Shadowdoom9 (Andi)'s Forum Replies
What an epic progressive metal view! Fans of Haken, Leprous, and Pain of Salvation shall have no trouble enjoying this sonic journey:
Interesting... That track is still available for me, but just in case anyone else doesn't have access to the track on Spotify, how about:
Trivium - "Silence in the Snow" (3:40) from Silence in the Snow (2015)
I'm very excited to announce that Vinny will be taking over the programming & management of the monthly Metal Academy Radio "The Pit" Spotify playlist moving forwards (starting with the November list). I think this will be a real win for the site as it was always hard to me to ensure the highest quality standards when programming nine two-hour playlists every month. I'm very excited to see what Vinny will pump out each month too as our tastes are pretty well aligned & he's consistently shown himself to have his finger on the pulse as far as underground releases go.
This is a great move and this collaborative approach, which has already proved popular with the monthly feature releases, is a really exciting direction for the site to take. Good luck to Vinny and Andi and I'm really looking forward to what those guys come up with on the playlists going forward. Speaking for myself, I hugely enjoyed putting November's Fallen playlist together and hope that it ticks the right boxes with everyone. It is a task I have approached very seriously as I feel the playlists are one of the major external faces of the site and I'm sure I speak for all involved in saying I hope we can provide a positive face and help to grow Metal Academy in the future with our efforts. Also many thanks and much respect to Daniel for what I now realise must have been his many hours of dedication in putting together NINE playlists every month solely for the enjoyment of other metalheads.
I would echo, this. I really needed something to focus my mind on metal after a few hectic and miserable weeks with work and then me having two new kittens to integrate this past fortnight. To do this for 9 playlists must be a monumental effort as I have listened through the Pit playlist about ten times to try and get the flow and mix of styles right. Shows the dedication to the site of Daniel alongside the great work that Ben does as well and makes me appreciate this place all the more.
I absolutely agree with you guys. The site and its activities continue to grow thanks to the great work of Ben & Daniel and all of our help, and collaborative ideas like this are quite fun when you’re up for it and can produce high-quality results. Here’s to us and the help and support Metal Academy shall have!
Two special 15-year album anniversaries today (with odd cover arts):
A cool album from a progressive-ish power metal band I've listened to long ago. Seems like this album has joined the "conjoined twins cover art" trend that first started with Exodus' Bonded by Blood, though the Angra album's cover art was based on an illustration of a book that also inspired its title.
The deathcore debut from Bring Me the Horizon, before their golden metalcore years and subsequent Linkin Park-like route of going alt-pop rock, then experimental, then alt-metal. Fluxion-era The Ocean Collective called, they want their aquarium-themed cover art back!
That is true, Daniel, but Mastodon is the closest I've been to sludge without post, and vice versa for Solstafir. I might explore some more post-sludge bands to not only try to find enough to extend my list to top 10, but also see if a couple of them can fill in the "Sun" and "Air" in the elemental star...
I haven't fully developed my interest in post-sludge though I look forward to continuing that part of my journey (another reason why sludge metal is the only Fallen genre I still have with me), so I'll start with a top 5:
1. Rosetta – The Galilean Satellites (2005)
2. The Ocean – Pelagial (2013)
3. Isis – Panopticon (2004)
4. Neurosis – The Eye Of Every Storm (2004)
5. Cult Of Luna – Somewhere Along The Highway (2006)
Here are 7 bands (including the ones above) that form my Post-Sludge Elemental Star:
Fire = Isis
Water = The Ocean
Earth = Rosetta
Air = Battle of Mice
Spirit = Jesu
Sun = Neurosis
Moon = Cult of Luna
Update on my list:
Beginning oldies (1978-1992):
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
1990: Demolition Hammer - Tortured Existence
1991: Dark Angel - Time Does Not Heal
1992: Sadus - A Vision of Misery
The golden classics (1993-2002):
1993: X Japan - Art of Life
1994: Savatage - Handful of Rain
1995: Savatage - Dead Winter Dead
1996: Samael - Passage
1997: Bruce Dickinson - Accident of Birth
1998: Meshuggah - Chaosphere
1999: Botch - We are the Romans
2000: Skycamefalling - 10.21
2001: Green Carnation - Light of Day, Day of Darkness
2002: Arcturus - The Sham Mirrors
The silver guiding lights (2003-2012):
2003: The Lord Weird Slough Feg - Traveller
