Shadowdoom9 (Andi)'s Reviews

When it comes to nu/alt-metal bands, some of them seem interesting enough for me to try and others just soar past my mind. I never thought of checking out one of System of a Down albums until just recently, so let's see how this album Mezmerize stands out...

There's a lot you can think of when hearing System of a Down. Maybe something like Rage Against the Machine gone Dead Kennedys. Mezmerize is part of a double album with the other half Hypnotize released 6 months after. It's a blizzard of dark energy and comedic joy blended together into one. It's heavy enough to tear you asunder while giving you something to smile about and turn the pain into pleasure.

"Soldier Side" is a soft melancholic intro, and I almost thought it was going to lead into something like epic power metal. "B.Y.O.B." quickly proves me wrong by launching into a thrashy intro followed by a blend of Iron Maiden-like verses and nu metal choruses. An epic diverse start to this offering, and the main reason why I became up to listening to this album, when my brother was listening to that song. "Revenga" kicks off the heaviness with some fast riffing to remind me of Black Sabbath's "Children of the Grave" before going all wacky like some of Devin Townsend's more comedic material. "Cigaro" is a strange song that can be considered "c*ck mock rock".

The chorus of "Radio/Video" sounds too repetitive and fails to give the song the memorability it should've had. The verses have good rhythm too, but they often dive too deep into a reggae dance. "This Cocaine Makes Me Feel Like I'm On This Song" is filled with speedy fury spawned from Jello Biafra's projects such as Dead Kennedys and Lard. "Violent Pornography" starts with a Wild West-like ominous intro but swiftly turns lyric-spitting rapping that has confused me. The chorus is nice though.

"Question!" has a different structure I like. You just gotta hear it to believe! "Sad Statue" isn't sad at all, filled with rage and humor. "Old School Hollywood" is a decent song to expect from the band. Finally, "Lost in Hollywood" is a great track to end this release, a ballad I actually like. You'll definitely sing your heart out to this lovely hit!

Anyone who has System of a Down's 1998 debut or their 2001 album Toxicity as their own entryway to the band's material, I can understand. I mean, who in the nu/alt-metal world has not yet heard one of their earlier classic hits like "Chop Suey"? But I've encountered more than just their singles by checking out one of their full albums for the first time, the less conventional choice Mezmerize. I don't know if I'll be up to following it up with its companion Hypnotize, but maybe one day....

Favorites: "B.Y.O.B.", "Revenga", "This Cocaine Makes Me Feel Like I'm On This Song", "Question!", "Lost in Hollywood"

With several of Killing Joke's non-metal albums appearing on this site (requested by Rex), I decided to check out one of them and see if it has enough metal to offer. That album being Extremities, Dirt and Various Repressed Emotions, the one non-metal album before Pandemonium appearing in the site. Is Extremities really metal, and more importantly, one of the earliest notable industrial metal albums besides Godflesh and Ministry? Let's find out...

The band's post-punk 80s era ended with their failed attempt at the synthpop of Ministry's With Sympathy in Outside the Gate. The band decided to make up for it big, bringing in drummer Martin Atkins and returning bassist Paul Raven (RIP) for something heavier that than their first few albums. Not just heavy, metallic!

Jax Coleman unleashes his vocals through the ravaging "Money is Not Our God", starting off with smooth singing in the verses while shouting the title lyric with his later gruff tone. Geordie Walker (also RIP) performs his guitar with riff-tastic firepower, going chaotic without too much technicality. His heroic skills really made a memorable hit out of that tune. Next track "The Age of Greed" starts with a barely audible ad to add to the industrial atmosphere. There's strong writing in the lyrics that fit well for the complexity of the music. "The Beautiful Dead" is an ominous mid-tempo march with strong metallic riffing. An early prime example of their more metal direction! "Extremities" also has some great metal, though it can't beat the previous track.

"Intravenous" has Egyptian sounding riffing, hinting at the direction the band would take in Pandemonium. "Inside the Termite Mound" is slower and darker, but their previous albums' accessibility hasn't been lost. The more atmospheric "Solitude" has some melodic keyboards not too far off from the band Enigma that started out in the same year. "North of the Border" also has Killing Joke's earlier calmness. Though it also follows Ministry's footsteps when it comes to evolving their sound from industrial/synth-pop to industrial metal. That may seem great on paper, but not the way it should be utilized.

"Slipstream" has a more progressive spirit that makes up for the bumpiness of earlier tracks. "Kaliyuga" is an odd pointless interlude. That sh*tty downer doesn't really add anything, and it's best to just ignore it. We actually have some speedy thrash in "Struggle" similar to what Ministry would do in Psalm 69 two years later. Unfortunately, it sounds a bit generic and isn't as strong the other metallic tracks here.

I wouldn't say this is the worst industrial rock/metal release I've heard, but some songs might need some improvement to actually show the band's heavier direction. Still the strong songs seal the deal for the more metallic path that Jaz, Geordie, and co. would take on in that decade and the next....

Favorites: "Money is Not Our God", "The Age of Greed", "The Beautiful Dead", "Intravenous", "Slipstream"

I decided to give this Gloios album some listening and was hoping for some glorious post-metal similar to Rosetta and Solstafir, and well... There are some cool metal ideas thrown in here and there, especially in the "Tele" tracks. But other than that, the sound isn't that great in quality and having some unnecessary aspects that don't have anything to metal. I would enjoy this more if the album has more of the metal of the first couple tracks instead of just sounding like an indie video game soundtrack....

Favorites (only tracks I like that sound metal): "Tele I", "Tele II"

With an industrial metal Uniform covering the electronic drone Body, this collaborative duo made such an experimental offering to please the underground metal masses in Everything That Dies Someday Comes Back. But have you heard what they made a year prior? It's shorter but much darker...

The Body's lyrical themes morbidly touch upon guns, death, and suicide. The title of their album from that year, I Have Fought Against It but I Can't Any Longer, was taken from the note 20th Century writer Virginia Woolf wrote before drowning herself in a raging river. You might think this collaboration album's title, Mental Wounds Not Healing, is also dark, but it comes from Ozzy Osbourne's hit "Crazy Train". For the album itself, Uniform and the Body open up a soundtrack to a world of distress beyond imagination.

"Dead River" already has distorted screaming flowing through an electronic beat. Guitars mostly consist of faint feedback. Then we have the intense "The Curse of Eternal Life", continuing the electronic beat usage. Chip King's "tortured rooster" screams sound more mechanical in this album, though there are the snarls of Michael Berdan that I prefer. "Come and See" shows the vocal duo uniting greatly with the drumming of Lee Buford and the guitarwork of Ben Greenberg. "The Boy With Death in His Eyes" is filled with devastating distress, as the duo continue their thunderous attack. It's like a true stormy voyage while lost at sea.

"In My Skin" is slower with some post-ish guitar. "We Have Always Lived in the Castle" is just straight-up noise and pain. Even the album's average song length of 4 minutes can go on for eternity. Many listeners might want out, but I'm experienced enough to stay in and let it infect my mind. The more anthemic "Empty Comforts" once again has dreamy guitars, and it seems to end the album as more of a dream than the nightmarishly good album it was.

Nothing is ever bright in Mental Wounds Not Healing, just drone-ish industrial metal darkness and noise. I don't think it's as masterful as their other collaboration album though. Plus there are heavier bands I've listened to that I enjoy. But this is pure darkness. Darker than anything I've experienced in my existence....

Favorites: "Come and See", "The Boy With Death in His Eyes", "Empty Darkness"

Many different artists and bands each have a massive boost of popularity in different ways. For this band Lord of the Lost (originally just called Lord, but the name had to be changed due to other bands like the Australian power metal band LORD, or Lordi, or The Lords), it was a couple things; 1. They were special guests for Iron Maiden's Legacy of the Beast tour. 2. Their performance in the Eurovision Song Contest 2023. What was lost in the underground is now found more globally!

Blood & Glitter was released between those two events, much earlier than anticipated, at the end of 2022. It was a slightly late Christmas present for all the band's supportive fans. Gothic industrial metal has never sounded as pleasantly poppy as these tunes....

The title track is the band's song representing Germany in the Eurovision Song Contest 2023, though it could've been done better. "Leave Your Hate in the Comments" is a big "f*** you" to those who can plague the internet with negativity from the privacy of their home. I'm amazed by how brilliant this is, having the "take no sh*t" attitude the rest of the album would have. There's more of that in the aptly titled "Absolute Attitude". It's quite gentle and would work well for any 80s movie. And we have a lot more in "The Future of a Past Life", blending in that 80s sound with some growling by Marcus Bischoff of Heaven Shall Burn. So catchy while heavy enough to make even classic metalheads grin. "No Respect for Disrespect" has the retro synth-metal of Beast in Black.

"Reset the Preset" features Combichrist vocalist Andy LaPlegua, with music suitable for both the dancefloor and the moshpit. "Destruction Manual" continues the catchy industrial dance metal. "Dead End" is another highlight that's pretty much next-gen KMFDM. The ballad-ish "Leaving the Planet Earth" is the exact opposite of a love song.

Bring keyboards up front is "Forever Lost" that's almost a more electronic Moonspell. Taking on "Save Our Souls" with lovely strings is Subway to Sally violinist Ally Storch. The "important" "One Last Song" is a beautiful way to say farewell, having a bit of the recent poppy side of Avantasia in the mix. There's actually one more track here, a cover of Roxette's "The Look", featuring Jasmin Wagner, also known as German popstar Blümchen. A perfect cover, and arguably this album's true standout! RIP Marie Fredriksson

Vocalist Chris Harms believes in the long run when it comes to an album's value, "F*** the charts, playlist pitches and 1,000 pointless reviews in advance." I'm quite pleasantly surprised by how well Blood & Glitter turned out even though I'm late by a year and a half. Metal continues its modern expansion with great catchy results....

Favorites: "Leave Your Hate in the Comments", "The Future of a Past Life", "Reset the Preset", "Dead End", "Forever Lost", "One Last Song", "The Look"

A punishing force in industrial rock/metal, Killing Joke kept their comeback going since their 2003 self-titled album and 25th anniversary DVD XXV Gathering with another album. The self-titled album was more metallic than their earlier works and had Dave Grohl (Nirvana/Foo Fighters) as the drummer, stirring up brilliant energy. However, fans of the band's mid-80s material wanted more of what they used to have, and vocalist Jaz Coleman wasn't highly satisfied with how that album turned out. He was determined to find the right balance in their next offering...

Fast forward to the recording of Hosannas From the Basements of Hell. The sessions took place in Studio Faust, a studio in an ancient building in Prague, specifically in its deepest darkest basement, aptly named Hell. The band can battle Satan's demon horde, feast on their remains, and reign in the cavernous darkness. The album was recorded using vintage equipment from the time of the band's debut release Turn to Red, giving Hosannas the massive intensity Killing Joke fans want.

