" (from Terminal Redux)

17. Converge, Chelsea Wolfe - "Tongues Playing Dead" (from Bloodmoon: I)

18. Wheel - "Ascend" (from Resident Human)

19. Hippotraktor - "A Final Animation" (from Meridian)

January 2022

01. Traveler - "Starbreaker" (from Traveler)

02. Helloween - "Robot King" (from Helloween)

03. Rhapsody of Fire - "Glory for Salvation" (from Glory for Salvation)

04. Angel Witch - "Free Man" (from Angel Witch)

05. HAMMER KING - "Hammerschlag" (from Hammer King)

06. Pharaoh - "Lost in the Waves" (from The Powers That Be)

07. Riot City - "Burn the Night" (from Burn the Night)

08. Smoulder - "The Sword Woman" (from Times of Obscene Evil and Wild Daring)

09. Black Sites - "Sword of Orion" (from Untrue)

10. Saxon - "Sniper" (from Thunderbolt)

11. After Forever - "Emphasis" (from Decipher)

12. Kamelot - "Rhydin" (from Siege Perilous)

13. Symphony X - "Pharaoh" (from The Divine Wings of Tragedy)

14. Christian Muenzner - "Wing Commander" (from Path of the Hero)

15. ANGRA - "Wuthering Heights" (from Angels Cry)

16. Seven Spires - "Dare to Live" (from Gods of Debauchery)

17. Dragonland - "Supernova" (from Astronomy)

18. Tanith - "Cassini's Deadly Plunge" (from In Another Time)

19. Cirith Ungol - "Chaos Rising" (from Paradise Lost)

20. The Night Eternal - "Son Of Sin" (from Moonlit Cross)

21. TOWER - "Prince of Darkness" (from Shock to the System)

22. Enforcer - "Katana" (from Diamonds)

23. Herzel - "Unis Dans La Gloire" (from Unis Dans La Gloire)

January 2022

01. Spiritbox - "Sun Killer" (from Eternal Blue)

02. Avatar - "New Land" (from Feathers & Flesh)

03. Fair To Midland - "A Loophole in Limbo" (from Arrows & Anchors)

04. Karnivool - "All It Takes" (from All It Takes)

05. Malrun - "Moving Into Fear" (from The Empty Frame)

06. TOOL - "Triad" (from Lateralus)

07. Bad Wolves - "On the Case" (from Dear Monsters)

08. Pist.On - "Suddenly Sober" (from Sell Out)

09. Gwar - "Saddam A GoGo" (from This Toilet Earth)

10. Temperance - "Save Me" (from Limitless)

11. Life in Agony - "This Time" (from The Complete Roadrunner Collection)

12. Bullet for My Valentine - "Rainbow Veins" (from Bullet for My Valentine)

13. Alice in Chains - "The One You Know" (from Rainier Fog)

14. Mordred - "Not for You" (from Volition)

15. Saliva - "800" (from Saliva)

16. Dir En Grey - "艶かしき安息、躊躇いに微笑み (NAMAMEKASHIKI ANSOKU, TAMERAI NI HOHOEMI)" (from THE MARROW OF A BONE)

17. Earshot - "Wait" (from Two)

18. Biohazard - "Tales from the Hard Side" (from State Of The World Address)

19. Moon Tooth - "Awe at All Angles" (from Crux)

20. Linkin Park - "Faint" (from Meteora)

21. American Head Charge - "Let All the World Believe" (from Tango Umbrella)

22. Psychostick - "Obey the Beard" (from IV: Revenge of the Vengeance)

23. Sweet Noise - "Dzisiaj mnie kochasz, jutro nienawidzisz" (from Czas ludzi cienia)

24. Machinae Supremacy - "Sid Icarus" (from Overworld)

25. Galactic Cowboys - "Ants" (from At the End of the Day)

26. Sleep Token - "Alkaline" (from This Place Will Become Your Tomb)

27. Chevelle - "Send the Pain Below" (from Wonder What's Next)

28. Type O Negative - "I Don't Wanna Be Me" (from Life Is Killing Me)

Thanks Daniel for accepting my feature release submission! I shall work on my review soon...

