Shadowdoom9 (Andi)'s Forum Replies

Here are my sneak peek submissions for the January Sphere playlist:

The Amenta - "Flesh is Heir" (5:08) from Flesh is Heir (2013)

Circle of Dust - "Deviate (1992)" (3:59) from Brainchild (1994)

Fear Factory - "Recode" (5:47) from Aggression Continuum (2021)

Godflesh - "Streetcleaner" (6:42) from Streetcleaner (1989)

Mechina - "The Collapse Promised to All" (3:17) from Bellum Interruptum (2025)

Pain - "The Last Drops of My Life" (4:02) from Pain (1997)

Total length: 28:55

Here are my sneak peek submissions for the January Revolution playlist:

As Blood Runs Black - "Ground Zero" (3:43) from Ground Zero (2014)

Asking Alexandria - "To the Stage" (3:30) from Reckless & Relentless (2011)

Enter Shikari - "Enter Shikari (demo)" (2:57) from The Zone (2007)

Lorna Shore - "Soulless Existence" (7:12) from Pain Remains (2022)

Shadow of Intent - "The Cosmic Inquisitor" (6:33) from Primordial (2016)

Skycamefalling - "Porcelain Heart Promises" (3:59) from 10.21 (2000)

Zao - "Conflict" (2:02) from Preface: Early Recordings 1995-1996 (2020)

Total length: 29:56

Here are my submissions for the January Infinite playlist:

Jinjer - "Fast Draw" (3:14) from Duel (2025)

Meshuggah - "Bleed" (7:22) from obZen (2008)

Vildhjarta - "Paaradiso" (10:03) from Måsstaden under vatten (2021)

VOLA - "These Black Claws" (5:52) from Witness (2021)

Total length: 26:31

Here are my sneak peek submissions for the January Guardians playlist:

Almah - "Cannibals in Suits" (5:00) from Unfold (2013)

Galneryus - "There's No Escape" (5:19) from Vetelgyus (2014)

Iron Savior - "After the War" (6:18) from Dark Assault (2001)

Powerwolf - "Out in the Fields" (4:16) from Metallum Nostrum (2019)

Visions of Atlantis - "Pirates Will Return" (6:07) from Pirates (2022)

Total length: 27:00

Here are my thoughts on all the selected tracks:

Ghostemane - "Crash 'n Learn" from Fear Network II (2021)

3.5/5. Beginning this playlist a little strangely, Ghostemane combines dark trap/hip-hop with extreme metal, to remind some of a DJ remixing Deftones and Mayhem at the same time. The rapping is pretty good, as much as the instrumentation.

D'espairsray - "Marry of the Blood" from Born (2004)

4/5. Great song by D'espairsray, and it would've been perfect without that long Japanese spoken passage through the last third.

Flesh Field - "Uprising" from Strain (2004)

4.5/5. Apparently, this was in the movie The Mill. Also apparently, my country is one of only a few to have this song on Spotify.

Godflesh - "Obeyed" from A World Lit Only by Fire (2014)

5/5. Obey the demanding power of this crushing highlight!

Lord of the Lost - "Raveyard (feat. Kaarija)" from Raveyard (2025)

4.5/5. Rise from the rave! I especially enjoy the rapping by Kaarija.

Marilyn Manson - "The Beautiful People" from Antichrist Superstar (1996)

4.5/5. A highlight that you can truly appreciate, and one of his all-time most popular songs.

The Interbeing - "Synthetic Bloodline" from Icon of the Hopeless (2022)

5/5. An industrial melodeath standout filled with vicious perfection.

Neurotech - "Repent in Need" from Ave Neptune (2023)

4.5/5. Even though I've lost my appeal for the cyber metal of Neurotech, I still enjoy this heavy song filled with blast beats. All that's missing is harsh vocals, like in earlier Neurotech albums such as Antagonist.

Sybreed - "Take the Red Pill" from Slave Design (2004)

5/5. This highlight has some more of that cyber metal action. The title even references the movie The Matrix. The heavy instrumentation and screamed vocals shall keep you awake from beginning to end.

Deadheaven - "Тлеет Горизонт" from Антиреальность (2014)

4.5/5. And how about some Russian cyber metal? Not to be confused with blackgaze band Deafheaven.

Rob Zombie - "Heathen Days" from Heathen Days (2025)

4/5. Rob Zombie still has his usual industrial metal chaos, here sounding a bit closer to Ministry.

Monster Voodoo Machine - "Temple - Jerico Meltdown Mix" from State Voodoo / State Control (1994)

3.5/5. Pretty good remix, but a little too electronic for me. I guess some comparisons can be made with 16volt.

Dome Runner - "Fuji Cracks" from Conflict State Design (2021)

3/5. Also pretty decent, but not enough for me to love. Next!

Rabbit Junk - "U-Lock Justice!" from Project Nonagon (2010)

3.5/5. The music and lyrics are better here, and even the rapping from the guest vocalist is pretty good.

Khost - "Death Threat" from Many Things Afflict Us Few Things Console Us (2024)

3/5. Now we're heading to a more doomy industrial metal style, which still doesn't stand out well.

Jesus Loves Junkies - "Para-Side" from The Great Escape from Paradise (1998)

3.5/5. There would be more peace to the world if everyone can enjoy music like this. Though it would be more like bleak peace.

The Kovenant - "Prophecies of Fire" from Animatronic (1999)

4/5. Great aggression for one of the earliest cyber metal bands!

Blue Stahli - "Endure" from Obsidian (2021)

4.5/5. "HOPE IN. SPITE OF. ABJECT. MISERY!!!" Well this track can catch a lot of people off-guard. It's basically a 20-second cybergrind track followed by over two minutes of peaceful ambience. With that said, I approve! Though I still think there should actually be full heavy tracks like those first 20 seconds.

