Saxy S's Forum Threads

I'm not really up to a lot of progressive metal at the moment (other than discovering Into Eternity and Volumes the other day), so I'll just review submissions from me and Xephyr for this playlist. Sorry Saxy, maybe next time. So here are my thoughts on those tracks:

Wandering Oak – To Lir Thy Fell (2024)

4.5/5. A killer blackened progressive metal epic to start this playlist, though I have not much to say there.

Anacrusis – Still Black (1991)

5/5. The best and most ominous riffing comes in this track which is my personal favorite here.

Mechina – Earth-Born Axiom (2015)

4.5/5. The engines ignite and the spaceship blasts off in an extensive epic in which electronic synths and cinematic orchestra prevails over the heavy djent instrumentation. Tiberi knows how to combine all that with a landscape of sci-fi dystopia that Neurotech can also achieve.

DGM – The Secret Pt. 2 (2016)

4/5. Pretty great hooks to grab your attention, especially when reaching its last third.

Mr. Bungle – Squeeze Me Macaroni (1991)

4.5/5. This amazing bass-fueled track is where its original album sounds best when blending lightness with spookiness.

Mutoid Man – Siphon (2023)

5/5. This highlight kicks off having some of the math-ish metalcore instrumentation of Converge and The Dillinger Escape Plan then continues on in progressive/sludge metal again as the vocal harmonies and growls blend together.

Protest the Hero – Gardenias (2020)

4.5/5. The instant impact here is so good you can even listen to it on its own! The drum kicks and instrumental punches unleash thunderbolts while electrifying lightning strikes from Rody Walker unleashing his screams and growls.

Rolo Tomassi – Closer (2022)

5/5. Not every track that I absolutely love has to be heavy. This ballad is so beautiful, including the harmonic voice of Eva Korman. Such a lovely song!

Here are my thoughts on some tracks:

Crossfaith – Zero (2024)

5/5. Crossfaith lives again! The strength of their new single is insane.

Dark new Day – Evergreen (2005)

4.5/5. Over a decade ago, my brother was just starting to listen to the hard rock/alt-metal he still likes today. He probably would love this bada** beast of a song that sounds close to Breaking Benjamin. It relates well to the troubles of relationship neglect. Honestly, it would work as a wrestler's entrance theme.

Dead by April – Break My Fall (2024)

5/5. Now this is some hard fire creeping in! It's not related to that Breaking Benjamin song, but it has a similar vibe to that band but heavier.

Demon Hunter – Time Only Takes (2019)

4.5/5. Personally a timeless melodic Demon Hunter classic!

From Ashes to New – Shadows (2016)

4/5. Another beast of a song that I'm sure my brother would enjoy, since there's one From Ashes to New song he likes, which I've submitted to a Gateway playlist a few months back. And there are other songs to like from this playlist too...

In Flames – Clayman (2020 Version)

4.5/5. As if the new In Flames album Foregone isn't already a throwback to the band's melodeath roots, a few years prior, they re-recorded some songs from their 2000 album Clayman as part of a reissue, and that makes me up to one day revisiting the original version.

In This Moment – Standing Alone (2010)

5/5. Another grand banger, as the bass groove and drum fury speed on. It really stands out with the howling and singing contrasting with each other.

Jeris Johnson, BOI WHAT – Battling My Demons (2024)

4.5/5. Jeris Johnson has collaborated with Boi What (known for his AI Plankton voice) for an anthem to battle your inner struggles. Nicely f***ing done!

Karnivool – The Caudal Lure (2010)

4/5. Sounds Awake is more of an alt-prog rock album than metal, but I appreciate this song have some of their earlier TOOL-like sound, just the way I like it.

Nik Nocturnal, Fronzilla – In Da Club (2023)

4.5/5. The result of modern metal YouTuber Nik Nocturnal and Attila vocalist Fronz making their own version of a 50 Cent hit with the violent rage of metal.

Rollins Band – Tearing (1992)

4/5. Another excellent single. It has caused Rollins' work to spread to MTV and metalheads.

Sleep Token – Gods (2019)

4.5/5. "MY F***ING FORM IS BUT A WRECK BENEATH THEM!" The guitar and overall heaviness might remind some of Deftones and Loathe, in contrast with the soft piano and ambience for a diverse mix.

Spineshank – New Disease (2000)

4/5. I remember adding this song to my first ever Sphere playlist two years ago, and I don't mind commenting on it again. The early 2000s was when alternative/industrial metal was on the rise, and when songs like this one were sports video games. I did not like metal during my kiddy years of the 2000s. It wasn't until the 2010s when my metal interest took off. Still this can give fans of this style of metal quite a bit of nostalgia.

Twelve Foot Ninja – Manufacture of Consent (2010)

4.5/5. F***ing great experimental greatness. Enough said!

Yousei Teikoku – Missing (2013)

4/5. An interesting song to end this playlist, with a dark metal equivalent to anime theme music. Great way to head out!

Here are my thoughts on some tracks:

Job for a Cowboy – Beyond the Chemical Doorway (2024)

5/5. Starting this playlist is a band that I never had the leeway to listen to in the year 2014 when I was in my power metal-loving teens, due to their death metal (deathcore in their 2006 EP) sound. But now that I'm in my 20s and can handle that kind of sound, especially in their more progressive material like their new album Moon Healer, I'm up for more! It's just way too good to lose, and the bass sounds audible and groovy.

 The Ocean – Permian: The Great Dying (2018)

4.5/5. My interest in this band seemed to have died out lately, but songs like this one still have their underrated greatness.

Ibaraki – Kagutsuchi (2022)

4.5/5. Violent yet melodic blackened prog-metal. How did I not hear this until now???

Intronaut – Prehistoricisms (2008)

5/5. And how perfect can this progressive post-sludge sound get?!

Periphery – Zagreus (2023)

5/5. This glorious highlight kicks the heaviness back to bloodthirsty brutality. This almost has a blackened vibe with the riffing and demonic growling. I haven't heard Sotelo sound so savage since when he guest appeared in Sikth's "Cracks of Light". Then the track closes with a cinematic orchestral ending.

Stortgern – Xeno Chaos (2023)

4.5/5. Standing out well is this track that bursts out more than a human-killing Xenomorph (unrelated). It truly is special as the progressive tech-death rises up in melody.

Charlie Griffiths – Arctic Cemetery (2022)

4.5/5. I hadn't listened to much Haken and Between the Buried and Me in the past couple years, but hearing the former band's guitarist Charlie Griffiths and the latter band's vocalist Tommy Rogers together is quite a treat where you get to hear a bit of BTBAM's signature deathly progressive metal sound.

The Human Abstract – Complex Terms (2011)

5/5. I just wish this band was still around. Their complex djent-ish neoclassical prog-metal sound rules, especially close to the one-minute mark then two minutes after.

Rivers of Nihil – Where Owls Know My Name (2018)

4.5/5. This one is a bleak yet amazing song from another band that I should've listened to more of. The lyrics are some of the best here, and what makes it beautiful yet slightly laughable is the jazzy saxophone solos, one of them as early as the two-minute mark. Quite a groovy headbanger this track is! It will make you float out or orbit into the astral plane. I think I can hear where some of the more technical aspects of Lorna Shore came from!

Leprous – Contaminate Me (2013)

4/5. Horns up for one of the heaviest Leprous songs, featuring Emperor's Ihsahn!

Here are my thoughts on some tracks:

Alien Weaponry – Titokowaru (2021)

5/5. The opening track of its original album and this playlist starts with some Maori warriors chanting while rowing their boat over stormy seas. Then the storm becomes pummeling as fast riff groove comes in. The verses have a simple melody that pushes along like when those warriors push their oars, as the seas have different layers. It also fits well for a gym workout. An excellent boat-rower!

Biohazard – These Eyes (Have Seen) (1996)

4.5/5. These ears haven't heard before an amazing blended of Pantera groove with rapping. Pretty cool, right?

Demon Hunter – Revolutions (2022)

4.5/5. Then enters this rebellious track, ranging in vocal variety, battling between the screaming empire and the soft-singing rebellion.

Imminence – Death by a Thousand Cuts (2023)

5/5. Another f***ing banger from this band I should listen to more of. G****mn, I look forward to their new album The Black!

Karnivool – Mauseum (2005)

5/5. The heaviness builds up again with this slower highlight that I found a few years before the rest of this band's material.

Katatonia – Lethean (2012)

4.5/5. One of the nicest songs from this band!

Sleep Token – The Offering (2019)

5/5. It's so incredible how perfectly the vocals, guitars, and drums can flow from anger to despair at ease. Discovering this band via their new album Take Me Back to Eden was a pleasant experience, and songs from their other albums like this one make me want more.

Spotlights – Crawling Toward the Light (2023)

4.5/5. Then we have the ominous experimentation again with this band, this time with a similar vibe to Madder Mortem.

Type O Negative – Anesthesia (2003)

4/5. RIP Peter Steele. This was what I enjoyed when I was still highly in the gothic metal zone. The bass and synths shine well here. Though I still prefer upbeat power of songs like "I Don't Wanna Be Me".

Ugly Kid Joe – Sweet Leaf/Funky Fresh Country Club (1991)

4.5/5. This playlist ends with two over 7-minute covers of classic heavy metal songs, the first of which doing the original Sabbath song justice despite adding more funk and the vocals of Whitfield Crane sounding a bit nasal.

Waltari – Infinite Dreams (2011)

5/5. And here's the other cover, perhaps the best Maiden cover I've heard! It's part of a special covers album to celebrate the band's 25 anniversary. The band really lets out their influences here, often sounding like Ozzy Osbourne/Black Sabbath and Metallica, while throwing in some... Johnny Cash-like country?!? And melodeath?!?! Now that's wild! Kärtsy Hatakka is a true genius.

Here are my thoughts on some tracks:

Animals as Leaders – Wave of Babies (from Wave of Babies)

4.5/5. Animals as Leaders is a prominent band in the wave of developing bands of djent alongside Periphery and Tesseract, and they made cool instrumentals like this one.

Extol – Shadow of Death (from Paralysis)

5/5. Extol's cover of this Believer classic is what got me into this band, and it's a total blessing! It's also a bonus track in the Japanese edition of Undeceived. Apparently, Cradle of Filth stole the song's opening riff for their own song "Dirge Inferno", though I didn't know that because I'm one of those people who prefer to listen to Extol rather than Cradle of Filth, although I'm not a Christian. I guess that proves that plagiarism has made its way into progressive death/thrash and gothic/black metal.

Madder Mortem – Convertion (from Mercury)

5/5. This eerie epic perfectly summarizes the desolate Autumn atmosphere of its original album and artwork. The distorted guitars, technical doomy drums, soft acoustic guitars, dreamy keyboards, and calm yet powerful vocals are all there. Truly hypnotic!

Periphery – Four Lights (from Juggernaut: Alpha)

4.5/5. "THERE. ARE. 4. LIGHTS!!!!" yells Captain Picard in "Chain of Command", a two-part special episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation. Amazing djent instrumental, though I would've loved to hear Spencer's vocals over those guitar rhythms. I love this almost as much as Zagreus.

Arjen Anthony Lucassen's Star One – The Eye of Ra (from Space Metal)

4.5/5. This ballad-ish 3-part epic breaks the earlier mid-tempo/fast pace and is so majestic, especially in the epic ending where all 4 vocalists plus background vocalist Robert Soeterboek sing in perfect harmony.

Tesseract – Cages - PORTALS (from PORTALS)

5/5. Holy sh*t, thank you Tesseract! They really give this song the perfect live treatment.

Fates Warning – Part of the Machine (from Perfect Symmetry)

4.5/5. Frank Aresti has performed mighty technical guitarwork here. The bass work by Joe DiBiase is also mind-blowing. If people could pay attention to notes more, this would've ended up on the radio at any given chance. The band also gave Dream Theater vocalist James LaBrie an earlier chance to shine in one of the songs from the next album Parallels, released a year before Dream Theater's Images and Words. At that point, their heavy metal from as late as Awaken the Guardian is already gone.

Caligula's Horse – The Stormchaser (from The Stormchaser)

4/5. A fun banger, but am I up to revisiting the band with the rest of their new album Charcoal Grace? Not right now...

Symphony X – Wicked (from The Odyssey)

4.5/5. An excellent wicked way to end this playlist, with great singing. I definitely like the bridge at the 3 and a half minute mark followed a minute later by a scream into the final chorus. And this is the same band with the neoclassical "Smoke and Mirrors"!

Here are my thoughts on some tracks:

Alter Bridge – Holiday (from Pawns & Kings)

5/5. Let's start this playlist with an awesome tune that's basically like a country song with an epic and metallic punch!

Bad Wolves – It's You (2 Months) [feat. KILLBOY] (from Die About It)

4.5/5. Now this one's interesting as h*ll! This song starts off with some trap-pop verses then rises into powerful metal choruses. Some bada** inspiration there!

BOI WHAT – Neon Tide (from Neon Tide)

4/5. Here's some more of this great music from Boi What and his AI voice filters of Plankton, Spongebob, and Karen, with guitars heating up like wildfire. Someone should make a Spongebob music video for this killer piece of Spongecore!

Calva Louise – Feast is Over (from Over the Threshold)

4.5/5. My brother is often on a search for music to feast his ears on, as well as my ears. This is another one of those songs he stumbled upon and added to his playlist. It basically like a pop tune gone as f***ing heavy as death/thrash metal! And I thought Maria Brink was the metal scream queen (she still is)...

Cane Hill – (The New) Jesus (from Smile)

5/5. Holy f***ing sh*t, now this is some fantastic nu metalcore! I need to keep up with discovering more awesome stuff like this.

Disbelief – Misery (from Worst Enemy)

4.5/5. This heavy track has a dynamic groove sound, especially in the chorus. The first verse will let you know what you're in for, "Hey you, place called earth! Let me explain to you who I am! I’m your worst nightmare!"

Disciple – By God (from By God)

4/5. "YEEEEEEEEEEEHAW!!!" That's the sound Christian cowboys getting ready for the ride of their lives to close the portals to Hell and praise God in this solid track.

Disturbed – Down With the Sickness (from The Sickness)

4/5. You know this as one of their most popular songs, starting with that killer opening riff and vocalist David Draiman's memed-to-death primal shriek of "OOH-WAH-AH-AH-AH". The song has been used in many films, TV shows, and video games. This is Disturbed's true anthem! My brother likes it too, but he skips its disturbing bridge which has Draiman roleplaying as a kid being attacked by his abusing mother and ultimately fighting back. I've heard more disturbing sh*t than that, so I can handle that just fine.

Limp Bizkit – Rollin' (Air Raid Vehicle) (from Chocolate Starfish and the Hot Dog Flavored Water)

4.5/5. Let's skip ahead a bit and start ROLLIN' ROLLIN' ROLLIN' ROLLIN'! My brother has been enjoying this band lately, though surprisingly he didn't start listening to them as early all those other bands he likes. The second verse is one of the best rap verses I've heard, much better lyrics than most other hip-hop lyrics out there.

Sleep Token – Ascensionism (from Take Me Back to Eden)

5/5. This one ascends through 7 minutes of sonic emotion. Melancholic piano and delicate vocals start things off before an atmospheric buildup. Then we switch to that electronic trap beat as Vessel takes on autotuned rap-ish singing that I would rather hear from him instead of T-Pain. Just listen to that personality! Things get tense as another verse builds, and finally, a heavy breakdown occurs, a little more touching piano, and then ground-pounding finale.

Sonic Syndicate – Leave Me Alone (from We Rule the Night)

5/5. PAIN's cover of this perfect epic song is what got me interested in Sonic Syndicate and loving them so much. This is one of my favorite Sonic Syndicate songs besides "Jack of Diamonds" which I'll talk about in the Revolution playlist. I'm definitely getting some Dead by April/Linkin Park vibes here, and that never disappoints me.

Sum 41 – Goddamn I'm Dead Again (from 13 Voices)

4.5/5. Desperate anger sears through this greatness. I saw the music video for this on MTV and it adds to the killer power of the song. My own scenario for this would be an epic battle between punks and metalheads in a mosh pit as the band performs, especially during a whole minute of Bullet for My Valentine gone DragonForce guitar soloing.

Twelve Foot Ninja – Over and Out (from Vengeance)

5/5. This jazzy standout, that might remind some of Faith No More, features Tatiana Shmayluk of Jinjer who's known as a beautiful beast of a vocalist in her band. Though her poppy cleans appear here rather than her unclean vocals. And I just wanna say thanks to Twelve Foot Ninja for blessing us with this music before their hiatus.

Utsu-P – HIKIZURI (from GALAPAGOS)

4.5/5. And here's an exciting piece of Vocaloid metal to end this playlist on a fun note!

This is a debut record of a very traditional progressive metal slab and takes a lot of its influence from giants like Dream Theater and more recently Haken. And Nospūn are really good at paying homage to their idols within progressive metal. The album is incredibly well performed, the song compositions/structures are given a lot of detail as to not make any of the tracks here (including the fifteen minute "Within the Realm of Possibility") feel extended for their own sake, and the production is top notch. I can hear each instrument with the utmost clarity, including the bass, and some of the tracks even have a decent melodic hook to anchor them down, including "The Death of Simpson" and "Back, Yet Forward".

But the record is marred by two major faults. The first is quite obvious: Nospūn do not really have much of an identity of their own at the moment. I am willing to be a little bit more forgiving in this regard since this is the bands debut album, and it's disingenuous of me to expect the band to rock the progressive metal world, in the same way that Black Sabbath did back in the 1970s. However, the other big issue has to do with this god awful synthesizer that persists throughout the entire record. When it isn't there, or not at the forefront of the track, Opus can sound really good, but "Dance With Me!" and "4D Printing" sound brutal as the keyboards rival even the most nasally pop-punk vocalists with their irritation.

It's a solid debut, but I hope that Nospūn will take notes for a follow-up and carve their own identity within the world of progressive metal. Otherwise, they are likely to flounder just like so many others before them.

3.5/5

A new month, a new year. Where does the time go? Let's make 2024 a great year and we'll start off the year with Slipknot's 2008 record, All Hope Is Gone. 

https://metal.academy/releases/5214

Here are my thoughts on some tracks:

Caligula’s Horse – The World Breathes with Me (2023)

4.5/5. The band led by the talented guitarist Sam Vallen and stunning vocalist Jim Grey are back, and HOLY SH*T, this song opens the playlist in amazing heights! The blend of heaviness and beauty is brought back into shape after Leprous lost it 10 years prior. No way will this ever disappoint!

Liquid Tension Experiment – Acid Rain (1999)

4/5. An untouchable piece from this instrumental band with bassist Tony Levin (NOT Walter White, despite who he looks like) and 3 of the guys from Dream Theater (John Petrucci, Mike Portnoy, and Jordan Rudess). After two wild progressive minutes, things slow down for some tribal percussion almost like it's from the George of the Jungle soundtrack. Then the keyboards rise for under a minute, then a cowbell is struck, in queue for Petrucci to play some sick riffing and soloing. Then over the 4-minute mark, things heat up, sounding similar to Riot's take on "Racing with the Devil on a Spanish Highway". And after all that, the last few seconds of guitar fiddling ends it smoothly.

Devin Townsend Project – Higher (2016)

4.5/5. Canadian metal mastermind Devin Townsend continues to bring his sound to higher places. The most glorious part of this epic is the last chorus that starts the final two minutes. An absolute tear-jerker!

Kayo Dot – The Manifold Curiosity (2003)

5/5. This one has so much to explore, as more instruments and vocal styles are added to the arsenal. 4 and a half minutes into the track, the soft ambience is broken by a melodic explosion with a huge variety of jazzy instruments that not a lot of metal bands can add without tainting their sound. From the 10-minute mark onwards, there's more intense chaos. How intense?! It's actually in the same level as Strapping Young Lad with Converge-like screaming rage, especially at the very end with a brief moment of grind-ish metalcore. A truly heavy and artsy epic!

Opeth – Blackwater Park (2021)

5/5. The epic title finale of this band's magnum opus continues the complex structure, adding in some of the later rhythm atmosphere. All I'm gonna note is how majestic the ending is, when the band unleash all their power before hitting the brakes in a bang.

The Contortionist – Return to Earth (2017)

4.5/5. Another amazing song to love and rock on to!

Gojira – The Art of Dying (2008)

4/5. Gojira's songs can be considered a heavy mix of Meshuggah and TOOL. The lyrics fit well with the title, as the philosophical lyrics, especially the first verse, detail the pain and depression of real-life and the peace and tranquility of the afterlife, relating well to our hardships of life. So it's not always the environment this French progressive metal bands always sings about. Beautiful rhythm appears from the 6-minute mark onwards, for their typical dose of progressive melody.

Leprous – Mediocrity Wins (2012)

3.5/5. The vocals by Einar Solberg are so unique, fitting well for the Opeth gone TOOL vibe. And the tasty bass that starts over the one-minute mark is also pretty good. Other than that, the song is a little too strange, and doesn't really reach its necessary height. In a battle for good quality, mediocrity wins...

Here are my thoughts on some tracks:

Beartooth – I Was Alive (2023)

4.5/5. Let's start this playlist with another excellent song from the brand-new Beartooth album The Surface. My brother likes this one because of how therapeutic and relatable is for him. This has a bit of the softer country rock of "The Better Me" while having the self-motivational lyrical theme of "Riptide" and "Might Love Myself".

Bullet for My Valentine – Riot (2013)

5/5. Then the anger and fast pace shoots through your head again in this song in which its music video made me eventually interested in BFMV. It has the sharp heavy potential from earlier on its original album. I love that song so much!

Death Angel – Stagnant (1990)

4.5/5. Although Death Angel is known as another popular band in the Bay Area thrash metal scene, there are some songs that stagnate from their usual hardcore thrash, such as this one that is more of an alt-metal track with a bit of funky ska in the verses. That may seem like just a joke for those who aren't open-minded, but it shows how well they can think through their diversity. F***ing h*ll, this might actually be a good song to play in some places like restaurants. One other band that could really make a progressive blend of a funk metal and thrash at that time is Mordred. All the instruments have the right to unite!

Ed Sheeran, Bring Me the Horizon – Bad Habits (2022)

5/5. Bring Me the Horizon collaborated with Ed Sheeran for an alt-metal re-recording of his hit "Bad Habits", and what a masterpiece! This definitely deserves some radio airplay. Rock/metal bands can often make pop stars and their songs better.

Filter – Where Do We Go From Here (2002)

4.5/5. A lot of people might know this band for their earlier single "Hey Man Nice Shot", but their later singles from 20 years before today may spawn some bittersweet memories for longtime fans. It's strange that while people started listening to Filter and other alt-metal bands in their high school years, I was listening to power metal during my own teen years before my full interest in metalcore/alt-metal. The song title is a good question to wonder about our future of uncertainty.

Five Finger Death Punch – My Heart Lied (2013)

4/5. It was actually this band that I was more familiar with than Filter, thanks to my brother. I can't forget its freshness for when I first heard it 10 years ago.

Limp Bizkit – Break Stuff (2001)

3.5/5. I requested the original version from Significant Other, but I guess the remix is fine. The original song is an angry anthem that really shows how rap metal should be done. This song, and the rest of the album, inspired by Durst ending a longtime relationship with a girlfriend, showing him taking his aggression out on his ex, "I pack a chainsaw, I'll skin your a** raw". A couple more things about that song: 1. It's notorious for being the cause of a violent revolution in Woodstock 1999 when Durst encouraged the crowd to not mellow out, which is "what Alanis Morissette had you motherf***ers do", and even telling them not to let anyone get hurt only caused them to get hurt in the chaos. 2. The song is my brother's new ringtone.

Living Colour – Bi (1993)

4/5. Another cool mainstream song from the band behind the "Cult of Personality" hit. Despite not getting enough attention or longevity in their career, great songs like this shouldn't 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 the more, well, different 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...

Megan Thee Stallion, Spiritbox – Cobra (Rock Remix) (2023)

4.5/5. Another metal band remix of a pop hit! Excellent, though I prefer the "Bad Habits" re-recording slightly more.

Northlane – Bloodline (2019)

5/5. Absolutely awesome lyrics and production here! So atmospheric while dark and heavy. Fantastic prog-ish alt-metalcore!

Roadrunner United – The End (2005)

4.5/5. This one features Trivium's Matt Heafy's clean singing in a wonderful hard rock/alt-metal power ballad. An incredible experiment by Dino Cazares (Fear Factory) and Heafy that has paid off! And I'm glad that one received a single and video, the only one from the entire Roadrunner United album to have those.

While She Sleeps – Self Hell (2023)

5/5. F*** yeah! While She Sleeps is coming back with their new album, and the killer final riff and scream ends this playlist in a bang.

This nomination has been posted in the Hall of Judgement.

https://metal.academy/hall/450

Here are my thoughts on some tracks:

Madder Mortem – Towers (2023)

5/5. OMG YES!!! This is another perfect playlist opener, this one having opened my ears to an awesome song from an underrated band that has been active for 3 decades yet hidden from my young view. A beautifully powerful sneak peek for their next album! This track has not disappointed me one bit. The frontwoman has a lot of talent within her vocals. I should put this song high up in my best songs of 2023 list. You can almost consider this band a metal resurrection of Siouxsie and the Banshees.

Anacrusis – Sound the Alarm (1993)

5/5. The lower sorrow of Kenn Nardi's cleans can already be found in the dramatic riff-wrath. The pessimistic darkness would continue in later songs from that album, while the mid-paced riffing stays sharp and keeps the bleakness interesting.

Nospün - …And Then There Were None (2023)

4.5/5. And then there's some melodic progressive metal that sounds amazing, but I would've loved this to bits if that side of my progressive metal interest was still dominant.

Opeth – Hex Omega (2008)

4/5. I love it when, 40 seconds in, the music halts until 40 more seconds later when the vocals rise magnificently. Ghost Reveries and Watershed are the band's two last metal albums before the prog-rock sound of Heritage onwards.

Charlie Griffiths – Dead in the Water (2022)

4.5/5. Some more superb melodic progressive metal, but again I've moved on to the more extreme side of the genre.

Periphery – Dying Star (2023)

5/5. This one has a more uplifting vibe, but the band returns to the impressive intricate heaviness. They can really add warm calm color to an ultra-heavy subgenre like djent.

Wilderun – And So Open the Earth (Ash Memory Part I) (2015)

4.5/5. Although my interest in Opeth has mostly faded out, I still have to thank that band for boosting my love for extreme vocals in progressive metal. With that and the folk/symphonic power metal vibes, this Wilderun track has so much color.

Star One – Human See, Human Do (2010)

4.5/5. "Get your stinkin' paws off me, you d*mn dirty ape!" Star One was one of my favorite progressive metal supergroups when I was younger, and I discovered them earlier than Opeth, like 5 years earlier. Still even back then, I enjoy Dan Swano's growling bridge of "SEE NO EVIL! HEAR NO EVIL! SPEAK NO EVIL! DO NO EVIL!"