I did my review, here's its summary:

Mastodon has kept their progressive metal sound since their very beginning, but this was at the time when they started moving far away from their earlier sludge sound which, not to sound accusing, was stolen by Baroness! With 2009's Crack the Skye, they don't intend on changing any part of their trend except the sludgy part. This album can be considered a sequel to Blood Mountain in terms of music, still keeping a bit of the sludge/hardcore/thrash/progressive metal sound, but far more emphasized on experimental progressive metal. Think of this like Colors by Between the Buried and Me but the amount of solos and growled vocals is greatly reduced to the amount in Frances the Mute by The Mars Volta (almost none). Despite the sludge being reduced, it's not completely abandoned. Here you find 5 mesmerizing 5-minute songs for you to rock out on, and two 10+-minute epics (essential for progressive metal, though the only other epic that long that they've done is "Hearts Alive" from Leviathan) Besides this album being based on the element of ether (continuing their classical element saga that was then abandoned before they could get to the remaining element, air), the word "Skye" being spelled with an "e" is in memory of drummer Brann Dailor's late one-year-younger sister Skye who died by suicide at age 14, almost two decades before this album. It's very sad to lose a sibling, and I'm glad to still have my older brother who, like I said before, first inspired my general interest in metal. It's very clear how much Mastodon matured album after album. You might think Mastodon would've been satisfied with Blood Mountain and not be hyped about making a new album, but nope! They started realizing what was missing, emotional feeling in each song. This is likely the album that defined the band's career (but a close second behind Leviathan) and is considered one of the most essential progressive metal albums of the 2000s. That's what Mastodon is about!

5/5

Thanks Daniel for accepting my feature release submission! Here's its summary:

The new self-titled BFMV album marks a near-return to their earlier heaviness. BFMV have been part of my metalcore arsenal for 4 years, and their latest album at that time, Venom is a real headbanger with slight redemption of quality. Then in 2018, Gravity is a half-sh*tty nu metal backstabber. I thought if they released another album like that, I would start avoiding that band for good. Fast forward to the present with their self-titled album grabbing my attention with genuine heavy metalcore with growls to have you fist-pumping and headbanging in no time, though there are clean groove tracks with singing. This band sure knows how to bring on their heavy artillery. Trivium has also done that with their new album the prior month, and if Bring Me the Horizon fully return to metalcore with their next Post Human release, that would make my day. Despite the quality not being same as earlier, BFMV deserves greatness for their killer comeback....

4/5

Recommended tracks: "Parasite", "Knives", "No Happy Ever After", "Rainbow Veins", "Death by a Thousand Cuts"

For fans of: Trivium, There is a Hell/Post Human-era Bring Me the Horizon, late 2000s Machine Head

January 2022

01. Bullet for My Valentine - "Parasite" (from Bullet for My Valentine, 2021) [Submitted by shadowdoom9 (Andi)]

02. Atreyu - "Doomsday" (from Lead Sails Paper Anchor, 2007) [Submitted by Theo-Wyoming]

03. Bleeding Through - "Love Lost in a Hail of Gun Fire" (from This is Love, This is Murderous, 2003) [Submitted by Theo-Wyoming]

04. From Autumn to Ashes - "Daylight Slaving" (from Holding a Wolf by the Ears, 2007) [Submitted by Theo-Wyoming]

05. Trivium - "Feast of Fire" (from In the Court of the Dragon, 2021)

06. Parkway Drive - "Boneyards" (from Horizons, 2007) [Submitted by shadowdoom9 (Andi)]

07. Currents - "Better Days" (from The Way It Ends, 2020)

08. Neon Graves - "Sanctuary" (from All That Brings Us Down, 2020)

09. Every Time I Die - "Prom Song" (from The Burial Plot Bidding War, 2000) [Submitted by shadowdoom9 (Andi)]

10. Motionless in White - "Dragula" (from Creatures, 2010)

11. Knocked Loose - "Where Light Divides the Holler" (from A Tear in the Fabric of Life, 2021) [Submitted by Daniel]

12. Unearth - "Letting Go" (from The March, 2008) [Submitted by shadowdoom9 (Andi)]

13. Like Moths to Flames - "YOTM" (from No Eternity in Gold, 2020)

14. Inventure - "Renaissance" (from No Time to Waste, 2020)

15. Anticline - "Headspinning Bias" (from Urgency, 2020)

16. Spirit Breaker - "Pure Fury & Wonder" (from Cura Nata, 2021)

17. Blueshift - "Voyager" (from Voyager, 2020)

18. 36 Crazyfists - "The Tide And Its Takers" (from The Tide And Its Takers, 2008) [Submitted by Theo-Wyoming]