2004: Disillusion - Back to Times of Splendor
2005: Trivium - Ascendancy
2006: Queensryche - Operation Mindcrime II
2007: Annihilator - Metal
2008: Dir En Grey - Uroboros
2009: Animals as Leaders - Animals as Leaders
2010: Virgin Steele - The Black Light Bacchanalia
2011: Trivium - In Waves
2012: Devin Townsend - Epicloud
The bronze yet still great new (2013-2019):
2013: We Came as Romans - Tracing Back Roots
2014: Ne Obliviscaris - Citadel
2015: Bullet for My Valentine - Venom
2016: Vektor - Terminal Redux
2017: Trivium - The Sin and the Sentence
2018: Voivod - The Wake
2019: Devin Townsend - Empath
The newest to make up for the worst of the world (2020-present):
2020: Trivium - What the Dead Men Say
2021 (so far): Trivium - In the Court of the Dragon
2021 albums I'm looking forward to getting:
Bad Wolves - Dear Monsters (slight return to listening to that band for this album)
Mastodon - Hushed and Grim
Running Wild - Blood on Blood
Bullet for My Valentine - Bullet for My Valentine
Silent Planet - Iridescent (self-recommendation)
Converge and Chelsea Wolfe - Bloodmoon: I
Cynic - Ascension Codes (slight return to listening to that band for this album)
In Mourning - The Bleeding Veil (slight return to listening to that band for this album)
Rhapsody of Fire - Glory for Salvation (slight return to listening to that band for this album)
Devin Townsend - The Puzzle/Snuggles
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. Arcturus - The Sham Mirrors (2002)
5. August Burns Red - Constellations (2009)
6. Bleeding Through - Love Will Kill All (2018)
7. Born of Osiris - The Discovery (2011)
8. Botch - We are the Romans (1999)
9. Bring Me the Horizon - Sempiternal (2013)
10. Bruce Dickinson - Accident of Birth (1997)
11. Bullet for My Valentine - The Poison (2005)
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. Isis - Panopticon (2004)
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. Mastodon - Leviathan (2004)
32. Maudlin of the Well - Bath (2001)
33. Meshuggah - Catch Thirty-Three (2005)
34. Ne Obliviscaris - Portal of I (2012)
35. Neurosis - Through Silver in Blood (1996)
36. Opeth - Blackwater Park (2001)
37. Parkway Drive - Horizons (2007)
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. Samael - Passage (1996)
44. Savatage - Dead Winter Dead (1995)
45. Seventh Wonder - Mercy Falls (2008)
46. Skycamefalling - 10.21 (2000)
47. The Dillinger Escape Plan - Calculating Infinity (1999)
48. The Lord Weird Slough Feg - Traveller (2003)
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. We Came as Romans - Tracing Back Roots (2013)
55. X Japan - Art of Life (1993)
Ben, please add the new Dream Theater album A View from the Top of the World.
After escaping the dark doom, I'm heading into the "Darkbloom". This band is still going on after the passing of their clean vocalist, as a quintet in his honor. RIP Kyle Pavone... An epic melodic-ish metalcore single for fans of August Burns Red, Bullet for My Valentine, and Crossfaith:
My latest YouTube video has an important description that explains my departure from gothic/doom metal, and then some. Please check it out:
My grand move out of gothic/doom metal commences tomorrow. Farewell, doom......
Interesting review, Daniel! I feel like getting my thrash game back on with that album...
Two special 20-year album anniversaries today:
A cool live album from a neo-classical progressive metal band I've listened to long ago.
I've never really felt up to listening to Sodom, not now anyway, but my dad likes a couple songs from this album; "Napalm in the Morning" and their cover of "Surfin' Bird".
I've just made a couple Spotify best-of playlists containing songs from those 3 bands and After the Burial, and I recommended these playlists to be listened to by anyone who wants to hear those bands' highlights:
Any of you who doubt Trivium would make an epic after the triumphant Shogun track, prepare to have your doubts blown away by this epic to end all thrash-metalcore epics:
I gave this song another listen...while riding an exercise bike I have at home, throughout the track length! It was the most epic 8-minute exercise bike ride I've had in my life, like riding a bike all over Middle-earth, like a mix of Forrest Gump and Lord of the Rings, all visualized in my mind in the safety of my own home...
Perhaps someday I can revisit their other albums (along with Between the Buried and Me & Rivers of Nihil albums) to test whether or not my enjoyment has truly changed since these 6 months away from them. After moving away from a few great bands for whatever reasons, it is good to revisit them once in a while for memory-goodness' sake.
A beautiful progressive rock outing for fans of Leprous, Caligula's Horse & Dream Theater.
A mournful clean rock structure with trance-ish vocal patterns. This almost fits well with the penultimate-track ballad theme of the band's first two albums.
