Shadowdoom9 (Andi)'s Reviews

With an album title like Mark of the Blade, you might think the band would make a better mark at their new direction. Unfortunately, it's more mixed than Our Endless War is and not an album I would return to commonly. It's not entirely bad, and I enjoy some parts of it as much as their better earlier material. However, the direction continues to bring the band backwards from the top. The ideas that pop up just aren't fresh or natural enough to stick like a Post-It...

The powerhouse production adds to the album's good side, with thrash/melodeath-like rhythms in the guitar that switching into the usual djenty deathcore grooves, but the problem is, they can't decide where to stick with, so it's a bit messy at times. The bass bounces on you during the hardcore breakdowns that punch through the air.

The album starts off promising in "The Void", with kick-A speed and aggression, but the djenty riffing in the chorus can be annoying. The title track sounds too nu metal-ish for my liking. "Elitist Ones" leans towards the metal/hardcore of Hatebreed that I like, but it's ruined by the hip-hop-like sh*t of Biohazard in the way the vocals are performed. Then we have a brief ominous start to "Bring Me Home" with soothing guitar, and we get to hear clean singing from this band for the first time, sounding a bit like Maynard James Keenan from TOOL and a Perfect Circle. The rhythms are still crushing while in that ballad-like pace. That's where the band should be taking their new direction!

I'm skipping a few songs because of how bad they are for me. "A Killing Industry" comes d*mn close there. The band sounds hypocritical in that song, with lyrics of learning about mistakes and evolving, not writing sh*tty albums for the sake of commercial success, all while growling "I JUST DON'T GIVE A F***!!!" Yet it's just the same ol' nu metal tainting their deathcore, eliminating what makes them unique and soiling the legacy of the genre they added positive light to. The lyrics in "Tormented" have much better anger despite the vocals sounding hoarse. Beautiful melodies and violent rhythms are in a good mix. The instrumental "Brotherhood" sounds interesting in the melodies and solos to make up for some of the lameness. Skipping ahead to "Decennium", this 6-minute closer has better clean vocals mixed well with the growls from the abyss.

To h*ll with over half of this album! The poor songs sound so funny, and not the laughing kind. I wouldn't wanna keep falling into this trap. Is this sh*t really the deathcore I thought I knew?! Well they can diversify the aggression to the point where it almost becomes progressive, but the way they do it is often improper and becomes kind of a nuisance. Yes, I know that Whitechapel can write real songs, and they've written fantastic ones, evident in their earlier material. It's just the riffs and lyrics in this album that don't suit me quite well. They had lost some effort they could've had, and that was since their previous album Our Endless War which was only slightly better. High amount of accessibility aside, there's still a bit of the greatness of the band's first 4 albums in the few great songs. I can jump around in delight like a toddler in those great moments. So yeah, this sh*t isn't f***ing enough to constitute an awesome album. Has potential, but not fully fulfilled....

Favorites (only songs I like): "Bring Me Home", "Tormented", "Brotherhood", "Decennium"

Deathcore is pretty much the Voldemort of the metal community. The more pure metalheads are used to the thrash/death metal of the 80s and early 90s. However, those two genres were knocked off the popularity throne in the late 90s and early 2000s. The late 2000s/early 2010s was when deathcore was on the rise. There are actually a few bands like Whitechapel that display the genre properly. Their previous two albums have true maturity, especially the latter. Will they have the same in this album?...

Surprisingly not. It seems like they took a step backwards when it comes to the guitars. Whitechapel is known for their 3-guitarist part of the lineup, and that aspect really enhances the wall of sound the band create, whether or not it's fully utilized. What makes this guitarist trio great is the soloing by lead guitarist Ben Savage and the dissonant riff rhythms by the other two guitarists Alex Wade and Zach Householder. For this album, the riffing has far more of a djenty groove. While there's no problem with that in my opinion, they could've at least kept the leads and atmosphere, but no. Instead, those are reduced, and that less effective sound really puts a dent in the album's quality.

The title of the intro "Rise" says it all. The instrumentation rises as you prepare for a revolution, though it's not as revolutionary as the previous two albums are... The crushing title track speeds things up without ever letting go. "The Saw is the Law" has a djentcore riff in the intro, but it's so mediocre and annoying, and anyone moshing would just be shaking around like a seizure-prone robot. The speedier riffs are better, though they keep returning to that d*mn slow riff. "Mono" continues that bad-a** fast riffing.

"Let Me Burn" has slow monotone sections while still having that awesome riffing speed. "Worship the Digital Age" fires away in deathly fury to make up a lot for the mediocrity, includes killer growls and blast beats. I enjoy that! "How Times Have Changed" once again sets aside fast aggression for slow dullness.

"Psychopathy" starts with a strange yet beautiful moment, an atmospheric bass intro that is then decimated by the usual heavy chaos. "Blacked Out" strays away from pretty much any of the slow djent. There are cool leads and riffs, and Sonic-fast bass and drums to please even the heavier metalheads. Last up is "Diggs Road", which is perhaps the most solid way out in great effect. We have a nice guitar melody, and not one but two solos. Wow! That definitely makes up for the earlier disappointments.

What we have in this album is pretty good music that is sadly often f***ed up by mediocre riffing. I thought it would have the same kind of attention-grabbing perfection as the previous two albums, but that wasn't the case. Of course, I still like Our Endless War. It's worth good listening. Still this is the prelude to a different era coming up next....

Favorites: "Our Endless War", "Mono", "Worship the Digital Age", "Blacked Out", "Diggs Road"

With the creation of their 2012 self-titled album, Whitechapel was really rolling the dice. They were taking on a different direction compared to their brutal starter trio. The Somatic Defilement was a solid extreme start. This is Exile showed some improvement building. Then A New Era of Corruption rules on the throne. So what about their 2012 album? Sharing the throne! What's different is, there are more melodies and solos than before, and that really shows how unique the band is in deathcore!

Alongside the melody, there's also more atmosphere in the music. It adds to the uniqueness of the sound, and even gives the songs in this album some difference from the ones in their previous albums. For the guitars, technicality is added more to the mix while standing by what they're known for. The guitar trio continue to work as part of the team, as the noise-ridden walls continue to fall and crush, though it can work just as well with just two guitarists instead of 3. And like I said, there are more guitar solos! If you thought the band's previous albums have common soloing, there are so many of them here that DragonForce would be amazed.

"Make It Bleed" starts the album as my favorite here! That sweet piano intro is a wonderous change of pace, right before the deathcore fury crashes in. The guitar solo is one of the finest I've heard from this band. "Hate Creation" is enjoyable as well, especially in the breakdowns, filled with sh*ts-load of brutality. His attempt at cleans when he says "I'm so sick of all these people" kinda brings down a few percentage points though. "(Cult)uralist" has some of that kick-A soloing.

"I, Dementia" is another favorite of mine here, and it has another top-notch solo for this band! The breakdown here is in the same tempo as the song, but it's much better for the structure than for that of previous songs. The riffing during that is definitely welcome! There's some more of the clean whispering, but it greatly adds to the atmosphere. "Section 8" has a pretty chorus. "Faces" has some greatness that is missing from people listening to deathcore without an open mind. Same with "Dead Silence" which is absolutely satisfying for heavier listeners.

It segues into "The Night Remains", which doesn't grab my attention too much, but it's still very solid. The instrumental "Devoid" has nice soft piano just like in the beginning of the album, but then it makes an excellent switch into a deathcore breakdown, like soldiers getting for the final war... "Possibilities of an Impossible Existence" unleashes the last of the album's power before the album ends where it began, with that beautiful piano melody. It's so great!

Although you can think of this release as a concept album, it's the band's first two albums that follow a lyrical concept. Whatever your opinion is, if it's polarizing, you probably haven't paid close attention to the band's maturity, as this album has the most of it. This and A New Era of Corruption make the band's greatest album duo!

Favorites: "Make It Bleed", "I, Dementia", "Faces", "Dead Silence", "Possibilities of an Impossible Existence"

Since their formation, Whitechapel has made some kick-A albums. Their debut The Somatic Defilement kicks off their journey with brutal heaviness. Their sophomore album This is Exile is more diverse and unique than some of the bands they influenced like Impending Doom and Oceano. Further cementing the band's position in the modern metal scene is their perfect 3rd-time charm A New Era of Corruption! The more serious metalheads might hate it, but it's something for me, a Revolution guy, to love.

The music in this album and the previous two help make the band stand out. Why? GUITAR SOLOS, Y'ALL!!! People should stop judging a band by their genre. Deathcore isn't always just replacing solos with breakdowns. Just because not every song in the album has solos, doesn't mean there's none. And there's a f*** lot of them to be found here!

"Devolver" already shows the band's evolution since their previous two albums, and the chorus riff is so unique compared to other deathcore bands that rely on the more generic. The guitar soloing that should level up deathcore's appealing factor appears in "Breeding Violence", a violently pleasant highlight. Next track "The Darkest Day of Man" transforms from mid-tempo groove into fast thrash, even leaning close to melodeath practically reminiscent of The Black Dahlia Murder, while occasionally bouncing into the song's usual slam groove. All of that gives more dynamics to the riffing for more terrifying effect. More bloodthirsty rhythms appear in "Reprogrammed to Hate". It's a more diverse song, especially in the last third, with more of the guitar soloing, a nice small bass solo, and vocal chanting and shrieking by Deftones' Chino Moreno.

The guitars have more variety in "End of Flesh", particularly halfway through when some Latin-like acoustics come in briefly. "Unnerving" is another standout with background keyboards sounding like part of a horror movie. The riffing that appears in "A Future Corrupt" pummels through along with some more soloing, this time by Jason Suecof, a metal guitarist and record producer known for his production work with bands like All That Remains, Trivium, and Chelsea Grin. "Prayer of Mockery" has more of the searing soloing to mock deathcore haters.

There's something mesmerizing about "Murder Sermon", and that would be the soft bridge around two and a half minutes in. It nicely balances out with the guest vocals by The Acacia Strain frontman Vincent Bennett appearing shortly after. "Necromechanical" has one more solo by Jason Suecof. It segues into "Single File to Dehumanization", having soft dark melody before the crushing breakdown the greatest deathcore fans expect from the band. A beautiful acoustic outro closes everything.

Anyone who think Bring Me the Horizon have a more tough-guy image than Whitechapel might have to reconsider that thought. Unworldly growls, apocalyptic lyrics, crushing breakdowns, cool riffing, and a d*mn lot of soloing! What's not tough about all that?! Bring Me the Horizon had already moved out of deathcore and later switched to softer territory. Whitechapel should be convincing enough for metalheads to realize how f***ing heavy this band is. Just ignore the haters and don't expect anything happy and sunny here. A New Era of Corruption is an epic winner in deathcore. Satisfaction guaranteed for fans of the genre!

Favorites: "Devolver", "Breeding Violence", "Reprogrammed to Hate", "Unnerving", "Murder Sermon", "Single File to Dehumanization"

Whitechapel started their career quite well their debut The Somatic Defilement, having gained quite a fanbase in the deathcore community. They switched from Candlelight Records to Metal Blade for their next album, and will the momentum help keep them steady? F*** yes! It's more accessible yet appealing to people such as myself who like growls and breakdowns. They also added some new variety to make things more flavorful.

While the death metal influences are still here, the brutality is reduced to make way for more melody. Some can consider this right between the lines of As I Lay Dying and Devourment. Adding to the melodic vibe is more common usage of soloing. Not a lot deathcore bands do soloing, but Whitechapel has a lot of them!

Beginning the opening track "Father of Lies" are some standard deathcore blast beats right out of nowhere. The title track uses kind of an oriental harmonic guitar scale, especially in the breakdown when one guitar plays the melody, while the other two play the ravaging rhythm. The riffing in "Possession" is quite decent, along with the soloing that adds more of the variety.