Intronaut – Above (2010)

5/5. Another blessing from the heavens above, an underrated post-progressive metal band!

Tool – The Pot (2006)

4.5/5. This one shows the bass rhythm being less snappy, instead synchronizing with the beat in a groove-powered breakdown perfect for some live moshing. Maybe that Plankton AI cover would level up the mosh pit even more. Yeah, that version is what my brother was listening to that made me interested in checking out its original album.

Plini – Still Life (Feat. Tosin Abasi) (2023)

5/5. New Plini single, featuring Animals as Leaders guitarist Tosin Abasi?!?! An absolute djent dream! And who knew you can make a lute sound djent?!

TesseracT – Of Reality – Eclipse (2013)

5/5. Altered State is one of my favorite djent albums, and one any modern metal fan should have in their lifetime! Through the last third of this part, the filthy drumming adds to the serene ambience for beautiful heights. But I gotta get out of here before that peak drops....

Here are my thoughts on some tracks:

Alien Weaponry – Whisper (2018)

5/5. Now here's a perfect start for this playlist, a greatly significant song in both the production and defending their culture, with mighty powerful melodies inspired by Stone Sour, specifically Corey Taylor.

Beartooth – The Better Me (2023)

4.5/5. Let's rock out to the catchy energy this band has with country rock musician Hardy to give you more motivation and mental health.

Code Orange – Take Shape (2023)

5/5. A true Gateway anthem, this accessible yet total rocker is a killer single. The one and only Billy Corgan of Smashing Pumpkins performs his signature nasal singing over an ominous bridge, though the dark melody and harsh rhythm of the chorus really hits the spot for me. Hard yet smart writing!

Coldrain – 24-7 (2009)

2.5/5. This one falls into a two-faced emo-rock trap, and that's my cue to skip over to slightly later in the playlist...

Five Finger Death Punch – Burn MF (2013)

3/5. The playlist quality starts to slowly climb back up. I could probably scream along to this if not for these explicitly aggressive lyrics. For that reason, my parents couldn't let my brother let me hear this at the time when this album came out 10 years ago when back then I was 14 and he was 16.

From Ashes to New – My Fight (2013)

3.5/5. Same with this one... Hypothetically. My brother didn't discover this until quite recently, and despite the rapping overdose, it's quite catchy. "Get up, get up, get up...!"

Godsmack – I Stand Alone (2003)

4/5. Now this is a different moderate standout in this playlist, and this single was featured in The Scorpion King and the show I've been binge-watching. An absolutely killer song for battle!

Karnivool – C.O.T.E. (2005)

4.5/5. This atmospheric track packs some polished punches with riff crunch and frontman Ian Kenny's subdued vocals. Ethereal melodic streams flow with edgy guitar. The band is mature enough to handle the tight production and go complex without having to go high in speed.

Katatonia – Sold Heart (2010)

4/5. The sadness in Jonas Renkse's voice is so convincing and admirable. Samurai Jack-like vibes much?

Lacuna Coil – Survive (2009)

4.5/5. Some more darkness to love, this time more energetic. I probably would've loved this more long ago though, especially when I don't recognize a bit of the lyrical quality.

Living Colour – Type (1990)

4/5. Funk metal is never really my type, though this song has kick-A iconic potential.

Machinae Supremacy – Phantom Battle (2014)

4.5/5. Now here's a battle-ready 8-bit-infused alt-/power metal banger. The guitar in the intro and chorus execute epic shredding!

Slipknot – Custer (2014)

4/5. This reckless track has a bit of spoken word before his scathing ranting over crushing speed as he chants, "CUT CUT CUT ME UP AND F*** F*** F*** ME UP!" When my brother was listening to the song this year when the song became a TikTok staple, that was my indirect invitation to listen to the album that included that thrashy highlight.

Spiritbox – Ultraviolet (2023)

4.5/5. To conclude this partial playlist speed-run, I'd like to thank not just Saxy for making the playlist, but also Spiritbox for being the heroes/heroine of modern metal. Beautiful emotional songs like this might just make history this decade.

Here are my thoughts on some tracks:

Between the Buried and Me – Ants of the Sky (Live) (2008)

5/5. This 13-minute epic to start off this playlist that I still love from this band has wonderful aspects of blues groove and organ, with some hard rock/thrash added in, as the soloing ranges from jazz to Queen-esque to country. Soon it leads to an epic slow bridge that then quiets down for a bit of clean soloing. And then another country-like moment, this time with banjo-like guitars and a background bar fight (WHAT?!), before ending with an uplifting neoclassical outro similar to Pachelbel's Canon.

Opeth – Forest of October (1995)

5/5. Another 13-minute epic that I still love to bits, having melodies of beauty and sorrow from one of the band's most memorable earlier compositions. The song is quite d*mn long, but what makes those long epics superb is, there are some different emotions in different sections, all ranging from aggressive brutality to acoustic melancholy. One of my favorite Opeth songs, though still behind "The Drapery Falls"!

Disillusion – Back to Times of Splendor (2004)

4.5/5. I haven't heard anything from Disillusion in over a year when my prog-metal interest was at fault, but now that I'm reviving it slowly, this is yet another 13+ minute epic to strike my heart. It's crazy how emotional and powerful this composition, so much so that it should've been more popular. I'm glad I discovered this amazing sh*t 3 years ago via a recommendation, and I enjoy the lyrics here like "morning sun beyond the clouds". Think of this wonderful deathly progressive metal piece like Ne Obliviscaris collaborating with Amon Amarth. I mean, Ne Obliviscaris didn't fully start yet back in 2004, but still. This kind of music with tons of melody deserves more attention. At least the band is still around and producing music, even after a 13-year break at the same time as that of Tool. Near the 5 and a half minute mark is an Opeth like-section. The softer section two minutes later also rules. Things get more emotional at the 11-minute point. And two minutes later is the best ending. All in true deathly progressive metal!

Edge of Sanity – Crimson Pt. 3 (1996)

4/5. This track is actually part of a 40-minute progressive melodeath album/epic (almost as long as the first 3 epics of this playlist altogether!), but the digital edition of the album uses the slightly shortened version from the When All is Said compilation and splits it up to different parts, not caring about the movements within the lyrics. I think this is the ending of the "With Broken Wings" segment followed by most of the "War" segment (Yes, I still remember the names of the segments that I've made up). I would probably have much a better revisiting experience with this album/epic in its full form.

Haken – Elephants Never Forget (2023)

3.5/5. This epic was already in last April's playlist, but I don't mind sharing my thoughts on it again. The starting move into a more prog-rock-ish style is a bit forgettable, but still worth enjoying. After a one-minute intro, the band's Gentle Giant influence kicks in, especially in Ross Jennings' vocals. That goes on for a minute until Haken's own classic sound enters, further taken another minute later into their typical chorus. Yet another minute later, it ends sounding closer to a bit of the industrial rock of Nine Inch Nails. At the 7-minute mark is an insane bridge to make up for the earlier drag. This is then followed a minute after by the progressive metal glory that I wish there could be more of without sounding too melodic.

Caligula’s Horse – Autumn (2020)

4/5. A melodic half-acoustic half-electric ballad, slightly better than that Haken track.

Mastodon – Gobblers of Dregs (2021)

4.5/5. "All that I needed from you was your warm embrace. Turns out, that was mine to give." Tear-shedding emotional beauty!

Caligula’s Horse – Marigold (2023)

4/5. Whoa, hold the phone... Two Caligula's Horse songs here?!? Ain't that a break from the one song per band playlist rule! I suppose I can try making an exception in one of my own playlists later. Anyway, this has lots of Opeth vibes mixed with the clean vocals of Leprous.

Monosphere – Method Acting (2023)

4.5/5. Some killer progressive metalcore here! Anyway...

Ne Obliviscaris – Painters of the Tempest – Part II (Triptych Lux) (2014)

5/5. The chaos is unleashed with part 2 of "Painters of the Tempest". Even though the entire suite is 23 minutes long, this part would still be Ne Obliviscaris' longest song at 16 and a half minutes, and the longest epic of this playlist! This is perhaps my favorite Ne Obliviscaris song even though it's NOT in Portal of I. There are so many brilliant ideas! This part is actually is split into 3 smaller movements. The first movement, "Creator" has a couple transitions between fast storms and soft melodies. Then the second movement "Cynosure" is more acoustic/violin oriented, unlike the overpowering guitars in the other two movements. The avant-garde jazz themes are more apparent with only clean vocals and mid-tempo melodic grooves, until it builds back up to a crescendo of metal and growls. The last movement "Curator" is back to some of the most intense powerful chaos of the album until a nice ethereal ending.

Rivers of Nihil – Hellbirds (2023)

4.5/5. Let's end this playlist with a new single by Rivers of Nihil, their second one with bassist Adam Biggs on lead vocals. The vocals are incredible in both Adam Biggs' death growls and guitarist Andy Thomas' melodic singing. The drumming, soloing, and breakdown are all so intense! And this band has been up in prog/tech-death game since their formation in 2009.

Here are my thoughts on some tracks:

Pyrogenesis – Survival of the Fittest (2020)

4/5. Killer start to this playlist! Not the best, but I'll survive.

36 Crazyfists – Better to Burn (2017)

4.5/5. Now this is a better song to love! Still can't believe this band ended up calling it quits.

Sleep Token – The Summoning (2023)

5/5. Then I get to hear this awesome track with heavier breakdowns leading to a soulful bass/vocals ending. The song is highly popular on Spotify, and I can understand why.

Alien Weaponry – Kai Tangata (2018)

5/5. This highlight continues the heavy aggression while having another shining melodic chorus. I love it!

Alter Bridge – Fortress (2013)

5/5. This 7 and a half minute epic is the perfect ending to the hour-long tale of its original album. The textures and time changes are produced perfectly in experimental glory.

Any Given Day – Wind of Change (2022)

4.5/5. As time goes by, a f***ing boring rock ballad ends up getting the amazing metal cover treatment. Any Given Day's cover is a real tear-jerker, and it's a pleasant break from the band's Soilwork-infused melodic metalcore.

Celldweller – Switchback (2003)

5/5. A classic released 20 years ago and still sounds fresh! The more material I find from Celldweller, the less likely I'm able to SWITCHBACK.

In This Moment – In The Air Tonight (2017)

4.5/5. Another impressive remake of an earlier hit. This is the probably best cover I've heard of this Phil Collins single. Cinematic beauty and drama ends up taken to higher levels. Hearing this cover again on the day after Halloween (as of commenting) is a f***ing phenomenal experience. The whole "cover sounding better than the original thing" strikes again! My only complaint is how muffled the drumming sounds, even during the beat-drop leading to the final chorus. Nonetheless, Maria Brink and co. nailed it!

Spiritibox – Cellar Door (2023)

4/5. Pretty sick! Enough said.

Evanescence – Far From Heaven (2021)

3.5/5. The beginning is like Within Temptation gone Tears for Fears, with the piano and soft operatic singing. But the rest of the ballad isn't that strong. I'll head out now....

While Narrow Head don't really reinvent in any meaningful way on Moments of Clarity, I cannot deny that I still quite enjoy the newest output. Something about it major harmonies and more jolly melodic songwriting is a welcome change of pace when I've been trapped in an extreme metal deep dive, or the forgettable quagmire of modern metalcore. Even in comparison to Deftones, the bands most obvious influence, they do not continue in a loathsome, haze infused way, unlike a band such as Loathe or early Teenage Wrist.

I did enjoy this; it was a rather pleasant change of pace, which makes it stand out amongst its more metal contemporaries. Having allowed this record to sit with me for a little while however, I do feel like my initial reaction was swayed by novelty. The record does meander a bit too much and it can turn into a slog if you listen to the whole thing. But with this being post-metal/shoegaze, I don't think it's the biggest deal breaker.

3.5/5

The dog days of summer might be behind us, but that doesn't mean we should leave the crappy animal puns behind as well. I present to you for the Infinite featured release for the month... OK Goodnight, a Boston based progressive band who very much surprised me a couple years ago with their debut and followed it up with a very smooth and enjoyable concept album, The Fox and the Bird. We would love to know what you all think of this record as well!

https://metal.academy/releases/45287

September REVIEW DRAFT (The Infinite)

I've found a new batch of records to try out and anyone who wants to help me clear out this batch is more than welcome. I'll select first, followed by Rexorcist, Xephyr and then possible Andi.

1.El Altar del Holocausto - - I T - (2019)

2.Fractal Universe - Rhizomes of Insanity (2019)

3. Ocrilim - Anoint (2006)

4. Oxiplegatz - Sidereal Journey (1998)

5. Sun Caged - The Lotus Effect (2011)

This might be the best review draft yet considering I haven't heard a single one of these names before! My selection will be... Sidereal Journey by Oxiplegatz.

Rex, you're up!

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/7aY7WjCGySb3Lb4x79Dk5T?si=33cd8830699e488e

1. Jane’s Addiction – Mountain Song

2. Northlane -Freefall

3. Asking Alexandria – Bad Blood

4. Sevendust – Won’t Stop the Bleeding

5. System of a Down – P.L.U.C.K.

6. Beartooth- Might Lose Myself

7. End of Green – Dark Side of the Sun

8. Celldweller – Own Little World

9. Smallman – A Drop

10. Grim Salvo – Feasting.On.The.Guts.Of.Angels

11. Disturbed – The Best Ones Lie

12. Alice in Chains – Stone

13. Five Finger Death Punch – Coming Down

14. Fleshwater – The Razor’s Apple

15. Infected Rain – Everlasting Lethargy

16. In This Moment – The Great Divide

17. The Clay People – Awake

18. Lacuna Coil – Aeon XX

19. New Years Day – Relentless

20. Clawfinger – Out to Get Me

21. Alexisonfire – Reverse the Curse

22. BABYMETAL – Monochrome

23. Life Of Agony – My Mind Is Dangerous

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/1yFgscg5HWKGoIy2s0xRfG?si=593a6644166340b1

1. Whitechapel – Single File to Dehumanization (2010)

2. Botch – Frequency Ass Bandit (1999)

3. The Dillinger Escape Plan – Symptom of Terminal Illness (2016)

4. Any Given Day – Endurance (2016)

5. Typecaste – Traverse (2020)

6. As I Lay Dying – Blinded (2019)

7. Fit For A King – Hollow King (Sound of the End) (2013)

8. Electric Callboy – Best Day (2015)

9. The World Is Quiet Here – Ossuary (2023)

10. blessthefall – The Reign (2011)

11. Emmure – A Gift A Curse (2014)

12. iwresledabearonce – Green Eyes (2015)

13. Northlane – Corruption (2011)

14. MYCHILDREN MYBRIDE – Headshot! (2008)

15. The World Alive – Your Mirage (2014)

16. Animations – My Private Ghetto (2013)

17. The Eyes Of A Traitor – The Birth (2010)

18. Unbroken – Zero Hour (1993)

19. A Black Rose Burial – A Baleful Aura in the Graveyard of Broken Gears (2020)

20. ERRA – Vanish Canvas (2021)

21. The Agonist – Blood as My Guide (2019)

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2Wtb5QsNObO9w62f7ThQNF?si=fa859b301cb24c02

1. Vildhjarta – + den spanska känslan + (2023)

2. Nuclear Power Trio – Anti-Saxxers (Mandatory Saxination) (2023)

3. The Advent Equation – A Sudden Perception (2023)

4. Ashbreather – Hivemind III (2022)

5. Psychonaut – Violate Consensus Reality (2022)

6. Ostraca – Heaven is Still (2023)

7. Dodheimsgard – Det tome kalde morke (2023)

8. Evergrey – Closure (2006)

9. Pestilence – Soul Search (1993)

10. Sikth – Cracks of Light (2017)

11. The Ocean – Permian: The Great Dying (2018)

12. Pain of Salvation – A Trace of Blood (2002)

13. TesseracT – The Grey (2023)

14. You Win Again Gravity – Paper Bodies (2023)

15. Aviations – Pure (2023)

16. The Anchoret – A Dead Man (2023)

17. Lucid Awakening – Aphelion (2021)

18. An Abstract Illusion – Slaves (2022)

19. Mastodon – Gigantium (2021)

20. Intronaut – Fast Worms (2015)

21. Haken ft. Courtney Swain – Canary Yellow (2023)

22. maudlin of the Well – Interlude 3 (2001)

23. Erra – Pale Iris (2023)

24. Cyborg Octopus – Old Stories (2022)

25. Vola – Paper Wolf (2023)  

I finally got around to listening to this album and it was interesting to hear where Northlane came from before they went full into alternative metal. The metalcore roots are still on display with Alien but they do not take as much from everywhere, which was commonplace in earlier Northlane records and other metalcore albums in general. Alien is far heavier than its later project, but the vocal stylings are more diverse and interesting thanks in part to a greater emphasis on harsh vocals and djent-y breakdowns. The album sure is mixed well and has more than enough solid moments to keep it above average, but knowing what we do now, its clear to see how transitory Alien was. As a result, some of the experimentation (especially on tracks like "Rift") don't hit at all and pull the album down as a result. Still, its a fine release and a clever one by a band who knew what they want to do and have carried on with refinement, much to the dismay of older Northlane/metalcore fans.

7/10

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/1yFgscg5HWKGoIy2s0xRfG?si=fd6e82740749446f

1. All That Remains – Not Alone

2. Amaranthe – Countdown

3. Suicide Silence – Witness the Addiction

4. Electric Callboy – Everytime We Touch

5. Emmure – Looking A Gift Horse In The Mouth

6. Iris Official – I’m the Animal

7. Killswitch Engage – The Signal Fire

8. Trivium – Brave This Storm

9. All Shall Perish – Awaken the Dreamers

10. Whitechapel – When a Demon Defiles a Witch

11. As I Lay Dying – Parallels

12. Fit For A King – Anthem of the Defeated

13. Adept – Shark! Shark! Shark!

14. To The Grave – Red Dot Sight

15. Fit For An Autopsy – Iron Moon

16. Imminence – Jaded

17. Unearth – Mother Betrayal

18. Like Moth To Flame – Real Talk

19. Hatebreed – Weight of the False Self

20. Within Destruction – Plage of Immortality (feat. Dean Lamb)

21. After The Burial – To Carry You Away

22. Sea Of Treachery – Unleash The Serpents

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2Wtb5QsNObO9w62f7ThQNF?si=782f80a056a6454d

1. Arcturus – La masquerade infernale

2. Dødheimsgard – It Does Not Follow

3. Evergrey – Recreation Day

4. Sólstafir – Svatir Sandar

5. The Ocean – Subboreal

6. Rosetta – In & Yo / Dualities of the Way

7. While Heaven Wept – Icarus and I / Ardor

8. Symphony X – Pharoh

9. Between The Buried And Me – Voice Of Trespass

10. Dawn of Destiny – My Life Lies in Ruins

11. Holy Fawn – Drag Me into the Woods

12. Scar Symmetry – Reichsfall

13. Soen – Lucidity

14. Disperse – Message from Atlantis

15. Ebony Ark – True Friendship Never Die

16. Amogh Symphony – Decoded Karnosiris

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/7aY7WjCGySb3Lb4x79Dk5T?si=5d4a7deaa4e64ce3

1. Asking Alexandria – Psycho

2. Breaking Benjamin – Never Again

3. Five Finger Death Punch – Mama Said Knock You Out

4. I Prevail – Paranoid

5. In This Moment – Rise With Me

6. Lacuna Coil – Never Dawn

7. Parkway Drive – Wishing Wells

8. POYNTE – In My Head

9. Rage Against The Machine – Down Rodeo

10. Dope – Dirty World

11. Sleep Token – Chokehold

12. Yakui The Maid – Nereid

13. Mudvayne – World so Cold

14. God Lives Underwater - No More Love

15. BABYMETAL – Onedari Daisakusen

16. TOOL – The Pot

17. Giraffe Tongue Orchestra – Back to the Light

18. Naïve – Mother Russia

19. Destiny Potato – Take a Picture

20. For The Fallen Dreams – No Heaven

21. Chevelle – Vitamin R (Leading Us Along)

Saxy, you've done an amazing job with this playlist! So much so that I have the incentive to comment on all the tracks in it. So here are all my thoughts:

VOLA – Alien Shivers (2018)

4.5/5. Now let's start with a killer discovery! Getting me pumped from beginning to end.

Scar Symmetry – Chrononautilus (2023)

4/5. I'm absolutely stunned by the strength the band has maintained after their long hiatus, in the singles that lead up to the long-awaited second part of The Singularity saga. Lars Palmqvist ascends like a neohuman angel with his enigmatic clean singing, in contrast to the demonic growls of Roberth Karlsson. Excellent!

Azusa – Iniquitous Spiritual Praxis (2018)

4.5/5. This awesome track frantically switches through different tempos and time signatures, all from different corners, in just under 4 minutes, unlike those other extreme progressive metal bands that make long epics.

Queensryche – The Mission (1988)

4/5. Now we head back to the 80s for what was considered a total gamechanger in that decade. Back when I still found this melodic heavy/progressive metal sound appealing, I thought this album was an epic mind-blowing masterpiece. But now I'm more focused on the modern heaviness of the bands from the first 3 tracks of the playlist. Still I appreciate Chris DeGarmo's might guitar work. The vocals make the song great too, and I can hear where the vocal work of Rhapsody of Fire came from.

Oceill – Course Bottom (2023)

4.5/5. A cool melodic instrumental arrangement for a heavy rhythm-focused subgenre like djent.

Burst – I Hold Vertigo (2008)

5/5. This one begins with some steady chugging rhythm that would soon lead to a roller-coaster of unexpected twists with no time to prepare. After that typical metalcore riff, monstrous melodies and electronic sound-waves start building up. My own complaint about the song is the 30-second outro riff that keeps starting and stopping after the rest of the instrumentation stopped. That's just piercingly repetitive and annoying, but doesn't affect the rest of the song's perfection. So I give it a 95% percentage rating.

DVNE – Court of the Matriarch (2021)

4.5/5. Some more solid djenty progressive metal, with the singing reminding me of Evergrey's Tom S. Englund.

Evergrey – I’m Sorry (2003)

4/5. Speaking of Evergrey... The destructive truth and reality is often something we feel f***ing sorry for and want to avoid, and Evergrey lets out those kinds of thoughts with such a beautiful song in the vocals, guitars, and drums. This is actually a cover of a song by Turkish-Swedish pop star Dilba Demirbag. Evergrey's earlier ballads have some good gold. Apologetic lyrics are sung in sheer beauty. But still I don't know if I'm up to making a full return to listening to this band's material.

Slugdge – Crop Killer (2018)

4.5/5. Now does this song title reminds you a certain controversial Body Count single? Of course, the sound is much different, being sludgy progressive death metal.

The Ocean – Unconformities (2023)

5/5. If Cult of Luna can make a collaboration album with Julie Christmas, I don't see why The Ocean can't do the same with Karin Park as they've done in this incredible song. The new Holocene album is quite epic, and I look forward to reviewing it when it appears in this site. The album is a sequel to the Phanerozoic duo of albums while throwing back to the sound of Heliocentric. As part of the Holocene theme, the track seems to center around sea turtles using the moon to guide them but avoid artificial light than can get them lost and die lonely. Probably my second favorite track there, though I'll tell what my ultimate favorite is in the review.

An Abstract Illusion – In The Heavens Above, You Will Become a Monster (2022)

4.5/5. A crushing extreme progressive death metal epic! As amazing as the first half is, the 6-minute mark starts one of the most emotional parts of a lengthy epic I've heard, all leading to a beautiful riff to start the second half and be used throughout that half. So exceptional! There's barely anything that can go wrong. The awesome riff starts near the 9-minute mark, and at one point sounds a bit like Devin Townsend Project. Then over the 12-minute point is where you can hear the climax of agony-ridden vocals. The atmosphere can remind some of Ghost Brigade. This is quite exciting, a nearly perfect masterpiece of a song! I don't know how else I can describe all that intense heaviness. Oh, and there are some female vocals too, can't forget that.

In The Woods… - The Cave of Dreams (2016)

5/5. A perfect dreamy doom-ish progressive metal standout!

öOoOoOoOoOo – No Guts = No Masters (2016)

4.5/5. As weirdly intriguing as this music is, the band name sounds like a ghost moaning. It's as experimental as Unexpect! If Heaven has room for something strange, it is this. It might fit well as soundtrack for Berserk. This is quite a creation of pure magic. Solid avant-garde/progressive metal right there!

Arjen Lucassen’s Supersonic Revolution – Odyssey (2023)

4.5/5. The mastermind behind Ayreon is back at it again for the music equivalent to a spacey journey throughout the universe. The song blends together Arjen's usual spacey vibe, the comedic vibe of Tenacious D, and the groove vibe of JC's vocals. The space-prog metal sound also has some touches of Deep Purple and Rainbow, all while worth headbanging in a cosmic sea. In fact, I might just say that this might surpass some of Ayreon and Star One's material!

Ne Obliviscaris – Misericorde II – Anatomy of Quiescence (2023)

5/5. The second half of the "Misericorde" suite is a mournful classic track, sounding beautiful while staying unpredictable. There are barely any vocals there, and that kinda makes things sound longer than should be. Still all this exceptional chemistry is what makes that part stand out.

Animals As Leaders – Arithmophobia (2016)

4.5/5. I had a trip to IKEA earlier today as of writing this post, and this track's technicality fits well for when I was assembling a table and a bookcase that we've bought. Throughout this instrumental djent ride, the beat and time signatures vary in each and every instrument, all played in mathy progressive fire!

Kardashev – Snow-Sleep (2020)

4/5. It's quite exciting hearing some more extreme progressive death metal, especially in the drumming.

Avenged Sevenfold – We Love You (2023)

4.5/5. Let's end this playlist with a solid track from the new Avenged Sevenfold album. People might think this is just experimental garbage with sudden tempo breaks, but you'll get used to it and love it. This is almost like Dream Theater, Rammstein, Trivium, and Lamb of God all formed into one. Quite a pleasant surprise! The lyrics are quite amazing here. If they ever get to submit another song to a video game, they should let Devil May Cry use this song of intricate fire for a boss fight. Anyone who thinks this band is f***ing selling out as they had in Hail to the King has been proven wrong. This kind of art can decimate those harsh opinions! Though the synths are kinda weird.

Here are my thoughts on some tracks:

Wheel – Tyrant (2019)

4/5. A great start for this playlist! That's the kind of breathtaking music to appreciate with audible bass. However, I find the lyrics to be a little too obvious. And while I do love the music, it's a bit too much like TOOL. Though there is a bit of a Soen vibe in the ambient midsection. Also the excellent vocals sound like the smoother side of Linkin Park's Chester Bennington (RIP).

Breaking Benjamin – Red Cold River (2018)

4.5/5. This song is a true example of Breaking Benjamin's heavier potential. My brother has been a fan of this band since the beginning of his rock/metal interest over a decade ago, and he and I still find amazing songs from this band throughout all those years.

Coldrain – Bloody Power Fame (2022)

5/5. Now this is a thought-evoking anthem throwing back to their earlier alt-metal/post-hardcore roots of 10 years ago. It's certainly addictive with the tight guitar shredding and powerful clean choruses. No wonder it became another anime theme!

Evanescence – Haunted (2003)

3.5/5. One of my brother's favorite Evanescence songs, though it's quite strange, telling a horror story about a spirit trapping a girl in a haunted mansion for a decade.

Five Finger Death Punch – If I Fall (2011)

4/5. This one continues the heavy madness that would impress fellow bands of the NWOAHM such as Trivium.

I Prevail – Bow Down (2019)

4.5/5. A great song from one of my brother's recent favorite bands! "GET ON YOUR KNEES AND BOW DOWN!!!"

My Ruin – Silverlake (2008)

4/5. The sludgy alt-metal instrumentation is quite killer, but the rapping ruins it a bit.

Lacuna Coil – Sword of Anger (2019)

4.5/5. A great sensation of gothic alt-metal from the masters of that sound! Like holy sh*t, you can hear the vocal anger of Andrea Ferro alongside the beautiful voice of Cristina Scabbia. The amazing music comes out as almost a cross between Madness-era All That Remains, HIM, and We are the Fallen. Probably one of the best songs I've heard from this band! They've taken their heaviness and done it justice like true modern metal warriors.

Escape the Fate – Gorgeous Nightmare (2010)

2.5/5. This song I've heard from a music video I've watched 10 years ago. It sounded great back then, but now? Nope, it's just too d*mn repetitive. This attempt at a catchy chorus is annoying with plain-sounding instrumentation. I feel like skipping that track and erasing all memories of it from my mind.

New Years Day – Relentless (2015)

3/5. Although I support my brother's like for this band, Ash Costello's vocals sound a bit too whiny and emo there. Sorry, miss...

Parkway Drive – Shadow Boxing (2018)

3.5/5. This one introduces something different to the band; clean vocals and piano! It's a dark epic song, despite the strange rapping vocals throwing me off.

Ektomorf – Ten Plagues (2014)

4/5. Great track to end the playlist, despite sounding too much like mid-90s Sepultura.

Before I make the thread for my June feature releases and playlists, I'd like to share my thoughts about this feature release that I skipped but have not caught up. Here's my review summary:

The late Wayne Static, along with bassist Tony Campos, guitarist Koichi Fukuka, and drummer Ken Jay have made pretty good industrial/nu metal straight outta California. What's interesting is the album title, coming from the 1973 Michael Lesy book. The programmed drumming shows the band's noise-powered industrial metal tendencies, while being easily performed with actual drums. Static's vocal range is impressive, ranging from shouts to cleans without difficulty. The atmospheric synths and heavy riffing are also essential to the album's sound. In the end, we get to have a nice lookback at the first work of the band Wayne Static is mostly known for. RIP Wayne....

4/5

I came into this record with no knowledge of Klone as a band either. I had just finished listening to the new Katatonia record Sky Void of Stars from earlier in the year and found it rather disappointing overall. Meanwhile, conversely, does not really seem like a record that is doing a whole lot different than a recent Katatonia album, but has its fair share of subtle deviances that snowball on one another to stand out amongst the influences. I, like Sonny, do feel like the album does get a little bit too comfortable at the halfway point, and Klone do not really seem super invested on developing their story beyond what has already been established on the first two songs. But the progressive tendencies are well executed, once again, the Katatonia influence is here in droves, but it doesn't sound like "another Katatonia album" and it features some excellent production, especially in the guitar leads.

4/5

Here are my thoughts on some tracks:

Veil of Maya – Mother Pt. 4 (2023)

5/5. HOLY MOTHER!!! Veil of Maya is back with an awesome piece of synthwave djentcore!

Cynic – Veil of Maya (2023)

4.5/5. And speaking of Veil of Maya, the song that inspired that band's name, along with other songs from Cynic's famous debut Focus, is getting a revamp for the album's 30th anniversary. Sean Malone and Reinert would be proud. RIP the two Seans...

Between the Buried and Me – Bad Habits (2021) 

4.5/5. This one mixes extreme prog blast beats, triumphant sections, strange organ duels, and celestial acoustics, having a greater cauldron than in The Great Misdirect, along with a lyrical reprise to "Ants of the Sky" (from Colors) at the end.

Car Bomb – Antipatterns (2019) 

5/5. This one ironically has its own pattern in the structure. It starts heavy again with a breakdown before building up and collapsing into a cinematic ending of operatic synth reverb. The heat begins to cool down...

Slice the Cake – Westward Bound, Pt. 1 – The Lantern (2023)

4.5/5. The vocalist for this band can f***ing easily switch from cleans to growls, which is amazing, especially in the climax after a bit of repetition. Sheer poetry throughout the lyrics! "IF I GO WESTWARD!!!" Magic purity all over until the end riff!

Amorphis – Northwards (2022)

5/5. One of the best songs from Amorphis' latest album, a bit similar to Opeth!

Enslaved – Nauthir Bleeding (2015)

4.5/5. This one has the best of the clean vocals by keyboardist Herbrand Larsen, who would end up leaving the band a year after this album.

Green Carnation – Crushed to Dust (2003)

4/5. Now let's hear some more of that Amorphis-like style in a more punk-ish sound. A great song from a band I've been enjoying for a year and a half now.

Stone Healer – In the Spoke of Night (2021)

4.5/5. The album's fantastic intense finale for this offering. Hell breaks loose in the riffing, in a progressive balance with the band's more melodic side. Talk about a kick-A closing summary of their progressive black metal! However, the playlist is far from over, though I have one more song to comment on...

The Ocean – Swallowed by the Earth (2010)

5/5. An awesome way for me to head out, with spacey reverb in the midsection that helps The Ocean expand their new style.

Saxy, let me just say, you have done such as incredible job assembling this month's Gateway playlist! This tracklisting has encouraged me to go through the entire playlist and find excellent tracks from bands I already listen to along with different bands in which some of them I feel up to trying some more songs from them. Well done, please keep it up! So let's get my track thought journey started:

Soundgarden – Loud Love (1989)

4/5. Let's start with the strongest track of its original album! Though it's a bit creepy.

Spiritbox – The Void (2023)

4.5/5. Spiritbox is a band that the modern metalheads should never miss. They know just how to hit with all their power!

Loathe – New Faces in the Dark (2020)

4/5. Quite a banger with a killer ending breakdown! Though the one at the one-minute mark is good for headbanging too. This band has underrated atmosphere. You can think of them as Chevelle gone Meshuggah, plus a bit of recent Wage War.

Avatar – Hail the Apocalypse (2014)

4.5/5. This is the song my brother was listening to that got me interested in Avatar. It really blew my mind, and in a time when I still had my mind set on melodeath, it was love at first listen. They made raging riffing and sick soloing in the albums before this one, when they were just a typical melodeath band. I still think of this song as some f***ing amazing sh*t! They've done their bada** job quite well. They seem to have similar physical aesthetics to Rob Zombie and King Diamond. When the first verse starts after the 30-second intro, you know you're in for a wild ride. HAIL THE APOCALYPSE!!!

Tremonti – If Not For You (2021)

5/5. Lots of d*mn power in this one. I love it! I hear a bit of Skillet vibes here.

Days of Jupiter - Ashes (2015)

4.5/5. Another song my brother loves! It fits well for an action film soundtrack. The guitars and drums are nice and hard. It sounds similar to Breaking Benjamin's "Diary of Jane" which is a good reason for my brother to like this song. I actually find this sound to have some Disturbed vibes, maybe even the more "alternative" side of Demon Hunter. It's all in good arrangement!

Alpha Wolf – Bleed 4 You (2020)

5/5. Scr*w the complainers, this is absolutely well done! It's so mellow, yet with f***ing massive diversity and emotion. I actually like the chorus more than the breakdown, which is still a headbanging puncher. The heaviness descends into oblivion for the female vocals by Lizi Blanco and then rises up again.

Haji’s Kitchen – Twenty Twelve (2012)

5/5. Wow, this is slightly more amazing than the Spiritbox track from earlier! It's featured in the English dub soundtrack of Dragon Ball Z: Broly – The Legendary Super Saiyan along with "Lost". Gotta get more of this band!

Disturbed – The Curse (2008)

4.5/5. This highlight starts weird in the bass, drum, and guitar mix, but it's very good. The pre-chorus is great, while the chorus is incredible! There's no technicality in the guitar until the solo that's well-executed. Then some final riffing to wrap things up.

HELLYEAH – Welcome Home (2019)

4.5/5. The world was shocked to hear about the passing of drummer Vinnie Paul (best known from his time with Pantera). They had just finished recording this album but held on to it for over a year before its release. Despite having a different drummer in Stone Sour's Roy Mayorga, they only toured with him for a couple years and then went on hiatus due to the reforming of vocalist Chad Gray's other band Mudvayne. Welcome home, Vinnie Paul. RIP

Sleep Token – DYWTYLM (2023)

5/5. Sleep Token is another band to thank for their music, like A LOT.

Five Finger Death Punch – Cold (2013)

4.5/5. This is one of those reflective power ballads. You can hear the raging fear in the chorus, especially in the final one. F***ING REAL EMOTION!!! Still I can hold back the tears and look strong. Despite the coldness of the world, I have people who care for me, including my brother who also enjoys this band. There's also a bit of an Alice in Chains vibe in the intro.

Linkin Park – Crawling (2000)

4.5/5. This emotional hit is where icy synths and bass crawl through the intro before getting mudded out by the guitar heaviness and Bennington's cries. The more industrial fans might compare the song to Nine Inch Nails. The lyrical subject matter deals with Bennington's teenage years of torture and meth addiction, and he was so upset about it that he needed help from the crowd when performing the song live.

Tallah – The Impressionist (2022)

5/5. Impressed? Consider me so! This band has revived the late 90s nu metal sound with a mix of that style and modern metalcore. Absolutely unique, including that wild solo performed by guitarist Derrick Schneider.

I Prevail – RISE (2016)

4.5/5. So emotional and optimistic! It almost fits well for part of an action movie when the hero slowly walks away from an explosion. So pump your rage and "dig a little deeper, make 'em believers"!

Nonpoint – Rabia (2004)

4/5. Interesting to hear this band's attempt in writing a song with Spanish lyrics. It's hard to understand without an English translation, but it's still quite a banger. Go back to Spanish class if you wanna enjoy the lyrics!

Lacuna Coil – Hostage to the Light (2014)

4.5/5. A beautiful breath-taker to love! This is a great one to hold dear, from the moment Cristina Scabbia enters with her serene vocals after the 30-second intro.

Sevendust – Angel’s Son (2001)

4/5. This song first appeared in the Snot album Strait Up that tributes to their late vocalist Lynn Strait who was killed in a car crash along with his dog Dobbs. The original was recorded by Snot with 3 of the members of Sevendust, who would record their own version for this album Animosity. The band would suffer their own tragedies a year later with the passing of their friend Dave Williams of Drowning Pool, and the murder of vocalist Lajon Witherspoon's younger brother Reginald. RIP fallen ones...

Parkways Drive – Prey (2018)

4.5/5. This one continues the classic melodic sound with a shuffling beat and riff with epic harmonic guitars in the bridge.

Smallman & Ivan Shopov – Rhodopes (2016)

4/5. You might think of this project as the Bulgarian Perfect Circle. This beautiful power is worth some praise. Give it some good listening! It's a very nice mind-blower. There is some good f***ing art there for TOOL fans to enjoy.

The World Alive – New Reality (2023)

4.5/5. I've only just found more of this band over a year ago, and I never get tired of them! This song is probably the band's heaviest since their 2014 album Real, while taking on the new elements. Different yet similar in total beauty and inspiration! Telle never fails to amaze me. This oughta beat Hollywood Undead out of the park.

Breed 77 – Insects (2009)

4/5. Flamenco metal?!? A bit odd, but a good ending for the playlist!

Here's my review summary:

I can still hear some greatness from this band. They've never stopped recording and touring yet, and the amazing quality shows. With this album In Times, the band keep up their fearless ascension of their classic progressive black metal sound through the modern age. All the songs in the album are each 8 minutes long, with the title epic reaching under 11 minutes. They all walk the line between the complex melody of progressive metal and the violent extremeness of black metal, with each song have slightly more emphasis on one genre than the other. In fact, here's how I would tag the genres in the 6 tracks (with judgement submission for this album coming soon):

1. Thurisaz Dreaming - black/progressive metal

2. Building With Fire - black-ish progressive metal

3. One Thousand Years of Rain - black/progressive metal/hard rock

4. Nauthir Bleeding - black-ish progressive metal/rock

5. In Times - progressive/black metal with ambient bridge

6. Daylight - progressive metal/rock with black metal vocals

So based on what I've analyzed, there's quite some prominent black metal while progressive metal remains dominant by a slight notch. The progressiveness is blended together with their black metal roots. A beautiful and beastly offering like In Times needs some attention!

4.5/5

Here are my thoughts on some tracks:

Haken – Elephants Never Forget (2023)

3.5/5. OK, this starting move into a more prog-rock-ish style is a bit forgettable, but still worth enjoying. After a one-minute intro, the band's Gentle Giant influence kicks in, especially in Ross Jennings' vocals. That goes on for a minute until Haken's own classic sound enters, further taken another minute later into their typical chorus. Yet another minute later, it ends sounding closer to a bit of the industrial rock of Nine Inch Nails. At the 7-minute mark is an insane bridge to make up for the earlier drag. This is then followed a minute after by the progressive metal glory that I wish there could be more of without sounding too melodic.

Between the Buried and Me – Disease, Injury, Madness (2009)

4/5. The best song in this BTBAM album has a different execution but the same soft-hard blend. It starts in a progressive deathcore frenzy, then switches to soft and clean, all leading up to an excellent bluesy section in the second half. A unique standout!

Rivers of Nihil – Where Owls Know My Name (2018) 

4.5/5. This one is a bleak yet amazing song from another band that I should've listened to more of. The lyrics are some of the best here, and what makes it beautiful yet slightly laughable is the jazzy saxophone solos, one of them as early as the two-minute mark. Quite a groovy headbanger this track is! It will make you float out or orbit into the astral plane. I think I can hear where some of the more technical aspects of Lorna Shore came from!

Dream Theater – The Court of Tuscany (2009)

4/5. This nearly 20-minute progressive metal epic references a lot of the Thomas Harris novel Hannibal, specifically the eponymous Count of Tuscany. The epic is really solid, though not as much as I would've thought of it about 8 years ago. Still that over two-minute ending proves the band to already be on top of the world!

Rosetta – Ayil (2010)

4.5/5. Rosetta is one of the best bands of sludgy post-metal, and this song is d*mn amazing, like pretty impressive! The vocals remind me of Cave In's Caleb Scofield (RIP).

Ne Obliviscaris – Misericorde I – As the Flesh Falls (2023) 

5/5. Nicely done extreme progressive glory! I look forward to listening to and reviewing the rest of the album, including the second part of "Misericorde".

Voivod – Planet Hell (1995)

4.5/5. Killer bass from temporary vocalist Eric "E-Force" Forrest, along with raging rhythm the late Denis "Piggy" D'Amour. Though Negatron is an underrated album, it doesn't beat most of the albums prior.

The Ocean – Sea of Reeds (2023)

5/5. The Ocean continues to impress me with new singles to pump us up for their new album Holocene. They're another one of the best sludgy post-metal bands besides Cult of Luna. Loïc Rossetti can really execute his vocal ambition that he's had in the band since Heliocentric. That and the drumming by Paul Seidel are what make the band stay progressive. They still can't bring back the dynamic heaviness of Precambrian, and the ambience might remind some of the band Thrice. Nonetheless, they'll never stop their metal side. And the previous singles are slightly more captivating. Maybe there would be more of the earlier harsh vocals and guitars in the album, but we'll see when the album comes out over a month from now if they have them or not.

Slugdge – Transylvanian Fungus (2018)

4.5/5. Slug-themed sludgy progressive death metal, eh? Quite amazing, but not much to say here.

Scar Symmetry – Scorched Quadrant (2023) 

4/5. The Swedish masters of sci-fi progressive melodeath are finally back! This phenomenal sound is like late 90s In Flames modernized and sci-fi-ed. I probably would've loved it perfectly if the chorus didn't sound too much like Madonna's "La Isla Bonita", along with the cleans not sounding too quiet. I gotta check out their upcoming release!

Caligula’s Horse – Capulet (2017) 

3.5/5. Stunning yet a slightly bland soft ending. Still this playlist was a fun ride!

Here are my thoughts on some tracks:

Disturbed – Indestructible (2008)

5/5. The 4th Disturbed album's title track starts off greatly with background gunfire and war sirens. It's as if you're dragged into this battlefield where you become an army soldier ready for war, and when the drums and guitar enter, you're all pumped up for a new intense experience. I'm guessing that's how my brother felt when he first heard this song that caused him to convert from our earlier sh*tty radio pop interest into the more enjoyable (for us) rock/metal. Amazing catchy chorus, impressive guitar solo, mighty vocals... I totally understand and enjoy how this brand-new world of metal opened up for my brother and eventually me. Thank you for that, Disturbed!

Gone Is Gone – Roads (2017)

4.5/5. You ever think about a cover that's f***ing greater than the original? This is one of them, with haunting guitars! Recreating a Portishead hit, this is good for one of my brother's drives. Wow, this is like alt-metal/rock sounding as doomy as Type O Negative or Katatonia! The sound could've been slightly better though, particularly the vocals. Other than that, excellent cover from this band featuring Mastodon bassist/vocalist Troy Sanders!

Katatonia – Austerity (2023)

4/5. Dropping in right away is an incredible 4-minute track of progressive force, complex in the riffing and rhythm while staying melodic. Drummer Daniel Moilanen makes his way through an impossibly big amount of time signatures. Bassist Niklas Sandin impressively keeps up with fast technicality, into a bridge of mellow jazz. Guitar duo Anders Nyström and Roger Öjersson are the masters behind the riff complexity, with the latter performing a beautiful soloing. Of course, we can't about Jonas Renkse's warm vocal melodies, but while the unpredictability of the vocals can level up the impact, right from the beginning, it might catch you off guard at times.

Linkin Park – Numb (2003)

4.5/5. This is the second-best song of its original album, and probably Linkin Park's most successful song ever! The song can be found anywhere in the public, and even my friends from the outside world like it. Chester does melodic singing throughout the verses and chorus while getting rough in the bridge. The piano is awesome. The guitar sounds a bit weak, and it may be considered by some overrated, but I don't care. "Numb" is Linkin Park's ultimate anthem!

Avatar – Dance Devil Dance (2023)

4/5. Stomping right in is the opening title track with a thunderous country-like march. Though the riffing is repetitive, the song is redeemed by the solid Judas Priest-like chorus where vocalist Johannes Eckerstrom really shines. Perhaps my favorite since the title track of Hail the Apocalypse!

Breaking Benjamin – Next to Nothing (2002)

4.5/5. The best song of Breaking Benjamin's debut Saturate for me, despite sounding softer, which deserves as much fame as that album's 3 singles.

Dog Fashion Disco – Love Song for a Witch (2003)

5/5. This awesome song opens as a fast pounder, creeping in with keyboards. The guitars and drums go almost as fast as thrash!

Atreyu – Do You Know Who You Are? (2015)

4.5/5. Amazing marching anthem, though the lyrics might need some slight improvement.

Chevelle – Jawbreaker (2014)

4/5. A great song in the lyrics can actually fit well in one of the Saw films.

Here are my thoughts on some tracks:

Haken – Lovebite (2023)

4/5. I would've loved this band much more if I started listening to them like 8 years ago. Nonetheless, this song and "Nightingale" are good bangers, this one having addictive happiness despite the lyrics telling otherwise.

The Contortionist – Follow (2019)

4.5/5. This song is quite amazing, I wish I could've followed this band more.

Burst – Cripple God (2008)

5/5. This one's an awesome favorite, charging in with intense riffing and raw vocals that resemble Mastodon. Now that I think of it, this album is like a more ambient hardcore Mastodon. Then there's a beautiful softer verse before exploding into a furious attack of classic Metallica.

Ne Obliviscaris – Devour Me, Colossus (Part I) : Blackholes (2014)

5/5. The first part of this two-part suite starts off with a brutal riff and sinister growls give the song an evil atmosphere. Then you get an unexpected hit by one of the most brilliant drum grooves ever alongside emotional clean vocals and crazy riff-wrath. The bass draws you in further. Then all of the members unleash their instrument power at once with overwhelming section at once before transitioning to another quiet acoustic/violin section. The amazing violin solo soon gives in to more great clean vocals and some nice bass work... Then BOOM!! The brilliant chaos explodes in before quieting down again for that groovy bass riff. Soon the instrument layers of riffing and drumming build up with a godly guitar solo. Finally all the intense instrument power is unleashed together with the (male) beauty and the beast vocals before ending in joy and sorrow.

Queensryche – Bridge (1994)

4.5/5. An amazing soft bridge between the two halves of this playlist, with the guitar of Chris DeGarmo and the vocals of Geoff Tate. I suggested this song to be added to the playlist while my father and brother were on a trip to the U.S. I wasn't sure if they would make it back to my home country, but I'm glad they're still around. I'm currently 24 and I still would like my family to stay complete. My dad built this bridge that has connected between each other, and I don't want it to fall down. To be honest, though the song has more of a Cat Stevens vibe than progressive metal, but it's still beautiful.

Veil of Maya – Godhead (2023)

5/5. New Veil of Maya single? Are they returning with a new album?! I hope so, this is a hard-hitting single, and probably their heaviest since 2012's Eclipse!

Fallujah – Carved from Stone (2014)

5/5. A totally sick burner of heavy technicality! Gotta get more of this band...

Leprous – Contaminate Me (2013)

4.5/5. Horns up for one of the heaviest Leprous songs, featuring Emperor's Ihsahn!

Today Is the Day – Going to Hell (1999)

4/5. I wanted to get interested in the experimental wackiness of this band, Today is the Day, but I couldn't really. Still this is quite killer.

The Ocean – Parabiosis (2023)

4.5/5. The Ocean is back with their current album Holocene, expanding on the Phanerozoic saga, into the Holocene Epoch. This band is quite incredible, performing their music so well. They really evolved just like the Earth throughout all those different eras. I can't wait for this release, it's gonna rule! And this is an amazing way to end this month's Infinite playlist, until next time...

Here are my thoughts on some tracks:

Katatonia – Colossal Shade (2023)

4.5/5. The opening track for this playlist has a mid-tempo pace with lighter catchy melodies and bouncing electronics. Of course, darkness still lurks in the heavy guitar dissonance, especially in the bridge harkening back to Viva Emptiness.

Celldweller – Frozen (2003)

5/5. You might think I would've discovered this gem over 10 years ago when I only knew my brother's alt-rock/metal interest, but it's only quite recent when I heard him listening to the Blue Stahli remix. With the original song being as fantastic as, if not more than, the remix, and my interest in Klayton's other projects like Circle of Dust and Argyle Park, I'm more determined that ever to check out his most popular project!

Memphis May Fire – Bleed Me Dry (2022)

4.5/5. Another amazing song to love. Enough said!

Static-X – I’m With Stupid (1999)

4/5. Great lyrics to like, though I'm not highly appealed. "HE'S A LOSER!!!" RIP Wayne Static

Gone Is Gone – Violescent (2016)

4.5/5. This highlight hits you with fuzzy magic in the guitar that Troy Van Leeuwen has kept from his main band.

Lacuna Coil – My Spirit (2012)

4/5. A pretty great song written in memory of Type O Negative's Pete Steele, and in some live performances, Slipknot's Paul Gray. RIP those fallen metal bass players... The band crafted this composition very well. There's also an Italian spoken bridge.

Through Fire – Stronger – Extended Version (2016)

4.5/5. This strong single is motivational, encouraging you to lift your spirits up and drop all the bad things in life.

Demon Hunter – Silence the World (2022)

4/5. This is a great place for me to stop, a beautiful epic reminding me a bit of Trivium's Silence in the Snow album, and featuring singing by Tom S. Englund of Evergrey.

Here are some of my track thoughts:

Caligula’s Horse – Into the White (2013)

4.5/5. Yo. Check this song out, Infinite members. Period.

Sikth – Tupelo (2002)

4.5/5. This is a cover of a song by Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, doing the original justice while keeping Sikth's identity.

Symphony X – The Accolade (1997)

4.5/5. A story is told through the vocals, a bit like the scenario of a medieval knight. It's quite excellent, and back when I was still listening to this band, I agreed that this is their best album. I love the Pantera-like riffing, balanced out with the mystical keyboards that especially appear near the 8-minute mark. F***ing powerful vocals from this man, Russell Allen ("A LEGEND FOREVER!!"). However, as I go into my own heavier direction, I've had enough of the Dream Theater-like melodic sound.

The World Is Quiet Here – Writhing Gate (2023)

4.5/5. Well it ain't gonna be quiet in this song! Holy f***, that breakdown midway through is a hard-hitter with psychotic vocals. This is something I would recommend to fans of Sikth, Dir En Grey, BTBAM, and pretty much any progressive deathcore band.

Converge & Chelsea Wolfe – Lord of Liars (2021)

4.5/5. This anguish-filled song has a bit of strain, but Kurt Ballou takes the strain out on his guitar with cool results.

Haken – Taurus (2023)

4/5. Based on the singles from Fauna that have come out so far, you can hear the best this band has to offer, staying melodic with occasional electronics and nice rhythm, while having the slightly more extreme djenty riffs they've been using since Virus. The chorus can be a throwback to Affinity. The ending is quite beautiful, complete with a change of chord. No chance that I'll completely return to that band anytime soon though...

Ihsahn – Unhealer (ft. Mikael Åkerfeldt) (2008)

4.5/5. Ihsahn is known as the frontman of black metal band Emperor, and Mikael Akerfeldt is known as the founder of deathly progressive metal/rock masters Opeth. It's great hearing both of those men's work here, alongside the bass of Lars Norberg. You might just wake up with great inspiration for progressive metal creativity. Holy sh*t, both of their growls are fantastic! The year of this album's release is 2008, and that was one of the last years Mikael could channel his f***ing incredible growls from as early as Still Life. Absolute genius!

Enslaved – Havenless (2003)

4.5/5. I'm sure every fan of progressive black metal would like this song, but I feel slightly more comfortable focusing on the former than the latter. You can also consider this epic viking metal that's worth giving respect. This really works well for a march into battle, and if anyone's up for that kind of scenario, you can find it in that song. There's still some old-school Norwegian in the chanting vocals, while the band was already moving into writing lyrics in English. A little weird, but works greatly.

The Ocean Collective – Preboreal (2023)

4.5/5. The Ocean continues to rise, still shining as one of the great progressive/post-sludge metal bands. And f*** yeah, I think we found the missing link between the Phanerozoic and Heliocentric/Anthropocentric concept eras! I love this atmospheric tune despite sounding a bit different.

In Mourning – Isle of Solace (2012)

4.5/5. This song is amazing, especially the intro. I really need to get progressive melodeath back into my life.

Ne Obliviscaris – Graal (2023)

5/5. The soloing by Benjamin Baret will really blow your mind. What's more impressive is, violinist/clean vocalist Tim Charles let his daughter guess appear on violin during the last few minutes. There's not a single bad song from this band, and I'm glad this amazing playlist ended in a bang. I look forward to that album Exul!

Saxy, let me just say, you have done such as incredible job assembling this month's Gateway and Infinite playlists! This tracklisting has encouraged me to go through the entire playlist and find good tracks from bands I already listen to along with different bands in which some of them I feel up to trying some more songs from them. Well done, please keep it up! So let's get my track thought journey started:

Sleep Token – The Summoning (2023)

4/5. There's a lot of brand-new metal to explore, and this playlist opener is one of them! After 5 cool minutes of ambient alt-metal, there's a funky turn into something different. But throughout the song, the vocals and lyrics are so divine, alongside the djenty heaviness almost as much as Deftones mixed with Tesseract and Haken. I'm telling you, those lyrics can really guide you through.

Mudvayne – Death Blooms (2000)

4.5/5. A legendary heavy intro starts this track that has a bit of an industrial aspect from Godflesh and Static-X. Ryan Martinie performs excellent bass here. This sh*t can be good as h*ll for the more experimental nu metal fans.

Atreyu – Untouchable (2021)

4/5. A good song to love for anyone who's into Atreyu and Jacoby Shaddix (Papa Roach).

Katatonia – Birds (2023)

4.5/5. Continuing the flow is this song from Katatonia's new album, restoring more of the straight heaviness of their early 2000s albums like Viva Emptiness, within the sinister atmosphere and urgent melody.

Buckethead – Soothsayer (2006)

4/5. This is such a beautiful and emotional long alt-rock/metal instrumental, with some soloing to marvel upon, especially at the 4-minute mark. Excellent! This can almost be consider this playlist's "Crusade".

Breaking Benjamin – Blood (2018)

4.5/5. If there's any song that can fit well with the soundtrack to the film Morbius, it would be this one. It's one of the f***ing heaviest tracks by this band, and one of my brother's favorite songs from one of his favorite bands.

Bloodsimple – What If I Lost It (2005)

5/5. Such as awesome underrated group this band is! A Cruel World is one of the best 2000s alt-metal albums I've heard. This song reminds me a bit of the aforementioned Mudvayne. Lead vocalist Tim Williams is also a founding member of metalcore band Vision of Disorder. Anyone who has watched the ESPN X-Games or played Need for Speed Most Wanted may be familiar with this track that reminds me of Godsmack in a Disturbed-like level of heaviness. Kyle Sanders (brother of Mastodon bassist Troy Sanders) would later join Hellyeah long after this band's split. I would really like more of Bloodsimple for alt-metal at its best.

Candiria – Down (2004)

4.5/5. Some listeners of this song might know it from Greg Hastings' Tournament Paintball. This one has the new millennium balance of heaviness and melody, all while declaring "I bow down to no one!" Its album shows the band's temporary move from the mathcore of The Dillinger Escape Plan to the heavy/alternative metal of Avenged Sevenfold and Clutch. It's gems like this that get me pumped up for the intense experience of a college course that I currently have. Candiria is one of the greatest mind-blowing hybrid bands out there! Though I can find better material from this band in their previous two albums. Too bad I'm nearly two decades late in finding this track. It's quite fun, despite not having their earlier intensity. It's, to me, much better than what I would find in Darwin's Waiting Room and Korn, and is as good as the better side of Linkin Park and Sevendust. They would've brought back the metalcore of The Process of Self Development if not for that van accident, but I'm glad they survived...

Parkway Drive – Glitch (2022)

4/5. The new Parkway Drive album's first single adds a bit of speed while in a mid-paced march through insomniac depression, alongside guitar and gang-style vocals to remind me of While She Sleeps.

Demon Hunter – Heaven Don’t Cry (2022)

4.5/5. This incredible highlight is worth being a radio single, mixing heaviness with melody. This can reach the mainstream without stripping down the sound as much as Songs of Death and Resurrection and instead elevating the writing quality.

Slipknot – The Heretic Anthem (2001)

4/5. Although Slipknot won't ever be a favorite band for me, this song kicks a** with impressive lyrics shouted by the talented Corey Taylor.

Disturbed – Won’t Back Down (2022)

3.5/5. This one's a kinda strong headbanger, bringing back elements of the band's first 3 albums, complete with some of the earlier "OW" and "get up".

Alice In Chains – Drone (2018)

3/5. Now here's something interesting, former Queensryche guitarist Chris DeGarmo performing acoustic guitar in this Alice in Chains song. There are longtime fans who think Alice in Chains isn't the same without the late Layne Staley. While I haven't listened to this band enough to agree, I can understand this song being a bit disappointing.

I Prevail – There’s Fear in Letting Go (2022)

3.5/5. I kinda like this song from another band that my brother loves, but it's a little weird like their Taylor Swift cover. With that said, holy f***, there are a few great surprises such as the extension of the chorus near the midway point.

Coaltar Of The Deepers – AMETHYST [REVENGE] (2021)

4/5. For any Japanese rock/metal fans who want some sweet energy without having to go into the thrash of Overkill, this is your answer, I guess. So poetic and versatile!

Twelve Foot Ninja – Oxygen (2016)

4.5/5. It's quite great to hear groovy prog-ish alt-metal without having cross too much into TOOL territory. There are great lyrics, but they can't beat the jazzy bridge in the middle. Mike Patton and the rest of Mr. Bungle would be pleased.

Love and Death – Down (2021)

4/5. A pretty great song with well-done singing from Brian "Head" Welch. This oughta motivate to live life with faith in your heart.

Within Temptation – The Reckoning (2019)

4.5/5. Despite having completed my move away from this band, I love how they've impressively enhanced their over 25-year career with cyber elements added to their symphonic/alternative metal sound. It's a great song to love and motivate your spirit.

In This Moment – Black Wedding (feat. Rob Halford) (2017)

5/5. Oh man, I need this played in my future wedding! This is some of the darkest alternative metal I've heard since the recent Motionless in White. Maria Brink has bad-a** vocal power, leveled up in this duet with Judas Priest's Rob Halford.

Halestorm – The Steeple (2022)

4.5/5. The second song I've heard from the new Halestorm album, and I have a feeling about this being their heaviest one yet. My brother listens to this band more than I do, and while you can assume that I've been living under a rock when it comes to hard rock/alt-metal, I have a lot to listen to in my heavier metal cave of solitude. Even without the fast speed from other metal bands that I enjoy, this is one you just gotta love. It really hits hard! Lzzy Hale has also guest appeared in songs from other bands like Trans-Siberian Orchestra, Dream Theater, In This Moment, The Hu, and Evanescence. While I don't have my own church, I have my own community of like-minded metalheads, this website. Whether we like the same or different metal genres, we're all our own people.

Stuck Mojo – The Ward Is My Shepard (2000)

4/5. Rich Ward has done amazing guitar that has pleased fans of Stuck Mojo throughout their career. And thank greatness this is instrumental, because I'm not really up for a whole lot of rapping that the band usually has, and it's a great way to close this playlist.

Waves of Visual Decay is one of those slept on albums that may only have been because of it's close release time to Nevermore's The Godless Endeavour. And it's clear to see why; Communic have taken the Nevermore influence and rolled with it on the same emotional level as classic Nevermore albums had. However, I do feel like Communic are closer related to Fates Warning than a Judas Priest or Iron Maiden Daniel. 

As for the record itself, it's exactly what you would expect from a comp to Nevermore. It's a well constructed, well performed progressive metal album that is easy to go down, rather than bashing you over the head with unending guitar solos. The individual tracks go down very smoothly as the more progressive songwriting techniques are complimentary. There are some heavy thrash riffs on "Frozen Asleep in the Park" and "My Bleeding Victim" and compliment the slower, melancholic moments on the title track and the closer "At Dewy Prime" very well. Not all of it works; I was less than impressed by "Fooled by the Serpent", but overall this is a very good album from a band whose influences should surprise no one. They might get in the way for some, but I feel Communic does more than enough to distinguish themselves from Nevermore.

8/10

I really enjoyed this one Saxy. It was a pleasant surprise as I wasn't across Moon Tooth previously & there's no doubt that they're a capable & classy metal outfit. I'd suggest that they're probably more of a progressive metal band than an alternative metal one & "Phototroph" might have been a slightly better fit for The Infinite but there can be no denying Moon Tooth's alternative edge, particularly in the vocals of John Carbone who sounds very much like Sevendust front man Lajon Witherspoon to me. There's a strong Mastodon influence here with many of the riff structures being quite complex but there are also some tracks that take a more accessible alternative route. I particularly enjoy the lead guitar work of Riot V axe man Nick Lee who showcases a clear Eric Johnson influence in his fluent & speedy runs. The only track I didn't enjoy was the lightweight "Carry Me Home" but this was easily compensated for by the stunning progressive metal highlight track "O My Isle" which is a couple of steps up from the rest of the material (& is apparently the least popular track on the album according to RYM). Another nice feature release selection here gents.

4/5

Here are my thoughts on some tracks:

Haken – The Alphabet of Me (2022)

4.5/5. A weird yet very enjoyable start of this playlist, bringing back the wackiness of the band's earlier recordings while maintaining their recent power. Probably the most wonderous and creative electro-jazz-infused progressive metal blend since some of Plini's works!

Caligula’s Horse – The Tempest (2020)

5/5. Caligula's Horse has done their melodic progressive metal sound quite as well as, and even slightly better than, Haken. If you enjoy their earlier pieces like "Into the White", surely you can't miss this.

Altesia – Amidst the Smoke (2019) 

4.5/5. This one starts heavy before changing into beauty with polyphonic vocals. Clément Darrieu sings amazing melodies and great harmonies to combine with the rhythm.

Dream Theater – You Not Me (1997)

4/5. I used to really love this band back when I first started listening to progressive metal, beginning my journey with the genre's more melodic side. Good song, and I especially like the keyboards at the one-and-a-half-minute mark before the second verse.

Ostura – Duality (2018) 

4.5/5. A killer 12-minute progressive piece with a huge stunning sound! It's quite impressive how my 10-year metal journey led me from DragonForce and a small bit of Metallica all the way up to something almost massive.

Evergrey – The Essence of Conviction (2004)

4/5. Another good track from when my progressive metal interest was more melodic.

Xanthochroid – The Sound Which Has No Name (2017)

4.5/5. This is the cinematic finale of that album where the band has mastered it all. This is symphonic black metal within the orchestration, tremolos, and blast-beats, along with vocals ranging from unclean to clean, and the epic progressiveness is added once again to the brutality enough for to be proven worthy in The Infinite.

Textures – Singularity (2011)

5/5. I didn't become fully interested in this band until over a year ago, and I wish I could've found this band much earlier. The metaphorical imagery of water can really be associated with the artwork and lyrics.

Protest the Hero – From the Sky (2020)

4.5/5. This one continues going through the album's theatrics with hefty bass and riff energy taking the stage. A soothing piano section leads up to the song's glorious ending climax.

Ne Obliviscaris – Equus (2022) 

5/5. Ne Obliviscaris is back and staying as glorious as ever! The song and its video is dedicated to the victims of the 2019/2020 Australia wildfires that affected many people and animals there. I look forward to hearing more of this album Exul and all the epicness it has to offer. What better way to end this playlist is there?

Saxy, let me just say, you have done such as incredible job assembling this month's Gateway and Infinite playlists! This tracklisting has encouraged me to go through the entire playlist and find good tracks from bands I already listen to along with different bands in which some of them I feel up to trying some more songs from them. Well done, please keep it up! So let's get my track thought journey started:

Thornhill – Red Summer (2019)

4/5. A beautiful good way to start this playlist. The climax shows the band go all out in tear-jerking tension. So atmospheric! This sounds closer to one of Northlane's less heavy while still powerful songs, a great break from the brutality of other bands I listen to like Chelsea Grin.

Bring Me The Horizon – Itch For The Cure (When Will We Be Free?) (2020)

3.5/5. I was think of this one being the starting track of this playlist, but it works as a transition out of that Thornhill song. It's much better than that Linkin Park instrumental the name of this otherworldly track comes from.

Time, The Valuator – Binary Pulse (2022)

3/5. A good heavy track while still dreamy. Not really the best for me though...

Bullet For My Valentine – Coma (2018)

2.5/5. This frustrating generic song is too light to make an impact. That's enough to make me fall into a coma! I'm not sure what I was thinking when suggesting that one, but it is good for the more curious alternative metal fans.

Cave In – Trepanning (2005)

3/5. Another otherworldly song, and standing out is the massive screaming for their late bassist/vocalist Caleb Scofield. I'm glad to discover this band a few months ago, but I prefer the heavier furious metalcore of their 1998 debut. This is the kind of band people would discover in high school, but when I was high-school-age, my heart was set on power metal. I think the first I heard Caleb's vocals was in a song by post-sludge band Isis. RIP

Disturbed – Liberate (2002)

3.5/5. It's been many years, like over 10 years, and I enjoy a small bit of one of my brother's favorite alt-metal bands Disturbed. He hasn't really listened to a lot of this album, but it has some decent classics like this one.

Saliva – Badass (2011)

4/5. This one's quite bad-a**! This could almost work as the soundtrack to a WWE fight against Darth Vader. The quality's very good.

Fight The Fury – Still Burning (2018)

3.5/5. This one restores grace for the EP, once again reminding me of Collide and the heavier direction Skillet should've taken after that album. The lyrics in the song are a great improvement compared to the earlier weakness.

Pyogenesis – I Have Seen My Soul (2017)

4/5. Great emotion in this song to get you f***ing hooked!

Primus - Jerry Was A Racecar Driver (1991)

3.5/5. Interesting song telling the sad tale about a racecar driver who was killed in a car wreck whilst drunk driving. The lyrics explain the story. Don't drink and drive, peeps!

Tallah – Telescope (2022)

4/5. New extreme era for nu metal?! Rightly so!

I Prevail – Lifelines (2016)

4.5/5. Another underrated band and one of my brother's favorites! I would say that my brother and I discovered this in around my middle-school-age, but the truth is, that was nearly 5 years before this album was released, so it's a more recent band that we started hearing of, when we're now both young adults in our 20s.

P.O.D. – Boom (2001)

4/5. Long-time nu metal fans might find some nostalgic memories from this band, but I'm not one of them. It's still quite good. Here comes the boom!

Katatonia – Consternation (2006)

4.5/5. One of my favorite songs when I still listening to this album! Still killer!!! What interpretation is there??? I don't care, as long as I can hear Jonas Renkse's unforgettable vocals! The gothic/doom metal of their earlier material is what turned me away from this band though.

Taproot – I (2000)

4/5. This is one of those songs that can help remedy a depressive dark time you might have, but I had other songs to listen to when I was in quarantine last month. I'm like 20 years later than any other person who has found enjoyment in this song. This band toured with fellow then-nu metal bands Linkin Park, Papa Roach, and Static-X during that era. I personally like myself far more than I hate myself. It's almost like an anthem against dark times! Great song, but perhaps if it was sped up, it wouldn't have a bit of droning quality. It still works!

Saint Asonia – Break the Mold (2022)

4.5/5. A highlight of melancholic groove!

Soilwork – Nerve (2005)

5/5. Now we're talking! During those earlier high-school-age epic metal phase, I was starting to get into melodic death metal. I tried to get into listening to Soilwork, but the band didn't really fit my taste at that time. Now this one absolutely kickstarts my interest in the band. The beginning reminds me of that of Fear Factory's "Slave Labor".

The Raven Age – The Day The World Stood Still (2019)

4.5/5. This is one of my brother's current favorite songs, and throughout the different times he played it during one of my car rides with him driving, it has grown on me to the point that I like it too. Although it's closer to the alt-rock/metal that he likes while having a bit of melodic metalcore elements, it's so great and powerful! The music is quite impressive, and the lyrics are so dramatic. Absolutely beautiful!

Destiny Potato – Indifferent (2014)

4/5. Here we have the more djenty vibe of Periphery and Intervals in the guitar. In fact, it's almost like an Animals as Leaders song with female vocals, both cleans and screams. A more djenty Paramore, if you will. The action really boosts halfway through.

Avatar – A Statue of the King (2018)

4.5/5. Although I haven't really been listening to a lot of this band lately, this one is still worth headbanging. This one ends this playlist far better than DragonForce's sh*tty cover of "Ring of Fire" that ended the standard edition of their album Maximum Overload.

I'm up for it! I look forward to some more Infinite release discoveries. May I please be added to the roster?

My flirtation with The Gateway clan has waned over the past year or so. However, that having been said I think Bad Omen's latest release might just be my most played album of the year and I do still spin Niratias by Chevelle on a regular basis following its release last year. Still, I do not now engage with much of this clan even though for a period in the late 90s and early noughties I was listening to the likes of Korn, Linkin Park and grunge acts such as AiC and Soundgarden on a daily basis.

In Sevendust I found a happy medium I guess between a record that is not shying away from being alternative but at the same time lacks any real sense of panache when it comes to song writing overall. But let us start with a huge positive in the vocals of Lajon Witherspoon. His cool and tuneful voice is the standout item on Animosity. The irony being that his voice hardly evokes any sense of animosity given that it possesses a smoothness that sounds like he could roll icing out from between his vocal chords at times. The more aggressive tracks leave me to think that he most certainly has depth in his abilities (if not necessarily able enough for me to describe that depth as range of any sort). In keeping with the vocal performance, I find the riffs here of equal aptitude. When they put their mind to it, Sevendust can let rip with the old six-strings whilst also weave some of those hazy nu-metal notes in there also from time to time. These two elements alone make for some memorability without ever managing to convey much in the way of excitement or intrigue in what I am hearing.

Animosity is very much an album that I would not come back to. After giving it more than a few listens ahead of this review I cannot say there is anything remarkable here and it really just sounds like an awful lot of other music that was floating around at the time. The song writing can actually sound quite lazy at times with clunky structures such as Xmas Day really bringing nothing positive to the table. As a result the album lacks completeness and suffers from the dreaded sense that this is a collection of songs as opposed to an album.

3/5

I think I've spent enough time with this to form some actual opinions. I think this will definitely be an overlooked highlight of most people's 2022 lists due to how uniquely creative it is compared to the rest of the albums released this year. The Endless excels at creating its own little world of elements with the inclusion of more mood-setting keyboards and synths than is common in most Progressive Metal outings, let alone the female vocals taking up almost all of the front stage compared to the Black Metal adjacent harshes that only show up when they're really required to. I think I struggled with this one at first because, in all honesty, it's a pretty low-key record through and through. At just 40 minutes it sometimes feels like the album should be just getting started as the gorgeous closer "The Paradigm Mirror" peters out and ends the affair on a strikingly bittersweet note. It felt like there wasn't a whole lot there and I think that's where my opinion will start to differ a bit from Saxy and Daniel. I'm extremely glad this was featured as it would have definitely been a 2022 album I would have missed, but I don't think it has quite enough going for it to be a massive, landmark release. 

I think my favorite detail about this album is the distinct tone shift between the first and second half. The first sets up the expectation of having angelic vocals offset by the harshes, but "Liminal Veil" throws that completely out the window as vocalist Kelly Shilling adopts a completely different delivery as the album shifts into a more despondent and shadowy feel compared to the more ethereal sounding first half. I think there's a great balance struck between the heavier Post-Metal portions and the winding Progressive Metal musings too; I always leave wanting no more and no less of either style. I would have to do more digging and more listening to figure out an exact reason why, but I just feel like there's something left on the table with The Endless though, which is why it didn't absolutely floor me after spending more time with it. Maybe I'm one of the weird people who think that albums like this should be a bit longer in order to envelope the listener in the world. I'm not sure if I'll have enough time to fully review this one but it'd be a welcome challenge to try and nail down exactly why I can't give this full marks, despite really enjoying it. 

4/5

Without rambling, my experience with Dirt is in direct opposition to Sonny's. As I matured, it was albums like Nevermind and Ten that lost favour as I learned more about the artist, their songwriting process, as well as their future. Sure, Alice in Chains had their problems on later albums (S/T and Black Gives Way To Blue) and left me questioning the bands future, but I never found those albums outright repulsive in the same way I find so many newer Pearl Jam records in the 2000s and beyond. Dirt is an album with soul; something severely lacking in the genres that Alice in Chains are attempting to replicate here. And it's the soul of Layne Stayley, Jerry Cantrell, and the rest of Alice in Chains that lives on 30 years later.

Just for the record, Saxy, I don't have any experience or history with Dirt as I only listened to it just now for the first time for the feature, so I don't really know what you mean. Maybe that is the difference you are referring to as I have zero emotional attachment to it as it played no part in forming or shaping my taste in music, whereas Nevermind, Ten and Superunknown did? I had been a metal fan for many years before Dirt was released and had even left metal behind by then, at least for a while, before returning to it later in the nineties. I do agree about Pearl Jam though, as pretty much everything after Vitalogy is painful.

I've been listening to this album off and on for the past 2 months or so, since a coworker recommended it before it showed up here. I think I was a bit too harsh on it at first when I bantered back and forth with my coworker, immediately going to the canned analysis of "Wow this sure is a Deftones record!". After coming back to it here and there and letting it marinate for a bit, I agree that it's definitely more than just a Deftones case study, but I still couldn't get into it all that much. 

Thornhill leans into some of the more modern Indie/Alt Metal/Rock and Shoegazy tendencies that help to distinguish their style from their early 2000's influences. Their sound is a bit more playful and upbeat, coming off as a bit less aggressive than other similar styles. Their vocalist is less sultry than Deftones, but he still conveys a lot of passion with how soulful his varied range can sound. For some reason I view their style as a bit more mysterious sounding, although I can't quite explain what exactly that means. 

Overall I think "Casanova" is a prime example of how Thornhill's style is able to take influential source material and put their own direct spin on it. It's a great song through and through, although the ending is disappointing in my opinion. "Hollywood" is another highlight but the harsh vocals aren't used very well for my tastes. Other than that, "Raw" really isn't something that I enjoyed and after the creative instrumental interlude "Something Terrible Came With the Rain" the album kind of grinds to a halt for me. The final two songs didn't grip me in any way, so it ends on a pretty poor note. 

This is a weird one where I enjoy coming back to it for the first half, but then I just never get into it by the time the final few songs roll around. I can see why everyone's enjoying it and it's awesome to see this style make some waves thanks to a newer band, but I guess it just ain't for me. 

3/5

I have strayed into unchartered waters by drifting into The Infinite feature release and I feel I may be about to alienate the clan residents somewhat with my attempt to review this release, but I am here now so might as well use the rope in my hand. I feel that in listening to Handmade Cities that I have just watched an eighties film were the protagonist has just overcome great evil (or maybe a serial killer) and I am revelling in the joy of the end credits having somehow missed the whole film. Sarcastic comment over, I promise.

If I focus on the talent required to make this album then I cannot failed to be impressed. It might not be my bag at all but despite there being more than one "WTF" moment for me, I could not quite bring myself to turn it off. Intrigue got the better of me even though I am not a fan of instrumental tracks (let alone full releases that are all instrumental tracks). It kind of reminded me of a Joe Satriani record I listened to years ago which although inoffensive never held my interest enough for me to ever explore it enough to truly get to grips with it. I guess that I find Plini to be decent enough background music and nothing more. Occasionally it does something interesting as it chops away at the aether around me enough to break through whatever it is I am focusing on to remind me that it is still there.

Overall, I find Handmade Cities just to be too safe a record for my extreme tastes, and whilst I acknowledge its merits I am coloured a dull, pastel shade by it. If I had the patience (not something that I have vast stocks of) then I would perhaps revisit over the coming days but I have to get my head around Spheres and that Parkcrest record yet as part of the monthly reviews and at least one of those has got me ruffled already this month so I feel they will be the focus of my attentions for the coming days instead.

2.5/5

It's funny how a record with such energy & vitality can divide opinions on it's individual components yet elicit a similar overall response, isn't it? I'm hardly a die-hard System Of A Down fan as I'd only ever heard their classic 2001 sophomore album "Toxicity" prior to digging my teeth into this month's feature release. I really enjoyed "Toxicity" though. It was a very strong album & this one is too. Perhaps not quite as strong as it's older sibling but I've rated it the same nonetheless. Let's just say that "Toxicity" was a strong 4/5 while "Mezmerize" has just snuck over the line for that rating by the barest of margins.

"Mezmerize" starts off a little slowly for me as the first three tracks were mildly enjoyable without ever really threatening to hit my sweet spot. It's only when SOAD embrace their hardcore side a bit that I start to see my pulse rate increasing rapidly. I actually really dig the two short gimmick songs in "Cigaro" & "This Cocaine Makes Me Feel Like I'm on This Song", both of which worked to super-charge my experience. I couldn't give a toss about the lyrical direction. It's more about the electricity & urgency they bring to the table. "Violent Pornography" is the only let-down across the tracklisting for me as it's simply too quirky & accessible for my taste but I love the Tool-ish progressive approach of "Question!", the strong alternative metal stylings of "Sad Statue" & especially the lengthier alternative rock builder "Lost in Hollywood" whose hooks really dug in & made it my album highlight. The production job is very much situated in the hardcore space with plenty of mid-range in the guitars & I think this works to the band's benefit as It adds to the chaotic nature of the arrangements & gives the avant-garde vocal approach a better grounding. The occasional Faith No More style clean sections usually aren't my cup of tea when taken in isolation but within the context of the rapid-fire song-structures they work to nicely break up the record.

In many ways I really shouldn't enjoy this album as much as I do because I usually recoil from humour in my metal but System Of A Down have a funny way of nudging you in the ribs enough times with a silly "Eh?" look on their face that you eventually turn around & laugh along with them despite trying hard not to. That's a rare talent because it's so easy to end up on the wrong side of that equation. The fanaticism of the SOAD fanbase is often overwhelming (particularly in the USA) but it's nice to occasionally be reminded that there's a fair bit of merit behind it.

For fans of Faith No More, Dir en Grey & Twelve Foot Ninja.

4/5

I did my review, here's its summary:

Odyssey to the West is the kind of album that progressive deathcore experts would have a listening marathon. That said, the deathcore aspect is a bit of a struggle. Slice the Cake's massive offering pleased many fans of the style and genre and gained the band great exposure. Though composer Jack Richardson had his own plan for the release that got foiled when it came out early and that resulted in the band splitting up for a few years. Setting that ordeal aside, this is worth listening to if you're up to 4 multi-track epics and 4 singular tracks, ranging from soft melody with emotional poetry to fast aggressive rhythm with growls of frustration. And when it's all over, you might just feel up to repeating this journey again. However, with some flaws around, it still doesn't peak total interest in this band for me. Nonetheless, this heavy theatrical progressive/melodic deathcore journey is practically BTBAM's The Parallax II: Future Sequence on steroids. Only the most adventurous can reach the heart of this odyssey!

4/5