Shadowdoom9 (Andi)'s Reviews

It's strange how sometimes even the weirdest, most vulgar industrial metal releases end up being so intriguing to me. I guess since I was able to explore Genitorturers' discography and the Nine Inch Nails EP that was made one of the most obscene short films in the 90s, I have no trouble checking out Bile's second album Teknowh*re.

Bile has known how to go all extreme and experimental with their brand of industrial metal. As with Nine Inch Nails, they are brave enough to stand up against the man and push the boundaries of industrial rock/metal, musically and lyrically. Bile can put all their strength and talent into the meat of the guitars, creating a simple formula that might make some question whether or not it's unique, but they add in some kinks to make a fresher style...

The "Intro is just a hodgepodge of noise and audio samples, as are many instrumental industrial metal tracks. It's actually quite mesmerizing! The title track bursts in with noise-ridden guitars, drums, and vocals, all done by Krztoff as he shouts the title. A great starter attack! "Weather Control" is more experimental with synth distortion. It has that KMFDM vibe suitable for dance-clubs. We have a nice structure in "No One I Call Friend", sounding raw, fresh, and emotional in this sonic soundscape. "Habitual Sphere" really brings on the catchiness, combining dance beats with thrashy guitars. When it pauses for Krztoff's verses, it builds back up and continues rolling.

"Compound Pressure" is one of my favorite songs in this album, and it happens to be the one with the filthiest lyrics ("I got a big fat c*ck and shot her face, swallowed my spunk with no disgrace", "I'm the lowest motherf***er now that is true, but I f***ed your woman to get back at you"). The crushing mid-paced guitars and drums booming through make it a true highlight. It's the Lindemann "Golden Shower" of this album! "Interstate Hate Song" cranks up the metal with the thrashy riffing and percussion, and even a bit of soloing. The vocal distortion might remind some of Skinny Puppy though. "Green Day" is not a tribute to that famous pop punk band, instead just being a short minute-long interlude-ish track with lyrics relating to drug usage, "Help me take my medicine, so the pain will go away, I'm all f***ed up on valium, I can't move my lips to say..." "No I Don't Know" has more of heavy riffing, intense shouts, and pummeling drums, in a way similar to some Fear Factory song remixes.

"Suckers" is another actual interlude, having some static noise and soft choral vocals. "Lowest Form" is just filled with fuzzy industrial feedback while having some metal melody and vocals. Then we have the ambitious highlight 17-minute 4-part suite "You Can't Love This". "Pt. 1" has some repeated somewhat indecipherable audio samples, though I recognize the line "I don't f*** sl*ts, I j*rk off on ’em." "Pt. 2" has the band's usual mid-paced sound with thick guitars and bass. "Pt. 3" is a dark ambient piece that you can find from Burzum or the DOOM soundtrack. "Pt. 4" has the last bit of distorted chaos with a repeated yell of "I hate you, you f***ing c*nt!" "Solitude is Bliss" is a 10-minute track of industrial sounds leading into metal complexity and slight lyrics. That can very well put Bile in the same industrial metal league as Ministry and Killing Joke.

I would enjoy this more if a few tracks weren't too industrial and/or vulgar, but Teknowh*re is still a solid album. I would recommend it to anyone who's up for something industrial and, at the same time, metal as f***....

Favorites: "Teknowh*re", "No One I Call Friend", "Habitual Sphere", "Compound Pressure", "Interstate Hate Song", "No I Don't Know", "You Can't Love This" (Pt. 2 and Pt. 4)

Christian metal is quite common yet a bit of an oddball in some metal genres. Daren "Klank" Diolosa and his Circle of Dust touring bandmate Klayton were part of the Christian music industry, though Klayton left the industry behind and Klank's views were on the extreme side...

Debates on his Christianity aside, Klank has impressed listeners with his debut Still Suffering. If Christian death metal was something once considered an oxymoron, Christian industrial metal was something barely heard of besides early Circle of Dust. There are more metallic guitars than there are techno beats, so why this isn't in Metal Archives is beyond me. It's a great heavy sound.

"Time" is the perfect start to treat you with what to expect in the album. "Downside" is also amazing, though it can't beat the previous song's reign. "Burning" is quite dark and heavy for a song by a Christian band, but it's another fist-pumper.

"Scarified" starts off heavy in the guitars and drum programming. If you strain your neck headbanging along, it's all worth it. What makes it a highlight is the amount of audio samples that are common in this album and other industrial metal releases. "Deceived" is slower with emotion ("The world will be a better place without you"). "Animosity" is another gem with its blend of metal and techno. Any fan of this kind of sound should love that. "Fall" is worth singing/shouting along to, "SEE! ME!! FALL!!!" It continues this heavy/catchy blend, never letting me down.

"Disease" can almost be an early example of proto-cyber metal, with its more computer-techno sound and cool vocal effects. "Leave" is not a track you would ever want to leave early. "Woodensoul" is a solid ending track with a bit of softness here and there. Well, it doesn't end the album entirely. After that, we have a vocal outtake that sounds kinda weird going from whispering to screaming.

What I enjoy in industrial metal is when lots of guitars are used, not just the techno side. I'm glad to hear more of this album after only hearing song from it a few year prior in one of the Sphere playlists. Cool Christian industrial metal for any listener, whether you're Christian or not....

Favorites: "Time", "Downside", "Scarified", "Animosity", "Disease"

I believe to have reviewed this EP a couple years back and wasn't into it that much. But now that my taste in industrial metal is expanding further and further, I enjoy it much more now! At this point, I'm already familiar with dozens of Sphere bands and I like a few songs by White Zombie and KMFDM. And now here I am, making a better revisit of this collaborative EP between those two bands...

KMFDM contributed some remixes of two singles from White Zombie's La Sexorcisto: Devil Music Volume One. The remixes are included in this EP along with their original album versions. This is probably the earliest KMFDM has gone metal and the earliest White Zombie has gone industrial.

From that first riff, you know it's the original version of "Thunder Kiss '65". Great track, though the mixing is a bit cold. The "Swinging Lovers Mix" is different from the original version's metallic sound, including the intro and outro. Throughout the song, synths appear more than the guitars just come out as more of an afterthought. Next up, "The Remix That Wouldn't Die Mix" is longer and has more creativity, which makes me prefer it over the previous remix.

The next original track "Black Sunshine" is so spooky while still sounding cold in the mix. However, the "Indestructible 'Sock It To Me' Psycho-Head Mix" totally beats the original by throwing in raw aggression in the guitars and vocals. In the middle of the track, the drums switch to a dance beat before going back to groove-ish double kicks.

All in all, Nightcrawlers is a great EP that might be good for dance club parties with friends. Maybe a little weird for that, but just as long as everyone's OK. The remixes really depart from the originals with the "Thunder Kiss '65" remixes sounding more suitable for the club and the "Black Sunshine" remix actually being heavier and edgier. Cheesy while still the good kind of cheese. Worth it for any Rob Zombie fan to add to their collection....

Favorites: "Thunder Kiss '65" (original), "Thunder Kiss '65" (The Remix That Wouldn't Die Mix), "Black Sunshine" (Indestructible "Sock It to Me" Psycho-Head Mix)

The Valley and Kin were a different stylistic affair from the deathcore sound Whitechapel is known for. That's actually what I like about some deathcore bands, when they make their sound more than just that genre. Of course, I also enjoy their more brutal earlier albums that I wouldn't have the leeway to listen to like 10 years ago. The quality for that sound ended up dropping in the mid-2010s. But now they're back in their earlier form, cranking up their speed and heaviness in new album Hymns in Dissonance.

There's nothing but ferocious brutality and the occasional thrashy chaos and groove breakdowns, and maybe a few cooldowns. It even sounds massive with the guitar trio performing in superb synergy. Get ready for a pulverizing experience like no other!

Ominous melody starts "Prisoner 666" before firing up in reckless chaos. But it's the title track that really stands out amongst the rest. The chorus name-drops several of their earlier songs, and the breakdowns sound almost as djenty as Meshuggah while staying brutal. Their roots really are back! After "Diabolical Slumber" begins soft and eerie, it straight away blasts through as usual. Another brutal yet memorable is the crushing "A Visceral Retch".

"Ex Inferis" is an unnecessary interlude, but not too bothersome. "Hate Cult Ritual" is another memorable track to get the crowd moshing. "The Abysmal Gospel" is much more intense. Anyone complaining about modern deathcore not having the right kind of brutality, wake up and hear that "gospel"!

"Bedlam" is another heavy Meshuggah-ish track in the riffing. Then we get to the epic climax of the album, beginning with "Mammoth God" which has cleaner melody while staying ultra-heavy. "Nothing is Coming for Any of Us" has strong atmosphere to go with the brutality. The mixing rules as the drums, bass, and guitars drop down like falling bricks, allowing you to hear the riff-wrath deathcore fans really want.

Hymns in Dissonance isn't entirely perfect due to that odd interlude, but the album has potential to be a deathcore classic for generations to come. It just might make my top 10 albums of 2025 so far. Whitechapel are back to their old savage ways!

Favorites: "Hymns in Dissonance", "A Visceral Retch", "Hate Cult Ritual", "The Abysmal Gospel", "Nothing is Coming for Any of Us"

Taking a few-year break from Neurotech was the right call for Wulf. Since then, the 2020s is shaping up to be a bright decade for Neurotech so far. Pretty much every release in this era is amazing. Sure they can't beat the perfect glory of Infra Versus Ultra and Stigma, but it makes up for the project's past mistakes and the somewhat downward turn for Mechina in their 2023 album Cenotaph.

D*mn, the new album Memory Eternal rules! Alongside the usual orchestration and electronics, this might be just be the most metal Neurotech has gone in ages, including dark dissonance and even some blackened blasts and growls, the latter Wulf had not done in over 10 years.

The orchestration and choirs that open with "Credo" are what you might hear in a futuristic sci-fi film soundtrack. And it's blended with well-executed synths and vocals. "The Ark of Cain" shows that Wulf is never afraid to diversify his sound, as synths flow beside the vocals. For those expecting more of the trance-y side, "In Stasis" has that. Great song, though more suitable for a dance-club.

The more djenty "Echoes of the Fall" combines downtuned heaviness with electronics without ever having to go light. Well, except for the more acoustic parts, but they can flow through your body with a similar epic progressive vibe to the Symphonies series of albums. While it all sounds nice and spacey, you don't ever wanna miss out on the last minute in which the instrumentation goes hyperspeed. "Descent" is the only track that I would consider a bit disorienting in the rhythms. "Invictus" is another grand favorite of mine, with hyper-cyber sections reminding me of Devin Townsend, maybe even Strapping Young Lad.

"Walls We Created" is another dance track. The synths and pianos engage in an EDM-ish duel. The metal riffs and beats spectate while the atmospheric strings commentate and assist when needed. The title track is a progressive cyber metal monument. Pretty much everything Neurotech fans love is in in this 8-minute epic. A much better one than the title track of Solace!

Memory Eternal shows that the Neurotech fans know and love is still around. Whether or not you enjoy the first listen, every subsequent one would be a treat worth replaying. With a f***ing amazing album like this, the memory shall remain eternal!

Favorites: "The Ark of Cain", "Echoes of the Fall", "Invictus", "Memory Eternal"

The true return of Neurotech from Wulf's 4-year hiatus from the project came with this excellent album Solace. It's a nice improvement from In Remission and The Catalyst, and can certainly beat Evasive by far. Most of the albums besides those 3 are high-quality releases, and that 4-year break was mandatory to reach that glory again.

Wulf still has what Neurotech really is! Y'know, the usual futuristic cyber/industrial metal, pounding through atmosphere, electronics, and riffs that all sound so unique. Well, other than the mundane verse-chorus structure with the former sounding soft and the latter sounding heavy. Wulf's vocals are more improved than ever, further departing from his early growls, and adding in some digital effects. Often the vocalist gets all the spotlight, but Wulf doesn't have to worry about that because everything's done by him.

We're already getting something promising and enjoyable as the strong "Koma" wakes the project up from its coma. It is followed by the powerful anthem "Light Betides", one of the best tracks by this new improved Neurotech. "Waking Silence" has some melody from power metal bands like Unleash the Archers, while mostly electronic.

Bridging the heaviness a bit is the electronic ballad "In Ashen Fields", which is a beautiful highlight. "In Raging Reclaim" is the only track here I would consider slightly weak, though it's OK and nicely leads to the next track. The heavy "Alias" can really sum up the more metallic parts of Neurotech's career. I can almost say the same thing about "Defy Our Oath", having some of the symphonic progressiveness of Xerath.

Adding a bit of the more symphonic progressive is "Stop the Bleeding", almost like Eternal Tears of Sorrow gone electronic. "A Moment Lost" has beautiful vocals to make another highlight. The title finale I don't enjoy as much as most of the other tracks, but it's slightly better than "In Raging Reclaim". It's a good 8-minute cyber metal epic that listeners would have on repeat. It's almost close to uplifting rock trance! The starting guitar and bass is insanely cool! Some parts might be anti-climatic, but once it builds into the crescendo at over the 5-minute mark, the climax is filled with aggressive divinity. Some cyber metal listeners might be reminded of SyBreed.

Neurotech fans should definitely listen to this excellent Solace. It might take some time to get used to this band, like what I've been through, and in the end, you're ready to transcend through this musical dream. You can rock it out or relax, sometimes at the same time. The world of Neurotech isn't going away anytime soon. There's still some hope in the future of metal!

Favorites: "Koma", "Light Betides", "In Ashen Fields", "Alias", "A Moment Lost"

Neurotech reformed in 2020 and had a new album ready for release the next year. Before that, Wulf released an EP of unused demos from the first part of his career. No second paragraph, let's get right on it!

"Hope is Better than a Memory" is a good start. "Trust to Display" is definitely worth loving. "Cut the Cord" is a fun cyber metal tune that you might just want more of. "Ectogenesis" can make an instant classic, and it's from the epic Stigma era! I think the catch melody was reused in "The Ophidian Symphony" sometime after the recording. "Coda" is the one odd track out. Maybe it should've been released as a separate single instead of right after another instrumental track in this EP. It's still good though.

It's quite great hearing what Wulf made within the 10-year initial part of his Neurotech career that didn't see the light of day until this EP's release. It's a solid transcending blast before his true comeback in Solace....

Favorites: "Trust to Display", "Cut the Cord", "Ectogenesis"

In 2017, Mechina and Neurotech each released an album that would mark their last one before taking a couple years off. Well, Mechina would work on remastering 6 of their albums for their Compendium boxset, while Neurotech was having a firm temporary disbandment, with Wulf starting his own electronic project NeuroWulf. So here's what was originally Neurotech's final album, The Catalyst.

I say it's great for what was back then a swansong album. We have the usual electro-industrial/cyber metal from the past few years, summarizing them all nicely and working out a little better than In Remission...

There's atmospheric density in the intro "Act I - Enter" to start taking you through imagination beyond reality. The title track soars through with its anthemic instrumentation and chorus. Same with "Our Burial Ground" that's like a better outtake from In Remission. And again in "Sleepwalkers Lifeline" with spooky synths to go with the beats and vocals, not too far off from the Stigma era.

"Act II - Adapt" is a strange interlude. "The Flame of Faith" has the most of the album's heaviness, though it's played too safe and doesn't shine so well. "Epitaph" is a bit too soft for a heavier metal listener like me. "At a Standstill" perfectly makes up for what's missing in this act with its killer 4-minute summary of the project's journey.

"Act III - "Surrender" is also kinda weird. "The Seductive Void" is another strong track showing what Wulf has in store. "Reconcile" is nice and catchy in the chorus and the female singing by someone named Tamy. "Thoughts Become Air" is the stunning ending to the initial finale of Neurotech's discography. Fans of the project back then were likely satisfied with this track to close the curtain.

The Catalyst is a great album of melody and energy. The only slight bumps come in most of the second act that loses some slight steam. Wulf needed to leave his project behind for a few years, and it was a good decision, considering how much of a comeback he would make when he later returned....

Favorites: "The Catalyst", "Our Burial Ground", "Sleepwalkers Lifeline", "At a Standstill", "The Seductive Void", "Thoughts Become Air"

From 2013 to 2016, Neurotech decided to do it like Mechina and make an epic symphonic cyber metal journey to be released on a special holiday, except each "journey" is a symphony on Christmas day. Blending classical with cyber/industrial metal is what those two bands have done before, and Neurotech packs it all for something stunning.

What can you expect from these Symphonies? Generally what classical symphonies from a couple centuries ago would sound like in the modern future. These compositions are all the 4 longest tracks Wulf has done to date, ranging from over 13 to nearly 19 minutes. And in each one, you get to move through this emotional whirlwind of different styles and sections, in a cinematic adventure of adventures!

The first symphony "The Elysian Symphony" is so beautiful, you just gotta hear it to believe it. "The Halcyon Symphony" can take your soul through a galactic adventure. Wulf knows how to master the art of symphonies as greatly as Hans Zimmer, and possibly also Mozart and Bach, while blending the orchestral arrangements with his usual cyber metal. It's impressive how well your creativity can take you when composing such a piece. This should really be more popular, seriously! The speaker frequency would be greatly enhanced with its intricacy and drama. F***ing outstanding!

"The Ophidian Symphony" is the longest of them all, at nearly 19 minutes, with many different acts woven together for one of the best epics done by Neurotech or any other artist. The final and brand-new symphony "The Veneration Symphony" fits quite well for a sci-fi film soundtrack of when you're playing a video game. Multitaskers can have all the glory by listening and watching/playing.

Symphonies is for any symphonic/cyber metal fan and those who want a cooler, more epic soundtrack to films. With not many people finding the skillful talent within Wulf, the world's not ready for that much greatness, but they should be!

Favorites: "The Halcyon Symphony", "The Ophidian Symphony"

In 2014 and 2015, Neurotech released two of the best albums in cyber metal, Infra Versus Ultra and Stigma. There were also two symphonies each released on Christmas Day, "The Halcyon Symphony" and "The Ophidian Symphony". Evasive was a misstep into electronic instrumentals. In 2016, an album was released that would mix together all the different sounds, before one that would compile all the symphonies so far. This one, In Remission, is the 6th full album released on June 6, 2016. Ha-ha, devilish...

Although many Neurotech releases are either memorable masterpieces or dwindling duds, In Remission is somewhat in-between. Nonetheless, this is one of Wulf's most diverse releases, taking a lot of what those 2014/2015 releases have to make dynamic electronic metal anthems.

"Retrieve" starts the album the same way Stigma does, exploding into cinematic strings while Wulf sings in clean drama. Everything builds up and starts sounding like your friendly neighborhood Neurotech track until it stops and leads to the next track. An excellent beginning! Shining well is "As Will Ascends" that again expands from soft ambience to loud electronica/metal. A bit predictable, but still h*ll of a highlight.

Next song "Divided Bliss" is a bit tiring in the synths and drum programming. The trance-y centerpiece "The Lost Hope" sounds like Evasive but more epic and in the same metallic vibe as "Uplift". The bass and synths drive through and never lose any momentum. Awesome!

Next track "Reprogram" is shorter and more ambient, having nice bliss yet is better off ignored. "Evolving Equations" tries to add in some of the symphonic progressiveness of Ayreon to their usual sound, but it's far off from the equation. The final track "Alleviate" is a nearly 9-minute epic of electronic enchantment. Though as much as I enjoy that one, "The Lost Hope" is still the best track of the album.

In Remission may not have the perfect strength of the two previous Neurotech metal albums, but it summarizes them all well along with everything else from those years. A few challenging things aside, this is a solid Neurotech release for the fans....

Favorites: "Retrieve", "As Will Ascends", "The Lost Hope", "Alleviate"

If you enjoy Stigma's ambient electronic instrumental finale epic "To Theta State" like I do, and when you first listened to its when it was released 10 years before this review, you were thinking, "Wow, I wish for more of that sound from Neurotech." Well, be careful what you wish for...

Evasive shows Neurotech taking out of all the guitars, leaving behind just electronica and ambience more suitable for a sci-fi film soundtrack. Maybe not even that, since some tracks sound way too relaxed and don't have much emotion. I suppose I enjoy a couple tracks, one of them being "I Desensitize". The other track, "Uplift" is the closest we have to intense heaviness, actually being the only industrial metal track here in terms of vibe. But the rest is just a sh*tty film score. Not even Transhuman came down that low....

Favorites: "I Desensitize", "Uplift"

What the Stigma?! This 2015 Neurotech masterpiece proves how much the world needs to hear this project, just like the previous album Infra Versus Ultra! Stigma continues its streak releasing one or two albums per year, a faster pace than Mechina's "one album per year on New Year's Day" approach. Often it takes time to build up strength and talent before making another album, but Wulf shows that he still has his charm after a short amount of time. The evolution continues greatly and naturally.

You need to have time to memorize all the different pieces of an album to let it flow through you with its mesmerizing atmosphere. That's a good advantage to build up my interest slowly, one song at a time, in the past 3 years. With its symphonic-ish cyber metal sound, there are many layers that stabilize its strength, within the guitars, drums, vocals (cleaner than before), electronics, and orchestrations. Yeah, the orchestrations almost reach the cinematic level of Mechina, hinting at what you would hear from Hans Zimmer and Two Steps From Hell, and it's what adds to this stylistic diversity.

The title intro already proves that with its sonic blend of symphonic ambience and electronic rhythms. The metal power kicks off in "Fear the Fear" as guitars, drums, and electronics collide in an energetic composition. The electronics head up further in "Of Adversity" that should be able to please fans of dance elements in metal without having to go Neue Deutsche Härte.

"Build to Last" has more futuristic trance with even a bit of dubstep. "A Graceful Light" is indeed a graceful highlight, sounding so unique in the atmosphere and emotion. Your soul can make a pleasant transcendence from your body to the astral plane.

"Brighten" can really brighten my mood a bit. Industrial/cyber metal is never highly boring, and you can have fun with tracks like this. If they ever make a film based on Cyberpunk 2077, or the next John Wick or Matrix film, you bet this song would be part of the soundtrack! It's quite well done! However, it sounds like a little too much like Depeche Mode, while not reducing the album's perfection in any way. "Through Hardships" is quite an epic standout to start the last leg of this album. You can marvel through all the hardships you wanna overcome! Amazing, huh?! Quite an astonishing motivational message. "You're not alone." "Things will get better." Finally, "To Theta State" is the 11-minute epic, an ambient electronic instrumental that marks a perfect mini-journey of darkness and hope. I can't believe how perfect a non-metal track like that can be!

Wulf should be proud of his work in Stigma and other albums, and where his journey has lead him so far. While it's not a sequel to Infra Versus Ultra, it's as perfect as that, striking through different dimensions. I'm just glad those two albums have the variation that was missing in Antagonist. Stigma for anyone and everyone who loves music!

Favorites: "Fear the Fear", "A Graceful Light", "Through Hardships", "To Theta State"

I thought of Neurotech's debut album Antagonist as a good but rough start to Wulf's career, impressing me with what has made cyber metal so great and underrated while, at the same time, lacking some variation. I decided to check out the actual start of the Neurotech discography, the Transhuman EP, to see if there's any hope in this early part of his career. Unfortunately, it's the same problems as in Antagonist. This has caused many songs to be decent but nowhere near highlight territory.

Two of the only tracks I would consider actual highlights are the title track and its 2014 re-recording in the re-release. Both versions represent what early Neurotech is all about. Same with "Down the Drain". The other tracks though are tame and don't have much of that catchy spark those highlights have. Down the f***ing drain they go....

Favorites (only true highlights): "Transhuman" (including 2014 version), "Down the Drain"

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 as 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"

It is with Architects' new album The Sky, the Earth & All Between that their earlier metalcore roots are in a stand-off against their recent alt-metal sound. I'm just glad they didn't lose most of their metal like they did in the dreaded Here and Now...

If I were to rank this album with the rest of their 2020s era so far, I say it's as good as For Those Who Wish to Exist, maybe a few points higher, and better than The Classic Symptoms of a Broken Spirit. Still those 3 albums can't beat the great Holy Hell and the glorious mid-2010s era before that. Producing the album is Jordan Fish who had just departed from Bring Me the Horizon. His production skills give this offering more meat to bite down on.

Opening track "Elegy" is an epic track to kick things off, with their alt-metalcore sound going soft to hyperfast in no time flat. "Whiplash" is another f***ing ground-breaking banger to make sure the band isn't dead. "Blackhole"is another f***ing h*ll of a headbanging single with some of the greatest vocal intensity from Sam Carter. Adding to the perfection is the drumming by Dan Searle. That shall get the live crowd going! But then everything changes with "Everything Ends". It's a poppish song that lowers some of the quality. Nonetheless, the guitar melodies have great variety, sounding dark and uplifting at the same time.

"Brain Dead" cranks the metalcore speed back up with pit-inducing riff storms. Electronicore duo House of Protection steps in with vocal fury to make things more intense. And there's more to explore in the tracks that aren't previously released as singles... "Evil Eyes" concludes the second half of the album with the band's typical blend of aggressive verses and serene choruses, all the way up to its ending throwdown. "Landmines" has a sonic duel between synths and drums. Nothing is overused, and the mighty chorus rules along with the vocal distortion in the verses. "Judgement Day" features Amira Elfeky in this more industrial track. Her vocals work out nicely behind Carter for a perfect chorus. That shall boost up the album quality a bit!

"Broken Mirror" is a more brooding song. Carter sings nice and soft before rising into his usual screams. It's so emotional and almost a power ballad that you're bound to get your lighters up. Just remember to turn them off before the heavy bridge so you don't set the place on fire while headbanging and moshing. "Curse" is another banger that apparently is in the soundtrack of WWE 2025. So f***ing underrated, with choruses that sound like the choruses they're meant to be. Plus a bit of Bring Me the Horizon vibes here and there. "Seeing Red" is the first single, released as early as late 2023, proving that the band hasn't lost any of their earlier heaviness in this awesome highlight. Lots of raw rage from beginning to end with gang vocals by the Choir Noir. Ending it all is "Chandelier" (not a Sia cover) that once again starts calm and peaceful before rising up in climatic heights. Some screamed vocals and guitars remind you that the band is still what they're known for, and it all ends as you look forward to more.

The Sky, the Earth & All Between, I would put in the highest part of the 3.5 star tier, and consider it the album metalcore fans wanted after Holy Hell. New aspects are brought to the band's usual sound in album #11. They might just reach have more live opportunities come up. A good offering for anyone who likes it loud and soft and all between...

Favorites: "Elegy", "Whiplash", "Blackhole", "Evil Eyes", "Judgement Day", "Seeing Red"

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 and 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"