"Lift up your spirits!" Coleman shouts to begin "This Tribal Antidote", gathering around "celebrants in a state of merriment", i.e. fans of the band, as we hear the guitars slay. The title track shows Coleman taking on the perspective of one of those fans, even referencing this very band performing, "I walk down the stairs and Killing Joke waits for me". The music and lyrics sound f***ing supernatural in "Invocation". I definitely like the beat. You get to hear some of Paul Raven's last audible bass with the band before his passing the next year, RIP. There's some ominous cello to go along with the strings. It would've been cooler if the beat was more synchronized, but it's still OK.

"Implosion" has the relentless drum-work of Benny Calvert, alongside the guitar riffing of Geordie Walker (also RIP), the vocal melodies of Coleman, and the booming bass of Raven. The out-of-this-world "Majestic" has majestic guitar force. One of the two long epics, "Walking With Gods" has some riffing to remind some of the band's early 80s era.

The other epic, the nearly 10-minute "The Lightbringer" builds a bridge towards the mid-80s. That can be considered a highlight, though the ultimate highlight goes to this next track... "Judas Goat" leads you to the darkest depth of Hell with more technical drumming, guitar rhythms, and singing almost like a mantra. Then you're teleported back home in "Gratitude" as Coleman sincerely thanks you and the gatherers for that journey, "A toast for the man who loves every hour of every day."

Although Hosannas hasn't reached as much success as the 2003 self-titled album, it shows the band having more creative freedom. Almost every track ranges from 5 to 10 minutes, similarly to ZP Theart-era DragonForce albums. The band has tighter focus here than in previous albums. You know who to thank for this music....

Favorites: "Hosannas From the Basements of Hell", "Invocation", "Majestic", "The Lightbringer", "Judas Goat"

In the criminally underrated realm of cyber metal, Illidiance is here to show that the subgenre is far from dead. What's often hard to believe is, this band started off as black metal. There's absolutely none of that in this album! The sound is essentially catchy melodies, electro-industrial synths, and clean singing, side by side with groove-ish riffs and death growls, all a common definition of cyber metal. Damage Theory pulls out a lot of punches with not much room for a break. You can find lots of interesting twists and turns while sticking firmly to what they are.

The digital production can take you through different dimensions, especially when the electronics and vocals shine. Two of the band members perform vocals; the wonderful cleans of bassist Tommy Gun "Syrex" and the emotional growls of Dmitry "Xyrohn" Shkurin. We often have the typical growled verses and clean choruses, though there's some difference in the aspect to get listeners hooked.

"Hi-Tech Terror" kicks things off in a high gear as an awesome tune of cyber metal! This should've fit well in Tron Legacy. "Critical Damage" is another underrated song and I don't wanna miss out on more of this style. The most awesome part here is the final chorus that changes its key for the final repeat. Thumbs up for this greatness! "Breaking the Limit" is another great piece of cyber metal history! Those drums shall unleash a dark vortex as part of the bad-a** music. "New Millennium Crushers" once again shows that they can squeeze all these perfect rhythms and epic melodies in a mere 4 minutes (the average song length for this album). This is like a more cyber take on pop-ish melodeath bands like Blood Stain Child and Scar Symmetry.

Then we slow down for the ballad-ish "I Want to Believe", clearly an X-Files reference in that title. "CyberGore Generation" can almost be considered "Cyber-core", blending together the cyber metal of Deathstars with a bit of the melodic metalcore of Memphis May Fire, The Autumn Offering, and Of Mice & Men. We end up getting more of the groove-ish melodeath side of the sound in "Cybernesis", still sounding cyber with those d*mn cool keyboards. "Infected" is another great example of letting the riffs fly free, sounding heavy while surrounded by electronic melodies.

"Fading Away" I would recommend to anyone wanting something cleaner and more melancholic. "Mind Hunters" strikes on as another better deal. "Razor to the Skin" has more of the razor-sharp riffing and synths. The 2012 re-release has two bonus tracks, starting with "Neuron Electrics Inc.", a cyber metal standout that can practically rival Deathstars. The other bonus track "Neon Rebels" can practically be considered Soilwork gone Black Veil Brides stylistically.

Here we have an awesome example of cyber metal in this Illidiance album Damage Theory, for anyone looking for the revival of this subgenre invented by The Kovenant. This offering is what you need for a great trip into the cyber realm!

Favorites: "Hi-Tech Terror", "New Millennium Crushers", "CyberGore Generation", "Infected", "Fading Away", "Mind Hunters", "Neuron Electrics Inc."

Over the course of the past 10 years before this review, Fange has released 7 albums and 3 EPs, almost every one of which has a one-word title that starts with the letter P. Their music is best described as industrial sludge metal, sometimes heading into other genres like death-doom or crust-core. Basically a blend of some of the heaviest, most crushing metal genres around. And with this album of two 15-minute tracks, the sound has become more climatic, though also much less accessible.

I can almost consider this a more deathly and doomy Godflesh! Something similar to Godflesh is the amount of noise mixed in with the guitars, and the use of a drum machine instead of a human drummer. With all that and the underground production, what's more to add in this dark journey?

"Tombé Pour La France" (Fallen for France) is the first of the two epics, and it starts off sounding so crushing. Then things slow down for melodic riffing and hardcore shouting. They can do that without losing their crushing atmosphere, proven by the riffing becoming more industrial. The composition is so brutal and emotional, and sometimes the melody can bring their sound closer to post-sludge.

"Les Vergers De La Désolation" (The Orchards of Desolation) is the second epic, sounding more post-rock-ish, while maintaining a lot of the industrial effects. Lots of moods, melody, and textures... They can add in a slight bit of accessibility while staying in the underground.

All in all, Pantocrator is a dark mature release in which industrial and sludge collide alongside pieces of other genres to make something so diverse. Fange knows how to push the limits as much as the more popular post-sludge bands could. Although both epics stand equally between those two genres, fans of the post-sludge of Sumac might dig the first one more, and fans of the industrial noise of The Body might dig the second one more. Whichever epic you prefer, you know how harsh industrial sludge can get!

Favorites: Both, though I like "Les Vergers De La Désolation" slightly more

Two years after the release of Corrections House's debut Last City Zero, the group consisting of Scott Kelly (ex-Neurosis), Bruce Lamont (Yakuza), Sanford Parker (ex-Minsk) and Mike IX Williams (Eyehategod) continue pushing their dystopian industrial noise-metal to different levels. With Parker's beats, Kelly's riffing, Lamont's sax, and Williams' sick vocals, Know How to Carry a Whip maintains the greatness of the band's debut with more cohesive structures. This allows the dark despair to strike a bit more deeply...

An industrial backbone is constructed for the metal body. The mechanical music fits well for the moody concepts. The torch is often carried from one hand to another like a relay race, and when it glows, it's a darkened flame.

"Crossing My One Good Finger" has a tribal-ish beat to go with the mechanism, kicking off the dystopian industrial metal. We also have the slow crawling "Superglued Tooth" with the post-sludge riffing of Neurosis. Some background effects are added to the ritual, leading up to a closing dark dance-ish vibe. Those effects bleed into "White Man's Gonna Lose" with some perfect apocalyptic twists from the distorted sax. A true electro-industrial metal standout!

"Hopeless Moronic" is more bizarre with electronic sweeps while having some heavy groove. The lyrics seem pessimistic there. We escape into the acoustic darkness of "Visions Divide" in which even something soft can sound intense. "The Hall of Cost" is also dark but with a more chaotic attack, heading into misanthropic depths.

Switching around the structure is "When Push Comes to Shank" with moments of synth dissonance. The sax even has some emotion! Though the different twists cause the structure to be a bit unstable. "I Was Never Good at Meth" has greater structural sense when making these switches, albeit a lot more ambient. The closing track "Burn the Witness" has more of the tribal effect. The guitars are more solid and audible than most other songs here. The band have really outdone themselves by the end of it all.

If the band's debut Last City Zero was the album that showed the band what they are, Know How to Carry a Whip follows it up with another confirmation. As a result, their bleak devouring sound has made another round. Likely the final one sadly, considering the situation involving Scott Kelly....

Favorites: "Superglued Tooth", "White Man's Gonna Lose", "The Hall of Cost", "I Was Never Good at Meth", "Burn the Witness"

When I was listening to Gothminister's grand masterpiece Pandemonium, little did I know, they actually had a part 2 in the works. A few singles started coming out just a year after the release of Pandemonium, and one of them got the band into Eurovision 2024. Gothminister wasn't the only gothic industrial metal band to participate in Eurovision, with Lord of the Lost coming in last year with the title track for their own album Blood & Glitter.

And now, the Pandemonium story grows, with Pandemonium II: The Battle of the Underworlds! Bjorn Alexander Brem, Eirik Oien, Glenn Nilsen, Ketil Eggum, and Christian Svendsen are back onboard with this sequel that's worth the short one and a half year wait.

Opening with uplifting ethereal strings is the title track that becomes a true anthem of war, as the guitar/keyboard majesty is accompanied by the vocals of Bjorn and a female vocalist (Sandra Jensen?) to add to the theatricality. An epic beginning! Continuing the assault is "We Live Another Day" in which negative-sounding music battles against motivational lyrics as the drums pound hard. "Creepy Shadows" has heaviness creeping out the atmosphere while having a dance-happy chorus. "One Dark Happy Nation" continues the perfect contrast that shall work well live. Catchy melodies and simple rhythms collide with each other that sounds quite dark but at the same time happy. That kind of blend is so unique in many ways!

The angsty "I am the Devil" is another solid highlight in which the riffs march along. "The Procession" is an interlude that would fit well in a sci-fi horror film. "I Will Drink Your Blood" has explosive energy and more prominent symphonics. "Aftermath" is one more horror-filled interlude with the synth-strings of their earlier albums.

After that, "Tonight" has more violent atmosphere while still remaining a singalong composition. Keyboards are more noticeable in "We are the Heroes" while the other members have their heavy fire. "Monostereo Creature" has some more of that fury, though the music is mostly mystical. "We Come Alive" is the catchy final track, and the song the band performed in Eurovision. You'll definitely wanna sing along to this!

Mysterious keyboards and riffs and motivating lyrics make you remember Gothminister's place in the gothic industrial metal scene. Those compositions might just enhance the band's live shows, and anyone listening to them can experience this journey through the Underworlds!

Favorites: "Battle of the Underworlds", "One Dark Happy Nation", "I am the Devil", "I Will Drink Your Blood", "We are the Heroes", "We Come Alive"

The quality of cover albums depends on whether the covers follow the good technique (metalizing the songs with their own sound) or the bad technique (sticking firmly to the song's original sound with no changes). There is also the idea of following the song's original sound but it's almost exactly the same style as the band covering it, like the first half of Eighteen Visions' 1996 (another cover album following a comeback album).

So how does The Amenta's Plague of Locus strike me? Well they certainly knew how to give the songs they've covered a stylistic transformation. Of the 10 songs in this release, only two of them are original compositions.

The first original track is the eerie "Intro". Then "Sono l'Antichristo" follows. They've taken a song by avant-garde musician Diamanda Galás and turn it into a chaotic storm of synths, guitars, and drums blasting through. Their take on Killing Joke's "Asteroid" is actually more destructive than the original, becoming a truly p*ssed-off banger. "Angry Chair", originally by Alice in Chains, is given a f***ing darker treatment, sounding angrier than that chair. The deep grooves and clean singing are pulled off easily.

