Shadowdoom9 (Andi)'s Reviews

If you had just discovered Illidiance via their Damage Theory album or their later material and didn't know they started off as a symphonic black metal band, well, to quote that owl alien Kh'ymm from Star Wars: Skeleton Crew, "You wouldn't believe me if I told you." The evolution from symphonic black metal to cyber metal is similar to The Kovenant. You can consider Illidiance's debut their own Nexus Polaris. Insane Mytheries to Demise was recorded two years prior as a demo when the band was named S.C.A.R.D., but after that, bassist X-tillArise left the band and took the rights to that name with him. The album is actually a solid start, though having a couple missteps...

The guitars are typical for a band performing a Dark Funeral-esque melodic black metal style, ranging from crushing riffs to flaming tremolos to epic melodies. Frontman Tommy Syrex (back then known as Diamantum) performs harsh screams that can outshine even Dani Filth, though they have some uneven effects. His cleans bring the vocal range closer to Ensiferum than Soilwork.

The intro "Dimmysterium" gets everything set up in mystical atmosphere and neoclassical shredding, starting off pretty great. Then "Rebellion" blasts forward with the symphonic black metal Samael last had in part of their EP Rebellion later restored in Above. "Nocturnal Strains" has the guitar melodies of early Eternal Tears of Sorrow.

"Armageddon Conquest" is a earlier track that had its origins in one of S.C.A.R.D. demos (which I would consider the band's own In Times Before the Light). The song itself has the blend of extreme and symphonic that Xerath would later have. After all that fast fire, we head to the slow "Melancholy of a Dying World". Melancholic melodies from the synths crawl, only speeding up during the final minute sounding similar to old-school Underoath. "Into Everlasting Night" throws in some atmosphere from early In the Woods, sounding much different from the band's later Soilwork-infused material.

"...And Twilight Falls" is a shorter highlight. The guitar leads and pianos once again build up its strength. I really love the last full track "Burning Wings", especially those synths that shine the most in the end. I can enjoy the symphonic darkness without it going too pompous. "Above the Old Kingdom" ends the album the way it began with beautiful leads, albeit fading into ominous synths.

An early yet timeless classic for Illidiance, Insane Mytheries to Demise is worth enjoying for any symphonic black metal fan before the band's move to cyber/industrial metal later. Keyboards aren't overboard. The riffing is lovely. The vocals are an odd flaw, but if you can get past that, you have a strong unique demo-turned-album in your hands....

Favorites: "Rebellion", "Melancholy of a Dying World", "...And Twilight Falls", "Burning Wings"

A band's sophomore album is sometimes a home-run or a foul. Some fans want more improvement, while others don't want drastic experimentation. Since their debut Edge of the Obscure was released 6 years before this album, they must've really been trying to find that right balance.

Among the Amorphous continues the tech-death-infused melodic cyber metal sound of their debut, this time it's more progressive. The conceptual tale from the debut is still going, here in a different world. The artwork and music videos greatly capture that concept. If you're up for some apocalyptic future kaiju battles that is kinda like Godzilla vs. Kong gone Star Wars, or weird assemblies of those monsters, you don't wanna miss this saga!

The opening track "Spiral into Existence" sets the dark tone as synths and vocals spike through the metal instrumentation. "Deceptive Signal" is a true highlight, underrated otherworldly djenty cyber metal for those who want similar music to Mnemic. The brutal verses go well with the epic chorus. Another battle-ready standout is "Sins of the Mechanical". Although Sybreed, Mnemic, and Raunchy haven't released an actual album in years, The Interbeing has made up for that and gotten fans of those earlier bands f***ing mind-blown. There's even some atmospheric meat here! "Borderline Human" has more of the industrial or Circle of Dust and the hardcore progressiveness of Erra.

"Purge the Deviant" has heavy riffing and a slightly longer track length than any of the band's other tracks, both perfect for a sci-fi battle. "Cellular Synergy" is an atmospheric interlude with female spoken vocals. "Enigmatic Circuits" has some electronic melody that can also be found in The Word Alive.

Then we have the impressive "Pinnacle of the Strain". The great screaming vocals fit the song well in amazing goodness. Truly this is Meshuggah-inspired cyber metal! With the album nearing its end, we have the industrial "Sum of Singularity", borrowing some drums and synths from Crossfaith. It has definitely foreshadowed the sound of their next album Icon of the Hopeless, and a great way to end this one. Well, after the apocalyptic title outro.

When I write my own books, I see it as a labor of love; taking a couple or so years to complete a book but it is all worth it. That must be what The Interbeing was going for when they worked on Among the Amorphous in a slow steady pace. And it's worth keeping fans around, old and new!

Favorites: "Deceptive Signal", "Sins of the Mechanical", "Purge the Deviant", "Pinnacle of the Strain", "Sum of Singularity"

As we all know, Northern Europe has pretty much the biggest amount of metal bands in any subregion. Denmark doesn't have any many popular metal bands as in Norway, Sweden, and Finland, but I enjoy some notable bands from the country including Mercenary and Mnemic. What if you can combine the sounds of those two bands to make tech-ish melodeath/cyber metal? Enter the Interbeing, whose killer talent is highly displayed in their perfect debut Edge of the Obscure!

You can also hear from this band some aspects from neighboring country Sweden, with the djenty riffing of Meshuggah and the catchy melodies of Soilwork. And how about some industrial synths all the way from America made fresh by Fear Factory?

Let's get it all started with the atmospheric intro "Elusive Atmosphere", building up in slight techno. Then the powerful "Pulse Within the Paradox" hits with b*lls-out rhythms to begin this rollercoaster ride. "Tongue of the Soiled" sounds a bit mangled at first and I was going to drop the album's rating a half-star down from perfection, but the kick-A groove decimates that mess into oblivion. I also enjoy the cleans that add to the cyber melody. "Face Deletion" is one of the f***ing best songs from this band. Enough said!

"Fields of Grey" is another awesome track, with more of the band's Mnemic/Fear Factory influences. "Shadow Drift" may be challenging to some, but the djenty pace is all worth it. The mind-blowing "Swallowing White Light" peaks high with more of those Fear Factory vocals.

Some spoken female vocals can be heard "In the Transcendence" which is a groove-filled (mostly) instrumental. "Celestial Flames" has more of that heavy brilliance. The bridge and chorus has djenty groove worth headbanging to if you're a fan of Periphery and Meshuggah. "Rhesus Artificial" is one more technical highlight without having to go all-out Periphery crazy. The instrumentation is once again well-composed. Atmospheric keyboards and guitars echo through the outro "Ledge of Oblivion".

The remixes are a bit odd, and this review is based on the standard edition without them. Edge of the Obscure shows that the band can wear their influences like a battle jacket. Something that sounds amongst the best really should've made it big!

Favorites: "Pulse Within the Paradox", "Face Deletion", "Fields of Grey", "Swallowing White Light", "Celestial Flames", "Rhesus Artificial"

I have mentioned wanting to check out the new Dark Tranquillity album Endtime Signals, and here we go! And just like I predicted, the results are as great as they are in Lacuna Coil's Sleepless Empire, with a solid 4 stars. However, the other Dark Tranquillity album I've revisited, Damage Done, really beats Lacuna Coil's Karmacode by a mile. If Black Anima is the Lacuna Coil album I've missed out on when I severed ties with the more melodic bands from my past, Moment is what I've missed out on from Dark Tranquillity. A lot has happened to the band's lineup in the time I was away. Long story short, founding guitarists Niklas Sundin and Martin Henriksson, and founding drummer Anders Jivarp are out, leaving only longtime members vocalist Mikael Stanne and keyboardist Martin Brandstrom to keep the band going with new members.

Fortunately, the new lineup that includes guitarists Johan Reinholdz (Skyfire) and Peter Lyse Karmark, bassist Christian Jansson, and drummer Joakim Strandberg Nilsson (ex-In Mourning) can really brings back some of the band's earlier roots. It's like a 25th anniversary throwback to the electronic-infused gothic-ish melodeath sound of Projector and Haven. Besides that, it seems like there are also some fresh industrial/progressive elements within layers, electronics, and guitar chords. The band knows make things unique and interesting in the 13th album, marking a better return to form than In Flames' Foregone.

The melodic "Shivers and Voids" is a solid opening track to remind you all of the band Dark Tranquillity fans have known. "Unforgivable" continues the throwback, exploding with aggressive speed while staying melodic. An epic standout! Breaking the pace a bit while staying true to what they are is "Neuronal Fire". Then "Not Nothing" really slows down for beautiful yet crushing darkness.

"Drowned Out Voices" charges through empowering riffing and background synths. However, the vocals indeed sound a bit drowned out. Then we have a gothic ballad in "One of Us is Gone". It is dedicated to late ex-guitarist Fredrik Johansson. RIP... The speed goes back up in "The Last Imagination". And further up in "Enforced Perspective".

The slow "Our Disconnect" is the perfect track to exemplify what this album is going for, darkness and dread for the endtimes. "Wayward Eyes" drifts through catchy keyboard hooks, again throwing back to Projector and Haven, maybe a bit of Damage Done. "A Bleaker Sun" is the most filler-ish track, and I hate to say this but it almost sounds like an AI-generated Dark Tranquillity song. "False Reflection" is slightly better, though it's too ballad-esque compared to the previous ballad.

I consider Endtime Signals a solid return to form for the band, staying melancholic, creative, and living up to the name. Not all the tracks work perfectly, particularly the last two, but the melodeath fire still burns to light up my darkened heart....

Favorites: "Shivers and Voids", "Unforgivable", "Not Nothing", "One of Us is Gone", "Our Disconnect", "Wayward Eyes"

After my poor revisiting experience with Karmacode, I decided to skip ahead nearly two decades through their discography into their new album Sleepless Empire. Ever since my move away from the more melodic metal bands 7 years ago, I hadn't listened much to this band at all, apart from several Gateway playlist submissions. The latest two albums I've heard from this band were Broken Crown Halo and Delirium, two albums that my brother enjoys for their alt-metal sound. I've almost completely missed out on Black Anima, which I've heard has a more metalcore tinge, and Comalies XX, a 20th anniversary re-recording of their breakthrough album. Well if I wanna hear female-fronted modern metalcore-ish alt-metal, In This Moment is currently my go-to band. But let's see if Lacuna Coil would become that again with their new album...

Now this is a great blast to the past! Sleepless Empire shows the band returning to their gothic metal roots while leaving their modern alt-metal path intact. It's almost like this was an unreleased album from 2004, literally a bridge between Comalies and Karmacode, finally seeing the light of day with a modern revamp. Honestly, I might just be up to finally checking out Black Anima and Comalies XX later on, maybe even Within Temptation's two new albums that I've also missed out on mostly. Not all of Sleepless Empire is exciting though, since a couple tracks/singles are a little weak for me. Still there are many songs that really brought back my memories from 10 years ago.

The "bridge between Comalies and Karmacode" theory sounds about right in "The Siege" with its memorable riffing, though the metalcore-ish growls of Andrea Ferro are different for sure. But then we get to the poor-quality "Oxygen", which sounds closer what they have Delirium but ends up being quite a letdown. The growls by Andrea Ferro sounding similar to Matt Heafy of Trivium are actually quite killer and don't make the song a total loss. Despite continuing that poor riffing in "Scarecrow", it is brushed aside by the electro-dance pace that can almost work as "Closer 2.0". We hear more of the vocal balance between Cristina and Andrea in "Gravity", which is pretty good, although the verses by Andrea could've had better execution.

"I Wish You Were Dead" is a single that got me pumped up for the album, and it's a true highlight, perhaps my favorite here! Again it connects the bridge between Comalies and Karmacode, maybe even a more dramatic take on a song from Shallow Life. It's a little short, being under 3 minutes. Maybe a guitar solo before the final chorus would make it better, but I still enjoy it as-is. An absolute must-listen! "Hosting the Shadow" really shows the band firing through, another great highlight! And even more so by the vicious growls of Lamb of God's Randy Blythe. You also gotta hear the massive soloing that comes up "In Nomine Patris" that makes an otherwise good song awesome.