Circle of Dust - "Yurasuka (Blue Stahli Remix)" from Disengage (1998, 2016 remaster)

5/5. Blue Stahli would also make a remix for a few Circle of Dust songs including this one. Bret Audrey can once again add his electro-industrial sound to a Circle of Dust track and make it beautiful, really doing it justice!

Ap2 - "A New World" from Suspension of Disbelief (2000)

4.5/5. I enjoy this song having a similar sound to Fear Factory in both the heavier songs, softer ballads, and Remanufacture remixes.

Fear of Domination - "The Bad Touch" from The Bad Touch (2017)

5/5. This fun industrial trance metal cover of the Bloodhound Gang hit is a cool throwback to Fear of Domination's earlier material as well as Turmion Katilot. Saku Solin has a similar vocal grit to Children of Bodom's Alexi Laiho (RIP). They know how to make a catchy song more catchy, especially in the main melody shining the most at the end.

N.K.V.D. - "Hakmarrja" from Hakmarrja (2014)

4.5/5. Dance time is over, now we're getting a little darker and blackened.

Raubtier - "Hjarteblod" from Det Finns Bara Krig (2009)

4/5. Beauty and tragedy are in full grace in the music and lyrics, especially in the chorus.

Rammstein - "Ohne Dich" from Reise, Reise (2004)

3.5/5. Same with this emotional song for loved ones. If I knew the German language, I would've understood and enjoyed it more and maybe sing along. It's quite calm compared to the heavy energy of their other songs. I almost feel like crying even though I don't cry. So beautiful from beginning to end.

Zaraza - "Every Day is a Funeral" from Slavic Blapshemy (1997)

3/5. One of only a couple tracks in this album I find likeable and not disturbing.

T3CHN0PH0B1A - "Hold Me Thrill Me Kiss Me Kill Me" from Grave New World (2008)

3.5/5. A good way out for this playlist, a cyber metal cover of a U2 song. The screamed vocals kind of ruin it, sounding too much like the Tasmanian Devil.

Pretty good playlist I've made, huh? I recommend this to any industrial metal fan and anyone who isn't into industrial metal but is up to getting into a great start for the genre. Thanks to anyone who have contributed with their own submissions, and I hope the rest of you enjoy it like I've had!

Here are my thoughts on all the selected tracks:

Adept - "Blood Covenant" from Blood Covenant (2025)

4/5. Adept are back with their first album in nearly a decade. Let their sound rain and pour over us!

Dead by April - "Bulletproof" from Bulletproof (2020)

4.5/5. Dead by April's new screaming vocalist Christopher Kristensen is also from dEMOTIONAL. For this song, I enjoy the kick-A electronic melodies and guitar soloing. It's one of the best non-album singles by the band, having their earlier electronic metalcore roots.

Cave In - "Vicious Circles" from White Silence (2011)

4/5. This grind-ish metal/hardcore blitzkrieg has some of the band's most vicious aggression since their debut. Horns up, y'all!

The Narrator - "Aurora" from Aurora (2025)

4.5/5. Honestly I don't think modern metal is f***ing up the genre, just as long as we still have amazing talent from bands like The Narrator. The last minute of this track starts with a heavy breakdown including an Architects-esque "BLEGH". I enjoy the screams and cleans from the two vocalists. They are right there with Annisokay as a leading band in the new wave of German metalcore.

Allt - "Aquila" from From the New World (2024)

4/5. Well-written lyrics of absolute fire. Enough said!

Nik Nocturnal - "Collapse" from Collapse (2025)

4.5/5. Nik Nocturnal has returned from his break to do some FUN. METAL. THINGS!!!! Kick-A modern metalcore/deathcore/electronic things, to be exact. And he's practically gone super saiyan in both his looks and vocals.

Shadows Fall - "Root Bound Apollo" from Of One Blood (1999)

5/5. Another of my favorite songs in this Shadows Fall album with a fast searing Metallica-like solo. This was actually originally a song by Fair's former band Overcast, but it ended up in this album. It would later be re-recorded on the Overcast album Reborn to Kill Again.

AVRALIZE - "Fading Faster" from Liminal (2025)

4.5/5. This one probably has the catchiest alt-metalcore chorus of the year! It should make Avralize big enough to reach stadiums.

Carnifex - "Dark Days" from Die Without Hope (2014)

4.5/5. And now the bright days turn dark in this f***ing brutal song with amazing soloing. This is around the time when they started adding elements of Dimmu Borgir-ish symphonic black metal to their deathcore.

Reflections - "From Nothing" from Willow (2020)

5/5. Holy sh*tballs, this entire gem is like a ultra-heavy downtuned breakdown from beginning to end. I'm glad I'm not listening to this while having my breakfast cereal, otherwise there would be a huge mess of things. These thall legends are like the son of Emmure and The Tony Danza Tapdance Extravanganza.

Humanity's Last Breath - "Anthracite" from Anthracite (2025)

4.5/5. More thall? You got it! This song and the Grimace Shake would make a lethal combo. Glad that this band and fellow thall masters Vildhjarta are still around this year.

The Breathing Process - "The Conscious Observer" from Samsara (2018)

5/5. Starting off melodic, the guitars and growls continue to strike forward, perfectly balanced with the melody. I also love the midsection guitar soloing that's a nice pleasant break from the blackened chaos.

The Devil Wears Prada - "Supernova" from Space (2015)

4.5/5. I especially love the chorus in this track. RIP Daniel Williams...

It Dies Today - "Life of Uncertainty" from Lividity (2009)

5/5. I really love this song, being another prime example of 2000s metalcore. Jason Wood is quite great at his vocals, though he can't beat Nicholas Brooks.

156/Silence - "Better Written Villain" from People Watching (2024)

4.5/5. I decided to listen to this on YouTube, and I stumbled upon the version with the intro "Sleep Spikes". And d*mn, they fit together like a glove!