The title track is the second original track, this one being a full song. The brutality hits hard with heavy riffs, synths, and vocals, growing harder as the song progresses. Exploring the experimental noise of Wolf Eyes is a cover of their song "A Million Years". Then they pay tribute to fellow Sydney metal band Lord Kaos in "Crystal Lakes".

"Rise" shows The Amenta crawling through the sludge of the song's original band Halo. The somber "Totem" is another tribute to a Sydney black metal band, Nazxul, once again blasting through blackened chaos. Finally, "Black God" is an amazing cover of a My Dying Bride song to close off this cover album. Though it would be great if they could cover one of the heavier My Dying Bride songs.

You can consider any of these tracks a journey within a journey, as the covers end up stranger or heavier than the original versions, just the way I like them. Still I look forward to more of The Amenta's original music when the time comes....

Favorites: "Asteroid", "Angry Chair", "Plague of Locus", "Rise", "Black God"

The Body has a naked sound of brutal electronic drone noise that needs to be covered. Uniform has their own sound outfit of industrial noise/metal. Put a Uniform on The Body and see what happens. Well, their first collaboration is a drone metal album called Mental Wounds Not Healing. I might check out that one later, but for now, let's head into their second collaboration, the more industrial Everything That Dies Someday Comes Back!

I love heavy and catchy this offering is, in which sludgy beats are melded together with pop rhythms. The groove just stomps right through in great power. If this is what industrial metal sounds like mixed with synth-pop, we might have an interesting future of music in our hands.

Right from the start, "Gallows in Heaven" marches in with distorted beats. I love the punk-ish vocal delivery of Michael Berdan that fits well with the brutal noise from the guitars and bass. "Not Good Enough" is everything I want from this intense sound and more. It is a mighty monolith with post-punk-ish riffing. "Vacancy" has the drum machinery of late 80s Ministry leading into insanely catchy chords. Once again, the vocals by Berdan are something to love for the mighty aggression.

"Patron Saint of Regret" has the experimental noise sound left behind recently by Controlled Bleeding, structured by more of the punk-ish shouts of Berdan along with hip-hop beats. "Penance" is another interesting blend of industrial noise and synthpop with great production that can massage the brains of the strong and damage the brains of the weak. This kind of sound really is quite underrated. Though it would be greater if there were less of Chip King's screams that sound like a rooster being tortured. "All This Bleeding" has some more of the best post-punk riffing as waves of bass drum programming slice through.

"Day of Atonement" has that hip-hop pace again with heavier riffing and vocal effects to induce some chills. "Waiting for the End of the World" has some electronic ambience backed up by a different voice that's sinister all the same. The end that you're waiting for hasn't arrived yet until one final track... "Contempt" is pretty much the soundtrack to the final moments of Earth before total destruction with the massive sludgy riffing and percussion of Godflesh and 90s Ministry. It can't end more brutally than this!

I'm a little surprised by how much I love this collab. Industrial noise-metal had never sounded this amazing before. This would've been perfect, but what's blocking out the remaining half-star is Chip King "tortured rooster" screams. They're not bad, but they could've been improved. Still this is the kind of style with the potential to stun the Earth!

Favorites: "Not Good Enough", "Vacancy", "Penance", "All This Bleeding", "Contempt"

Originality sometimes spawns from ONE MAN... Tristan Shone has his one-man project Author & Punisher in which he is both them musician and engineer. He even has his own instruments made by himself! Cohesive music is formulated from Tristan's machine beasts of Hell.

I wouldn't say Beastland is the best industrial noise/metal album I've heard, but it's a d*mn excellent unique offering. It's not just adding 8-bit beeps and screams to the sounds of apocalypse. I'm talking about greatness that can be heard from the instruments Tristan created using his hands and tools. The writing and atmosphere are quite memorable, considering its vibe of bleakness and disarray.

Noise overpowers the music in the dark opening track "Pharmacide". The more electrifying "Nihil Strength" has some great emotion. The instrumentation in "Ode to Bedlam" is heavier and more disturbing, reach beyond industrial boundaries.

"The Speaker is Systematically Blown" drags you back and forth until you're in a daze. The melodic "Nazarene" sounds quite cool, but it ends abruptly. A bit disappointing, and the album would've been perfect if that didn't happen and instead went on for another minute. "Apparition" combines the melody of the previous track with more of the earlier heavy noise, and that's the kind of blend I like.

Then we come into two 6-minute epics, starting with "Night Terror" which has a lot of what the album has so far. It's only surpassed by the other epic, the closing title track, which ends it all in beastly destruction.

So the abrupt ending of one of the songs is the only truly fatal mistake. Tell that to those who think industrial noise/metal can cause headaches and brain aneurysms. Well sure it's not pleasant for many people, but it is for me. You need to have lots of experience with extreme genres from both industrial and metal to appreciate this outstanding writing. If you can survive sitting through this entire album that is practically noise pollution if played without headphones, then congrats. You have conquered the beast!

Favorites: "Nihil Strength", "Ode to Bedlam", "Apparition", "Beastland"

Shortly before Rammstein's hiatus, vocalist Till Lindemann invited Pain/Hypocrisy mastermind Peter Tagtgren to one of their concerts in Sweden. They previously met in the year 2000. After doing one of two songs, Tagtgren felt like making an entire album. The band wasn't originally going to be named after Lindemann, but every other band name they thought of was already in use. Still I think of this band as kind of Lindemann's solo project, and that includes his solo album Zunge.

Lindemann and Tagtgren make one h*ll of a storytelling duo. Tagtgren also handles all the music, though it would've been cool to hear some contributions from Rammstein members. Skills in Pills is one of the only Lindemann-led albums to be in English instead of German, making the themes of pills, drugs, booze, and sex more... well, naked.

The former 3 lyrical themes are covered the most in the interesting opening title highlight. The lyrics in "Ladyboy" has more deadpan delivery while having a bit of humor, "Dressed for fun, no romance. Two in one, I'll take my chance." And again in "Fat" which can shock the easily offended and get anyone with a sense of humor laughing, "Your flappy butthole, a soggy cave. I put in my parts, and let them bathe."

"Fish On" takes on a Devo-like style in a hot story of mermaid sex. Heading down into the earlier sounds of Rammstein, "Children of the Sun" seems fresh out of the Reise Reise sessions. "Home Sweet Home" goes further down into the Mutter era as an orchestral power ballad with lyrics not too far off from the fairytale that is the music video for the ultimate Rammstein classic "Sonne". Stomping through is "Cowboy", relatable to those dreaming of being a cowboy getting his chicks on Route 66(6). The song itself is a true highlight sounding close to Turmion Katilot.

The ultimate highlight goes to "Golden Shower". The lyrics are so ridiculous and potentially offensive, and yet I'm so intrigued, "Golden shower, let it fly, from your pretty c*nt!" "C*nt, c*nt, your pretty c*nt!" Absolutely Rammstein! Whispers and bells creep in on "Yukon". Even a song like "Praise Abort" can take on a controversial topic without causing a storm of conservative protesters. "That's My Heart" is a bonus track in the special edition with orchestration and additional vocals by Clemens Wijers of Carach Angren.

Skills in Pills is a pretty good start for Lindemann's duo with Tagtgren that made the wait for Rammstein's next album worth it for fans of the band. The duo have really added some kinky kinks to the sound Lindemann does best. Fun for the family, while not really being family-friendly....

Favorites: "Skills in Pills", "Fat", "Children of the Sun", "Cowboy", "Golden Shower"

Ooh, look at that! Another sludgy industrial metal supergroup. This one consists of members from bands Neurosis, Eyehategod, Minsk, and Yakuza. They were active for 8 years and two albums until splitting up in 2020. I'm guessing the split is related to guitarist/vocalist Scott Kelly getting fired from Neurosis for abusing his family, which didn't come to light until 2022. Anyway, their debut Last City Zero doesn't reach the perfection of Greymachine, but it still reaches a solid level of greatness...

You can practically hear what the members have in store from their respective bands including apocalyptic heaviness and nihilistic themes. The industrial side of the sound stems from the guitar distortion, drum programming, and keyboard usage.

Opening the album is "Serve or Survive" with some ambient drone. Kelly's gloomy vocals definitely throw back to Neurosis, before main vocalist Mike Williams starts shouting through the heavy doomy industrial metal music. "Bullets and Graves" is a shorter industrial track that sounds like Neurosis and Skinny Puppy collaborated with each other in the year 1990. "Party Leg and Three Fingers" has more of that apocalyptic vibe.

Taking on a different while still dark sound, "Run Through the Night" is more of a folk-ish tune. "Dirt Poor and Mentally Ill" has chanting vocals while still making room for Williams' rage. Soon the lyrics become more poetic, especially in the spoken bridge.

"Hallows of the Stream" has mysterious jazz that would fit well for a crime noir film. The more poetic lyrics continue on in the title track, albeit in a spoken story over quiet guitar strums. Prophets and madmen seem to be the main theme there along with human suffering. The most unforgiving music and lyrics come straight with the closing "Drapes Hung by Jesus". An ambient intro leads into industrial metal that gradually becomes heavier, plus some eerie sax, before the last bit of lyrical poetry at the end.

Last City Zero allows you experience destruction and withering hope pleasantly from the comfort of your home. The experimentation blended with steel-strong heaviness is not something you would find in every supergroup. It fits well for a world reduced to ruin by climate change and carbon footprints....

Favorites: "Serve of Survive", "Party Leg and Three Fingers", "Dirt Poor and Mentally Ill", "Drapes Hung by Jesus"

What would happen if Godflesh's Justin Broadrick and Isis' Aaron Turner collaborate in a different experimental project? You get pretty much the best of both worlds in the perfect sole album by Greymachine, Disconnected!

Despite the project's short-lived existence, a lot of interest has spawned from it, thanks to the members' other bands like the aforementioned Godflesh and Isis, and Jesu (pronounced "yay-zoo", like when you're taking your kids to the zoo and they're like "YAY, ZOO!!!"). Disconnected is all about the journey of sound as the band takes you through music that's heavier and more pummeling than anything the band members have done before.

Different layers of instrumentation cover "Wolf at the Door", a song that really lurks like a wolf, including brutal bass, pummeling percussion, and vicious vocals in the background. The strange catchy "Vultures Descend" has more danceable industrial metal. Almost like a popstar zombie apocalypse, which is an odd analysis when talking about a song so heavy and bleak. We have some electronic fuzz in "When Attention Just Isn’t Enough" that evolved into merciless droning. This may very well be the pleasant soundtrack to a slow painful death experienced via electric chair.

I would be surprised if the rhythms in "Wasted" don't make you want to drum along. "We Are All F***ing Liars" is f***ing brutal in the guitar rhythms and vicious vocals. There's also a demo version that appears in the Japanese edition as a bonus track. Storming through is the dissonant aura of "Just Breathing" with hypnotic bass rhythms followed by warped guitar sounds to infect your mind.