I can almost consider the title track an actual blend of the 2020s eras of Memphis May Fire and October Tide with female cleans. "Sleep Paralysis" once again has amazing soloing that you wouldn't expect from a modern band. Pretty much all the band's albums can be heard stylistically throughout these 5 minutes. "In the Mean Time" is great but not all that special, except for the guest vocals by Ash Costello to break up the repetition. Ending track "Never Dawn" is the first ever single for the album, originally recorded two years prior for Zombicide: White Death, and giving me a feeling of hope for what this album would have later. The gothic strength of Comalies and the groove-metalcore-ish sound of Delirium actually become one! It might be disappointing for old-school fans, but it's much stronger than a big chunk of Karmacode.

Sleepless Empire is an enjoyable comeback for the band, with some memorable hits. It's a much better blending of old and new sounds that In Flames' Foregone, and hey, maybe I can check out Dark Tranquillity's new album Endtime Signals and see if I can find a similar result. I can never regain the perfect glory I experienced when I was a teen who was into the more melodic stuff, but those highlights are some of the band's best songs in years. I'm still torn between whether or not I should finally listen to Black Anima and Comalies XX, as it's another case of love it or hate it amongst the fans. Nonetheless, Sleeping Empire has much better songs to offer than Karmacode, and it has reminded me of how much I once enjoyed Comalies and their mid 2010s albums. And while I scored big in the metalcore realm with last year's new releases by ERRA and Make Them Suffer, I can still look back at this gothic/alt-metal band still going on for 3 decades. Lacuna Coil have returned with a true blessing....

Favorites: "The Siege", "I Wish You Were Dead", "Hosting the Shadow", "In Nomine Patris", "Sleep Paralysis", "Never Dawn"

It's not unusual for something you loved 10 years earlier to end up being abysmal to your ears today. After all, that happened to me when I revisited DragonForce's cover of "Ring of Fire". So what do I think of Lacuna Coil's switch from gothic metal to alt-metal that I was given a chance to revisit after all these years? Well, I still love some songs here, but for everything else, [insert metalcore BLEGH of disgust here]. And this was the band whose success came from their previous album Comalies.

See, I like alt-metal enough to be worthy of my time in the Gateway clan. However, it's hard for me to get used to the more mainstream albums. Maybe the reason I liked Karmacode more in my teens was because of how melodic it is. Well, there are good surprises here in the same amount as the bad ones...

Talking about only the tracks I like or find OK, "Fragile" is a catchy start. As in every Lacuna Coil album, there are the raging shouts of Andrea Ferro and the calm singing of Cristina Scabbia. However, here those vocals are used more equally. "Our Truth" is close to a f***ing incredible highlight! Even though I moved away from this band during my departure from gothic metal, after listening and reviewing a couple Evanescence albums, they might be some hope in returning to Lacuna Coil in the future. Maybe if I check out a different album later. "Within Me" is a great song for post-breakup woes of loneliness, bringing back good memories of when I used to listen to this band full-time.

We hear some earlier chanting by Cristina in "You Create", which would've been a highlight if it wasn't an interlude. "What I See" is another track I enjoy with more of Cristina's magical vocals. Ferro's vocals sound a little off here, but they don't break that track's glory. "Closer" is an amazing song that actually has some Europop vibes that might've influenced Amaranthe. Years since my last full listen of this song, and it remains immortal in my memory. I enjoy the bad-a** bass intro and outro, though the guitars are still worth bringing in. These lyrics hit me like a train in this awesome song, especially when the first chorus starts at the one-minute mark. This might be tied with Disturbed's "Stricken" as two historical modern alt-metal songs for me, and they still have that energy in subsequent decades. Guitar Hero players know that song for sure...

The rest of the tracklisting is just weak and forgettable. It's tough when the music doesn't hit me as well as it once did. And don't ask me that Depeche Mode cover that I now find f***ed up (I prefer It Dies Today's cover). I'm glad I still enjoy a few songs in the album, preventing it from becoming as awful as Metallica's St. Anger. I heard Lacuna Coil has made somewhat of a return to their gothic roots in their new album Sleepless Empire. I should check it out and hope for the better....

Favorites (only true highlights): "Our Truth", "Within Me", "What I See", "Closer"

Sorrow was the first taste of the atmospheric female-fronted progressive doom pioneered by The 3rd and the Mortal. Today I revisit the album that really sealed the deal with their sound, Tears Laid in Earth.

I can still recognize most of the greatness in this offering! As melodic guitars and haunting atmosphere transcend, guiding them through is the angelic vocals sung by Kari Rueslatten. Thanks to her, the idea of female vocals in metal would spread like wildfire, convincing The Gathering, After Forever, and many other symphonic/gothic metal bands to tag along for the ride. There's no denying how much of a game-changing mesmerizing vocalist Rueslatten is.

"Vandring" is the intro consisting of just her voice. Then the music begins with "Why So Lonely?" It stands out in peaceful melancholy from the riffing and singing. As of writing this review, I had a short amount of sleep due to having to wake up early (fasting month), and listening to this song, I can almost hallucinate a hot angelic goddess from the heavens singing to me, "Will you be mine till the end of time?" We have another excellent highlight in "Atupoema" with its audible bass. "Death-Hymn" is a heavier track in both the music and the lyrics of darkness and despair ("I never thought I would feel this way", "Prepare your soul for the journey through the woods of evil").

There are more ambient synths in "Shaman", performed by Rueslatten herself. The instrumental "Trial of Past" has clean guitars that make another melodic highlight. Even the drumming can get heavy despite being simplistic. What causes the quality to drop a little, away from perfection, is the two-minute "Lengsel", which is fine but a little pointless. "Salva Me" is more gothic in a similar vein to Gothminister, specifically the tracks featuring Nell Sigland of Theatre of Tragedy.

The least creative song title ever "Song" is actually one of the most creative tracks in the album, starting atmospheric before becoming more intense at the climax. I also like the dark sorrow of "In Mist Shrouded". And finally, "Oceana", still reigning as the longest and greatest T3ATM song. Not even the closing track of Sorrow can surpass it. The band created a monstrous complex 19-minute epic can put Fates Warning's epics to shame. You can rarely find vocals and clean guitars as haunting as in the beginning. And as it goes on, you can find yourself swimming in an oceanic realm, with the guitar effects singing a unworldly whale-song. And the rest is perfect history!

All in all, Tears Laid in Earth is what I can still consider an atmospheric female-fronted progressive doom near-masterpiece. The two-minute tracks may prevent this album from being totally perfect, but a lot of the best and almost the first songs of this style are all in here, including that unbeatable 19-minute epic. The divine vocals of Kari Rueslatten can really make my day. Amazing album for anyone wanting all things beautiful without any of that radio pop sh*t!

Favorites: "Why So Lonely?", "Atupoema", "Death-Hymn", "Trial of Past", "Song", "Oceana"

It has been a few years since I last heard of this band. People seem to compare The 3rd and the Mortal to The Gathering, and I can understand why. Almost as if they were following the footsteps of T3ATM. Their 1994 releases Sorrow and Tears Laid in Earth are what saved The Gathering from becoming gothic doom with R.E.M. vocals by hiring vocalist Anneke van Giersbergen for Mandylion and the next 5 albums, all of which seem to have a similar stylistic direction to T3ATM's subsequent releases.

If there is one album I consider the beginning of female-fronted progressive doom, this EP is that! One moment the guitars and drums sound clean and dreamy, and the next they sound heavy and intense. The vocals of Kari Rueslåtten sound beautiful, though in the softer folk sections, you might almost think of Enya.

"Grevinnens Bønn" (The Countess' Prayer) greatly exemplifies this doomy sound. I often get my bleak darkness from deathcore bands like Carnifex, but I can get it from this release without ever having to go extreme or brutal. The medieval folk side comes from the title ballad/interlude. "Ring of Fire" (no it's not a Johnny Cash cover) brings back some doom, getting close to death-doom in the instrumentation. "Silently I Surrender" is a more progressive while still doomy 8-minute epic.

All in all, Sorrow should be worth your time if you wanna hear progressive doom that would pave the way for a league of female-fronted gothic doom bands. I can chill out to this EP and listen to it as much as I like!

Favorites: "Grevinnens Bønn", "Silently I Surrender"

As far as the 21st century metalcore scene goes, Killswitch Engage is one of a few bands to stand out big and bring the scene to light. It's this blend of heaviness and melody that makes it so appealing to open-minded listeners such as myself. They started off massively strong in their first couple albums then just kinda dipped a bit in the era of Howard Jones. Not saying he's a bad vocalist at all, just that the albums he was in ended up being part of the lower half of ranking list. Then when Jesse Leach returned, the band's earlier power made its comeback too, reaching its greatest height in years in Atonement. And now comes their highly anticipated new album This Consequence!

The greatness of their music continues to stay strong here. This Consequence shows the band diving further into their earlier ruthless roots while staying catchy. And with its short total length of 35 minutes (almost reaching the 2000 debut's total length), it's clear they're thinking "F*** quantity, it's all about quality." The album contains their most brutal songs yet while not losing too much melody. The vocals are filled with majestic emotion that make great contrast with the extreme side.

"Abandon Us" straight-up attacks with heavy twisted riffing without ever needing an intro. After Leach bellows out the verses, he sings the choruses in melody and drama. A mighty flawless start! "Discordant Nation" gets you hooked with thrashy speed. "Aftermath" has deathly rage while balancing it out with mainstream melody.

With "Forever Aligned", Jesse Leach still has his vocal strength just like in those kick-A first two albums. The music is amazing including the harsh vocal verses. This catchy banger shall age well. I also hear a bit of a modern Soilwork vibe. I enjoy the chorus despite a slight issue with Adam D.'s cleans, probably would've been better with Howard Jones there instead of Adam. The outro is so beautiful too! "I Believe" has more upbeat accessibility. "Where It Dies" has the earlier midtempo heaviness. Then "Collusion" battles against worldwide corruption with f***ing heavy riffing from Adam D. who even performs p*ssed-off growls alongside Jesse in the bridge. So brutally awesome!

"The Fall of Us" fires away with blazing blasts and guttural vocals to blast you into the wall behind you. "Broken Glass" might as well as appear in the Atonement II EP because of the unusual sludgy pace and occasional blasts. "Requiem" closes the album with another highlight to remember. Summarizing all the band has to offer in their new album, this shall please the crowd for many generations.

In an age where bands don't sound as triumphant as they did in their prime of, say, 20 years ago, Killswitch Engage continues to rule. This Consequence has helped paved their endless road of success and victory!

Favorites: "Abandon Us", "Forever Aligned", "Collusion", "The Fall of Us", "Requiem"

It's not often a live album gets a perfect score, at least one from me. But the two-CD offering is so awesome, I don't need to get the Blu-ray version. It's basically two of the best Killswitch Engage albums and an encore in a high-quality livestream concert. I might just be up to also checking out (Set This) World Ablaze if not just a DVD release!

The technical production here impresses me more than most other live albums. Apparently, there's something going on in the intermission, but I won't spoil the fun of just the CD edition by checking it out. Just listening to the songs make this a pure live experience in the comfort of my own home. With this awesome two-album setlist, it might just blow away their weakest but still amazing releases like The End of Heartache and KSE V.

The first track and single of Atonement, "Unleashed" already has what's to come in this offering. Then "The Signal Fire" lights up the heavy fire, and Howard makes a small but amazing comeback in the second verse with his massive screams. The drums and guitars are so fast and furious with intense variation. Next song "Us Against the World" can provide motivation and strength for you to fight against different challenges. In the majestic highlight "The Crownless King", Killswitch Engage continue bringing back some of the earlier heaviness. Chuck Billy of Testament has brought forward enough fury for this song to have potential in the DOOM soundtrack.

"I Am Broken Too" still shows the band intensifying their sound while mostly having melodic emotion. "As Sure as the Sun Will Rise" follows that motive with more brutality in the verses. We also have the catchy "Know Your Enemy" with more hardcore yells. The mid-tempo "Take Control" shows the band having the pleasure of reinventing the wheel without breaking the original wheel.

"Ravenous" doesn't lose any melody yet they still have their metal heaviness. "I Can’t Be the Only One" has the power to inspire you to be brave enough to battle against your personal issues. "Bite the Hand That Feeds" is a killer way out of this album.

To start their 2000 debut part of the setlist, everything everywhere all at once kicks through in "Temple from the Within". Without an intro, the instrumentation hits you non-stop. A great mid-paced start to this perfect experience! A good thrashy track, "Vide Infra" has more spoken/shouted cleans to fit with the screams. The brutal blasts of "Irreversal" level up the intensity, defining the sound to expect in the album.