Lamb of God - "Again We Rise" from Sacrament (2006)

4/5. Look, as much as I know Lamb of God is more of a groove metal band, there are a few songs that have a more metalcore vibe, in a similar vein to Cave In and the NWOAHM movement. Everything's intense from the intro ("RISE!!!!") to the bridge ("You'll never be one of our kind! This ain't yours, f*** you, don't try!") and so on.

Dragoncorpse - "Born Again" from Born Again (2025)

4.5/5. Dragoncorpse are born again, and they continue their blend of the power metal of DragonForce and the epic deathcore of Lorna Shore. They even throw in some of the epic folk metal of Ensiferum and Equilibrium, which reminds me, I need to start listening to those bands for real.

Structures - "Gone / Dead" from None of the Above (2021)

4/5. Structures' temporary split showed that the band was gone but not dead. Despite the obvious Limp Bizkit/nu metal vibes in the instrumentation and vocals, the riffing is quite sick. Plus there is a bit of a Silent Planet-ish sound here and there, so some great points for that. I just wish they had more of the intricacy of their earlier albums. I could practically use this for a party to have all the guests headbanging. Probably would've been better if it was two or three times longer though.

We Came as Romans - "If There's Nothing to See" from Cold Like War (2017)

4.5/5. One of the best songs of this album, throwing back to their earlier roots and featuring one of the I Prevail vocalists. RIP Kyle Pavone...

Girlsbeinggirls - "Girls Cutting Girls" from Girlsbeinggirls (2025)

4/5. Girls be girls. Mathcore be mathcore, no matter how chaotic and disturbing it can get.

Daughters - "Jones from Indiana" from Canada Songs (2003)

3.5/5. I think I know where Girlsbeinggirls got some of their speed and chaos from.

The Chariot - "They Drew Their Swords" from The Fiancee (2007)

4/5. Christian math/metalcore can be quite kick-A, as well as spawning some strange unique music videos.

Psyopus - "X and Y" from Odd Senses (2009)

3.5/5. D*mn, it's sad that bands like The Chariot and Psyopus are gone. Let's enjoy this while we can.

The Number Twelve Looks Like You - "An Aptly Fictional Description" from Nuclear Sad Nuclear (2005)

4/5. After a jazzy 30-second intro, we end up getting the band's usual progressive deathly mathcore. Some cool guitar arpeggios appear in the midsection along with the last bit of screaming to end the first half. Then the entire second half is just a baroque waltz. Only the strictly heavy mathcore fans would stay for just that first half.

Wolves at the Gate - "The King" from The King (2012)

4.5/5. Since this is the December Revolution playlist, I knew I couldn't miss out on including at least one Christmas metal song. Well this is actually from their earlier post-hardcore era, though metal enough to be included here. It would also be re-recorded for their Christmas-themed EP Lowborn. And even non-Christians would praise it!

Trivium - "Six Walls" from Struck Dead (2025)

5/5. The new Trivium EP's 7-minute epic, it may just be the "And I Return to Nothingness title track" of this EP, longer and more epic than the heavy rest of the offering. After a haunting one-minute intro, the remaining 6 minutes has the band's thrashy melodic metalcore reminiscent of Ascendancy, with a more cinematic progressive structure. It's the perfect emotional storm! Oh, and I would like to note that based on the different keys that are out of the E-flat/drop D-flat/7-string B-flat/drop A-flat tuning range, this may be the first ever Trivium track in D tuning (not drop D, standard D) (in my theory). So many surprises in that towering track that are easy to remember!

Hope for the Dying - "Open Up the Sky" from Aletheia (2013)

5/5. But then we have the closing epic of this Hope for the Dying album that is the band's longest song at 12 and a half minutes. It's truly one of the most epic and innovative metal tracks I've heard in my life. Everything's so progressive with occasional hardcore bursts. You have to be really experienced musically and lyrics to understand it all. Then everything ends with distant piano. So legendary!

Atreyu - "Lip Gloss and Black" from Suicide Notes and Butterfly Kisses (2002)

4.5/5. OK, let's really end this playlist with a melodic metalcore classic. And just like the previous track, it has a beautiful piano ending.

Pretty good playlist I've made, huh? I recommend this to any metalcore fan and anyone who isn't into metalcore but is up to getting into a great start for the genre. Thanks to anyone who have contributed with their own submissions, and I hope the rest of you enjoy it like I've had!

Another Infinite playlist I felt up to breezing through entirely. Great work, Saxy! Here are all my track thoughts:

Avenged Sevenfold – Fermi Paradox (2016)

4.5/5. Quite a cool start to this playlist! Avenged Sevenfold has pulled off some impressive progressiveness ala Symphony X, as well as some brief moments of blackened blast-beats. I approve of the lyrics too, sounding poetic even in small phrases, "The past is sewn." "My sweet Medusa."

Baroness – Ray on Pinion (2007)

5/5. Mastodon: "We're true geniuses in sludgy progressive metal!" Baroness: "Hold our beers." I'm stunned by how awesome this band is, with the first verses reminding me of Intronaut at that time. The last third of the track fully displays their talent. The cover artwork by frontman John Baizley really pops out as well. I need more of this band!

Car Bomb – Antipatterns (2019)

4.5/5. 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...

Conception – Roll the Fire (1993)

5/5. Similarly with Thunderstone's "Virus", the "2.0" version makes up to checking out the original song, followed by the rest of that band's material. The vocals are so mesmerizing, and so are the incredible guitars. See, Norwegian metal in the 90s wasn't always the black metal of Darkthrone. Did I mention how amazing Roy Khan is? Kamelot may have been the band I was listening to in my teens, but better late than never for my discovery of his earlier band.

Cynic – The Space for This (2008)

4.5/5. The greatest emotion spawns from the blend of clean melody and harsh heaviness from both the music and vocals, that can help motivate you to battle against the weight of depression. There's space for many great memories of when I listened to more melodic progressive metal bands like Cynic. The band started off as more of a jazzy tech-death in their debut Focus before softening their sound 15 years later in Traced in Air. And the soloing at over the 4-minute mark is out of this world!