"Sweatshop" is the best track for me here. It's like Godflesh but slower and more mesmerizing! The rhythms and feedback never cease to amaze me. Final track "Easy Pickings" is basically some small sections assimilated into one for a fulfilling experience.

The day I start listening to Disconnected is a day my ears will never forget. Greymachine has blown me away with nothing but bleak destruction. Disconnected is one of the heaviest albums I've heard in the Fallen side of metal. While it's certainly not for the inexperienced, fans of industrial/drone metal should not miss out on this. This is the perfect pinnacle of slow-crawling noise to make your ears bleed and then get them healed!

Favorites: "Wolf at the Door", "When Attention Just Isn’t Enough", "We Are All F***ing Liars", "Sweatshop"

Cyber metal was originally developed by bands like The Kovenant and Deathstars as a more melodic electronic sibling of industrial metal. With that kind of underrated sound, why that subgenre isn't as popular as it should've been is far beyond me. And of course, we can't forget about the more epic new wave of cyber metal in bands like Mechina and Neurotech. But in between those eras is one band that would push the subgenre's development further, Sybreed.

If I were to think of what their debut Slave Design sounds like, I say it's like a continuation of Fear Factory's sound in Demanufacture with a bit of the melody of The Kovenant and the mechanism of Godflesh. While the album doesn't necessarily copy those bands, it can't really sweep the globe, and that's too bad, because it's so awesome!

Already blasting forward is the first and best song of the album, "Bioactive". Right there, you get to hear the members drive through sonic cyber/industrial metal without relying too much on electronics. Here we have the powerful drumming of Alex Anxionaz, showing a bit of Fear Factory influence, the gloomy vocals of Benjamin Nominet ranging from clean to harsh, the heavy guitar grooves of Drop, and the burning bass of Burn. "ReEvolution" is another cool cyber metal highlight with audibility in Burn's heavy bass. "Decoy" has less balance though, but the delivery appeals well to me when the music and vocals shine in the clean sections. The otherwise crushing riffing in "Synthetic Breed" seems to implode. And that's tough when it's a song named after both this band and another band named Synthetic Breed. But I still enjoy it!

The industrial machinery powers up better in "Next Day Will Never Come", another strong tune. We actually get some djent-ish groove that isn't as needlessly repetitive as some of the later modern djent bands out there. Now that's some catchy cyber/industrial metal to get you the f*** moving! "Machine Gun Messiah" continues the band's heavier side. "Take the Red Pill" has some more cyber metal action. The title even references the movie The Matrix. The heavy instrumentation and screamed vocals shall keep you awake from beginning to end.

"Rusted" has some decent atmosphere and experimentation. "Static Currents" starts off with some neat electronics, but when the metallic groove could've been better. "Critical Mass" is an interesting closing track. It starts off sounding almost like the second Embodyment album The Narrow Scope of Things, but it slowly rises into the usual cyber metal that Illidiance would later have. Epic! There are also a couple bonus radio edits, for "ReEvolution" and "Decoy", which we'll just ignore.

Slave Design shows how well the band can bring the sounds of earlier bands like Fear Factory and The Kovenant into a cool soundtrack to technological resistance. This is really great for the cyber/industrial part of my metal heart!

Favorites: "Bioactive", "ReEvolution", "Next Day Will Never Come", "Take the Red Pill", "Critical Mass"

It has only been during the past couple years when I started hearing of Killing Joke. I'm not too surprised since I've only been into industrial metal for a few years now and only a few of their albums are metal. But once I began my dive into some of their albums, I encountered some songs I wish I wasn't missing out on, and Killing Joke's self-titled 2003 comeback album (their second self-titled album after their 1980 debut) has a lot of them.

You can expect the usual industrial rock/metal action from the lineup of vocalist Jaz Coleman, guitarist Kevin "Geordie" Walker, and bassists Martin "Youth" Glover and Paul Raven (RIP Geordie and Raven). But who's the drummer for this album? Dave Grohl from Nirvana and Foo Fighters! I'm guessing the incident of Nirvana copying the riff from Killing Joke's song "Eighties" for their own "Come as You Are" has gone past both bands. Grohl thunders through with his drumming intensity, enhanced by producer Andy Gill (also RIP). Coleman and Walker have their typical vocal/guitar alternation.

"The Death & Resurrection Show" is the perfect album opener. Coleman encourages you to "put on your masks, and animal skins" before the powerful instrumentation rolls in. I heard this song is featured in the soundtrack for Need For Speed Underground 2. People following this band since their late 70s formation would have their minds blown. Then "Total Invasion" has some more lyrics poured out from the voice of Coleman, alongside Walker's guitar mayhem. This also occurs in the destructive highlight "Asteroid".

"Implant" is where the vocals seem to be more voice-threatening than metalcore screamers, especially with Coleman continues to scream even at times when the music has come to a halt. "Blood on Your Hands" is one of two groovy back-to-back highlights. The next one being "Loose Cannon", sounding both inspired and inspiring.

Up next, "You'll Never Get to Me" tackles different angles in newfound melody. We begin "Seeing Red" with some politically themed lyrics leftover from Democracy, "They're dropping bombs again, and they’re doing it in your name." Then "Dark Forces" has darker symphonics, though everything else sounds a bit forced. The finale "The House That Pain Built" is a cathartic standout within the mid-90s Metallica-like riffing and the chorus, "And when you need catharsis, because that’s how you’re made, you know."

After two pretty good industrial rock/metal albums and a long hiatus, Killing Joke strike back with a slight improvement in their furious self-titled comeback. Maybe one day I can check out their 2006 follow-up Hosannas from the Basements of Hell, but for now, let's savor the beauty and chaos of their return....

Favorites: "The Death & Resurrection Show", "Asteroid", "Blood on Your Hands", "Loose Cannon", "The House That Pain Built"

Killing Joke made their move into a more metallic sound with their 1994 album Pandemonium, utilizing heavier riffing that made a few good songs. Heading into their next album Democracy, the battering reverb of their 80s material makes its comeback, blended together with those heavy guitars for something immensely dark...

Things take a more introspective turn when vocalist Jaz Coleman stayed in Arizona after the Pandemonium tour. He was getting over depression at the time and learning more about Native American culture. He began to see a more optimistic light that was put into writing ("I am forced to see the other side, I can see a way out of here.") The lyrics are both more spiritual and political, all fitting well for a dark yet upbeat offering of alt-/industrial rock/metal (not many people can find some metal in here, but I do).

The album starts off a bit weak in "Savage Freedom". Same with the title track that depends too much on the acoustic guitar. If the rest of the album was like this, I would've slept through it all. Luckily, the dark "Prozac People" has kept me awake, an alt-rock/metal tale of the year and a half Coleman spent using that drug.

"Lanterns" has more in common with the alt-rock/metal sound taken on recently by 36 Crazyfists and Cave In, albeit a bit tamer. The 8-minute epic "Aeon" has a spectacular mix of the band's new wave/post-punk sound from the 80s with the industrial rock/metal style that shaped up Pandemonium. Probably the best song of the album and by the band! "Pilgrimage" swings through in some more brilliance. "Intellect" is kinda interesting in the more scurrying pace and occasional tribal rhythms. As effective as that is, it doesn't really make too much of a classic.

"Medicine Wheel" threatens to reach the album's earlier weakness, but the vocal passion of Jaz Coleman saves the day and makes it another standout. The decent "Absent Friends" is brought down a bit by the distracting production. And finally, the band gets the album's sound really rolling "Another Bloody Election". A little oddly-placed, but I don't care. The venomous fire of the band is still around!

It was right after this album's release and small tour when the band went on hiatus and then started working on their popular 2003 self-titled album. Democracy is as good as Pandemonium, but if you're going for something a little heavier and more essential, Pandemonium is the better deal....

Favorites: "Prozac People", "Aeon", "Pilgrimage", "Medicine Wheel", "Another Bloody Election"

The musical journey of Trail of Tears was filled with sorrow (Helena Iren Michaelsen era), darkness (A New Dimension of Might), violence (Kjetil Nordhus era), and accessible glory (Cathrine Paulsen's second era). It really is a shame that the band fell apart after Bloodstained Endurance and Oscillation. The talented voice of Cathrine can't be found anywhere besides this band and Lucid Fear. During the split, Ronny Thorsen was in a different band, Viper Solfa.

And now these extreme gothic metallers are reborn! Two singles were released, leading up to the EP Winds of Disdain. Their greatness is still in full force, but a new female vocalist has stepped in, Ailyn (ex-Sirenia). Here we have crushing guitars, bombastic symphonics, bass/drum assaults, and cool synth effects to reminds us who they are.

"Winds of Disdain" launches into heaviness right away, in which the B-flat-tuned drilling guitars made me think of 2010s Wage War and the growls that fit amongst the thrashy pace reminded me of Sylosis. But when the orchestration and Ailyn's serene vocals appear, you know it's Trail of Tears, back with a vengeance. Beautiful acoustics begin "Take These Tears", a brief throwback to Disclosure in Red, before more of the heaviness. This also occurs in "No Colours Left" before more of the downtuned metalcore-ish riffing of Architects and Protest the Hero that again leads to Ailyn's singing. We also hear the band's earlier raw bass in "Blood Red Halo" that I want more of in their possible next album.

All in all, Winds of Disdain proves that the band hasn't lost any steam after that long gap since their last album. I look forward to if the band ever makes a new album with this kind of sound plus more of the occasional acoustic section and audible bass. An absolute must for any symphonic gothic metal fan. Oscillation wasn't their final stand after all!

Favorites: "Winds of Disdain", "No Colours Left"

OK, what have I heard so far from Rammstein? I've listened to the albums Reise Reise and Zeit, and a dozen tracks used for the Sphere playlists. I hadn't entirely heard this breakthrough album Mutter yet, so why not? And this turned out to be really great for both an NDH album and an album with a singles-filled first half...

Mutter has been considered by many this popular German band's 3rd-time charm. You can hear a lot in the riffs and drums, along with some samples and the bass vocals of Till Lindemann. This band isn't one to take seriously, with their over-the-top lyrics, though they are quite meaningful. You'll know what I mean if you read the translations. And you can enjoy the catchy music whether or not you can understand the German lyrics.

"Mein Herz Brennt" ("My Heart Burns") opens the album beautiful with quiet singing by Lindemann. Then the solid verses kick off with guitar riffing side by side with string melody. The themes of angst and heartache are just beginning... "Links 2 3 4" (Left 2 3 4) is a more well-known single with political lyrics by the band to brush aside the earlier Nazi allegations, "They want my heart in the right place, but then I look below, it beats to the left." The music marches through, especially in the chorus with a more choral vibe. Not really enough to be a standout despite its goodness. "Sonne" (Sun) is the album's first single. The song was written for boxer Vitali Klitschko, but he never used it. After doing a boxing match referee-like count to 9 then "out". The catchiest riffing can be found here, followed by a melodic chorus, "Here comes the sun." Probably the best song of the album and by the band! Up next, "Ich Will" (I Want) is a great single as well. The keyboard/guitar rhythm is so catchy though can get tiring after many listens. This song of desire for fame has made a fantastic live staple.