A wonderful ride through the fantastic progressive gold of Haken! I might not enjoy the band as much as I did a year ago, but my review serves as a good memento to keep, like my reviews for the new Between the Buried and Me & Rivers of Nihil albums. Cheers for the rec, Daniel! 5/5
All right, this is my chance to redeem the enjoyment I've once had for Haken a year ago. Review coming up!
Another metalcore song with the violent lyrics I prefer, the violence of WAR:
The violent lyrics in metalcore I prefer is similar to what Sonny prefers in extreme metal, according to one of his reviews. None of the brutal talk of extreme sexual abuse or dismemberment for torture purposes. No, you let out your violence in WAR:
Update on my Trivium album rankings:
j. Silence in the Snow, i. The Crusade, h. Ember to Inferno, g. Vengeance Falls, f. The Sin and the Sentence, e. Shogun, d. Ascendancy, c. What the Dead Men Say, b. In the Court of the Dragon, a. In Waves
Now this argument made it look like Jacques Cousteau was in a metalcore band, when obviously not true at all. I should've clarified this further. When my eardrums get pierced by indecipherable vocals, it sounds so unclear that my mind only focuses on one micro-aspect that might seem hard to believe. Quite strange, right? With lyrics reaching deep down into the extreme, making me remember some things I've stumbled upon that I wish I didn't, I wouldn't be surprised if the band's lyrics end up associated with European death metal, despite staying metalcore. That's another reason why this band has barely any appeal to me, in a similar level to death metal for me nowadays...
it seems like their "inspirations" are mainly rip-offs. There may be some lyrical copying from Whitehouse and De Sade, especially in the title track, all mangled in the French tongue.
Andi, I just had a read of your review & was very surprised to find that you're across the works of both UK power electronics artist Whitehouse & 18th Century French erotic writer Marquis de Sade (particularly the latter). I do think your statement about the lyrics being "all mangled in the French tongue" is a bit deceptive though as the vast majority are in English.
I've only heard/read a small bit of Whitehouse and de Sade, and I still remember from a long time ago. There were a few songs from Whitehouse I've heard from my young radio pop days, and I don't remember what the songs were, but definitely their less inappropriate singles. My brother and I like to play computer games, and one of his favorites is Assassin Creed. In one of the AC games, Unity, Marquis de Sade was portrayed as an NPC assisting the main protagonist in some missions. I looked up Marquis de Sade on the internet and found fragments of his works. Those works did not look so appropriate for me at the time (back then I was around 15), so I turned away from them, same with Whitehouse after finding more info and lyrics from that band.
When I made this review, once I heard those lyrics, my Whitehouse and De Sade memories came back, though I definitely can tolerate those memories more now. While those lyrics are in English, it seems like they're a little high in the accent of their native country at some points. If they wrote original, more suitable lyrics that aren't frequently accented, I would've given my review at least 3.5 stars and make it longer than this post, but unfortunately....NAH.
Here's my top 10:
10. Bruce Dickinson - Accident of Birth (1997)
9. Virgin Steele - Age of Consent (1988)
8. Accept - Metal Heart (1985)
7. Sanctuary - Refuge Denied (1987)
6. Fates Warning - Awaken the Guardian (1986)
5. Savatage - Hall of the Mountain King (1987)
4. Queensryche - The Warning (1984)
3. Crimson Glory - Transcendence (1988)
2. Running Wild - Death or Glory (1989)
1. Riot - Thundersteel (1988)
A gorgeous post-rock collaboration with Rage Against The Machine's Tom Morello from an album that should appeal to fans of Evanescence, Breaking Benjamin & Red.
I'm lucky enough to have people in the outside world who respect my metal interest as much as you all do in this site. Sure they might be a bit surprised when I first tell them, but they're OK with it whether they also listen to metal or not. The only person I know who doesn't really like metal is my mother. I mean she likes the classic metal ballads from when she was my age, but not the modern heavier metal that I like. Fortunately, she's never that demanding stereotypical woman named after Plankton's computer wife from Spongebob. Instead she respects and supports my metal interest as long as I don't take it too far. That's one reason why I don't take my metal interest too deep into the more extreme sides of doom metal, death metal, or black metal.
I haven't really seen people online target metal in general in one of their hate-rants, but if they have, then there probably has to be a logical reason, like they think it's nothing but noise and shouting, they think all of it is satanic and devil-worshiping, they think it might induce suicide (all because of a couple incidents that don't see a direct link), or they're one of those overprotective parents who try to prevent their children from seeing or hearing stuff that is even remotely offensive. With those parents targeting even children's comics like Big Nate (see this page: https://big-nate-comments.fandom.com/wiki/Community_Activity:Reading_Big_Nate_Reviews!), I bet they faint whenever they listen to something suggestive in a metal song or see an inappropriate cover artwork. Could one of those parents be Tipper Gore? Anyway, if someone told us something hateful about metal, are we gonna cry about it?