"To All That Are Dead" is brilliant in the soloing, and it really helps out the album! Sure there's another breakdown, but it's never repeated. The Red Chord's Guy Kozowyk guest appears in "Exalt" and marks a killer change of pace from the growls/screams of Phil Bozeman. As "Somatically Incorrect" approaches its ending, the riffing is a bit irritating while still tolerable. Instrumental track "Death Becomes Him" seems to lose a bit of strength, but it works as a well-needed intermission in the middle of such a deathly album before we can continue the storm.

One song that isn't the best, yet can be considered great, is "Daemon (The Procreated)". A fantastic breakdown starts the song, but the melody is a bit laughable. The guitar notes are all over the place, adding to the song's technicality. Then we have the repeated vocal shouts of "DAEMON!!!" The breakdowns still work, but the riffing is somewhat forgettable. The ending breakdown has Phil shouting "THIS IS THE END OF ALL LIFE!" Now this breakdown would've been as awesome as the previous ones in the song and some previous ones, if the vocals didn't sound so f***ing faded. It's more comedic than demonic! "Eternal Refuge" has a slower tempo. Its breakdown is much slower than what Emmure and Bring Me the Horizon at that time have performed, sounding a bit sludgy. I like that! The unnecessary interlude "Of Legions". It builds up through spacey effects before a breakdown that lasts too long to be good. Despite its mediocrity, it all leads to the finale to remind you why this album is amazing... "Messiahbolical" starts heavy, then switches to an ambient bridge, and finally ends with Phil's repeated growls of "I AM THE END!!!!". A great ending highlight here!

Despite how amazing this album is, the flaws that keep the album a half-star short of total perfection include the lack of bass, lyrical immaturity, a few songs having poor riffing and too much vocal effect, and the interludes that could've been improved. Nonetheless, if you're looking for deathly madness, you know what this is... THIS IS EXILE!

Favorites: "This is Exile", "To All That Are Dead", "Exalt", "Eternal Refuge", "Messiahbolical"

Although the kind of deathcore I prefer is when bands perform the genre with progressive (Veil of Maya, Born of Osiris) and symphonic (Lorna Shore, Make Them Suffer) elements, the heavier standard deathcore has spawned a few better bands of that kind. It's quite interesting, considering they're named after basically murder central for the infamous Jack the Ripper. Of course, what makes this band more suitable for me is their recent alt-/prog metal material, which we'll get to as my review journey goes on...

You can expect positive reviews from open-minded critics, but you can also expect scathing negative reviews from pure metalheads who want nothing to do with deathcore since Job for a Cowboy at that time. However, Whitechapel is not as horrible as those people think, and even their least awesome yet still great debut proves it!

The Somatic Defilement begins with a spooky horror intro "Necrotizing" as the deathcore drumming rises. Then rolling in is the crushing title track, non-stop brutal fury until the one-minute orchestral outro. The intro riff in "Devirgination Studies" stands out, along with eerie ambience in the breakdown midway through. Another intro riff stands out in  "Prostatic Fluid Asphyxiation", though not as much as in the previous track.

There's more of an earlier blackened death metal influence in "Fairy Fay". Continuing on, a breakdown and soloing harmonies are combined in "Ear to Ear" that make that song one of the highlights here, and prove that 3 guitars don't spoil the broth. Starting "Alone In The Morgue" is another standout riff.

You can hear a bit of grindcore in the suitably shorter and furious "Festering Fiesta". The death metal side of the band "Vicer Exciser" is more brutal, worth moshing along to the beat. The vocal layers work the best in the 4-minute closing track "Articulo Mortis", especially at the end when vocalist Phil Bozeman says "And then you rot" in both his high screams and low growls before fading into feedback. Ain't that a spine-chilling way to end!

If you're up for the more deathly side of The Revolution clan, The Somatic Defilement has gory yet unique lyrics based on the legend in which its hometown would inspire the band's name, and an extreme sound without ever going experimental or progressive. See? This solid brand of deathcore is never as disappointing as you would believe....

Favorites: "The Somatic Defilement", "Devirgination Studies", "Ear to Ear", "Alone In The Morgue", "Articulo Mortis"

8 albums in, Pain seems to be tapping out slightly. I can understand considering this album was released in the year of Pain's 20th anniversary. However, they just can't reach the perfect glory of their first 4 albums. With all that said, most of the songs here still show the great talent of Peter Tagtgren, so he ain't coming home anytime soon...

Pain have their usual industrial metal sound in Coming Home, this time blending the electronics they've had since the beginning with some newfound alt-metal elements that would come to greater form in their next album I Am. The lyrics are more suggestive than before, and they can also target society. The structures are also more diverse while maintaining the addictive catchy choruses. All that can make solid standouts, though a few songs end up sounding tamer than the rest.

We already get an excellent highlight in the opening track "Designed to Piss You Off". It starts off sound like the country metal-billy of Volbeat then rises into the usual industrial metal. It's so epic and catchy, especially in the chorus and lyrics, and it's already a clear hint of what to expect in the album. But an even greater standout is "Call Me". 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! "A Wannabe" sounds more like one of Fear Factory's atmospheric ballads, though not as interesting.

"Pain in the A**" is aptly titled. If anyone thought Helloween was losing their seriousness, they haven't heard that sh*t yet. "Black Knight Satellite" brings back the epicness, sounding almost as progressive as Threshold. Another strong standout follows in the title track, as bittersweet melodies guide you through a tired middle-age man's view of life. The country-ish guitars might remind some of Johnny Cash. "Absinthe-Phoenix Rising" is too simple and weak, with the chorus sounding too punky in the pop-ish sense.

"Final Crusade" is obviously not an Iron Fire cover, but it has the melody of that band mixed with more of the electronics. "Natural Born Idiot" has the dark electronics of Emigrate, with relatable lyrics about society's struggles that help the song work greatly. Unlike the closing "Starseed" which tries to reach a symphonic climax but fails.

The bonus live DVD in the limited edition may be worth it for those who want to hear their classics performed live, but I prefer listening to the original album on its own. And in that album Coming Home, there's definitely a lot I can enjoy with all its creativity. However, a few tracks that are still good end up not having the energy needed. I say it's remarkable yet not as perfect as they were long ago....

Favorites: "Designed to Piss You Off", "Call Me", "Black Knight Satellite", "Coming Home", "Natural Born Idiot"

Even the most talented musicians can go through some rough sh*t in their personal lives. Peter Tagtgren has already survived a couple near-death experiences and gone through a couple divorces. He's still going strong as both a musician and prolific producer. And as we all know, Pain isn't his only band, he's also in Hypocrisy. His career was still standing in the two decades leading up to this album. So I guess this is kinda true, You Only Live Twice!

Pain's 7th album continues the cool blend of heaviness and melody for Tagtgren to pull off easily. Both the instrumentation and vocals continue from their previous album Cynic Paradise with a slight step back up in quality. Once again, we have more of this hyper industrial metal to both dance and headbang to.

The furious opening track "Let Me Out" is the most thrashy the band has ever sounded, already hinting at the greatness of this album. The second track "Feed the Demons" is darker and has more of a Marilyn Manson vibe. The synths and riffs get more upbeat in "The Great Pretender" and never stop. Still it's balanced out with dark melancholy to make another well-done highlight.

It then leads to the dramatic title track. It is followed by the anthemic "Dirty Woman", which brings things closer to classic hard rock, especially when Tagtgren vocally impersonates one of the AC/DC vocalists. "We Want More" has more emotion while staying upbeat.

I just adore PAIN's cover of "Leave Me Alone" by Sonic Syndicate as much as I love the original. This might fit well for the soundtrack of action-packed anime shows like Black Rock Shooter. Lots of incredible potential here! The next track "Monster" is the closest we have to the melodeath of Hypocrisy, all while maintaining the electro-metal mix. The slow brooding "Season of the Reaper" is the project's longest song at 6 and a half minutes, and g****mn, what a way to end this album!

Again, the bonus tracks are not much to note, containing remixes and live renditions of earlier tracks, and bookended by two new tracks. But if we ignore that bonus disc, You Only Live Twice is a near-perfect offering displaying how skillful Tagtgren is. It has all the fans want and enjoy, as the project keeps him active between Hypocrisy's releases!

Favorites: "Let Me Out", "The Great Pretender", "Dirty Woman", "Leave Me Alone", "Season of the Reaper"

Bands can either change their sound or stick to what they have. Pain prefers to keep their usual industrial metal formula. Some fans might get bored while others prefer if they stay to their usual sound. Those other fans have a point. Who wouldn't want more of this blend of metal riffs, electronics and clean singing? Maybe metal purists wouldn't, but my point is, people need to appreciate this kind of music more.

Cynic Paradise is filled with many ups, yet more downs than their earlier material. What has brought this album up is the ones that feature none other than Anette Olzon (formerly of Nightwish and The Dark Element). She sounds perfect in the songs she guest appears in, and I look forward to talk about them when we get there....

We go in with the speedy "I'm Going In" that unleashes the techno stylings of their previous two albums. "Monkey Business" keeps up the speed and packs quite a punch as a heavy standout. And guess what, Peter has done screamed vocals in that one! He has really only done that in live performances and in his main band Hypocrisy. "Follow Me" is the first of the two amazing songs with the serene singing of Anette Olzon. "No gold at the end of the rainbow..."

Sadly, we're getting to the weaker stuff, starting with "Have a Drink on Me". Not as bad as the repetitive "Don’t Care" which I simply don't care for. "Reach Out (and Regret)" is a much better track, though at the lower end of the highlights. "Generation X" is fine. Just fine.

"No One Knows" is the kind of track no one would know it's from Pain because how different it is, and not in the best way. Next track "Live Fast / Die Young" snaps me back awake with its fast speed, again not too far off from their previous two albums. Now that's way better! "Not Your Kind" is also pretty solid for my kind of metal. The last song and second one with Anette Olzon, "Feed Us" has really made me kick myself for not discovering this song or band earlier. It's just so d*mn cool!

The bonus tracks aren't really noteworthy. It's just the two covers that were bonus tracks in Psalms of Extinction, an OK yet hollow version of "Follow Me" without Anette's vocals, and two unnecessary remixes. Still, Cynic Paradise is the Swedish metal album listeners were up for in 2008 besides Amon Amarth's Twilight of the Thunder God....

Favorites: "Monkey Business", "Follow Me", "Reach Out (and Regret)", "Live Fast / Die Young", "Feed Us"

It's interesting how I became interested in Pain long before Peter Tagtgren's main band Hypocrisy. Probably because I was more focused on industrial metal than melodeath. Psalms of Extinction continues the industrial groove that has shaped many of their albums. It is also the only Pain album released via Roadrunner Records. One other album released via the label in early 2007 is Machine Head's The Blackening, a band and album I wanted to enjoy but couldn't. And in that battle for my enjoyment, Pain wins!

As always, the album has the usual guitar grooves, keyboard effects, and vocal strength, all from Tagtgren to make another excellent offering of industrial metal. His vocal range is more varied in this album, with each song showing a different side of him. The album has a slight step back in quality compared to the earlier albums, likely due to some of the experimentation being a little too much. Still, experimentation is good to make all of us, including the creator, don't get bored. The music and production is quite extraordinary, considering he has done almost all of the work by himself. He is Swedish metal's own Mr. DIY!

Also what's interesting is the amount of guest appearances in the album, starting with In Flames bassist Peter Iwers in "Save Your Prayers". He also appears in "Nailed to the Ground", beginning with a catchy intro riff. "Zombie Slam" features drumwork by Mikkey Dee, known for performing in bands like King Diamond, Dokken, and Motorhead. The title track is one of the simple yet perfect songs. Here the keyboards are still around while letting the other instruments have the spotlight.