When the sirens go off at the 40-second point of "Feuer Frei!" (Open Fire!), you're in for a ride. Actually this song would cause driving to be quite a challenge if you put it on your car stereo. It doesn't have much fire as I'm hoping for though. That intro is quite sick though. I could imagine Pitbull remixing this song, which is quite odd to imagine. And don't forget, that song was also in that Vin Diesel film xXx along with one of Hatebreed's songs, and in an earlier CSI episode. The title track is one more single, a sad ballad with a deep lyrical concept. A baby was born without a mother via an experiment and grows up lonely. The powerful chorus with its somber guitar melody and the repeated shouts of "Mother!" give the song more life. "Spieluhr" (Music Box) has a deeper baby-related lyrical concept. A stillborn baby that was buried in a music box (dug out and photographed for the album cover) is brought back to life. It both begins and ends with a music box melody, and the chorus features the distorted voice of one of Lindemann's children, to add more eeriness to the story. Plus, the solid verses have audible bass. So beautiful yet haunting! "Zwitter" (Hermaphrodite) is a heavier song to love. It has more furious riffing and some of the best and most bizarre lyrics of androgynous self-pleasure, "I'm not discouraged, when someone says 'f*** you' to me."

"Rein Raus" ("In Out") is never something I would enjoy lyrically, with the band's typical graphic sex-filled lyrics. The "Farther!" bridge is rather unsettling. The techno-ish intro leading into heavy riffing is pretty good. Despite that, not much of that song stands out for me. "Adios" (Goodbye) is an awesome song that should've been a single. There's interesting rhythm from the bass and drums. The guitar can really drive through. That song would've been made the best ending for the album, if not for... "Nebel" ("Fog"), a weak love ballad. I mean, I don't mind a metal album ending with a ballad, but it doesn't have the melancholic power of the title track. A poor letdown but it's still tolerable. "Hallelujah" is a bonus track in the Japanese edition, a slightly better way to head out than the previous track. Apparently, it's about a priest inappropriately touching an altar boy. Definitely too brutal for the more conservative/religious market. And the boy singing "Hallelujah" in the chorus once again makes things more eerie. 

Mutter can certainly be the ultimate starting point for anyone wanting to hear Rammstein for the first time. Any fan of Rammstein and NDH should give it a listen, maybe even follow it up with the more experimental Reise Reise....

Favorites: "Mein Herz Brennt", "Sonne", "Ich Will", "Spieluhr", "Zwitter", "Adios"

You know how much I enjoy metalcore, including its chaotic noise-powered subgenre mathcore, including bands like The Dillinger Escape Plan and Converge. Dissonant guitars grind through complex rhythms and everchanging time signatures in a fast heavy hurricane. Frontierer is another great example of that sound in this 15-track 48-minute journey, twice as long as albums from the more underground bands of the genre. And let me tell you, they've done it quite well.

Frontierer arrived in the mathcore scene shortly after the demise of Tennessee's The Tony Danza Tapdance Extravaganza. I've really enjoyed that band's djenty mathcore sound for the past couple years, and I thought, "What would they sound like if they didn't split up?" Here's the answer! Though the greatness is not entirely the same...

Heading straight to the action is opening track "Bunsen" with tons of noisy distortion in a catchy fashion. Then "Cascading Dialects" just goes on like a huge breakdown, almost threatening to be filler, but there's still some slight variety to keep things up and running. Favorite "The Collapse" is a re-recording of a track from its self-titled EP, and is filled with extreme chaos and devastating riff-wrath. You just gotta hear it to believe it! "Digital Tarpit" is sick as f***, with riffing heavy enough to put even deathcore bands like Whitechapel to shame. "Tunnel Jumper" stands out with melodic guitar in the second half to lighten things up a bit after all that riffing fury. Sure it may turn off some of the heavier mathcore fans, but it's what they gotta expect.

"Helium Vat" has some repetition in the riffing which makes it clear that the album isn't entirely perfect. "Bleak" is another incredible example of mathcore's slash-and-dash chaos. What also works out well is the intermission "IALCCA". While having a more electronic sound, it greatly displays the Converge-like screams of Chad Kapper. An effective way into the next track... Some sections are more layered than others in "Delorean Trails". Then we have another favorite in "Time Disruption Footprint", and HOLY F***ING SH*T, that midsection breakdown if practically heavier than anything I've heard in my life!

"Exposure & Aperture" has powerful riff groove as progressive and deathly as Extol and Into Eternity without actually sounding like those bands. "Evil Dermis" is good but not that memorable. "Mt. Swath" is never a disappointment. The rage from the bass and downtuned guitars can pack some punches even in the lowest mix. "Crystal Turbine" definitely screams TDEP and early Burst in gut-wrenching chaos. The closing track "Dusk" is the ultimate closing epic of chaos that then fades out into ambience.

All in all, Orange Mathematics shall give you some great mathcore entertainment. There's just so much power in a moderately long album length without tapping out. Most fans of music, even metal, would forfeit this chaotic run, but not me! Sh*t-tons of insanity are afoot to take the mathcore scene to the next level....

Favorites: "Bunsen", "The Collapse", "Tunnel Jumper", "Bleak", "Time Disruption Footprint", "Mt. Swath", "Dusk"

The more hardcore side of metalcore was rising back from the grave in the early 2010s, and one of the bands involved in the revival is this Canadian band Counterparts. The emotion can be heard from both the music and the lyrics sung by vocalist Brendan Murphy.

The Difference Between Hell and Home is the right path for them! Counterparts continue the metalcore/hardcore sound developed in the first two albums with a blend of melody and heaviness to put them in a similar level as other cool bands like The Ghost Inside. The lyrical writing focuses on giving people a motivational spark from relatable topics, from love to inner struggles.

"Lost" opens the album with pure lyrical nostalgia, "I feel absolutely nothing, life is a lost cause." The screams by Murphy are in great harmony with the guitar duo of Alex Re and Jesse Doreen. The riff experimentation helps the band stay unique. The lyrical message shall inspire you to battle your demons. "Ghost" takes on one-sided relationships in the lyrics, with music not too far off from Silverstein. "Please don't forget my face, I won't forget to remember you." Picking things up is "Debris" with a lot of heavy riffing. And more of that comes up in "Outlier" with lyrics of isolation, "I am what I am, and I am an outcast." That stellar outro has the best guitar harmony and drum-work here.

The single "Witness" continues the ongoing objective to unite hardcore with metal, with emotional lyrics by their side, "I lost track of all the times I made it home alive." Lots of heavy dissonance from the excellent guitars there! "Decay" is more of an ambient intermission with a spoken poem rising into screaming, all in a similar vein to La Dispute. It leads to the masterpiece highlight "Compass", the best standout in the music and lyrics. "I am a compass, constantly spinning, constantly searching for the end." The drumming and riffing sound so progressive, and the midsection breakdown touches down hard. The outro after a small break from heaviness has some absolutely chilling lyrics, ending with Murphy yelling the album title, "You're the difference between Hell and Home!"

"Wither" follows as actually the weakest track here, though weak doesn't necessarily mean bad, otherwise the album rating would be lower. "Cursed" has more of the best lyrics here, right from the beginning, when Murphy bellows "The facade is something greater than ourselves!" Then we reach a killer two-part finale, starting with the loud fast "Slave", a hardcore song with a ravaging breakdown. The slow heavy ending track "Soil" has more groove-ish riffing with some ambience popping up once in a while. Murphy tells you all to "find your mark and make it" before the final bit of riffing that all fades into an outro of ambient noise.

Counterparts know their way through dark beauty as proven by The Difference Between Hell and Home. This can surely reach the playlists of the more hardcore metalcore fans. Only one or two songs have some slight errors. For everything else, the cohesive emotional writing is what makes them shine. This album might surely be a true definition of the more hardcore metalcore revival!

Favorites: "Ghost", "Outlier", "Witness", "Compass", "Cursed", "Soil"

I've totally forgotten about this one-off side-project by MC Raaka Pee of Turmion Katilot. He continues his vocal talents here with co-vocalist HC CSD (Linda Karhu), and several different vocalists with their own contributions...

2 Times Terror continues the techno-industrial metal of Turmion Katilot. While many of the lyrics are in Finnish, some English lyrics are added to the writing. They have the skills to appeal to fans of dance music or metal or both. It is the vocal aggression of MC Raaka Pee that makes it clear that listeners are hearing the dance-y sounds of Turmion Katilot in a different side-project.

Already making use of Turmion Katilot's roots in the opening "D.E.A.D." They know how to make electronic rhythms like The Berzerker but without any speed-grind. What's different compared to Turmion Katilot is the use of female vocals. All in all, we have an excellent piece of electro-metal with both male and female vocals. A well-done example of opposites attract! "Lust" sounds like it has some leftover electronics from Waltari's Space Avenue. The Finnish lyrics in "Kuoleman Kehdossa" (In the Cradle of Death) are a bit unclear, though they work out fine. "Forever Mine" sounds so cool with the drop C tuned riffing of metalcore bands like Atreyu, Of Mice & Men, Phinehas, and Shadows Fall, while strictly being the album's usual techno-industrial metal.

The title track has slower melody. "Maailman Tuomari" (Judge of the World) is less melodic in the chorus, though it has intriguing Rammstein vibes. Next up, "Metalorgy" is a great standout. The riffing from USCH! is mixed together with higher screamed vocals to add more uniqueness to the vocal stylings of MC Raaka Pee with catchy surprises. The only song to surpass that is "Ikävässä Paikassa" (In a Bad Place) which is a high-quality climatic piece of dance-metal. The keyboards and guitars are in perfect union. It may be too accessible for pure metalheads, but it absolutely rules!

"Vaateet" (Clothing) is a dance-y cover of a song by Finnish punk rocker Maukka Perusjätkä, helped out by Maukka himself. "Vielä Joskus" (Sometimes Again) is a great track that should've ended up in a Turmion Katilot album. I probably would love this track more if the lyrics were in English and they did not have the bridge with the baby noises before the final chorus. The bonus remix of "Forever Mine" is pretty nice, though it can't beat the original.

All in all, the sole album by 2 Times Terror is filled with catchy accessible techno-industrial metal for anyone wanting to hear metal mixed with EDM. As great as it is though, this is around the time when Turmion Katilot are at a lower quality than their many of their surrounding albums, as you can hear in Perstechnique from the following year....

Favorites: "D.E.A.D.", "Forever Mine", "Metalorgy", "Ikävässä Paikassa", "Vielä Joskus"

Bad Omens was rocket-launched into popularity with their 3rd album The Death of Peace of Mind, mainly due to one of its singles "Just Pretend" being used a lot in TikTok. Their next album, Concrete Jungle [The OST] continues what they have in that album with more experimentation than before...

Since there are people who often compare the band's self-titled debut with Bring Me the Horizon's Sempiternal, if we continue that comparison path, this would make the Concrete Jungle release Bad Omens' very own Music to Listen to, a remix album based on their previous one (Think we'll get a concept EP and album later?). Anyway, one third of the album has new tracks, the second third has remixes, and the final third has live versions. I'm just gonna go with the new tracks, which I consider the main meat.