19. Polaris - "Landmine" (from The Death of Me, 2020)

20. Amaranthe - "Director's Cut" (from Amaranthe, 2011)

21. Brand of Sacrifice - "God Hand" (from God Hand, 2019)

22. Slaughter to Prevail - "Baba Yaga" (from Kostolom, 2021)

23. Darko US - "Pale Tongue" (from Darko, 2021)

24. Bound in Fear - "Penance" (from Penance, 2021)

25. Attila - "Payback" (from Outlawed, 2011) [Submitted by shadowdoom9 (Andi)]

26. The Ghost Inside - "Dear Youth (Day 52)" (from Dear Youth, 2014) [Submitted by Theo-Wyoming]

27. Botch - "Man the Ramparts" (from We are the Romans, 1999)

28. The Dillinger Escape Plan - "Dissociation" (from Dissociation, 2016)

That Dolorian album was also a grand discovery of mine until my departure from The Fallen a few months later.

Thanks to this (and the previous) year's feature releases, I discovered a great amount of bands I haven't listened to before they were featured. Here are the bands that I now listen to because of the 2021 feature releases:

Rosetta

Devin Townsend

Riot

Godflesh

Dir En Grey

Skycamefalling

Samael

Spiritbox

In 1997, 5 bands began to bring symphonic metal into prominent ground, and many of those bands have done so by adding symphonic elements to an existing metal subgenre including the debut albums of Nightwish, Rhapsody of Fire (symphonic power metal), and Within Temptation (symphonic gothic metal), the second album of Emperor (symphonic black metal), and the third album of Septicflesh (symphonic death metal). 

I've been testing my memory over the Septicflesh album you mentioned overnight Andi. It's certainly been a long time since I've heard these releases but I don't remember "The Obsidian Wheel" being the record where they completely converted to a totally symphonic approach. Wasn't it 1998's "A Fallen Temple" album where they did that?

When I was listening to Septicflesh, I remember their earlier albums, including The Ophidian Wheel and A Fallen Temple, having this odd frustrating thing where the songs are straight-up gothic-ish death metal and then they have a few symphonic stage play tracks, and each of those two categories are separated from each other with barely any combination. That's why A Fallen Temple was a bit of a struggle for me at the time, especially the "Underworld" series of symphonic tracks. With that said, those two albums have a few songs that combined the two stylistic categories smoothly, such as the song I've selected for my 1997 symphonic metal Spotify playlist, "On the Topmost Step of the Earth", and "The Eldest Cosmonaut" from the latter album that I submitted to one of The Guardians monthly playlists because of the Therion-like symphonic metal sound. Then after a case of industrial-goth identity crisis in Revolution DNA, the band took their usual death metal and symphonic sounds even further in Sumerian Daemons, with both sounds combined into one, the way it was meant to be. Their comeback album Communion really sealed the deal for that sound that they've maintained ever since.

A good accurate list, Daniel!

Welcome, Deadxxy! It would be interesting to see which clan(s) you plan to choose instead of just The Fallen. Anyway, please feel free to introduce yourself in the Introduce Yourself forums and maybe even share a bit of your life in this thread: https://metal.academy/forum/23/thread/1047 (unless you wanna keep it private of course). If you're feeling up to writing album reviews (which you can in the site), there are clan challenges for you to work on if you're up to earning a 4th clan. You can even create your own public lists compiling some of your favorite releases or albums suitable for a list. There are also monthly Spotify clan playlists to help you find good tracks from your clans whether you've heard them before or just discovered them. And finally, we have monthly feature releases for you to listen to and discuss with the other MA members, and if you're in the mood to contribute to the playlist track suggestions and feature release submissions, ask Daniel and he can add you to the rosters. Have a good metal time here!

So, Dad passed away in hospital this afternoon. We all did manage to get to see him on Tuesday evening when it was obvious he had taken a turn for the worse, so that was a blessing. To be honest it's kind of a relief because he was in a lot of distress and was being fed a lot of medication towards the end.

And so life takes another turn...

So sorry to hear, Sonny. RIP