Shadowdoom9 (Andi)'s Forum Replies

December 2024

1. Altesia – Mouth of the Sky (2021)

2. Atomic Guava – Tether (2024)

3. Chaos Divine – Landmines (2015)

4. Devin Townsend – Goodbye (2024)

5. DGM – From Ashes (2024)

6. Extol – Reflections of a Broken Soul (1998)

7. Fates Warning – One (2000)

8. Hemotoxin – Reborn in Tragedy (2024)

9. Intronaut – The Unlikely Event of a Water Landing (2015)

10. Kardashev – Silvered Shadows (2022)

11. Mur – Vitrun (2024)

12. The Ocean – Unconformities (2023)

13. Opeth – S4 (2024)

14. Pyrrhon – Not Going To Mars (2024)

15. Tesseract – Luminary (2018)

16. Textures – To Erase a Lifetime (2008)

17. Trenches – Pathways (2008)

18. You Win Again Gravity – Dreadbound (2024)

November 2024

1. Amiensus – Solfario (2024)

2. Anciients – Raise the Sun (2013)

3. Arch Echo – SUPER SUDDEN DEATH (2023)

4. Arcturus – Crashland (2015)

5. Black Crown Initiate – A Great Mistake (2014)

6. Cynic – Integral Birth (2008)

7. Hammers of Misfortune – Widow’s Wall (2006)

8. Hippotraktor – The Indifferent Human Eye (2024)

9. In Vain – Watch For Me On The Mountain (2024)

10. Jakub Zytecki, David Maxim Micic – Eternal Fact of Water (2015)

11. Night Verses – Bound To You (2024)

12. Ramage Inc. – Humanity Has Failed (2023)

13. The Resonance Project – Ad Astra (2023)

14. Scale The Summit – Trapped in Ice (2015)

15. Sumac – Clutch of Oblivion (I) (2016)

16. Thy Catafalque – Piros kocsi, fekete éj (2024)

17. Textures – Polars (2003)

18. Thrailkill – Exercise in Futility (2020)

19. Vintersea – Celestial Abscission (2024)

it'd be cool if there was a band that was like Skinny puppy if they played metal, but I failed to find it.

How about Front Line Assembly's Millennium? The band was formed by ex-Skinny Puppy member Bill Leeb, and Millennium is the most metal album in their discography.

Welcome to Metal Academy, MiNd KeYs! The more progressive and boundary-pushing industrial metal releases that I've experienced are the ones that cross over between The Infinite and The Sphere clans. Those include:

Dødheimsgard - Supervillain Outcast

OLD - Lo Flux Tube 

OLD - The Musical Dimensions of Sleastak

Strapping Young Lad - The New Black

Voivod - Phobos (although I consider it much more progressive than industrial)

If you would also like post-industrial metal (as in a combination of post-metal and industrial metal), I might also add:

Corrections House - Last City Zero

Godflesh - Post Self

Red Harvest - HyBreed

And I don't know if you like the more underrated and overlooked cyber metal subgenre, but if you do, I would also recommend Mechina's Acheron, a journey through epic cinematic progressive cyber metal.

Please feel free to check out those releases and hope they match what you're looking for. Enjoy!

The perfect music and lyrics to end the cyber metal adventure of Neurotech's Infra Versus Ultra:

A few of the greatest highlights of The Decipher Volumes, one per each volume, including the ultimate cyber metal anthem:

This dominating dance-y standout:

And the grand ambient finale:

The shortest and weakest failure of Neurotech's debut album:

The best highlight in this good yet humble start of Neurotech's career (besides the Transhuman EP):

Ben, please add these Fire From the Gods releases:

Eat

Narrative Retold

This dynamic highlight can sound so melancholic and malicious, sometimes at the same time:

Nice one, Storm_Lord!

Two new singles have come out last Friday, this one another kick-A single by this Australian alt-rock/metal band:

And as for this one below... two groundbreaking Asian modern metal bands UNITE!

The perfect climax of slow progressive death-doom, as growls and cleans battle it out once more:

One of the greatest standouts of this progressive death-doom offering, unleashing guitar aggression in contrast with the string tranquility:

I've given this album some listening and a review to explore some progressive death-doom after I was tricked by Novembre's 1994 progressive gothic black metal debut, and you're absolutely right there, Sonny. The complex structures, tempo changes, and extensive keyboard ambience greatly define progressiveness, to go with the doomy melancholy. I'll be voting YES for this entry once it makes it into the Hall.