"Clouds of Ecstasy" throws back to the project's more electronic days of Rebirth, with the keys ranging from the catchiness of Amaranthe to the darkness of Shade Empire. "Play Dead" is a cover of a Bjork song. It sounds more like if Demon Hunter at that time covered the song, though the usual keys make sure that this is still Pain. "Does It Really Matter" has sinister keys that would practically plant the seed for the industrial tendencies of Code Orange. "Computer God" has some of Ayreon's spacey atmosphere inject to the heaviness. The guitar soloing in "Just Think Again" is performed by Children of Bodom's Alexi Laiho (RIP). The song itself is a special 6-minute epic.

"Walking on Glass" has some of the industrial metal of Fear Factory. "Bottle's Nest" is another perfect standout as the verses describe lyrics of alcohol's side effects over keyboard magic. "B***h" is more crushing in the guitarwork. The Russia/UK edition has two bonus covers, starting with Depeche Mode's "Behind the Wheel". Their cover of ELO's "Here is the News" sounds like it should be sung with Anette Olzon (Nightwish, The Dark Element), just like in a couple songs from their next album.

Pain can easily be described as industrial metal. However, explain that sound more clearly may be a challenge, considering its unique aspect of alternating between experimental and catchy. Every song is quite original with nothing dull. They're all so emotional from the rhythmic verses to the melodic choruses. Peter can really brainstorm some unique ideas. Some might find it hard to believe that is the same guy who founded Hyopcrisy and performed in Bloodbath, but it's the truth. As much as he has mastered death metal, he has also created some of the most interesting industrial metal you'll ever find!

Favorites: "Nailed to the Ground", "Psalms of Extinction", "Play Dead", "Just Think Again", "Bottle's Nest", "B***h", "Here is the News"

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.

"Don't Count Me Out" is a decent start. Not as strong as the previous album openers, but it still rules. Next up is "Same Old Song", but I never get tired of it, it's so awesome! I love the vocals of Peter Tagtgren. "You're welcome to my world, dark side of the universe." Then "Nothing" is more electronic, not far off from Circle of Dust. This continues in "Tables Have Turned" with its interesting background use of turntables.

"Not Afraid to Die" is quite enjoyable, sounding as electronic as Celldweller with some background symphonics similar to what Beyond the Black would have 10 years later. For the addictive highlight that is the title track, some of us can relate to the lyrics of struggling madness, especially if you're on the edge of life. "Tear It Up" is an OK track. A little odd, yet fun to listen to. Really speeding things up is the f***ing powerful "Bye/Die". G****mn, it's quite addictive! Now let me just say that these next few tracks are kind of bothersome, but they don't affect the album's perfect rating. So let's talk about them in the next paragraph...

"My Misery" is good but doesn't do a lot. Same with "A Good Day to Die". It's one of those tracks that I'm fine listening to, though likely for me to overlook. "Stay Away" is another fine track yet one metal purists should stay away from. I was THIS close to dropping a half-star in my rating. Luckily, the final track "The Third Wave" is worth listening to and has reminded me about the album's glory. And I would love if the amazing bonus track "Trapped" was in the original album.

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. This is the kind of sound for The Kovenant and Samael to expand on away from their black metal roots. Enjoy this dance!

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

In 1997, Hypocrisy frontman Peter Tägtgren released an album that would show his attempt at fusing metal with techno-industrial in the debut for his side-project Pain. This would followed by the project's second album Rebirth two years later in which the industrial electronics became more prominent. And then we get to their 2002 third album Nothing Remains the Same in which, despite sounding kinda the same as Rebirth, is still amazing!

There are 11 tracks in this album, but if you get the limited edition, you may witness 3 bonus tracks and a music video for one of the singles. Of course, we'll start with the main part of the album and keep going from there.

You'll already be in for a ride when the opening track "It's Only Them" packs some punches. Peter has really picked up where he left off from Rebirth, as the mix of riffing and electronics are kept intact. "Shut Your Mouth" is a high-quality industrial dance-metal tune! I can play this song as many times as I can and have good memories. And there are plenty more awesome anthems from this album coming up. Well, not really "Close Your Eyes", but it's not bad at all. Next song "Just Hate Me" is co-written with two well-known producers and former members of It's Alive; Per Aldeheim and Max Martin, the latter famous for having written songs for the Backstreet Boys, Britney Spears, Celine Dion, and NSYNC. It's not as poppy as those artists, don't worry. The following track "Injected Paradise" is more mellow. Slightly problematic, yet still great.

Then there's a cover of the Beatles hit "Eleanor Rigby". Peter has really enhanced the song with industrial fury and even hired an orchestra to add some symphonic beauty. "Expelled" seems to drag a bit in the synths and guitars, but it's still enjoyable without anything too dull. Otherwise, the album rating would be lower. We then breeze through "Pull Me Under" (unrelated to Dream Theater's greatest hit) which offers a solid rock-out sound. There's no doubt that "Save Me" would be another incredible highlight, greatly exemplifying all the typical aspects of Pain.

Marching through is "The Game" which has more of the best from the band, similar to both the previous album Rebirth and Rammstein. The closing track "Fade Away" brings back the orchestra as the song goes on in a relaxed pace. Now it's time for the bonus tracks, starting with "Hate Me", which is similar in title to one of the earlier highlights but a different song. It is followed by the speedy industrial "Liar". Finally, "Give It Up" is filled with fast aggression, and I think this should've been part of the original album.

There's no mistaking Pain's sound. Nothing Remains the Same has a lot that fans of the band could ask for and be grateful for. And after 3 years of waiting for that album, the earlier fans were all pumped for a more spectacular album that would come 3 years later. You know which one I'm talking about, so see ya there!

Favorites: "It's Only Them", "Shut Your Mouth", "Just Hate Me", "Eleanor Rigby", "Save Me", "The Game", "Give It Up"

Rebirth showed the return of Peter Tagtgren's Pain as the project's second album. More than just a return, but a full-on aptly titled rebirth! The perfection of their self-titled debut has carried over to this album, this time increasing the catchy keyboard prominence while keeping the metal riffing and drumming the project started out with. Helping out with the catchiness is the improvement of Peter's cleans, making it all sound like the Pain from later on that we would know.

The electro-techno elements aren't just thrown around. They're used in every song, giving them enjoyable variety. Peter is talented in both the music and production, giving everything the essential requirements for well-mixed music.

The first of many kick-A highlights is "Supersonic B***h". It already gets you on track with its memorable uniqueness. "End of the Line" is one of the best techno-industrial metal songs ever, and it has made me up for this project beyond just their debut. "Breathing In Breathing Out" sounds almost as sinister as The Human Abstract and Bleeding Through but don't expect any of the metalcore those bands would later have. "Delusions" hints at the extreme industrial metal from later bands like Fear of Domination.

"Suicide Machine" is another highlight that makes the album worth your money. It exemplifies the impressive writing done by Peter Tägtgren. "Parallel to Ecstasy" brings in more of the uniqueness by adding operatic background choir. "On and On" is another one of the most f***ing kick-A songs in this dance-y kind of industrial metal. A cool one for any weight-lifters to train. "12:42" is an interlude that sounds like it came from a sci-fi fantasy film. It's a nice break from the metal action, just two minutes of spacey bliss before crashing back in with this next track...

"Crashed" speeds things up and cranks up the riffing to Fear Factory levels while maintaining the electronic synths. We then get to the mid-paced "Dark Fields of Pain". It's one of the most captivating songs here, acting as a bridge between their debut and their later albums. The closest we have to Peter's more aggressive side is in the finale "She Whipped", though it sounds more robotic. A bonus track in some editions is the remix track "Suicide Machine (Kamikaze Mix)", though I prefer the original song.

While Rebirth is not the first Pain album, it's where they begin the sound we know from the project in subsequent albums. This incredible offering is for any fan of electronic metal. Another masterpiece from this mastermind named Peter Tagtgren!

Favorites: "Supersonic B***h", "End of the Line", "Suicide Machine", "Parallel to Ecstasy", "On and On", "Dark Fields of Pain"

25 years on and Unearth continues to light the metalcore torch. Alongside other bands like Lamb of God, Shadows Fall, Hatebreed, and God Forbid, this band has engraved their name into the New Wave of American Heavy Metal stone. However, with both founding rhythm guitarist Ken Susi and recent drummer Nick Pierce having just left the band and joined As I Lay Dying, it seemed like the torch might end up being put out...

Fortunately, their new album The Wretched; the Ruinous, has some of their heaviest diversity yet! The album contains Nick Pierce's last recordings with the band, though with earlier drummer Mike Justian rejoining the band later, I hope the band can make some albums with Mike in the future to restore the perfection of The Oncoming Storm.

Starting off the action right away is the spectacular title opener. This is perhaps the best track I've heard from the band in ages! Alongside some aggressive energy, guitarist Buz McGrath packs some punches with his melodic shredding force. Vocalist Trevor Phipps keeps his vocals moving forward, especially in the ending deep viking-esque chant of "No heroes... Year zero..." Different layers give the song diverse brilliance! "Cremation of the Living" has more of that excellent metalcore sound, a Gothenburg-style anthem with the riffs, vocals, and breakdowns throwing back to the mid-2000s, in a way where they can really do it! Next track "Eradicator" again has the At the Gates/In Flames melodeath style blend with moshing metalcore breakdowns, keep you interested in the heaviness.

What makes this album show the band at its strongest is the contrasting experimentation, as you can hear in "Mother Betrayal". It flashbacks to the band's earlier beauty from 20 years ago then twists it with the closest the band has gotten to black metal. With that and McGrath's sonic leads, that song is another epic standout. Then we have the thrash-blasting "Invictus". The strong breakdown isn't highly hardcore, but it has the brutal-melodic blend of Shogun-era Trivium. "Call of Existence" continues the melodic sound taken from Miss May I and The Browning (minus the electronics of the latter). Deeper down the line is "Dawn of the Militant", having more of the classic metallic hardcore sound of Earth Crisis and Strife, with great b*lls. 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!

"Aniara" is a soft acoustic interlude to start the final third of the album. "Into the Abyss" pulls you back into the heavier melodeath-infused drama of In Flames and Dark Tranquillity. One true surprise in this offering is "Broken Arrow" which is more of a straight rocker. Some can be reminded of Queen of the Stone Age at some points. Nonetheless, their 2000s metalcore throwback is still on as the guitar leads, riffs, and breakdowns continue to crush. The album's closing track "Theaters of War" concludes quite strongly, like everything has lead up to this point. It all ends in a hellbent breakdown unleashed in a punishing catastrophe to break the world apart.

The Wretched; The Ruinous marks both the end of an era and the beginning of a new one. The band can continue what has made them great while adding in nice surprises. The metalcore sound is still in their hearts. This album is filled with amazing hard-hitters and occasional experimentation. Their fame shall be kept high!

Favorites: "The Wretched; the Ruinous", "Eradicator", "Mother Betrayal", "Invictus", "Dawn of the Militant", "Theaters of War"

The first ever Death live album turned out to be one of two released near the end of the band's tenure, the other being Live in Eindhoven. Those albums were released to raise money to help treat Death founder Chuck Schuldiner when he was having his brain cancer, which he tragically succumbed to by the end of that year, thus ending the band and his side-project Control Denied. He put Death on hold for Control Denied, so this live performance became one of the last for the band. The setlist is heavily focused on the band's 4 albums from their progressive/tech-death era, with only two songs from their earlier death metal era. A solid setlist for anyone with even slight interest in Death!

Chuck could show how well he could perform with the band's final lineup. Bassist Scott Clendenin (who also passed away, in 2015) may not have been in the same level as Steve DiGiorgio, but he still sounds excellent. He can fill in the background of the guitars performed by Chuck and Shannon Hamm, and the drums performed by Richard Christy. Anyone one looking for clear audible bass, it's all in here.

