Shadowdoom9 (Andi)'s Forum Threads

And now for one of the more popular bands in the British metalcore scene:

Architects - https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3FtIkUc39AkCf6T5QLonHk

1. You Don't Walk Away From Dismemberment

2. In the Desert

3. Buried at Sea

4. Heartless

5. One of These Days

6. Stay Young Forever

7. Alpha Omega

8. Even If You Win, You're Still a Rat

9. Naysayer

10. Dead Man Talking

11. Castles in the Air

12. The Empty Hourglass

13. Memento Mori

14. Death is Not Defeat

15. Doomsday

16. Black Lungs

17. Impermanence

18. Born Again Pessimist

19. Judgement Day

20. Seeing Red

And now for one of the more popular bands in the British metalcore scene:

Architects

1. Lost Forever // Lost Together

2. All Our Gods Have Abandoned Us

3. Daybreaker

4. Holy Hell

5. Nightmares

6. The Sky, the Earth & All Between

7. Ruin

8. For Those That Wish to Exist

9. Hollow Crown

10. The Classic Symptoms of a Broken Spirit

11. The Here and Now

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

Architects has fully redeemed themselves after the poor Hollow Crown (still enjoyable by others) and the unloved Here and Now. The excellent Daybreaker and the incredible Lost Forever Lost Together are just what we need in the metalcore realms! And with All Our Gods Have Abandoned Us, the distant past remains the past. Most of the songs have a perfect blend of brutality and melody within the Meshuggah-infused technical djent-core that spreads through a lot of the album. You can expect anthemic choruses, complex riffing rhythms, and a dark galactic atmosphere. And it all ends with Architect's longest song and one of the most heartful tear-shedding tracks in all of metalcore, "Memento Mori". This astonishing epic, along with the rest of this album, was written, recorded, and released in the last months of the life of Tom Searle, and the lyrics include a couple recorded quotes from Alan Watts that perfectly do justice to the inevitable transcendence into infinite darkness that awaited him. Absolutely amazing, emotional, and deserving to be heard beyond the universe. RIP this amazing legend... As awesome as many metalcore bands are to me, Architects stands out with all of its heartful emotion in All Our Gods Have Abandoned Us. Clearly, they deserve to be on top with Meshuggah, Converge, and TDEP. And all their mistakes from the past are left in the forgotten void.

4.5/5

Recommended tracks: "Nihilist", "Deathwish", "Downfall", "The Empty Hourglass", "Gravity", "Memento Mori"

For fans of: August Burns Red, ERRA, Silent Planet

Ben, please add Sin Deliverance.

Here are my thoughts on all the selected tracks:

Fear of Domination - "Fear of Domination" from Call of Schizophrenia (2009)

5/5. It starts off clean but heavy in what can be the band's own theme song. You can hear some background cleans by keyboardist Niina Telen. Awesome start!

White Zombie - "Super Charger Heaven" from Astro-Creep: 2000 - Songs of Love, Destruction and Other Synthetic Delusions of the Electric Head (1995)

4.5/5. This one's a great thrash-rock highlight. The drums have wicked kicks! The only downside is Zombie's vocals not sounding as aggressive or deep as they should. Still it's one of the best songs here!

Skrew - "Burning in Water, Drowning in Flame" from Burning in Water, Drowning in Flame (1992)

4/5. Skrew's 1991 debut's title track unleashes as much industrial destruction as Ministry's The Mind is a Terrible Thing to Taste.

Pitchshifter - "Gravid Rage" from Industrial (1991)

4.5/5. This one is another highlight of industrial metal machinery with convincing growls by Mark Clayden. Oh yeah, Mark is the bassist of the band, but he also performed vocals in this album. His brother J.S. would take over on vocals from their Submit EP onwards, though he's done additional vocals in their debut.

A Dark Halo - "Vector Unknown" from Omnibus One (2023)

5/5. Now this is darker and heavier, featuring Anna Hel. The softer cleans and heavier screams alternating between each other sound so haunting. It's like a lurking menace in the space of tranquility, turning it intense and bleak. The cleans still shine, along with the creativity in the music. The band is never afraid to explore the unknown, and as a result, we have another wonderful standout!

Illidiance - "Defying Gravity" from The Iconoclast (2019)

4.5/5. Obviously it's not a Wicked cover (thank goodness!), though it's quite diverse with everything from progressive/djenty bands like Periphery and Chaos Divine, to modern/melodic bands like Mnemic and Of Mice & Men. Now that's wicked!

KONG - "P.R.O.K.O.V." from Mute Poet Vocalizer (1990)

4/5. This one has cool riffing by guitar duo Aldo Sprenger and Dirk de Vries. While some might consider the circus audio sample odd, it helps make that track one of my favorites in its original album.

Sonic Violence - "Symptom" from Jagd (1990)

4.5/5. This is shorter and less varied, but it doesn't need to have a lot to sound amazing, especially in the final climax.

Meathook Seed - "A Furred Grave" from Embedded (1993)

4/5. The best of Peres' vocal alternation occurs in this one.

Ministry - "Jesus Built My Hotrod" from Psalm 69 (1992)

4.5/5. I'm already familiar with this crazy highlight via the Lamb of God/Burn the Priest cover. The song has an interesting narrative and fun lyrics, sung by the Butthole Surfers' Gibby Haynes.

Psyclon Nine - "I Choose Violence" from And Then Oblivion (2025)

5/5. In real life, I wouldn't choose violence as the answer, but I would choose dark violent trap-ish industrial metal to listen to.

Rammstein - "Ich Tu Dir Weh" from Liebe Ist Fur Alle Da (2009)

4.5/5. And then the violence turns sexual. The BDSM-themed lyrics were too extreme for the German public market and its original album had to be reissued with the track omitted. Still I enjoy the anthemic-sounding chorus here.

Circle of Dust - "Dust to Dust" from Dust to Dust (2017)

5/5. A powerful masterpiece track that is apparently meant to be an early hint for an upcoming Circle of Dust release. I have an awesome feeling about that album...

Celldweller - "Blackstar" from Wish Upon a Blackstar (2012)

4.5/5. One of the best songs in this album by Klayton's other project, Celldweller!

Sybreed - "Doomsday Party" from The Pulse of Awakening (2009)

5/5. This highlight is quite fun. Not as fun as that DragonForce track from 15 years later, but here, Sybreed have their own way of channeling 80s pop with its catchy chorus while staying metal. This more lively sound was first hinted in Antares, and it sounds like the coldness of Slave Design has been left behind.

Subway to Sally - "Post Mortem" from Post Mortem (2024)

4.5/5. An amazing blend of Neue Deutsche Härte and medieval folk, and you definitely wanna stay from beginning to end.

Filter - "For the Beaten" from For the Beaten (2023)

4/5. For an uplifting song with soaring vocals, it sure has some of the heaviest fire in industrial metal riffing.

Stahlhammer - "Can't Touch This" from Wiener Blut (1997)

3.5/5. One of only two songs I like in that sh*tty Stahlhammer album, fitting in the "metalizing covers" category.

Tyrant of Death - "Fluorescent" from Singles & Extras (2018)

3/5. Not the best I've heard from this project, but I'm glad to have a djenty industrial metal instrumental here.

Mick Gordon - "Rip & Tear" from Doom (Original Game Soundtrack) (2016)

3.5/5. And another one of that style! Demons better look out, as the DoomSlayer plans to RIP AND TEAR.

Conflict - "Mechanism of Life" from Transform into a Human (2014)

4/5. Now this is a true winning highlight. It sounds nicely like a sequel to the title track of Mechina's "The Assembly of Tyrants", along with having a Xerath-esque blend of symphonics and groove elements. I also love the anthemic chorus.

Death SS - "Panic" from Panic (2000)

3.5/5. Steve Sylvester can make some dark haunting songs with his band Death SS, which is basically Ghost before Ghost. I love the chorus here! And the keyboards after that sound so eerie. This is basically gothic/heavy metal gone electro-industrial. You can get the darkness of Behemoth and Vader without ever going as deathly as those bands. Still I prefer to get my dark beauty elsewhere.

Fange - "Grand-Guignol" from Purulences (2025)

4/5. And by elsewhere, I mean in the form of sludgy industrial metal.

Khost - "Transfixed" from Many Things Afflict Us Few Things Console Us (2024)

4.5/5. And more of that but with more electronics and less sludge. But we'll get something more epic in the next track...

Mechina - "Anagenesis" from Progenitor (2016)

5/5. One h*ll of a cyber metal epic. The intro reminds me of Apocalyptica with its melancholic violins and cello, then the usual symphonic cyber metal goes on like a more orchestral blend of Alchemist and Northlane. Absolute futuristic glory!

Death Therapy, Brook Reeves - "Reject" from Reject (2020)

4.5/5. I stumbled upon this cover of a song I included in last month's Revolution playlist, by Death Therapy (a side-project by Becoming the Archetype's Jason Wisdom) featuring Brook Reeves (Impending Doom). Quite a sick unique combo! Now we need Fit for a King covering one of Living Sacrifice's later metalcore songs. I also hear some Argyle Park vibes in this Death Therapy cover. Maybe there should've been some soloing to make up for the hip-hop-ish beat. But never mind, I won't mess with it.

Lord of the Lost - "Ordinary World" from Weapons of Mass Seduction (2023)

4/5. And finally we end with a beautiful cover of a Duran Duran ballad. Although they've really done that song justice, even with Chris Harms' bass-baritone vocal range (similar to my own), I still prefer Mechina's cover, which sadly isn't on Spotify.

Pretty good playlist I've made, huh? I recommend this to any industrial metal fan and anyone who isn't into industrial metal but is up to getting into a great start for the genre. Thanks to anyone who have contributed with their own submissions, and I hope the rest of you enjoy it like I've had!

Here are my thoughts on all the selected tracks:

ERRA - "Cure" from CURE (2024)

5/5. A f***ing killer start to its original album and the playlist to listen to!

Architects - "Elegy" from The Sky, the Earth & All Between (2025)

5/5. It's then followed by another epic track to kick things off further!

Like Moths to Flames - "Real Talk" from Sweet Talker (2010)

4.5/5. Real talk, though: Screamed vocals are what keep many metalcore bands going, and I enjoy Chris Roetter's screams along with his cleans.

Undying - "Echoes" from The Whispered Lies of Angels (2000)

4/5. The guitar, vocals, and drums roll through in melodic passion is another great start.

God Forbid - "Nothing" from Determination (2001)

4.5/5. This one gives you a p*ssed flying kick in the face! Byron Davis' furious vocals alongside the pummeling music really shows you what a solid album its original album Determination is gonna be.

The Autumn Offering - "Embrace the Gutter" from Embrace the Gutter (2006)

5/5. Some of you might be familiar with this track from Tony Hawk's Downhill Jam. I enjoy the vocals by Dennis Miller and the guitar solo by producer Jason Suecof.

Shadows Fall - "Souls Devoured" from Souls Devoured (2025)

4.5/5. Shadows Fall, the guys behind The Art of Balance, continue their comeback! And their "male metalcore Rapunzel" lead vocalist Brain Fair still has his hair and strength like Samson.

Trivium - "Throes of Perdition" from Shogun (2008)

5/5. This longtime highlight has a nice heavy main riff that is once again as progressive as Dream Theater with a catchy chorus. This would work well as a radio single, if it wasn't too intense at some parts.

Bleeding Through - "Dead But So Alive" from Nine (2025)

4.5/5. This one erupts into thrashy chaos, evolving into blazing soloing and the vocals of Brandan Schieppati and keyboardist Marta Demmel together in the chorus that makes an epic standout imprinted in your mind.

Shadow of Intent - "Feeding the Meatgrinder" from Feeding the Meatgrinder (2025)

5/5. This single from Shadow of Intent's upcoming album Imperium Delirium is so f***ing brutal and doubling the brutality is the guest vocals by none other than Corpsegrinder from Cannibal Corpse.

Parkway Drive - "Sacred" from Sacred (2025)

4.5/5. A vicious new banger that shall never disappoint fans!

Carnifex - "Dead but Dreaming" from Until I Feel Nothing (2011)

5/5. Lots of aggressive anger in this track from the album that marks a transition from their earlier brutal deathcore to blackened deathcore.

Imminence - "Death Shall Have No Dominion" from The Return of the Black (2025)

4.5/5. Even Imminence is getting in on the epic blackened deathcore alongside their usual intense violin-infused metalcore. F*** YEAH!!!!

7 Angels 7 Plagues - "Silent Deaths, Crowded Lives" from Jhazmyne's Lullaby (2001)

5/5. 7 Angels 7 Plagues was another short-lived metalcore band from the early 2000s. It's highlights like this one that make me wish they were still active.

LEVELS - "BREED" from PULSE (2024)

4.5/5. Even with the chorus sounding like early Linkin Park, this is still an intense banger. Not only that, the music video can also be artistic.

Invent Animate - "Forest Haven" from Everchanger (2014)

5/5. Over 10 years and Invent Animate can still shape up the djent-core sound alongside ERRA. This band can make such riff-tastic songs. The more I listen to them, the more potential I find in them. While both the intro and chorus has that blend of While She Sleeps and Northlane, the brief midsection bridge is just BRUTAL.