NO!! We can just ignore the hate and give no sh*t about it. True metalheads stay resilient!
Any of you who doubt Trivium would make an epic after the triumphant Shogun track, prepare to have your doubts blown away by this epic to end all thrash-metalcore epics:
Also I've been enjoying this metalcore/post-hardcore band This Day Forward, which I would recommend to fans of Skycamefalling, Hopesfall, and Underoath:
Apparently the video is a response to a thread challenge from some other site, "10 terrible albums that aren't St. Anger". I tried to Google it, but it has proven to be hard to find. If I were to list my own "10 terrible albums", half of them would be metal and the other half aren't. As some of you might recall, I've already written a list of 10 terrible SONGS as the first post of the "Greatest Sh*ts" thread, at the top of the page in this link (with new additions): https://metal.academy/forum/23/thread/149
It is possible, Daniel, and indeed it depends on what I feel like. I've discarded my radio pop past when I've found something that I think is lightyears better, that of course being metal, when my metal interest first started. Still it's good to look back at the earlier past every once in a while, and I'm glad to have the bravery and leeway to do so...
It has been so long since I've last listened to this song, and it's still a kick-A tune. Alt-groove metal that has not only pleased me and my brother, but can also please fans of Lamb of God, Bad Wolves, and Pantera:
Thanks, Sonny. It is tough to move away from something you enjoy after or during a bad event, but eventually there's a chance to return. I have not yet completely moved out of all metal (except for my couple-week break at the end of last year), and I'm glad to still be in the metal zone, though changes in taste can be adjusted at any time. You'll be quite amazed about how many taste changes I've gone through that involves going in and out of genres. First I was into alt-rock/metal when following my brother's footsteps, then I developed my own taste in power/progressive/melodeath/gothic metal, and later traded the power metal part of my taste for metalcore. However, thanks to the motivation and encouragement from you all, I returned to heavy/power metal and recently alt-metal. So there might be a chance to return to death metal and doom/gothic metal in the future...
So.... 1916 and 1968, huh? The current pandemic started in 2020. If we keep going at this once-every-52-years rate, would the next one be in 2072?? Probably, but hopefully not.
Today is the anniversaries of not one, not two, but 3 albums from the Pit that cross over with each band's main clan:
You know how much I like that Trivium album (though not as much as most of their other albums because in that album, they focused less on metalcore while still having it)! The 5FDP album is one of my brother's favorite albums from the band, and I listened to a few songs from that album when following his alt-metal footsteps. I'm feeling up to giving that album another listen and a review (this one's for you, bro!).
I'm sorry to hear you've been doing it tough Andi. We're all here for you if you ever want to talk. COVID has been a major challenge for every one of us (some in very different ways to others) & I can assure you that you're not alone in feeling depressed about the whole situation.
Out of interest, where does your new relationship with artists like Arcturus & Samael that began their careers as black metal bands fit into this arrangement? I also find it interesting that you've elected to keep your options open in regard to sludge metal when it's the most aggressive & violent of the subgenres The Fallen contains. I would have thought it'd be the first to go to be honest.
Despite what I've said about the virus still being around and strong, and me being in the depression stage, I'm actually getting slightly better than I was a month or two ago. The COVID cases are getting lower to the point where we are less restricted and isolated when it comes to going to places, though some restrictions still apply, and with me and my family vaccinated, it's much less of an issue now. I think if it all goes well by the end of the month and my gothic/doom departure, I should be heading into the acceptance stage and live with what reality has to offer. Thanks for your concern, Daniel!
With the slow darkness of gothic/doom to soon be out of my way, this would be a good chance to start building up the upbeat and extreme side of my relationship further, and that Samael album that was the Sphere feature release for last month was a good start. I'm still avoiding bands that are full-on satanic black metal (including subgenres) for my own moral reasons, but if a band is straight-up black metal for the first few albums or releases, and the rest is a genre that I still enjoy, that's OK for me. That's why I still like bands such as Arcturus, Samael, and Enslaved.
The aggressive violence of sludge metal is what sets this genre apart from the other Fallen genres, as that's what it focuses on instead of depressive darkness for the most part. Plus I can't say no to its hardcore roots because my Revolution passion is still strong, nor the post-variant because it's closer to post-metal. I don't mind bringing back some aggression into my life, since I've already left the anger stage earlier this year. And maybe one day I might have the courage to explore a bit of death metal again also, albeit in similar conditions as my black metal rule...