A strange Halloween-ish intro begins the show, setting things up for the energetic "The Philosopher". It has catchy groove to fit well through the tempo changes for a technical standout. The bass can be heard and loud, especially when it transitions to the next track... "Spirit Crusher" is a notable highlight with riffing mixing brutality and melody, the latter appearing more in the chorus. Then "Trapped in a Corner" opens with one of the best leads I've heard from a tech-death band, though the heaviness is a bit unbalanced. "Scavenger of Human Sorrow" shows temporary drummer Richard Christy peaking at every minute from the beginning onwards with his massive drum skills. I say temporary because he only appeared in this album along with the rest of the lineup besides Schuldiner. The other two members are Scott Clendenin, who plays cold deep bass, thick to the core and as different as possible from the riffing, with thoughtful effort on his performance; and Shannon Hamm, playing great guitar rhythm, essential for a tight contrast with Schuldiner's leads.

"Crystal Mountain" charges through with catchy bass and strong guitar with a cleaner tone, sounding mystical as the song closes. Another one of the best is "Flesh and the Power it Holds", a legendary 8-minute epic filled with mesmerizing instrumentation, unforgettable soloing and brilliant lyrics. Next song "Zero Tolerance" is more aggressive while complex, and the title reminds of that extreme metal magazine Zero Tolerance, which I bought an issue last week as of this review (Book review to be worked on when not too busy). The more deathly fans finally get what they want with "Zombie Ritual" from the band's debut Scream Bloody Gore, with sick riffing in the intro. For the more progressive fans, there's still more of their final sound to come...

"Suicide Machine" is a classic example of their progressive direction. Half the riffs are heavy and the other half is melodic, both especially in the climatic pre-chorus. The mind-blowing time changes are unexpected but keeps things stable. There are extreme sections alongside a famous chorus hook. "Together as One" has mind-f***ing rhythms, along with bass pumping through the thrashy death of Sadus at that time. "Empty Words" is a solid blend of accessible, aggressive, and progressive that should appeal to the more progressive fans such as myself. The title track of Symbolic is an incredible highlight with tons of transitions. Finally, we get to the last track "Pull the Plug", but before playing the actual song, they play the Charlie's Angels theme! A bit confusing, but it leads to the actual song from the band's second album Leprosy, actually one of the best tracks I've heard in standard death metal, with emotional riffing and an epic solo. Incredible! I gotta listen to the original studio version.

I wouldn't say this is the best live performance to end the band's activity in a bang, but there are some great highlights here! Death fans should really pick up this album, and maybe also the DVD edition for a more worthwhile visual experience. RIP Chuck Schuldiner and Scott Clendenin.....

Favorites (one highlight per album): "The Philosopher", "Flesh and the Power it Holds", "Zombie Ritual", "Suicide Machine", "Symbolic", "Pull the Plug"

Persuader was one of the bands I started listening to a couple years ago in an attempt to revive my power metal interest. What was once an incredible genre ended up being generic and out of place for the taste in metal going a more modern heavy direction. And despite the motivation to revive my more melodic past, it all ended up blowing up in my face a year after I discovered this band...

Fast forward to a year later when I was helping Xephyr with the Guardians playlists in his absence, the results of which gave me the courage to give this album another go. And it still blows my mind away! With melodic yet heavy riffing and amazing vocals, I'm glad to still recognize most of the greatness of this Swedish power metal band.

The album's strong opener "Twisted Eyes" begins with a sampled line from Alec Baldwin in the film Malice, "You ask me if I have a God complex? Let me tell you something... I am God." Then we blast off through great riffing and vocals. The track has some impressive technical soloing, and there's plenty more in this album. Another track to carve the band's name into the power metal stone is "Slaves of Labour". Same thing with "Sending You Back".

"R.S. Knights" is suitable for some mighty combat battles in RuneScape, which I'm guessing is where the name comes from if the band members play that MMORPG. That song and "The Return" have nice soloing. Many songs are fast enough to almost be considered melodic thrash like the title track. The song that got me into this band via an earlier Guardians playlist is "Judas Immortal", and it's still so awesome! It starts with a Nevermore-like rapid-fire thrash intro, then the vocals come in once again reminding me of Blind Guardian's Hansi Kürsch. Speedy power metal adrenaline from this underrated band!

"Doomsday News" has more impressive vocals. The sing-along chorus has some power metal glory that still touches my heart. The small amount of harsh vocals have a bit of a Children of Bodom vibe. All that's missing is keyboards for soloing, but that would cause too much cheese. Well, the interlude "Zion" has a bit of electronic sampling that leads into beautiful guitar melody. Fast bass and drums blast through "Enter Reality", though I think that closing track is a bit of an afterthought for me. Oh well...

Apparently, Persuader had some turbulence after this album's release which caused the next one's delay. Their label at the time, Dockyard 1 Records shut down, and the band members were focused on other projects. Still the band had strong determination in their writing, and When Eden Burns should've given this underrated band more attention!

Favorites: "Twisted Eyes", "R.S. Knights", "When Eden Burns", "Judas Immortal", "Doomsday News"

If you were to ask the earlier metalheads for their favorite supergroup, would they say Anthrax spin-off band Stormtroopers of Death? Most likely. The answer may vary for metalheads of different styles or eras, all wanting to hear several members of their favorite bands united. Azusa isn't my favorite supergroup, but it's real close! The group was formed by two members of Extol and Absurd2, guitarist Christer Espevoll and drummer David Husvik. Joining them is The Dillinger Escape Plan bassist Liam Wilson and Sea + Air vocalist Eleni Zafiriadou, all ready to shock the world!

Coming from the US, Norway, and Greece, the band perform a solid modern avant-garde-ish progressive metal to remind some of Ram-Zet's sound bleeding into Extol. And you know what? Eleni can perhaps be the most versatile female vocalist I've known, practically surpassing Julie Christmas and Karyn Crisis. From singing to screaming and even whispering, a lot of drama is created to make this experience out of the ordinary.

The twisted thrashy opener "Interstellar Islands" will get you headbanging in delight right away. As thrashy as the backbone is, there's a bit of the atmosphere that would appear more in the rest of the album. Things get calmer amongst the alt-metal parts of "Heart of Stone" that isn't too far from Stolen Babies. The title track has the frantic mathcore of TDEP, though slightly plain and predictable. "Fine Lines" takes a break from the recent Veil of Maya-ish extreme djenty progressive metal for something softer and ominous, like one of Julie Christmas' post-metal works.

We take a space trip through "Lost in the Ether" that's like a more dissonant and chaotic on the thrashy progressive metal sound of late 80s Voivod. "Spellbinder" adds in a bit of the ambient progressiveness of Born of Osiris, while replacing that band's metalcore with tech-thrash. There's also an excellent ballad, "Programmed to Distress".

You shouldn't be too surprised by the sudden switch to thrashy intensity in "Eternal Echo", and instead enjoy the moshing passion. The awesome "Iniquitous Spiritual Praxis" frantically switches through different tempos and time signatures, all from different corners, in just under 4 minutes, unlike those other extreme progressive metal bands that make long epics. "Succumb to Sorrow" is shorter but reminds me of the heavier Persefone. "Distant Call" ends it all with a bit of the djenty side of Architects.

You can never stop appreciating how original this band can be once you hear this album, ranging from beautiful to nefarious with barely any limits. Although this might not be for everyone on Earth, Azusa has made the kind of sound the future really needs. For this supergroup, greatness shall not die!

Favorites: "Interstellar Islands", "Heart of Stone", "Lost in the Ether", "Spellbinder", "Programmed to Distress", "Iniquitous Spiritual Praxis"

Looking for the best of Godflesh's breakthrough debut in a live recording originally part of a broadcast in which the audio version wasn't released until 25 years later? Look no further to the Earache Peel Sessions! This EP was part of a split album with Carcass whose side consisted of songs from their goregrind era. In Godflesh's side, 4 of my favorite tracks from their debut Streetcleaner (including the Tiny Tears EP) are performed greatly in industrial metal grace.

The first half is a couple tracks from the unreleased "Tiny Tears" EP, starting with the title track... "Tiny Tears", probably my favorite song of that EP/side! "Wound" is another standout with its main riff bringing down even the tallest and most stable building.

Heading into the Streetcleaner side, "Pulp" is another favorite here that can pulverize you into a pulp with the bass and drum machine rolling under the burning guitar slashing through vocals in a hopeless crescendo yelling "PULP" repeatedly until the last breath. The heavier groove-driven side stands strong in the well-known tune "Like Rats", a furious groove track with a noise-powered bridge ("You breed...like rats!!").

Wow, this EP has really blown my mind like the guy in the album cover. This is very well a true display of their earlier material, and it can certainly please Godflesh fans in the present as it did back in 1989. 17 minutes of perfect industrial metal bliss!

Favorites (all of them, but if we're doing one per each half): "Tiny Tears", "Pulp"

Skrew is not a band you wanna screw around with. Their earlier material displays an industrial metal sound similar to late 80s Ministry, and it's no surprise considering the two bands working together. There are some interesting things about Skrew's debut Burning in Water, Drowning in Flame, such as the odd variation. While having some metal they would have more of in Dusted, the thrashy guitars are in the back of the line compared to the industrial samples. And this is high in quality for an early 90s album! Clearly, they learned from the guys who made The Mind is a Terrible Thing to Taste when it comes to the sampling > guitars approach.

And who's the leader of the pack? F***ing Adam Grossman, that's who! His vocals and guitars at the heart and soul of the band, as the percussion and riffs stay present. The issue is, the burning riffs keep getting doused by the drowning vocal effects that aren't use much anywhere else. Still it's slightly less repetitive than some of Ministry's songs. As proficient as the album is, they seem to lose that aspect when they add in some experimentation.

The intro "Orifice" is quite horrifying with indecipherable sounds of scared women and psychotic men. Then the title track unleashes as much industrial destruction as The Mind is a Terrible Thing to Taste. "Cold Angel Press" is the best in both the song title and the song itself, even bringing back the horror film vibe in the vocals. "Charlemagne" makes an incredible contrast between mellow psychedelia and headbanging speed. The moshing aggression goes on in "Gemini", which can almost be considered a blend of Ministry and Slayer. Pretty cool, right?

"Indestructible" attacks with more of that thrash, but with more brooding riffing. The darker "Feast" has a slower doom-ish tempo, with violent riffing that almost brings it to sludgy territory. There's decent shredding in "Once Alive", though a bit rough, but whatevs.

Rolling Stones classic "Sympathy for the Devil" is covered here. It's actually one of the coolest Stones song covers I've heard. They've done it much better than Tiamat had later that decade. However, Mick Jagger and his crew might not recognize it due to the post-thrash aggression and noise-ridden vocals, the latter compared to Jagger's soulful cleans. "Poisonous" is the most experimental track of the bunch, featuring hip-hop turntables and rapping that too awfully resembles N.W.A. That has immensely f***ed up the flow of the album as an out-of-place rap track! Another horrid case of trying to sneak hip-hop into an album's that meant to be just metal. "Prey Fish" is a relaxing album closer with emotional clean vocals, almost like an ambient ballad. Mellow yet interesting!

Having spent a couple years digging into industrial metal, I've gained more leeway in the genre than I would have when I was younger. Skrew would reform recently and have made a new album, but I'm more familiar with their songs from the 90s. Ministry fan should check out this album's industrial anguish, that is good, but mostly moderate....

Favorites: "Burning in Water, Drowning in Flame", "Cold Angel Press", "Gemini", "Indestructible", "Sympathy for the Devil"

Meathook Seed was originally an industrial death metal side-project from members of Napalm Death and Obituary, with only one album released in 1993. Then 6 years later, founder Mitch Harris revived the project with a different lineup and sound.

With such drastic changes, this second album Basic Instructions Before Leaving Earth is surprising to any listeners of the debut Embedded. Instead of the other members besides Harris being Obituary members Trevor Peres and Donald Tardy, taking their places are bassist Shane Embury (also from Napalm Death), drummer Ian Treacy (ex-Benediction), and vocalist Christopher Lamouret (ex-Out). The extreme industrial death metal is out, replaced with simple industrial metal/rock, which I quite enjoy!