Spiritbox - "No Loss, No Love" from Tsunami Sea (2025)

4.5/5. I love how heavy this track is, really throwing back to Courtney LaPlante's previous band Iwrestledabearonce.

I Prevail - "Violent Nature" from Violent Nature (2025)

4/5. New I Prevail single, and it's violently heavy and killer as f***, nothing but pure destruction.

Born of Osiris - "Through Shadows" from Through Shadows (2025)

4.5/5. Another journey awaits Born of Osiris. Impressive vocals here, both the screams and cleans!

Out of Vision - "Dissolve" from Deceiving Lights (2024)

4/5. The intro grabs you and drags you through the rest of this song that shows the band's talent. Once again, I enjoy the melodic singing and brutal growls. It's part of their album Deceiving Lights released last year. It might remind some of Our Mirage. As d*mn great as this is, the generic chorus is the only thing setting it back.

Daughters - "Nurse, Would You Please Prep the Patient for Sexual Doctor?" from Canada Songs (2003)

4.5/5. This song I'm already prepped for, thanks to my 4 years of listening to mathcore (that started with The Dillinger Escape Plan).

Converge - "This is Mine" from The Poacher Diaries (1999)

4/5. The lyrics are quite sick here, as is the rest of the song.

The Tony Danza Tapdance Extravaganza - "The Lost & Damned" from Danza III: The Series of Unfortunate Events (2010)

4.5/5. Same with this cool unique song. Enough said about that!

The Chariot - "Forgive Me Nashville" from The Fiancee (2007)

4.5/5. Most people in my generation would've discovered bands like this in their high-school, but I've only just heard of this band for a couple years now. This is one of my favorite tracks by The Chariot. I especially love the midsection breakdown that gets broken down further into sludgy levels.

Rolo Tomassi - "Party Wounds" from Cosmology (2010)

4/5. Another great hard-hitter, from this female-fronted British mathcore band.

Car Bomb - "M6" from Centralia (2007)

3.5/5. I think there's good chaos as the tempo ranges all over the place, from slow sludge to sonic blasting.

The Ghost Inside - "Shiner" from Fury and the Fallen Ones (2008)

3/5. This one breaks through the hardcore fire of Comeback Kid with a more metallic spin.

Allt - "The Orphan Breed" from From the New World (2024)

3.5/5. Heavy insanity in the music and vocals, especially the back-breaking breakdown at over the one-minute mark. D*mn, what a banger! But there are better ones around.

Aerial - "Foresight" from Foresight (2016)

4/5. Yet another great track from a band in the ERRA/Invent Animate-inspired league. The instrumentation and vocals are what more of this world needs to hear. Those guys are so talented as f***!

Graphic Nature - "The Downpour" from A Mind Waiting to Die (2023)

4.5/5. This one strikes with brutality and emotion, "I lost it because I trusted you". One of the best saved for one of the last that shall leave listeners wanting more!

Worm Shepherd - "Winter Sun" from Ritual Hymns (2022)

5/5. This epic can almost be a deathcore tribute to the band Wintersun with its blackened symphonic power metal-ish guitarwork. It might just be the strongest epic deathcore album ending track! But we still have one more track in this playlist...

The Amity Affliction - "Stairway to Hell" from Severed Ties (2008)

4.5/5. Although early The Amity Affliction has more of a post-hardcore sound than metalcore, the final track of their debut has similar vibes to Memphis May Fire and Imminence, the former in the intense first minute, and the latter in the epic two-minute outro. Perhaps my favorite song in the Troy Brady era!

Pretty good playlist I've made, huh? I recommend this to any metalcore fan and anyone who isn't into metalcore but is up to getting into a great start for the genre. Thanks to anyone who have contributed with their own submissions, and I hope the rest of you enjoy it like I've had!

Here are my thoughts on all the selected tracks:

Apocalyptica - "Worlds Collide" from Worlds Collide (2007)

5/5. A masterpiece track to begin this playlist! Cellos and metal collide and swirl amongst each other like fire and water. A band that started as a Metallica tribute band ended up becoming pioneers of cello metal. This song has also been used as a New Japan entrance theme.

Nightwish - "Wishmaster" from Wishmaster (2000)

4.5/5. Epic chorus, beastly guitars... This still reigns as one of my favorite Nightwish songs for over a decade. I can hear Dragonlance/Lord of the Rings lyrical influences.

Volbeat - "The Human Instrument" from Rock the Rebel / Metal the Devil (2007)

4/5. My brother likes a few songs by Volbeat, and this one I can like and accept.

Serpent Rider - "Radiant" from The Ichor of Chimaera (2025)

3.5/5. This attempt at a female-fronted revival of classic heavy/power metal is pretty good but not that suiting for me. Still a nice choice, Sonny!

Iron Maiden - "The Evil That Men Do" from Seventh Son of a Seventh Son (1988)

4/5. When Iron Maiden first entered the NWOBHM scene, it really changed it forever. The soloing and the lyrics can get you hooked, "Living on the razor's edge, balancing on a ledge, y'know, y'know..."

Black Sabbath - "Iron Man" from Paranoid (1970)

3.5/5. It's astonishing how old this song is now, like 55 years old. With that said, I can't really get as much appeal from that track as some of Black Sabbath's other hits.

Ozzy Osbourne - "Flying High Again" from Diary of a Madman (1981)

3/5. The early 1980s was a time when classic heavy metal was really branching out beyond Black Sabbath. However, it spawns a bit of the glam sh*t hinted in this track. Still the guitarwork by Randy Rhoads is something I enjoy. RIP

Megadeth - "Symphony of Destruction" from Countdown to Extinction (1992)

3.5/5. I haven't really listened to much of this band or Metallica to see where I stand in the debate between those two bands. Not even Slayer, apart from a couple albums! However, did Slayer ever explore classic heavy metal in the 90s? NOPE.

Metallica - "Moth Into Flame" from Hardwired...to Self-Destruct (2016)

4/5. Metallica battle against the sellout claims by blending their Black Album heavy metal sound with their earlier speed.

Queensryche - "Neue Regel" from Rage of Order (1986)

4.5/5. I'm 26 years old as of this comment. A few years ago, I enjoyed bands like Queensryche, but now, I want to focus on darker heavier modern metal genres. Nonetheless, the truth is, I still enjoy a few amazing songs from the band like this one. There also some slight hints of industrial all used in their mid-90s material. If I could have a time machine, I would travel back 40 years to enjoy music from the 80s while it was still fresh. Excellent vocals and lyrics!

Rainbow - "Gates of Babylon" from Long Live Rock N Roll (1978)

4/5. This one takes you on a journey through the Middle-East, both musically and lyrically, from the keyboard intro, to the mystical riffing, and the vocal power in the chorus. Although keyboardist Tony Carey was still around for a few other tracks in this album, David Stone stepped in with his own keyboard contributions in this track and a few others, here to provide an exotic atmosphere and get you hooked alongside Blackmore's riffs. I love this track!

Brainstorm - "Your Soul That Lingers in Me" from Plague of Rats (2025)

3.5/5. One of only two tracks I like from this Brainstorm album, Leaves' Eyes clean vocalist Elina Siirala's impressive vocals blow away most of the album's tough issues.

HammerFall - "The Dragon Lies Bleeding" from Glory to the Brave (1997)

4/5. Another great heavy/power metal track that I still enjoy to this day!

Battle Beast - "Out of Control" from Battle Beast (2013)

4.5/5. I also love this Battle Beast track and Sabaton's cover.

DragonForce - "Tomorrow's Kings" from Maximum Overload (2014)

5/5. Another one of my favorite track from my true power metal heroes, with awesome catchiness.

Mob Rules - "Future Loom" from Future Loom (2025)

4.5/5. An amazing song with power and glory in the music and complex lyrics!

Unleash the Archers - "Crypt" from Time Stands Still (2015)

5/5. It's so cool hearing power metal blended with metalcore-ish melodeath. All hail Unleash the Archers!

Masterplan - "Heroes" from Masterplan (2003)

5/5. The first time I heard Jorn Lande and Michael Kiske together was in one of Avantasia's tracks. This clearly shows the heroic side of power metal, and a heroic side that I love! Definitely has some Stratovarius vibes here. I should really check out more of this band and kick-A songs like this one.

Blind Guardian - "Ashes to Ashes" from Somewhere Far Beyond (Revisited) (2024)

4.5/5. Such an underrated song by Blind Guardian, still being one of my favorites from this band. While Helloween may take the throne as the creators of European power metal, Blind Guardian should get that fame as well. Although I enjoy this new version, I still prefer the original one, y'know, so I can feel the nostalgia of first encounter that track nearly a decade ago.

Mechina - "Bellum Interruptum" from Bellum Interruptum (2025)

5/5. My favorite track of the brand-new Mechina album, one of the best Mechina tracks I've heard in ages, a 10-minute epic that includes a spine-chillingly beautiful two-minute bridge in the middle.

Time Requiem - "Attar of Roses" from The Inner Circle of Reality (2004)

4.5/5. Excellent virtuoso in this one! There is also some progressiveness from Symphony X and Dream Theater. I also enjoy the vocals by Apollo Papathanasio (Firewind) and the keyboard magic of Richard Andersson.

Warmen - "Return of Salieri" from Accept the Fact (2005)

5/5. Mozart would've been proud of this powerful composition. So would Alexi Laiho. RIP

Orden Ogan - "The Long Darkness" from The Order of Fear (2024)

4.5/5. A nice headbanging closing epic in practically all its glory!

Pretty good playlist I've made, huh? I recommend this to any heavy/power/symphonic/neoclassical metal fan and anyone who isn't into those genres but is up to getting into a great start for the genre. Thanks to anyone who have contributed with their own submissions, and I hope the rest of you enjoy it like I've had!

Dawn of Solace has always been gothic metal with a melodeath edge that's most prominent in their debut The Darkness, but their 3rd album Flames of Perdition is a lot more doomy than their other albums. The slow tempos, downtuned guitars, and clean/harsh vocal balance gives this release more in common stylistically with My Dying Bride and Swallow the Sun. So I'd like to submit Dawn of Solace's "Flames of Perdition" to be added to doom metal while staying in gothic metal. And if that entry passes, I'd like to encourage Fallen members to vote in the death-doom subgenre.

Here's my review summary:

One of the albums that marked a defining landmark in industrial metal is Godflesh's Streetcleaner. The torch would be shared with other different bands of this genre and era. Jagd is a bleak heavy continuation of Godflesh's sound in Streetcleaner, albeit by a much lesser-known band. Guitars are the key, and so are the d*mn destructive drums! They're often slow and sludgy with not much speed. All just repetitive yet mighty rhythms. The guitars are pretty much rhythmic all the way through. There aren't any harmonics that are as slashing as the cover art (see what I mean!?). Those riff chords have an apocalyptic vibe and perfectly fit well with the bass and drums. As a result, the tone is filled with menacing power. Honestly, I love old-school industrial metal when it has that mechanical rage going on, unlike the more dance-y sh*t from some bands. You can't give the machine any impact to make it stop. The impact that happens is what the machine gives you. You don't have time to relax in any peaceful moment before the bleak industrial riffing crashes in and crushes anything its path in mechanical greatness. You can also hear some lovely synths later on. The harsh vocals fit greatly with the lyrics. Jagd might just be my favorite industrial metal album from 1990 or earlier that isn't Godflesh. A true recommendation!

4.5/5

Recommended tracks: "Saturation", "Tortured (Dub)", "Ritual", "Symptom", "Glory"

For fans of: Fear Factory's slower but heavier tracks, Godflesh, early 90s Pitchshifter

Here's my review summary, which I've copied from an earlier post:

Roadrunner Records is one of the most famous and diverse metal/hard rock record labels of all time. Famous and infamous bands signed to the label like Slipknot, Trivium, Fear Factory, and Machine Head have made the label as big as it is. And the then-core members of each of those 4 bands were chosen for ambitious project conceived by ex-vice president of the label Monte Conner. He wanted to do a special thing for Roadrunner's 25th anniversary. He wanted 4 members of different bands band together to make an album dedicated to the label. But then he decided to upgrade his idea into something more ambitious... The 4 chosen ones, ex-Slipknot drummer Joey Jordison (RIP), Trivium frontman Matt Heafy, Fear Factory guitarist Dino Cazares, and Machine Head frontman Robb Flynn were tasked in each recording 4 songs (though one captain would have a bonus 5th) and choose any member of a Roadrunner-signed band past or present to record with them. The end result is a massive 18-song 77-minute album featuring 57 artists from 45 bands! Here's to another impressive project like this in the future, hopefully in Roadrunner's 50th year, 2030.

4/5

Recommended tracks: "The Dagger", "The Enemy", "In the Fire", "The End", "Tired 'n Lonely", "Baptized in the Redemption", "Blood and Flames", "I Don't Wanna Be (A Superhero)", "Army of the Sun"

For fans of: Fear Factory, Machine Head, Slipknot, Trivium, and pretty much every band whose members were involved here

Put this on today during a rain break in between jobs, thinking I would get it out of the way, but it turns out that it is actually very good and is interesting enough to deserve a proper hearing, so it seems like I will have to spend a bit more time with it. I am only halfway through as I type this, but it already has my attention. I hope to eventually get round to a full review, but nice choice Andi, I am enjoying it very much. I also didn't even realise it was christian metal until I had a quick peek at your review.

https://metal.academy/hall/577

https://metal.academy/hall/578

https://metal.academy/hall/579

https://metal.academy/hall/576

https://metal.academy/hall/575

Just calling this Shylmagoghnar album melodic black metal isn't enough to justify the deathly yet melodic stylings of melodeath. The tempos, riffs, bass, and vocal variation are in heavy deathly structures in a similar vein to Dark Tranquillity and In Vein. So I'd like to submit Shylmagoghnar's "Emergence" to the Hall to be added to The Horde and melodic death metal, while staying in The Horde and melodic death metal. And I'd like to encourage North members to vote in the atmospheric black metal subgenre.

The second album by these Russian industrial metallers showcases an industrial/groove metal style that can practically revive the mid-90s Fear Factory sound. Sure there are some deathly riffing and beats, but the heaviness is mostly about the djent-ish groove. So I'd like to submit Conflиct's "Transform Into a Human" to the Hall to be removed from The Horde while maintaining its position in The Pit and The Horde.

As much as Sonic Violence maintained their earlier heavy bleakness in Transfixion, I would not consider this metal. The music is greatly reliant on bass and synths with a complete absence of guitars. I mean, there are some bands that can still be metal without guitars like PainKiller and Bell Witch, but it's all about how the rest of the instrumentation is utilized. So I'd like to submit Sonic Violence's "Transfixion" to the Hall to be removed from The Sphere and labelled non-metal.

Some of you already know my "Perfect Metal Album Storm" (start with the second-best track, put the third-best track right in the middle, and end with the ultimate best track), but some of my favorite albums have the first track (or first full song) as the best one, and it already makes me think of what an awesome album it might be.

I've listened to a lot of perfect releases with the best highlight for each one being the opening song. It was hard choosing which ones would make my top 10, but here they are (the intro is not included for each release) (kind of a cheat that most of these are title tracks, but never mind):

1. Trivium - In Waves - "In Waves" (2011)

2. All That Remains - The Fall of Ideals - "This Calling" (2006)

3. Make Them Suffer - Neverbloom - "Neverbloom" (2012)

4. Godflesh - Streetcleaner - "Like Rats" (1989)

5. Voivod - Killing Technology - "Killing Technology" (1987)

6. Code Orange - Forever - "Forever" (2017)

7. Earth Crisis - Firestorm - "Firestorm" (1993)

8. Lorna Shore - Immortal - "Immortal" (2020)

9. Killswitch Engage - Killswitch Engage - "Temple from the Within" (2000)

10. Trail of Tears - Winds of Disdain - "Winds of Disdain" (2024)

So what are your top 10 albums with the best opening tracks (or opening full songs)? Discuss!

Thanks, Daniel.

I've passed these two nominations uncontested Andi.

I've passed these two nominations uncontested Andi.

I've passed this nomination uncontested Andi.

I've passed this nomination uncontested Andi.

Although The Unspoken King was Cryptopsy's one-off misstep into deathcore, I can still hear the earlier brutal tech-death in the majority of the album. The riffing, complexity, and some of the vocals sound closer to technical death metal. So I'd like to submit Cryptopsy's "The Unspoken King" to the Hall to be added to The Horde and technical death metal, while staying in The Revolution and deathcore.

Perhaps I just ignored it, but I never heard anyone mention this before finding this out today. Though I must admit I don't pay attention to djent or metalcore. Even so, I am mildly surprised that I was gone for a few days and suddenly there's a new genre.

That said, wasn't RYM supposed to have genres that aren't just made up random crap which might as well be what a band calls themselves? I remember that used to be a sticking point, but it seems whenever someone here brings up the site their sticking points disappear more and more. Like, I'm not saying things have to have Wikipedia pages, but it seems like this doesn't have much beyond the words of bands, who we don't trust to give themselves genres.

Inspired by one of my current favorite YouTube channels Thralls of Metal, I decided to also get in the "band's greatest hits" trend of compiling tracks from different albums by a band as your own "greatest hits" kind of album. If you have any of your own "greatest hits" albums for your favorite bands, feel free to post them here.

Here are my rules for how I would do my own "greatest hits" albums, but you may have your own rules:

1. Two songs per each studio album; one popular track and one underrated track.

2. One song per other album (remix album, EP, etc.).

3. If a track is at least 10 minutes long or close to that, it counts as two songs.

4. Might add in one extra song for one of the albums.

5. If the length of the tracklisting exceeds 80 minutes (the CD length limit), it's split into two discs, maybe 3 discs if even longer.

6. Songs are in chronological order.

Let's start with these two underrated bands:

Mechina

Disc 1 - https://open.spotify.com/playlist/46x2HxpNaUfLUQrisTSXCn

1. Shattered Cry

2. The Assembly of Tyrants

3. Reclamation of Mortal Nature (2007)

4. Pray to the Winds

5. The Iron Law

6. Elephtheria

7. Empyrean

8. Xenon

9. Tartarus

10. The Hyperion Threnody

11. The Horizon Effect

12. Anagenesis

Disc 2 - https://open.spotify.com/playlist/6cJyYF0YNeV9fdSNJKuU05

1. Godspeed, Vanguards

2. Unearthing the Daedalian Ancient

3. Gene Heresy

4. Freedom Foregone

5. Venator

6. When Virtue Meets Steel

7. The Grand Hunt

8. Broken Matter Manipulation

9. Bellum Interruptum

10. The Collapsed Promised to All

Neurotech

Disc 1 - https://open.spotify.com/playlist/1fe4e87QJUw8Ej9JxkUUEu

1. Transhuman

2. We are the Last

3. Blue Screen Planet (Part II Revelation)

4. The Cyber Waltz

5. The Race to Recovery

6. Decipher

7. Atlas

8. Ultra Us

9. Through Hardships

10. To Theta State

11. Uplfit

12. Alleviate

Disc 2 - https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3Ez1KEPtulPw0SbevFYHRI

1. The Halcyon Symphony

2. The Catalyst

3. At a Standstill

4. Ectogenesis

5. Koma

6. Light Betides

7. The Messianic Symphony

8. The Serpent Bites

9. The Years of the Flood

10. Echoes of the Fall

11. Memory Eternal

12. New Source Code

13. Escapism

Inspired by one of my current favorite YouTube channels Thralls of Metal, I decided to also get in the "band's greatest hits" trend of compiling tracks from different albums by a band as your own "greatest hits" kind of album. If you have any of your own "greatest hits" albums for your favorite bands, feel free to post them here.

Here are my rules for how I would do my own "greatest hits" albums, but you may have your own rules:

1. Two songs per each studio album; one popular track and one underrated track.

2. One song per other album (remix album, EP, etc.).

3. If a track is at least 10 minutes long or close to that, it counts as two songs.

4. Might add in one extra song for one of the albums.

5. If the length of the tracklisting exceeds 80 minutes (the CD length limit), it's split into two discs, maybe 3 discs if even longer.

6. Songs are in chronological order.

Let's start with the Swedish pioneers of djent:

Meshuggah - https://open.spotify.com/playlist/1FUW5yd9jRCkLXCi7JyQZx

Disc 1

1. Paralyzing Ignorance

2. Cadaverous Mastication

3. Humiliative

4. Future Breed Machine

5. Inside What's Within Behind

6. New Millennium Cyanide Christ

7. The Mouth Licking What You've Bled

8. Rational Gaze

9. Straws Pulled at Random

10. I

Disc 2

1. Entrapment

2. Shed

3. Bleed

4. Pravus

5. I Am Colossus

6. The Hurt That Finds You First

7. Clockworks

8. Into Decay

9. The Abysmal Eye

10. Armies of the Preposterous

Inspired by one of my current favorite YouTube channels Thralls of Metal, I decided to also get in the "band's greatest hits" trend of compiling tracks from different albums by a band as your own "greatest hits" kind of album. If you have any of your own "greatest hits" albums for your favorite bands, feel free to post them here.

Here are my rules for how I would do my own "greatest hits" albums, but you may have your own rules:

1. Two songs per each studio album; one popular track and one underrated track.

2. One song per other album (remix album, EP, etc.).

3. If a track is at least 10 minutes long or close to that, it counts as two songs.

4. Might add in one extra song for one of the albums.

5. If the length of the tracklisting exceeds 80 minutes (the CD length limit), it's split into two discs, maybe 3 discs if even longer.

6. Songs are in chronological order.

Let's start with two of my never forgotten power metal heroes whom I'll never let go of:

DragonForce - https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3j2j83nXjsAlGq1N9X9FcF

Disc 1 (ZP Theart era)

1. Valley of the Damned

2. Revelations

3. Fury of the Storm

4. Above the Winter Moonlight

5. Through the Fire and Flames

6. The Flame of Youth

7. Heroes of Our Time

8. Inside the Winter Storm

Disc 2 (Marc Hudson era)

1. Cry Thunder

2. Heart of the Storm

3. The Game

4. City of Gold

5. Chemical Interference

6. Ashes of the Dawn

7. War!

8. Highway to Oblivion

9. In a Skyforged Dream

10. Astro Warrior Anthem

11. Pixel Prison

12. Power of the Saber Blade

Kamelot (Roy Khan era) - https://open.spotify.com/playlist/7cYVwrx7OMe78YLj9BjYSL

1. Providence

2. Parting Visions

3. The Fourth Legacy

4. Lunar Sanctum

5. Forever

6. Karma

7. Center of the Universe

8. III Ways to Epica

9. March of Mephisto

10. The Black Halo

11. Memento Mori

12. Ghost Opera

13. Love You to Death

14. Hunter's Season

15. Once Upon a Time

Inspired by one of my current favorite YouTube channels Thralls of Metal, I decided to also get in the "band's greatest hits" trend of compiling tracks from different albums by a band as your own "greatest hits" kind of album. If you have any of your own "greatest hits" albums for your favorite bands, feel free to post them here.

Here are my rules for how I would do my own "greatest hits" albums, but you may have your own rules:

1. Two songs per each studio album; one popular track and one underrated track.

2. One song per other album (remix album, EP, etc.).

3. If a track is at least 10 minutes long or close to that, it counts as two songs.

4. Might add in one extra song for one of the albums.

5. If the length of the tracklisting exceeds 80 minutes (the CD length limit), it's split into two discs, maybe 3 discs if even longer.

6. Songs are in chronological order.

Let's start with the world's most famous alt-rock/metal band:

Linkin Park - https://open.spotify.com/playlist/1V8OiCrZBWvDtfUystkoxj

1. And One

2. In the End

3. Pushing Me Away

4. Krwlng

5. Don't Stay

6. From the Inside

7. Points of Authority/99 Problems/One Step Closer

8. What I've Done

9. No More Sorrow

10. When They Come for Me

11. Waiting for the End

12. Lost in the Echo

13. Skin to Bone

14. A Light That Never Comes

15. Guilty All the Same

16. War

17. One More Light

18. Friendly Fire

19. Two Faced

20. Good Things Go

Just calling this Becoming the Archetype album deathcore isn't enough to justify its brutal sound. The riffing, vocals, and some of the occasional breakdowns all sound closer to standard death metal, with not as much melodeath as their surrounding albums. So I'd like to submit Becoming the Archetype's "I Am" to the Hall to be added to The Horde and death metal, while staying in The Revolution and deathcore.

OK, I know I nominated this epic masterpiece as the May 2025 Revolution feature release, but as I listen to it more, I can hear it coming out as more of a progressive melodeath/metalcore kind of style. The riffing, vocals, and some of the occasional breakdowns all sound closer to standard/melodic death metal, and the structures are quite complex and progressive in many of the tracks, short and long. With that I'd like to send Becoming the Archetype's "Terminate Damnation" to the Hall with two entries for the album to be added to...

1. The Horde as melodic death metal.

2. The Infinite as progressive metal.

All while maintaining its position in The Revolution.

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

In 2014, Xerath released their third album (and last before their 7-year split) titled, you guessed it, III. This immersive masterpiece has revolutionized modern progressive metal, just like their first two albums have, but with more intriguing ideas in their inventory. This is true blazing epic extreme metal right here! Xerath III has production magic from well-known Mercenary/Volbeat producer Jacob Hansen. His golden touch has helped with the perfection of this blend of orchestral drama and metal structures, creating something so unique and apocalyptic. Many tracks have the fascinating talent of vocalist Richard Thomson, with his black metal-ish shrieks and operatic cleans making this track come out like an epic progressive take on both Children of Bodom and Soilwork. The incredible shredding by guitarist Conor McGouran has such diverse technicality. The ability to combine film score-style orchestra with metal pays off, adding beautiful harmony to this apocalyptic chaos. I'm glad to find an exceptional masterpiece from this band, one that I can consider the best album of 2014!

5/5

Recommended tracks: "I Hold Dominion", "I Hunt for the Weak", "Death Defiant", "Sentinels", "Demigod Doctrine", "The Chaos Reign", "Veil" (both parts)

For fans of: Devin Townsend Project, Mechina, Textures

Here are my thoughts on all the selected tracks:

A Dark Halo - "Burn It All" from Catalyst (2006)

5/5. One of my favorite tracks here is this one having lots of groove and energy from the intro onwards.

Illidiance - "I Want to Believe" from Damage Theory (2010)

4.5/5. Then we slow down for this ballad-ish track that's clearly an X-Files reference in that title.

Lard - "Can God Fill Teeth?" from The Last Temptation of Reid (1990)

4/5. The lyrics are pretty much entirely spoken word. After some conspiracy theory accusations, the guitar and drums speed up as fast as thrash, while painful yet humorous sounds of dental torture come in. Apparently, wires leading to the brain of the patient record all that's happening the appointment. So odd and mesmerizing, yet as creative as the first two tracks!

Rammstein - "Benzin" from Rosenrot (2005)

3.5/5. If I were to recommend Neue Deutsche Harte to someone, it would be those who like industrial/alt-metal with German lyrics. The "hey" sample also seems to be the same one used in The Prodigy's "Firestarter". I suppose a song like this should've ended up in one of the Carmageddon video games alongside those Fear Factory tracks.

Old - "Vein Water" from Lo Flux Tube (1991)

4/5. Although this is experimental/industrial metal, the vocals are bit like blackened deathgrind. Nonetheless, it never gets f***ing old.

Drown - "Pieces of a Man" from Hold on to the Hollow (1994)

4.5/5. The more industrial fans might know this Drown album from the fact that it was produced by Dave Ogilvie from Skinny Puppy. Drown and Fear Factory are two bands that have this bada** genre of industrial metal big in the 90s. Still I like the genre more when it has metallic rage. Prong also dived into a bit of industrial metal back then. Fear Factory would get more of the mainstream glory though. Totally kick-A!

Sybreed - "Neurodrive" from Antares (2007)

5/5. This highlight rolls through excellent guitar rhythms and some of the best vocals by Benjamin. That might have leave a huge influential mark on Neurotech, and is one of my favorite tracks here.

Fear Factory - "Scumgrief" from Soul of a New Machine (1992)

4.5/5. This one marks the return to the full form of the industrial death metal balance between clean hooks and deathly heaviness.

Misery Loves Co. - "It's All Yours" from Not Like Them (1997)

4/5. Misery Loves Co. can be considered a metallized blend of The Cure and Depeche Mode. Quite cool as h*ll, especially since this was on MTV to brush aside the pop sh*t.

Argyle Park - "Violent" from Misguided (1994)

4.5/5. People may have discovered music like this in their teens, but I only starting getting into Klayton's music a few years before this comment. The lyrics may not be highly suitable for Christians despite being in the Christian market, but I still like them, "I've taken what you've told me, I'm ready to apply. Liars can't be trusted, but who doesn't lie?" Those lyrics can are also referenced in Celldweller's "One Good Reason". While Argyle Park is long-gone now, at least we still have Celldweller and Circle of Dust.

Ministry - "Aryan Embarrassment" from HOPIUMFORTHEMASSES (2024)

4/5. Oooh, another Al Jourgensen/Jello Biafra track! Not as bizarre as that Lard track, but still quite interesting.

Noidz - "2012" 2.0.1.3. (2013)

3.5/5. Anyone still listening to this in 2025?

Fange - "Sang-Vinaigre" from Privation (2023)

3/5. Decent sludgy industrial metal, but a little too drone-ish.

CueStack - "Alive" from Alive (2021)

3.5/5. Industrial rock/metal might just take over the planet! The riffing is good, but I prefer to get my industrial metal from Fear Factory and a bit of Ministry.

Deadly Apples, Filter, Danny Lohner - "Volatile" from Volatile (2025)

4/5. Some more top-notch industrial rock/metal, this track featuring members of Filter and Nine Inch Nails.

Watts - "Kundalini" from Pigmartyr (2004)

4.5/5. And another similarly-styled track, this one by Raymond Watts of PIG.

Celldweller - "Electric Eye" from Satellites (2022)

5/5. OK, why does the intro beat sound like the Powerpuff Girls theme? Still this is a perfect track with many different moments to highlight, such as the verse in the two and a half minute mark, then the bridge over a minute later, and another minute later the outro.

Dodheimsgard - "Sonar Bliss" from 666 International (1999)

4.5/5. Some amazing industrial black metal here, and I especially love the riffing at over the 4 and a half minute mark. But it's nothing compared to the last minute of the track, an out of this world outro! This is for anyone who's into experimental/industrial black metal like Aborym, Diabolos Rising, and Ved Buens Ende, not just the symphonic black metal of Dimmu Borgir and early Satyricon. I once thought of 666 International as the missing link between Covenant and The Kovenant eras. The only other DHG album to be part of The Sphere is Supervillain Outcast.

Neurotech - "The Lost Hope" from In Remission (2016)

5/5. This trance-y centerpiece sounds like Evasive but more epic and in the same metallic vibe as "Uplift". The bass and synths drive through and never lose any momentum.

Mick Gordon - "Shatterhail" from Killer Instinct: Season One Soundtrack (2014)

4.5/5. Mick Gordon is pretty much a master of metalstep. Eat your heart out, The Path of Totality!

Mechina - "On the Wings of Vecterra" from Bellum Interruptum (2025)

5/5. This incredible standout can practically surpass the previous few tracks, and the female vocals here are mostly from "Treasur'" Necole Wright who previously guest appeared in Venator's "Totemic", plus some wild shredding soloing by Dean Paul Arnold.

Die Krupps - "F.U." from Vision 2020 Vision (2019)

4.5/5. Sounds like an attack on a certain US President. I'm not really a political person, so I have nowhere to stand here.

Proton Burst - "N.W.G." from Silence (1998)

4/5. The song title stands for "Negative Wave Generator", for those who don't know.

Underoath - "Vultures" from The Place After This One (2025)

3.5/5. This one is a killer track that can really punch its way to Hell and back. The ethereal leads grab my attention as much as the heavy chorus, "How’s it feel now that you circle with the Vultures?!" The chorus isn't the only massive hooker here. We also have the dark heavy bridge featuring Troy Sanders of Mastodon and his gritty singing. Truly a "take no sh*t" kind of track.

Circle of Dust - "Daraq" from Metamorphosis (1993)

4/5. Finally, we have one more track to complete the Klayton triptych. It's so strange and unique, and has some industrial from Skinny Puppy. Daraq is the name of a few different provinces in Iran.

Pretty good playlist I've made, huh? I recommend this to any industrial metal fan and anyone who isn't into industrial metal but is up to getting into a great start for the genre. Thanks to anyone who have contributed with their own submissions, and I hope the rest of you enjoy it like I've had!

Here are my thoughts on all the selected tracks:

Ice Nine Kills - "The American Nightmare" from The Silver Scream (2018)

4.5/5. Based on A Nightmare on Elm Street, this track opens the playlist with advice about sleep in a radio broadcast. The insistent drum beat with smooth vocals by Spencer Charnas is followed the loud fast guitar riff and screaming vocals. The high-speed beat, hooks, and vocals alternating between Charnas and Justin DeBlieck create an otherworldly vibe. Another strong solid start!

Morning Again - "Turning Over" from The Cleanest War (1996) (based on Hand of the Martyr compilation (2002))

5/5. Then this song rockets towards you with a metalcore blast, and not much else I can say about this awesome song can do tit justice.

Dawn of Orion - "As the Blood Red Moon Rises" from For the Lust of Prophecies Undone (1999)

4.5/5. This one greatly exemplifies that riffing, filled with true early melodic deathcore. This is the kind of darkness not even In Flames and Soilwork have dived into, having starting to go their own mainstream route in the early 2000s.

Avenged Sevenfold - "Chapter Four" from Waking the Fallen (2003)

4/5. The early 2000s was also when the modern metalcore scene was first starting to really build up. Nice guitarwork there!

Lamb of God - "Laid to Rest" from Ashes of the Wake (2004)

4.5/5. Again I know Lamb of God is more of a groove metal band, but some of their earlier tracks, including this hit that I still enjoy, still have some metalcore vibes. The bass and drums are all really nice. And everything is quite killer. Sick song!

Enter Shikari - "Juggernauts" from Common Dreads (2009)

4.5/5. "The idea of community will be something displayed at a museum." Hopefully this amazing song will be displayed too.

The Wise Man's Fear - "Carry On" from What Slept Beneath Tarvos (2024)

4/5. The guest vocals by Cody Jamison (ex-Until I Wake) add a killer touch to this track. The guitar riffing that starts the last minute is d*mn ethereal. If anyone thinks fantasy lyrics only belong in power metal, they thought wrong. This is absolutely insane! And I enjoy Tyler Eads' vocals and bass as well. It's like my skeleton is on fire while being put out from the inside. Such a phenomenal banger! Starset metalcore, anyone?

Defamed - "Silhouette" from Silhouette (2025)

4.5/5. The blend of fast and dramatic that has covered modern epic deathcore continues on in this banger.

Whitechapel - "Hymns in Dissonance" from Hymns in Dissonance (2025)

5/5. The new Whitechapel album's title track that really stands out amongst the rest. The chorus name-drops several of their earlier songs, and the breakdowns sound almost as djenty as Meshuggah while staying brutal. Their roots really are back!

The Last Ten Seconds of Life - "The Violent Sound" from The Violent Sound (2016)

4.5/5. I love the riffing in the midway verse. I can definitely hear this song in a horror movie soundtrack. They really blend deathcore with the alt-/nu metal of Alice in Chains, Korn, and Static-X in this album. The breakdown is catchy and heavy, but the cleans are a little odd.

In Hearts Wake - "Healer" from Earthwalker (2014)

5/5. D*mn, this is an incredible soul-toucher! This one also has some slight Static-X vibes here.

Silent Planet - "Anunnaki" from Superbloom (2023)

4.5/5. More of this diverse chaos from these guys, especially in the breakdown!

Bleed From Within - "A Hope in Hell" from Zenith (2025)

5/5. One of my favorite tracks from the new Bleed from Within album. This blend of classic and modern, along with Steven Jones' cleans, deserves more attention.

Memory of a Melody - "Ultraviolence" from Things That Make You Scream (2011)

4.5/5. One of the best songs to combine alt-metal and metalcore! Strangely not getting popular after 14 years since its original album's release.

Undying - "For Liberation" from This Day All Gods Die (1999)

4/5. This track is a mighty battle between the 90s metal/hardcore of Vision of Disorder and Burst and the European melodeath that would later reach bands like Neaera and Omnium Gatherum.

ERRA - "Crawl Backwards Out of Heaven" from CURE (2024)

4.5/5. OH!! Feel those vocals and riffing that will make you want more!

Killswitch Engage - "This Fire" from As Daylight Dies (2006)

5/5. Another popular track. It's short while still great, striking with melodic riffing. So heavy while still catchy. Love it!

Livealie - "Casting Shadows" from Living in the Static (2024)

4.5/5. Simple yet hard-hitting in the riffing. And the verse at the one and a half minute is so f***ing intense while so d*mn beautiful.

LEVELS - "REALIGN" from PULSE (2024)

4/5. It's clear that Bad Omens has paved the way for bands like Levels to make similar f***ing phenomenal bangers. How about some heavy sauce to go with that melodic modern metal meal? Bring it on!

Termina - "Spiraling" from Spiraling (2025)

3.5/5. This song and its music video should really go viral, although the quality is a bit spiraling.

Cane Hill - "Scumbag" from Too Far Gone (2018)

4/5. Nu metalcore at its wildest! I especially like that pleasantly brutal ending breakdown. The guitarwork is f***ing killer. This probably would've been perfect if the vocals weren't too much like Slipknot. The lyrics are basically a well-deserved "f*** you" to Nazis.

Candiria - "Remove Yourself" from What Doesn't Kill You... (2004)

4.5/5. The vehicular crash that occurred a couple years before this album was intense, but luckily the band members survived. This alt-metalcore track is just out of this world and really should've made history.

Parkway Drive - "Leviathan I" from Deep Blue (2010)

5/5. A supreme anthem!! Why is this song never in live shows?! The music is absolutely superb, storming through a winning chorus with better vocals and percussion than anything else in this album.

The Number Twelve Looks Like You - "Cradle in the Crater" from Mongrel (2007)

4.5/5. "Next time you fall asleep look down at us on Earth and realize it may be better to forever count sheep. You're the captain of your ship and star. For today you will shine and be impervious to pain, we have all admired your bravery." Sheer poetry, just like their band name! The lyrics and screamed vocals are all f***ing beautiful. And I'm glad they're still around after their 6-year split. And whether or not you like it, everyone has a different taste in music.

Daughters - "And Then the C.H.U.D.S Came" from Canada Songs (2003)

4/5. A kick-A short grind-ish mathcore track. And there's another song like that to come...

Car Bomb - "Cielo Drive" from Centralia (2007)

4/5. Structured very strongly while staying close to the madness.

Frontierer - "Heartless 101" from Unloved (2018)

4.5/5. While mathcore is already heading into the mainstream, songs like this are still enjoyable. The guitar rising from ambient to djenty is similar to some Meshuggah songs. Then it's the usual electronic noisecore until another melodic dramatic section midway through.

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

5/5. I wish this band was still around and brought back their original lineup. And holy sh*t, the guest vocals by All That Remains' Phil Labonte rules!

Living Sacrifice - "Reject" from Reborn (1997)

4.5/5. Modern metal doesn't have much of the rawness metalcore had in the 90s. The breakdown at over the one-minute mark is so mind-blowing and worth repeated listens.

Norma Jean - "Disconnecktie: The Faithful Vampire" from O God, the Aftermath (2005)

5/5. You don't get to hear many 10+ minute epics in metalcore, let alone one that's perfect. 20 years since its original album's release, and still can be considered a classic!

Trivium - "Leaving This World Behind" from In Waves (2011)

4.5/5. Then the previous song fades into this dark ambient outro that has the same melody as the post-solo bridge in "Dusk Dismantled". Heafy shouts a politician/preacher-like speech and repeatedly says "I’m leaving this world behind, making up for all our crimes" with his voice rising up to screaming, then the outro intensely builds up before coming to a sudden stop. That abrupt ending left me bothered and confused but doesn't affect the rest of its original album.

Pretty good playlist I've made, huh? I recommend this to any metalcore fan and anyone who isn't into metalcore but is up to getting into a great start for the genre. Thanks to anyone who have contributed with their own submissions, and I hope the rest of you enjoy it like I've had!

Here are my thoughts on all the selected tracks:

Blind Guardian - "The Ninth Wave" from Beyond the Red Mirror (2015)

4.5/5. Blind Guardian was one of my favorite bands when I was still listening to symphonic/power metal. And this is one of their amazing powerful songs that I still enjoy.

Iron Maiden - "2 Minutes to Midnight" from Powerslave (1984)

4/5. I wasn't alive yet in the 80s, but if I was, I would probably enjoy bands like Iron Maiden a lot more. The riffing has a similar vibe to Venom. And speak of the devil...

Venom - "Black Metal" from Black Metal (1982)

4.5/5. It's kinda odd how the band that pioneered the phrase "black metal" isn't the genre you might know today. Venom and Hellhammer are closer to speed metal and would pave the way for Bathory to invent the actual black metal genre and for Slayer to add in dark antichristian lyrics. Quite some underrated talent, I would say! Again I would appreciate this more if I lived 30 years longer than my 26-year age. This was before Finland became known as metal's motherland. Deep Purple can never top that heaviness.

Metallica - "Enter Sandman" from Metallica (1991)

4/5. Whether or not you enjoy metal, and whether you're young or old, this is a classic work of art than anyone can enjoy or at least hear of.

Avenged Sevenfold - "Shepherd of Fire" from Hail to the King (2013)

4.5/5. And how about this track that sounds like a modern copy of "Enter Sandman"? I like this one slightly better, probably because my brother likes it as well, hearing this song from Call of Duty Origins. I can probably be able to sing this song with my karaoke vocals.

Volbeat - "Still Counting" from Guitar Gangsters & Cadillac Blood (2008)

4/5. One of the best tracks from this Southern-fried Danish heavy metal band!

Ozzy Osbourne - "Mr. Crowley" from Blizzard of Ozz (1980)

4.5/5. Another bada** classic! While the synth/organ intro is quite notable, you gotta admire the talented guitarwork of Randy Rhoads. RIP

Black Sabbath - "N.I.B." from Black Sabbath (1970)

4/5. This one continues the lyrical narrative idea they first had in the title opener, this one being more of a fictional devilish love story. Now listen, just because the band mentions the Devil, Satan, or Hell, etc., doesn't mean they worship any of that. They're against that, portraying them like they are bad things. Lucifer is depicted as the dark seductive antagonist he's meant to be. The riffing has that bluesy hard rock vibe of Cream, which is a little mundane, especially when Ozzy sings over it, but is made up for by the rest of the song being heavy metal/proto-stoner metal, especially in the slower sections. A brilliant hint at the genre they would establish!

Judas Priest - "Screaming for Vengeance" from Screaming for Vengeance (1982)

4.5/5. Practically one of the true definitions of classic 80s heavy metal! The lyrics are so maniacal and vengeful. People think this should be for or against Trump, but I don't know which side to stand, since I'm not really political.

Quiet Riot - "Metal Health" from Metal Health (1983)

4/5. I guess you can say I'm in good Metal Health! Haha

Queensryche - "Nocturnal Light" from Digital Noise Alliance (2023)

3.5/5. Pretty good track, but their early material from the 80s are where they stand in quality.

Saxon - "Hell, Fire, and Damnation" from Hell, Fire, and Damnation (2024)

4/5. Saxon is still going divine in their nearly 50 years of existence. Wonderful lyrics here!

Battle Beast - "Russian Roulette" from Circus of Doom (2022)

4.5/5. If there's ever a video game that combines anime with James Bond-like secret agent stuff, this heavy/power metal track would fit right in the soundtrack.

DragonForce - "Heroes of Our Time" from Ultra Beatdown (2008)

5/5. This magnificent single keeps up the verse-chorus structure I find boring in most other bands, but for soloing, there are so many random changes and lead harmonies that you can't tell what's next. Brilliant! The end of the song is f***ing impossible not to sing along.

Warkings - "Armageddon" from Armageddon (2025)

4.5/5. For honor and power, we ride into armageddon!

Alestorm - "Shipwrecked" from Back Through Time (2011)

4/5. Avast, ye matey! Alestorm is still going strong with their pirate metal.

Warmen - "Invisible Power" from Accept the Fact (2005)

3.5/5. Nice vocals by Timo Kotipelto of Stratovarius. Cool soloing too! But the rest of the instrumentation could've been better.

Cacophony - "Concerto" from Speed Metal Symphony (1987)

4/5. A sweet balance of neoclassical melodies and heavy riffing. Some of the most beautiful soloing to cover most of the last minute song is performed by Jason Becker, and despite his crippling ALS, he still has his ability to compose music. It's especially good to hear with headphones on.

Andre Matos - "Endeavour" from Time to Be Free (2007)

4.5/5. RIP Andre Matos. His vocals shine in magical songs like this one. I've already been familiar with his vocals since first listening to Angra 10 years ago. His legacy shall be remembered! This is honestly one of the most beautiful songs I've heard from him since the time I've had with the music of Angra. It's so great hearing such epic elegance especially in the second half that can fit well for a final voyage into the unknown. But there's still one track left in this playlist...

Neurotech - "The Ophidian Symphony" from Symphonies (2016)

5/5. The longest Neurotech symphony of all, at nearly 19 minutes, with many different acts woven together for one of the best epics done by Neurotech or any other artist.

Pretty good playlist I've made, huh? I recommend this to any heavy/power/symphonic/neoclassical metal fan and anyone who isn't into those genres but is up to getting into a great start for the genre. Thanks to anyone who have contributed with their own submissions, and I hope the rest of you enjoy it like I've had!

Here's my review summary:

Catalyst was released in 2006, 17 years before their next album. Their brand of industrial/cyber metal is basically what Fear Factory had at the time but made better and more futuristic. Still the music here is quite unique and can get listeners hooked with the synths and guitars. The first two tracks, also the two of the best, would appear in WWE Day of Reckoning 2. And there are other highlights where heavy guitars and beautiful synths duel each other for some catchy futuristic metal that should really catch on along with everything else here. It's not everyday you can find a practically unknown album that can make your day with its music and lyrics of coldness and loss. Catalyst is a special album to listen to. A dash of melancholy for your industrial/cyber metal heart!

5/5

Recommended tracks: "Burn It All", "Beyond Recall", "Silence", "Unbreakable"

For fans of: Fear Factory, Illidiance, Mechina

I haven't been able to conjure up a proper review, but here are my thoughts.

This is an album of bouncy, melodic, mainstream-baiting metal tunes from Japan and as such really isn't intended for a doom-obsessed lover of the darkness that envelops extreme metal such as myself. No surprising then that this didn't do a great deal for me and with which I found it quite hard to connect. Sounds to my jaded ears like a smoothie blended from part Evanescence, part Linkin Park and part Trivium with some electronic touches thrown in especially to irritate me. The singer sounds like he would actually have quite a nice voice given the right material, reminding me of Coheed and Cambria's Eduardo Sanchez, but his metalcore shouting isn't something I can appreciate - as perfectly illustrated by the track "Speak" which just had me thinking "shut up".

I find it quite hard to envision this gaining any popularity among older metal fans like myself who were brought up on a diet of seventies hard rock and eighties heavy metal. But I can easily hear that the younger metalheads who grew up more accustomed to a wider range of external influences such as rap, electronica and post-hardcore being incorporated into their metal may get off on this, particularly if they are drawn to a more melodic version of metal. That said, I have no idea if any true metalhead would ever get much out of the excretious ballad "1st January" which sounds like Robbie Williams at his soppiest. In fact, scrub that because Williams' "Angels" pisses all over this track.

Sorry to anyone who really digs on this, but this is the most positive summary of my feelings towards this that I could manage to summon and I am guessing that more than a single listen would have me getting increasingly abrasive in my assessment. Sometimes you just have to hold your hands up and say, "no, not for me" and this is one of those cases I'm afraid. I tried, I really did... [closes Spotify halfway through "Answer/Sickness"].

1/5

A playlist I've made based on the above list: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2xLSlZirGiyc1Diexck5p1

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

It's not often a live album gets a perfect score, at least one from me. But the two-CD offering is so awesome, I don't need to get the Blu-ray version. It's basically two of the best Killswitch Engage albums and an encore in a high-quality livestream concert. The technical production here impresses me more than most other live albums. Apparently, there's something going on in the intermission, but I won't spoil the fun of just the CD edition by checking it out. Just listening to the songs make this a pure live experience in the comfort of my own home. With this awesome two-album setlist, it might just blow away their weakest but still amazing releases like The End of Heartache and KSE V. It once again proves that while Howard Jones is still one of the greatest vocalists around, Jesse Leach has the throne with his name engraved in stone!

5/5

Recommended tracks: "The Signal Fire", "The Crownless King", "As Sure as the Sun Will Rise", "Take Control", "I Can’t Be the Only One", "Temple from the Within", "Irreversal", "Rusted Embrace", "In the Unblind", "Just Barely Breathing"

For fans of: Light the Torch, Shadows Fall, Trivium

This isn't exactly likely to sit very high on my list of metal favourites, but I would be lying if I said I hated it. On paper this really isn't up my street at all, but there was something I found infectious and likeable in the exuberance with which these Finns delivered their catchy, industrialised alternative metal ditties. In truth, the appeal would probably fade very quickly and even on a single listen the album was a bit too long for my preference. I could definitely do without the nu-metally rap parts and would gladly wave goodbye to those, but for an album of energetic poppy metal anthems this was reasonably tolerable. Damning with faint praise maybe, but considering where my metal tastes lie, that's not bad I would suggest.

2.5/5

Here are my thoughts on all the selected tracks:

Klank - "Time" from Still Suffering (1995)

4.5/5. A solid start to treat you with what to expect in the playlist and its original album.

Illidiance - "Deformity" from Deformity (2013)

5/5. Another awesome start, exemplifying the band's true sound.

Circle of Dust - "Onenemy (Fury Weekend Remix)" from Circle of Dust (Remixed) (2022)

5/5. Industrial metal song remixes sound incredible when trance synths are added to the mix. Now we need Dance with the Dead or Die Krupps remixing Argyle Park. And we also need more Circle of Dust, though I still enjoy Klayton's main project Celldweller.

Celldweller - "I Believe You" from Celldweller (2003)

4.5/5. Case in point... A few of these amazing songs in Celldweller's debut appear in Dead Rising 2. There is some slight metalcore in here while staying industrial metal.

Cypecore - "Spirals" from Version 4.5: The Dark Chapter (2023)

5/5. This highlight has great harmonies that fit well with the screamed vocals. I also love the cleans and the bridge in the second half.

The Amenta - "Slave" from n0n (2008)

5/5. Another perfect standout, having some killer guest vocals by Nergal of Behemoth.

Death SS - "Heck of a Day" from The 7th Seal (2006)

4.5/5. Heck of a day, a f***ing h*ll of a doomy heavy/industrial metal track.

Nailbomb - "Guerrillas" from Point Blank (1994)

4/5. Another one of my favorites in this Nailbomb album.

OOMPH! - "Feiert das Kreuz" from Sperm (1994)

3.5/5. Another good track from an otherwise poor start to NDH.

Malhavoc - "Empirical Minds" from The Release (1990)

4/5. A wicked early track of thrashy industrial metal, originating from their 1988 EP Shrine.

Fear Factory - "Descent" from Obsolete (1998)

4.5/5. This excellent highlight is the closest we have to a poppy song in this album.

Halo - "Perpetual Rust" from Guattari (From the West Flows Grey Ash and Pestilence) (2001)

4/5. "Crushing, subversive anti-music. Maximum density heaviness fuses with caustic noise textures, creating cascading walls of sound." No better description than that!

Skrew - "Sputnik" from Angel Seed XXIII (1997)

3.5/5. This slow sludgy track is great for a motorcycle ride in the night.

Godflesh - "Live to Lose" from Us and Them (1999)

4/5. This one is probably the best track of the album if you wish to explore more of Godflesh's heavy riffing. It is a bonus track recorded during the Songs of Love and Hate sessions that ended up in this album.

Rammstein - "Laichzeit" from Herzeleid (1995)

4.5/5. Rammstein wouldn't have been suitable for me 10 years ago when I was young and still listening to a lot of power/symphonic metal. This song has a little more German than you wish you learned. But I'm still intrigued by this. And there would be more disturbing sex-filled tracks later where that came from...

Turmion Katilot - "Kuoleman Juuret" from Global Warning (2020)

5/5. This highlight keeps the vocal strength going further with more brutal energy than that Rammstein track.

Sybreed - "I Am Ultraviolence" from The Pulse of Awakening (2009)

4.5/5. After that, I'm reminded how excellent this playlist and the original Sybreed album is with this aggressive violent explosion of heaviness to make up for two earlier slightly out-of-place tracks. The extreme strength of Strapping Young Lad being added here makes a lot more sense.

We Are PIGS, The Anix - "Brazen" from Brazen (2021)

4/5. So beautiful and lively! This is real heartful music to brush aside any audible extra effects. A potential divine hit!

Uniform - "Alone in the Dark" from The Long Walk (2018)

4.5/5. Uniform has made some sick as f*** music including their collaborations with The Body. Sh*t, I can hear both a sped up Electric Wizard and Converge here!

Pitchshifter - "Stop Talking So Loud" from PSI (2002)

4/5. I feel like this is a reminder for what people sometimes say when I speak, "Stop talking so loud, I can't hear what you saying!" Of course I don't actually talk that loud. This song is pleasantly loud and intense though. I also enjoy that f***ing heavy bridge.

Device - "Haze (feat. M. Shadows)" from Device (2013)

3.5/5. This one featuring Avenged Sevenfold vocalist M. Shadows is another solid collab. These guest appearances really help boost the quality of the song's original album in most cases.

Black Comedy - "Lord of Locust" from Instigator (2008)

4/5. Nice track! Such a shame this band isn't so active and popular.

Combichrist - "Planet Doom" from CMBCRST (2024)

4.5/5. Exciting electro-industrial metal that's not totally out of line. You can dance to the electronic rhythm and headbanging to the guitar riffing. So wicked and amazing!

Neurotech - "Decipher" from The Decipher Volumes (2013)

5/5. The ultimate highlight of this entire playlist is this 7-minute instrumental epic. It's surprising because it's just the soft ethereal new age of Enigma and Vangelis. This atmospheric mini-journey is in a similar vein to the softer half of Blue Screen Planet. Beautiful and suitable for the near-end of a Sphere playlist.

Megaherz - "Augenblick" from 5 (2004)

4.5/5. Finally, we end with one of the best tracks of NDH, also a soft ballad. But don't worry, more of the earlier metallic action will continue in the next playlist...

Pretty good playlist I've made, huh? I recommend this to any industrial metal fan and anyone who isn't into industrial metal but is up to getting into a great start for the genre. Thanks to anyone who have contributed with their own submissions, and I hope the rest of you enjoy it like I've had!

Here are my thoughts on all the selected tracks:

Dal Av - "Petrichor" from Petrichor (2022)

4.5/5. Here's a brutal intro to start it all. Check out this ultra-heavy breakdown!

Like Moths to Flames - "The Worst in Me" from When We Don't Exist (2011)

5/5. And the heaviness keeps going! I can understand who later bands like Bad Omens and Beartooth have gotten their respective sounds from.

Shadow of Intent - "The Prelude to Bereavement" from Primordial (2016)

5/5. The rising dramatic strings that begin this glorious highlight might make you think it's an actual prelude, but that all changes when the heavy instrumentation comes in. It's basically a more epic brutal hardcore take on the Finnish melodeath of Insomnium and Omnium Gatherum!

Killswitch Engage - "Forever Aligned" from This Consequence (2025)

4.5/5. Jesse Leach still has his vocal strength just like in those kick-A first two albums. The music is amazing including the harsh vocal verses. This catchy banger shall age well. I also hear a bit of a modern Soilwork vibe. And this is a few months after All That Remains and As I Lay Dying also made their respective comebacks. I enjoy the chorus despite a slight issue with Adam D.'s cleans, probably would've been better with Howard Jones there instead of Adam. The outro is so beautiful too!

August Burns Red - "Your Little Suburbia in Ruins" from Thrill Seeker: 20th Anniversary Edition (2025)

5/5. The opening has a catchy riff and fast drums, leading into an earth-shattering breakdown. That's a fast song with interesting riffs that are never cliche.

All That Remains - "The Piper" from Antifragile (2025)

5/5. This one is a more technical highlight, displaying his talents that help take the band to the next level. There's a lot more complexity than before while balancing it out with the usual hooks. Wonderful!

HEAVENSGATE - "RATKING" from RATKING (2024)

4.5/5. Heavensgate (the metalcore band, not the 80s/90s power metal one) was formed by David Wilder and Josh Ang when they were pushed out of Dealer. I have a feeling this may be an attack on Dealer vocalist Eliaz's abuse allegations, "separate art from artist with a head cut off".

Carnifex - "How the Knife Gets Twisted" from Necromanteum (2023)

5/5. One of my favorite bangers from the new Carnifex album. The epic chorus seals the deal of the band joining the symphonic blackened deathcore league, practically different from their sound in earlier more brutal albums like Until I Feel Nothing.

Demon Hunter - "Worlds Apart" from Worlds Apart (2024)

5/5. I believe it was Killing Floor 2 that got my brother and eventually me into listening to this band, with a couple of his favorite songs from the band in that game's soundtrack. And today, they're still creating awesome bangers like this one.

Amaranthe - "Supersonic" from Maximalism (2016)

4.5/5. The most impressive track of its original album with supersonic up-tempo synth-metal instrumentation blended with choir vocals that tribute to Queen much better than "That Song".

BOI WHAT - "Boulevard of Broken Dreams" from Boulevard of Broken Dreams (2025)

4/5. Seems like BOI WHAT is doing covers now. I just hope he will do Motionless in White's "Cyberhex" (Plankton and Karen). This Green Day cover was made after Bring Me the Horizon's cover of "Wonderwall". I especially like how part of the second verse is turned into a brutal breakdown. We didn't ask for that cover, but I'm glad we got it.

In Hearts Wake - "Traveller (The Fool)" from Divination (2012)

3.5/5. Another solid track with good vocals, especially the cleans.

Plague Thy Child - "Autumn" from Plague Thy Child (2001)

3/5. This one combines that brutal sound with dark melodies, sounding quite beautiful, but everything else about the song and its original album is too bland or unclear.

A Day to Remember - "I'm Made of Wax, Larry, What Are You Made Of?" from Homesick (2009)

3.5/5. Homesick still has some heavy metalcore bangers despite emphasizing their pop punk side more. The classic lineup from this album and For Those Who Have Heart is a solid one, despite guitarist Tom Denney leaving the band shortly after, and Joshua Woodard having recently left the band after You're Welcome due to abuse allegations and causing someone's death in a car crash. The guest vocals by Mike Hranica (The Devil Wears Prada) are quite wild.

Architects - "Curse" from The Sky, the Earth & All Between (2025)

4/5. Apparently, this banger from the new Architects album is in the soundtrack of WWE 2025. So f***ing underrated, with choruses that sound like the choruses they're meant to be. Plus a bit of Bring Me the Horizon vibes here and there.

Lauren Babic - "Sanctuary" from Too Much and Never Enough (2025)

3.5/5. From beautiful to vicious, Lauren's vocals can practically rival Emily Armstrong.

Annisokay - "STFU" from Aurora (2021)

4/5. I hear a bit of Asking Alexandria of In Hearts Wake here. F***ing brutal lyrics in this one!

Lamb of God - "Ruin" from As the Palaces Burn (2003)

4.5/5. Didn't expect a Lamb of God track here, did you? I just realized that a few of their earlier classic tracks still have some metalcore/hardcore potential. I love the awesome intro and pummeling breakdown.

Imminence - "Continuum (feat. Niklas Karlsson)" from Continuum (2024) 

5/5. The perfection of Imminence's new singles continues with this highlight, sounding both brutal and beautiful. Like f***ing beyond beautiful! And more brutal thanks to Niklas Karlsson of Orbit Culture.

Shokran - "Imhotep: The Falcon of Gold" from Duat (2024)

4.5/5. Another crushing track to take the throne. Enough said!

Void of Vision - "Purge" from Broken // Bones (2016)

4.5/5. F***ing sh*t, this is brutal! Too bad that band is gone now.

ERRA - "Render the Void" from Impulse (2011)

5/5. Erra and Silent Planet are a couple of the most underrated bands in progressive metalcore. This is one of the f***ing best songs by this band, especially that two-minute outro of glory.

Every Time I Die - "Punch-Drunk Punk Rock Romance" from Last Night in Town (2001)

4.5/5. Ooh yeah, Howard Jones before he joined Killswitch Engage! He appears near the two-minute mark.

God Forbid - "Gone Forever" from Gone Forever (2004)

5/5. Another awesome song with great soloing!

If Not for Me - "Tragedy" from Everything You Wanted (2024)

4.5/5. Yet another heavy beautiful banger to love. What else can I say?

Converge - "Color Me Blood Red" from Petitioning the Empty Sky (1996)

5/5. The last studio song of this Converge release is one of my favorites here and delights me with tight metal melody over an incredible breakdown. Then it goes on with killer metalcore until the end.

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

4.5/5. From Autumn to Ashes are one of the timeless pioneers are blending metalcore with emocore, but they ended up splitting up after this album's release. However, they've been performing live for a decade after reforming. Let's hope for a new album soon...

Rolo Tomassi - "Fantasia" from Hysterics (2008)

5/5. An underrated progressive Nintendo-ish mathcore epic! The second half ends it all similarly to one of Cult of Luna's closing tracks.

Pretty good playlist I've made, huh? I recommend this to any metalcore fan and anyone who isn't into metalcore but is up to getting into a great start for the genre. Thanks to anyone who have contributed with their own submissions, and I hope the rest of you enjoy it like I've had!

Here are my thoughts on all the selected tracks:

Mechina - "Godspeed, Vanguards" from As Embers Turn to Dust (2017)

5/5. The namesake album for the band's saga and this playlist begins with this epic which really shows what the band is about, as sci-fi sounds lead into orchestration, djenty riffing, and blasts all over. The production is quite solid, though it can't top the perfection of the previous two albums. The composition is sealed together in great synergy.

Avenged Sevenfold - "Nightmare" from Nightmare (2010)

4.5/5. Avenged Sevenfold, Evanescence, and Linkin Park are some of the most popular rock/metal bands in the new millennium. It's the kind of popularity you wish the original Teen Titans series would have and continue but instead is given to its dreaded spinoff Teen Titans Go. The heavier metal side of those bands is that long-gone yet underrated side. Still this is a modern classic popular amongst my family and friends.

Lethal - "Fire in Your Skin" from Programmed (1990)

4/5. Then we have classics from 80s/early 90s metal bands that were massively popular back then before the grunge/nu metal era. And somehow the more underrated songs like this one end up getting overshadowed.

Judas Priest - "Invincible Shield" from Invincible Shield (2024)

4.5/5. And a few of the very early metal bands are still going on since the 70s, probably the earliest one still active being Judas Priest. It's impressive how these guys who are over 70 keep up the strength they had in that classic heavy metal era.

Ozzy Osbourne - "Over the Mountain" from Diary of a Madman (1981)

4/5. OK, technically Black Sabbath would qualify the earliest metal band still active today, but their ultimate final concert in July comes after the band and Ozzy Osbourne himself retired from touring 7 to 8 years ago. Even young listeners in their 20s such as myself can jam out to classics by the Prince of Darkness. RIP guitarist Randy Rhoads

Dio - "The Last in Line" from The Last in Line (1984)

3.5/5. Around the time of that Ozzy Osbourne album above, Ronnie James Dio was with Black Sabbath, then he left and formed his own band Dio, as we all know. It starts off sounding a little too much like a Scorpions ballad in the one-minute intro, then we end up getting stronger classic metal. What a legend Dio was, RIP... And holy sh*t, what a blazing solo at the 3-minute mark. This song might just be suitable for radio, or at least it was in the 80s. We're the last in line!

Metallica - "Lux Æterna" from 72 Seasons (2023)

4/5. Now let's head to the new decade again and crank up the speed! No matter how much they've changed, there's still talent within this transcendence between styles.

Iron Maiden - "Hallowed Be Thy Name" from The Number of the Beast (1982)

3.5/5. Not totally the best, but I can understand how people can consider this another immortal classic.

White Zombie - "Children of the Grave" from Nativity in Black: A Tribute to Black Sabbath (1994)

4/5. Black Sabbath vs. White Zombie! Who performed this song better?! You decide! Great take on the original, though I'm not sure that Manson murders sample was called for or related to the original song.

Omen - "Teeth of the Hydra" from The Curse (1986)

4.5/5. Again we have heavy/power metal classics from the 80s that are hard to find in the modern era. Apparently, this one is inspired by Jason and the Argonauts. It's worth repeat listens and hearing the vocal glory of J.D. Kimball, RIP. This band is basically like Crimson Glory at that time with more battle-ready hymns. Quite superb and spell-binding! The soloing and bridge are also worth headbanging to. Peace, love, and 80s metal classics!

DragonForce - "A Draco Tale" from A Draco Tale (2024)

5/5. DragonForce has made another video game-based song, telling the tale of Draco from Brawl Stars. I love the chorus in this one. Let's go, Draco!

Kamelot - "The Haunting (Somewhere in Time)" from The Black Halo (2005)

5/5. Then we have the most likeable single in Kamelot's breakthrough album The Black Halo, a nice melodic contrast with the heavier tracks. The character Marguerite is sung by Simone Simons from Epica, that band who named themselves after the previous Kamelot album.

Blind Guardian - "The Quest for Tanelorn" from Somewhere Far Beyond (Revisited) (2024)

4.5/5. For any fan of fantasy books by writers like Michael Moorcock, you're bound to find something familiar in tracks like this one that refers to the fictional city of Tanelorn. Here we have a classic revisited! The music and lyrics are all quite pleasant. The storytelling grandeur would all lead to what they had in Nightfall in Middle-Earth.

Alestorm - "Keelhauled" from Black Sails at Midnight (2009)

4/5. Pirate metal is a genre that might be too cheesy for some, but it can still be quite fun. Still I've matured past being able to handle the cheesiness.

Rhapsody of Fire - "Diamond Claws" from Challenge the Wind (2024)

4/5. The Nephilim's Empire Saga is still going on, and Rhapsody of Fire are going strong. The soloing surrounding the 3-minute mark rules!

Estate - "Matter of Time" from Mirrorland (2018)

4.5/5. Then we go slightly more progressive alongside some beautiful vocals. The arrangement is quite excellent, having that Avantasia vibe without any of the guest vocalists. Give us more!

Firewind - "Fallen Angel" from Stand United (2024)

5/5. Epic speedy power metal similar to DragonForce! This highlight also appears in the NHL 25 soundtrack.

Stratosphere - "The Battle Within" from Fire Flight (2010)

4.5/5. A little less speed while having the neoclassical progressiveness of Royal Hunt, along with the amazing voice of Goran Edman. Works well for something neoclassical.

Warmen - "Salieri Strikes Back" from Beyond Abilities (2001)

4/5. Load up the neoclassical harpsichord and shredding, though maybe not too much next time.

Epica - "Canvas of Life" from The Quantum Enigma (2014)

4.5/5. Some symphonic metal ballads are still suitable for me when it's all about beauty in the music and depth in the lyrics. This is still one of my favorite Epica tracks, and it fits well for anyone's safe haven.

Starkill - "Detonate" from Gravity (2019)

5/5. Now this is the kind of symphonic metal I still find awesome, blending heaviness and melody at ease. Great chorus is this absolutely underrated song!

Queensryche - "Roads to Madness" from The Warning (1984)

4.5/5. And lastly, another sick 9-minute epic that's like Queensryche's own "Heaven and Hell"/"Hallowed Be Thy Name".

Pretty good playlist I've made, huh? I recommend this to any heavy/power/symphonic/neoclassical metal fan and anyone who isn't into those genres but is up to getting into a great start for the genre. Thanks to anyone who have contributed with their own submissions, and I hope the rest of you enjoy it like I've had!

A Spotify playlist I've made based on my Neurotech favorite tracks list: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/1fe4e87QJUw8Ej9JxkUUEu

And now for one of the most diverse one-man projects in industrial/cyber metal, coming from Slovenia:

Neurotech (including EPs that aren't compiled in albums)

1. Stigma

2. Infra Versus Ultra

3. Exo Escapism

4. Ave Neptune

5. Symphonies

6. Memory Eternal

7. Solace

8. The Decipher Volumes

9. The Catalyst

10. Symphonies II

11. Unreleased Demos (2011 - 2016)

12. Blue Screen Planet

13. In Remission

14. Antagonist

15. Transhuman

16. Evasive

Here are my thoughts on all the selected tracks:

Accept - "Metal Heart" from Metal Heart (1985)

4.5/5. 40 years ago, this is what metalheads call a banger, and I agree with them. I love how they added in some classical themes from Tchaikovsky and Beethoven.

Capilla Ardiente - "The Hands of Fate Around My Neck" from Where Gods Live and Men Die (2024)

4/5. A doomy heavy metal epic. Enough said!

Throne of Iron - "Past the Doors of Death" from Adventure One (2020)

3.5/5. Same with this one, though here it has a more galloping pace.

Savatage - "Strange Reality" from Streets - A Rock Opera (1991)

4/5. Another melodic heavy metal highlight to sing along to.

Sabaton - "Unbreakable" from The Art of War (2008)

4.5/5. This progressive highlight is one of the best songs I've heard by Sabaton, and I still think that today. It's the band's own Black Sabbath "Heaven and Hell"!

Heavenly - "Sign of the Winner" from Sign of the Winner (2001)

5/5. Absolute power metal greatness with superb guitarwork by Frédéric Leclercq who would later become the bassist for DragonForce.

Blind Guardian - "Nightfall" from Nightfall in Middle-Earth (1998)

4.5/5. I still know this track as a power metal classic, better than that d*mn "Bard's Song". This is how I knew the character Morgoth before the German death metal band.

Saxon - "Crusader" from Crusader (1984)

4/5. Anyone into NWOBHM, join the Saxon crusade!

Medieval Steel - "Medieval Steel" from Medieval Steel (1984, reissued on The Dungeon Tapes (2005))

4.5/5. I hope this doesn't sound sinful, but this track sounds like Twisted Sister gone Riot/Omen. That said, it really rocks out as a metal hymn. It's practically the band's own theme song! Not all heroes wear capes; some wield swords or play metal. Classic heavy metal can be quite interesting.

Lethal - "Arrival" from Programmed (1990) 

4/5. Classic tracks like this still exist. Keep it real!

Taramis - "Doesn't Seem" from Queen of Thieves (1988)

4.5/5. Cool 80s progressive power metal right there!

Conception - "Silent Crying" from Parallel Minds (1993)

5/5. A fantastic out-of-this world ballad, and I don't usually say that about ballads. I haven't heard Conception until, but I'm glad there's the beauty of Roy Khan's singing before he joined Kamelot. Such a wonderful piece! From what I heard, Conception is kinda like a more progressive take on Khan's early years with Kamelot. They've recently returned with a new EP and album. The ballad reminds me of the ones by early Nevermore and Crimson Glory. There's nothing cheesy in this plate!

Rampage - "Benevolent Approach" from Acid Storm demo (1986, reissued on Veil of Mourn (1988))

4.5/5. After that slow ballad, we go fast again with this pretty amazing heavy/speed metal demo track.

Brocas Helm - "Fly High" from Black Death (1988)

4/5. Another great hymn with slight hints of Iron Maiden.

Attacker - "Battle at Helm Deep" from Downfall (1985)

3.5/5. 80s US power metal, closer to classic heavy metal, before Stratovarius and Hammerfall stormed in from Europe.

Destiny's End - "Breathe Deep the Dark" from Breathe Deep the Dark (1998)

4/5. In the 90s, Iced Earth and Destiny's End were still cranking up their classic heavy/US power metal sound. You might also know James Rivera as the vocalist of Helstar.

Concerto Moon - "The Gold Digger" from Back Beyond Time (2023)

3.5/5. Pretty good, but a little goofy for a band keeping up the Japanese power/neoclassical metal scene started by Galneryus.

Vitalij Kuprij - "Piano Overture" from Forward & Beyond (2004)

4/5. RIP Vitalij Kuprij. Enjoy this cool cover of Moonlight Sonata with Symphony X guitarist Michael Romeo.

Within Temptation - "Caged" from Mother Earth (2000)

4.5/5. Then we have the slow folk-ish highlight "Caged". Both the vocals by Sharon den Adel and the instrumentation are quite diverse. The peaceful calmness are at the right dose here, before it all ends up crashing down later in the original album.

Nightwish - "Ghost Love Score" from Once (2004)

4.5/5. The true epic of this playlist and its original album, and very much everything the album has already offered is blended together greatly. First we have a couple verses with more of the Eastern sitar, then it slows down to a ballad-like section, and after that, we have a lovely orchestral break that is well-executed. Immediately when the metal comes back on, you're hit by one of the most epic moments in symphonic metal, right before Tarja continues singing. And the rest is memorable too.

Mechina - "When Honor Meets Steel" from Venator (2022)

5/5. An aggressive way to head out than can pulverize those earlier melodic tracks, complete with blasts and more growls, most of them coming from guest vocalist Anna Hel. So brutally awesome!

Pretty good playlist I've made, huh? I recommend this to any heavy/power/symphonic/neoclassical metal fan and anyone who isn't into those genres but is up to getting into a great start for the genre. Thanks to anyone who have contributed with their own submissions, and I hope the rest of you enjoy it like I've had!

Here's my review summary:

What makes Stormlord stand out in the symphonic black metal pack is the lyrics centered around Italian mythology, and it fits well for when the music alternates between melodic and thrashy. At the Gates of Utopia is the band's second album and their first with the locally popular Scarlet Records after a decade in the underground. Many songs have an epic black metal structure of fast guitars and drums occasionally slowing down for a gloomy section. Even people like me who aren't into black metal that much can enjoy this power and glory. There's also some dramatic choir and male operatic singing. Still we have great speed in the guitars, bass, and drums, in conjunction with the epic atmosphere. As amazing as At the Gates of Utopia is, I still don't feel up to switching back to the on side of my on-off relationship with black metal. Nonetheless, this is the best I've heard from symphonic black metal in a long while, particularly in some highly memorable tracks including the title intermission. As for a couple tracks, they rule too but could've had less forced ideas. With all that said, power metal-ish symphonic black metal might just be worth it for any metal listener!

4.5/5

Recommended tracks: "Under the Samnites' Spears", "Xanadu (A Vision in a Dream)", "At the Gates of Utopia", "The Curse of Medusa", "The Secrets of the Earth"

For fans of: Arcturus' 1996 debut, Bal-Sagoth, Demoniac (the pre-DragonForce band formed in New Zealand)

Here's my review summary:

The musical journey of Trail of Tears was filled with sorrow (Helena Iren Michaelsen era), darkness (A New Dimension of Might), violence (Kjetil Nordhus era), and accessible glory (Cathrine Paulsen's second era). It really is a shame that the band fell apart after Bloodstained Endurance and Oscillation. The talented voice of Cathrine can't be found anywhere besides this band and Lucid Fear. During the split, Ronny Thorsen was in a different band, Viper Solfa. And now these extreme gothic metallers are reborn! Two singles were released, leading up to the EP Winds of Disdain. Their greatness is still in full force, but a new female vocalist has stepped in, Ailyn. Here we have crushing guitars, bombastic symphonics, bass/drum assaults, and cool synth effects to reminds us who they are. I look forward to if the band ever makes a new album with this kind of sound plus more of the occasional acoustic section and audible bass. An absolute must for any symphonic gothic metal fan. Oscillation wasn't their final stand after all!

5/5

Recommended tracks: all of them, especially "Winds of Disdain", "No Colours Left"

For fans of: Epica, Sirenia, Starkill

Here are my thoughts on all the selected tracks:

Fear Factory - "Edgecrusher" from Obsolete (1998)

4.5/5. I like how the first track of this playlist starts with a disclaimer saying "Due to the graphic nature of this program, listener discretion is advised." Interestingly, the playlist has only a couple "explicit" tracks in the middle. Anyway, the tough lyrics and hip-hop beat sound quite odd in the band's attempt to discard their death metal roots, yet it brings me great delight. Guilty pleasure, much!?

Turmion Kätilöt - "Pirun Nyrkki" from Pirun Nyrkki (2006)

5/5. This was actually the first track of the first very Sphere playlist back in August 2020, so it's the perfect throwback to that, a true highlight combining speed with industrial synths, almost like a blend of Strapping Young Lad and Deathstars.

Deathstars - "The Last Ammunition" from Termination Bliss (2006)

5/5. Speaking of Deathstars, holy sh*t, this is another brilliant highlight. There really should've been a single for this, being the 3rd-best song of its original album (behind "Cyanide" and "Blitzkrieg"), though maybe I would find better songs in the others. If there ever was a video for this song, it could be the soundtrack for the combat sequence of a modern war video game. With dramatic rhythm, synths, and vocals, this is as perfect bliss as those two other favorites. You must check them out!

Rabbit Junk - "Denature" from Denature (2021)

4.5/5. Now this shall shine well in this playlist. I can probably sing along to this catchy tune.

Terminal Choice - "Don't Go" from New Born Enemies (2006)

4/5. I like this cover of a Yazoo hit. Tracks like this shall never go away!

Ludovico Technique - "Embrace" from Haunted People (2022)

3.5/5. Another newfound dark industrial metal track, though the chorus is a bit repetitive.

Sphere (NO) - "Primordial" from Primordial (2013)

4/5. Shouldn't this band be called Horde/Infinite/Sphere because of the industrial/cyber metal mixed with djenty melodeath? Jokes aside, that chorus f***ing rules! This blend of cleans and uncleans can also be found in Black Comedy. "MAKE 'EM BLEED."

Digimortal - "Белое знамя" from Белое знамя (2024)

4.5/5. Stay loyal to this modern cyber metal sound, help keep it alive!

Neurotech - "The Serpent Bites" from Ave Neptune (2023)

5/5. This absolute highlight might just be one of my favorite tracks by this band, with excellent riffing and a catchy chorus.

Oblivion Machine - "Shield Mode" from Zero-Gravity (2011)

4.5/5. Groove-ish industrial/cyber metal suitable for Star Trek and Warframe.

Circle of Dust - "Telltale Crime" from Brainchild (1994)

5/5. A lot more people need to hear more of Klayton's underrated pre-Celldweller projects.

Blue Stahli - "Gravity" from Obsidian (2021)

4.5/5. Bret Autrey's singing sounds so peaceful in the heavy instrumentation. That's what I love about Blue Stahli.

Cypecore - "Neoteric Gods" from Make Me Real (2024)

5/5. This one kicks off the technical action hard. This is deathly djenty industrial/groove metal at its best! It impresses me with its background synths and its dark yet anthemic chorus. I love it, and I'm sure Cypecore fans would too.

The Axis of Perdition - "This, Then, in Paradise?" from Deleted Scenes From the Transition Hospital (2005)

4.5/5. Industrial metal takes a more ambient black metal turn with this nightmarish yet beautiful beast.

The Amenta - "Obliterate’s Prayer" from Flesh is Heir (2013)

5/5. This highlight has gigantic hooks to obliterate anything in the song's path.

Corrections House - "Dirt Poor and Mentally Ill" from Last City Zero (2013)

4.5/5. This one has chanting vocals while still making room for Williams' rage. Soon the lyrics become more poetic, especially in the spoken bridge.

Sybreed - "Bioactive (Neurotech Remix)" from Bioactive Remixes (2025)

5/5. Now this is the best of both worlds! As with the original, you get to hear the members drive through sonic cyber/industrial metal without relying too much on electronics. Here we have the powerful drumming of Alex Anxionaz, showing a bit of Fear Factory influence, the gloomy vocals of Benjamin Nominet ranging from clean to harsh, the heavy guitar grooves of Drop, and the burning bass of Burn.

Nine Inch Nails - "Give Up" from Fixed (1992)

4.5/5. This remix is a great example of how the guitar riff blasts are still around despite the industrial parts.

Eisbrecher - "Kaltfront" from Kaltfront (2025)

4/5. Eisbrecher has a new album coming out later this month or so. Fans of Rammstein and other NDH shall get the h*ll ready!

Viter - "Two Colors" from Springtime (2012)

3.5/5. Viter blends industrial metal with medieval folk similarly to Subway to Sally, which is nice, but not totally my thing.

Rammstein - "Engel" from Sehnsucht (1997)

4/5. Singing along to Rammstein's lyrics is a great way to learn German, though I'm better off staying with English and my native language.

Morgoth - "A New Start" from Feel Sorry for the Fanatic (1996)

4.5/5. Morgoth had a different start with this album, a detour into alt-/industrial metal as opposed to their usual death metal.

KMFDM - "Trust" from Nihil (1995)

4/5. This one has another female sung chorus, by Dorona Alberti, "Do what you can, what you want, what you must, feel the hunger inside, don't lose your trust", which has a funny similarity to Steely Dan, and is ironic during the battle for idealism that ends up getting lost.

Tyrant of Death - "Biomechanical" from Biomechanical (2014)

4.5/5. I shouldn't have to explain this amazing 10-minute instrumental djenty industrial metal epic.

Black Light Discipline - "Faded" from Faded (2018)

4/5. Black Light Discipline have their own underrated cyber metal sound going on. There's much more emotion in his vocals than in the original Alan Walker song. You know how much I love covers that metalize the original song and give it their own spin. I like the more top-notch upbeat sound here. The bass is quite cool too.

Pretty good playlist I've made, huh? I recommend this to any industrial metal fan and anyone who isn't into industrial metal but is up to getting into a great start for the genre. Thanks to anyone who have contributed with their own submissions, and I hope the rest of you enjoy it like I've had!

Here are my thoughts on all the selected tracks:

Underoath - "Breathing in a New Mentality" from Lost in the Sound of Separation (2008)

5/5. Honestly, this opening highlight can really take you by surprise by starting with riffs, drumming, and screams in a lower volume before shoving heavy loudness through your mouth and throat. This is a far more powerful opener than that of the previous album and playlist. Spencer Chamberlain's screaming sound demanding while Aaron Gillespie's drumming dominates and the guitar chords cuts more sharply than razor blades.

Trivium - "Rain" from Ascendancy (2005)

5/5. This next song kicks off the metal action in a vicious bang, setting a feverish pace maintained throughout its original album.

Falling in Reverse - "Raised by Wolves" from The Drug in Me Is You (2011)

4.5/5. Pre-Popular Monster Falling in Reverse isn't really metal nor something I really like, but this kick-A first track of their debut is as metalcore as they could get back then, mixing it with their usual pop punk similarly to early A Day to Remember.

BOI WHAT - "Let Me Crawl" from Let Me Crawl (2025)

4.5/5. Plankton AI metal goes Linkin Park/Memphis May Fire/Architects.

Bleed from Within - "Hands of Sin" from Hands of Sin (2024)

5/5. An awesome hard-hitter with a deep chorus, "Stood on the outside I'm looking in, holding peace in hands of sin. This moral mind wears a second skin, the end is now where I begin."

Shadow of Intent - "The Return" from Reclaimer (2017)

5/5. Technical deathcore is practically combined with the symphonic power metal guitarwork of Symphony X and Iced Earth. If the clean vocals were higher and more operatic, the band would've beaten Dragoncorpse in that game. Plus there's some medieval harpsichord! Now there's still the more extreme side of the spectrum with the brutal breakdown and the blackened death growls. It's amazing that the vocalist Ben Duerr would still have that power in their next album.

Carnifex - "No Light Shall Save Us" from World War X (2019)

4.5/5. An antiheroic anthem to love and embrace the darkness, featuring Arch Enemy vocalist Alissa White-Gluz.

A Night in Texas - "The God Delusion" from The River Delusion (2015)

4/5. Death metal/core continues to strike with its great cosmos-destroying might.

The Acacia Strain - "Beast" from Wormwood (2010)

4.5/5. "Whatever is necessary to do, you do it. Whenever somebody needs to be killed, there's no wrong, you do it, and you move on." "My life is a shooting range, people never change." Those lyrics are better taken as an incentive for taking on video game bosses. F***ing bad-a** downtempo deathcore featuring Jamey Jasta of Hatebreed.

CABAL - "Redemption Denied" from Redemption Denied (2025)

4/5. Another underrated band rises in the deathcore horde. Let's all stop being fixated on the behind-the-scenes drama of the genre and focus on how sick the music's gonna be this year. Other bands heading up include Humanity's Last Breath, Black Tongue, and Paleface Swiss. The lyrics and drumming are quite great here. So brutal as f*** with lots of creativity and noise.

Dal Av, Andy Cizek - "Remember Me" from Remember Me (2023)

4.5/5. With Monuments vocalist Andy Cizek onboard, it's a battle of demons and angels that can make any car ride brutal. Absolute djenty metalcore gold!

Shokran - "Supreme Truth" from Supreme Truth (2014)

4/5. I love this track getting me hypnotized by the riffs and growls sounding like Whitechapel while mixed with stunning melodies.

Mindsnare - "Flood" from Credulity (1996)

3.5/5. Pretty good early hardcore/metalcore track though it would've been better without that one-minute intro ("CAN YOU HEAR ME!?!").

Ice Nine Kills - "Dead is the New Black" from The Burning (2007)

4/5. This is from Ice Nine Kills' earlier era before they went all intense and horror-themed. Spencer Charnas is quite talented in his vocals and guitarwork. They've already gotten past their ska punk phase at this point.

Vianova - "Melanchronic" from Melanchronic (2025)

4.5/5. A sick song for a fun night drive, almost like Neurotech gone metalcore.

Get the Shot - "Pit of Misery" from Pit of Misery (2025)

4/5. This journey through brutal death/metalcore insanity isn't over yet...

Parkway Drive - "It's Hard to Speak Without a Tongue" from Killing with a Smile (2005)

4.5/5. This one is a standout track beginning with a simple clean guitar riff before drilling drums and thunderous bass come in followed and impressive solo-like melody. The melody fades into a quieter riff to fit it with the growling. That melody is used again the chorus section. An unusually well-balanced song for Parkway Drive!

Eighteen Visions - "A Short Walk Down a Long Hallway" from Vanity (2002)

5/5. The best track of its original album for me. The singing, soloing, riffing, and lyrics all reach their very peak. "Disgust, disgrace, you'll slap that look right off of my face, I'll play God, I'll play dead, You'll be the one to shoot me in the head." I also love the screaming by Corey Darst from The Pretty Weapons who was also a live vocalist for Zao.

Imminence - "Proclaim" from The Reclamation of I (2024)

4.5/5. The violin that starts this track might have some listeners confused thinking they put on a My Dying Bride album, but then it explodes into dramatic metalcore, not too far off from The Showdown's 2004 debut instrumentally.

Make Them Suffer - "No Hard Feelings" from Make Them Suffer (2024)

5/5. Alex Reade has more of the divine spotlight in this highlight. The heaviness is toned down slightly for some lovely melody, while staying fast and killer. Sean Harmanis continues his harsh screams while also offering some gruff singing behind Reade. They both might make the best metal vocal duo of the year alongside Linkin Park's Mike Shinoda and Emily Armstrong!

Alleviate - "Forevermore" from DMNS (2024)

4.5/5. One of the heaviest songs I've heard in modern metalcore. You don't wanna miss out on the chaos that is two minutes of your life you want more of. This banger is more brutal than even the heaviest of As I Lay Dying. Lots of interesting fire to make up for the worst of times.

Graphic Nature - "Human" from Who Are You When No One is Watching? (2024)

4/5. This one has more melodic synths, while blending it with heavy guitars, a balance already mastered by Sleep Token.

Hollow Front - "Caved In" from Homewrecker (2017)

3.5/5. Pretty cool, but I wish there could've been some Cave In-like experimentation.

Convictions - "Sleeping Lotus" from The Fear of God (2024)

4/5. Such a destructive yet beautiful tune. What else can I say?

Inertia - "Theist" from Unlearn (2017)

4.5/5. Bad-a** lyrics once again, with the music reminding me of Polaris.

Half Me - "Fatalist" from Opium EP (2024)

4/5. "I WILL DIE AS A FATALIST!!!!!" The breakdown goes quite hard, as much as the ones by Thrown, whom they have collaborated with previously.

Rolo Tomassi - "Opalescent" from Grievance (2015)

4.5/5. Rolo Tomassi never disappoints! The drums start off jazzy then, at the end, rise into massive blackened blasts. The instrumentation and vocals are quite beautiful, though if there was any screamed vocals, it would've been perfect.

Ion Dissonance - "(D.A.B.D.A.) State of Discomposure" from Cast the First Stone (2016)

5/5. See what I mean!? Those growled/screamed vocals help make this the fantastic nearly 9-minute mathcore epic it is.

Revnoir - "Revenge" from Revenge (2025)

4.5/5. Revnoir, along with Landmvrks, Novelists, and Resolve, have the ambition to bring light to the French metalcore scene with heavy bangers like this. D*mn, I'm so proud of those guys!

All That Remains - "Blood & Stone" from Antifragile (2025)

5/5. Finally we have this epic emotional closing track. The piano intro and outro are performed by none other than Jordan Rudess of Dream Theater. And in between is a metalcore extravaganza of heavy riffs and whimsical DragonForce-like leads. Philip Labonte lets out perhaps his most dynamic vocals to date. The perfect way to close this masterpiece album and this playlist!

Pretty good playlist I've made, huh? I recommend this to any metalcore fan and anyone who isn't into metalcore but is up to getting into a great start for the genre. Thanks to anyone who have contributed with their own submissions, and I hope the rest of you enjoy it like I've had!