"Rusted Embrace" has some awesome vocals here. "Prelude" is quite g****mn good for an instrumental. It's too bad not a lot of the more serious metalheads give the earlier material like that track more appreciation. It segues to "Soilborn" which is really solid.

Next track "Numb Sickened Eyes" is a killer track worth listening to. However, its ending a bit annoying and I feel the need to skip it. Still it doesn't affect the album's perfect score that's still staying steady. "In the Unblind" has more effective mixing. The powerful screaming, guitar soloing, and drumming is a great reminder of the album's strength. The outro track "One Last Sunset" is replaced by "Just Barely Breathing", in which the slow acoustic outro is a bit out of line, but the rest of the song is still crushing.

All in all, an awesome top-notch show for those wanting a couple incredible albums by this band in its best live quality. It once again proves that while Howard Jones is still one of the greatest vocalists around, Jesse Leach has the throne with his name engraved in stone!

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

As with many other metalcore/melodic metalcore bands having been active in the past 25 years, Bleeding Through continues to stay true to their sound. They expand their horizons on the fast brutal side to make a heavy offering out of their aptly titled 9th album Nine!

It seems like they haven't lost much of their steam after really slowing their pace between albums. Nine is their first album in 7 years, a slightly longer gap than between The Great Fire and Love Will Kill All. They were still active before Nine though, releasing an EP titled Rage in 2022. And they have more of that rage in their ninth album, one of their most furious releases to date. Even that meme-worthy (two paths) cover art is filled with darkness and fire.

"Gallows" starts with a sample of Saruman (Christopher Lee) from Lord of the Rings saying "We have only to remove those who oppose us" then blasts off with the unique drumming fire and screaming fury that's what make this band so unique. "Our Brand is Chaos" has their usual chaotic brand of metalcore that made it big in This is Love, This is Murderous, throwing in their earlier blackened aspects and visceral lyrics. "Dead but So Alive" erupts into thrashy chaos, evolving into blazing soloing and the vocals of Brandan Schieppati and keyboardist Marta Demmel together in the chorus that makes an epic standout imprinted in your mind.

Next song "Hail Destruction" rips through face-tearing destruction until the 3-minute mark when everything halts then slowly makes its way back up for the searing soloing of guitar duo John Arnold and Brandon Richter. With all that, it almost comes close as the ultimate highlight for me. "Lost in Isolation" has more harmonic soloing crashing in, here courtesy of Doc Coyle from God Forbid and Bad Wolves. Other things to note are the ravaging drums and riffing, along more of the chorus dueling between Brandan and Marta. All of that surpass the previous track as the ultimate highlight of melody and intensity! The album has an intermission, with the slow piano/soprano vocal interlude "Last Breath". Then "Path of Our Disease" might just be the most "blackened Hatebreed" song I've heard since Underoath's first two albums.

"I Am Resistance" continues that speedy fury alongside the raging vocals of Comeback Kid vocalist Andrew Neufeld. Another special standout! Then "Emery" has more emotion while staying intense. The chorus throws back to their only full-on ballad "Line in the Sand" (The Truth). "War Time" is a violent banger with background vocals by Brian Fair (Shadows Fall), and the lyrics fire away as well. "Unholy Armada" has the last of the violent storm then ends with harmonic soloing as darkness gives way to light.

In a time when bands get more melodic for the sake of commercial success, Bleeding Through fight back against the trend by keeping their raw and vicious sound intact. Let's hope the band can continue making one album per year or two just like in their earlier days. We need more of the raging darkness!

Favorites: "Dead but So Alive", "Hail Destruction", "Lost in Isolation", "I Am Resistance", "War Time"

2023 was quite a year for the return of early underground melodic metalcore/deathcore bands. Prayer for Cleansing and Undying reformed a couple shows (no word on if any new albums are on the horizon), and Dawn of Orion (raise your glass!) and Plague Thy Child (lower your glass...) have each re-released pretty much all their earlier material in one album. Dawn of Orion's album A Celestial Ballad contains all 3 of their releases plus a few unreleased tracks.

Now I'd like to talk about the demos for a brief moment. 1997's Twilight Eternal is more death metal-oriented, and it might remind some more of Deicide than Morning Again. Sweet roughness! 1998's On Broken Wings blends those two bands' sounds for something nice, but its more polished production falls flat. So it's not that great...

Anyone who has read my review For the Lust of Prophecies Undone already knows what I think of its songs, but I'll say them again here; "As the Bloodred Moon Rises" greatly exemplifies that riffing, filled with true early melodic deathcore. This is the kind of darkness not even In Flames and Soilwork have dived into, having starting to go their own mainstream route in the early 2000s. "A Widow's Covenant" has a bit of technicality added to their riffing, hinting at what The Faceless and Betraying the Martyrs would have a decade later. "Creation's End" sounds like what may be the creation of the deathcore we know from bands like Carnifex and Whitechapel, and the melodeath of Disarmonia Mundi. "The Passing of Idols" starts off with a bit of thrash/groove before having more of the deathly sound.

The instrumental "To Hunt the Ethereal Sun" is the song vocalist Myke C-Town uses in his YouTube video outros, specifically that ethereal acoustic intro. The blend of acoustic/electric guitar reminds me a bit of Kalmah, though all that's missing is the symphonic keys and neoclassical shredding. The release ends with two re-recorded songs from their Twilight Eternal demo, which we will talk about once we get there, starting with "Thy Divine". The other one, "The Ancient Promise" can certainly start a moshpit at the beginning with its hardcore riffing and breakdown.

The 3 unreleased tracks must've been from an unknown unreleased demo or the recording sessions of their debut, starting with a different edition of the title track of the demo "Twilight Eternal" which hints at the melodeath sound later found in Insomnium. "The Liar's Broken Rhyme" has the best of the early metalcore of Morning Again and the melodic metalcore of Atreyu, Killswitch Engage, and Trivium in the vein of those bands' early material. "For Every Crack, a Hollow Smile" is a bit hollow, but it's still good.

Now we come to the On Broken Wings EP, and "Sown Into Flames" exemplifies the early metalcore of Converge blended with melodeath that would take true from in Neaera. You want heaviness in the title track? The midway breakdown has it all. "For Dying Eyes" continues the mix of melodeath/deathcore before As Blood Runs Black made it cool.

I mentioned how rough yet killer the Twilight Eternal demo is, but now it's become a battle of which track is better, with the title track starting with an unneeded audio sample from the horror film The Prophecy. Now "Thy Divine" I like better than in the debut album, with the thrashy intro riffing sounding nice and raw. "The Ancient Promise" is slightly less that its debut album counterpart but I still like it. Then "Gates of Emptiness" ends it all with the best metalcore riffing and growls of the entire compilation.

So of all of these tracks in A Celestial Ballad, most of the songs from sections 1, 2, and 4 are pretty great. Most of section 3 (On Broken Wings) are decent but could've been better in the production. If anyone wants early metalcore and death metal fused together in a way that really hits the spot, there you go....

Favorites: "As the Bloodred Moon Rises", "Creation's End", "To Hunt the Ethereal Sun", "The Ancient Promise" (1999), "Twilight Eternal" (previously unreleased), "The Liar's Broken Rhyme", "Sown Into Flames", "Thy Divine" (1997), "Gates of Emptiness"

A day after my Undying review marathon, I stumbled upon a song by Stormlord. I've actually first heard of this symphonic black metal band from Rome, Italy, nearly 10 years ago, but never gotten around in checking out because I was young and not ready to explore those dark blackened realms. Once I pressed play earlier today... HOLY SH*T, it has almost the same vibe as Undying! I'm talking about D-flat tuned epic heavy guitar melodies with occasional symphonic synths. Of course, both bands are worlds apart in terms of genre. Undying is melodic metalcore. Stormlord is symphonic black metal with power metal influences to go with both the epicness and the rawness.

What makes Stormlord stand out in the symphonic black metal pack is the lyrics centered around Italian mythology, and it fits well for when the music alternates between melodic and thrashy. At the Gates of Utopia is the band's second album and their first with the locally popular Scarlet Records after a decade in the underground. I'm just amazed by the greatness this band has with their power metal-infused sound!

Opening track "Under the Samnites' Spears" is that song I've mentioned above. After an epic keyboard march covering the first minute, the second minute has that melodic riffing that made me think of Undying. But when it slows down and the shrieked vocals come in, that's when Stormlord fans can recognize the band they know. Basically, an epic black metal structure of fast guitars and drums occasionally slowing down for a gloomy section. Even people like me who aren't into black metal that much can enjoy this power and glory. Starting off "I Am Legend" is some fast thrashy sections that then slow down for the usual bombastic sound. The power continues to rise in "Xanadu (A Vision in a Dream)" with some dramatic choir and male operatic singing. Still we have great speed in the guitars, bass, and drums, in conjunction with the epic atmosphere.

"And Winter Was" levels up the blast beats typically found in black metal while having some mid-tempo darkness. The title interlude is where the keyboards shine well sounding both dreadful and dreamy. Then we have the violent "The Curse of Medusa", in which the drums and vocals go brutal while still sounding epic.

"The Burning Hope" once again starts with mighty thrashy riffing then slows the tempo down. At this point, the more pompous side has already been done to death, but at least they still have that thrashy riffing later on in the song. "A Sight Inwards" has more melancholic melodies alongside those cool thrashy guitars. Here is where I get a little tired of the operatic singing, though it's manageable. Lastly, "The Secrets of the Earth" has the album's last chance of blending together epicness, gloom, and brutality, and the end result is the perfect ending to such an offering.

As amazing as At the Gates of Utopia is, I still don't feel up to switching back to the on side of my on-off relationship with black metal. Nonetheless, this is the best I've heard from symphonic black metal in a long while, particularly in some highly memorable tracks including the title intermission. As for a couple tracks, they rule too but could've had less forced ideas. With all that said, power metal-ish symphonic black metal might just be worth it for any metal listener!

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

Of course the moment Undying reach the highest peak in their sound ends up being their swansong release. I'm not too worried since they've reformed two decades after this album At History's End. Plus there are other metalcore bands that I enjoy, so you won't see my interest in the genre fading out anytime soon.

Metalcore bands like Undying have really touched the hearts of people who were around my age (mid-20s) or younger back then. As always, Undying provide their melodic metalcore sound that was only in the early stages of popularity. There are some things different in At History's End compared to the previous album. More direct melodies, more hardcore riffs, and more poetic lyrics, the latter recited by female vocalist Logan White, replacing Timothy Roy. It's the best you're gonna get from this band!

"Reckoning" has the best of many bands past and future, including late 90s Cave In, The Ghost Inside, Killswitch Engage, and Omnium Gatherum. A brilliant start to this offering! Taking their anger out on the perils of humanity is "Lament". Then "Teratisms" starts slow before having a more thrashy sound to remind me of Sylosis' demo EPs.

"By Turns" sounds like it could've given 36 Crazyfists the idea to go metal/hardcore next year. Logan White's views against a society of injustice to women covers "As Above". You gotta admire her lyrical spirit!

There is one interlude in this album, "Arrangement for Invisible Voices", filled with nothing but piano and strings, which made me a little bored just like the interludes in the previous album. Without it, At History's End would've been perfect. "For the Dying" once again sounds like the spawning point for later bands from the hardcore of Architects and The Ghost Inside to the melodeath of As Blood Runs Black and Sylosis. Final highlight "The Age of Grace" pumps you up with the intensity of Morning Again.

At History's End really should've had as much love and recognition as the more mainstream bands out there. Still it's fine staying underground. Now that the band has reformed recently, they now have time to create a new part of their melodic metalcore evolution and maybe hit that perfect 5-star mark. Their history shall be ongoing!

Favorites: "Reckoning", "As Above", "For the Dying", "The Age of Grace"

One year after the original demo release of Undying's EP This Day All Gods Die came their debut full-length The Whispered Lies of Angels. Again I hadn't gotten around to listening to this band the first time I've heard of them. Not enough hooks? Maybe... But now I hear that it's great enough to get me hooked! For the most part, anyway.

It's interesting how some of the most influential bands besides the popular ones are the bands that split up after less than 10 years, and it took the talk of the early melodic metalcore town to get this band recognized. Similar to other bands like Darkest Hour, Undying take the road of adding At the Gates-ish riffing. However, more often than not, things slow down close to the doomy melancholy of My Dying Bride. With all that said, they still have the hardcore rage, with more melodic leads and breakdowns than solos.

A much better opening song than in the EP, "Echoes" has the guitar, vocals, and drums roll through in melodic passion. Fantastic start! However, "Tears Seven Times Salt" is an odd unnecessary interlude. Fortunately, "The Company of Storms" brushes that aside with some deathly melodic metalcore not too far off from Upon a Burning Body's demo years. Things get a little underwhelming in "Fallen Grace" in which, despite its short 3-minute length, the melodic near-end bridge of the track goes on for a little too long. The rest of the song before then is still good though.

"The Coming Dark Age" is OK, but here they just rely a little too much on melody, jostling its balance with the heavy side a bit. "Born Again" has more of the hardcore sound later mastered by early Architects and the melody later mastered by Black Veil Brides. Same with "A Desert in the Heart" having a bit of the ambience of Silent Planet.

"Formal Absences of Precious Things" is another useless flow-killing interlude. "Of Masks and Martyrs" is one more original song, have some of the melody later that Betraying the Martyrs would later have, while not going the epic deathcore route of course. The beautiful hidden cover of "The Cry of Mankind" by My Dying Bride is a solid ending to this offering. This is as close to doom metalcore as we're ever going to get, and I didn't even have to increase the playback speed to 2x!

The Whispered Lies of Angels came from an era when melodic metalcore was not yet the norm. I can hear how much it affected the scene greatly. Not much wrong except for a couple odd interludes and a little too much melody in a couple songs. At least that will be fixed one album later....

Favorites: "Echoes", "The Company of Storms", "Born Again", "Of Masks and Martyrs", "The Cry of Mankind"

Undying is a band that I've come across a few times in the past several years yet hadn't gotten around in actually checking them out. Why? I have no idea. Let's fix that... Melodic metalcore had its start in the late 90s when bands in the American hardcore listened to Gothenburg melodeath and decided to add elements of that to their sound. Darkest Hour may have their reign, but Undying is a more underrated example, and their D-flat tuned heavy and melodic sound would carry over to Prayer for Cleansing, a band that includes former members Tommy Rogers and Paul Waggoner who would go on to form the more popular and progressive Between the Buried and Me.

Their first release, the EP This Day All Gods Die was recorded in 1998 and released as a demo, though it would get an official CD release in 2001. The idea of blending hardcore with melodeath was new and unheard of when the EP first came out in the underground. Gothenburg fans would certainly be pleased about their favorite metal style spreading into America. The hardcore side gives it that grit you don't often hear in In Flames. Strong rage and sweet melody are just what the doctor ordered.

The chilling synth "Intro" is almost like a continuation of the hidden outro in Children of Bodom's Something Wild, almost as if this is an alternate timeline where that band continued that album's D-flat tuned blackened melodeath sound and mixed it with metalcore. The title track seals that deal, but it doesn't impress me that much. There's not much variation in the drumming compared to the other songs. "Lay This Life Down" is filled with melodic darkness while battling it out with the hardcore rage. That's the kind of rage the more popular melodeath bands wish they had!

"Fire of Life" digs deeper into adding variety. The blend of slow and fast sections scream Prayer for Cleansing, while the former has the same slow dread as My Dying Bride, whom the band would cover one of their songs in their next release. More of those melodies and tremolo are in "When the Heavens Shed Tears". Finally, "For Liberation" is a mighty battle between the 90s metal/hardcore of Vision of Disorder and Burst and the European melodeath that would later reach bands like Neaera and Omnium Gatherum.

This Day All Gods Die is not the best start for Undying, but still good. Their later releases would have a more complex melodic turn that would pave the way for the more popular American melodic metalcore bands. Heavy darkness has been given more melodic light....

Favorites: "Lay This Life Down", "Fire of Life", "For Liberation"

Another early deathcore album... And wow, what a boost in quality compared to that Plague Thy Child EP! Just like that band, Dawn of Orion was a practically unknown band from around 25 years ago that had no chance in making it big. At least one of the members ended up being more well-known, vocalist Myke 'C-Town' Jamison, having started his own YouTube channel and even used one of Dawn of Orion's songs as the outro for his videos. I'll tell you what song that is when we get there...

Dawn of Orion was an early deathcore/metalcore band, the way Plague Thy Child had done it two years later, but Dawn of Orion is the real deal here. There's a lot of deathly riffing blending heaviness and melody, inspired by At the Gates, and this was years before the rise of melodic metalcore.

First song "As the Bloodred Moon Rises" greatly exemplifies that riffing, filled with true early melodic deathcore. This is the kind of darkness not even In Flames and Soilwork have dived into, having starting to go their own mainstream route in the early 2000s. "A Widow's Covenant" has a bit of technicality added to their riffing, hinting at what The Faceless and Betraying the Martyrs would have a decade later. "Creation's End" sounds like what may be the creation of the deathcore we know from bands like Carnifex and Whitechapel, and the melodeath of Disarmonia Mundi. "The Passing of Idols" starts off with a bit of thrash/groove before having more of the deathly sound.

The instrumental "To Hunt the Ethereal Sun" is the song Myke C-Town uses in his video outros, specifically that ethereal acoustic intro. The blend of acoustic/electric guitar reminds me a bit of Kalmah, though all that's missing is the symphonic keys and neoclassical shredding. The release ends with two re-recorded songs from their Twilight Eternal demo, starting with "Thy Divine". The other one, "The Ancient Promise" can certainly start a moshpit at the beginning with its hardcore riffing and breakdown.

I wouldn't say For the Lust of Prophecies Undone is the best melodic deathcore album I've heard, but it's a solid offering of face-tearing aggression. It's lightyears better than that Plague Thy Child EP, and a great way to begin this dark deathly side of the metalcore scene. This band shall be commended for this fascinating discovery....

Favorites: "As the Bloodred Moon Rises", "Creation's End", "To Hunt the Ethereal Sun", "The Ancient Promise"

Today I decided to explore another very example of deathcore. Plague Thy Child was a short-lived band whose only well-known release was a split album with metalcore band The Common Man. Plague Thy Child's 2001 EP has been given a 2023 official re-release that includes a 2000 demo.

The sound is basically early deathcore/metalcore, with deathly riffing, blackened screams, and hardcore breakdowns, almost like what Embodyment would've had if they didn't abandon their deathcore sound at the time. In theory, that all sounds cool, but sadly it's f***ed up by the demo production that makes most of it a mess. Despite that, "Autumn" combines that brutal sound with dark melodies, sounding quite beautiful. Everything else though is too bland or unclear. An actual re-recording of this sh*t is in order....

Favorites (only one I like): "Autumn"

Here I am checking out another Neurotech album, and once again I find something killer enough to almost reach perfection! I would've thought this smooth cyber/industrial metal sound was weird a few years ago, before I realized its true potential. Now it's something so fresh and unique that's hard to find in any other band or style.

Ave Neptune continues restoring the many aspects of Neurotech's material from 10 years prior, with heavy riffing and drumming mixed together with club-friendly electronics and cinematic strings, all narrated by great clean vocals. And it's not just keyboards that make things fresh. New stuff has been added including the occasional acoustic bridge and even extreme blast beats. I still haven't made my way through the entire Neurotech discography, but if I can be impressed by albums like this one, count me in!

"The Coming Storms" is the opener that can almost go as progressive as Extol in just 4 minutes, from the soft first-half buildup to the climatic electro-metal second half. The single "Mundane Entropy" doesn't lose much speed. A potential future classic! "Never-Ending Maze" has some of the modern electronic extremeness of late Raintime.

Absolute highlight "The Serpent Bites" might just be one of my favorite tracks by this band, with excellent riffing and a catchy chorus. "Only Heartbeat" continues that Dead by April-esque mix of electronics and metal. "Repent in Need" is one of the heaviest songs Wulf has ever done, straight-up metal aggression with a heavenly midsection.

"Spiraling Down" is the only track in the album bad enough to keep it a half-star short from total perfection, but it's not horrible by any means. "Whirlwind" has some heavy melodies to remind me of the recent Soilwork. "Inner Quest" is a much shorter and softer highlight, while having the ambience of Voivod, strings of Persefone, and the electronics of The Browning. It greatly leads to the finale "The Years of the Flood", a little more obvious but still the perfect way to end it all.

All in all, Ave Neptune has been an amazing experience in the cyber realm of Neurotech, with some of my newfound favorite tracks by the band. I look forward to hearing more of the band's discography and finding out which albums can surpass this one. All hail Neurotech!

Favorites: "Mundane Entropy", "The Serpent Bites", "Repent in Need", "Inner Quest", "The Years of the Flood"

If their EP, Version 4.5: The Dark Chapter, can be considered the All That Remains "Forever Cold" EP of Cypecore, Make Me Real is their Antifragile. It is their comeback album after the passing of their founding bassist Chris Heckel. They chose not to replace him to respect his memory. And besides that EP, they have performed some live shows with a few other members making their exit and entrance. I'm still trying to get a little more used to the band's sound though...

Make Me Real is less deathly than their earlier works. Here we have more melodic choruses and stronger cleans for more of an industrial groove metal sound similar to Mnemic. Most of the new songs pack quite a punch, so if you're expecting some freshness in their new material, you've come to the right place.

Traditionally for Cypecore, the album starts with an "Intro", this one nice and short. "Neoteric Gods" kicks off the technical action hard. This is deathly djenty industrial/groove metal at its best! It impresses me with its background synths and its dark yet anthemic chorus. I love it, and I'm sure Cypecore fans would too. "Pinnacle of Creation" keeps up that strength as a more groove-ish standout. Synths pop up more in "Doomsday Parade".

I don't know why they chose a ballad as the album's title track. I mean it's not too bad, but lacks some strength. Next track "King of Rats" is worse. Too much electronic sh*t in that one. The more deathly groove highlights return with "Fragments".

Hammering in further is "I'll Be Back" (Terminator, is that you?), an industrial banger suitable for the dark reality of humanity. "Patient Zero" is the closest throwback to their earlier melodeath sound while adding in a nice amount of electronics for good measure. Traditionally for Cypecore, the album ends with an "Outro", but the issue is, it's a 3-minutes long, a little too long for an electronic instrumental.

I would've loved the album much more if not for the 3 tracks in the middle along with the outro being so long. Still, Make Me Real is quite good. It's a nice comeback 6 years after The Alliance, and I might just be up to checking out more of their earlier deathly material....

Favorites: "Neoteric Gods", "Pinnacle of Creation", "Fragments", "I'll Be Back", "Patient Zero"

Is time travel real? While it isn't in the era we are in, Cypecore knows how to create that illusion with their "2123 Tour". Honestly, one of the reasons I don't go to live shows is the fear of experiencing a future that seems so real yet coming home embarrassed that it isn't. And this is a band that have started nearly two decades ago...

Cypecore have released 5 albums that follow a futuristic sci-fi conceptual saga, a similar aspect to Mechina. A year before their new fifth album Make Me Real, the band hinted at their new direction with this EP, Version 4.5: The Dark Chapter. The "4.5" part is quite clever, since the band wanted to give their fans something new after a 5-year gap that may have been caused by the tragic loss of the unreplaceable bassist Chris Heckel. Consider this Cypecore's own All That Remains "Forever Cold" EP, if you will.

Blasting off is "Chosen Chaos" which is one of the coolest song titles ever chosen. The EP doesn't follow the usual "Intro"/"Outro" aspect, so it has only a short amount of time for you to actually prepare for the chaos. The blasts and guitarwork strike through with their might. The vocals help make the song sound like melodeath-ish metalcore gone Disturbed. "Rise" is a nice display of a cleaner, more industrial sound. The guitar and bass shine instead of the previous track's drum blasts. Slight points off for the electronic overdose, but it's still good. "Spirals" has great harmonies that fit well with the screamed vocals. I also love the cleans and the bridge in the second half.

"Liquid Fire" is a strange track that's still OK. It's more nu metal-ish with some rapped vocals, closer to Korn and Limp Bizkit. Nonetheless, the usual madness is still going on at full force. Then we have "Rise (Death Version)", a version of "Rise" in which the vocals are screamed and the drums blast through. The sound here, along with most of the other tracks, is closer to metalcore than melodeath, which I can greatly accept. I love this heavier version more!

All in all, this EP sounds quite cool in the highlights, and I think they should've kept just the heavier version of "Rise" instead of the clean version that's still good. Version 4.5: The Dark Chapter might not be their best work, yet it can get you geared up for their next album. Time travel may not be real, but this dark futuristic music is....

Favorites: "Chosen Chaos", "Spirals", "Rise (Death Version)"

The brand-new All That Remains album Antifragile can be kind of considered their own Linkin Park From Zero. They've tragically lost a longtime member and it took around 7 years for a new album to be finished and released with a new member who can shine in the spotlight while respectfully maintaining the fallen member's legacy. Something different about that is, All That Remains stayed active and recruited the new member almost right away.

The long silence before this album was for several reasons. Not just the passing of guitarist Oli Herbert, but also COVID and a tough search for a new record label before deciding to go independent. I'm not kidding about new guy Jason Richardson shining well, his unique technicality from All Shall Perish, Born of Osiris, and Chelsea Grin, fits perfectly well with All That Remains' melodic sound. We also have the return of bassist Matt Deis (who performed in This Darkened Heart) and the relentless drumming of Anthony Barone (A Night in Texas, Beneath the Massacre, Shadow of Intent). With that, Antifragile is a path to a new era, one of perfect glory last achieved in the late 2000s!

As the first track "Divine" blasts open the gates, f*** yeah, All That Remains are back! This perfect comeback single is basically This Darkened Heart (especially with Matt Deis rejoining) gone Killswitch Engage. This surely does justice to the legacy of Oli Herbert. "Kerosene" lights things up with relentless bass/drum machinery rolling right through. It is a fire that can never be put out. Anyone who is up for All That Remains' less metalcore but still heavy tracks should check out "No Tomorrow". Again, Jason Richardson has done his job well in paying tribute to the late great Oli Herbert. "The Piper" is a more technical highlight, displaying his talents that help take the band to the next level. There's a lot more complexity than before while balancing it out with the usual hooks. Wonderful!

The title track hits hard, like "face-punch-bleeding" hard. It's quite strong and relatable for battling through life's struggles and rising against it all. "Forever Cold" is the single that has gotten me the most pumped up. I'll tell you ONE MORE TIME, Jason Richardson has done well in maintaining the legacy of the late Oli Herbert. "Poison It" pushes forward the technical boundaries yet again, throwing back to the heavier tracks from what I consider the band's heavier era (The Fall of Ideals, Overcome, For We Are Many, maybe more towards the latter two for the D-flat tuning).

Another superb comeback single is "Let You Go". Then we have "Cut Their Tongues Out", full of unbreakable roof-tearing thrashy metalcore chaos. Finally, "Blood & Stone" is the epic emotional closing track. The piano intro and outro are performed by none other than Jordan Rudess of Dream Theater. And in between is a metalcore extravaganza of heavy riffs and whimsical DragonForce-like leads. Philip Labonte lets out perhaps his most dynamic vocals to date. The perfect way to close this masterpiece!

I can't ever deny that Antifragile is the strongest and most passionate All That Remains album in 15 years. The legacy is staying solid with grand defiance in every move each member makes. Oli Herbert would be so proud. And thus an exciting new chapter for the band begins!

Favorites: "Divine", "The Piper", "Forever Cold", "Let You Go", "Blood & Stone"

As much as I love Mechina more than the average metalhead now, sometimes the enjoyment has its limits. A few of their earliest albums (besides the debut); Conqueror, Empyrean, and Xenon are all good but have some fault in the development of their symphonic cyber metal sound fully established in Acheron and Progenitor. When Mel Rose started taking over on most of the vocals, the quality started dropping back to that of their earlier 2010s material. However, loss of quality doesn't mean total defeat. As of this review, their new album Bellum Interruptum will be released next month, and we'll see if new and longtime Mechina fans will be happy again after this album Cenotaph...

When I make these listening/reviewing sessions, I let these tales of space warfare enter my mind as the music shoots through my ears while I type away on my computer. The symphonic cyber metal still sounds fresh the way they did it in 2023 like they've done in 2013. I have mentioned Mel Rose doing most of the vocals in the band's 2020s albums so far, but in Cenotaph, pretty much all the vocals are sung by her along with David Holch's clean singing in the background, melding both voices together once again. The most divisive point among the fanbase is, none of Holch's growls appear at all. Not even any growls from Anna Hel who guest appeared in the previous two albums. So pretty much every song is just heavy yet melodic clean-sung tunes that was only seldom used in Progenitor and As Embers Turn to Dust.

"Petrichor" isn't really a useful intro, though it works story-wise. The first actual song "For All to See" blasts off in aggression mixed with melody, filled with programmed drums of steel. And we have some great power in the title track highlight.

"Starlifter" is OK, but the softer ambient parts might've been taken from Cave In's softer works and Rosetta then sped up. "The Grand Hunt" is a slightly better piece of epic cyber metal. If this banger was ever performed live (they haven't since their earlier years), expect a slamming battle in the crowd. The glorious vocals and kick-A rhythms hit the spot, despite those bombastic symphonics again. The wrathful "Spasms of Human Tragedy" throws back to the heavier instrumentation from their mid-2010s material.

The instrumental "Broken Matter Manipulation" is full of straight-on riffing fury by Tiberi. Not many people like this track from what I've heard, but I do. Nothing but pure grand djenty industrial metal! I suppose it could've been better if they added some vocals throughout, specifically Holch's growls, but just as it is, it rules. "The Haruspex Sunrise" is where I start to lose interest in the album towards the end, not having much memorable variety when the vocals are all clean. The worst of it all is "Andara's Will" that shows the band experimenting with major-key brightness. That just makes the robotic vocals more annoying, and this sh*tter fits better in a Cynic/Devin Townsend album.

If their new album Bellum Interruptum has more of their earlier heaviness and brings back the growls on a regular basis, maybe even promote Anna Hel to a full-time member and add in a couple more well-known guests, all that can make it more enjoyable for fans and might just finally propel the band into the success of its more popular peers. But if it ends up being clean-vocal dominated like Cenotaph, I don't know what to say. Still I just hope what they have next will change everything....

Favorites: "For All to See", "Cenotaph", "The Grand Hunt", "Broken Matter Manipulation"

Almost every year, a new chapter is added to an intergalactic sci-fi journey. Many things still have the same glory while some just break a bit of the quality apart. When a new year dawns, so does the next Mechina album...

With album #10 Venator, the band expands on what's been going on in Siege. The clean singing by Mel Rose and David Holch practically mix together as one, with harmonic melodies, plus a couple tracks in the end bringing back Holch's growls. Tiberi has prioritized his heavy guitarwork slightly more, pushing them forward in the mix over some of the orchestration. And instead of most tracks being over 8 minutes, the tracks here are mostly under that length, with only the first two tracks going over instead of under.

Opening the album with some blockbuster grandeur, "Suffer" begins the journey you end up drifting into. The other long opening epic "Praise Hydrus" has effective riffing worth praising, but despite its 8-minute length, it feels like it should've been a little longer with more added. "Sacrifice Zone" has more intense variation in its shorter length.

"Totemic" is a guitar-less synth ballad in an almost similar vein to "Ode to the Forgotten Few" with vocals alternating between Rose and guest Necole Wright over this atmospheric astral plane. Greater impact is added to the title track, flowing smoothly through heaviness and melody.

The intro riff of "Aphelion" is quite great, though the rest seems a little incomplete, considering its relatively short length of 4 minutes. "The Embers of Old Earth" begins the final two-track leg that has what you've all been yearning for, David Holch's growls and all-out crushing riffing. Closing track "When Virtue Meets Steel" is an aggressive way to head out than can pulverize those earlier melodic tracks, complete with blasts and more growls, most of them coming from guest vocalist Anna Hel. So brutally awesome!

Venator is a slight step down from Siege, but there's still a lot to love here. With djent-ish symphonic cyber metal that can be considered the birthchild of Fear Factory and Nightwish, Mechina fans can really get something out of this album. Though it's better enjoy it while they still can before their next album, the cleaner Cenotaph....

Favorites: "Suffer", "Venator", "The Embers of Old Earth", "When Virtue Meets Steel"

Two years and 10 months was the longest Mechina had gone without releasing an album (not including their 2005 debut The Assembly of Tyrants or its semi re-recording EP Tyrannical Resurrection). Part of the reason for the gap is their 6-album remastering boxset Compendium. After completing this album in 2019, they thought "Why wait until New Year's Day to release this album when all of our fans are anticipating it?" So on November 1 that year, album #8 has touched down, Telesterion!

Once again we have another excellent album by these epic cyber metal masters. Telesterion has an almost similar aspect to DragonForce; 8 tracks with an average 7 and a half minutes in length, totaling up to an hour. Only the experienced can appreciate the lengthiness and find nothing bad in these songs at all. Or at least the actual songs...

The first track is an FX intro, "The Etimasia", and it goes on for... 6 MINUTES?!?!?! D*mn, that's long! Solid, though would've been much better if it was reduced to a fraction of its length, which would've made this album perfect. "Realm Breaker" is the first real song. The guitars actually sound less heavy and more melodic, which isn't bad at all but could use more oomph. Coming in at higher punches is "The Allodynia Lance" which is more symphonic, yet the heavy riffing and growls hit hard.

"Tyrannos" is the second track I've heard from this band, 7 months after "The Horizon Effect", and the first I've heard with David Holch's growls as the main vocal point. That epic-sounding piece of cinematic classical cyber metal has helped seal the deal with my interest in this sound. The lyrics are delivered well too, "CHILDREN OF EMPYREAN, DESCENDANTS OF ACHERON". Next track "Gene Heresy" is a grand over 10-minute epic that should touch the hearts of earlier fans anyone who loves long tracks. It might just surpass "Anagenesis" as one of the greatest epics Mechina has ever done!

We also have some rare soloing in the title track, nicely done by Dean Arnold, who has also performed in "Planetfall". I seem to think this album is Progenitor 2.0, but bear with me, it's still different, as proven in these final two tracks... "The Archivarius Chaos Ritual" is another one of the best tracks in this new era, with grand symphonics in the instrumentation. For the final track "Homeworld Salient", imagine a blend of Scale the Summit, Tyrant of Death, and Epica.

The Mechina saga continues in Telesterion, picking up where their previous album As Embers Turn to Dust left off. You can enjoy the music along with the lyrics that detail the story. It's so catchy, epic, and not too repetitive. It's worth hearing more of this band's unique underrated greatness!

Favorites: "The Allodynia Lance", "Tyrannos", "Gene Hersey", "The Archivarius Chaos Ritual"

Mechina can easily be compared to DragonForce and Two Steps From Hell. The former for their long songs, the latter for their cinematic symphonics, and both each having track after track sounding similar, and yet all this really intrigues me! All that's missing is the speedy soloing of DragonForce. Whether or not epic symphonic cyber metal is your thing, it's something that's gonna take an eternity for me to get tired of.

The band's discography in the second half of the 2010s is where the band make best use of their potential. The massive storyline, orchestral epicness, and metal heaviness put together by Joe Tiberi and vocalists David Holch and Mel Rose (the latter now a full-time member) make up another well-made journey, As Embers Turn to Dust.

The namesake album for the band's saga begins with "Godspeed, Vanguards" which really shows what the band is about, as sci-fi sounds lead into orchestration, djenty riffing, and blasts all over. The production is quite solid, though it can't top the perfection of the previous two albums. The composition is sealed together in great synergy. And it all keeps coming in "Creation Level Event". Same with "Impact Proxy" charging through with strength and impact.

Interestingly, "Aetherion Rain" calms things down in beauty and atmosphere as a gentle interlude before the next track... The memorable "The Synesthesia Signal" is the best standout for the more melodic side of Mechina, with serene vocals by Mel Rose. Absolutely stunning! Later albums would have her taking on more of the spotlight... Well, a little too much of the spotlight. Just like the previous album, the greatest symphonic highlight is followed by the greatest cyber one with the dark "Unearthing the Daedalian Ancient" having a heavier, more epic take on the old-school technicality of Alchemist, Dark Angel, and Pestilence. Another strong climatic composition!

Next track "The Tellurian Pathos" is filled with solid emotional melodies in something so heavy and melancholic at the same time. This album would've been perfect if the two interludes in the final leg were shorter, with the first "Thus Always to Tyrants" being a little too long for a piano interlude, just a few seconds longer than the next track... "Division Through Distance" perfectly matches riffing with orchestration and the last bit of Mel Rose's singing. The title outro is a more natural instrumental, but still overlong.

Albums like this are best experienced when you know the full story, but As Embers Turn to Dust is quite enjoyable either way. It really takes some time to get used to the band to like their material. Anyone who's new to the band or experienced with them shouldn't miss out on this album. Enjoy this epic sci-fi tale of darkness and light!

Favorites: "Godspeed, Vanguards", "Impact Proxy", "The Synesthesia Signal", "Unearthing the Daedalian Ancient", "Division Through Distance"

It took me a couple years since I first heard a song by Mechina to fully dive into its world. I thought Acheron was a strong album with a couple poor tracks. But this one, Progenitor is a perfect masterpiece that actually opened my ears wider and I was able to forgive Acheron for its mistakes and find that one perfect too. Progenitor makes different choices for their approach, and as a result, it is a true epic extreme cyber metal offering!

Here, the band brings back David Holch's clean singing, and then-session member Mel Rose sings throughout two tracks in the middle of the album that are both heavy. She would be promoted to a full-time member starting with their next album.

The ambient intro "Mass Locked" has that sci-fi film vibe, to get you geared up before the tech-death-ish symphonic cyber metal crashes in. The sound is best exemplified is "Ashes of Old Earth", blasting you through epicness and heaviness. "Starscape" takes the clean singing by Holch further, along with some cool background female chanting, while the growls are still around.

We get into the sound deeper with "Cryoshock", the first of the two Mel Rose-led tracks. "The Horizon Effect" is the first ever song I've heard from Mechina, with such godly music with easy yet chilling lyrics, "I stand in shadows of monuments". This can almost be the cyber metal symphony of the universe! Imagine a more melodic female-led Fear Factory, and you're not too far off. Normally, Mechina was focused on the growls and cleans of David Holch at the time, but this cleaner female direction is cosmic. The final minute is a different haunting piano outro that works as an interlude before something big...

"Anagenesis" is one h*ll of a cyber metal epic. The intro reminds me of Apocalyptica with its melancholic violins and cello, then the usual symphonic cyber metal goes on like a more orchestral blend of Alchemist and Northlane. Absolute futuristic glory! A rare aspect for Mechina is guitar solos, and "Planetfall" has that towards the end, performed by Dean Arnold. The song itself is an aggressive highlight. The title track finale unleashes it all before ending in atmospheric peace.

While not having a lot of the earlier experimentation, Progenitor is an intense climatic adventure and I wouldn't change a thing. With compositions of epicness, heaviness, and atmosphere, the cover artwork is a grand hint at all that. Anyone wanting something heavy and deep at the same time, I recommend this paragon of perfection to you!

Favorites: "Ashes of Old Earth", "The Horizon Effect", "Anagenesis", "Planetfall"

After checking out Shokran's debut album Supreme Truth, I felt like skipping ahead 10 years into their new album Duat. It's time to find out how this album by Egyptian-themed Russian djenty progressive metalcore stands as a contender for the Revolution Gallery Awards for 2024...

Like many other bands I've listened to, Shokran has a blend of heaviness and melody that I can easily appreciate. Mesmerizing melodies are in great interplay with djenty heaviness. Dmitry Demyanenko is a true master of that guitarwork. The impact is enhanced by the clear production, giving the riffing more power. The vocals by returning member Sergey Raev can please any modern metalhead with his vocal antics.

"Khonsu: The Traveler from Thebes" has his cool vocals in best display. While his harsh vocals rule, I also love his cleans. The song itself is definitely worth repeat listens. Including some f***ing killer soloing! Another amazing album standout is "Set: The Shark in the Womb" with killer heaviness. There are some lower growls in "Thoth: The Silent Witness". Then "Amon-Ra: The Battle for Tomorrow" really battles it out as you can hear some bits of Born of Osiris and Wage War, mostly the former having left a deep influential mark for this band.

"Maat: The Feather Against the Heart" is another absolute favorite with lots of heaviness and variation. We also have the catchy clean chorus in "Horus: The Never Changing War". Then "Osiris: Your Death Is Just a Beginning" balances the Born of Osiris influences with Tesseract. "Isis: Caught in the Knot" is just filled with awesome fire.

"Anubis: Can’t Escape the Hound" is almost like a djenty take on the metalcore/post-hardcore of The Word Alive and Escape the Fate. The vocals reach great heights in the climax of "Tefnut: The Greatest Drought". The modern power in the melody can almost compete with Bad Omens. It stands out with its catchy chorus and more of those Egyptian vibes. I can almost give "Hathor: Drunken With Blood" the ultra-heavy crown. But it's the crushing "Imhotep: The Falcon of Gold" that takes the throne.

Duat shall never disappoint for the most part. All these strong riffs and leads make an essential part of this modern metalcore album. Just brush aside the barely-there variety and you can go on a metal carpet ride....

Favorites: "Khonsu: The Traveler from Thebes", "Set: The Shark in the Womb", "Maat: The Feather Against the Heart", "Isis: Caught in the Knot", "Tefnut: The Greatest Drought", "Imhotep: The Falcon of Gold"

Travelling from the world's largest country covering the northernmost part of Asia and a bit of Europe on the west side, all the way down to the Middle East and Egypt, Shokran can add in some oriental grooves to their djenty progressive metalcore. Following The Sixth Sense EP, the band got to work on their debut Supreme Truth. And its cool modern cover art seems to give away its release in 2014, NOT 2004.

Supreme Truth is a 15-track journey that's both heavy and mesmerizing. Most of the tracks have an average 3-minute length, which may seem mainstream but all their talent is nicely crammed so while they're all short, you'll get a lot out of them. Expect the unexpected...

The opening "Interlude" already gives you a head-start through the technical speed of the guitars, as the orchestral/neoclassical melodies zoom through in this inhuman rampage. Impressive! "Pray the Martyr" unleashes the growls and screams from the vocalist that fit greatly with the sonic melodies, before clean singing appears too. Low growls also spread through one of my favorite tracks "Ghost Ruins". The riffing and vocals are awesome there. "Memories" has a highly melodic chorus that's not too bad though different from what the band usually does. "Charon" has some of the best vocal diversity in the album. The growls, screams, and cleans all battle it out in more of the fast heaviness that modern metalheads will never get tired of.

"Collapses" is also nice in the vocals. "Original Sin" has more progressive originality. As does "Crotalus" which actually has some Eternal Tears of Sorrow-like synths. Another djenty favorite is "The Right to Sorrow", with its heavy riffing and soloing going well with the Egyptian atmosphere. "In Theatre of Illusions" is stronger but tiring at this point.

I absolutely love the title track, getting me hypnotized by the riffs and growls sounding like Whitechapel while mixed with stunning melodies. "Sands of Time" has the most development, lasting 4 minutes in length, a minute longer than most of the other tracks. The structure is also different! "Punishment" starts with an Arabic prayer. As a Muslim, I'm quite familiar with that aspect. The bad-a** "Dark Desert" is another great favorite. "The New Battalions" ends it all on a catchy note.

It's not everyday you witness a band that can blend oriental melodies and technical speed together, but it's quite a promising mix. This extreme hypnotic band is overlooked in a world of bands replayed on popular demand. I say the one thing tough about this album is the structure in these short songs. While you get a lot out of them, they really could've had slightly more consistency so they don't sound too similar. If there's one more band of oriental-ish technicality, that would be Born of Osiris. As remarkable as that band is, I can almost say the same about Shokran's debut Supreme Truth, filled with music and vocals from another dimension....

Favorites: "Interlude", "Ghost Ruins", "Charon", "Original Sin", "The Right to Sorrow", "Supreme Truth", "Sands of Time", "Dark Desert"

It's been ages since I've last listened to an album by Arch Enemy, the last new one I've heard being Will to Power. I've still heard a few songs by the band, but never thought about a full return to their material. After hearing some singles from their new album Deceivers, I took some time to decide whether to give this band another chance. And with their upcoming album Blood Dynasty coming out two months after this review, if I want to listen to Deceivers while it's still fresh, it's now or never...

As with many melodeath bands, Arch Enemy is the kind of band that aims for melody and aggression blended together in great balance. They still haven't dropped their melodic side in the guitar leads and keyboard ether. Vocalist Alissa White-Gluz decided to add more clean vocals than ever, reminiscent of her former band The Agonist.

The diverse opening track "Handshake with Hell" has those cleans in best display. The creativity shines greatly from the epic intro to the energetic rest of the song. ''Deceiver, Deceiver'' (Is it a title track when the name is repeated twice in the title?) blasts through heavy Swedish melodeath, the way At the Gates and In Flames kickstarted it in the mid-90s. "In the Eye of the Storm" is a midtempo anthem, like a march into the war. "The Watcher" is a total thrasher.

Things slow down for the sweet highlight "Poisoned Arrow". Then "Sunset over the Empire" starts with audible bass making way for the harsh vocals and riff melodies. There are even some strings and choirs that almost make this a symphonic death metal track. "House of Mirrors" has some amazing Dark Tranquillity-esque melodeath.

"Spreading Black Wings" has some lyrics that aren't totally bad, but they could've been better written, "Do not fear to tread the left-hand path, I am here spreading black wings". The interlude "Morning Star" is a nice break with some guitar talent. Keyboard melancholy covers "One Last Time" while staying heavy in the instrumentation. The closing track "Exile From Earth" is almost as epic as the opener, with the vocals, soloing, and background atmosphere, reaching great dark heights.

I can witness the greatness the band still has after Will to Power. Alongside the melodic guitarwork, the clean vocals and symphonics add a sweet touch. Deceivers shall give them some new fans, though the earlier ones might be thrown off. I look forward to their new album Blood Dynasty and finding out if it works for their 30-year milestone....

Favorites: "Handshake with Hell", "In the Eye of the Storm", "Poisoned Arrow", "Sunset over the Empire", "House of Mirrors", "Exile From Earth"

5 years after my first review for Within Temptation's second album Mother Earth, which I wrote over 5 more years after my first listen, I decided it was time for review attempt #2. Part of the reason for this second attempt was one of my outside-world friends sharing a song from this album. Unfortunately, I don't find this album as perfect as it was 10 years before this new review, mostly because I've grown out of this full-on symphonic metal sound, with other flaws I've just noticed that I'll detail later on...

Mother Earth marked a change from the D-tuned gothic death-doom of Enter. Only the serene vocals of Sharon den Adel remain, with none of the growled vocals by guitarist Robert Westerholt. The music is faster and slightly tuned down to D-flat, and the lyrics are more fantasy-related. And it took two years for this to be the band's breakthrough.

The two popular singles are still some of my favorite Within Temptation songs today, beginning with the epic dreamy opening title track. The other popular single "Ice Queen" is quite catchy, though the title track has a little more magic. Then the album starts to calm down with the pleasant rare-for-me-to-enjoy ballad "Our Farewell". Then we have the equally slow (in a more doomy way) folk-ish highlight "Caged". Both the vocals by Sharon den Adel and the instrumentation are quite diverse. The peaceful calmness are at the right dose here, before it all ends up crashing down later... "The Promise" still reigns at the band's longest song to date at exactly 8 minutes. I used to love that epic, but what do I think of it now? Well, as nice as the strings/guitar harmonies are, the vocals sound too high for my maturing ears and make the song sound longer than it really is.

"Never Ending Story" bores me as a non-metal acoustic folk composition. I prefer the song by Limahl and its cover by Dragonland. I'm quite baffled by this long orchestral intro for "Deceiver of Fools", not sounding like the rest of the song. They should've just embedded it to the previous track. The song itself is a nice symphonic march to break free from the earlier gothic ballad-ish tracks. Again the problem is those d*mn cat-meowing-esque high vocals that don't have as much variation as the highlights. I'm not sure what the point of this ominous next "Intro" track was. I don't even know why that has its own track but the previous song's intro doesn't. It segues to "Dark Wings" which has a little more of the ridiculously high vocals, but that issue is actually brushed aside by some of the best guitarwork here, including a guitar solo by Ayreon mastermind Arjen Lucassen. "In Perfect Harmony" is the worst track saved for last. It's really more of a happy-sappy Disney/Enya track than anything and it made me almost fall asleep.

For this review, I'd like to go through some of the bonus tracks, mostly off the 2022 expanded edition, starting with "World of Make Believe". It's more orchestral with barely any metal, but it's actually one of the best of the bonus tracks. Nothing terrible at all! "Restless" is a single version of a song from the doomy debut Enter. It's still a precious song, but it's the single edit that fades out early, and it's a little unfitting for this album, bonus track or not. "Bittersweet" is that track my outside-world friend shared when he was grieving over his friend ignoring him. As beautiful as it is, it's too Enya-esque for my liking. Sorry, friend... "Jane Doe" was recorded in the Mother Earth sessions but was originally only a bonus track on their next album The Silent Force. Robert Westerholt's growls make a comeback, adding to the song's dark vibe. You know what, scr*w the title track, "Jane Doe" has taken its reign as one of the best songs by Within Temptation.

Mother Earth is suitable for if you're just chilling at your home and looking at a forest on an Autumn night. At least, that's what the album would've been without some of the upbeat highlights like the two opening singles. The way the album has been set up I still recognize as unique in this blend of orchestrations and guitars. But this album would be less boring if a quarter of "The Promise" was trimmed off, "Never Ending Story" and the two-minute intro of "Deceiver of Fools" were replaced with "World of Make Believe", the "Intro" of "Dark Wings" wasn't separated, and "In Perfect Harmony" was replaced with "Jane Doe". Those changes would make this album a better blessing for the Earth....

Favorites: "Mother Earth", "Ice Queen", "Our Farewell", "Caged", "Dark Wings", "World of Make Believe", "Jane Doe"

I've been hearing a lot about the hate and controversy towards Metallica's 2003 album St. Anger, and I finally decided to give it a shot. And I'm probably one of the many people thinking, "THIS is the band that made Master of Puppets?!?" Yes, it's as awful as many say it is, but there are still some parts I enjoy about it. Though we're gonna start by pointing out all the mistakes the band made for this album. For one thing, the band distanced themselves further away from their thrash roots and even the hard rock/heavy metal of Load/Reload. Now it's generally just alt-/nu metal that takes some groove metal/metalcore from some of my favorite bands and botches it up hard. Heavy verses and catchy choruses are a cool blend but end sounding more suitable for alt-music radio than in line with the band's 80s/90s thrash/heavy metal peers.

It ends up being quite strange hearing the occasional guitar and blasts of yore when most of what's going on is closer in sound to Drowning Pool. The guitars would've been a lot more interesting if there were any solos. Now I've heard a lot of solo-less metal music over the years, but when the songs drag on for a long time without variety... C'MON MAN! And of course, we can't forget about the SNARE. The only other band who had a oil-can snare drum that I'm aware of is Cold as Life, based on one of their songs that I heard in a Revolution playlist. There's also no bass at all. And the vocals by James Hetfield make me cringe when trying to doing some nu metal shouting.

The first third of this 75-minute album is the part that's not all bad, as we have the raging anger of the title track. Plus, "Some Kind of Monster" is a monstrous 8-minute epic that should be re-recorded with the improved production the band would have later, guitar soloing, audible bass, and none of the G****MN SNARE. When the worst offender "Invisible Kid" comes in, that's when everything sounds too similar and makes the remainder of the album a f***ing migraine-inducing mess.

So yeah, St. Anger is bad, though only two of the first 4 songs are good enough to score some points. While there's nothing wrong with experimentation, it doesn't often pay off as it should, and it has tainted the history of metal. You can't win it all from this band....

Favorites (only songs I like): "St. Anger", "Some Kind of Monster"

Why do some of the most loyal members of a band end up being the ones passing away so soon? WHY?!? Bassist Chris Heckel was one of the founding members who stayed with the band until he lost his life to leukemia in 2018. Vocalist Attila Erdélyi was also a founding member, but he left the band in 2016 then died in 2022. I've just discovered this band today as of this review, and his vocals are some of the most distinctive I've heard in the genre. RIP those two fallen members...

The highly underrated cyber metal subgenre is worth good listens on the move, like in a car, train, or plane, when you imagine a more technological future in the outdoor landscape. Cypecore, by name, sounds like a blend of that subgenre and metalcore, but actually those two are more secondary. Melodeath/groove metal reign here!

Not all of it are those genres though, as the "Intro" has an ominous trip-hop-ish vibe that sounds like one of those interludes are the second-to-last track of a Linkin Park album. "Everdying" blasts off with the core-ish melodeath of Dark Tranquillity and Sonic Syndicate. If you're a melodeath fan who enjoys this blend of heaviness and melody, you're gonna enjoy a lot of this album, along with Attila's vocals. Next up, "Mission" continues the crushing glory. The drumming sounds so organic, pounding through alongside the melodic guitar and growling vocals. "...And Death Was Nothing To Him" has more of that awesome writing as heavy verses collide with the melodic chorus. That's the kind of aspect the band can borrow from Dark Tranquillity and other melodeath bands without ripping them off.

That sound continues on in "Final Hour". Same with "Signs", channeling the spirit of Gothenburg metal. Heading into the title track, the heaviness is toned down for beautiful melancholy. Still the chorus is worth screaming along to, with the opportunity to growl from the darkest vocal depths of Hell. The band's core-ish melodeath/groove shines well as being independent allows the band to have a lot of creativity. "Something Inside" turns up the groove, not too far off from Lamb of God. Maybe closer to that downtuned Lamb of God cover project, Drop God. That shows how greatly the NWOAHM can spread into Germany and other European countries.

Then "The Origin of Hate" proves the band's talents with the speedy verses, melodic chorus, and heartful soloing. You can also hear some slight industrial here and there. Also memorable is "Control Yourself" with its cool catchiness. The last full song "Distraction" balances everything smoothly without anything distracting. Finally, an "Outro" appears, sounding similar to the intro, bringing this 12-track (10-song) album to full circle.

Cypecore should be appreciated for their great sound and production. Albums like Innocent should really catch on to a greater population. There's not much bad about this killer album, really. But the intro and outro are both necessary and not....

Favorites: "Everdying", "Mission", "...And Death Was Nothing To Him", "Innocent", "The Origin of Hate", "Control Yourself"

Well, time for me to make another attempt in exploring the war history-themed power metal of Sabaton. The Art of War is Sabaton's 4th album, and the last of an interrupted 4-year streak of albums, although their 3rd album Metalizer was recorded 5 years before its release. It is their 2008 album that has sealed the band's sound main lyrical theme. Aside the usual war lyrics, the music can pack some punches with its riffing, keys, and the unusual-for-power-metal baritone vocals of Joakim Broden.

The album is, as you can guess, based on the Chinese military book written by Sun Tzu. The spoken quotations are taken from an audiobook version read by a female narrator. To be honest though, hearing this album now makes me think the narrator is one of those cheap AI voices, long before that became a thing. That and my withering appeal for power metal makes my rating for this album a little lower than it would've been 10 years ago... But hey, the mid-paced marches and rapid speeders are still interesting, like a nice bridge between Black Sabbath and DragonForce. The fresh vocal melodies are also welcome!

Let's skip the useless "Sun Tzu Says" intro and head to the main attraction... "Ghost Division" is a h*ll of a kick-A opening track, getting the motor running with heavy riffing and dramatic keys. They've used this track as their opening song for almost every concert, unlike most other bands that start with the first track of their newest album, and they made the right choice there. The title track is a slower pounder with catchy keyboards. But then we have the pompous "40:1". It's one of my outside world friend's favorite Sabaton songs, but it's not really for me. Still it's good with its fast speed. The more progressive "Unbreakable" is one of the best songs I've heard by Sabaton, and I still think that today. It's the band's own Black Sabbath "Heaven and Hell"!

"The Nature of Warfare" is another f***ing useless spoken interlude, and the strange keyboards don't help. It segues to another mid-tempo track "Cliffs of Gallipoli" which is quite fun with its bouncy piano and simple chorus. "Talvisota" really speeds up a bit. "Panzerkampf" sounds too much in the chorus though I don't mind the folk-ish approach.

We then end up in the only full song I consider weak as f***, "Union (Slopes of St. Benedict)". It sounds like a heavily butchered cover of DragonForce's "Cry Thunder", 4 years before that far better DragonForce track. "The Price of a Mile" is one more strong mighty mid-tempo march, detailing war's horrors without glorifying it. Anthemic chorus and emotional soloing there! "Firestorm" unleashes the last bit of vicious speed. "A Secret" is a pointless outro, and the "illegal download detected" ending really threw me off.

Honestly, I would've thought The Art of War was the power metal hit album I thought it was 10 years ago, if not for those d*mn quotations, that "Union" sh*tter, and a couple tracks needing slight improvement. Still, most of the full songs here are some of Sabaton's greatest hits, and that should give you your money's worth....

Favorites: "Ghost Division", "Unbreakable", "Cliffs of Gallipoli", "Talvisota", "The Price of a Mile", "Firestorm"

I remember reviewing one of The Old Dead Tree's albums for The Fallen Gothic Metal Modern Era clan challenge almost 5 years before this review. I've forgotten all about that band since falling out of The Fallen a couple years later. That is, until the band's new comeback album appeared in the Metal Academy 2024 Awards Gateway Gallery thread. So now's a good time to give this band another chance, and see if its cover artwork will head home with its award.

Second Thoughts is the band's first full album after a long 17-year gap, as a result of a 10-year hiatus, apart from a couple reunion shows. And it sounds like their dark progressive/alt-metal melancholy can still practically reign in triumph! Their haunting legacy isn't withering any time soon.

First off, "Unpredictable" is a soaring composition of life's struggles. Vocalist Manuel Munoz and the rest of his team give the heavy instrumentation lots of emotion. "Don’t Waste Your Time" is a nice blend of dark and light. "The Lightest Straw" takes you through the depths of existence in the lyrics, as the music gets more dynamic. Manuel's vocal power allow you to experience the melancholy while finding the hopeful side of things. There are a couple trilogy suites in the album, one of them being "The Secret", starting with the short acoustic "Better Off Dead". The second part "Within a Second Thought" continues this story of regret and loss. "Luke" finishes this dark mini-saga with the most haunting and heaviest they have to offer. This emotional lyrical theme is not often heard in progressive tempo-changing arrangements like that one.

Another standout comes in "Story of My Life", which is more accessible while staying strong and anthemic in the lyrics. That shall get the live crowd moving! Then comes the other trilogy, "The Hunt", beginning with another song of clean melancholy, "Fresh Start". The second part, "I Wish I Could" is a highlight that's both hopeful and hopeless. It charges through in emotion and heaviness while having some grand atmosphere for a complex structure. The dramatic concluding part, "The Trap" has modern melody to please many of its listeners.

"Solastalgia" stands out in layers of rage and despair, despite being more of a power ballad. "OK" packs some killer heavy punches, as almost a polar opposite to the smooth wonders of the previous track. "The Worst is Yet to Come" is not as much of a classic as the similarly-titled song by, Still Remains, but it's a decent end to this personal journey, promising a more steady evolution for the band to come...

Creating and listening to music is a good way to let out your grief, as exemplified in Second Thoughts. This dark alt-metal sound is better executed than Swallow the Sun's attempt in their new album Shining, although that one's not as bad as people say it is. With this magical ride, The Old Dead Tree is far from dead!

Favorites: "Unpredictable", "The Lightest Straw", "Luke", "Story of My Life", "I Wish I Could", "Solastalgia", "OK"

Taking its name from a Who Framed Roger Rabbit-inspired live-action/animated film from 1992, the second album by Chat Pile, Cool World takes through our world's reality of violence and decay. I say the music is cool while the world itself is not. Their noise-ridden sludge/alt-metal sound is something worth listening to, remembering the toxicity of different places while staying safely in your home...

Since 2019, the band consisting of vocalist Raygun Busch, guitarist Luther Manhole, bassist Stin, and drummer Cap'n Ron have taken on a journey full of songs ranging from minimalistic to anthemic. In Cool World, you can hear the noise-ridden sludge/alt-metal in full force with elements of goth and industrial within these grooves.

Opening track "I Am Dog Now" has a brief ambient intro before the crushing riff rolls through as Busch yells the track's title, "I AM DOG NOW!" (I prefer to be a cat, I'm a cat person). There are some Today is the Vibes around here. Busch imagines himself to be an uncaged animal yet having "nowhere to go at all". Then "Shame" shines more interestingly with soft grunge melancholy, as Busch sings "And the world was quaking open, with all our fathers smiling". The bridge contradicts that motive with brutal death growls. Beating through "Frownland" is some groovy industrial bass. "Funny Man" has similar lyrical themes to the previous tracks with lyrics like "the blood of my sons is just a new beginning". It gets close to nu/groove metal territory, maybe even a bit of rap metal, while obviously not going the Limp Bizkit route. "Not evеryone gets to hide."

"Camcorder" sounds a bit out of line and stretchy in this attempt at a 6-minute epic. At least I can give the earth-breaking outro some good points. After that, "Tape" is more gothic-ish in the clean singing while the shouts are never compromised. "The New World" is the track that has everything to expect in an album like this one; beauty and brutality, sounding both accessible and not, all in its f***ing glory. The lyrics are so intriguing despite its bleak darkness, "I couldn't take on the weight of existence, I couldn't watch them execute my friends".

"Masc" heads back into the earlier catchiness. "Milk of Human Kindness" allows you to walk this world that would make you feel confident while losing hope at the same time, and apparently, Busch "screamed about it all night". The last bit of killer destruction appears in "No Way Out", reaching a climatic height as Busch's let out his final cries of "NO ESCAPE! NO WAY OUT!!!"

In a world that was once made for us to live but now has taken a backwards turn in that objective, Chat Pile's shall have listeners' ears opened to its sound and the horrors of the world while turning away from it. Goodbye, cruel world, and hello, Cool World....

Favorites: "I Am Dog Now", "Shame", "Funny Man", "The New World", "No Way Out"

Since 1999, the Project Hate MCMXCIX (formed in my birth year and having its roman numerals in their name) is known for their Swedish death metal sound spiced up with industrial/symphonic elements that have been prominent since the mid-2000s. The project founded by guitarist/bassist Lord K Philipson and vocalist Jörgen Sandström had recently abandoned the more typical song lengths for an aspect that has covered their 2010s albums and beyond; 6 tracks with an average 13 minutes each, almost hitting the 80-minute CD limit. Death Ritual Covenant is a more industrial example of that technique...

Basically their symphonic-infused death metal sound, similar to 2000s Septicflesh, is given a more progressive and industrial treatment. Adding in bits of flamenco and EDM shows that experimental alt-metal bands like Dog Fashion Disco and Twelve Foot Ninja aren't the only bands who can do that. The deathly grandeur is strong within the mechanical riffing and bass by Philipson and the harsh growls by Sandström.

The opening title track provides a great example of that brutal riffing, with the main melody sticking around at the right times from start to finish. Storming on is "The Eating of the Impure Young", a 15-minute death metal epic, apart from adding in some strange dubstep in the middle. Strange but quite welcome!

"Legions" seems to take on the dramatic deathcore of Whitechapel and Winds of Plague but without much of the "core". There are also some guest vocals by Darkane vocalist Lawrence Mackrory. Deathly power shines in "Through Fire There is Cleansing" with more of Philipson's guitar weaponry. Johan Hegg of Amon Amarth also guest appears in this track, along with track 2 and this next track...

"Inferno" is shorter than the other tracks in the album, with a length of 10 and a half minutes ago. It's like the progressive death metal of the first two Extol albums with pieces of Amaranthe and Dir En Grey. "Solemn" is the epic finale, having the melancholic melodeath of Omnium Gatherum while still covered in electro-industrial beauty.

Making an album filled with long epics can be risky, especially when they had to add so many ideas and make sure the 80-minute CD limit isn't surpassed. However, it has mostly paid off, as the charm is never lost. Death Ritual Covenant is a solid album up for an adventure of adventures. It might get a little tiring, but you just gotta appreciate this band's determination to explore with barely any limits....

Favorites: "The Eating of the Impure Young", "Through Fire There is Cleansing", "Solemn"

Throughout last year (as of this review), I've been slowly getting deep into the world of Mechina. The band is so interesting and unique with their epic symphonic cyber metal sound and a massive saga that can almost rival Star Wars and the Marvel Cinematic Universe. I've already gone through their first 5 albums and a few songs from their later ones. I decided to skip ahead into one of those later albums for a better chance at finding some improvement after their "great but could've gone better" albums 2-5. And album #9, Siege is a journey of sci-fi space majesty! While those other albums focus mainly on futuristic vibes and progressive structures, atmosphere reigns in Siege and rules strongly. It is blended with technical aggression for a better balanced experience. The songs transcend well as they fade from one to another more smoothly, with sound effects added at appropriate times. The characters and story and paint a clearer picture and prove that the cool artwork and lyrics aren't just for show.

Any Mechina fan can grasp this astonishing storyline, yet it really depends to the music to bring it to life with its emotional and chaos. The extreme side lies in the technical drum programming and djenty guitar riffing. The way those instruments really hit hard should really be brought into more of those sci-fi movie battle scenes, not to replace the orchestral score but to blend it all together. That's where the beautiful melodic side of the music comes in, when electronic synths and orchestrations add triumph to the brutal destruction. It makes the human/machine wars sound as they are meant to be. And of course, the story is narrated by male/female vocals which, unlike the previous albums, are almost entirely clean. I think this album would've had the perfect 5-star rating if David Holch contributed his earlier growls in the heavier tracks.

The slow eerie 3-minute intro "King Breeder" creeps in. Then "The Worst in Us" slowly builds up in atmospheric march and finally touches down in a climatic metal storm. Mel Rose sounds so beautiful with her serene singing. That's the epic energy I can expect from this band. "Shock Doctrine" is a short straight track though it has a huge bridge.

"Purity Storm" has more dynamic emotion. The violins sound quite beautiful within this metallic march. The blend of melodic and heavy shall make you crave for more. But it's the title track that has most of the heaviness and epicness in one track. And as it turns out, there ARE harsh vocals, coming from guest vocalist Anna Hel. She actually sounds more aggressive than David Holch! If David ends up quitting harsh vocals full-time, Anna can take his place.

"Claw at the Dirt" once again brings forward the symphonics of Eternal Tears of Sorrow while replacing that band's growls with more of the female singing and futuristic sounds. "Blood Feud Erotica" has the most of the technicality and speed in the drumming, right from the intense beginning. "Freedom Foregone" is the 11 and a half minute final epic, the band's longest song to be part of an album and not released as a separate single. Tragedy and triumph collide with each other, alongside more of the heavy instrumentation and emotional singing. Then after the final chorus, the last bit of clean guitar and violin melancholy close this chapter of the Mechina saga.

It takes some experience to be able to listen to all this emotion and chaos, and in the end, you might just get your reward. Siege is filled with unique almost-perfect majesty, and it has brought me closer in my quest to get myself fully committed to this extreme sci-fi realm. Anyone up for that shall get in on the action with this superb offering!

Favorites: "The Worst in Us", "Purity Storm", "Siege", "Freedom Foregone"

As the thrash metal scene was making its way into Denmark, Artillery was the band making the genre big over there. Whereas on the heavier end of the thrash spectrum, Invocator take on the technical thrash sound of Coroner, Dark Angel, and Sadus with speed and brutality. And you might know a couple of the band members from their later careers; Per M. Jensen as a former drummer of The Haunted and vocalist/bassist Jacob Hansen as one of the most prolific record producers in metal!

The heavy side of the band comes from the speed/death metal elements, and in their debut Excursion Demise, many tracks are a fast blizzard with some slight mid-tempo groove. With all that in mind, Invocator knew how to add variety to their speed so that their listeners can breathe.

The opening title track is the greatest place to start with fantastic riffing. The perfect beginning highlight! The eerie acoustic instrumental "To a Twisted Recess of Mind" follows with some nice bass, as a much needed break within the intensity. It makes way for the furious "Forsaken Ones". Then "The Persistence from Memorial Chasm" is another banger in which speed and heaviness continue to persist.

While maintaining some of their hyperspeed, the more complex "Absurd Temptation" starts off slow, again showing their diverse structure. I wouldn't consider "Schismatic Injective Therapy" a total failure, because of its brilliant heavy speedy sections here and there, yet it's a bit draggy and could've been trimmed down. I mean, I like long songs, but there should be more dynamics than just solo noodling. And I know how that kind of thing is done, just listen to DragonForce. The soloing should've been more melodic rather than just fiddling with the notes, and it should balance out with the riffing. Shining better is "Occurrence Concealed" with great audible bass by Hansen.

I love the speedy riffing in "Beyond Insufferable Dormancy" that makes this track another sweet highlight. "Inner Contrarieties" is shorter but adding more progressiveness to their rapid technical thrash, similar to Meshuggah's debut Contradictions Collapse from that year. The CD edition comes with a bonus track, "Alterations". It is perhaps one of the fastest tracks in technical thrash, pretty much catching up with the frenzy of early Atheist and Believer. I feel sorry for those who have the vinyl version without that track.

All in all, Excursion Demise is a solid debut by this Danish band for all thrash fans. It probably could've been perfect if the two long tracks in the middle could have some slight improvement. Still this is top-notch tech-thrash before its 90s near-extinction and something an extreme metal fan should never miss out on!

Favorites: "Excursion Demise", "The Persistence from Memorial Chasm", "Occurrence Concealed", "Beyond Insufferable Dormancy", "Alterations"

Before their 2024 album, A Wake in Providence was known as the band Will Ramos was in before joining Lorna Shore. Both bands toured with each other when Will was still with the former. They both released an album in October 2022, and it's obvious which one shook the world. A Wake in Providence thought they would try to up their game with something more epic and operatic.

Well I wouldn't say A Wake in Providence is that competitive, yet it really seems like these symphonic blackened deathcore Staten Islanders are trying to level themselves up in their 14-year career. The band consisting of vocalist Adam Mercer, guitarists D’Andre Tyre (also doing clean vocals and orchestrations) and Jorden Felion, and drummer Jesse Mcenneny thought they would make a more bombastic follow-up to 2022's Eternity for greater success. And yes, there's a lot of the fire and fury of Lorna Shore and Chelsea Grin, but is it as perfect as Pain Remains? Let's find out...

"The Maddening" begins with epic cinematic orchestra that then bursts open the deathcore gates, as Adam's demonic growls greatly contrast with D'Andre's cleans, just like how the brutal guitars collide with those orchestrations. "Mournful Benediction" keeps up the perfect balance this band has between melody and heaviness. Drum blasts, symphonic keys, and a guest vocal appearance by Shadow of Intent's Ben Duerr make the song guaranteed to be an eternal epic deathcore hit. "Agony, My Familiar" is a spooky piano/strings interlude. It segues to the head-ripping "Agonofinis", another blackened deathcore storm as the crushing riffs and blasting drums continue shooting through the ears of all who's listening.

"And Through the Fog She Spoke" will stun you through more of this epic clean/harsh structure. "In Whispers" makes the deathcore much more grim than it already is, once again mastering the orchestrations and drums. Then we have an epic deathcore hymn in the title track, perfect fitting Adam's vicious growls together with the overall sound.

As compelling as "The Unbound", unfortunately it ends up sounding a bit generic and pompous, already leaving me head-scratching by the end of it. The vicious "Pareidolia" again has insane drumming and vocals, though at this point, they've gotten a little stale. It's not until the final track "I, The Mournful", when the blend of brutality and melody reaches its much needed climax. Demonic vocals, guitars, bass, and drums connect with orchestrations and clean/soprano vocals for practically "In a Sea of Fire 2.0"!

Deathcore combined with symphonic black metal elements is something that certainly won't be dying out too soon. I Write To You, My Darling Decay shows A Wake in Providence sounding extreme and metallic while at the same time sounding melodic and orchestral. It's all good, though I think it would be a lot better if they could've dialed back some of the pompous orchestrations in a few songs and give a couple tracks towards the end greater improvement. Nonetheless, deathcore is becoming darker and more demented, and metal instrumentation isn't the only thing needed for that evolution....

Favorites: "The Maddening", "Mournful Benediction", "And Through the Fog She Spoke", "I Write To You, My Darling Decay", "I, The Mournful"