Defecto – Eternal Descent (2025)

4/5. This one's an underrated heavy banger, with beastly vocals and guitarwork by Nicklas Sonne. A pretty great track worth repeated listening. What a shame that Denmark doesn't have as many prominent metal bands than other Northern European countries. Imagine if Kamelot or Symphony X has less of the symphonics and more rapid-fire melodeath/thrash instrumentation. That's the band and song right there!

Fallujah – The Crystalline Veil (2025)

4.5/5. But if you're up for actual progressive melodic/tech-death, look no further than Fallujah. The guitar and bass sounds amazing here! They really packs some explosive punches at the two-minute mark. When things get more melodic while still progressive a minute and a half later, it might remind some of The Safety Fire. After a minute passes, we get some beautiful soloing in between the vocal sections, guided by intricate drums. Then one more clean chorus, and some f***ing killer riffing to close things off. G****mn, I can almost consider this a perfect gem!

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.

Haken – The Strain (2020)

4.5/5. Y'know, my relationship with The Infinite is a bit strained when I keep losing my appeal for bands like Gojira and Haken. With that said, this song is still interesting despite sounding too much like both TOOL and Lacuna Coil. Still we have excellent progressive guitarwork, making up for the lack of Diego Tejeida's keyboard prominence. There are definitely some Animals as Leaders and Between the Buried and Me vibes here. Along with a Plini-inspired intro. The Dream Theater side of things start to show at over the two-minute mark, leading into two minutes of intensity and bliss. After all that, the final chorus has some of the most beautiful falsetto vocals I've heard. This can practically be an anthem for The Infinite, and I wish it could've existed in my more melodic teenage-hood.

Jinjer – Pausing Death (2019)

5/5. I've often come across playlists that start off heavy but gradually become more melodic. This shows that this playlist is like that, "BUT THIS TIME BACKWARRRRRRDS!!!" So beautiful and brutal, with the final breakdown at the 4-minute mark being a crushing show-stopper.

A Kew’s Tag - …To Reveal a Grieving Goddess (2021)

4.5/5. Do I have to know what the f*** something like a kew's tag is for me to enjoy this song? The beautiful Haken vibes get me hooked.

The Ocean – The Quite Observer (2015)

4/5. Progressive metal and post-sludge are the two best Infinite genres. So why am I quiet about this band? Maybe one day, I'll be up to checking out their material again.

Ok Goodnight – The Snake (2023)

4/5. I wouldn't say this is a total highlight, but it's a raging beast for sure.

Samael – Black Matter Manifesto (2025)

4.5/5. At last, the D-flat-tuned symphonic black metal that has been missing from this band for 30 years (except for Above) has returned! And it's more progressive too, sounding closer to a blend of Coroner's new album Dissonance Theory and Enslaved.

Soen – Savia (2012)

5/5. An awesome highlight, especially in the vocals by Joel Ekelof and the bass by the famous Steve Di Giorgio. A bit TOOL-ish in the beginning, but still beautiful. This incredible song can be both beastly and mellow.

TesseracT – War of Being (2023)

5/5. HOLY MAMMOTH, the 11-minute title epic of the new Tesseract album has really gotten me excited and on my seat! There are so many intense twists that it's hard to count. And the vocals are so majestic. This is the kind of epic Tesseract has had with "Concealing Fate" from One and the 4 epics that make up Altered State, missing in the two albums that followed. Tesseract is really back!

Vildhjarta - + Den spanska känslan + (2025)

5/5. The final track of this album has the last unforgiving riffing throughout this glorious 7-minute epic before letting light shine again, albeit not as bright as it once was.

Vulkan – This Visual Hex (2020)

4.5/5. And finally what's one last long epic to end this splendid playlist? Though the instrumentation sounds a bit programmed.

Here are my thoughts on all the selected tracks:

Sabaton - "Bismarck" from Bismarck (2019)

4/5. Let's begin with this song from one of heavy/power metal's biggest bands of the new millennium, Sabaton. As you can guess, this one is based on Bismarck, a World War battleship named after Otto von Bismarck.

Aquaria - "And Let the Show Begin" from Luxaeterna (2005)

4.5/5. The show is already beginning with another power metal band, this one being part of the Brazilian power metal scene along with Almah and Angra. An amazing uplifting anthem! See this is the kind of music I would've loved to bits 10 years before this comment I was into this happy melodic sound. Even that album cover is beautiful! The band has a lot of talent here, essential for power metal. And there's more of that genre to come later on in the playlist...

Iron Maiden - "Blood Brothers" from Brave New World (2000)

4/5. Now we're getting to some of the masters of heavy metal. A great funeral song for any metalhead, to say farewell to a brother of the metal brotherhood.

Black Sabbath - "Devil & Daughter" from Headless Cross (1989)

3.5/5. The Tony Martin era may not be the Black Sabbath era, but it's certainly underrated. His vocals are quite cool here. Still, no disrespect to the late legend Ozzy Osbourne, RIP. However, the music sounds a little too glam-ish, so it's understandable why this era doesn't get all the fame and glory.

Battle Beast - "Twilight Cabaret" from Steelbound (2025)

4/5. Also a bit pop-ish, though I don't ever regret listening. Seems like the 80s-fueled catchy melody they've had since Bringer of Pain is still going.

Nickelback - "San Quentin" from San Quentin EP (2022)

3.5/5. Well this is gonna p*ss some metalheads off, a Nickelback song appearing in a Metal Academy playlist. But hear me out, this is, to my ears, Nickelback's most metallic song, and their heaviest since "This Means War". It sounds a lot like an Avenged Sevenfold single, and Chad Kroeger's vocals have a bit of a Rob Zombie-esque grit.

Metallica - "Too Far Gone?" from 72 Seasons (2023)

3/5. And now we have a song from Metallica's new album. The music is quite decent, yet the lyrics don't work well for me.

