Shadowdoom9 (Andi)'s Forum Threads

Here are my thoughts on all selected tracks:

A Dark Halo - "Thin Be the Veil" from Omnibus One (2023)

4.5/5. My interest for this band may have passed, but this song is too addictive too brush aside, including its soloing majesty. This cyber metal sound has top-notch quality. Mechina female vocalist Mel Rose joined this band for their new album Omnibus One, and her vocals are amazing, really hitting those melodies. If they ever perform live, they would totally nail those shows with their heavy energy. And of course, the growled vocals by Dave Lowmiller further help make this the killer track it is.

Mechina - "Pray to the Winds" from Conqueror (2011)

4/5. Mechina has made some of the most godly epic cyber metal I've heard, but somehow the interest came and went. Maybe it's because the orchestration is used more prominently than guitars and comes out as bombastic sh*t. Still I can enjoy tracks like this one.

Third Realm - "Diabolic Crush" from Beyond Good and Evil (2012)

3.5/5. Dark, eerie, and a little...pop-ish??? Still better than most of the pop stuff out there.

Old - "Outlive" from Lo Flux Tube (1991)

4/5. "I WILL NOT DIE, FATE I DENY!!!" Old was part of the experimental industrial metal league alongside Godflesh, though didn't last as long as the latter. The rhythm is pretty great, I can't deny that.

Acumen Nation - "Parasite Mine" from The 5ifth Column (2002)

3.5/5. Only listeners who aren't so open-minded would hate this. In saying that, I'm slightly disappointed by the poor quality here.

Black Magnet - "Keep It Downtown" from Keep It Downtown (2026)

3/5. This is nice, but can we please keep the industrial down some?

Herrschaft - "Human Soul" from Tesla (2008)

3.5/5. See, when the industrial and metal are in the right blend, it can touch my metal heart.

Diablerie - "Weltschmerz - 2024" from Weltschmerz (2024)

4/5. Same with this one that resurrects an earlier deathly cyber metal track.

Celldweller - "Just Like You" from End of an Empire (2015)

4.5/5. What's not to love about this amazing track? The melody is so touching, and Klayton once again proves himself to be a genius in music.

Fear Factory - "Depraved Mind Murder" from The Industrialist (2012)

5/5. This highlight is where Burton C. Bell's vocal melodies stretch through in a pleasant way and together with Dino Cazares' chords, they make the song more memorable. The bass and drums are also interesting.

Der Martyrer - "I" from Der Martyrer (2025)

4.5/5. Sometimes industrial metal works well when made more extreme, like blackened or deathly.

En Esch - "Dog 2 U" from Trash Chic (2016)

4/5. Ex-KMFDM member En Esch can turn up the industrial metal heat, to unusual yet great results.

Samael - "Hail to the Sun" from Hail to the Sun (2026)

3.5/5. Samael continue the construct the bridge between the black metal of Ceremony of Opposites and the industrial metal of Passage, a bridge that was absent for 30 years and will finally be built for all of humanity.

Circus of Dead Squirrels - "Death Saves the Derelict" from Indoor Recess (2004)

3/5. I'm still not getting a lot of good from this band or album, but it's worth giving it a decent listen.

Treponem Pal - "Souls on Fire" from Rockers' Vibes (2017)

3.5/5. Same for this track, but slightly better I suppose.

Cubanate - "Body Burn" from Brutalism (2017)

4/5. For those who have been into industrial metal much longer than I have, you probably recognize this track from a 2007 episode of The Sopranos. And even longer than that, you have probably jammed out to this in the 90s at home or in a dance club. Well, that or a KMFDM song.

Static-X - "Just in Case" from Start a War (2005)

4.5/5. Wayne Static should be hailed as a legend for his time in Static-X. RIP

Harm's Way, JK Flesh - "Call My Name - Justin Broadrick Remix" from PSTHMN (2019)

5/5. Harm's Way and Godflesh make a good combo, resulting in a grand industrial metal remix with the best of both bands.

Uranium - "Black Knight Satellite" from Pure Nuclear Death (2023)

4.5/5. HOLY HEAVY SH*T!!! That has really made this epic so interesting!

In This Moment - "Sleeping with the Enemy" from Sleeping with the Enemy (2026)

4/5. Sounds like In This Moment is summarizing the alt-/industrial metal sound they've had since Blood, albeit with clear unfiltered vocals. There's only a slight bit of their earlier metalcore, plus a lot of those lyrics cutting like a knife. Maria Brink's vocals have aged greatly. I think a duet with Amy Lee from Evanescence is in order.

Motionless in White, Maria Brink - "Contemptress" from Reincarnate (2014) [submitted by Shadowdoom9 (Andi)]

4.5/5. Of course, Maria Brink has already had a duet with Motionless in White. Getting rolling with the punches, and rolling in the ashes!

Mnemic - "Mindsaver" from The Audio Injected Soul (2004)

5/5. Shooting the target further is this mind-f***ing standout!

The Interbeing - "Eternal Eclipse" from Icon of the Hopeless (2022)

4.5/5. This one branches out more, heading into a bit of progressive groove metal that will take you through space and back.

Pain - "Bye/Die" from Dancing with the Dead (2005)

4/5. Another kick-A track from PAIN, though the quality could've been a bit better, looking back at it. I also heard that this album was removed from Spotify, but now it's back.

Scorn - "Heavy Blood" from Vae Solis (1992)

3.5/5. This one is more mid-paced, but it slowly rises in heaviness, sounding like Godflesh at that time mixed with one of the slower and more melodic Fear Factory ballads.

Die Krupps - "Fire" from Paradise Now (1997)

4/5. A killer remix/re-recording of an Arthur Brown song, featuring the man himself. The organ is quite fun, giving some light to the dark apocalypse.

Genitorturers - "All Hell Breaks Loose (Live)" from Flesh is the Law (2002)

4.5/5. Some sheer intensity in this live cover of a Misfits song (which I didn't know it was a cover until later on).

Gothminister - "We Come Alive" from Pandemonium II - The Battle of the Underworlds (2024)

5/5. The catchy final track, and the song Gothminister performed in Eurovision. You'll definitely wanna sing along to this!

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 selected tracks:

Motionless in White - "Immaculate Misconception" from Creatures (2010)

4.5/5. Although I haven't listened to much Motionless in White lately, this is still one of my favorite tracks from the band. The chorus rules, and so is the bridge that leads to the breakdown. This band is certainly comfortable staying away from the Christian scene that other metalcore bands seem to hop in at the time.

ERRA - "Eye of God" from Eye of God (2019)

5/5. ERRA has helped shape up the future of progressive metalcore. This incredible track practically throws back to the Prometheus era, especially that midway breakdown.

Silent Civilian - "Ghost Stories" from Ghost Stories (2010)

4.5/5. Silent Civilian is quite underrated compared to the more popular and still awesome August Burns Red, Trivium, and Unearth. Anyway, in some copies of this album, including the one I own, there's some glitching in the solo, which fortunately they don't have in the Spotify version. That error aside, I still enjoy this track.

Fit for a King - "No Tomorrow" from Lonely God (2025)

4/5. Fit for a King are starting to sound more like Invent Animate. The drums and vocals and f***ing both beautiful and brutal, reaching their climax at the end.

Adept - "Carry the Weight" from Sleepless (2016)

4.5/5. Wow, that intro sounds like yet another song in the "Welcome Home (Sanitarium)"/"Give in to Me" plagiarism chain! Besides that, this song hits f***ing HARD.

Bleed from Within - "Night Crossing" from Fracture (2020)

5/5. Horns way up for this one, including the guitar soloing by Matt Heafy of Trivium.

Unearth - "Dawn of the Militant" from The Wretched; the Ruinous (2023)

4.5/5. Deeper down the line is more of the classic metallic hardcore sound of Earth Crisis and Strife. This is solid heaviness we really need. It then leads to perhaps the most brutal breakdown the band has ever made. Absolutely killer sh*t right there!

Despised Icon - "In the Arms of Perdition" from The Ills of Modern Man (2007)

5/5. In terms of brutal standard deathcore, Despised Icon has mastered it quite well. The guitars and vocals sound so wicked, especially in the breakdown. I'm glad they're still around after that temporary breakup.

Humanity's Last Breath - "Abyssal Mouth" from Abyssal (2019)

4.5/5. The heaviness really bursts out alongside those haunting vocals by Filip Danielsson. And we have more of those machine-gun blast beats.

Born of Osiris - "A Solution" from The Discovery (2011)

4/5. Blown away by all that deathcore heaviness yet? Well here's a small break for you to catch your breath. A short interlude with the synths and cleans of Joe Buras.

Sun Eater - "Wounds" from Death Crown (2026)

4.5/5. What other sound would you expect from a band possibly named after a Lorna Shore song and having once included Mental Cruelty vocalist Lukas Nicolai? This is crushing deathcore that is like a blend of Lorna Shore and Spite. The monstrous vocals of Sten Govers make this song a lot more than just a banger. And that breakdown throughout the last minute is brutal as f***.

Worm Shepherd - "The Emptiness Between Stars" from In the Wake ov Sol (2020)

5/5. This highlight starts off smooth and ambient then unleashes the slower downtempo deathcore before ending with the same ambience. Darkness rises from the void!

Space of Variations - "GHOST TOWN" from GHOST TOWN (2026)

4.5/5. "All these shiny diamonds don’t lead me back to you", but they do lead me to another amazing track! It is part of their new album Poisoned Art, and listeners definitely had something to get them pumped up for the album.

Wage War - "The River" from Blueprints (2015)

4/5. Great work from this band, even though my interest seems to fade.

The Amity Affliction - "Bleed" from House of Cards (2026)

4.5/5. Some Lamb of God and Kingdom of Giants vibes in this one, though the latter would've been more likely if bassist Jonathan Reeves (who was formerly in that other band) has done his cleans. Nonetheless, Joel Birch sounds so vicious in his vocals, and the whole track is practically a breakdown.

While She Sleeps - "Be(lie)ve" from This is the Six (2012)

5/5. While She Sleeps would grow in popularity after the earlier releases that this underrated standout appeared in.

The Narrator - "Stained Glass Reality" from Lore (2024)

4.5/5. Sounds like the style of those previous 3 bands has been modernized.

Johnny Booth - "Get Well Soon" from Get Well Soon (2025)

4/5. Imagine if Boundaries, Loathe, and The Tony Danza Tapdance Extravaganza collaborated with one another. It would probably something like this ravaging banger. That breakdown in over the one-minute mark slays.

Defects - "Heresy" from Heresy (2025)

3.5/5. Is it heresy here to say that I don't rate this track as highly as other metalcore songs in this playlist? Still I appreciate the music f***ing slapping, alongside the vocals by Tony Maue who was the lead guitarist for The Raven Age.

Elwood Stray - "Genesis" from Descending (2026)

3.5/5. Elwood Stray can basically make a blend of 2020s Architects and Linkin Park with this banger. A little too alternative for me, yet dark and heavy. And no, this has nothing to do with the rock band Genesis. The guitars switching between electric and acoustic is quite creative, though Mental Cruelty has a little more creativity in their sound. Those vocals have both beauty and rage. As good as the music and vocals are, they do seem a little AI-generated, though they likely aren't.

Dead by April - "Losing You" from Dead by April (2009)

4/5. I'm glad to revisit this solid gem after taking some time away from the work of Dead by April. The intro has some piano sounding borrowed from late 90s Paradise Lost that then leads into electronic alt-metalcore with some seeds planted for Starset. The music and vocals sound so beautiful. "All I need is you..."

As I Lay Dying - "Redefined" from Shaped by Fire (2019)

4.5/5. Featuring Jake Luhrs from August Burns Red, this song has angrier vocals and insane drumming and fulfilling guitar melodies. The cleans still do their respective part.

Black Veil Brides - "Woe & Pain" from Vindicate (2026)

4/5. Great to witness Black Veil Brides get their heavier side more recognized.

The Number Twelve Looks Like You - "If These Bullets Could Talk" from Put on Your Rosy Red Glasses (2003)

4.5/5. If these bullets could talk, they would be screaming your heads off. "I dont have much, but I'll ask you this....why would you destroy your best friend?"

Converge - "Dream Debris" from Hum of Hurt (2026)

5/5. The centerpiece of the new Converge album and likely this playlist is this 6-minute epic. Right from the tribal march of drummer Ben Koller and the rumbling of bassist Nate Newton, comes a spectacular slow buildup to a massive headbanging groove. Converge still have their later atmospheric side to go with their earlier math/metalcore, as that majestic gem has proven.

Snapcase - "Lookinglasself" from Lookinglasself (1993)

4.5/5. A true representation of the band at their early stage. The hardcore riffing is so sludgy and adds to the brooding emotion. Their talent is on full display!

Rorschach - "Oppress" from Remain Sedate (1990)

5/5. The chaotic dissonance fades out after the closing gem of the first ever metalcore offering.

Burst - "(We Watched) The Silver Rain" from Lazarus Bird (2008)

4.5/5. This epic starts by building up a rhythmic fill from calm to storming in the first two minutes, then calms down and, near the 3-minute mark, starts a bass transition. Then clean vocals enter and go on in extensive amounts with beautiful melancholic riffing for the rest of the song. There's still plenty of heaviness and yelling, just not as much as the clean parts.

August Burns Red - "Crusades" from Constellations (2009)

5/5. However, this 5-minute closer is a much better ending than the previous track, finding an equal balance between fast and slow. After some insane intensity, there's a small blues break that builds up into an epic final verse to end on a perfect note.