This progressive thrash instrumental journey can be considered the Quadra Crusade:

An orchestral march leads into high-speed chaos in this blazing epic opening track:

I can definitely hear some thrash in the few thrash tunes you have mentioned in your review ("Isolation", "Last Time", "Ali"). However, even "Means to an End" blasts through with the thrash/groove metal of The Haunted, according to my ears. And even the more progressive tracks like "Guardians of Earth" and "The Pentagram" don't sound too far from thrash, with the latter track having some similar ideas to the title instrumental of Trivium's The Crusade. So I'll have to vote NO for this entry, Daniel. But I'll vote YES for the entry adding this album to The Infinite.

I've done my review, here's its review summary:

The 80s thrash tsunami occurred mostly in the US, the UK, and Germany, but one band from Brazil has propelled that country into the scene. Sepultura brought Brazilian thrash metal forward with albums Beneath the Remains and Arise. Though longtime thrash fans were turned off by their switch to groove metal in Chaos A.D. and the more Korn-ish nu metal of Roots. After that, frontman Max Cavalera quit the band, followed by his brother drummer Igor a decade later. The band has continued to stay active, all the way up to this year (as of my review), when they started a farewell tour that will last until 2026. More often than not, when a thrash band tries to relive their 80s era of destruction and mayhem, it doesn't reach the same glory as that era. However, the thrash sound in the band's possible final album before retiring has been given more modern depth, and whether or not you've only heard one of Max Cavalera's other projects like Nailbomb or Soulfly beforehand, you can't resist the tribal heaviness of this band now led by top-notch vocalist Derrick Green. Bassist Paulo Jr. and guitarist Andreas Kisser have kept the band going throughout their history, heating things up with the riffing and shredding. And we have the rocket-powered drumming of Eloy Casagrande, who didn't stick around for the farewell tour. Quadra is an album of 4 different 3-track sections that practically pay tribute to their different eras. In my full review, I've named them after 4 of the classical elements; the "Thrash Fire", the "Groove Earth", the "Progressive Water", and the "Melodic Air". Of course, each section doesn't strictly follow its respective sound. The "Thrash Fire" section can bring in some groove for a thrash/groove blend similar to The Haunted. The "Groove Earth" section can go progressive at times. The "Progressive Water" section is more than just that, as I consider a couple highlights each an epic progressive groove/thrash fest. The "Melodic Air" section has two melodic heavy metal/hard rock tracks that are stylistically untouched, nor does their sound bleed into the other sections while makes this one the odd section out. Anyone who has enjoyed Sepultura since before their move out of thrash 30 years ago will find something to love, and those who came here for progressive energy and/or earthly groove will be in luck. This blend of thrash and groove is similar to Slayer's final album Repentless, only lightyears better and more progressive. I think Quadra can win back earlier Sepultura fans while also bring newcomers who have spent time with music from bands like Machine Head and Gojira. The possible final offering from these Brazilian thrash masters shall be worth it for any metalhead!

4.5/5

Cool, thanks Ben!

THE FALLEN: Novembre - Dreams d'azur (2002) 4/5

THE GATEWAY: Devin Townsend - PowerNerd (2024) 4.5/5

THE INFINITE: Atheist - Unquestionable Presence (1991) 5/5

THE PIT: Sepultura - Quadra (2020) 4.5/5

THE REVOLUTION: Imminence - The Black (2024) 4.5/5

Another solid month for feature releases, with many of them, including the ones I've nominated, being fantastic albums that I would recommend to fans of their respective genres. Keep up the good work on the feature releases, all! I look forward to more...

Good epic morning for metalcore! All That Remains' long-awaited new album Antifragile has just been announced.

Meanwhile, vocalist Philip Labonte's former band Shadows Fall are back from the grey with a killer new single:

Too much of a dramatic sh*tter:

Lots of speed and destruction from the music and vocals, with a fun anthemic chorus:

Kicking things off hard is this heavy track in which fast rhythms and grooves stick together with some clean melodies:

Ben, please add the Neurotech compilation album The Decipher Volumes.

An epic piece of majestic symphonic metalcore:

A true f***ing banger of alt-metalcore:

I've done my review, here's its summary:

Swedish violin-fueled metalcore masters Imminence has been gaining a lot more fans with their successful 2021 album Heaven in Hiding. Their growing maturity has pulled them towards their vision to please metalcore listeners with a unique atmospheric sound. Several singles for that album and its deluxe edition have spawned, and they came with immersive music videos for anyone wanting more than just the music experience. And now they're back with their new album The Black! Despite half the amount of songs having already been released as singles, their great consistency is still on, with heaviness from breakdowns and melodies from hooks. And of course, the violin is what helps them stay nicely different, while the songs attack with thick riffs and rhythms that fit with the drumming of Peter Hanstrom. You can expect songs focused on heavy aggression or majestic symphonics or both. Let your mind absorb The Black and remember the band's game-changing ways in the metalcore scene. A big impact rising out of the void!

4.5/5

Recommended tracks: "Heaven Shall Burn", "Beyond the Pale", "Death by a Thousand Cuts", "The Call of the Void", "Continuum", "The Black"

For fans of: Architects, Ne Obliviscaris (for the blend of violins and metal), Northlane

Ah jeez... I was trying to ease myself through the drama of As I Lay Dying falling apart and their frontman Tim Lambesis involved in domestic violence, and now another band appears to have a similar ordeal. With Jon Allen's domestic abuse and subsequent firing, Sadus is down to its last member (Darren Travis) and dropped from their record label Nuclear Blast. I feel sorry for all affected and harmed in this matter and wish them the best.

The perfect summary of all the band had to offer in their 4th album:

The heavy guitars and drums, as well as emotional cleans and screams, can have you thinking of Architects with violins:

Just a sh*tty poppy track sounding like a leftover from their previous album This is Goodbye:

The epitome of epic ambient metalcore:

An amazing track with sweet piano and drums:

An amazing highlight to please metalcore fans who have been following Imminence in the 10 years since this album's release:

I have to admit, I was also sitting on the fence between whether or not I would consider this album and the 1994 debut black metal as a primary genre. While there are songs with a prominent black metal sound, whether in sections or as a whole, the other main genres have more of the spotlight. But ultimately, after some further listening, I've come to the conclusion that there is enough black metal to qualify. My opinion on the gothic metal side of the sound still stands though in the more mellow melancholic moments. So I'd consider both albums progressive/gothic/black metal, thereby voting YES for the entries adding them to The North and NO for the entries removing them from The Fallen.

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

Celldweller - "Unshakeable" (5:14) from Wish Upon a Blackstar (2012)

Fear Factory - "Zero Signal" (5:57) from Demanufacture (1995)

Psyclon Nine - "Anaesthetic (For the Pathetic)" (4:02) from Crwn Thy Frnicatr (2006)

Red Harvest - "Dead Cities" (3:42) from A Greater Darkness (2007)

Sybreed - "Twelve Megatons Gravity" (5:44) from Antares (2007)

Turmion Katilot - "Schlachter" (3:49) from Reset (2024)

Total length: 28:28

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

All That Remains - "Forever Cold" (4:44) from Forever Cold (2024)

Black Veil Brides - "Knives and Pens" (4:16) from Re-Stitch These Wounds (2020)

The Browning - "MISERY.exe" (2:22) from OMNI (2024)

Carnifex - "Dragged into the Grave" (3:54) from Die Without Hope (2014)

Enter Shikari - "Sorry, You're Not a Winner" (4:12) from Take to the Skies (2007)

Haste the Day - "For a Lifetime" (3:23) from When Everything Falls (2005)

Trivium - "Forsake Not the Dream" (5:20) from In Waves (2011)

Total length: 28:11

Here are my submissions for the January Infinite playlist:

Alchemist - "Jar of Kingdom" (6:17) from Jar of Kingdom (1993) (based on Embryonics 90-98 compilation, 2006)

Atheist - "Unquestionable Presence" (4:07) from Unquestionable Presence (1991)

Devin Townsend - "Tiny Tears" (9:12) from Terria (2001)

Extol - "The Things I Found" (6:24) from The Blueprint Dives (2005)

Gojira, Marina Viotti & Victor Le Masne - "Mea Culpa (Ah! Ça ira!)" (2:53) from Mea Culpa (Ah! Ça ira!) (2024)

Total length: 28:53

Here are my submissions for the January Gateway playlist:

Alesti, Loveless - "Voices" (3:20) from Voices (2021)

Bad Omens - "Blood" (3:50) from Finding God Before God Finds Me (2019)

Bring Me the Horizon - "Kingslayer" (3:38) from Post Human: Survival Horror (2020)

Coldrain - "Bloody Power Fame" (3:58) from Nonnegative (2022)

Godsmack - "Bulletproof" (2:57) from When Legends Rise (2018)

Linkin Park - "Two Faced" (3:03) from From Zero (2024)

Nothing More - "Stuck" (3:29) from Carnal (2024)

Starset - "Dystopia" (4:37) from Dystopia (2024)

Total length: 28:52

Calm acoustics aside, this is a vast improvement compared to the two tracks originally in the debut:

Still reigning as one of my favorites from Novembre's debut in this re-recording:

I've done my review, here's its summary:

The talented Novembre know how to please their longtime listeners. Their 1994 debut Wish I Could Dream It Again suffered from poor production and execution and ended up out of print. One year after the 4th album Novembrine Waltz, the band decided to re-record their debut with a new name, Dreams d'Azur. Now this is a much better take on that album! There's more unique atmosphere to let the different parts really shine, whether it's the extreme heaviness in the drums, guitars, and growls, or the smooth melody from the acoustics, keyboards, and cleans that are greatly improved compared to the debut. The structures greatly set up the bridge between extreme and melancholic. There's great flow with some slight choppiness. Beautiful dreamy lyrics cover all the songs, with one of them written in Italian. The only songs I enjoy in the debut still reign as some of my favorites in the re-recording. And most of the other tracks have vast improvement compared to the debut. The progressive/gothic/black metal dream is real....

4/5

Here are my thoughts on all the selected tracks:

Blue Stahli - "Obsidian" from Obsidian (2021)

5/5. I love the opening track of Blue Stahli's new album Obsidian, which in a way, is like a more cyber Circle of Dust. After building up in drums and guitars for almost a minute, you get to hear one of the darkest melodies in industrial metal. Then a minute after that part ends, a DOOM-like drop B-flat breakdown comes in before that melody is reprised once more. Truly exceptional! Bret Autrey has done fantastic work, even in the lyrics that only show up briefly.

Celldweller - "The Last Firstborn" from Celldweller (2003)

5/5. Another f***ing awesome piece of electro-industrial rock/metal! Many of Celldweller's songs have appeared in different TV shows, video games, and movies. There really should be more progressive songs for Klayton to create. I also love the heavy verses, first one at the one-minute mark.

Psyclon Nine - "Crown of the Worm" from Icon of the Adversary (2017)

4.5/5. Heavy is the f***ing crown worn by these masters of blackened electro-industrial metal.

Dawn of Ashes - "Poisoning the Steps of Babel" from Anathema (2013)

4/5. One of the most f***ing disturbing songs I've heard in industrial metal and probably any other genre. This dramatic blackened industrial metal sound is like a more electronic take on the symphonic black metal of Covenant and Dimmu Borgir. Adding to the disturbance is the muffled cries of torture heard throughout the song, most prominently during the final 30 seconds.

Red Queen - "Naked" from Star Blood (2016)

3.5/5. I said this before and I'll say it again; Red Queen is basically In This Moment gone Psyclon Nine/Dawn of Ashes.

Marilyn Manson - "In the Shadow of the Valley of Death" from Holy Wood (2000)

3/5. The soft acoustic first half sounds a little too poppy for me, but at least the second half has the industrial rock/metal that fans of the genre can adore.

OOMPH! - "Es ist nichts, wie es scheint" from Richter und Henker (2023)

3.5/5. Slightly better, but not by a long shot, since this is the unappealing to me Neue Deutsche Härte.

Rammstein - "Angst" from Zeit (2022)

4/5. This one stomps away the anxiety that Rammstein has written about in the lyrics.

Static-X - "Cold" from Machine (2001)

3.5/5. Many people remember this track from the movie Queen of the Damned. RIP Aaliyah, and RIP Wayne...

Meathook Seed - "Cling to an Image" from Embedded (1993)

4/5. The second-best song of this Meathook Seed album (behind its opener), in which dynamic beats intertwine with the complex guitar.

Fear Factory – "Scumgrief (Deep Dub Trauma Mix)" from Fear is the Mindkiller E.P. (1993)

2.5/5. This remix starts off promising with its original proto-melodeath riffing. However, the overuse of techno beats can be quite traumatic for the more deathly metalheads. Well, not all deathly metalheads. Daniel is the one who requested it, thanks for that.

Red Harvest - "Beyond the End" from Sick Transit Gloria Mundi (2002)

4/5. Some great extreme industrial metal from this Norwegian band!

The CNK - "Total Eclipse of Dead Europa" from L'hymne à la joie (2007)

3.5/5. Grand chorus and rhythms, though a little too pompous. Next!

Dodheimsgard - "Foe X Foe" from Supervillain Outcast (2007)

4/5. Fight against your foes with this piece of experimental blackened industrial metal!

In This Moment - "Mother" from Mother (2020)

4.5/5. The title track of In This Moment album has a spoken prayer in the intro followed by quiet piano before the powerful vocals explode in with tender moments. "I'll give you my everything, I'll never let you fall".

PAIN - "On and On" from Rebirth (1999)

5/5. One of the most f***ing kick-A songs in this dance-y kind of industrial metal. A cool one for any weight-lifters to train.

Luminous Vault - "Earth Daemon" from Animate the Emptiness (2022)

4.5/5. Sludgy blackened industrial metal worth battling your demons!

Neurotech - "We are the Last" from Antagonist (2011)

4/5. Wulf is quite a genius in his Neurotech project. The first 45 seconds have a sweet blend of epic orchestration and heavy riffing.

Mechina - "Elephtheria" from Empyrean (2013)

4.5/5. This is perhaps the most well-executed highlight in this Mechina album, never as poorly aging as the other tracks.

Turmion Katilot - "Verta Sataa" from Perstechnique (2011)

5/5. Having more of the stereotypical catchy industrial metal is this highlight that fuels the cyber sounds of The Kovenant and Deathstars.

Deathstars - "Trinity Fields" from Termination Bliss (2006)

4.5/5. Speaking of Deathstars, we have this track that's the longest of their 2006 album Termination Bliss, though only 4 and a half minutes long. It works as a relaxing change of pace in one of their gigs, or at home after a long day out. Different yet nicely great.

Black Magnet - "Hegemon" from Hallucination Scene (2020)

4/5. Similar vibes to late-80s Ministry/Godflesh, maybe even Machines of Loving Grace.

Unheilig - "Schneller, höher, weiter" from Astronaut (2006)

3.5/5. The vocals sounds quite good here, eerie while not in the same level as Count Dracula.

Samsas Traum - "Es tut uns leid" from Poesie: Friedrichs Geschichte (2015)

4/5. Also solid while I'm still not really into NDH. Now what else is here?...

Ministry - "Cult of Suffering" from HOPIUMFORTHEMASSES (2024)

4.5/5. Oh yeah, we have this Ministry track that's excellent despite relying so much on gospel-like female singing.

Sybreed - "System Debaser" from Slave Design (20th Anniversary Edition) (2024)

5/5. Swiss cyber/industrial metallers Sybreed plan have released a 20th anniversary remaster of their stellar debut Slave Design. It includes two new bonus tracks; a re-recording of "Bioactive" and this killer previously unreleased banger to close this playlist. No word on whether or not the band will truly reunite.

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 Daniel for accepting this and your help with your submission, and I hope the rest of you enjoy it like I've had!

Here are my thoughts on all the selected tracks:

Merauder – "Time Ends" from Master Killer (1995)

3.5/5. Let's start with a nice throwback to the mid-90s, when bands like Madball and Merauder showed us what early metalcore was made of. There's some cool metallic riffing, especially to start the last minute. Quite classic, though a little too f***ing hardcore.

Structures - "The Worst of Both Worlds" from Life Through a Window (2014)

4/5. This was actually the first track of the first very Revolution playlist back in August 2020, so it's a great throwback to that, and a fitting one too. It's the beginning of the never-ending cycle of Revolution playlists, and after being trapped in the headphones of metalheads with personal collections for years, it can finally be shared via Spotify. When that intro strikes, it strikes HARD. And there's great diversity in the vocals and guitars.

Becoming the Archetype - "The Time Bender" from I Am (2012)

4.5/5. One of the best tracks in this powerful Christian technical deathcore album. Instrumentally it sounds like a more deathly Nevermore. The instrumentation is so simple yet brutal, that coming from the same band who made that "Elegy" epic suite featuring Demon Hunter's Ryan Clark.

Lorna Shore - "White Noise" from Psalms (2015)

5/5. Now here's a vicious anthem of deathcore devastation, with drums kicking and smashing skulls like cannonballs launched into the face. Guiding drummer Austin Archey along in the assault is founding bassist Gary Herrera, providing heavy patterns in synchronization.

Slaughter to Prevail - "Zavali Ebalo" from Kostolom (2021)

4.5/5. The lyrics in this one are quite brutal, even the Russian verses. Amazing content! Somehow this is like a blend of Slipknot and Brand of Sacrifice.

As I Lay Dying - "We are the Dead (feat. Alex Terrible, Tom Barber)" from We are the Dead (2024)

4/5. As this band seems close to being dead with its dissolving lineup and more drama coming to light involving remaining member frontman Tim Lambesis, the enjoyment factor starts to slowly wear off. With that said, the guest vocals and f***ing searing guitar work make the song more interesting.

Wage War - "Stitch" from Deadweight (2017)

4.5/5. F*** yeah, Wage War! PICK IT UP!!!

Ice Nine Kills - "So This is My Future" from Safe is Just a Shadow (2010)

5/5. This was what I thought of the coronavirus situation at first, fearing a future of a world of plague and having to stay in our homes to survive. Epic metalcore song!

Thrown - "Guilt" from EXCESSIVE GUILT (2024)

4.5/5. Bands like Thrown, TEN56, and Alpha Wolf can throw brutal heaviness at you for two and a half minutes, heavier than Linkin Park could with "One Step Closer".

Jeris Johnson - "Siren Song" from Dragonborn (2024)

4/5. More of the epic blend of melodic metalcore and power metal in Jeris Johnson's Dragonborn album comes in my favorite track of the album. You may recognize "Greensleeves" as the main melody, and holy f***, it can definitely compete with August Burns Red's "What Child is This?" cover. Merry Christmas!

Oh, Sleeper - "The Siren's Song" from When I Am God (2007)

4.5/5. Then we follow it up with another, more dramatic "Siren Song", with beautiful lyrics. God bless!

Atreyu - "Right Side of the Bed" from The Curse (2004)

5/5. I love the melody in this one! The Curse was the last album before bassist Marc McKnight joined the band shortly after its release and former unclean vocalist Alex Varkatzas started adding his own clean vocals in subsequent albums for the rest of his time with the band. Some might know this song from the racing video game Burnout 3: Takedown. This works as a bridge between the melodeath riffing of In Flames and the metalcore of Bullet for My Valentine.

Haste the Day - "One Life to Live" from Burning Bridges (2004)

4.5/5. One of the most inspiring songs from this band. Enough said!

Aviana - "Overcome" from Corporation (2022)

4/5. Another brutal banger! What else can I say?

Alleviate - "Broken" from DMNS (2024)

4.5/5. Yet another amazing track. Really!

Out of Vision - "Disintegrated" from Deceiving Lights (2024)

4/5. Here's another track with Alleviate vocalist Marius Wedler. A relatable track to listen to!

Jinjer - "Kafka" from Kafka (2024)

4.5/5. A progressive metalcore song inspired by Kafka. Jinjer has great f***ing talent!

Silent Planet - "Dreamwalker" from SUPERBLOOM (2023)

5/5. F***ing killer atmospheric metalcore! This song and several others from their new album Superbloom were inspired by the band's horrifying tour bus crash and vocalist Garrett Russell's near-death experience from that incident. Luckily he's still alive.

Imminence - "Surrender" from Heaven in Hiding (2021)

4.5/5. You just gotta hear how intense this band is!

Monasteries - "Final Note 2 You" from Ominous (2023)

4/5. Monasteries made their final note to technical deathcore fans with their sole studio album before disbanding.

Brand of Sacrifice, Will Ramos - "Lifeblood" from Lifeblood (2021)

4.5/5. Lorna Shore's Will Ramos shows his f***ing berserk vocals in this chaotic banger. The choir towards the end stirs up some more Lorna Shore vibes.

Converge - "Plagues" from No Heroes (2006)

4/5. Then we have this sludgy mathcore track.

Botch - "Swimming the Channel vs. Driving the Chunnel" from We are the Romans (1999)

4.5/5. The guitar leads here are simple yet frighteningly ominous, building up into one of the eeriest songs in metalcore/mathcore. Almost the entire song has just that guitar melody with different variations, accompanied by eerie spoken vocals. Soon the vocals stop, but the guitar melody is still going with the drums that fade out as well. That's quite a timid ambient song...

The Chariot - "Then Came to Kill" from The Fiancée (2007)

5/5. Imagine if Jen Ledger from Skillet contributed her own vocals to an August Burns Red song. This song is it right there! The second half that includes the beautiful vocals of Hayley Williams from Paramore is beyond epic. A match made in metal/hardcore heaven! The Chariot vocalist Josh Scogin still have vocal power from his time with Norma Jean. There's peace in the mathcore chaos!

Bullet for My Valentine - "All These Things I Hate (Revolve Around Me)" from The Poison (2005)

4.5/5. No solo, but still amazing!

Dead by April - "Lost" from Incomparable (2011)

4.5/5. This was one of the earliest Dead by April songs, having existed before even their self-titled debut. Another amazing song worth appreciating!

Bleed from Within - "Alive" from Era (2018)

5/5. Absolutely kick-A downtuned melodic metalcore with beautiful lyrics!

Norma Jean - "IV. The Nexus" from Polar Similar (2016)

4.5/5. This 10-minute epic begins with a soft Buckethead-ish intro, then after a couple minutes, rises into ambient metalcore similar to late 2000s Underoath. And a couple more minutes later, g****mn this heaviness is really breaking things apart! Finally, as with many good things, it has to end, as the final two minutes are nothing but an ambient drift into nothingness and hard-to-decipher spoken lyrics. Polar Similar is the start of a heavier more atmospheric new era for Norma Jean to follow in their next couple albums. So melodic and hypnotic to go with the rawness! This band shall stay moshing in my metal heart.

Eighteen Visions - "Dead Rose" from The Best of (2001)

5/5. Finally we have this playlist's heaviest way out and my favorite here. Even those most unfamiliar with Eighteen Visions would love it.

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 Daniel for accepting this and your help with your submission, and I hope the rest of you enjoy it like I've had!

I wasn't planning on doing a new top 10 for my favorite Fallen releases, since I'm already way past my Fallen prime of 3 years ago, but I realized that I still have some favorites, so here's my current list:

1. Trail of Tears - Bloodstained Endurance (2009)

2. Omega Lithium - Dreams in Formaline (2009)

3. October Tide - Rain Without End (1997)

4. Cult of Luna - Somewhere Along the Highway (2006)

5. Neurosis - Through Silver in Blood (1996)

6. Rosetta - The Galilean Satellites (2005)

7. Converge & Chelsea Wolfe - Bloodmoon: I (2021)

8. Hinayana - Shatter and Fall (2023)

9. Mutoid Man - Mutants (2023)

10. High on Fire - Snakes for the Divine (2010)

Having been over 3 years since this thread was last active, with a lot going on throughout that time, such as when I joined the Gateway clan and since took on hundreds of Gateway releases, it's time for me to update my list into a top 10, with my top 2 still standing after all these years:

1. Dir En Grey - Uroboros (2008)

2. Coldrain - The Side Effects (2019)

3. Karnivool - Themata (2005)

4. Northlane - Obsidian (2022)

5. Mushroomhead - The Righteous & the Butterfly (2014)

6. Sleep Token - Take Me Back to Eden (2023)

7. Soilwork - Övergivenheten (2022)

8. Bad Omens - Finding God Before God Finds Me (2019)

9. Celldweller - Celldweller (2003)

10. Falling in Reverse - Popular Monster (2024)

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:

Altesia – Mouth of the Sky (2021)

4/5. A pretty great start to this playlist with killer vocals and chorus to illuminate your soul. There's a nice balance of influences from Haken and Opeth. I remember listening to their album Paragon Circus a few years ago but haven't checked out much of this band ever since. The amount of high quality is quite big! I like how well-composed it is. Things also get a bit djenty here and there.

Atomic Guava – Tether (2024)

4.5/5. The bass sounds quite rad in this one.

Chaos Divine – Landmines (2015)

5/5. Not gonna lie, this mind-blowing song has one of the best choruses I've heard in this Karnivool-ish brand of melodic progressive metal. So heavenly!

Devin Townsend – Goodbye (2024)

4.5/5. This 6-minute epic is a joyful rocker in a similar vein to Van Halen, probably done better!

DGM – From Ashes (2024)

4.5/5. Wicked progressive power metal rising from the ashes.

Extol – Reflections of a Broken Soul (1998)

5/5. This one continues the amazingness with more cleans and lyrics of depression.

Fates Warning – One (2000)

4.5/5. Fates Warning can add in not just upbeat drumming but also melancholic melody. While their 80s era is often considered the best, they've also shown their standing potential in later albums like A Pleasant Shade of Grey and Disconnected. They also have the operatic progressiveness of 90s Savatage. Nice vocals and guitars!

Hemotoxin – Reborn in Tragedy (2024)

4/5. This one has more of a tech-death/thrash sound, practically rebirthing a genre that faded out long ago, but it's actually more progressive than most of the other tracks in its original album, but again, technicality and aggression reigns.

Intronaut – The Unlikely Event of a Water Landing (2015)

4.5/5. Intronaut is such a mind-blowing band that f***ing needs to be more famous. This is one of my favorite songs from this band, especially the kick-A vocals touching the 3-minute mark alongside the more soulful harmonies. Though the outro throughout the final 3 minutes might remind some of Alice in Chains. If you're up for atmospheric progressive metal, you've come to the right band.

Kardashev – Silvered Shadows (2022)

4/5. If you're up for atmospheric progressive metal similar to Intronaut but more deathly, you've come to the right band, but I'll just keep digging.

Mur – Vitrun (2024)

3.5/5. Some nice fresh arrangement, though a bit draggy.

The Ocean – Unconformities (2023)

4/5. It was great listening to The Ocean for a few years, but my interest didn't last as long as I hoped. The dark lyrics and orchestration throw back to 20 years ago when they relied on all that in their debut Fluxion. This was one of my favorites of their new album Holocene, with great gorgeous guest vocals by Karin Park. Her vocals help bring power to even the softer moments. So d*mn stunning! The music and vocals work well together for that part. The heavier part from the 5 and a half minute mark onwards somehow don't strike me as greatly as they should. But what sad is, the band's lineup might split up after an upcoming tour. I wish them all the best...

Opeth – S4 (2024)

4.5/5. I'm glad this highlight got added in because it's my favorite track in the new Opeth album. The riffs and rhythms flow together perfectly. Generally, the folk-prog of Heritage is given a darker heavier treatment complete with growls.

Pyrrhon – Not Going To Mars (2024)

5/5. We may not be going to Mars too soon, but I'm going to get more of this band's material sometime later, thanks to this wild banger.

Tesseract – Luminary (2018)

4.5/5. Another excellent djenty track!

Textures – To Erase a Lifetime (2008)

5/5. This highlight closes its original masterpiece album in all its beauty and glory. However, we still have two more tracks in this playlist...

Trenches – Pathways (2008)

4.5/5. Trenches can be considered progressive post-sludge with metalcore screams from vocalist Jimmy Ryan, formerly of Haste the Day, and this song is no exception.

You Win Again Gravity – Dreadbound (2024)

4/5. Let's end this playlist with some promising creativity. And f***ing h*ll, there's a lot of it! The best part is, when there's two more minutes left, a ripping solo to make this tune stay unique. It's really great and not highly disappointing. We need a f***ing lot more solos in modern progressive metal, we really do....

Here are my thoughts on some tracks:

40 Below Summer – 5 Of A Kind (2006)

4/5. Any nu metal fans out there wanting to rock out to songs like this, be my guest. It's pretty great, but I sense better kinds of this music elsewhere.

Alesti, Anxxiety – Dissipate (2021)

4.5/5. I probably would never have heard of Alesti if not for my brother listening to a couple of his tracks. Quite a wild song to love!

Bad Omens – Dethrone (2019)

5/5. Surprising you hard is the heaviest track of its original album. In contrast to the album's clean soft tracks, that one has Emmure-like moshing moments to make it clear that Bad Omens can be considered metal.

Breaking Benjamin – Awaken (2024)

4.5/5. Epic new single by another hard rock/alt-metal/post-grunge band that my brother enjoys, from the upcoming Breaking Benjamin album coming out next year.

Godsmack – 1000hp (2014)

4/5. The title opener of Godsmack's 6th album 1000hp is an anthem of their journey so far, taking us back to the year of their formation, 1995. Listen to that aggressive guitarwork and argue with me about whether or not that's metal, because I might win that debate. The loudness and powerful vocals shall pack some heavy face-punches. "TURN THAT SH*T UP LOUDER!!!"

Lansdowne – Conquer Them All (2023)

4.5/5. I'm quite thankful to my brother for helping me start my metal path and conquer practically all the different lands of metal, though this song and band we didn't encounter until around last year.

Linkin Park – Heavy Is the Crown (2024)

4/5. The main theme song for this year's League of Legends World Championship greatly throws back to "Faint" in the pace and instrumentation, along with "Given Up" in the massive 16-second scream in the bridge, "THIS IS WHAT YOU ASKED FOOOOOOOORRRRRR!!!!!!"

Moron Police – Who’s That Chicken? (2012)

3.5/5. Interesting blend of comedy, punky metal, and radio-friendliness.

Nothing More, David Draiman – Angel Song (2024)

4/5. Nothing More is almost like a blend of Disturbed, Godsmack, and Fall Out Boy. The emotional lyrics and guest vocals by Disturbed's David Draiman really hit the spot.

Starset – Brave New World (2024)

4.5/5. Starset wasn't kidding about wanting to make their sound more cinematic. Good work, guys!