Quiet Riot - "Bad Boy" from Condition Critical (1984)

3.5/5. RIP Kevin DuBrow. His great vocals could really get you pumping. He was one of Quiet Riot's most essential members. The intro riff and bass are pretty good too. Quiet Riot's first two albums (not including their Japan-only 70s albums) are the only two in their classic era metal enough for this site.

X Japan - "Easy Fight Rambling" from Blue Blood (1989)

4/5. One of my favorite songs from this band when I was still listening to them a few years. They're like the Japanese bridge between heavy/glam metal and power metal.

W.A.S.P. - "Come Back to Black" from The Neon God, Pt. 2: The Demise (2004)

3.5/5. I don't listen to much of W.A.S.P., but this is quite a good song. Whether or not the lyrics hit or miss, they are as catchy as the music.

Ozzy Osbourne - "Shot in the Dark" from The Ultimate Sin (1986)

4/5. Another great song by the Prince of Darkness. Once again, RIP Ozzy Osbourne...

Within Temptation - "Shot in the Dark" from The Unforgiving (2011)

4.5/5. Already heading into a different direction is this similarly titled Within Temptation song, including a new aspect that had barely done before by the band; guitar soloing.

Visions of Atlantis - "Lost" from Cast Away (2004)

5/5. RIP Nicole Bogner. G****mn it, the best vocalists just had to be the ones that are gone from this world. And her vocals are a beautiful gift. The song's original album Cast Away has some of my favorite tracks here, including this one. I also enjoy the vocals by Mario Plank which are closer to my own vocal range. In all honesty, I just wish I could have listened to this band 10 years before this comment when my symphonic/power metal interest was at an all-time high. But yeah, fantastic song!

Xandria - "Universal" from Universal Tales (2024)

5/5. Another symphonic metal song to love. Enough said!

Reptilian - "Skeleton Scales" from Castle of Yesterday (2001)

4.5/5. Also quite amazing and enjoyable, if you're up for neoclassical piano metal.

Galneryus - "Let Us Shine" from Between Dread and Valor (2023)

5/5. Yes, let Galneryus shine! F***ing majestic guitarwork by Syu.

Yngwie Malmsteen - "Eclipse" from Eclipse (1990)

4.5/5. As any metalhead would know, Yngwie Malmsteen is a master of neoclassical metal with his guitar-shredding compositions.

Masterplan - "Kind Hearted Light" from Masterplan (2003)

5/5. A true anthem of power metal, showing Grapow and Kusch taking notes on what made Helloween big.

Thunderstone - "Virus" from Thunderstone (2002)

4.5/5. Similarly to Masterplan and other bands like the Brazilian Almah, Thunderstone has power metal gems with strong vocals. Even when a band is underground, they can still sound excellent. Keep rocking, guys!

Serenity - "Forever" from Words Untold & Dreams Unlived (2007)

5/5. An absolutely underrated song with killer lyrics! I've slept on this band for too long, and I'm glad to get on board for more of their material.

Savatage - "Christmas Eve (Sarajevo 12/24)" from Dead Winter Dead (1995)

4.5/5. Since this is the December Guardians playlist, I knew I couldn't miss out on including a couple Christmas metal songs. The first of which you would recognize as that Savatage instrumental popularized by Trans-Siberian Orchestra. It has also been in a couple Christmas specials for The Office and Regular Show. And yeah, both bands' versions are the same recording.

Nightwish - "FantasMic" from Wishmaster (2000)

4.5/5. A fantastic epic paying tribute to the animated works of Disney. It really packs a powerful punch, especially in the final 3 minutes. Absolutely spectacular!

Iron Fire - "Riding Free" from Thunderstorm (2000)

5/5. Some of the great riffs I've heard in heavy/power metal!

Blazon Rite - "The Coming Tide of Yule" from Wild Rites and Ancient Songs (2023)

4.5/5. And finally, there's the epic wonder of this closing track of its original album and this playlist. It's probably the most Christmas-like melodic metal song since that Trans-Siberian Orchestra song. I'm glad this playlist can provide a couple songs worth listening to in the holiday season.

Pretty good playlist I've made, huh? I recommend this to any heavy/power/symphonic/neoclassical metal fan and anyone who isn't into those genres but is up to getting into a great start for the genre. Thanks to anyone who have contributed with their own submissions, and I hope the rest of you enjoy it like I've had!

December 2025

1. Ghostemane - "Crash 'n Learn" from Fear Network II (2021)

2. D'espairsray - "Marry of the Blood" from Born (2004) [submitted by Shadowdoom9 (Andi)]

3. Flesh Field - "Uprising" from Strain (2004)

4. Godflesh - "Obeyed" from A World Lit Only by Fire (2014) [submitted by Shadowdoom9 (Andi)]

5. Lord of the Lost - "Raveyard (feat. Kaarija)" from Raveyard (2025)

6. Marilyn Manson - "The Beautiful People" from Antichrist Superstar (1996)

7. The Interbeing - "Synthetic Bloodline" from Icon of the Hopeless (2022) [submitted by Shadowdoom9 (Andi)]

8. Neurotech - "Repent in Need" from Ave Neptune (2023) [submitted by Shadowdoom9 (Andi)]

9. Sybreed - "Take the Red Pill" from Slave Design (2004)

10. Deadheaven - "Тлеет Горизонт" from Антиреальность (2014)

11. Rob Zombie - "Heathen Days" from Heathen Days (2025)

12. Monster Voodoo Machine - "Temple - Jerico Meltdown Mix" from State Voodoo / State Control (1994)

13. Dome Runner - "Fuji Cracks" from Conflict State Design (2021)

14. Rabbit Junk - "U-Lock Justice!" from Project Nonagon (2010)

15. Khost - "Death Threat" from Many Things Afflict Us Few Things Console Us (2024)

16. Jesus Loves Junkies - "Para-Side" from The Great Escape from Paradise (1998)

17. The Kovenant - "Prophecies of Fire" from Animatronic (1999)

18. Blue Stahli - "Endure" from Obsidian (2021) [submitted by Shadowdoom9 (Andi)]

19. Circle of Dust - "Yurasuka (Blue Stahli Remix)" from Disengage (1998, 2016 remaster) [submitted by Shadowdoom9 (Andi)]