With my recently announced-to-be-starting doom departure (https://metal.academy/forum/7/thread/971), you won't see me do anymore of the sh*t we talked about in this thread, and I'm sure you all might be supportive of my decision, but I know what some of you will also say (though I wouldn't say this myself because it's not in my religion):
As a matter of fact, Daniel, I'm gonna make my official announcement about my gothic/doom metal departure and the reasons for it tomorrow morning. I've enjoyed My Dying Bride and other gothic/doom bands during my Fallen years, but enjoyment isn't forever. We all have our taste changes with good reasons. Soon would be, like that Hopesfall song, the end of an era. Stay tuned for my announcement tomorrow...
Spacey Norwegian avant-prog metal for fans of Leprous, Limbonic Art, and Samael:
Here are my ratings for this month's feature releases for all my clans, and a quick summary:
The Gateway: Linkin Park - The Hunting Party (2014) - 3.5/5
The Guardians: Fates Warning - Night on Bröcken (1984) - 4/5
The Infinite: Ne Obliviscaris - Portal of I (2012) - 5/5
The Revolution: Kickback - Les 150 passions meurtrières (2001) - 2.5/5
Another good month for feature releases, again probably because of the releases submitted by us Metal Academy members (including myself), though in more mixed reactions from me. My feature release submissions for The Gateway and The Guardians are good enough for others to try but could've been slightly better. The feature release for The Infinite deserves a perfect 5 stars and is a great modern classic that I would recommend to any fan of progressive metal. The Revolution release is not really great for me and I'll never feel up to listening to more of that band anytime soon. Thanks for these amazing feature releases, guys! Looking forward to more of this cool activity, along with feature release submissions for next month coming in via private message...
Here are my overall ratings for the playlists I've reviewed this month (October):
1. Gateway playlist - 4.5/5 (number of songs commended: 5)
2. Guardians playlist - 4.5/5 (number of songs commented: 6)
3. Infinite playlist - 4.5/5 (number of songs commented: 9)
4. Revolution playlist - 4.5/5 (number of songs commented: 11)
Another rewarding playlist month for me, this time my playlist ratings for all the clans I've commented on are each an average total of 4.5 stars! It is also the first month that I've never commented on a single part of the Fallen playlist because of my move out of The Fallen, with my move out of gothic/doom metal in general to be announced tomorrow. And yes, I enjoyed the Samael track I've submitted to The Sphere playlist, but my Sphere knowledge still isn't too great, so I'll take a break from making one-track submissions to The Sphere again. Anyway, good month!
Ben, please add the new Trivium album In the Court of the Dragon.
Happy 15th anniversary to a couple more albums essential for true fans of doom metal! I'm sure gonna miss when I used to enjoy that My Dying Bride album...
Wonderful Australian progressive metal for fans of Opeth, Xanthochroid & Persefone.
A perfect blend of loudness and emotion!
The two "Tower" songs really showed Rivers of Nihil's new direction in a weird tone that is a contributing factor to why the album came a star short from a perfect 5 stars:
Rivers of Nihil is back (and so is a bit of my interest in this band) with their new prog-death album The Work, including this 11 and a half minute epic in which listening to it speaks louder than speaking about it:
Also, Enslaved released a new EP the other day, titled Caravans to the Outer Worlds. Enslaved's new release continues their extreme progressive metal direction but apparently in a more appealing light for those outside the underground. One of my friends from the outside world claimed to have "also listened to 75 % of that EP!!!!"
OK, fine, just in case some of you are curious about the radio pop sh*t that I was listening to in the late 2000s before I was 11, I'll show you a playlist I made of some songs from those times. Just remember that I'm still a metalhead, and the pop past shall stay in the past. Also if you're wondering, the explicit songs were censored on radios where I listened to them. Playlist is right here: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/19qhvuCnyKMasNoGAZqFJj
Here are my suggestions for November's Revolution playlist (I'll make sure any multi-clan suggestions fit well with the playlist I'm submitting to):
All That Remains - "This Calling" (3:39) from The Fall of Ideals (2006)
August Burns Red - "Coordinates" (5:11) from Phantom Anthem (2017)
Betraying the Martyrs - "Tapestry of Me" (4:36) from Breathe in Life (2011)
Bullet for My Valentine - "Scream Aim Fire" (4:26) from Scream Aim Fire (2008)
Converge - "Thaw" (4:30) from Jane Doe (2001)
The Dillinger Escape Plan - "Sandbox Magician" (2:31) from Under the Running Board (1998)
Unearth - "Watch It Burn" (4:06) from Darkness in the Light (2011)
Total length: 28:59