The first track "Civilize the World" has ambient guitars, yet the sound for this song is basically dance-metal, stylized with Red Harvest-esque industrial metal and the earlier technical death metal in just the instrumentation. That's actually an intro track compared to the next song "Elemental". Shocking fans of this band is Christopher's singing, as opposed to the growling in the debut. Such great genius in this song that can make any industrial rock/metal compilations! Some might find that song to be like a slightly more metallic mix of Killing Joke and Nine Inch Nails. Entering your head is melodic catchiness worth dancing to. The sound even takes on a bit alt-rock/metal from that decade while blending in with dance-punk. Lamouret sings in passion! "Push Away" is a hypnotizing highlight and one of the best here!

 "I Think You Lie" has a bit of the experimentation from Coroner's Grin. "Beautiful" is filled with industrial groove metal beauty. "Dumb Show" is slightly mediocre, but those haunting chords and vocal melodies help save a bit of the album's grace. Can they keep it up in the later tracks? "The Ladder" is a one-and-a-half-minute intermission, and the electronics eerily sound like what Motionless in White would use from their own second album Infamous onwards. "Black Sky" actually reminds me of a much less deathly The Red Chord in the more aggressive moments.

Another song "The Die Is Cast & Cries Will Last" shows how greatly this band can make their metal sound. This might remind some of Peace Love & Pitbulls, but with more metal and less noise. The sound rises again in "And Silence / Build a Rhythm". However, "Question Mark" seems to be a little more of an afterthought. Safely closing the album is "Lost in a Box", a dark symphonic instrumental. It then leads to a 6-minute hidden track that's kind of pointless.

It's so weird how different the band sounded in this album compared to their debut, and yet I enjoy it! Perhaps I like the project slightly more when it was really deviating from Napalm Death's grind sound. Despite the bad reception this album might've received, this is definitely something for any fan of industrial rock/metal!

Favorites: "Elemental", "Push Away", "Beautiful", "The Die Is Cast & Cries Will Last", "And Silence / Build a Rhythm", "Lost in a Box"

It's quite interesting that the best album of the possible final part of my early industrial metal exploration happens to be least well-known one. There aren't any singles in the album and it never reached any charts. This incredible techno-industrial metal project was founded by Peter Tägtgren, founder of Hypocrisy.

I think it's understandable why this album would be unknown, since it originally started as a one-off side-project with not much promotion. I've heard a few songs before from Hypocrisy, there are small elements of that band's melodeath sound while the project entirely stays in its own style. It's so awesome how the catchy chorus hooks blend in well with the metal part of the sound so it isn't too poppy. Though it's not that prominent here. Still it's all in perfect quality!

This album opens with "On Your Knees (Again)", without a doubt a true highlight. The standard riffs sound so greatly written. This man shows a bit of his Hypocrisy roots when "Rope Around My Neck" opens. His clean singing, which takes over most of the album, is so powerful! And there might be a few growls now and then. He's able to perform all instruments, including interesting drum patterns with only slight repetition. The electronics work out well despite being in a low volume. One song that really stands out with those electronics is "Learn How to Die". Another grand highlight besides the opener!

"Don't Let Me Down" slows things down a little, closer to Godflesh territory. Same with "Breathe", though I think some of those electronics would later be used by Coldrain when they level up their own different sound in The Side Effects.

"Greed" almost reminds me of Amorphis at that time if they replaced the folk elements with industrial. "Choke on Your Lies" surprising has some riffing that isn't too far from that of Bullet for My Valentine's nu/alt-metal material, though in an obviously different style of course. "The Last Drops of My Life" is an interesting slow finale. After all that experimentation, we can just calm down with a mostly soft ambient ending.

The 1997 self-titled debut by Pain is spectacular! It's the spark I need to explore more of this band eventually. It's worth hearing for all that catchy electro-industrial metal, and all this from the man behind Hypocrisy!

Favorites: "On Your Knees (Again)", "Learn How to Die", "Greed", "The Last Drops of My Life"

Marilyn Manson is not a band/artist that should be underestimated. With aesthetics and themes of cross-dressing, anti-Christianity, cabalism, elitism, and horror, I wouldn't expect a lot of people close to me to ever be up for such scalding concepts. But hey, whether this material can be considered moral or not, you can just brush away the real haters and let your taste run free for a little bit. Marilyn Manson's second album Antichrist Superstar is a concept album of dark desire! Not pretty, but pretty great...

Fake gore and real emotion is blended together by Manson, and helping out in the sonic production is Nine Inch Nails' Trent Reznor. The dark vibe of the album makes it almost suitable for horror movies like The Shining or A Nightmare on Elm Street. Manson can joke along to the strong and scare away the weak.

Starting The Hierophant cycle, "Irresponsible Hate Anthem" has Manson's taunting growls, and his singing sounds so sinister. One highlight that you can truly appreciate is "The Beautiful People". Then "Dried Up, Tied and Dead to the World" that sounds a bit dry in the music, not really as wild as those first two tracks. Ending the first cycle is "Tourniquet" which is OK, but let's hope for some more madness in the cycle...

Inauguration of the Worm begins with the heavy "Little Horn". Then "Cryptorchid" nicely interrupts the buildup by slowing down. We rock on to "Deformography" and Manson's fear-inducing whispers and shouts, "You're such a dirty, dirty rock star... I am the one you want". He shows that nightmares are what all people need, whether polite or angry. "Wormboy" once again kicks things up a notch. "Mister Superstar" starts soft being adding in some Skrew-like industrial. "Angel with the Scabbed Wings" is so good. If only that was a single! "Kinderfeld" ends the second cycle with wonderful industrial beauty.

At the start of the Disintegrator Rising cycle, the title track will make sure you want the album to keep going as long as you like. A captivating song, "1996" can turn the fearful tension into joy. "Minute of Decay" sounds too much like a Linkin Park "reanimation" than anything metal. "The Reflecting God" is honestly quite omnipotent. It describes a dream within a dream more than Inception could, but "you'll understand when I'm dead". Finally, "Man That You Fear" is enjoyable but not as much the previous track. I'm getting a bit tired of haunting repeated line, "When all of your wishes are granted, many of your dreams will be destroyed." The hidden track that appears after 82 silent tracks, "Track 99" is rather pointless. Just drop the album after the final full track and run.

Despite the music not having as much weight as it had on paper, you can find a bit of great grandeur in this industrial mix of the early metal of Black Sabbath, the operatic arrangements of Queen, and the chilling experimentation of Bauhaus. Manson brought together with him guitarists Daisy Berkowitz (RIP) and Twiggy Ramirez (also on bass), Madonna Wayne Gacy on keyboards, and Ginger Fish on drums to make a dark army with a pounding sound. The band, together with Reznor and Skinny Puppy's Dave Ogilvie, produced the album quiet well. With choirs, growls, and synths added to the mix, it's a party that I can leave if I want to, but more often than not, makes me wanna stay....

Favorites: "Irresponsible Hate Anthem", "The Beautiful People", "Little Horn", "Deformography", "Angel with the Scabbed Wings", "Kinderfeld", "Antichrist Superstar", "The Reflecting God"

White Zombie was known as one of the first ever groove metal bands alongside Pantera, as fully demonstrated in La Sexorcisto: Devil Music Volume One, though they hadn't yet reached the mainstream. They finally got their commercial success with their killer final album Astro-Creep 2000! But to say this album is groove metal is bullsh*t, or at least my ears think so. This is more like industrial metal/hard rock. Sure it has some heavy riff groove, but I wouldn't count on groove metal being a primary genre here...

I can very well enjoy most parts of this album to the f***ing death. I'm an open-minded metal listeners, unlike those close-minded purists out there. I'm a fan of industrial metal, but not much of Rob Zombie's material. Still this album is something I like, more than Hellbilly Deluxe. Whether this is more rock or more metal, it's still great.

"Electric Head Pt. 1 (The Agony)" starts the album with awesome rock/metal riffing. There's intense speed, though not in faster metal levels, giving the track mighty power. This album and Fear Factory are great examples of industrial metal getting you higher than stoner metal listeners, without ever having to use drugs. "Super-Charger Heaven" is a greater thrash-rock highlight. The drums have wicked kicks! The only downside is Zombie's vocals not sounding as aggressive or deep as they should. Still it's one of the best songs here! However, "Real Solution #9" isn't really something I like here. There are hip-hop-ish drums like some proto-nu metal sh*t, and too much reliance of movie samples. "Creature of the Wheel" is a slow crazy headbanger, with more audio samples. Killer vocal aggression here, though not much off there either.

"Electric Head, Pt. 2 (The Ecstasy)" is more groove-laden, and having more of a disco-like beat. Hold up... DISCO THRASH METAL!?!? Who knew that was a thing!? Cool catchiness, though I prefer "Part 1". Next up, "Grease Paint and Monkey Brains" is probably one of the least popular songs amongst the earlier metalheads. Being the young modern metal listener I am, I like it. There's more of a Static-X vibe here which isn't too bad. One of the most metal songs in the album! "I, Zombie" returns to the earlier speed. Nothing special, but a much better fight song than Rachel Platten's excuse of one.

"More Human Than Human" is one of the best tracks to mix catchy and heavy in a way that I love. This is one of those songs that I can't let my metal-hating mother hear. I can't believe I did not hear anything from this band until when I included this song in one of the Sphere playlists. A good track for Halloween, if you imagine the moaning in the intro as ghost noises. "El Phantasmo and the Chicken-Run Blast-O-Rama" is a song I can have an awesome blast with. One of the best songs to love here! After a heavy headbanging, the speed slows down, while still having its greatness. "Blur the Technicolor" is another fun track. The vocals help out the catchiness in this simple groove tune. I like it, but it's a little behind the highlights. "Blood, Milk and Sky" is one of the most haunting and hypnotizing tracks I've ever heard, and I'm talking strongly mesmerizing. I love it! Then after 3 minutes of silence comes the hidden track, "Where the Sidewalk Ends, the Bug Parade Begins". A peaceful yet heavy swansong for this band!

Despite a few downers, and sounding more rock than metal in some places, I dig this White Zombie album. There's still some great aggression as the album progresses in improvement, but even a few heavy parts don't work out too greatly. Still it's the best way for the band to make their exit, before Rob Zombie's solo Hellbilly sh*t.....

Favorites: "Electric Head Pt. 1 (The Agony)", "Super-Charger Heaven", "Grease Paint and Monkey Brains", "More Human Than Human", "El Phantasmo and the Chicken-Run Blast-O-Rama", "Blood, Milk and Sky"

For those who enjoy Ministry, would you like a bit more sauce for your industrial metal dish? Skrew adds in some thrashy vocal fuel. The band has been well-known and well-touring since their debut Burning in Water, Drowning in Flame. I haven't yet listened to that album, but perhaps I will after this one! Dusted shows the band, unlike some other industrial metal bands, focusing less on experimentation and more towards guitar heaviness from frontman Adam Grossman. He has truly mastered the guitar, vocals, and songwriting. Interesting that he let a death growler took over vocals in their recent comeback album though...

Grossman is very much responsible for keeping his band going and giving them a more metal sound that some industrial rock bands can't get away with. In some ways, they can be similar to Ministry in terms of the use of samples and overdubs. But hey, scr*w that comparison! This is Skrew we're talking about, and they done their industrial metal sound better than most other bands of the genre in the first half of the 90s.

"In Tongues" starting the album with audio samples and noise is a similar idea to the beginning of Embodyment's Embrace the Eternal. Of course, instead of early deathcore, there will be melodic industrial metal not too far off (in terms of style, not time) from Deathstars. That sound can be found in "Seeded". Then "Picasso Trigger" shows that this band is probably slightly more underrated than Ministry. The intro f***ing kicks a**! I'm sure Beavis and Butthead fans would recognize this song. Also in a slightly higher level than Ministry is "Albatross", which is quite a monster within those chords.

"Jesus Skrew Superstar" cranks up the thrash, the way Fear Factory and Strapping Young lad would the following year. "Skrew Saves" adds in a bit of experimentation that gives the sound more in common with Mushroomhead than Mnemic. "Season for Whither" bursts out with rich groove all over. However, there's more of that groove in some of the later highlights here...

"Sour" has more sludgy groove throughout these 7 minutes, pretty much their own different take on Ministry's epics. "Mouthful of Dust" is another great kick-A track pleasing industrial metal fans, filled with monk-like chanting. "Godsdog" is the closest we have to a Godflesh-like sound, at least what Godflesh would have in the late 90s.

Need some anger to cure you from anger? Industrial metal fans can pick up Dusted any f***ing day! It's a stage set for more refreshing levels the band would reach later on. I don't know if it's any better than their debut, likely because I've not tackled that one, but I got the motivation I needed from their second album Dusted. It's not too impressive, yet highly innovative. For the greatest industrial metal listeners, this one's a keeper....

Favorites: "Picasso Trigger", "Albatross", "Jesus Skrew Superstar", "Sour", "Mouthful of Dust"

I just realized my long-lasting digging for older industrial metal and metalcore albums from the 90s will soon reach its end. I've pretty much tackled almost every essential 90s release from those two genres! Another album to tackle in the industrial metal part of my list is this one from the side-project of a couple extreme Horde bands. Meathook Seed is an Obituary/Napalm Death side-project than turned out to be pretty great in the debut album Embedded. It takes on an aggressive industrial death metal sound, in which some of the elements would be re-used by Napalm Death next year, even having a bit of Napalm Death's grind. There's barely any relation in sound to Obituary, showing how adventurous that side of the project can be. Performing in a style from the main bands is a risky fire-player, but ultimately it works out quite well.

Embedded has some grace in their deathly industrial metal assault, adding in the repetitive yet amazing sound of Ministry and Godflesh and twisting in with deathly heaviness, alongside memorable riffs to keep you hooked. Mitch Harris has the guitar fury of Napalm Death that actually works better for me in this album. Donald Tardy drums through pummeling destruction, but he gets paired with a drum machine in some tracks, which is OK since he just obliterates it! Trevor Peres' vocals are killer, ranging from growling to shouting, though I prefer the former.

The crushing opener "Famine Sector" is, without a doubt, one of the best songs of this industrial death metal blend! I don't have much to describe its greatness. "A Furred Grave" has the best of Peres' vocal alternation. They continue to roll in "My Infinity", though a bit monotonous. "Day of Conceiving" viciously punches through in sludgy grind.

"Cling to an Image" is the second-best song of the album (behind its opener), in which dynamic beats intertwine with the complex guitar. "A Wilted Remnant" is a bit more electronic, though this is the industrial/noise kind of electronic sound, nowhere near as trance-y as bands like The Browning. The most talented Harris has been in this offering is "Forgive", where he breaks down the structural walls to let his riffs run wild in different directions without any tiring guitar solo.

"Focal Point Blur" has more power in the beats and riffs to get you buckled up for the ride. It can be bumpy for the inexperienced listeners, but once you get more experience, you can be able to cope and understand. Let it immerse you or not! The title instrumental gets on my nerves, but it's still decent. "Visible Shallow Self" is one more metal track with the electronics displayed that are far closer to the industrial of Fear Factory than the trance of Iwrestledabearonce. "Sea of Tranquility" is just 14 minutes of full-on industrial, complete with ambient loops, simple drums, and noisy feedbacks. Is that where the name of that website Sea of Tranquility came from? Probably...

Meathook Seed themselves have even manned the production for the album, and it's at a Colin Richardson kind of professional level. The rich sound lets you hear all the guitars, drums, and electronics there are, despite the layers of the latter sounding a bit buried. It's given this industrial death metal album the right atmospheric vibe. Works well for a run through an old abandoned factory in a mutant zombie apocalypse. Bummer the lineup that made something this pleasantly deathly wasn't meant to last....

Favorites: "Famine Sector", "A Furred Grave", "Cling to an Image", "Forgive", "Focal Point Blur", "Visible Shallow Self"

3 bands, Godflesh, Ministry, and KMFDM, started in the early 80s, but did not start metalizing their electronic/industrial sound until the late 80s (Godflesh and Ministry) and mid-90s (KMFDM). In between, Pitchshifter was formed in the same year as the release of Godflesh's Streetcleaner, as one of the first bands to fully start as industrial metal, with their 1991 album Industrial! Don't think of this band as a Godflesh rip-off though. They've worn their influences on a sleeve, rather than an entire suit.

One thing to make sure Pitchshifter isn't simply copying Godflesh is, they're closer to thrash-ish territory. The Godflesh-like sludge and the Killing Joke-like punk is blended with other sounds for something unique...

"Landfill" is a prime example of using Godflesh's industrial metal formula. They just repeat the same riff throughout, and even the lyrics are minimal. It's just "Hate, I hate, hate, I hate you motherf***er, drown, bleed, I wish you could." They even mix in a few samples with slow guitars/drums. Despite the repetition, I enjoy that one. Fear Factory made their own cover of that song over two decades later. Truly brutal in the bleak yet pleasant rhythm is "Brutal Cancroid".

"Gravid Rage" is another highlight of industrial metal machinery with convincing growls by Mark Clayden. Oh yeah, Mark is the bassist of the band, but he also performed vocals in this album. His brother J.S. would take over on vocals from their Submit EP onwards, though he's done additional vocals in their debut. Next song "New Flesh" continues the downtuned guitar riffing, alongside vocal samples talking about murder and prison. "Catharsis" is another standout, in which black metal-ish guitar tremolos plays over doomy sludge, maintaining the industrial mix.

"Skin Grip" has some of Pantera's forceful groove, but it's still a pummeling crusher like in Fear Factory's debut album next year. "Inflammator" has some riffing that nicely give you the feeling of a crash test dummy in a test car slamming into a wall, without actually experience it of course. "Eye" is an ominous ending for the album, with the usual unique crushing riffs that can let industrial metal fans see eye-to-eye.

Any Godflesh fan can enjoy this debut album from Pitchshifter. While they have a slightly better sound in their next album Desensitized, Industrial shows how influenced and influential they've been. They started out pretty great, but they would have a more solidified sound a couple years later....

Favorites: "Landfill", "Gravid Rage", "Catharsis", "Skin Grip"

In the first half of the 2000s, metalcore was on the rise in the hardcore punk part of the rock spectrum, whereas the extreme metal part condemned it as mediocre. Bands at the time like Between the Buried and Me, Burnt by the Sun, and The Red Chord sound so original to the more hardcore ears, yet the originality is invisible to metal purists. This band, Premonitions of War had just been signed to popular hardcore label Victory after releasing an EP via Goodfellow records. That EP, The True Face of Panic was a massive boost in maturity compared to the disaster that was their debut EP. And I think there's more maturity to come in their sole full album...

Sounding like an attempt to revive Coalesce's sound during that band's hiatus, Premonitions of War had leveled up their quality slightly more in Left in Kowloon. With the album at the hands of Victory, the more extreme hardcore fans can really dig into the action. It's really short at just 26 minutes, following the hardcore trait of studio albums as short as EPs. Their intentions was short sweet songwriting, and they've achieved that goal!

"Mother Night Revisited" opens with an explosion of the aforementioned The Red Chord/Burnt by the Sun influences, sounding punishing yet inspiring. "Layover" is a short slaying track. The one-minute "Night Soil" is an impressive short achievement. In the incredible "Stolen Breath", There are precise changes in the tempo and rhythm.

One track "One Constant Volume" is a bit funny when it comes to the title and the Cookie Monster-esque death growls. Then we have the longest track of the album, the 5-minute highlight "Black Den", taking the brutal sludge of the first two Isis albums. After that is another 5-minute track, "Cables Hum Overhead". However, that's just a noise track that broke the flow from the previous song. I feel up to skipping that sh*t! "Citizen" has a bit of the progressive that Northlane would have later, to add to the deathly mathcore sound Premonitions of War is known for.

Showing a bit of the sludge of Mastodon at that time is "The Octopus" (interesting foreshadowing of Mastodon's "Octopus Has No Friends"). "Covered in Blood" has some slower experimentation while obviously not as experimental as Dog Fashion Disco. "Capsule Hotel" shows how much different a Revolution band can be compared to, say, Enter Shikari. And finally, we have the stoner-ish "Dim Light District".

I would find more enjoyment in Left in Kowloon if not for the band's the attempt to extend the album's short length with a noise track that lowers its f***ing memorability. Nonetheless, Premonitions of War had set up the greatness of the genre that was in the first two EPs, especially the first. Well done, PoW! Please come back soon.....

Favorites: "Mother Night Revisited", "Night Soil", "Stolen Breath", "Black Den", "Citizen", "Covered in Blood"

It's strange how whenever For the Fallen Dreams reach the perfect top for one or a few albums, the next one loses its steam and would have to build itself back up again. Although their new self-titled album isn't the worst they've done (that entitlement goes to Wasted Youth), the drop in quality is more understandable, show the band as a more alt-metalcore band than metalcore. Still around half of the album is worth it...

For the Fallen Dreams has been active for over 20 years, often hit by lineup changes, while founding guitarist Jim Hocking does what it takes to keep his band alive. The band's new album is their first in 5 years and with a new label, Arising Empire. As good as this album is, it doesn't stand a chance against most of their earlier discography.

It's clear how determined the band is, straight from the opener "Re-Animate". The massive chorus will hook you up from the get-go, as dramatic energy flows. "What If?" takes on rapid drumming, while adding interesting variety with rapping verses. "Last One Out" turns the aggression up to full gear. Yet within the heaviness is the melodic emotion to put everything in splendid balance.

"Without You" has more heartful effect. The riffs and leads make something so crushing yet sentimental. "Testify" is filled with moshing aggression. Intricate drums lead to a massive breakdown. "Searching..." has too much of a familiar formula. Impressive but not really amazing. "Suprapersonal" has more faithful tones and stealthy chaos.

"No Heaven" cranks things up in headbanging power. You also get to hear some fist-pumping soloing. "Sulfate" has ravaging grooves to tear you apart. With momentum in the heavy/melodic contrast kept steady, another highlight has been scored. The metalcore sound is given an industrial treatment in "Lavender" as drama and violence collide. "Chemicals" closes the album with the last bit of their fire and fury here.

For the Fallen Dreams has made some more of their good solid tunes in this self-titled offering of passion despite more derailment than most of their other releases. Some songs could've used more elevation for something different. Still they know how to ride the modern metalcore tides....

Favorites: "Re-Animate", "Last One Out", "Testify", "No Heaven", "Sulfate"

20 years ago, people were thinking of hardcore as a "dead" genre, but I found some releases that show how mighty the genre was (and still is) back then. One example is Animosity's debut, a short yet strong assault of thrashy deathgrind/hardcore! Not as chaotic as The Red Chord, but quite vicious in the hardcore riffing.

Shut It Down is perhaps one of the most brutal extreme metal albums that I really enjoy. That's helped out by the caustic guitar, not the over-prominent snare. While not too devastating and definitely not melodic, metalcore riffing gets morphed into deathly monsters. The growls are too harsh for emocore kids, while the screams are too shrill for death metal fans. However, it's all balanced out, so people can mosh and stomp around during shows. The deathly hardcore grind will blow you away!

The 45-second "Intro" builds up the metal strength smoothly. Then the nearly 3-minute long "Grey Skies" unleashes the might of their deathcore groove from the two different coasts, even having some Undying-like melody. There aren't any acoustic ballads in this album, unlike albums from other hardcore bands, just brutal deathly weight. "Instilling the Affliction" has the brutal deathcore of Make Them Suffer, but with obviously no symphonics at all. "Saved" has the most deathly breakdown of the album in the second half, and d*mn it's cool! That proves that some deathcore breakdowns can be worth enjoying.

"24 More" has some metalcore riffing to remind me of Living Sacrifice. "Leashes" has some more deathly music unleashed. "Fake Blood" continues their deathgrind/core sound while almost being as mathy as Car Bomb.

"Anti-Kingdom" sounds like the kind of song to give you more excessive caffeine than coffee. "Terminal Existence" is absolute death metal punisher. Surely you can't find anything more deathly from this band than in that song. "Life Advocate" is the final track, and one more to be 3 minutes long, having some of the deathcore of Despised Icon and early Upon a Burning Body.

Any of you open-minded extreme metalheads out there should get this album. You can hear how brutal this band can be, and they were only in their high school teens. One other deathly band that started that young was Decapitated, and you might think of Animosity like a more hardcore take on that band. Young and wild!

Favorites: "Grey Skies", "Saved", "Fake Blood", "Terminal Existence", "Life Advocate"

I f***ing hated the 2000 self-titled debut EP by this band Premonitions of War. It was just deathgrind-infused deathcore f***ed up much more than Damaged and Deformity's Misanthrope EP, enough for me to put it down with a rare one-star rating. That made me hesitant in reviewing another one of their releases...until I decided to check out their second EP. And let me tell you, it's not too great, but a much better improvement that sh*tty debut EP!

Premonitions of War really stepped up their game of math/deathgrind/hardcore. It is a relentless pummeling assault, one that has worked out better than that Mouthbreather EP for me. And so this war begins...

The opening title track fights through this fury, with a quick break in the middle. "Correspondences" has some of the most metal blast-beats I've heard from a metal/hardcore band. The deathgrind sound has some abstract chords, opening a wide tunnel with devastating chaos at its end. "The Best Day Ever" is not really the best here.

"Abomination" is close to a doomy sludge track, though maintaining the usual chaotic hardcore and electronic experimentation. "Hanging Man" continues the mechanical contrast between chords and riffs, ending with industrial beats. "A Minor Correction" is a brief one-minute deathgrind track that has only made a minor impact. The 6-minute closer "I'd Settle for Sleep" makes a bleak ending after scorching growls.

What a wonderfully brutal EP this is, though a small bit of the weakness of the debut EP still remains. The True Face of Panic might just make up for checking out their sole album Left in Kowloon. When I check that one out a few days from now, maybe it would have some massive hardcore destruction....

Favorites: "The True Face of Panic", "Correspondences", "Abomination"

Well sh*t! Once again I've fallen into the trap of expecting The Dillinger Escape Plan, only to stumble upon 7 tracks of far too brutal math/grindcore each with an average length of one f***ing minute, some of which sound like they can be seizure-inducing. The two tracks that I can stand are "Sex Coward" and "Born Dead", the latter having Daughters-like early 2000s mathcore I prefer. I shall get my mathcore elsewhere rather than taking it to some grinding experimentation sh*t....

Favorites (only ones I can stand): "Sex Coward", "Born Dead"

Enslaved is another band I really need to revisit! In Times is known as one of the greatest albums from the band's 2010s era, and was a masterpiece for me when I was still listening to them. But in the past year or so, I've only listened to a couple songs from the band when suggesting some songs for the Infinite playlists. With this nice revisit, let's see what I still think of this album...

I can still hear some greatness from this band. They've never stopped recording and touring yet, and the amazing quality shows. With this album In Times, the band keep up their fearless ascension of their classic progressive black metal sound through the modern age.

"Thurisaz Dreaming" immediately attacks with some black metal blasting, then the dynamic assault calms down for some clean singing. With this mid-tempo groove and melody, you can't go wrong with considering that song a blend of the band's earlier black metal and Dream Theater-like progressive metal. A perfect example of that mix with more progressive emphasis is "Building With Fire" which has proven the power of that sound from as early as Isa.

"One Thousand Years of Rain" roars through the extremeness of black metal while in a progressive mix with hard rock, similarly to that Stone Healer album. A personal highlight for me, "Nauthir Bleeding" has the best of the clean vocals by keyboardist Herbrand Larsen, who would end up leaving the band a year after this album.

The nearly 11-minute title epic continues the line between the complex melody of progressive metal and the violent extremeness of black metal. You can headbang through the leads and riffs in sync with the screams of Grutle Kjellson, and the rest during the ambient breaks. Kicking off "Daylight" is some unusual chord delivery, and the rest of the song pretty much discards much of the band's black metal roots, other than the vocals, for their progressive progression.

There are those purists out there who need to know that just because a band switches from extreme to progressive, doesn't mean they become softer. The progressiveness is blended together with their black metal roots. A beautiful and beastly offering like In Times needs some attention!

Favorites: "Building With Fire", "Nauthir Bleeding", "In Times"

The black metal that I often prefer is the more melodic/progressive kind, which includes clean singing and no focus on the satanic references the genre is notorious for. That's one of the metal genres I've been shooting for in the last few years (except for a break from that genre for nearly a year). Stone Healer might just be what I need to boost my motivation, with their album Conquistador!

It's very cool how they can connect extreme metal to more accessible pieces of post-metal and folk rock. The result? A solid progressive black metal album with cohesive variation. There may be some wounds here, but they're nicely healed.

"One Whisper" starts acoustic before adding in distortion. Then there's a melodic verse with background cowbell. After the accessible calm comes the shredding black metal storm with vocal intensity. An excellent blend of dynamic and extreme! Next up, "Whence Shall I" has some brutal black metal tones. The drumming and melody often brings things close post-metal at times, which deserves some great praise.

11-minute epic "Surrender" can stun you with its mix of metal aggression and rock melody. The distorted texture is sometimes put aside for an acoustic passage, like the one 4 minutes into the song. The somber melody breaks up the intense action. Then it smoothly evolves back into some more thick metal sections. The instrumentation reaches its ending climax with a bit of Vektor-like thrash. The jazzy guitar of 90s-era Atheist starts "Torrent of Flame" peacefully. Despite laying back, it only lasts for a short while before some strange catchy riffing and more of the progressive black metal sound.

"Until My Will Is Gone" also starts clean in the guitar and vocals, followed by more of the metal fury. Then we have short interlude "Twenty Two". And finally, the closing "Into the Spoke of Night", a fantastic intense finale for this offering. Hell breaks loose in the riffing, in a progressive balance with the band's more melodic side. Talk about a kick-A closing summary of their progressive black metal!

Conquistador shows the band's sharp progressive mix of black metal and elements of melodic rock. Most of the songs naturally evolve with different surprises, and they can be carved into the extreme progressive metal stone....

Favorites: "One Whisper", "Surrender", "Torrent of Flame", "Into the Spoke of Night"

Modern metalcore seems to have discard the hardcore side of the genre, but bringing it back is the perfect triumph of For the Fallen Dreams' 6th album, aptly titled Six! You'll definitely want to stay awake for this d*mn glorious offering. This band founded in Michigan by guitarist Jim Hocking, has had almost as many lineup changes as Canadian thrash band Annihilator since forming in 2003. Their first two albums, Changes and Relentless are two of the best metalcore albums I've heard, though their quality would fall out of line in the poor Wasted Youth. They've toured and borrowed parts of their sound from bands like A Day To Remember, The Ghost Inside, and Norma Jean.

After a 4-year gap, the band consisting of Chad Ruhlig (vocals), Jim Hocking (guitars), Brandon Stastny (bass), and Navid Naghdi (drums) have gone back up to the top while standing by their new direction. There are 10 songs here that will get you pumped up and feeling strong, one of which is actually how I discovered this band, which we'll talk about it once we get there.

The explosive first track/single "Stone" is worth singing and screaming along to, especially in that massive chorus with layers of power from their heavy metalcore/hardcore sound. It is a true blessing to remind us about what metalcore used to be and revive the earlier scene. Stomping in is "The Undertow" with sonic synths to fit in with the pummeling heaviness, in a similar vein to the mid-2010s Bring Me the Horizon and The Word Alive. Moving along is "Unstoppable", which I find more motivational and catchier than that Sia "anthem". Headbanging verses and anthemic choruses will make you feel invincible.

Another stomper, "Forever" can turn a hellish nightmare into a heavenly dream with the bass and synths enhancing sludgy breakdowns. A mix of dark, ethereal, and heavy, all in one! Soaring through is "Burning Season" in the chorus that alight an upbeat yet melancholic flame. "Two Graves" has more sonic atmosphere, as the verses stampede into serene choruses that drift into different dimensions.

"Ten Years" is the song that caused to be interested in this band, via one of my earlier Revolution playlists. Holy f***ing h*ll, I love this furious fire! My brother has listened to a few songs from this band around the time of this album's release, but somehow I never got around there until that playlist. Exploding into some more of the catchy melody is "Hypnosis". Also blasting in is "Void" with a catchy chorus for the live crowd to sing along to, "Some days you feeling like running away". Then we have one final metal storm in "The Storm", having explosive fury that then calms down with gentle piano in the end.

The 2010s was really when metalcore was having far more emphasis on metal than hardcore, but don't get me wrong, I love that kind of metalcore too. Thanks to For the Fallen Dreams, the hardcore side of metalcore that was lost after the early 2000s is in the process of restoration. The modern atmospherics of Bring Me the Horizon and The Word Alive fit perfectly with the b*lls-out hardcore of early Eighteen Visions like a glove. Altogether some killer heaviness not to be skipped!

Favorites: "Stone", "Unstoppable", "Forever", "Ten Years", "The Storm"

For the Fallen Dreams still have heaviness in their hearts. It was about time they made a great return to roots. They learned from their mistakes and were ready to show their true talent to those who missed it...

The Michigan metalcore warriors made it big with their glorious debut Changes. They continued the perfection in Relentless, with a different vocalist to replaced the talented Chad Ruhlig, Dylan Richter who could also scream well. Back Burner was also amazing, but lacked the perfect spark of the first two albums. Then Wasted Youth was a total decrease in quality that left fans wondering "What the h*ll just happened?!" With Ruhlig back on board in Heavy Hearts, you know there's gonna be a return to true form.

Kicking things off hard is "Emerald Blue" with Chad's destructive voice booming back in with a growl of "FIGHT FOR YOUR LIFE!!!" A great start! "Choke" has similar vibes to Vision of Disorder and Bury Tomorrow, and the band can do it all well without choking. "Lights" continues the anthemic metalcore vibe of Bring Me the Horizon at that time.

The Color Morale vocalist Garret Rapp appears in "Dream Eater", performing cleans that sound a bit odd but don't affect too much there. They should've saved the cleans for guitarist Jim Hocking, who started doing clean singing after Richter's departure. 5th track "Bombay" is a total attention seeker in a great way. The blend of heaviness and melody throws back to Changes, albeit in a lower tuning. Perhaps their best song since the late 2000s! However, the lyrical quality seems to drop a bit, so it's still far from the perfect glory of that era. Hocking's stellar are some of the best to accompany Chad's vocals. "Mimic" has the brutality of Upon a Burning Body at that time.

"Endless" deserves more attention as Ruhlig's vocals and Navid Naghdi's drumming make a solid combination. Hocking can perform great clean singing while doing his usual technical guitar melody. Bassist Brandon Stastny doesn't shine much though. Also worth mentioning is the upbeat "Amnesia", having solid lyrics, guitar melodies, and drums. "Unfinished Business" has a similar groove to Every Time I Die. Closing track "Smelling Salt" has a great clean passage by Landon Tewers of The Plot in You.

For the Fallen Dreams managed to ascend back up to the Michigan metalcore throne. Although it can't reach the glory of their first 3 albums, it is a strong return to what they had in those albums and a promising sign of what they've become....

Favorites: "Emerald Blue", "Choke", "Bombay", "Endless", "Amnesia"

Wow... I never thought a metalcore band that was at the top of their game in the first 3 albums would drop down in quality like this. They would've had the potential to keep up their fantastic style of adding melody to the heaviness and metallic hardcore, but Wasted Youth had really disappointed their fans, having gone too far from what they're known for, overdosing on melody and clean singing. I'm sure those fans have migrated to listening to The Ghost Inside where their ex-drummer Andrew Tkaczyk is at now...

Back Burner had a much better balance clean singing and melody with brutal growls and heaviness. Wasted Youth went too deep into the former side. After producing Back Burner, Tom Denney decided to give the band a different writing path that includes emo-sounding choruses which are more suitable in his former band A Day To Remember. They make emo choruses, For the Fallen Dreams make heavy breakdowns. Denney took advantage of the production by making the guitars and harsh vocals sound muddy, while the cleans get more clarity. Now those cleans by Dylan Richter sound forced and lack their earlier power. No wonder Tkaczyk prefers to stay with The Ghost Inside!

Opener "Hollow" sounds promising with the band's heaviest riffing at the time. The melodic chorus and the brutal breakdown are in a better contrast here. Richter's clean in "Resolvent Feelings" sound like they been run through autotune. "Please Don't Hurt" is where Dylan Richter attempts to add a punk edge to his cleans but ends up sounding whiny and turning that song into a draggy disaster. The heavier riffing comes back on in "Until It Runs Out" that can make you feel the moshing adrenaline.

"Sober" is a decently catchy song. "Living a Lie" sounds like it's written the way A Day of Remember had back in their first two albums, and it works quite well. The poppy hooks in the beginning of "Always About You" sound great here and make that track another highlight. "Moving Forward" doesn't really move forward at all, attempting to mix A Day to Remember with As I Lay Dying but ultimately falling flat on the face. Then we have the album's heaviest entry "Your Funeral", yet the guitars and vocals sound too bland and not reaching the heights of their earlier albums.

"When Push Comes to Shove" has some nice surprises that end up spoiled by those d*mn vocals. Interestingly, "No One to Blame" makes a solid highlight despite heading closer to easycore. It has a catchy chorus of gang vocals, and the screams sound more decent. Listening to the short two-minute "Waking Up Alone", I'm appalled by how tone-deaf Richter is even the softest moments. "Pretending" closes this ill-fated album quite heavily, including a powerful breakdown to remind me of what they were.

There's not much that sounded right for this band in their incoherent weakest link, Wasted Youth. But don't worry, For the Fallen Dreams will become better again when the professional writing skills of their former drummer make a comeback in the next round....

Favorites (only songs I really like): "Hollow", "Until It Runs Out", "Living a Lie", "Always About You", "No One to Blame", "Pretending"

Founding drummer Andrew Tkaczyk had been in For the Fallen Dreams throughout the first 8 years of the band's activity. He left the band in early 2011 shortly before the recording of this album Back Burner and joined The Ghost Inside. When Chad Ruhlig returned a couple years later, so would Tkaczyk, albeit in the songwriting department. Another couple years later, Tkaczyk lost his leg in a tour bus crash involving The Ghost Inside, but he's still going strong in his current band.

Despite Tkaczyk's departure from For the Fallen Dreams, the band still have plenty in store in Back Burner! You can't ignore the pounding anthems they've made in this 2011 album to make you join in on the ride.

"Say What You Will" kicks things off with more of the band's heavy metalcore/hardcore determination. The production by Tom Denney, former founding guitarist of A Day to Remember, strikes with gigantic depths. It has helped with the band's much-needed epic tone. "Deep Down Inside" keeps up the idea of spicing up the mundane verse-chorus structure with destructive breakdowns. You'll certainly be hooked by "Complicate the Situation" with your veins pumped up. The live crowd will certainly be fueled up by the riffing, anthemic chorus, and a brutal breakdown to shake the arena. "Only Unopened Arms" shows the band's evolved writing that they put out with all their heart, without having to resort to the usual crushing metal breakdown.

"My Anthem-Like Symphony" continues the idea of adding in an anthemic chorus and heavy breakdown. Crying out for hardcore speed is "The Big Empty" in which the chorus is quite catchy, yet the lyrics are a bit less mature. "Bottom Feeders" is the most unexpected track of the album. It's a soft ballad to act as an intermission for the album. It's actually a good song worth a few listens. "Don't Give Up, Don't Give In" blends fast beats with melody similarly to The Ghost Inside, and it's a massive anthem to burn things up around here. They'll never give up or in!

"The Human Collective" has some solid modern metalcore a bit like Bring Me the Horizon at that time. Ditto with "Let Go" that is basically one of Asking Alexandria's breakdowns at that time turned into a full song. "Yellow" welcomes in the mainstream melodic metalcore of early Atreyu, enhanced by the cleans of Lower Than Atlantis' Mike Duce, while staying in the heavy realm. "Fist Fight" ends the album as a heavy mosh-monster. Let the bodies hit the f***ing floor!

In just less than a year, I'm already a big fan of For the Fallen Dreams. Though in Back Burner, it seems like they're losing a bit of the originality of Changes. Despite that, their amazing blend of heaviness and melody continues. With massive hooks, riffs, and breakdowns, this album might just convert you fully to the metalcore lifestyle!

Favorites: "Say What You Will", "Complicate the Situation", "My Anthem-Like Symphony", "Don't Give Up, Don't Give In", "Yellow", "Fist Fight"

Having not started listening to For the Fallen Dreams until last year, I knew I couldn't miss out on the incredible music this band creates. They've already proven their achieved potential in their debut Changes. It was clear from that album that they still had a lot of strength and talent, proven in their continuation of perfection, Relentless!

As awesome as Changes is, shortly after its release there was a change of vocalists. Chad Ruhlig stepped away from the mic for 5 years, and during then, Dylan Richter took over. You might not notice that immediately from the growls, until you hear something that wasn't used in their debut, clean singing. The heavier fans might be turned away, but for me, they give this album a better melodic edge.

"The Call Out" is a soft intro to invite you into another metalcore journey. Abstract guitar segues into "Perceptions", filled with heavy aggression. The heaviness would then fade down to let the melody shine. With that interesting blend in the drums, guitars, and vocals, you can definitely hear what other bands have like Parkway Drive, Misery Signals, and even Emmure in the breakdowns. "A Plethora of" has more of the clean vocals, in nice contrast to the heaviness. Same thing with "Nightmares", but the chorus has someone else doing the cleans, that someone being A Day to Remember vocalist Jeremy McKinnon. I was already a fan of that band and his guest appearance in an August Burns Red song, so that's a great treat. Both Jeremy and Dylan's clean vocals help make the album's sound more complete there.

"December Everyday" is another interesting track. The intro sounds close to Misery Signals and gets you hooked up, then the music continues to evolve from there. The vocals fit well in unpredictable variation, despite mostly being brutal growls throughout that song. It even leads to an atmospheric solo. "Defiance" continues the focus on brutal growling. "Smoke Signals" continues the perfect blend of heaviness and melody in the riffing. "In Sincerity" can be considered a polar opposite to the previous 3 tracks, having just clean vocals and melodic harmonies in the instrumentation. A sweet mind-blowing highlight!

"Before I Regret" has catchy heavy riffing. The drumming technique has more to do with As I Lay Dying than Between the Buried and Me, filling with interesting groove without going all-out technical. "Two Twenty Two" has a brutal intro closer in common to The Acacia Strain. The riffing builds up and breaks down in a h*ll of a monstrous breakdown. "Resurface the End" rolls with gigantic punches. "The Pain Loss" ends things with nice clean passages.

All in all, Relentless is another masterpiece by this incredible band. It actually isn't entirely perfect because it lacks a small part of the charm of Changes, so the percentage rating is a little over 95%. Nonetheless, if you're a metalcore fan like I am, this is something to love at first listen!

Favorites: "Perceptions", "Nightmares", "December Everyday", "Smoke Signals", "In Sincerity", "Two Twenty Two"

Metalcore does not get as much respect as it deserves, especially not from metal purists out there. One of the more underrated bands of the genre is For the Fallen Dreams. Their debut Changes is one of my favorite metalcore debut albums, with many of the songs have a perfectly equal blend of melodies, riffs, and breakdowns. If masterpieces like this are getting little attention nowadays, changes shall be made!

This perfect balance is what makes this band so unique. The breakdowns are made beyond imagination and they would make you get on your knees and beg for more. You'll find a lot of this awesomeness if you give the album a go.

"Brothers In Arms" references soldiers in distress at war, "Where were you, when I needed you?!" Next song "New Beginnings" has amazing riffing and a total mindf*** of an awesome breakdown midway through. The tempo slows down for the breakdown going deeper than the Mariana Trench (not to be confused with that August Burns Red song), perfected by the guitars not touching down immediately. "Hopeless" has an amazing riff verse surrounding the one-minute mark, and the ending breakdown also rules.

"Last Dying Breath" has an epic final third that adds positivity to the earlier violent lyrics, "My last dying breath, I'll bleed for you, my last dying breath, I'll die for you!" The first of two 2-minute interludes, "This World Around Us" actually has a small lyrical verse, and those few lines are quite great. "Never Again" is quite strong in the music and lyrics. The final third of that song is interesting as it starts an amazing bridge riff that leads into a brutal breakdown that's slightly forced but still punishing as f***. The title track is the second interlude, this one being an instrumental. That shows how beautiful the band can make their music without having to rely on lyrics.

"Vengeance" is perhaps the most aggressive track here, and I especially love the final 30 seconds, when a growl of "STEP OFF!!!" kicks off a pulverizing breakdown. "Falling Down" has more lyrical maturity. "Through the Looking Glass" is an awesome 6-minute epic. The one-minute intro is beautiful, but not as much as the final two minutes of epic glory, concluding the song and the album with synthesized strings that fade into a solitary snare drum, as the war ends and the surviving soldiers march home...

I could probably write a novel about the war depicted in the album that can be used as its soundtrack. This band and album was missing in my life until last year, and I would love to continue listening to Changes any time. A true masterpiece in my ongoing metalcore quest!

Favorites: "New Beginnings", "Last Dying Breath", "Never Again", "Vengeance", "Through the Looking Glass"

It's no surprise that the more hardcore fans of hardcore/metalcore know a bit of Strongarm. With powerful songs and Christian lyrics, the band helped developed the Christian hardcore/metalcore scene. Their debut Atonement marks a decent heavy start...

The music is on top, though the production is a bit amateur and thin, which causes a decrease in quality stamina. That's too bad because when the band performs, it's as if the instruments were a gift to the members from God. Ex-vocalist Jason Bergerren has some inspiring roaring vocals like he was blessed with such a voice. However, as furious as his vocals sound, they sometimes come out as plain and lose some lyrical clarity. Nonetheless, he's got intense talent.

"Division" protests against blind ignorance that spawns hate. "Trials" opens up on Christian struggles, "Again and again I struggle with myself, my shortcomings. My strength, my soul, so weary of this. I have to face the pain of my fault. Within these tests, these trials, the marks I miss." The purpose and strength isn't revealed until the end.

Because of the flawed production, there are some songs I don't like that I won't mention, but "Stand Together" is one of my favorites here, saving the album's grace with a message of never giving up on grace. "Count the Cost" motivates Christians to overcome the burdens of who they are. This can stick to me long despite me not being a Christian. After those songs about inner struggles, "Innocence Lost" takes on the despair of abortion while turning it around with hope, "a life of regret, still grace abounds". That's a good example of setting awareness to abortion rights. "Strengthened in Faith" is a moving finale with a perfect reminder of strength and power.

The lyrics in Atonement are pretty much the standout aspect of the album. They're very well-thought in the Christian realms. Any Christian listener can realize their strength to prevail, given to them by the Lord. Recommended for Christians and hardcore fans! Though it would be much better if they improved on the sound production....

Favorites: "Trials", "Stand Together", "Count the Cost", "Strengthened in Faith"