20. Ap2 - "A New World" from Suspension of Disbelief (2000)

21. Fear of Domination - "The Bad Touch" from The Bad Touch (2017)

22. N.K.V.D. - "Hakmarrja" from Hakmarrja (2014)

23. Raubtier - "Hjarteblod" from Det Finns Bara Krig (2009)

24. Rammstein - "Ohne Dich" from Reise, Reise (2004)

25. Zaraza - "Every Day is a Funeral" from Slavic Blapshemy (1997)

26. T3CHN0PH0B1A - "Hold Me Thrill Me Kiss Me Kill Me" from Grave New World (2008)

December 2025

1. Adept - "Blood Covenant" from Blood Covenant (2025)

2. Dead by April - "Bulletproof" from Bulletproof (2020)

3. Cave In - "Vicious Circles" from White Silence (2011)

4. The Narrator - "Aurora" from Aurora (2025)

5. Allt - "Aquila" from From the New World (2024)

6. Nik Nocturnal - "Collapse" from Collapse (2025)

7. Shadows Fall - "Root Bound Apollo" from Of One Blood (1999)

8. AVRALIZE - "Fading Faster" from Liminal (2025)

9. Carnifex - "Dark Days" from Die Without Hope (2014)

10. Reflections - "From Nothing" from Willow (2020) [submitted by Shadowdoom9 (Andi)]

11. Humanity's Last Breath - "Anthracite" from Anthracite (2025)

12. The Breathing Process - "The Conscious Observer" from Samsara (2018) [submitted by Shadowdoom9 (Andi)]

13. The Devil Wears Prada - "Supernova" from Space (2015) [submitted by Shadowdoom9 (Andi)]

14. It Dies Today - "Life of Uncertainty" from Lividity (2009) [submitted by Shadowdoom9 (Andi)]

15. 156/Silence - "Better Written Villain" from People Watching (2024)

16. Lamb of God - "Again We Rise" from Sacrament (2006)

17. Dragoncorpse - "Born Again" from Born Again (2025)

18. Structures - "Gone / Dead" from None of the Above (2021) [submitted by Shadowdoom9 (Andi)]

19. We Came as Romans - "If There's Nothing to See" from Cold Like War (2017) [submitted by Shadowdoom9 (Andi)]

20. Girlsbeinggirls - "Girls Cutting Girls" from Girlsbeinggirls (2025)

21. Daughters - "Jones from Indiana" from Canada Songs (2003)

22. The Chariot - "They Drew Their Swords" from The Fiancee (2007)

23. Psyopus - "X and Y" from Odd Senses (2009)

24. The Number Twelve Looks Like You - "An Aptly Fictional Description" from Nuclear Sad Nuclear (2005)

25. Wolves at the Gate - "The King" from The King (2012)

26. Trivium - "Six Walls" from Struck Dead (2025)

27. Hope for the Dying - "Open Up the Sky" from Aletheia (2013)

28. Atreyu - "Lip Gloss and Black" from Suicide Notes and Butterfly Kisses (2002) [submitted by Shadowdoom9 (Andi)]

December 2025

1. Sabaton - "Bismarck" from Bismarck (2019)

2. Aquaria - "And Let the Show Begin" from Luxaeterna (2005)

3. Iron Maiden - "Blood Brothers" from Brave New World (2000)

4. Black Sabbath - "Devil & Daughter" from Headless Cross (1989)

5. Battle Beast - "Twilight Cabaret" from Steelbound (2025)

6. Nickelback - "San Quentin" from San Quentin EP (2022)

7. Metallica - "Too Far Gone?" from 72 Seasons (2023)

8. Quiet Riot - "Bad Boy" from Condition Critical (1984)

9. X Japan - "Easy Fight Rambling" from Blue Blood (1989)

10. W.A.S.P. - "Come Back to Black" from The Neon God, Pt. 2: The Demise (2004)

11. Ozzy Osbourne - "Shot in the Dark" from The Ultimate Sin (1986)

12. Within Temptation - "Shot in the Dark" from The Unforgiving (2011)

13. Visions of Atlantis - "Lost" from Cast Away (2004) [Suggested by Shadowdoom9 (Andi)]

14. Xandria - "Universal" from Universal Tales (2024)

15. Reptilian - "Skeleton Scales" from Castle of Yesterday (2001)

16. Galneryus - "Let Us Shine" from Between Dread and Valor (2023) [Suggested by Shadowdoom9 (Andi)]

17. Yngwie Malmsteen - "Eclipse" from Eclipse (1990)

18. Masterplan - "Kind Hearted Light" from Masterplan (2003) [Suggested by Shadowdoom9 (Andi)]

19. Thunderstone - "Virus" from Thunderstone (2002)

20. Serenity - "Forever" from Words Untold & Dreams Unlived (2007) [Suggested by Shadowdoom9 (Andi)]

21. Savatage - "Christmas Eve (Sarajevo 12/24)" from Dead Winter Dead (1995)

22. Nightwish - "FantasMic" from Wishmaster (2000)

23. Iron Fire - "Riding Free" from Thunderstorm (2000) [Suggested by Shadowdoom9 (Andi)]

24. Blazon Rite - "The Coming Tide of Yule" from Wild Rites and Ancient Songs (2023)

My review for the album is quite short, so here's the link: https://metal.academy/reviews/32245/4336

5/5

Recommended tracks: "Teurastaja", "Verta ja lihaa", "Pimeyden morsian"

For fans of: Deathstars, Rammstein, Fear of Domination

Here's my review summary:

Not often can you find something that can sound so fresh even after over 25 years following its release. As awesome as many other metalcore releases, they would be bowing down to the true groundbreaking developing albums of the genre. The title and release date fit well together, considering it was released in December 1999, one month before the new millennium (unless you wanna be technical). Already there was hope for a promising future for metal and hardcore in this millennium. There's a lot of fury from the guitar and vocals. Jeffrey Moreira has wonderful vocals as he screams well-written lyrics at the top of his lungs. Not a lot of metalcore vocalists have the same rage as Jeffrey, and he also does some clean singing that helps the band standout among other early metalcore bands. All in all, The Opposite of December is just what every metalcore fan really needs. Something so beautiful and brutal was made by this young talented group that would stand the test of time. This impactful gem is essential for all metal/hardcore fans, one that you can't go your entire life without!