"C:\Projects\CJOST\BEATDEATH" is an odd intro, but it works well for the game's main menu. Then the actual album with "V.A.N.", a kick-A collab with Poppy. To paraphrase part of the first verse, it gets more powerful every minute. Although Poppy's vocals are both beautiful and wicked, it would've been nice to hear from Bad Omens vocalist Noah Sebastian as well, but the song is still perfect. The lyrics are so disturbing yet intriguing ("Isn't it strange to create something that hates you?" "I AM DEATH AND I AM NOT ALONE!!!!"). "The Drain" features Health and Swarm. The cyber sound of Health lets Noah flow through fittingly. Dark disco metal???? Sure seems like it!

Turning things around with rapping is "Terms & Conditions", led through by Bob Vylan (anyone here almost misread his name as Bob Dylan?), "Who they killing, when they making a killing". The production is quite clear, though the track doesn't really stand out well when it's just industrial hip-hop. Wargasm strikes on in "Heondist [Recharged]", packed with synths as heavy as the guitars. I've already heard of Wargasm via their remixes with Enter Shikari and Crossfaith. Milkie Way's vocals are more hyper than a sugar-buzzed cheerleader, and that's what I like there! Then we have a synthpop-ballad-ish track in "Even". Interlude "Loading Screen" is definitely what you would expect from an old-school PlayStation loading screen.

Really peaking at the height of the album is "Anything > Human", a collaboration with ERRA. The guest appearances by that progressive metalcore band's two vocalists shine as beautiful as Noah's vocals. An absolute favorite of mine that should be heard by future generations! We then have the long instrumental "Digital Footprint" that can once again be the music for a video game's loading screen. Still it doesn't harm the album's quality so much. Finally, iRis.EXE lends her vocal beauty to "Nervous System" with some of the strongest lyrics to go with a steady beat, "You want to hurt me?"

Again, the remixes and live performances are a separate thing from the main album, so I don't plan on going into that. Even then, Concrete Jungle is quite strange while worth having your heart and mind embrace its material. The guests are well-chosen without a doubt. Poppy, Health, Wargasm, ERRA, iRis.EXE... How can they not be liked? If the Death of Peace and Mind era really ends with this album, it's a pretty solid ending. Though the long-time fans may be uncertain of the band's possible future direction....

Favorites: "V.A.N", "The Drain", "Heondist [Recharged]", "Anything > Human", "Nervous System"

Times of Grace was formed in 2007 by Killswitch Engage guitarist Adam Dutkiewicz when back problems caused him to go for emergency surgery. Helping him out in this side-project is then-former KSE vocalist Jesse Leach. After their 2011 debut The Hymn of a Broken Man, the band was put on hold when the powerful well-praised Howard Jones left KSE and Leach returned to take his place. But that didn't mean Times of Grace was completely finished. Since 2016, Dutkiewicz and Leach spent some of their time outside of KSE writing and recording the next Times of Grace album Songs of Loss and Separation, with a final finishing boost when COVID put touring to a global halt. The end result is a strong collection of songs with a decent load of crushing riff-fire and emotional lyrics, despite the music moving away from Gothenburg. Pure greatness!

Well, despite some metal in here, you can't expect everything to be, well, metal. There's barely any of the violent rage from heavier metal genres. What we have is something more spiritual, more rock-ish, more, dare I say, radio-friendly. Anyone with a negative view on metal can give this album a spin and, with the best of luck, end up changing that negative to a positive. Imagine taking the more melodic side of the second Killswitch Engage album Alive or Just Breathing and expanding on that. The more soothing while still heavy music and positive lyrics will make those people think twice before putting down metal as a whole.

In saying that though, I have to question what the band were doing with "The Burden of Belief". Nonetheless, it's beautiful and filled with lyrical faith. It's "Mend You" that really gives us the sound we need, a d*mn perfect rocker with optimistic vocals and harmonic nostalgia for both heavier metalheads and rock listeners. And no matter how radio-friendly it gets, I still love it. A more b*lls-out Breaking Benjamin, you might say. But they don't wimp out on their metal tendencies with the riff-tastic "Rescue".

"Far From Heavenless" has some Opeth-like prog, as Leach's lyrics help burn away any hate brought down onto religion. "Bleed Me" is mostly acoustic, but when the electric guitar pours in, it has a similar vibe to the slower more melodic Trivium songs. Once again turning into a bit of prog-metal is "Medusa".

Just hearing a bit of "Currents" can get you thinking of the band Currents and Fates Warning at the same time. Then "To Carry the Weight" is pretty much a modern-day response to Soundgarden. Now for a song titled "Cold", there's really a lot of gentle warmth. The 6 and a half minute closing track "Forever" ends the album beautifully to satisfy any listener and giving them something to look for in the future.

So what's not to f***ing love about this album? Songs of Loss and Separation continues what made this band and Killswitch Engage great, albeit exchanging most of their metalcore with something more pop-rock-ish in a way that is never sh*tty. And even in some of their radio-friendly moments, they can still sound metal as f***!

Favorites: "Mend You", "Rescue", "Bleed Me", "Currents", "Forever"

For 8 years, The Amenta was in the silent void after a perfect trilogy of albums that started with their debut Occasus. Those albums showed how futuristic extremeness can be with such a heavy timeless sound. Revelator marks the band's comeback with more of the earlier brutal violence while exploring something dark and more dreadful. This is the darkened future of industrial death metal!

Aside from the usual blasts of technicality of the band's industrial blackened death metal sound, there's a bit of atmospheric doom in the mix. The destruction isn't just straight-on brutal anymore, but also having interesting variety in darker depths.

Opening track "An Epoch Ellipsis" crashes through like a less symphonic Septicflesh with rapid drumming machinery to slay anything in its way. "Sere Money" is more rock-ish than anything the band has done, as the vocals of Cain Cressall range from clean to harsh, and both sides alternate between each other like an all-out war. "Silent Twin" is more chilling with acoustic ambience and Cressall's lurking vocals.

"Psoriastasis" is a punishing blaster with a relentless breakdown halfway through. "Twined Towers" is the band's longest song at 8 minutes and might remind some of a more brutal take on Ministry's mid-90s material. "Parasight Lost" shows the band's industrial side more in the vocals and guitars, like Godflesh gone early 90s Paradise Lost.

"Wonderlost" is a little repetitive but still quite a fascinating interlude. "Overpast" has more relentless drumming turbulence that keeps the band at the right direction. Another absolutely intense standout! Finally, "Parse Over" is one of the best songs ever of industrial death metal! There's even some more of the ambient doom throughout to add to the bleakness. That's the kind of album ending I need here!

The Amenta's killer evolution is displayed quite well, though it doesn't reach the perfect heights of their initial trilogy. I recommend Revelator for anyone wanting a darker follow-up to the Flesh is Heir album. More industrial brutality awaits!

Favorites: "An Epoch Ellipsis", "Psoriastasis", "Parasight Lost", "Overpast", "Parse Over"

I love this album as much as the rest of the album trilogy in The Amenta's initial run. No one can deny the masterful industrial death metal brutality. Not many bands can make such an achievement in sound. Expect a lot of industrial twists and turns! The band can bring the extremeness up to intense levels, though it's not as much of a completely devastating assault as their debut Occasus. This is because with their second album n0n, the samples and noises are more apparent after being hinted in the debut. This somewhat different sound is the best definition of a futuristic Hell. The blend of industrial machinery and metal destruction hits hard like a motherf***er, and h*ll, even Fear Factory's debut Soul of a New Machine can't reach that height.

Earlier on, the debut was just straight-up brutal. Here we have more of the f***ing eerie keys of Timothy Pope that sound so haunting and noise-ridden. Holy sh*t, he's good! He and the other band members are responsible for making n0n the monstrous masterpiece it is. The music is so well-constructed, with not much melodic harmony to let extreme dissonance shine. The keyboards actually bring more impact to the sound, and without it, the destruction would be unbalanced. It's all about the atmosphere to go with the heaviness for a killer blend.

"On" turns the album on with an ambient noise intro. "Junky" begins the inhuman variety of deathly dissonance and occasional doomy atmosphere, transforming from one side to another. F***ing h*ll, the guitars are top-notch and out of this world! "Vermin" is another f***ing monster. It takes some time to patience to actually dig this kind of chaos, and when you do, it's all worth the experience. The vicious vocals ranging between growls, screams, and whispers are so haunting! "Entropy" is a short interlude.

The perfect "Slave" has some killer guest vocals by Nergal of Behemoth. Then we have "Wh*re" and more of the insane atmosphere. "Spine" continues the powerful variety. "Skin" is another interlude with some spoken word, and the music is f***ing insane as always.

"Dirt" levels up the keyboard focus a bit and even has some melody. That's the kind of atmosphere that isn't highly present in the band's debut. One more interlude with more of Timothy's synths is "Atrophy". The haunting atmosphere reaches its peak in "Cancer". So horrifically awesome! Then we have the most twists in the oddly titled final epic "Rape", which starts chaotic in the first 3 minutes, then quiets down before some doomy melancholy in the heavy riffs and melody. D*mn, what a soothing yet brutal way out!

Is there anything more extreme than this band's industrial blackened death metal sound? Probably, but the point is, you haven't heard the most experimental twists around until your ears meet this brutal offering that is n0n. The underrated saga of The Amenta continues!

Favorites: "Junky", "Vermin", "Slave", "Spine", "Cancer", "Rape"

The Amenta is not a band you should ever underestimate. They have combined death metal with industrial metal seamlessly, thereby creating a sound heavier than an entire planet. And the most deathly part of their sound occurs in their perfect debut Occasus!

I've only just start listening to this band beyond their Flesh is Heir album over a month ago, so I thought it was time to review albums from the deathly complex world of The Amenta. I'm talking about industrial blackened death metal with some ambient noise. The sound ranges from technical to atmospheric. You can hear inhuman devastation coming from the vocals, blast-beats, synths, and riffs, all more destructive than most other bands could do.

Kicking off hard is "Erebus", blasting through otherworldly extremeness. "Mictlan" originally came from an EP released a couple years prior. Then we get another highlight from "Zero", going straight into more heaviness in no time flat.

Then we have industrial ambience in the interlude "Selenium". One of the greater highlights "Nihil" actually sounds melodic without too much dissonance. "Geilt" proves that the band can blend extreme metal with electronics, similar to The Browning doing that a decade later, though obviously much heavier.

"Sekem" has more of that mysterious deathly aura. The title track is another interlude that will make you want more of the heaviness that will return shortly. Blasting things apart again is "Ennea", with some of the most f***ing extreme complexity you'll ever find. The finale "Sangre" is something that the inexperienced would take a long time to fully grasp. Warp-speed drums and vocals blast through for something epic and extreme. Then after some ambient noise, the last couple minutes of metal strike once more.

The Amenta's debut is so underrated and needs more attention. It should really catch on for the extreme metal realms to hear. Occasus has a lot of brutality striking, and it should be hailed for all eternity!

Favorites: "Erebus", "Zero", "Nihil", "Ennea", "Sangre"

Before gradually evolving into a progressive tech-death band, Job for a Cowboy released a deathcore classic that was an early result of the subgenre's popularity. Any fan of deathcore can recognize their EP Doom as a brutal masterpiece!

As much as the other band members perform well in the EP, the heavy complex drumming by Elliot Sellers really stands out side-by-side with the guitars. Different variations of blasts and kicks can be heard, and like snowflakes, one is never the same as the other, which is what makes the drumming so unique. That and the use of cymbals, all of which give deathcore some rare literal kicks.

The intro "Catharsis for the Buried" starts the release eerily as someone is getting buried alive and screams "GET ME OUT OF HERE!!!!" Then comes my favorite track here, "Entombment of a Machine", with some riffing and breakdowns I really enjoy, including that final devastating one at the end. The song also has rare audibility in bass and common usage of horror imagery in the lyrics. "Relinquished" is also interesting with the intro riffing and the song's brief usage of lo-fi and funk-ish beats in the drumming. "Knee Deep" you might already know from that Spongebob "Band Geeks" meme video. I just love its opening riffing!

"The Rising Tide" has some breakdown riffing throwing back to earlier tracks, but it's still killer, especially in another brutal closing breakdown. The growls and screams of Jonathan Davy fit so well with the lyrics. Starting off with a bit of melodeath is "Suspended by the Throat" before more of the heavy darkness. You don't wanna miss out on the re-release bonus track "Entities". Recorded a year after the original EP, you can hear some riffs hinting at the band's later tech-death sound, as well as a rare guitar solo.

Doom is filled with awesome pulverizing deathcore. Fans of the genre should definitely get it and listen to it as many times as they please. I'm glad to discovering this true gem and I look forward to hearing their later tech-death. Only the strongest and most loyal to deathcore can survive!

Favorites: "Entombment of a Machine", "Knee Deep", "The Rising Tide", "Entities"

A friend of mine shared with me a couple tracks from this album, and they sound good enough to check out the rest of what it has to offer, as well as make another dive into one of Megadeth's albums. How does it compare to a classic like Peace Sells? Let's find out...

United Abominations marked the entrance of the Drover brothers; guitarist Glen and drummer Shawn. They were the founding members of power metal band Eidolon. But months after the release of this album, Glen left Megadeth to focus on family life, which also caused Eidolon to disband, apart from a 2015 reunion show and single. Those brothers knew how to add catchiness and heaviness to the less thrashy riffing the band had for 15 years up to that point. Freshness was added to the otherwise mundane.

"Sleepwalker" opens the album as a heavy yet melodic standout, as the snarls of frontman Dave Mustaine soar through the verses. The thrashy riffs and leads last heard in Rust in Peace are in full force, as is the tempo variation. All in an honorable highlight! What's next is "Washington is Next", which picks up some fast speed in the riffs and drums, while having some Maiden-powered melody, especially in the chorus that adds to the energy. The earlier speedy riffing is blended with the 1990 technical shredding. There are some decent choruses in "Never Walk Alone... A Call to Arms", but it's much more suitable for the radio.

The title track is the first of the two songs my friend showed me, which is fine, but the chorus is too repetitive to do any good. The second of those songs, "Gears of War" is a slower heavy/melodic composition with a brighter chorus. I like that one more. "Blessed are the Dead" is where Mustaine's vocals often get deeper or less gravelly. The song once again has the band's 90s hard rock/metal sound. "Play for Blood" has the groove-ish riffing of Symphony X, but none of that band's epic orchestration.

"A Tout le Monde (Set Me Free)" is a re-recording of a song from the band's 1994 album Youthanasia. This edition has greater energy and guest vocals by Cristina Scabbia from gothic/alt-metal band Lacuna Coil. Honestly, this is the kind of re-recording we need, one that enhances the song with a guest vocalist. Well done! "Amerikhastan" follows as an unnecessary attempt at a political attack, and it's hard for me to listen to it without cringing in disgust. We get one more memorable track in "You're Dead", reviving the early 90s thrash discretely yet pleasantly. "Burnt Ice" has impressive riffing that is sadly practically obscured by everything else. A strong yet uneven wrap-up.

All in all, United Abominations is a pretty good album with some weak moments. I suppose one day I can check out one of their surrounding albums like The System Has Failed or Endgame, maybe even another one of their earlier classics. But for now, I can savor the more high-quality moments of this album, helped out by the Drover brothers. Shawn would still stick around for the next few chapters of this journey of Megadeth....

Favorites: "Sleepwalker", "Washington is Next", "Gears of War", "A Tout le Monde (Set Me Free)", "You're Dead"

I used to listen to Parasite Inc. when I was still into the more melodic bands before switching to the heavier modern ones. After I made that grand move months before the release of their sophomore album Dead and Alive, I forgot all about that band. Fast forward to just a week before this review, when I found out that they switched to a cyber-ish industrial metal direction in their 3rd album. I was shocked. Shocked! ...Well, not that shocked. But I wasn't gonna put it down right away, I'm too open-minded for that.

This German band consisting of frontman Kai Bigler, guitarist Dominik Sorg, bassist Lucien Mosesku, and drummer Benjamin Stelzer, had already unleashed two melodeath offerings since forming in 2007. How well have they done in 3rd album Cyan Night Dreams despite this sudden idea of adding dreamy synthwave to their sound? Well...

The haunting intro "Lithium" already hints at those ethereal synths. Then the destructive melodeath strikes in "I Am" with solid melodies, rhythms, and vocals front and center. The violence burns through a chorus of epic melancholy and speed. The riff-wrath continues in the heavy "First Born". Hypnotic leads sound interesting when mixed together with the vicious screams. The catchy title track is where the synthwave night begins to shine. The clean singing is very effective. A fantastic example of their new direction!

"In False Light" is all about the band's earlier aggression. The wild riff rhythms are in smooth contrast with the softer sections. "Osmium" is another haunting interlude. The raging march of "Follow the Blind" has more in common with metalcore, which is actually perfect for the headbanging crowd.

"Under Broken Skies" is more modern and accessible while staying heavy. Then "Into Destruction" is a solid melodeath track with more of the devastating blasts. The anthemic choruses allow the clean vocals to make themselves at home. "When All is Said" is the album's closing track and the most synthwave-ish track here. But the modern heaviness is still around as expected and ends it all perfectly.

Who knew synthwave and melodeath can go well together in a catchy blend? I certainly didn't before encountering this album. Don't let the electronics in Cyan Night Dreams turn you off. Let them mesmerize you in your dreams....

Favorites: "I Am", "Cyan Night Dreams", "Follow the Blind", "Into Destruction", "When All is Said"

I had a lot of fun listening to Mechina's Acheron, although I probably would've enjoyed it more when I still into highly epic melodic styles of metal, and the second half could've been improved. Today we go further into the epic sci-fi cyber metal world of Mechina by taking on the band's second album, Conqueror. It is the album that expanded upon the one-off story of their 2005 debut The Assembly of Tyrants and turned it into the saga the band is known for...

I find some good material to please my ears, as Conqueror shows the welcoming signs of their evolving sound to come. I should check out the in-between albums Empyrean and Xenon some time. Though what's different from Acheron is the simpler shorter songs instead of the long complex epics. So that's one reason to knock off a half-star.

Intro "Incipient Tragoedia" has some female vocal melody floating over cinematic orchestra. Then the guitars crash in right away in "Pray to the Winds" with its heavy djenty riffing. The guitar and orchestra are never buried against each other, they are in the right balance. A true symphonic blessing! Keep that in mind before this Meshuggah-powered Sybreed-like sound goes a bit downhill. Exhibit A being "Anti-Theist" with its unbalanced atmosphere and vocalist David Holch's poor attempt at clean singing.

"Non Serviam" also has that issue, but the blend of epicness and heaviness overlooks it and makes the song a better standout. Another instrumental composition "[Error 36:48.58/Connection Lost]" has nice orchestra, yet it's easily skippable. Though not as awful as "Internecion" which is the worst, most flat-sounding sh*tter here.

However, it then goes straight to the best song here, "The Iron Law", the perfect soundtrack to a sci-fi boss battle. The lyrics are definitely worth shouting along to, "TOTAL. SYSTEM. FAILURE!!!!" The title track also stands out well, though it can't beat the previous track. Outro "Ad Astra" can almost fit well in the soundtrack to the film Ad Astra, and the melody from the album's intro is reprised.

All in all, Conqueror truly begins a saga and sound further explored in Empyrean, Xenon, Acheron, etc. It's worth some good listening though some tracks could've been improved, and there should've been a long epic (which there actually is in the Compendium edition). Still the band knows what's right when taking their music to the stars....

Favorites: "Pray to the Winds", "Non Serviam", "The Iron Law", "Conqueror"

From First to Last is a band with a few members that have been part of more well-known projects. Rhythm guitarist/unclean vocalist Travis Richter left the band to join The Human Abstract but came back when that band went on hiatus and From First to Last ended theirs. For this album Dead Trees, the band brought in Spencer Sotelo as lead vocalist, a position held on to for the band's first two albums by Sonny Moore, A.K.A. dubstep superstar Skrillex.

Dead Trees brings back the earlier post-hardcore sound, this time heavier and getting close to djent. That and the more melodic aspects gives the album a melodic metalcore direction. Spencer's well-done vocals are a perfect fit here, and I enjoy them as greatly as his work with Periphery...

"Heresy" is a mysterious one-minute intro with its epic orchestral synths sounding almost like they're leftover from a Powerwolf album. Then you get hit by two minutes of killer metallic hardcore "Straight to the Face". The theatrical heaviness continues in "H8 Meh". Then we have one of two singles in the title track, and it's a perfect metallic throwback to the mid-2000s post-hardcore scene embraced by From First to Last and other similar bands.

"I Solemnly Swear That I Am Up to No Good" really takes on the theatrical antics of Ice Nine Kills while Spencer expands his vocal range as much as he had in Periphery's Juggernaut series from that year. "Black and White" is worth listening to as the band fire away with their blend of heaviness and melody. "Back to Hannalei" is a softer ballad, not too far off from the softer tracks of Bring Me the Horizon at that time. "Never in Reverie" exemplifies the more metallic side that reminds me of Bullet for My Valentine and Oh Sleeper, and that I'm definitely up for.

That heavier side continues once again in "2 11". Then "Electrified" has the catchy dance-y pace of Electric Callboy but none of that band's trance-y synths. "I Don’t Wanna Live in the Real World" is another acoustic ballad to wrap up this offering. For the earlier fans, the bonus re-recordings are a successful treat altogether, "Note to Self", "Ride the Wings of Pestilence", and "The Latest Plague". OK, the third one is not as awesome the previous two, but they all still work well.

Dead Trees is the comeback album From First to Last fans need! Well, a couple tracks I don't totally need, but the rest is still great. And as amazing as Spencer sounds there, let's hope the band can make another album in the future with more of Sonny Moore's vocals....

Favorites: "Straight to the Face", "Dead Trees", "I Solemnly Swear That I Am Up to No Good", "Black and White", "Never in Reverie", "Note to Self", "Ride the Wings of Pestilence"

With my recent revisit of Septicflesh's comeback album Communion, I eventually thought "What about their earlier era?" These were the days when Septic Flesh (with a space between the two words) were more focused on death and a bit of the doom of the Peaceville 3, with symphonic synths used more sparsely and only fully displayed in tracks where it's used as the sole instrument. The debut Mystic Places of Dawn shows Spiros Antoniou and co. nicely blending brutality with atmosphere and historical lyrics...

The debut is more melancholic and longer (at a full one-hour length) than most other death metal albums back then, and it flows well when experienced entirely. Simple yet devastating guitars soar alongside crystalline synths in haunting melody.

The thunderous title opener has that deathly speed, though you'll find slower variation in the doomy sections. Blazing soloing plagues "Pale Beauty of the Past" in effective echo. It really does sound beautiful, even though the heavier fans of death metal prefer brutality over beauty. Next track "Return to Carthage" is a return to the heavier side of death metal with barely any of the crawling doom.

"Crescent Moon" is an amazing 8-minute doomy epic with guitarwork ranging from blissful to intense. And there's more of the slow doom in "Chasing the Chimera". The most of the pretty synths you'll get in one of the death metal tracks is "The Underwater Garden".

The fast "Behind the Iron Mask" is an explosive riff monster. It's great that they have the heaviest track deep into the album. It's a well-placed brutal break from the slowness. The most variant track here is "(Morpheus) The Dreamlord" with its slow melodic sections that then lead to a climatic buildup into eruptive blasts. The sonic firepower of the soloing would certainly burn away those slow melodies. Also that track was recorded a year before everything else in the album and had an actual drummer instead of a drum machine to add a more authentic kick to the sound. "Mythos" is the 9-minute two-part finale of nothing but symphonic synths. This was around the time when both Septic Flesh and Amorphis stunned the death metal realm with their synth usage. It's not for pure heavy metalheads, but it's certainly fitting for an epic journey to Atlantis.

So I actually enjoy Mystic Places of Dawn slightly more than I did a few years ago, and slightly more than Communion. As amazing as their debut is though, the mixing is a bit unclear, which is understandable when the band was first starting out. Still it has the right kind of mood to stand out in the rise of the Greek extreme metal scene led by black metal bands Necromantia and Rotting Christ. The album has some impressive writing and it promised an essential future for Septic Flesh and the more atmospheric side of death metal. Best recommended for death metal lovers who don't mind some doom and synthesized orchestration....

Favorites: "Mystic Places of Dawn", "Pale Beauty of the Past", "Crescent Moon", "Behind the Iron Mask", "(Morpheus) The Dreamlord"

I haven't heard of this band from Canberra, Australia before, but let me fill you in right away on what to expect from Alchemist's debut Jar of Kingdom. This is avant-garde/progressive death metal soaring through the psychedelic cosmos! This is the kind of style that's either awesome or too weird to enjoy. In this case, it's the former. Alchemist made an experiment in metal alchemy that has really paid off!

With this incredible debut, I have a great feeling about the rest of their discography. There are so many things that are both expected and unexpected all in one dish. Avant-garde/prog-metal has lots of twists through death and doom here. For newcomers to The Infinite genres, it may sound weird and take some time to digest.

Listeners of the album get the first taste of the experience from opening track "Abstraction", starting with a smooth yet eerie horror movie-ish intro before blasting off into atonal guitars and death growls, to remind some of Demilich without going all-out brutal. Frontman Adam Agius actually damaged his voice while recording that song, hence the rawness of his vocals here. "Shell" is a bizarre when kicking off with twisted ethereal doom, but then we have some fast bass melody and heaviness to stand out. "Purple" is more dynamic in the blast-beats and riffing, blending the psychedelia of Voivod at the time with the deathly hellfire. The cacophonic title track once again has 70s space rock twisted into intricate thrashy death metal rhythms.

"Wandering and Wondering" wanders through dissonant riffing reminiscent of Carbonized and melodic turns into doom/power metal. Then we have an acoustic interlude "Found" sung by Michelle Klemke. "Enhancing Enigma" enhances the sound with oriental psychedelia as the death metal realms continue to range from thrashy to doomy.

"Whale" is a strange interlude with the wailing of a humpback whale in the background, long before Gojira tried something like that in From Mars to Sirius. And there's more experimentation in "Brumal: a View from Pluto" in which deathly blasts have a bit of industrial melody crawling in. It all leads to "Worlds Within Worlds" having some of that Eastern balladry followed by the last bit of thrashy death metal in a progressive epic.

Jar of Kingdom is the massive beginning of a 6-album journey that sadly had to end. Adam Agius would then form a new band, The Levitation Hex, with members of Alarum. Nonetheless, the complex experimentation of Alchemist is a deathly adventure through the dark psychedelic depths of space!

Favorites: "Abstraction", "Purple", "Jar of Kingdom", "Enhancing Enigma", "Worlds Within Worlds"

Presenting, in Living Colour, these funk metal forerunners from New York City! Living Colour has been shaping up the funk metal scene since their 1988 debut album Vivid that includes their Grammy-winning hit, political anthem "Cult of Personality". In the years that followed, even more exposure was inevitable thanks to their more popular tour-mates Guns N' Roses and The Rolling Stones, as well as participating in the Lollapalooza tour on its very first year, 1991.

So what's next? Well, bassist Muzz Skillings left the group before they could start recording their 3rd album Stain. His replacement Doug Wimbish has been known for working with popular musicians like Madonna and Mick Jagger. Bad Brains producer Ron Germain helped show the band's dark heavy side while suitable for the mainstream.

The antiliberal opening track "Go Away" is a crushing start to the album. "Ignorance is Bliss" continues the political pessimism. "Leave It Alone" is a more melodic highlight. Another cool mainstream song is "Bi". Despite not getting enough attention or longevity in their career, great songs like this should never be ignored. It's an interesting song detailing the ongoing dilemma of people's sexuality ("Everybody's messed up with their sexuality") and can motivate certain people to overcome that dilemma and be proud of themselves and their community, maybe even certain characters from children's shows that have expanded the LGBT boundaries. But it might also cause some massive debate about whether this is pro- or anti-LGBT. Quite a tough call. Let's move on...

"Mind Your Own Business" takes some influence from their aforementioned tour-mates, and is not really my business. Then "Auslander" explodes into one of my favorite songs here. "Never Satisfied" is satisfying but can't beat the greater highlights. Another one of them being "Nothingness", which is a ballad-ish funk rock track with ambient symphonic synths, but I can certainly understand how destined it was to be a hit. After that, "Postman" packs a killer punch as the lyrics describe a vicious murderer. Living Colour can certainly take a death metal lyrical concept and twist it up in their usual funk/alt-metal/rock.

The problems this album has that make me think "WT*!?" are exemplified in the weird experimental "WTFF" (the second F stands for "Factor"). Really messing things up is "This Little Pig". Then "Hemp" is a f***ing pointless interlude. Fortunately, "Wall" closes the album by showing you all how this funky sound should really be done. As much as I enjoy Revolution bands from the electronicore of Enter Shikari to the mathcore of The Tony Danza Tapdance Extravaganza, I'm up for a bit of funky alt-metal once in a while.

Stain is a decent funky album with a few standouts, a few mess-ups, and a few in-betweens. Despite its success, the album ceased printing for 20 years due to a lawsuit from the band The Stain, and Living Colour split up due to creative differences. It won't be until a decade after Stain's release when their next offering would occur....

Favorites: "Leave It Alone", "Bi", "Auslander", "Nothingness", "Postman", "Wall"

Oh wow! After two albums of blending jazzy avant-garde metal with grindcore elements that are too weird to be good, the deathly/thrashy grind has been very much discarded and made this experimental sound even better in their third album Execution Ground. The band consisting of John Zorn (saxophone instead of guitar), Bill Laswell (bass), and Mick Harris (drums) gained more control of their experimentation in these long-a** mighty improvisations...

The lineup show off their powerful talent with occasional guest vocals by Yamantaka Eye, lead vocalist of Zorn's other band Naked City. Oh yeah, Zorn's saxophone is still screechy but more tolerable. And the album cover used in this site is the clean cover as opposed to the original one with the man hung from a tree.

The 3 long improvisations take up the first half of this two-CD offering. I can't really say much about them individually because of how similar they are, but they are perfect for when you wanna chill out in a world of noise (not something I thought anyone would say in a way that makes sense). Then the second disc has ambient remixes of two of those tracks. It's a shame that my favorite track of the trio, "Morning of Balachaturdasi" didn't get the same ambient treatment.

So how does it all exactly compare to those first two Painkiller albums? Well as I've said, there isn't any more of the extreme grind, but those improvisations in the main dish still have heavy strikes, once again bringing out metal from the saxophone instead of the guitar. There are many relentless sections that guide you through the occasional foggy screams, the innovative drumming of Harris, the deep bass pulse of Laswell, and Zorn's saxophone that is, again, excellent and being played well instead of strangled to the bone. This jazzy avant-garde metal sound is so disturbing, it's probably a valid reason for the band's dissolution. Only this time, it's a very pleasant kind of disturbing!

Favorites: All 3 of the main tracks, especially "Morning of Balachaturdasi", though the ambient tracks are great too.

Things get weird once again in Painkiller's second release Buried Secrets. There's more of that tortured screaming saxophone in many tracks and that can get a bit annoying. However, what makes this album better is than their debut Guts of a Virgin is much less of their earlier grindcore, as well as the two longer epics which are the title track and "The Toll". Both rely less on that d*mn saxophone and feature guest appearances by Godflesh, both members with their metal instrumentation and all. You can find a lot in this avant-garde album that's more disturbing than even the goriest death metal around, much more than I can stand....

Favorites (only ones I like): "Buried Secrets", "The Toll"

PainKiller was formed in 1991, one year after the release Judas Priest's 1990 breakthrough album Painkiller. Whether of not this band was named after that Judas Priest release is anyone's guess. The band was known for their strange blend of avant-garde jazz and grindcore, and for the usage of saxophone by John Zorn instead of guitar.

Their most grindcore-ridden album, the debut Guts of a Virgin, originally had an album cover you might expect from some other Horde band, a woman shaven bald and disemboweled. When the album was shipped to the UK, the authorities destroyed all the copies shipped there because of that cover that was against the Obscene Publications Act. The second edition crops that photo to just show the woman's face and adds a disclaimer about the first edition's ban. That's the cover that appears in the release's page in the site (Thanks for choosing that, Ben!).

So this album has the most of the band's thrashy/deathly grindcore side, but when that sounds too screechy and the experimental jazz side is too bizarre with the saxophone sounding so tortured, this jazzy avant-garde grindcore mix isn't a good one. The only track I'm able to not cringe at is the doomy "Devil's Eye" in which the saxophone is used less frequently. For everything else, the weirdness is just too much, and not something I have the guts to explore more of....

Favorites (only one I like): "Devil's Eye"