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:

Twilight Force - "Dawn of the Dragonstar" from Dawn of the Dragonstar (2019)

4/5. Great song to kick off this playlist, though a little too cheesy from the uplifting symphonics.

Heavy Load - "Stronger than Evil" from Stronger than Evil (1983)

4.5/5. An older and slightly stronger track, having the kind of energy bands like Europe had around that year.

Warkings - "Live is Life" from Live is Life (2026)

5/5. Before we continue diving into some 80s heavy metal, how about this awesome modern heavy metal cover of an 80s hit! This proves how well a metal band can add a unique diverse twist to a pop rock single. and that's the kind of covers I love, just enhancing the song with their own sound. You may also know the 1989 performance done by Diego Maradona in sync with the original Opus song. RIP...

Century - "Fallen Hero" from Sign of the Storm (2025)

4.5/5. And how about this splendid revival of classic heavy metal for this century!

Black Sabbath - "Born Again" from Born Again (1983)

4/5. If a classic Black Sabbath fan hears this and says "This is a f***ing Black Sabbath song!?!", I say it is, but a different era. This is from their only album with vocalist Ian Gillan (Deep Purple). The song sounds pretty deep, particularly throughout the second half which includes melancholic guitar solo by Tony Iommi at the 5-minute mark.

TOWER - "And I Cry" from Let There Be Dark (2025)

4.5/5. This excellent highlight begins sounding like a ballad, then they become more energetic in the second half and keep you hooked in no time.

Accept - "Starlight" from Breaker (1981)

4/5. I wasn't around when many of these classic heavy metal albums came out, but I understand the appeal earlier metalheads have of this era of metal that they've heard in their youth. Although Accept was starting to rise with this album, they would have their breakthrough in their next album Restless and Wild.

Anvil - "School Love" from Hard 'n' Heavy (1981)

3.5/5. Anvil has really gone as big as the more popular classic heavy metal bands out there, though they have planted the seed for notable bands like the thrash metal Big 4. The guitarwork by Dave Allison (RIP) is so good. Apparently, this song was in the soundtrack for Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars. We've gotten Anvil in a GTA game before GTA6! Anyway, I think this band would appeal more to fans of the old-school heavy metal league led by Judas Priest. Or maybe it's just the vocals sounding repetitive to me, I don't know. But hey, there's something for anyone to love.

Dokken - "In My Dreams" from Under Lock and Key (1985)

3/5. A little too glam but still metal. A decent song all and all.

Judas Priest - "Heading Out to the Highway" from Point of Entry (1981)

3.5/5. This one has more positive motivation. Those parents who thought metal was satanic have been proven wrong. Songs like this encourage you to head out to the highway and make the best of your life. It's supposed to help you get over, never into, addiction and depression. You can also listen while playing Need for Speed.

Riot - "Hard Lovin' Man" from Restless Breed (1982)

4/5. Riot is more underrated compared to the more popular classic heavy metal bands, honestly. RIP Mark Reale and Rhett Forrester

LOUDNESS - "HARD WORKIN'" from DEVIL SOLDIER (1982)

3.5/5. Hard lovin', hard workin'... How hard can these bands get!? A little harder than this should've been, but still good.

Motorhead - "Bomber" from Bomber (1979)

3/5. This Motorhead hit is about a World War II bomber and is based on a Len Deighton book. As OK as this sounds, it sounds a little, well, bombed. Still, RIP Lemmy

Plasmatics - "The Damned" from Coup D'Etat (1982)

3/5. Wendy O. Williams sounds more theatrical than all those famous popstars from the 80s and the present day. With that said, I'm too fond of her vocal style here, but I still respect what she could do. RIP

DOMINUM - "Dark Melodies" from Dark Melodies (2026)

3.5/5. With this catchy song filled with dark melodies, it's possible for Dominum to enter Eurovision. Sabaton, Warkings, Powerwolf, and Beast in Black would all give this band their seal of approval.

Within Temptation - "Ice Queen" from Mother Earth (2000)

4/5. This popular single is quite catchy, though the original album's title track has a little more magic.

Kamelot - "Insomnia" from Haven (2015)

4.5/5. I've heard of Kamelot for over a decade, and they were one of the first ever power metal (and metal in general) bands I was a fan of besides DragonForce. I'm glad to revisit this song after so many years, because it was one of my favorites back then and might still be now. Nice lyrics too!

DragonForce - "Burning Heart (feat. Alissa White-Gluz)" from Burning Heart (2025)

5/5. Then we hit earth-shattering speed and blazing hammering fury, apart from a retro synthwave bridge. One of the most killer highlights here! And made even more killer with the vocals Alissa White-Gluz, who has just left Arch Enemy and joined DragonForce full-time! She has definitely reached her height in the final transposed chorus.

Avantasia - "Neverland" from The Metal Opera, Pt. 2 (2002)

4.5/5. An amazing song from this metal opera project, with great lyrics!

Epica - "Feint" from The Phantom Agony (2003)

4/5. A beautiful song like this one can sound sad while giving you happiness.

Fairyland - "A Soldier's Letter" from Score to a New Beginning (2009)

4.5/5. RIP Philippe Giordana... Fairyland is another one of those bands I wish I could've discovered 12 years before this comment when my interest in symphonic power metal was at its early peak. This wonderful song has similar vibes to both Sonata Arctica and Two Steps From Hell.

Nightwish - "Slaying the Dreamer" from Century Child (2002)

4/5. For a melodic symphonic metal band, this one is quite heavy. Maybe that's why it was one of my favorite Nightwish songs when I was young.

Xandria - "The Shannon's Home" from The Shannon's Home (2026)

4.5/5. Ever since vocalist Ambre Vourvahis joined Xandria, they're slowly becoming Nightwish 2.0. Still they have different vibes from other bands like the majesty of Vision of Atlantis and the occasional heaviness of Seven Spires. Plus some of their power metal side is still around that I've once heard in Dragonland and Avantasia. That heavy midsection breakdown gets me every time and tempts me every time. Amazing song to make me look forward to their upcoming album Eclipse!

Seven Spires - "Serenity" from Solveig (2017)

5/5. An absolute grand example of extreme folk-ish symphonic metal! The lyrics sound so poetic and original. You gotta appreciate the massive vocal range of Adrienne Cowan. I can just feel the power that has kept me engaged.

Tyr - "Valkyrja" from Valkyrja (2013)

4.5/5. A beautiful epic to close its original album, but not yet this playlist...

Lovebites - "Bravehearted (Awakened Version)" from Awakening from Abyss (2017)

5/5. I still can't believe I haven't discovered Lovebites until just earlier this year. Probably because by the time this band started to rise shortly after this album came out, I was moving away from power metal in favor of the heavier modern metal genres. This fantastic track has more power in this version than in the EP, along with English lyrics.

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:

It's not often for a band to last two decades with most of the members intact since the beginning. 4 of the 7 members of Fear of Domination have stayed together for all of their albums; male vocalist Saku Solin, bassist Lauri Ojanen, and guitarists Jan-Erik Kari and Johannes Niemi. One other longtime member, keyboardist Lasse Raelahti joined the band in 2012. And now there are two new members for a new album in a new era, with Katharsis marking the debut of female vocalist Jessica Salmi and drummer Anton Nisonen. The verses screamed by both vocalists are in a great contrast with the catchy sung choruses for a well-balanced composition. The riffing attacks with headbanging rhythm, while the dancey keyboards have you moving to the beat. Fear of Domination still have their strong talent in Katharsis, with energetic songs worth both dancing and headbanging to. Despite a couple slight struggles somewhere, there's hope for their music to make a strong global impact....

4/5

Recommended tracks: "Alone", "Imposter", "Last Words", "All as One", "Endgame"

For fans of: Amaranthe, Turmion Katilot, A Dark Halo

So just like that we find that a new month is upon us which of course means that we’ll be nominating a brand new monthly feature release for each clan. This essentially means that we’re asking you to rate, review & discuss our chosen features for no other reason than because we enjoy the process & banter. We’re really looking forward to hearing your thoughts on our chosen releases so don’t be shy.

This month's feature release for The Revolution, nominated by me (Shadowdoom9 (Andi)), is the 2001 sole album by Wisconsin-based metalcore band 7 Angels 7 Plagues, Jhazmyne's Lullaby. Despite their short-lived career, 7 Angels 7 Plagues made a significant impact on the metalcore scene that would help other bands of the genre build their sound, including two of the bands the members would go on to form and join; Misery Signals and Dead to Fall. Another brilliant highlight in earlier metalcore and one I would recommend for any fan of the genre.

https://metal.academy/releases/3086

So just like that we find that a new month is upon us which of course means that we’ll be nominating a brand new monthly feature release for each clan. This essentially means that we’re asking you to rate, review & discuss our chosen features for no other reason than because we enjoy the process & banter. We’re really looking forward to hearing your thoughts on our chosen releases so don’t be shy.

This month's feature release for The Guardians, nominated by me (Shadowdoom9 (Andi)), is the 2017 debut album by Japanese power metal heroines Lovebites, Awakening from Abyss. Lovebites is perhaps the most influential Japanese all-female metal band in the past decade besides Babymetal, and I felt up to adding that group to discussion. Their 2017 debut and the already-featured 2018 EP Battle Against Damnation are the best place to start to take a bite of their majestic sound.

https://metal.academy/releases/12273

Yeah, I think I was a little too hard on this album. 

Tales of the Sands back in 2011 was one of my more formative albums when I really started to dive deep into Metal. It was never an absolute highlight or a classic, but it was something insanely different that I had never heard before and that definitely stuck with me as I continued to follow the band. Tales of the Sands is a much more driving and "hardcore" Metal experience, resembling other Progressive Metal bands that incorporate strings and some electronic elements, but this time it's Arabic flavored! After they began to get a bit more hook-laden and embraced modern Power Metal tendencies more and more on Legacy and Shehili, both of which I enjoy, they lost me on Karma with how samey they seem to have become compared to what they originally were. 

However, my bias got a bit too much in the way with this most recent one. Wilderness of Mirrors is more of the same for diehard fans like me, but there are definitely some great tracks in here and their quality hasn't really dipped all that much overall. Like Vinny said above, the first half of the album is pretty strong with some fun and memorable songs with their signature and powerful choruses. I think the strings and electronic elements are used rather tastefully too; the little details may make this a real grower of an album in their discography compared to Karma. I'm also in agreement that "The Clown" absolutely rocks, but it's basically an Avantasia track, so I can't help myself really. 

I still don't think Wilderness of Mirrors is anything particularly special, but it's definitely not a dud in Myrath's discography. They've proven that they're consistent for better or worse, so maybe I was just in a bad mood. Part of me is still a bit disappointed that they don't stretch their songwriting a bit farther and are okay with sticking with the Symphonic Power Metal status quo, but parts like the instrumental break and solo in "Still the Dawn Will Come" shows that they still have the chops to create some really cool moments. While they're one of the best bands to incorporate Arabian music into Metal, I know there's so much more to that style of music than what is presented, so maybe I'm just a bit bitter over the potential I feel like this band has. That being said, as a Power Metal enjoyer, I think I gotta relax a little bit, take Wilderness of Mirrors for what it is, and I agree that it's actually a ton of fun. 

(This is why I'm glad to be back, I was about to just not listen to this album anymore haha!)

3/5

Yeah, there's no point adding images for each release or even album names. I'm going to source high quality images anyway.

Just tell me the bands you want and ideally where they come from in case there are multiple bands with the same name.

Congratulations Sonny. I've really enjoyed reading your thoughts on this challenge as I'm well across literally all of the releases it contains.

It ain't right now. RYM is just throwing some power metal albums under the bus, huh?

Pagan's Mind has always had their Stargate-influenced progressive power metal sound, and Heavenly Ecstasy is no exception. There's still enough fast melodic guitarwork, anthemic hooks, and fantasy-ish lyrics in many tracks to justify adding this album to power metal. So I'd like to submit Pagan's Mind's "Heavenly Ecstasy" to the Hall to be added to The Guardians and power metal while staying in The Infinite and progressive metal.

When I was giving this album some listening for my review, I ended up dropping the rating from 4 stars to 3 stars because it isn't as great as I thought it was. But do I regret nominating this a feature release? Nope. It shall still be acknowledged as one of the albums that metalcore wouldn't have been the same without. Here's my review summary:

Well I wouldn't say their is entirely bad. It's more like laying down the blueprints for what they would do in their next album Progression Through Unlearning. And when their debut is at its good side, they strike hard. Vocalist Daryl Taberski was originally the bassist while vocals were done by Tiger Balduf and Chris Galas. Once Galas left, Taberski decided to switch to vocals, and he has the aggressive intensity to go with the raging riffing and breakdowns. That has helped with the rhythmic dissonance this album has. The hardcore riffing is so sludgy and adds to the brooding emotion. Their talent is on full display, until a few tracks in the second half having too much alt-ish experimentation that don't really bring forward any of its needed substance. Luckily, the closing track makes up for those flaws with a true prime example of metalcore in its very early days, and that is no illusion. Lookinglasself is the kind of album that you can understand its status of importance yet find some parts of it a little painful. It takes the right amount of ambition to shape up the sound they were going for, but the experimentation can be too much at times. Nonetheless, they have all they needed to fulfill their vision in their next album. So we gotta be thankful for the existence of Lookinglasself and its impact on metalcore/hardcore. Something decent can go a long way....

3/5

Recommended tracks: "Drain Me / Filter", "Deceived", "Lookinglasself", "Fields of Illusion"

For fans of: Earth Crisis, Integrity, Shawn Jonas-era Zao

Here are my thoughts on all selected tracks:

Treponem Pal - "Ghost Rider" from Dead Inside (2025)

3.5/5. Treponem Pals unite!!! I actually didn't know this until when I was commenting on this track, but it's actually a cover of a song by experimental electronic rock band Suicide as a tribute to that band. RIP Alan Vega... Not a bad start to this playlist, but a little too industrial.

S.U.P. - "Insect Drug" from Imago (2005)

4/5. So apparently those Budweiser guys are actually saying "What Spherical Unit Provided???" Lol. OK but seriously, this is some progressive industrial metal here.

Neurotech - "Withstand the Agony" from Withstand the Agony (2026)

4.5/5. Wulf seems to be bringing back the earlier dark heaviness of Neurotech's earlier material from 15 years ago, showing his (inter)stellar talent. And boy, does it hit hard as f***! This should work well in a boss battle. And when the harsh growls and clean singing collide with each other before the last chorus, it's an amazing blast! I should really get back in touch with some of Neurotech's material, especially the new album In Delta Negative.

Static-X - "Jic Boi" from Project Regeneration Vol. 2 (2024)

4/5. Apparently this is a re-recording of a discarded demo for one of their songs "Just in Case" with some elements of "Cold". The vocals by the late Wayne Static (RIP) and Xer0 fit so greatly together. The drumming by Ken Jay also fits in with the improved sound. Even though some people think the band should've ended after Cult of Static (the last one before Wayne's death), others are pleased with how the Project Regeneration series turned out. Oh, and if you think they should've been like Bieber and Timberlake, that's wrong. They DON'T WANNA BE YOUR JUSTIN! But I guess you can consider this Static Dope, because of the somewhat disputed fact that Xer0 is Edsel Dope.

Die Krupps - "To the Hilt" from II - The Final Option (1993)

4.5/5. "Burn the bridges! Forge ahead! To the hilt!" The industrial rock/metal hilt, that is...

Gothminister - "616" from Anima Inferna (2011)

5/5. This highlight switches to an interesting synth intro before the guitar and drum strength comes again. Brem's vocals become grittier and deeper, similar to the earlier albums, that wasn't heard in this Gothminister album until that point.

PAIN - "Parallel to Ecstasy" from Rebirth (1999)

4.5/5. D*mn, what a trip! A trip though Pain's more electronic side. One band that would also blend electronics with rock/metal well is ASP.

Genitorturers - "Flesh is the Law" from Flesh is the Law (2002)

4/5. The better side of the band can be found in this solid track.

The Amenta - "Angry Chair" from Plague of Locus (2023)

4.5/5. This Alice in Chains hit is given a f***ing darker treatment, sounding angrier than that chair. The deep grooves and clean singing are pulled off easily.

Bile - "I Reject" from ReGurge:a Bucket of Bile (2004)

4/5. This one was originally in the band's 1994 debut SuckPump. I'm glad this version from 10 years later has taken out the sounds of regurgitation at the end.

Combichrist, King 810 - "Demons Wanna Be Summoned" from Demons Wanna Be Summoned (2026)

4.5/5. Combichrist and King 810 are really summoning the former industrial metal demons here. It's surpisingly excellent, even though I like my industrial metal to have fast aggression. And Combichrist would have more of that in this next track...

Celldweller - "Good L_ck (Yo_'re F_cked) (Combichrist Remix)" from End of an Empire: The Remixes (2015)

5/5. Now this should end up as part of a Devil May Cry game soundtrack (which Combichrist have contributed to before)! Combichrist have given this track a heavy punch in the guitars, bass, and drums. This alone is probably the heaviest Klayton has gone since Brainchild. I think the drum kicks have a greater kick and are not as goofy as some might think. The slight pause in the instrumentation during the final chorus has pretty much enhanced it. Well done!

Samael - "For a Thousand Years" from Lux Mundi (2011)

4.5/5. H*ll yeah to this track too! Far better than that similarly titled Christina Perri song.

Illidiance - "Open Your Eyes" from Open Your Eyes (2019)

4/5. An interesting cyber metal take on a song by Guano Apes.

Clawerfield - "Bend the Sky" from Butterflies of Smoke (2016)

4.5/5. Another underrated band for sure! Clawerfield have their djent-ish cyber metal sound similar to The Interbeing, with slight hints of metalcore. An amazing direction, I would say! I especially love the d*mn catchy chorus. Meshuggah have done their job well in planting the seed for this young league of djent-infused bands.

Mechina, Melrose - "Cryoshock" from Progenitor (2016)

4/5. Quite futuristic and mesmerzing, right from the intro onwards. "Oh the price that we pay for the lives we betrayed..." If we could have more of Mechina's sound from the mid-2010s in the future, I would head back to listening to that band more. Basically Fear Factory gone Nightwish!

Black Comedy - "Favourite Hateobject" from Instigator (2008)

4.5/5. Perhaps one of my favorite Black Comedy songs that I would never hate!

Fear of Domination - "II" from Distorted Delusions (2014)

5/5. One of the best gems of this Fear of Domination album!

Harms Way, King Woman - "Undertow" from Common Suffering (2023)

5/5. An awesome experimental highlight featuring Kristina Esfandiari (King Woman). It has a more haunting industrial sound, enough for this one to qualify for The Sphere.

Motionless in White, Jonathan Davis - "Necessary Evil" from Graveyard Shift (2017)

4.5/5. I still love this track despite not listening to this band as much as I used to. Not only does it feature Jonathan Davis of Korn, but the chorus interpolates that of the Lesley Gore hit "It's My Party". One other song that has done that is "Pity Party" by Melanie Martinez.

Unheilig - "Kleine Puppe" from Puppenspiel (2008)

4/5. A cool kick-A track. Although I don't usually enjoy Neue Deutsche Harte, I'm probably the only person in my country Malaysia aware of that genre besides Rammstein.

Semargl - "Loneliness" from SATANIC POP METAL (2012)

3.5/5. Not as satanic as the band claims this album to be, but a little too poppy for this dance-y industrial metal sound.

Rammstein - "Mehr" from Liebe Ist Fur Alle Da (2009)

4/5. Rammstein can make something contemplative whether or not you can understand their language. The bridge sounds more uplifting than anything else they've done.

Sybreed - "Critical Mass" from Slave Design (2004)

4.5/5. This one is an interesting closing track. It starts off sounding almost like the second Embodyment album The Narrow Scope of Things, but it slowly rises into the usual cyber metal that Illidiance would later have. But we still have a couple more tracks for this playlist...

Turmion Katilot - "To Be Contiuned Act 1" from Technodiktator (2013)

4/5. This one is a bit confusing. Not just in the name, but it's also the band's longest song. Now I like long epics, but I prefer the edition without the 4 minutes of Finnish dialogue in the middle of the song, and even then, they should've shortened the rest to around a length of 6 minutes. Still a climatic epic!

Lord of the Lost - "The Days of Our Lives" from OPVS NOIR Vol. 3 (2026)

4.5/5. The grand finale of this playlist and the Opvs Noir saga. Vocalist Chris Harms and keyboardist Gerrit Heinemann perform their respective roles, shining as the vocals and keys close the gates on a solemn note.

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 selected tracks:

Invent Animate - "Fall Like Rain" from Fall Like Rain (2026)

5/5. Invent Animate are back with a brutal banger. After blending their metalcore with Periphery-style djent for so long, they now blend it with Vildhjarta-style THALL.

Eighteen Visions - "I Let Go" from Obsession (2024 re-recording)

4.5/5. In 2024, Eighteen Visions re-recorded their album Obsession for its 20th anniversary, and they made it even heavier, heavy enough to be considered metalcore. The original song was in Burnout 3, so maybe if that video game was remastered, they would include this new version of the song.

Downswing - "Disease" from Dark Side of the Mind (2017)

4/5. Brutal hardcore/metalcore, sometimes almost as dark as The Acacia Strain.

Wage War - "4x4" from IT CALLS ME BY NAME (2026)

4.5/5. I seem to lose interest in the more alt-ish metalcore bands lately, probably because I've had enough of alt-metal. Wage War is one of those bands, though I still enjoy this kick-A track that my brother likes as well.

No Cure - "Convulsing in the Dark" from Convulsing in the Dark (2026)

4/5. G****mn, this band can really crank up their hardcore/metalcore hard, even a bit of deathcore too.

Guilt Trip - "Disdain" from Unrelenting Force (2016)

3.5/5. Who knew a short track can cause a huge impact of heaviness? This is the kind of music that should catch on in the metalcore realms! The breakdown is so mosh-worthy and emotional at the same time. The song would be much better if it wasn't so short though.

Harper - "Thorn in My Side" from Thorn in My Side (2025)

3/5. Holy cow, this girl can do metalcore screams so well, and she's what, 13?! Harper has a bright future ahead of her! This song's a little too Spiritbox-esque for me though.

Samurai Pizza Cats - "City of Gold" from Press Start (2026)

2.5/5. Too electronicore for my palate, but I give it some points for Sebastian Fischer's vocals.

VCTMS - "Lobotomy" from Sickness: Vol. 1 (2014)

3/5. F***ing sick guitarwork in this one, yet that's all that's really special here.

Iridium - "Nihility" from Sub-Zero (2019)

3.5/5. A better discovery that I see some potential in.

Attack Attack! - "Kickin' Wing, Animal Doctor" from Someday Came Suddenly (2008)

4/5. Confess sins, accept truth... A spiritual message for an electronicore/screamo track.

Black Veil Brides - "Vindicate" from Vindicate (2026)

4.5/5. Some of the f***ing heaviest amazing sh*t this band has had since We Stitch These Wounds to help you get through the pain of life.

Harms Way - "Heaven's Call" from Common Suffering (2023)

5/5. Another perfect track! Just pure heaviness that I'm glad was submitted to this playlist.

Adept - "Secrets" from Silence the World (2013)

4.5/5. It's no secret that some metalcore bands can make bangers that have long-lasting greatness. The breakdown that starts the last minute is so brutal.

Cage Fight - "Exuvia" from Exuvia (2026)

4/5. You may know Rachel Aspe for her stunning performance of a Sybreed song in France's equivalent to America's Got Talent, but she would later form her own band.

Knut - "Whacked Out" from Challenger (2002)

4.5/5. Straight on into pummeling madness, this wacky track opens its original album with discordant guitar and thick bass before a Botch-like math-metalcore groove. The chaotic guitar flows through frantic drumming and heavy rhythm.

The Dillinger Escape Plan - "Room Full of Eyes" from Option Paralysis (2010)

5/5. A spine-chilling highlight, not because of the creepy song title but also the song itself, especially when vocalist Greg Puciato screams "'CAUSE WE REAP WHAT WE SOW!!!" during the ending.

Snapcase - "Fields of Illusion" from Lookinglasself (1993)

4.5/5. Snapcase have shaped up metalcore in its very early days, and that is no illusion.

Johnny Booth - "Sleeping with Serpents" from Connections (2012)

4/5. Johnny Booth has pretty much resurrected and modernized early hardcore/metalcore for the -core masses.

Atreyu - "The Theft" from A Death-Grip on Yesterday (2006)

4.5/5. Even when this one sounds like a power ballad, it explodes into the usual melodic metalcore with the powerful vocals of Alex Varkatzas.

Northlane - "Masquerade" from Singularity (2013)

5/5. The aggression really levels up in perhaps the strongest track of this Northlane album with something special, guest vocals by Drew York of Stray from the Path. The catchy chorus is what makes this song a total highlight, along with lyrical fire and breakdown brutality.

Sylosis - "Lacerations" from The New Flesh (2026)

4.5/5. Bangers like this really need to catch on in the metal world.

Bleed from Within - "Immortal Desire" from Zenith (2025)

5/5. My favorite song from the new Bleed from Within album. The intro guitar melody alongside the choir and strings is THE SH*T. This song can even go as f***ing progressive as Mastodon, helped out by that band's drummer/co-lead vocalist Brann Dailor guest appearing here.

Asking Alexandria - "A Prophecy" from Stand Up and Scream (2009)

4.5/5. Where the h*ll have I been away from this band?! This song still rules after all these years!

The Agonist - "Burn It All Down" from Orphans (2019)

5/5. I just love the vocal abilities Vicky Psarakis has, it's so wild.

Stevie T - "French Deathcore Song" from French Deathcore Song (2015)

4.5/5. Can French lyrics really work in deathcore? Stevie T has proven that theory with hilarious yet brutal results. "LE CROISSANT!!!!"

Silent Civilian - "Dead to Me 2006" from Rebirth of the Temple (2006)

5/5. If you're wondering if this standout is a re-recording of a song by Jonny Santos' other band Spineshank, no it ain't. They just added "2006" to the title to avoid confusion. Still an awesome song to me!

Fit for a King, Chris Motionless - "Witness the End" from Witness the End (2025)

4.5/5. Symphonic blackened METALcore?!? This is true heavy fire, featuring Motionless in White's Chris Motionless!

We Butter the Bread with Butter - "Extrem" from Das Monster Aus Dem Schrank (2008)

5/5. WBTBWM has shown us how extreme can be, starting with a funny intro that sounds like a constipated attempt at screaming the song title. Then we get to some sludgy deathcore. Now this breakdown is listed by Stevie T as one of the "top 10 messed up breakdowns", and for good reason. This is a f***ing pulverizing breakdown that gets slower and heavier to the point of drone. And finally a beautiful ending with piano, synths, and drop C-tuned riffing. What more can you ask for?!

Humanity's Last Breath - "The Aftermath" from Structures Collapse (2011)

4.5/5. This one starts off soft and eerie then explodes into a hardcore frenzy. It is much better executed with brutal growls and riffs pack a punch together with sinister melodies. If there's a true highlight for the original Humanity's Last Breath offering, it's gotta be that one!

Worm Shepherd - "Whispers of a Dying Land" from Dawn of the Iconoclast (2026)

5/5. It all comes down to the grand 7-minute closing epic. From the orchestral/choral grandeur to towering riffing and breakdown, it's a dark glorious experience that should be worth it for any fan of deathcore and/or epic deathcore. It doesn't surpass the previous Worm Shepherd album's ending epic, but it's very close.

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:

Culprit - "Guilty as Charged" from Guilty as Charged (1983)

4.5/5. The 6-minute title opener of this prog-ish classic heavy metal album has some heaviness in the guitar while staying melodic, which adds to the ambition. The fast pace has great variation to keep listeners awake. It's pretty much a grand example of the sound from both the album and the band.

Leaves' Eyes - "Leaves Whisper" from Into Your Light (2004)

5/5. One of the best Leaves' Eyes tracks! I probably could've saved it for later on in this playlist, but it's too good to be put that late.

Black Sabbath - "The Mob Rules" from Mob Rules (1981)

4.5/5. RIP DIO. Some may know this amazing song from its alternate version appearing in the film Heavy Metal from the same year. A classic metal anthem!

DOMINUM - "Doctor Doctor" from Doctor Doctor (2026)

4/5. Ehh, what the f***'s up, doc?! For those wondering if this is a cover of a UFO song, no it ain't!

Accept - "Diving Into Sin" from Humanoid (2024)

4.5/5. A kick-A banger that's probably the best of this Accept album! And this came out close to the release of the new Judas Priest album.

Heavy Load - "Heavy Metal Angels (In Metal and Leather)" from Death or Glory (1982)

4/5. Some more of this solid classic heavy metal from the 80s. Leather-clad angels will soar!

Europe - "Seven Doors Hotel" from EUROPE (1983)

4.5/5. Hard to imagine that the band that made "The Final Countdown" had more of a thrash-ish heavy/proto-power metal sound in their first two albums, but here we are. And honestly, I love this track much more than the one that would become their ultimate hit. But at least it would stay a solid live staple.

Iron Maiden - "The Trooper" from Piece of Mind (1983)

4/5. Before the rise of thrash, classic heavy metal bands like Iron Maiden striking through with great hits like this one.

Diamond Head - "Am I Evil" from Borrowed Time (1982)

3.5/5. Diamond Head re-recorded one of their most well-known songs from their debut Lightning to the Nations as a bonus track for their second album Borrowed Time. Although the intro riffing is quite strong, it's actually a bit slower than the first version, as is the rest of the song. Still it has the thrashy power that would encourage Metallica to cover that song later, giving both bands' versions almost as much notability as that Maiden hit. The 1980 version is better on its own though.

Pagan Altar - "Liston Church" from Never Quite Dead (2025)

3/5. I'm actually not quite sure why I added in this song. It sounds a little too doomy here, and also a little tame for my standards. Nonetheless, it's pretty cool hearing the basswork by Diccon Harper, who was in DragonForce's debut album Valley of the Damned along with its demo.

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

3.5/5. Actually I think I know why I added in that Pagan Altar song. This Saxon one that follows has that similar waltzing pace. However, it has a better, more heavy metal vibe than the Pagan Altar one.

Legend - "Prologue" from Death in the Nursery (1982)

4/5. Some more genuine NWOBHM to be thankful for.

Riot V - "High Noon" from Mean Streets (2024)

4.5/5. Just like Accept and Judas Priest, Riot V are still shining strong in their 50-year career. They're really doing justice to the late Mark Reale's legacy. RIP

Motorhead - "No Class" from Overkill (1978)

4/5. What do some kids in school wish they would have? NO CLASS! The lyrics here are quite great and deep. RIP Lemmy

Dark Moor - "Somewhere in Dreams" from The Hall of the Olden Dreams (2000)

4.5/5. Then we blast off into this song that I enjoyed to bits when I was in the power metal zone. When I first encountered that song all those years ago, it was love at first hearing. I knew I had to listen to the rest of the album and the band's material right away. It's one of my favorite Dark Moor songs to this day and I'll never get tired of it.

Sirenia - "Love Like Cyanide" from Arcane Astral Aeons (2018)

5/5. Just like how I'll never get tired of this song after having only started listening to this band full-time a few months ago. They've done everything well here.

Nightwish - "Gethsemane" from Oceanborn (1998)

4.5/5. Another beautiful song that still touches my metal heart after over a decade. The music, lyrics, and vocals are so wondrous, especially leading to the outro.

Seven Spires - "Architect of Creation" from A Fortress Called Home (2024)

5/5. Nowadays, I like the more extreme-tinged symphonic metal better. Adrienne Cowan is one of the most underrated female metal vocalists. Her vocal range is incredible!

Elvenking - "Pagan Revolution" from The Pagan Manifesto (2014)

4.5/5. F***ing fun Pagan power metal right here! One of my favorite songs by this band.

Alestorm - "Drink" from Sunset on the Golden Age (2014)

4.5/5. Alestorm is another band mastering folk/power metal, this time on the more pirate side of things.

Follow the Cipher - "Valkyria" from Follow the Cipher (2018)

5/5. I seem to discover some bands with a wide-ranged female vocalist lately. Linda Toni Grahn's vocals can strike like lightning. Too bad she left the band after one album.

Kamelot - "The Human Stain" from Ghost Opera (2007)

4.5/5. Another excellent song from another essential band in my earlier power metal era.

Tyr - "Battle Ballad" from Battle Ballads (2024)

4.5/5. One of the mightiest tracks here. Everything's a small journey in this song! It's almost like Devin Townsend helped produced it alongside the album's actual producer Jacob Hansen. The bass should still be as audible as the rest, honestly.

Elvellon - "Dreamcatcher" from Until Dawn (2018)

5/5. OK, my earlier claim that I like the more extreme-tinged symphonic metal better isn't really false. However, there are some melodic symphonic metal songs and bands that I love. This one is quite beautiful and has some similar vibes in the instrumentation to the brighter upbeat side of Kamelot.

Haggard - "Awaking the Centuries" from Awaking the Centuries (2000)

4.5/5. A beautiful medieval symphonic metal epic that I wish had discovered over a decade before this comment.

Beyond the Black - "Welcome to My Wasteland" from Horizons (2020)

5/5. And finally, one last awesome symphonic metal song to share. Enjoy the wasteland!

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:

I've checked out this band Genitorturers before, and I thought their material was pretty great. However, what was holding me back from fully enjoying this band is the amount of NSFW and BDSM they have in their aesthetics and lyrics. While I don't totally mind all that, it's obviously not the kind of band to share in the world outside the internet. With that said, the music can entertain me quite well. First track "Lecher B***h" is best known for appearing in the soundtrack for the video game Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines. Sadly for me, it's f***ing bad. This is where I draw the line in the band's BDSM themes being too on the nose. Luckily, the rest of the EP has the music and lyrics better executed, even in a couple of the live renditions of earlier tracks that make up the second half of the EP, though a couple others still fall flat. Besides the energetic music, the vocals of Gen have that perfect primal edge that fits in well with the sound. And honestly, the usage of electronics blended with this metal sound is similar to that of one of Fear Factory's earlier remix releases. Maybe if this band wasn't so BDSM-heavy, they would have the mainstream success Marilyn Manson and Nine Inch Nails have had. Still, Flesh is the Law is a good EP worth listening to. Just skip the bad tracks and keep the highlights to your own self-entertainment....

3.5/5

Recommended tracks: "Flesh is the Law", "House of Shame", "Guns Are Good", "All Hell Breaks Loose"

For fans of: KMFDM, Nine Inch Nails, Omega Lithium

A couple of tracks of bouncy, djenty metalcore connected by a noodling ambient piece. So, basically, not my bag at all and for which I have no strong feelings either for or against. It's not as if it offended my metal sensibilities at all and, in fact, the last track had a couple of decent moments but it just failed to make much impression and I don't feel like I am missing out in any way by knowing nothing about the two bands involved.

2.5/5

I don't listen to a lot of industrial metal but it is one of those genres I may turn to when I need a bit of a change. I have never heard of Klayton or any of his projects, so didn't have any expectations going into this. To be honest I had a pretty good time with it overall. It has its ups and downs, and the samples often get a bit much, but the riffs keep pushing it forward and I would have to say if pressed that it is bettter then most Ministry albums I have heard. The throbbing, hulking "Prayers of a Dead Man" is my firm standout track. It has an ominous, foreboding atmosphere to it that exceeds everything else on the album and seems to utilise the opening riff from Slayer's "Chemical Warfare" to very good effect. On the less positive side "Descend" was a bit too much, its endless samples of Bush Snr. annoyed me immensely and the "Regressor" / "Aggressor" pair didn't do much for me. OK, so it isn't my usual fare, but my experience with it has been positive enough that I will probably have to check out Circle of Dust now.

3.5/5

Thanks for your feedback, Sonny. Now a bit of a spoiler for the June Guardians playlist that will come out this Monday: It has a little more symphonic metal emphasis than this one because I was in that kind of mood when doing my sneak peek submissions, but I've made sure there's enough classic heavy metal to please you and other fans of the genre.

https://metal.academy/hall/640

For the record, I disagree & have voted NO on this nomination. There is certainly a doom/death influence but it's not enough for a primary tag in my opinion.

https://metal.academy/hall/639

https://metal.academy/hall/638

https://metal.academy/hall/637

Here are my thoughts on all selected tracks:

Code Orange - "(deeperthanbefore)" from Underneath (2020)

4/5. A suitable electronic intro for how deep the band is gonna get in diversity.

Oddko - "Disobey" from Disobey (2019)

3.5/5. Oddko can also be a bit diverse in their electro-industrial metal domination.

Rammstein - "Mein Teil" from Reise, Reise (2004)

4/5. Rammstein can make a song and music video about something so disturbing and still have mainstream success. The song is based on a real-life case of cannibalism in which a man named Armin Meiwes murdered and cannibalized another man he found in the internet, including eating his privates. So morbid yet an intriguing song.

Celldweller - "My Disintegration (Joe Ford Remix)" from Satellites (Remixed) (2023)

4.5/5. We need more music like this heard globally, and Joe Ford and Celldweller to keep their collabs going. Honestly, Celldweller should someday do remixes of songs by Infected Mushroom and the Prodigy. The only things that would be disintegrated are people's ears if they turn it up to full blast. And hey, maybe Joe Ford can also remix "Shapshifter". This wicked remix would take your breath away and give it back repeatedly. Who knew something that might be based on the past can sound futuristic?

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

4/5. The criminal justice system has its flaws pointed out in this killer track.

Waltari - "Progression" from Space Avenue (1997)

3.5/5. Space Avenue shows Waltari at their more progressive and industrial.

Iperyt - "Antihuman Hate Generator" from No State of Grace (2011)

3/5. "There is no way of finding a single absolute truth, an irrefutable argument which might help answer the questions of mankind. Philosophy, therefore, is dead, because whereof we cannot speak, thereof we must be silent." I like how f***ing heavy this is, but I feel a little underwhelmed.

Circus of Dead Squirrels - "8-Bit Piece of Shit" from Indoor Recess (2004)

2.5/5. "Piece of Sh*t" is right. This is too much like if video game nerds try to make a KMFDM-inspired song. I can still applaud how clever they are when adding in the Mario soundtrack in the intro and outro. Vocalist Matt Foran has also formed a side-project with ex-Mushroomhead members, Ventana. This song can also go as weird as avant-garde. The lyrics are quite cringe for me, especially when he says "I must be r***rded to write a song about this sh*t". I suppose if I were to check out some avant-garde alt-metal, I would check out Dog Fashion Disco even though I haven't listened to that band in a long while.

Crossbreed - "Seasons" from Synthetic Division (2001)

3/5. This song is more crushing, emotional, and music video-worthy, sounding similar to Static-X and Dope.

Dagoba - "The Things Within" from What Hell is About (2006)

3.5/5. Good-quality industrial/groove metal that might make a great ringtone.

Rorschach Test - "New Blood Order" from The Eleventh (1994)

4/5. At around the same time Rorschach was pioneering metalcore, Rorschach Test was unleashing their own brand of dark industrial metal.

Neurotech - "The Race to Recovery" from The Decipher Volumes (2013)

4.5/5. "Erase me, don't tell me, I'll take you far away from here, delete me, complete me, in the race to recovery." If I had discovered this gem like 12 years ago when my I was starting off my metal taste nice and melodic, I would've loved it back then. I probably would've continued listening to this project if Wulf could bring back the sound of this song and the debut Antagonist, or maybe even as epic and extreme as Mechina. I also love the female vocals and the key-changed outro.

Pain - "Just Think Again" from Psalms of Extinction (2007)

5/5. The guitar soloing here is performed by Children of Bodom's Alexi Laiho (RIP). The song itself is a special 6-minute epic.

Strapping Young Lad - "Far Beyond Metal" from The New Black (2006)

4.5/5. Strapping Young Lad can make a song making fun of metal and still make it metal. RIP the Maggot Master, Dave Brockie AKA Oderus Urungus (GWAR)...

Fear of Domination - "Punish Y.S." from Call of Schizophrenia (2009)

5/5. This rapid punisher really speeds up as rapid riff-tastic highlight. With some great production in the melodeath riffs blended with industrial synths, Norther would probably wish they had more of that.

Subway to Sally - "Herz in der Kinde" from Post Mortem (2024)

4.5/5. If anyone thought Neue Deutsche Harte and epic medieval metal wouldn't go together, Subway to Sally proved them wrong. And sometimes they can provide more than just the experience of music by making an animated video.

Autarkh - "Strife" from Emergent (2023)

4/5. Great guitarwork in this track, right off the bat! Fear Factory and Meshuggah are still the masters of guitar heaviness though.

Persher - "Medieval Soup From the Milkbar" from Sleep Well (2024)

4.5/5. I was expecting this band to go as medieval as Subway to Sally, but this experimental noise-ridden sound is quite killer.

Turmion Katilot - "Revi Minut Auki" from Global Warning (2020)

5/5. This highlight takes you back to the band's beginnings, especially their debut Hoitovirhe with the perfect spark of their earlier sound. Perfect for party rocking, despite the lyrics I don't dare to mention.

Treponem Pal - "Evil is Us - Lofofora Remix" from Evil Music for Evil People (2013)

4.5/5. Even remixes can maintain the evil vibes of the original song despite some electronic overusage.

Combichrist - "RISE" from RISE (2025)

4/5. All rise for some exciting aggrotech metal!

SUB DUB MICROMACHINE - "Road to Nowhere" from Auferstanden! (2008)

3.5/5. The quality is quite good, though the bass could've been more audible.

Static-X - "Gimme Gimme Shock Treatment" from Beneath...Between...Beyond (2004)

3/5. RIP Wayne Static. This is one of the most punky tracks by the band, even throwing back to a bit of their sound from the debut Wisconsin Death Trip. Quite fun but I feel like it could've been way better.

Vibrion - "Revenge" from Instinct (2002)

3.5/5. Not the best but slightly better. Vengeful deathly industrial metal right there.

Unheilig - "Ausblick (Outro)" from LIEBE GLAUBE MONSTER (2026)

4/5. I've been getting some slightly appear for NDH bands like Unheilig now, and I guess I can start small with one of their outro tracks. This is one beautiful and tear-jerking, sounding like the soundtrack to celebrating your victory in the path to freedom. So wonderful, and Hans Zimmer and Two Steps From Hell come to mind.

Mechina - "Blessings Upon the Field Where Blades Will Flood" from Blessings Upon the Field Where Blades Will Flood (2023)

4.5/5. We still have one more track left in this playlist, and of course, it's the final epic! You'll definitely wanna play Warframe and Star Wars Battlefront while listening to this 18-minute journey. And this is the last we hear from David Holch and his growling vocals before he left the band next year. Best of luck in his future endeavors...

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 selected tracks:

Ithilien - "Blindfolded" from Shaping the Soul (2017)

5/5. Starting its original album and this playlist is a slow march of guitars and Celtic instruments, then when the screaming vocals enter the picture, the drumming tempo really speeds up. This is basically the kind of soundtrack Game of Thrones needs for their enemy-slashing battles. And when the mid-paced folk sections come back on, they're for getting hammered, partying, and simply headbanging to the loud heaviness.

Phinehas - "Blood on My Knuckles" from The Last Word is Yours to Speak (2013)

5/5. "FACE YOUR WRATH!!!" Phinehas have made some awesome Christian metalcore, and their second album has some country/southern vibes. I love the riffing after the first chorus. The lyrical themes seem to continue from their debut Thegodmachine. Furthermore, the soloing is so beautiful and intense. I'm glad to include it in the playlist.

We Butter the Bread with Butter - "N!CE" from Das Album (2021)

4.5/5. Pretty nice, right? Nice in the heavy and not depressive sense.

Hope for the Dying - "Iniquitous" from Aletheia (2013)

5/5. This highlight kicks off with some European neoclassical shredding. Then the lyrics battle against false beliefs, "you almost believe the lies yourself". Lots of epic power despite being a short song compared to the rest of that album.

August Burns Red - "The Nameless" from The Nameless (2026)

4.5/5. August Burns Red still have their heavier metalcore roots to make me happy from the rage. Don't shoot the Messengers!

Boundaries - "Death Will Follow Me" from Death Will Follow Me (2026)

4/5. Some wild tempo changes here. They're going as hard as 156/Silence and TDWP's Zombie EPs. And it all leads to the brutal ending breakdown.

Ankor, SiM - "DANZO · Lying Ghost" from DANZO · Lying Ghost (2026)

3.5/5. Ankor are still cranking up good bangers, this one featuring MAH from SiM.

Mirrorcell, VCTMS - "Ichi" from Long Nights in Lovescape (2026)

4/5. This one deserves attention for its VCTMS guest feature and its intense heaviness. I heard that it's a common song to start listening to Mirrorcell, but that would've raised some people's expectations too high. Either way, another solid track!

Vision of Disorder - "The Craving" from Razed to the Ground (2015)

4.5/5. This one is slightly more progressive, having an unorthodox time signature. The power and strength makes that song another one of the best in the original album.

As I Lay Dying - "The Voices That Betray Me" from Beneath the Encasing of Ashes (2001) (based on A Long March: The First Recordings (2006))

5/5. I'm glad the Long March compilation is on Spotify, otherwise I wouldn't be able to add in this standout. In the middle is some well-made heavy sh*t.

ERRA - "Hybrid Earth" from Augment (2013)

4.5/5. An underrated song by ERRA. Their current vocalist JT Cavey should re-record their first two albums with the rest of the band.

Rise of the Northstar - "Back 2 Basics" from Back 2 Basics (2025)

5/5. I love it when a band goes back to their basic roots. I also love the guest vocals by Florent Salfati of Landmvrks.

Like Moths to Flames - "Burn in Water, Drown in Flame" from No Eternity in Gold (2020)

5/5. One of my favorite songs from that Like Moths to Flames album, with a catchy chorus to balance out with the heaviness. And it only gets better from there, reaching its height with the final BLEGH and riffing.

Excessive Force - "Misfortune" from In Your Blood (1995)

4.5/5. One of, if not THE best track of its original album. It's quite strong in the lyrical message of self-reflection and the kick-A riffing. The heavy drumming is also irresistible.

The Devil Wears Prada - "Swords, Dragons & Diet Coke" from Dear Love: A Beautiful Discord (2006)

5/5. Swords, Dragons, &....Diet Coke???? Well, some knights might be underaged or Muslims. This is one of the best songs by the band in the earlier part of their career. It is relatable for those who feel sadness from dead languages and lonely hearts. Christian melodic metalcore can help those get back up after feeling down.

The Agonist - "Immaculate Deception" from Days Before the World Wept (2021)

4.5/5. It's sad that The Agonist are no longer around. Vicky Psarakis can be considered the princess of melodeath/metalcore.

AVRALIZE - "Liminal" from Liminal (2025)

4/5. Another d*mn great track, though a little pop-ish.

Bleed from Within - "Escape Yourself" from Uprising (2013)

4.5/5. Extreme madness that needs more attention, especially in the final riffing outro.

Worm Shepherd - "Wilted Moon" from Ritual Hymns (2022)

5/5. The symphonics shine the best here. This epic highlight is almost a redux to the Lorna Shore track "And I Return to Nothingness".

A Wake in Providence - "Black Mass (feat. Dickie Allen)" from Insidious: Phase II (2017)

4.5/5. A nearly 6-minute epic with great drumming flow from Anthony Dipietro. I enjoy the alternation between Ramos' growls and the screams of Dickie Allen (Infant Annihilator, later Nekrogoblikon). Nothing ever sounds weak there! Their ex-vocalist Will Ramos has that monstrous intensity that would continue to stun listeners 5 years later in his time with Lorna Shore. Absolutely insane!

The Last Ten Seconds of Life - "Sacrifice (the Prince)" from Soulless Hymns (2015)

5/5. So d*mn perfect, absolutely impressive with the brutal music and irreligious lyrics. F*** yeah!

Within Destruction - "Death Awaits Us All" from Deathwish (2018)

5/5. Another 5-minute epic with some great variation. As far as their later sound would go, that one's pretty close.

Frontierer - "Mt. Swath" from Orange Mathematics (2015)

4.5/5. This one is never a disappointment. The rage from the bass and downtuned guitars can pack some punches even in the lowest mix.

Psyopus - "Ms. Sunflower" from Odd Senses (2009)

5/5. One of the best songs by this band. Even something dark, dissonant, and chaotic like during the final minute can comfort me.

Invent Animate, Silent Planet - "Armageddon Eyes" from Bloom in Heaven (2025)

4.5/5. What would you call this collaboration project? Silent Invention? Animated Planet? Nonetheless, an amazing multi-band work!

Northlane, In Hearts Wake - "Equinox" from Equinox (2016)

5/5. It's not every day an interlude deserves a perfect 5 stars. It's what connects the two songs of the Northlane/In Hearts Wake collaboration EP together and is a beautiful smooth interlude. It works as a prelude to something big to close things off, which is kinda the reason for this submission.

Darkest Hour - "Accessible Losses" from Hidden Hands of a Sadist Nation (2003)

4.5/5. Darkest Hour have built the bridge between melodeath and metalcore in tracks like this 8-minute epic. It's just f***ing wild, save for a long yet pleasant soft bridge midway through. And it works well when paired with one last epic...

Bullet for My Valentine - "The End" from The Poison (2005)

5/5. I really love this great end to another metalcore journey. More mellow and depressing but still stands out well. The guitar riff is so simple, Matt can focus on more emotion in his vocals in the cleaner verses. I wish he could keep doing that emotional technique but that would mean he would have to drop the guitar full-time. The song gets heavier but once again, there's no solo. Then it returns to the intro riff used as the outro with soft guitar harmony over it as it all fades out. Another personal favorite!

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!

Thanks, Daniel. I say my view is that Culprit album and those first 3 Queensryche albums are progressive metal, whether mostly or to some extent, yet they haven't cut the bridge between that genre and heavy metal, unlike Fates Warning when they went pure melodic progressive metal from No Exit onwards and Dream Theater which has always been an Infinite band. With that in mind, I'll be voting NO there.

https://metal.academy/hall/635

https://metal.academy/hall/634

https://metal.academy/hall/633

https://metal.academy/hall/632

https://metal.academy/hall/631

https://metal.academy/hall/630

Here's my review summary:

I'm not too surprised that I've never heard of Mirrorcell until sometime this week. They released their debut album Long Nights in Lovescape (sounds like if someone spent all night using an AI dating app) two months ago. It's an album that can go back and forth from ethereal to intense, but it ends up inconsistent with only a few exciting tracks. The album's sound is basically alt-metalcore with some shoegaze. I find the more shoegaze side of them a little too much, often interfering with the times when the band is meant to go heavy. As a result, the offering is plagued with generic tracks. And in the few that are actually fun to listen to, it's because of the experimentation they add to the sound. It's really only then that I realize the band's true potential, specifically track 5. From then on, aside from a couple more poor tracks, the tracks are great highlights with intense heaviness along with well-executed electronics and breakdowns. They have really gotten me hooked with fun catchy melody. All in all, I would consider Long Nights in Lovescape a decent album, just not really a great one. The alternation between generic and anthemic tracks is just underwhelming for me. Still they're a new band with some potential, so I'll give them the benefit of a doubt. They just need to improve on their sound and seal it as something unique. I have nothing against shoegazey alt-metalcore, yet the generic sh*t is what made the sound stop being one of my favorite metal styles in the first place. There's still some good in the fusion, they just need to really let it out. Otherwise, we would have another decent yet generic release like this. We'll see what the future holds....

3/5

Recommended tracks: "Hurt Me", "Ichi", "U(phoria)", "Prey"

For fans of: Cane Hill, Issues, Volumes

I've created a Hall of Judgement entry to decide on the doom metal credentials of "Warning":

https://metal.academy/hall/628

Not an Iron Savior guy, but I definitely recommend Unification.

Avenged Sevenfold came out right around the time I was starting my metal journey and City of Evil got just popular enough to show up on MTV's Headbangers Ball back in the day. But anyone who has listened to A7X's discography knows that City of Evil is an outlier of sorts. This band has never stayed in one genre for too long and it has left people feeling rather cold on them through the years. After starting their career as a conventional melodic metalcore band, they ditched the sound nearly entirely for something closer to 1980s Iron Maiden.

It was certainly a choice, but it turned out quite well for the band since nearly all of the pieces were there; Jimmy Sullivan's strong presence behind the kit, Synyster Gates' phenomenal guitar arranging and soloing, and strong bass lines. M. Shadows' vocals are still a major turnoff of this band; not that they couldn't be superb if the genre was different, but when you set unreasonable expectations of trying to channel Bruce Dickinson, it's going to leave the whole experience feeling like a major disappointment.

However, that's not even the main reason why I cannot rate City of Evil any higher. We all love Powerslave here right? One thing that album never did was waste the listeners time. And yeah, City of Evil has some bangers, including "Blinded in Chains", "Bat County" and "Beast and the Harlot". But songs like "Sidewinder" "M.I.A." and especially "Strength of the World" are so obviously trying to be epic, but instead just waste the listeners time. Not every track on the record needed to have progressive metal filler moments and extended guitar noodling solos. A little trimming would have done wonders and, probably, made the remaining long epics live up to that title. Instead, City of Evil is a record that has its moments, but tries too hard to be progressive in a "scene" that does not need it.

3.5/5

I will be honest, when I saw this record put forward for a feature release this month, I groaned inwardly. Having tried to understand the hype around this album on many occasions previously, I could never quite fathom its cult status. For me personally, it has always been Empire that is my go-to Queensrÿche album. A factor in my opinion of Operation Mindcrime has always been its arrangement. Metal/rock operas are tedious affairs to me, often where songs get snarled up in acts at various points in the record, completely disrupting the flow of the album usually. Here on this record, there is the double whammy of two, largely non-musical intro tracks to open proceedings, so my irritation soon becomes difficult to control.

Arrangement challenges aside, this outing with album has been much more fruitful than I expected. If I divert my attention away from the actual storytelling, I can acknowledge that there are some fantastic tracks on this record. I recalled that I had always liked ‘I Don’t Believe in Love’, but on this outing the class of ‘Suite Sister Mary’ shone through. I am confident that with future listens I will be able to expand on the list of standout tracks as some made a more subconscious impact this time around.

There are still some gripes, however. I struggle to describe much of this as metal in all honesty. The extravagance of the leads perhaps is all that keeps the sound this side of the hard rock style that I recognise as being more prevalent. I don’t really buy the progressive tag either. I doubt if it were all that progressive, I would have found as much positivity in the album as I have. However, let’s try to keep those positive vibes coming and end on a high note. This has been a successful revisit for me, albeit an unexpected one. I have a feeling if I edit the track listing myself on this, I could even get a higher rating for this album in the future.

3.5/5

Good reviews, guys! Thanks for all your feedback.

I actually took time to click through this yesterday.  I won't pretend I listened the whole way through as it still confuses me terribly what gets classed as metalcore sometimes when it sounds more like pop-music (which has its place somewhere, just not in my wheelhouse, usually).  The more actual metallic hardcore a track is the better, which is why I enjoyed The Revolution feature release this month.  I added some tracks to my workout playlist (Varials, Fox Lake and August Burns Red) but still got along with Carnifex and Sylosis well enough to explore more.

Here are my thoughts on some tracks:

Tyrant of Death - "Cyanide" from Cyanide (2012)

4/5. Solid start, though before I first listened to this track, I almost thought it would be like a Deathstars cover which would've ruled.

Pain - "Call Me" from Coming Home (2016)

4.5/5. Then comes a greater standout. In the instrumentation, the industrial sound is blended with some epic power metal from bands like Unleash the Archers and Sabaton, especially with the latter band's vocalist Joakim Brodén guest appearing. I love that one!

Celldweller - "End of an Empire" from End of an Empire (2015)

5/5. We really need more electro-metal artists doing the way of Blue Stahli and Celldweller. This masterpiece song should've been in the Cyberpunk 2077 soundtrack!

OOMPH! - "Sag Jetzt Einfach Nichts" from Richter Und Henker (2023)

4.5/5. The new OOMPH! can still impress people with their lyrics of sorrow.

Persher - "Sycamore" from Sleep Well (2024)

4/5. Well, now we're heading to the more experimental sludgy side of things.

Psychopomps - "Wonderful World" from Six Six Six Nights in Hell (1995)

3.5/5. Although I can't really find the lyrics for this song, it still has its beauty and darkness.

Viter - "Viter" from Springtime (2012)

4/5. Interesting blend of industrial metal and Ukrainian folk.

Jacob Lizotte - "Afterlife" from Afterlife (2026)

4.5/5. Amazing industrial metalcore song from the master of royalty-free modern metal! I love both his cleans and growls.

Turmion Katilot - "Pyha Maa" from Technodiktator (2013)

5/5. The track that I consider my favorite here in this Turmion Katilot album is a fantastic track I would revisit quite often as the techno beats are blended well with some of the heaviest riffing by the band.

Eisbrecher - "Satt" from Kaltfront°! (2025)

4.5/5. Remember those Eisbrecher songs from my last 3 playlists? This one really has what's missing in those tracks, a breakdown and trumpets. It should be listened to with headphones for an excellent experience. Even in NDH, anything is possible.

Rammstein - "Haifisch" from Liebe Ist Fur Alle Da (2009)

4/5. This song can be fitting for soldiers heading to war, and the lyrics are quite poetic in both German and the English translation. Honestly, this is pretty great.

Dimension F3H - "Paint Me Something Bleach" from Reaping the World Winds (2003)

3.5/5. Is bleach even a paint color? That song title is a little whack, as is this otherwise good song.

Samael - "Antigod" from Lux Mundi (2011)

4/5. I still enjoy some Samael songs despite having moving on from that band.

Godflesh - "Tyrant" from Hymns (2001)

4.5/5. The tyrannical aggression can be found in this track when the vocals are mostly shouts.

Static-X - "Goat" from Cannibal (2007)

4/5. If this song was slightly faster, it could've ended up in their debut Wisconsin Death Trip. RIP Wayne Static

Intensive Care - "Cancer Causes Rats" from Diprivan (2018)

3.5/5. OK, first of all, that should be "Rats Cause Cancer", to be more factually correct. Second, rats are morely like to cause rabies. You see what I mean about the song titles being as odd as the songs?

Moshpit - "Follow the Loser" from Follow the Loser (2008)

4/5. This one has more of a drum 'n' bass pace while staying metal.

Mnemic - "The Naked and the Dead" from Mechanical Spin Phenomena (2003)

4.5/5. Another amazing highlight to make even the most serious metalhead smile.

Circle of Dust - "Telltale Crime - 1992" from Brainchild (1994)

5/5. Another highlight a lot more people need to hear more of. This edition has an audio sample from Geraldo Rivera in the intro that was then removed for the Circle of Dust album. That actually makes it more eerie, and I love it!

Iperyt - "Totalitarian Love Pulse" from Totalitarian Love Pulse (2006)

4.5/5. Blackened techno-industrial metal, huh? This may be too heavy and hyper for anyone inexperienced, but for me it's quite pleasant.

Crawl - "No Way Out" from No Way Out (2025)

4/5. The extreme industrial metal chaos doesn't stop there, this one's more deathly.

Klank - "Something About You (feat. Dug Pinnick)" from Urban Warfare (2012)

3.5/5. A f***ing cool tune by Klank featuring King's X vocalist Doug Pinnick.

Sovereign - "Disorder" from Harbinger (2017)

4/5. A hyperspeed cyber metal track with a similar vibe to the heavier side of Mechina.

Division Alpha - "Inside Replika" from Replika (2003)

3.5/5. Another good cyber metal tune to blow your mind.

Godkiller - "Deliverance" from Deliverance (2000)

3/5. Also decent but doesn't really deliver as much.

Woods of Belial - "Pervertum" from Deimos XIII (2003)

2.5/5. Y'know, when I first heard this track in that Woods of Belial album, I thought it was the memorable part of that album that pretty much exemplifies the dark temptation of the more experimental side of The Sphere. Don't ask me what I was think there. I now hear that ambient industrial instrumental finale as what it is, ambient industrial. In fact, listening to it a few times while doing my playlist test marathons made me lose my appeal for it. That was a tough blow...

Spineshank - "Dead to Me" from Self-Destructive Pattern (2003)

3/5. Spineshank vocalist Jonny Santos would later form Silent Civilian during his temporary departure. Both bands have a song titled "Dead to Me". I prefer the Silent Civilian song a lot more, though the Spineshank can throw a few raging punches.

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:

Iron Fire - "The Final Crusade" from Thunderstorm (2000)

4.5/5. Iron Fire's debut Thunderstorm is one of my newfound favorite power metal albums, and it exemplifies the amazing fantasy-filled melodic power metal developed by Gamma Ray and Helloween. They don't even have to go crazy on progressiveness and synths. The guitar riffs and leads are what deliver. Join the crusade!

Therion - "To Mega Therion" from Theli (1996)

5/5. Theli is one of the best symphonic metal albums ever, having brought that genre to life with awesome anthems like this one.

Epica - "Facade of Reality (The Embrace That Smothers, Part 5)" from The Phantom Agony (2003)

4.5/5. Epica can really pull off some kick-A symphonic metal epics. "We will take you with us..."

Plasmatics - "Doom Song" from New Hope for the Wretched/Metal Priestess (1981)

4/5. Well this is an interesting submission, an early blend of punk and heavy metal. The vocals by the late Wendy O. Williams sound so great. "The prince of darkness here! You've sealed your doom! Your time has come! YHVH, so it is done!!!" RIP

Black Sabbath - "Symptom of the Universe" from Sabotage (1975)

4.5/5. One of the heaviest songs to come from the 70s. You can say it's proto-thrash! Well, at least until the final two minutes when it switches to a softer jazz-like section. Apparently, they were inspired to some degree by the Hollies when making this. And I think it songs like this would give Judas Priest vocalist Rob Halford's voice a rough metal edge from Sad Wings of Destiny onwards.

Ozzy Osbourne - "Crazy Train" from Blizzard of Ozz (1980)

4/5. "All aboard!!! Ha ha ha... AYY!" Such an iconic opening line sung by Ozzy Osbourne. RIP... The chorus line "Mental wounds not healing" (which would become the title of one of the Uniform/The Body collaboration albums) hits differently now. Anyway, this is a solid classic hit!

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

3.5/5. Nearly 6 decades (!) at this point, and Judas Priest are still going f***ing strong in touring and making good songs.

Hollow Ground - "Warlord" from Warlord (1980)

3/5. Some somewhat good NWOBHM despite the sh*tty quality (I don't blame them, it was 80s underground).

Accept - "Straight Up Jack" from Humanoid (2024)

3.5/5. Accept have no problem performing straight-up hard rock/metal, as they've been doing for the past 5 decades. Despite sounding closer to AC/DC, it's a good banger. I can practically hear this song in that band's Back in Black album. I'm glad many of us are still here after the pandemic to hear songs like this. The guitar soloing doesn't really sound greatly mixed though. That, along with the guitar melodies sound too rock-ish, are what makes this slightly disappointing.

Holocaust - "Death or Glory" from The Nightcomers (1981)

3/5. Good lyrics, decent music, but again the underground quality could've been better. I heard that Gamma Ray covered this song, I should check that out at some point.

Erik Gronwall - "Bad Bones" from Bad Bones (2025)

2.5/5. I thought this one sounded cool and heavy, but now I may have to reassess my thoughts. It sounds much closer to the revival of 80s hard rock than anything metal. Those bones have gone bad, all right.

Angel Witch - "Angel of Death" from Angel Witch (1980)

3/5. Lots of things stolen from thrash metal bands in this song. Metallica would take the chorus riff and add it to "For Whom the Bell Tolls", and Slayer would take the song title for an entirely different, more (in)famous song.

Killer - "Ready for Hell" from Ready for Hell (1980)

3.5/5. Ready for Hell? Me, probably not. But still a good one.

Iron Maiden - "Killers" from Killers (1981)

4/5. An underrated killer song from the more punk-ish earlier era with their initial vocalist Paul Di'Anno. RIP... "I can see what a life's meant to be". Also, impressive drumming by Clive Burr! RIP him too...

Metal Church - "Brainwash Game" from Brainwash Game (2026)

4.5/5. Metal Church are back, heavier than ever and having a new lineup including vocalist Brain Allen, bassist David Ellefson (from Megadeth), and drummer Ken Mary. Brian Allen fits right in while respecting the legacy of their two earlier fallen vocalists, David Wayne and Mike Howe (RIP).

Altaria - "Crucifix" from The Fallen Empire (2006)

5/5. An epic piece of heavy/power metal! This would actually fit well with one of those classic Disney medieval fantasy films.

Fairyland - "Doryan the Enlighted" from Of Wars in Osyhria (2003)

5/5. An epic piece of prog-ish symphonic power metal! Lots of pure melodic majesty in this one. Quite an anthem for warriors to fight dragons. And I enjoy the vocals by Elisa Martin who had just left Dark Moor at that time.

Dragonfly - "Solo Depende de Ti" from Domine (2006)

4.5/5. Dragonfly is a power metal band with Spanish lyrics. When translated, you can find a supportive motivational lyrical message. The music itself is quite excellent, so beautiful and heavy. Especially in the soloing at the 3-minute mark. Whatever happens, it only depends on you!

Xandria - "Kill the Sun" from Kill the Sun (2003)

5/5. The title opener of Xandria's debut marked the birth of one of the most wonderful bands in symphonic metal. I wish Lisa Middelhauve could've stayed with the band longer, or maybe reunite with them someday. Her angelic vocals really enhance this awesome song.

Dreamstate - "Evolution" from Evolution (2012)

4.5/5. Another underrated symphonic metal song, featuring Elize Ryd of Amaranthe. Such a shame this song is all we got from this band/project.

Fabienne Erni - "Ritual (feat. Lena Scissorhands)" from Ritual (2026)

4/5. A little more on the alternative side, but quite emotional, especially in the vocals by both Fabienne Erni (Eluveitie) and Lena Scissorhands (Infected Rain).

Hizaki - "Desert Apple" from Rosario (2016)

4.5/5. At the time of Versailles' temporary split, guitarist Hizaki worked on some solo material, including a nice rendition of this Versailles instrumental.

Versailles - "Catharsis" from Jubilee (2010)

5/5. And now we have one of Versailles' own songs, having their epic power metal sound as always!

Iron Savior - "Machine World" from Battering Ram (2004)

4.5/5. Iron Savior has also made some underrated songs, and this would be one of the tracks re-recorded for their Reforged albums.

Queensryche - "Eyes of a Stranger" from Operation: Mindcrime (1988)

5/5. And now we get to the closing track of its original album and this playlist. It still remains as my favorite song of this Queensryche album and possibly by the band! Everything's amazing, from the buildup to the climax. Yes, the climax, in which the melody keeps repeating until it is cut off, and nothing happens until Nicky says one last time, "I remember now." One of the best ending tracks, and certainly the best one in 80s heavy/progressive metal!

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:

Sybreed was formed in 2003 in Switzerland, a country in Europe surrounded by other countries like Germany, France, and Italy, and sharing the same languages as those countries. This band blends industrial metal with elements of other styles including the groove metal of Devildriver, the djent of Meshuggah, and even a dash of black metal. Their 4th album God is an Automaton was one last trip through this experimental cyber dimension. Most of the songs are solid anthems of groove-ish industrial metal. Any open-minded listener can appreciate this bridge between industrial and groove. There's really only one weak track. One other minor issue to note for this album is the lack of audible bass. Brushing that aside, this revolutionary band made their last attack. They've recently returned with a Slave Design remaster and a new track, and they will make more music, so this album won't be the last we've heard from this band....

4/5

Recommended tracks: "The Line of Least Resistance", "Red Nova Ignition", "Hightech Versus Lowlife", "Challenger", "Into the Blackest Light", "Destruction and Bliss"

For fans of: Fear Factory, Mnemic, Samael

Sorry, but no.

I read somewhere recently that Jacob Bannon did not necessarily think that the world needed a new Converge record, but that the band themselves did. There was a time, not too long ago when I would have probably deemed that I never needed a Converge record at all, but that has been well documented on Metal Academy already. The tides have turned and I find myself on much less turbulent terms with some of the content of The Revolution clan, to the point where I can enjoy the harder sounding metalcore releases. As it turns out then, Love Is Not Enough is right up my street.

It sounds like a lot more of a riffy affair than I remember from previous outings with the band’s releases. The start of 'Bad Faith' shows this particular trait well I find. Likewise, the grinding sensibilities of 'Distract and Divide' is an absolute treasure. These short bursts of fury that cover the first four tracks of the album create a real sense of momentum early in the listening experience. As a result, the instrumental 'Beyond Repair' almost sucks some life from proceedings, However, I find it is a very clever little track. Its broken percussion befits the track title superbly when you take time to listen under a more critical mindset.

That raging aggression is soon back alongside those big riffs for the remainder of Love Is Not Enough. It is an accomplishment to cram such a rewarding listening experience into a little over half an hour. I find it has appeal for its scathing honesty and the bluntness of its messaging also. Love Is Not Enough as an album title tells you all you need to know really. This is a record with a lot of bitterness that is borne out of suffering, told by souls who no longer wish to stay silent on the matter. Probably the best metalcore album I have ever experienced.

4.5/5

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

Since releasing their debut Via 15 years ago, Volumes have been a well-praised band in the djenty metalcore scene. Mirror Touch shows the band transition to mainstream alt-metal practically complete, though this melodic direction is not without some throwbacks to their heavy groove-laden roots. They know how to please both new and longtime fans. Some tracks throw heavy punches while others flow through a pop-ish sound. In fact, this album may have both the softest and heaviest songs in their catalog. It's nice and consistent, and a great way to end the previous year. They still have their magic touch....

4/5

For fans of: Beartooth, Myke Terry-era Bury Your Dead, Northlane

Here are my thoughts on all the selected tracks:

Tyrant of Death - "Processed Evolution" from Singles and Extras (2018)

4.5/5. Let me start by saying that there are many underrated geniuses out there. One of them is Alex Rise. He has made music that should really catch on even without a record label. The melancholic soft bridge midway through really touches my heart. You can practically consider this cyberpunk metal that practically injects the riffwork of Star One into Fear Factory. It's quite a standout, and I also enjoy the vocals by the late Malcolm Burgess. RIP

Mnemic - "Dreamstate Emergency" from The Audio Injected Soul (2004)

5/5. This highlight follows as a straight-up banger. Heaviness is totally on their agenda here, though there's a soothing chorus before more of the riff attack. The ultimate anthem for the band in a nutshell!

Pitchshifter - "Civilised" from www.pitchshifter.com (1998)

4.5/5. Another underrated track, and I especially like the verses.

Emigrate, Marilyn Manson - "Hypothetical" from Silent So Long (2014)

4.5/5. And another one to love. Hypothetically, would you share it with your outside friends? I probably won't.

Circle of Dust - "Contagion" from Machines of Our Disgrace (2016)

5/5. This standout can fit well in this playlist and its original album as much as any of the earlier material. Some of the best lyrics, riffs, keys, and samples can be found here, almost like it's a Brainchild B-side.

Gothminister - "Norge" from Pandemonium (2022)

5/5. A doomy march of gloom thathas possible potential to be the Norwegian anthem. Note that the title is Norwegian for their homeland of Norway, hence the potential.

Waltari - "Radium Round" from Radium Round (1999)

4.5/5. I still recognize some Waltari songs as potential classics.  Kärtsy Hatakka's falsetto singing in the verses is quite impressive.

Surgical Meth Machine - "Spudnik" from Surgical Meth Machine (2016)

4/5. Then we check on Al Jourgensen's projects, starting with Surgical Meth Machine.

Ministry - "The Missing" from The Land of Rape and Honey (1988)

3.5/5. And of course, his main band Ministry. This one has some of the earliest industrial metal energy without ever slowing their a**es down. They've already left behind the new wave/synthpop of With Sympathy.

Eisbrecher - "Zeitgeist" from Kaltfront°! (2025)

3/5. Seems like Eisbrecher is taking more of an Electric Callboy-esque direction in the instrumentation. Cool riffing, and cool guest vocals by Joachim Witt. However, it sounds a bit silly, not to mention this is still Neue Deutsche Harte. I think I'd rather get my German industrial metal from Lord of the Lost, thank you very much.

Rammstein - "Zwitter" from Mutter (2001)

3.5/5. This one is a heavier song to like. It has more furious riffing and some of the best and most bizarre lyrics of androgynous self-pleasure, "I'm not discouraged, when someone says 'f*** you' to me."

Genitorturers - "River's Edge-Strip the Flesh" from 120 Days of Genitorture (1993)

3/5. As I become a more serious listener than I was earlier on, it has stripped away a lot of my enjoyment for the more provocative songs from bands like Genitorturers.

Course of Empire - "Captain Control" from Telepathic Last Words (1998)

3.5/5. Same thing with this one, though it sounds slightly more controlled.

Sybreed - "Challenger" from God is an Automaton (2012)

4/5. Disposing of some of that weakness is this catchy mainstream-ish track, which is heavier while throwing in some keyboards, a balance mastered in Antares. Benjamin Nominet's vocals sound the best here, with somber cleans going well with his raging growls. So unique!

Subliminal Fear - "Escape From Leviathan" from Escape From Leviathan (2016)

4.5/5. So unique that this track ended sounding like that previous one. F***ing impressive drumming there!

Division Alpha - "Insipid Mattr of Fact" from The Dekta Release (2002)

4/5. Great, but I feel a little something's missing, kind of like the E in "Matter".

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

4.5/5. This one emphasizes on industrial metal's signature aspects of mechanical rhythm and audio samples, showing the genre's effective development progress.

Mushroomhead - "Burn" from Savior Sorrow (2006)

4/5. Very nice, but now I realize it's slightly generic.

Turmion Katilot - "Kay Tanssiin" from Omen X (2023)

4.5/5. This one has massive darkness as the keyboard melodies get their kicks.

Cypecore - "Patient Zero" from Make Me Real (2024)

4/5. The closest throwback to their earlier melodeath sound while adding in a nice amount of electronics for good measure.

Seth Ect - "Heart Beat" from Godspeak (2011)

4.5/5. One of the best songs by Seth Ect, having some cool Samael vibes.

Crawl - "Emotional Cage" from Earth (1995)

4/5. This one has the more emotional rage of industrial death metal.

Pain - "Dark Fields of Pain" from Rebirth (1999)

4.5/5. We then get to this mid-paced track that's one of the most captivating songs here, acting as a bridge between Pain's debut and their later albums.

Celldweller - "So Long Sentiment" from Wish Upon a Blackstar (2012)

4/5. Still having its sentimental power having nearly 15 years. Thank you, Klayton.

Zaraza - "Necessary" from Slavic Blasphemy (1997)

3.5/5. Good potential for doom fans, and one of only two tracks I find necessary in that album.

Jacob Lizotte - "Dark Matter" from DARK MATTER (2026)

4/5. And finally, a synthwave-infused industrial/alt-metal finale by one of today's masters of modern metal, Jacob Lizotte.

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:

Nails - "Imposing Will" from Every Bridge Burning (2024)

5/5. Starting this playlist is my first time hearing Nails. I was a little nervous since they started off as a grindcore band, but now I can recognize the PURE F***ING VIOLENCE. And I'm saying that in a good way because it has absolutely floored me with brutal metalcore satisfaction. They nailed it!

Fear of Domination - "Alone" from Katharsis (2026)

4.5/5. Another h*ll of a strong energetic start. The verses screamed by both vocalists are in a great contrast with the catchy sung choruses for a well-balanced composition.

In This Moment - "Beautiful Tragedy" from Beautiful Tragedy (2007) 

4/5. Maria Brink can singing beautifully while also unleashing sharp screaming intensity. She both looks and sounds gorgeous! With all that said, I'm getting a little burned out from the alt-metal hinted at in this song and spreading into subsequent albums.

Lamb of God - "The Faded Line" from Ashes of the Wake (2004)

4.5/5. Some of Lamb of God's earlier songs actually sound closer to metalcore while maintaining their usual groove metal. "Silence, the only promise ever kept!"

Phinehas - "White Livered" from Till the End (2015)

5/5. Totally phenomenal and kick-A, from the intro to the ending breakdown, reminding some of My Heart to Fear.

Threat Signal - "Non-Essential" from Non-Essential (2026)

4.5/5. F*** yeah, they're back! This one throws back to their earlier days of Under Reprisal and might remind some of Silent Civilian.

Left to Suffer - "Artificial Anatomy" from Feral (2023)

5/5. If you're waiting for something brutal, you'll get it in this highlight. Soon the heaviness speeds up and then you hear the fast growling rage of guest vocalist Kim Dracula. Taylor Barber ends the track with a shrieking breakdown that practically makes that song their own "To the Hellfire"!

Blind Witness - "Since the Beginning" from Nightmare on Providence St. (2010)

5/5. I can still enjoy the sh*t out of this despite being over 15 years late. It's a f***ing beast! I can definitely hear some Neaera vibes here. It just sounds so cool. It would be great to hear more of this band, and I wish they didn't split up. The breakdown that appears twice in the song before replaying the main riff is crushing as f***.

BOI WHAT - "Carry Me Away" from Carry Me Away (2026)

4.5/5. The AI Plankton Metal reign is still standing in this beautiful song that includes female singing. Is that a guest vocalist or another AI voice filter? Hmm...

Annisokay - "Get Your Shit Together" from Abyss - The Final Chapter (2025)

4/5. Great song, but I think a collab between this band, Imminence, and Rammstein is in order.

What Lies Below - "Void Alone" from Void Alone (2025)

4.5/5. Sounds quite unique with only a slight touch of Architects.

Living Sacrifice - "Ghost Thief" from Ghost Thief (2013)

5/5. Living Sacrifice can very well be the kings of Christian metalcore, opening the gates for other bands of the scene like Demon Hunter and (formerly) As I Lay Dying. They're one of the most brutal Christian metal bands out there, using a stylistic format once thought impossible in Christian music. Demon Hunter is a more melodic band though they have their moments like featuring Living Sacrifice vocalist Bruce Fitzhugh. There should really be more soloing in some of Living Sacrifice's songs though.

Trivium - "Struck Dead" from Struck Dead (2025)

4.5/5. The title track of Trivium's new EP has mid-paced groove with Heafy bellowing the track's title, "STRUCK. F***ING. DEAD!!!". And when it switches to the big melodic chorus, it already seems like a remake of their ultimate best track that is the In Waves title track. That is, until it speeds up for a long brutal thrash/groove bridge. It's just pure rage throughout, with the most of that in the breakdown. Enjoyable, but can't beat the other two tracks in the EP and especially not "In Waves".

Sylosis - "Erased" from Erased (2026)

5/5. Sylosis is mostly known for their thrashy melodeath sound, but their new album The New Flesh adds greater amounts of groove metal and their earlier sound of melodic metalcore in songs like this. D*mn, those guys hit hard with all their strong talent.

Burnt by the Sun - "Goliath" from Heart of Darkness (2009)

4.5/5. It's sad that Burnt by the Sun are no longer active. Their songs are underrated heavy gems of metal/mathcore, hinting at both hardcore and deathgrind. That long growl by vocalist Mike Olender at the end is just EPIC.

Jacob Lizotte - "Leech" from Leech (2025)

4/5. Jacob Lizotte can master any modern metal genre in his songs, this one being heavy all-out nu metalcore. It's just so brutal, especially Jacob's vocals. Those screams RULE. It's almost like one of Motionless in White's heavier tracks.

Black My Heart - "Thick as Blood" from Before the Devil (2005)

4.5/5. If you think some of those other bands have the most pummeling breakdowns, Black My Heart be like "Hold our beers." This can practically be good for metalcore partying! I also love the different buildups to the faster sections.

Shadow of Intent - "Where Millions Have Come to Die" from Elegy (2022)

5/5. This standout has more dynamic brutality. The variation makes sure there isn't any unneeded repetition, along with vocals by Phil Bozeman of Whitechapel.

A Wake in Providence - "Oblivion (feat. Mark Poida)" from The Blvck Sun || The Blood Moon (2019)

4.5/5. This one is a sludgy anthem that includes blazing drumming. What makes it more of a highlight is the occasional clean singing by guitarist D'Andre Tyre as well as guest vocals by Mark Poida (ex-Aversions Crown).

Make Them Suffer - "Maelstrom" from Neverbloom (2012)

5/5. This is an absolute f***ing storm of epic and extreme, and I'm not saying it like a brown-nosing fanboy. This is more true epic deathcore power! A breakdown here might seem simple but it's another one of the most powerful in the album. It is the second of the three 6 and a half minute epics. Once again, the lyrics are so poetic that they can be published as poetry without the music. Those beautiful poetic lyrics are brutalized by the powerful screams of lead vocalist Sean Harmanis with a mighty voice ranging from black metal shrieks to death metal growls. The guitar work here is incredible too. The drumming is great, but it drowns out the bass.

Vision of Disorder - "Beneath the Green" from For the Bleeders (1999)

4.5/5. The best song of this Vision of Disorder album. My mind can embrace it as much as it embraces me.

Vana - "Pray" from Pray (2025)

4/5. Quite a f***ing hard-hitter, despite falling into the more Poppy-core side of things.

Converge - "We Were Never the Same" from Love is Not Enough (2026)

4.5/5. The closing track of the new Converge album maintains the band's metalcore roots while restoring some of the post-sludge from Bloodmoon. The best way to end this half-hour journey that is the original album!

Avenged Sevenfold - "I Won't See You Tonight Part 2" from Waking the Fallen (2003)

4/5. The second part of a two-part suite, the f***ing kick-A rage practically decimates the despair of the first part. Even the guitar from the first part is sped up! The lyrics have more suicidal tendencies (and I don't mean the band). Vocalist M. Shadows wouldn't be doing anymore of his brutal screaming after this, and it's not because of throat damage contrary to popular belief.

Imminence - "Come What May (feat. Tim Charles)" from The Return of the Black (2025)

4.5/5. The verses here are filled with heavy aggression, which is great for the band's longest song to date. I enjoy this guest vocalist edition more, in which Tim Charles of Ne Obliviscaris contributes his own singing and violin alongside Eddie Berg in both positions.

Ion Dissonance - "A Prelude of Things Worse to Come" from Solace (2005)

5/5. One of the darkest, heaviest, most brutal epics I've heard in the Revolution clan, long before The Acacia Strain started making those kinds of epics. I'm talking absolutely heavy sludginess that is THE SH*T. Quite a fitting swansong for their original vocalist Gabriel McCaughry. Indeed a prelude of heavier things to come in the next playlist...

The Breathing Process - "Todeskrone" from Todeskrone (2023)

5/5. But not before an epic throwback to the blackened side of this band's past, packed with sounds of deathly destruction.

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:

ZP Theart, Syndrone, Sophie Burrell, Bradley Hall - "Through the Fire and Flames (20th Anniversary)" from Through the Fire and Flames (20th Anniversary) (2026)

5/5. The one song that has gotten me into metal has been given a 20th anniversary revamp by ZP Theart together with Syndrone, Sophie Burrell, and Bradley Hall. It is quite epic, but I still prefer the original by a slight notch. I can't believe it has been 20 years since the original came out, and two-thirds of that amount of time since it got me into the world of metal. ZP's vocals are still majestic, as is his long hair. I also enjoy the guest soloing by Bradley Hall and Sophie Burrell. Good times relived!

Xandria - "Save My Life" from Salome - The Seventh Veil (2007)

4.5/5. This song is relatable for anyone feeling lonely and in emotional pain, even as young as in their 20s. The band's vocalist at the time, Lisa Middelhauve both looks and sounds so beautiful, enchanting this amazing song.

Ludmilla - "Forgotten Heroes Another Side" from Forgotten Heroes (2025)

4/5. I felt like helping a fellow Metal Academy member get one of their songs out there. I say this one's the correct side compared to that other "Forgotten Heroes" song.

Accept - "Sounds of War" from Accept (1979)

4.5/5. Accept's earlier lineup covering most of their first 7 albums is the probably their most well-known one. I like the drumming during the solo midway through.

Benedictum - "Benedictum" from Uncreation (2006)

5/5. This highlight can be considered the band's theme song. Here it starts with sinister Latin chanting before the band brings forward their blend of Sabbath and modern heavy metal in different sections.

Black Sabbath - "Children of the Sea" from Heaven & Hell (1980)

4.5/5. RIP Dio. His lyrics can work for any situation in any year. He wrote that song together with guitarist Tony Iommi who can perform sweet guitar melody. Practically everything here can be timeless! Of course, we can't forget about the vocalist before Dio, Ozzy Osbourne. RIP him too...

Scorpions - "The Sails of Charon" from Taken by Force (1978)

4/5. One of Uli Jon Roth's written songs, this one stands out with his good dark lyrical matter.

Metal Church - "Watch the Children Pray" from The Dark (1986)

4.5/5. Metal Church is standing 40 years after their second and last album with original vocalist David Wayne. RIP... His vocals sound so wonderful, and his high screams are spine-chilling. The chorus, guitar, and lyrics are quite kick-A. Watch us pray to the metal gods!

Bleak House - "Rainbow Warrior" from Rainbow Warrior (1980)

4/5. "Welcome to where time stands still..." Oops, wrong song! This one is part of an intro riff similarity food chain and is only the second one after The Straubs' "Down by the Sea", both followed by Metallica's "Welcome Home (Sanitarium)", "Michael Jackson's "Give in to Me", Weezer's "Undone", and Dream Theater's "Endless Sacrifice". The drums here actually sound a bit jazzy.

Judas Priest - "Diamonds and Rust" from Sin After Sin (1977)

3.5/5. Not many people know this, but this is a cover of a song by Joan Baez who wrote it about her affair with Rob Dylan. It's good that the band covered it in their own style instead of making it the folky ballad the original was.

Motorhead - "Motorhead" from Motorhead (1977)

3/5. Several tracks after that Benedictum one, I've added in a couple more "band theme songs", starting with this one by Motorhead. Lemmy wrote it when he was with Hawkwind before he was fired from that band and started his own. I say it's decent but a little more hard rock than metal. RIP Lemmy

Iron Maiden - "Iron Maiden" from Iron Maiden (1980)

3.5/5. And this is the third "band theme song", and second one in a row, by Iron Maiden, when Paul Di'Anno was the vocalist. RIP... The albums with Paul Di'Anno were noted to be more punky than their subsequent releases, all while maintaining the verse-chorus structure. Some may even consider this a faster Black Sabbath. And of course, without any of those bands, we wouldn't have Def Leppard or Metallica, or even Slipknot or Linkin Park, or any other metal band we know and love.

Riot - "Narita" from Narita (1979)

4/5. The rapid title instrumental of this Riot album has upbeat riffing and drumming. An explosive piece of protospeed metal! It would've been better with the late Guy Speranza's vocal power, but the track can still do fine without it. And there's more of his expressive singing to come in other catchy tunes in this album. RIP

Legend - "The Destroyer" from From the Fjords (1979)

4.5/5. Legend is another early band whose music is still known nearly 5 decades later, especially with Eternal Champion covering this song. Legend didn't last beyond this album though. After their split, some of the members went on to perform with Mercenary (different band rather than the Danish melodeath one). RIP vocalist Kevin Nugent...

Sinergy - "The Warrior Princess" from Beware the Heavens (1999)

5/5. My dad is a big fan of some of the older TV shows like Xena: Warrior Princess. It's quite cool that we have this epic metal anthem based on this show. RIP Alexi Laiho...

Blind Guardian - "Life Beyond the Spheres" from The God Machine (2022)

4.5/5. This next track is the previous speedy one's polar opposite, more bombastic and mid-paced.

Altaria - "Unchain the Rain" from Divinity (2004)

5/5. A magnificent power metal anthem that I wish I could've discovered 10 years before this comment! Altaria's first two albums were recorded with guitarists Jani Liimatainen (formerly of Sonata Arctica, The Dark Element, and Insomnium) and Emppu Vuorinen (Nightwish, ex-Almah). Clearly, Jani had some Sonata Arctica elements with him when making songs like this. Absolutely divine!

After Forever - "Monolith of Doubt" from Decipher (2001)

4.5/5. I've finally returned to listening to one of After Forever's songs, well, after forever! It's one of their catchiest songs, and Floor Jansen has quite an amazing vocal range, and this was before she joined Nightwish over a decade later, as well as shortly before guitarist/harsh vocalist Mark Jansen (not related) formed Epica. This song is quite short, compared to songs by similarly-styled bands like the progressive Theocracy.

Leaves' Eyes - "Into Your Light" from Lovelorn (2004)

4.5/5. At the time when Leaves' Eyes' debut was released, vocalist Liv Kristine was better known for her time with her previous band Theatre of Tragedy and guest appearing in the two title tracks of Cradle of Filth's Nymphetamine. This song is so mesmerzing, and this was before the band took a less gothic and more modern-ish direction.

Beyond the Black, LOVEBITES - "Can You Hear Me" from Break the Silence (2026)

5/5. I love it when collaboration songs bring fans of one band to another. This has caused Beyond the Black fans to know Lovebites and vice versa. I'm in the former camp, definitely up for some Lovebites and their lead vocalist Asami. The anime-style music video is quite epic too, AI-assisted or not.

Dark Moor - "Vivaldi's Winter" from Beyond the Sea (2005)

4.5/5. An excellent rendition of a Vivaldi classic by these Spanish masters of symphonic power metal.

Bogusław Balcerak's Crylord - "Lost Bloody Heroes" from Lost Bloody Heroes (2025)

4.5/5. More of that neoclassical madness continues in this shredtastic track to give neoclassical metal more life.

Celesty - "Fading Away" from Vendetta (2009)

5/5. Vocalist Antti Railio would later be known as a contestant in The Voice of Finland. After he left Celesty, he was replaced by Nightwish vocalist Tarja's brother Toni Turunen, but Celesty split up before they could record anything with him. Anyway, all hail Celesty!

Avenged Sevenfold - "Strength of the World" from City of Evil (2005)

4.5/5. The 9-minute epic of its original album and this playlist. The spaghetti western-sounding intro sounds like the start of a Wild West cowboy's journey. Then the rest has the power metal-ish sound similar to other bands from my early days of metal, especially in the chanting chorus. Magnificent! However, there's still one last track...

Edenbridge - "Spark of the Everflame - Where It Ends, Is Where It Starts" from Set the Dark on Fire (2026)

4/5. Where this playlist ends is where another one will start. So beautiful! See you all in the next one....

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!

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

Sometimes the best albums are the ones that literally almost didn't happen. Peter Tägtgren was at a pub when his heart stopped and he collapsed. Just when it seemed like it was all over for him, two minutes later, his heart continued beating. That's a clear reminder that life is fragile and at any given moment, you would be gone from this world with one last dance. Dancing With the Dead! We're grateful Peter Tägtgren is still around to show his talents displayed in writing, instrumentation, and vocals. Dancing With the Dead is one of the best albums from his Pain project, maybe one of the best in any of his projects. All of the tracks here range from decently to highly enjoyable, with this usual blend of riffs, electronics, and even some background symphonics. However, there are a few songs towards the end that are kind of bothersome, but they don't affect the album's perfect rating. I've never had a 5-star album come so close to 4.5 stars, like a 95.1 percentage rating. Nothing has changed the status of Dancing With the Dead as another stellar part of Pain's discography. Enjoy this dance!

5/5

Recommended tracks: "Same Old Song", "Nothing", "Not Afraid to Die", "Dancing With the Dead", "Bye/Die", "The Third Wave", "Trapped"

For fans of: Lindemann, Samael, Celldweller

I have given Neverbloom around three spins over the past couple of days and it has grown on me, from my first impression at least.  When they settle down into rhythm and riffage, there are some genuinely entertaining moments for me. Tracks such as ‘Widower’ and ‘Maelstrom’ standout as being high points in this regard and I suspect there could be more of these moments if the arrangement was just a little better thought through.  I think the piano is perhaps the worst conceived part of the instrumentation, often it sounds like someone has started playing another track over the top of the current one and it does take a couple of seconds to reconcile that it is actually on the same track.  The synths stab perfectly well to create a sense of theatre and drama where they get deployed, but for a “symphonic deathcore” record, I find it surprising how little focus the symphonic elements actually get.

Vocally there is nothing here to surprise me as it seems to be pretty standard deathcore fare in all honesty, but it is the riffs that are my only real positive takeaway from this record.  They are by no means perfect, but they certainly do land a lot better than most of the rest of what is on offer.  I get the sense that Make Them Suffer had some good ideas going into this one, and I am of course giving them some rope as this was their debut.  However, the ideas never really shine as I suspect they could, appearing to be sacrificed by a confusing, if not outright disorientating arrangement problem that is something of a curse on the album I feel.

I listen to a lot of deathcore during my workouts nowadays and so I am perhaps a little more desensitised to The Revolution clan’s previous penchant to overwhelm this well-travelled metal head than I was some three or four years ago.  Although Neverbloom does not quite land all that well with me, I still enjoyed the discovery experience and could be tempted by a listen to a later album to see if they did improve at all.

2.5/5