5/5

Recommended tracks: "12/23/93", "Slice Paper Wrists", "To Mandate Heaven", "Not Within Arms Length", "My Mirror No Longer Reflects"

For fans of: Eighteen Visions, early Hopesfall, This Day Forward

Update for January:

THE FALLEN: SONNY, Vinny

THE GATEWAY: ANDI, Saxy

THE GUARDIANS: ANDI, Sonny, Karl

THE HORDE: KARL, Vinny, Sonny

THE INFINITE: SAXY, Andi

THE NORTH: SONNY, Karl, Vinny

THE PIT: VINNY, Sonny

THE REVOLUTION: ANDI

THE SPHERE: ANDI

Here's my submission for the January Gateway playlist:

SEGA SOUND TEAM, Tomoya Ohtani, Kellin Quinn, Tyler Smyth - "Find Your Flame" (from Sonic Frontiers Original Soundtrack Stillness & Motion, 2022)

Welcome to Metal Academy, Lud! I gotta say, both songs are epic, but I choose "Another Side" as the correct side. Though if you're trying to promote your songs and get them more well-known and appreciated, maybe don't rely heavily on AI for your music videos. Just a suggestion. Nonetheless, you do you.

An epic finale that has the band's usual modern sound leading up to the final chorus' grand climax:

Some killer heaviness in this big banger:

It's dragons vs. goblins in DragonForce's brand-new kick-A collab with Nekrogoblikon and Beat Saber:

This fun industrial trance metal cover of the Bloodhound Gang hit is a cool throwback to Fear of Domination's earlier material as well as Turmion Katilot:

Stevie T's power metal AI experiment has become an accidental hit sensation. So much so that someone else actually made their own full cover of that track. Really getting some X Japan/Galneryus/Stratovarius vibes from this one:

Second single with the new lineup. Glad things didn't get f***ed up, and let's hope they don't, fingers crossed. For real though, this is another solid banger:

Just useless jazzy guitar noodling that breaks the flow of the album by appearing so early:

A short yet progressive instrumental with no time wasted at all and some of the best soloing and drumming here:

Truly devastating technical carnage of revived classic progressive tech-death:

Although my interest in alt-rock/metal bands like Linkin Park has dropped after moving out of The Gateway, at least I still like some bands. Here's my discography ranking for one of those bands, Coldrain (including EPs with fresh material):

1. The Enemy Inside

2. The Side Effects

3. Nonnegative

4. The Revelation

5. Through Clarity

6. Nothing Lasts Forever

7. Until the End

8. Optimize

9. Vena

10. Final Destination

11. Fateless

You know that Coldrain song I've just shared in the Gateway Track of the Day thread?

I shared it with one of my outside-world friends, the one who got me into Coldrain and other Japanese alt-metalcore bands via Gundam Extreme. He told me that it has a similar tune and melody as another J-rock song that he likes that was shared by another outside-world friend. And he is right! That song and this one are mashup-worthy:

The opening title highlight of Coldrain's new EP has made me optimistic for what may come next in Japanese modern metal:

I'm glad to appreciate some of the more melodic progressive metal bands like this one:

But I'm still up for the deathly heaviness and ethereal atmosphere coming from this band:

Still expanding my reborn heavy/power/symphonic metal interest, here are 5 bands of those genres that I've heard of when I was still completely in that zone 10 years ago, but didn't start listening to them full-time until I rediscovered them in the playlists that I've assembled in the last few months:

Starting off as a post-hardcore band leaning into metalcore, Dayseeker has since headed towards alt-rock/metal, the metal part shining the most in their new album:

One of the earliest American death-doom bands still active today:

Here my top 10 of 1994:

1. Circle of Dust - Brainchild

2. Unbroken - Life. Love. Regret.

3. The 3rd & the Mortal - Sorrow

4. PainKiller - Execution Ground

5. The 3rd & the Mortal - Tears Laid in Earth

6. Grave - Soulless

7. Godflesh - Selfless

8. Godflesh - Merciless

9. Demolition Hammer - Time Bomb

10. Living Sacrifice - Inhabit

Nik Nocturnal has returned from his break to do some FUN. METAL. THINGS!!!! Kick-A modern metalcore/deathcore/electronic things, to be exact:

Ben, please add the new VoidCeremony album Abditum.

Also if any of the tracks above encourage you to check out more of those bands and come up with some ideas for the monthly Spotify playlists, here's a thread to add in your playlist suggestions: https://metal.academy/forum/10/thread/480

Also if any of the tracks above encourage you to check out more of those bands and come up with some ideas for the monthly Spotify playlists, here's a thread to add in your playlist suggestions: https://metal.academy/forum/9/thread/479

Also if any of the tracks above encourage you to check out more of those bands and come up with some ideas for the monthly Spotify playlists, here's a thread to add in your playlist suggestions: https://metal.academy/forum/7/thread/477

Here are some tracks I can think of that can be good for your Sphere playlist:

Fear Factory - "Recharger" from The Industrialist

PAIN - "Same Old Song" from Dancing with the Dead

Sybreed - "Bioactive" from Slave Design

Strapping Young Lad - "All Hail the New Flesh" from City

The Amenta - "Plague of Locus" from Plague of Locus

Blue Stahli - "Lakes of Flame" from Lakes of Flame

Red Harvest - "Beyond the End" from Sick Transit Gloria Mundi

Northlane - "Freefall" from Alien

Circle of Dust - "Chasm" from Disengage

Cypecore - "Neoteric Gods" from Make Me Real

Godflesh - "Live to Lose" from Us and Them

Celldweller - "Electric Eye" from Satellites

Psyclon Nine - "I Choose Violence" from And Then Oblivion

Old - "Disconnect Self" from Lo Flux Tube

Mechina - "Machine God" from Tyrannical Resurrection

Turmion Katilot - "Helvetin Torvet" from Universal Satan

Samael - "In Gold We Trust" from Lux Mundi

AP2 - "The Only Man I Know" from Supsension of Disbelief

By the way, Zach, I noticed you haven't done the same thing with the Revolution clan. I might start that thread for you later if you'd like, I have a lot to narrow down.

Here are some tracks I can think of that can be good for your Pit playlist:

Lost Society - "Fast Loud Death" from Fast Loud Death

Warbringer - "The Sword and the Cross" from Wrath and Ruin

Sabbat - "Do Dark Horses Dream of Nightmares?" from Dreamweaver

The Haunted - "Bury Your Dead" from Made Me Do It

Demolition Hammer - "Neanderthal" from Tortured Existence

Annihilator - "Human Insecticide" from Alice in Hell

Vektor - "Tetrastructural Minds" from Outer Isolation

Onslaught - "Welcome to Dying" from In Search of Sanity

Here are some tracks I can think of that can be good for your North playlist:

Samael - "After the Sepulture" from Blood Ritual

Shade Empire - "Disembodiment" from Omega Arcane

Stormlord - "Under the Samnites' Spears" from At the Gates of Utopia

Mental Cruelty - "Nordlys" from Zwielicht

Shylmagoghnar - "A New Dawn" from Emergence

Here are some tracks I can think of that can be good for your Infinite playlist:

Threshold - "The Man Who Saw Through Time" from Legends of the Shires

Fates Warning - "Epitaph" from The Spectre Within

Symphony X - "Revelation (Divus Pennae Ex Tragoedia)" from Paradise Lost

In Vain - "Where the Winds Meet" from Solemn

Xerath - "I Hold Dominion" from III

Alchemist - "Worlds Within Worlds" from Jar of Kingdom

Madder Mortem - "Resonantine" from Deadlands

Tesseract - "War of Being" from War of Being

Anacrusis - "Grateful" from Screams and Whispers

Extol - "The Things I Found" from The Blueprint Dives

Dir En Grey - "Vinushka" from Uroboros

Voivod - "Killing Technology" from Killing Technology

Seventh Wonder - "Unbreakable" from Mercy Falls

Meshuggah - "Future Breed Machine" from Destroy Erase Improve

Here are some tracks I can think of that can be good for your Horde playlist:

Orbit Culture - "Open Eye" from Nija

Hypocrisy - "Eraser" from The Arrival

Grave - "Into the Grave" from Into the Grave

Obscura - "The Anticosmic Overload" from Cosmogenesis

Fleshgod Apocalypse - "Abyssal" from Mafia

The Amenta - "Nihil" from Occasus

Job for a Cowboy - "The Synthetic Sea" from Sun Eater

Becoming the Archetype - "Autopsy" from The Physics of Fire

Soilwork - "Soilworker's Song of the Damned" from Natural Born Chaos

Dethklok - "Hatredcopter" from The Dethalbum

Insomnium - "Drawn to Black" from Above the Weeping World

Pestilence - "Testimony" from Testimony of the Ancients

Cynic - "Sentiment" from Focus

Here are some tracks I can think of that can be good for your Guardians playlist:

Accept - "Metal Heart" from Metal Heart

Avenged Sevenfold - "Nightmare" from Nightmare

Volbeat - "Still Counting" from Guitar Gangsters & Cadillac Blood

Queensryche - "Neue Regel" from Rage of Order

Battle Beast - "Last Goodbye" from Last Goodbye

Enforcer - "Mask of Red Death" from From Beyond

Crimson Glory - "Masque of the Red Death" from Transcendence

Bruce Dickinson - "Afterglow of Ragnarok" from The Mandrake Project

3 Inches of Blood - "Silent Killer" from Here Waits Thy Doom

Here are some tracks I can think of that can be good for your Gateway playlist:

36 Crazyfists - "Slit Wrist Theory" from Bitterness the Star

Butcher Babies - "Magnolia Blvd." from Goliath

Cane Hill - "Screwtape" from Smile

Demon Hunter - "Infected" from Demon Hunter

Issues - "Coma" from Headspace

Karnivool - "Mauseum" from Themata

Luti-Kriss - "Black Smith" from Throwing Myself

Mushroomhead - "Kill Tomorrow" from XIII

Slipknot - "The Heretic Anthem" from Iowa

Here are some tracks I can think of that can be good for your Fallen playlist:

Swallow the Sun - "Swallow (Horror I)" from The Morning Never Came (death-doom)

October Tide - "Infinite Submission" from Rain Without End (death-doom)

Trail of Tears - "Bloodstained Endurance" from Bloodstained Endurance (gothic metal)

Neurosis - "The Eye of Every Storm" from The Eye of Every Storm (post-sludge (more sludge than post-))

Cult of Luna - "The Revelation Embodied" from Cult of Luna (post-sludge (more sludge than post-))

Ben, please add the Dragoncorpse EP The Fall of House Abbarath.

Hello again, Zach! I have some good ideas for your playlists, but I'll need some time to narrow them down. Can't wait to show them to you.

The once-shelved 6th album by Textures, Genotype will finally be released on January 23, 2026 (wow, a two-day early birthday present for me!). Check out this killer new single, featuring Charlotte Wessels (ex-Delain):

A massive live rendition of a catchy speedy highlight has planted the seed for international power metal bands like Stratovarius: