Shadowdoom9 (Andi)'s Forum Replies

I know, just sharing my thoughts on it.

In the interest of full disclosure, Daniel, I have used the Fallen clan logo to head up a public list on RYM where I list all the tracks I have used so far on the playlist. Would you prefer me to replace it or make the list private? In my defence, I only made it public in the hope that it might drum up some support for the playlist and, by extension, the website (which it seems to have spectacularly failed to do!) Sorry, I should probably have asked first.

Part of the problem with Scarecrow's playlists is, she never mentioned Metal Academy nor where the names and images came from, and she seemed to have only made them for personal usage. That doesn't really help give the site its much-needed attention or support, and it can certainly be a breach of trademark. It's good that you're making your playlists public to help us achieve the site's ultimate goal, Sonny, but at the same time, I think just the main playlists are enough for that. So I guess it's up to Daniel to decide on what we should do with the playlists we submit.

Good ideas, Sonny, but I think sticking with free-to-use images is the safest way (with the sole exception of the Neuropath cover artwork used for the Horde playlist). Here are a couple free-to-use images (each cropped to square) that I found for the Revolution and Sphere playlists, respectively:

Alternative Metal Authority?

Alternative Metal Assault?

Alternative Metal Armada?

Alternative Metal Attack?

I kinda like Alternative Metal Authority. What does everyone think?

I also think Alternative Metal Authority sounds best.

I've just done The Fallen, The Sphere & The Pit. Any ideas for The Gateway, The Infinite & The North playlist names?

Progressive Metal Dimensions

Progressive Metal Visions

Progressive Metal Voyages

Black Metal Wasteland

Black Metal Blasphemy

Black Metal Tundra

Black Metal Blizzard

Progressive Metal Voyage fits well, as does Black Metal Blasphemy.

Interestingly, one of our inactive members has created a 224 hour Spotify playlist called "The Fallen" & has used our The Fallen clan symbol as the image which isn't wonderful, especially given that some of the content isn't in line with the Metal Academy clan genre trees.

If it's any consolation, Daniel, I couldn't find it and I searched for quite a while.

Found it! And it's been done with the other clans too: https://open.spotify.com/user/3uyuzxp5v3bxjdlm0x7x97og6/playlists

Impressive, but can't really say I approve of all that being done behind our backs.

Before gradually evolving into a progressive tech-death band, Job for a Cowboy released a deathcore classic with killer highlights like this one:

This one is more of an ode to modern metal, but it's still really cool. After starting with a cinematic symphonic intro that would almost make you think it might lead symphonic metal, the track is actually an alt-metal blend of a Linkin Park-esque rapping verse, a pop punk chorus inspired by A Day To Remember, and a bridge filled with the melodic metalcore of early Avenged Sevenfold and the nu metal of Slipknot, all 4 of those bands paid lyrical tribute to in said chorus:

A poor unnecessary attempt at a political attack that's hard for me to listen to:

A song from Megadeth's 1994 album Youthanasia was re-recorded with greater energy and guest vocalist by Lacuna Coil vocalist Cristina Scabbia:

Daniel, seeing how much you've enjoyed Rorschach's second album Protestant, I don't think you'll have any problem checking out their 1990 debut Remain Sedate. It's the very first metalcore album, and Charles Maggio's vocals lean more towards gruff shouts, as opposed to his hysterical shrieks in Protestant.

Pelle, seeing how much you like the idea of death metal mixed with more modern sounds of alt-/groove metal, this Disbelief album shall be right up your alley. Blending the standard death metal that you might find in 90s Hypocrisy and Bolt Thrower with the sludgy side of Neurosis and Will Haven, and a bit of Entombed's Wolverine Blues, you can find an excellent extreme death 'n' roll/sludge/groove metal sound, that barely any other band has tried.

Hey there, Pelle! Here are some albums for you to start diving into Creed guitarist Mark Tremonti's other bands. Saxy, I would recommend these to you as well:

Rex, I recommend giving Dir En Grey a try. They're a band with a lot of style changes, like one minute they're Japanese pop rock and the next they're extreme metal. Their 2008 album Uroboros is what I would recommend the most for the ultimate best of their stylistic experimentation.

Actually, why not simply "Metalcore Revolution"? That'll kill two birds with one stone.

Sounds good, Daniel.

Yeah, I agree that "Rebellion" and "Invasion" sound better. Good suggestions, Daniel.

OK, so I've decided to change the title of The Horde playlist to "Death Metal/Grindcore Apocalypse" to see how it goes. Strangely none of the other death/graind-related playlists have used the word "apocalypse" as yet as far as I can see.

I think changing the playlists' names to include a word appropriate for the clans and their genres (while making sure no other playlists uses the chosen word) really is a wise move, rather than following the "academic" theme. Here's what I would suggest for my clan playlists:

The Revolution - Metalcore Riot

The Sphere - Industrial Metal Future

I just found this Creed song that's probably the closest they've gone to alt-metal. That video-game-styled music video though...

Good tips, Daniel. For the past few months (March, April, May) and other different times, I've started my Revolution/Sphere playlists with an introductory song for what to expect in a playlist followed by 3 to 5 tracks that are melodic, classic, and/or from one of the more popular bands (Revolution band examples: Sonic Syndicate, As Blood Runs Black, War of Ages, The Amity Affliction, As I Lay Dying, Bullet for My Valentine, Killswitch Engage; Sphere band examples: Godflesh, Dodheimsgard, Rob Zombie, Nailbomb, Marilyn Manson, Fear Factory, Samael). That way, I can get listeners hooked for each playlist before it gradually gets darker, more chaotic, and experimental, all ending with an epic and one or two solid closing songs for a sense of closure. I'm not highly strict about it though, I sometimes mix up the order a bit every now and then to break up the monotony and not bore long-time listeners. I won't spoil too much of my upcoming June playlists, but all I'll say is, expect more modern/dark tracks to start those journeys...

I'm not really a fan of Creed, but I'm already familiar with a couple singles from them like "With Arms Wide Open" and "My Sacrifice", whether they appear on the radio or have been shared by one of my rock-loving outside-world friends. My brother is a fan of post-grunge/hard rock/alt-metal (Skillet, Three Days Grace, Breaking Benjamin, etc.), so he probably wouldn't mind a bit of that band. Creed guitarist Mark Tremonti would later form a couple alt-metal bands with progressive/thrash tendencies, Alter Bridge (alongside fellow Creed members bassist Brian Marshall and drummer Scott Phillips) and Tremonti, and I would recommend checking out those two bands. Like Creed, but heavier!

1. Gateway playlist - 4.5/5 (number of songs commented: 13)

2. Infinite playlist - 4.5/5 (number of songs commented: 9)

3. Revolution playlist - 4.5/5 (number of songs commented: ALL 29)

4. Sphere playlist - 4.5/5 (number of songs commented: ALL 24)

For the clans I've made the monthly playlists for, I've listened to the entire playlists! I'm grateful to Saxy and Daniel for their playlist works. I really dig the tracks I've reviewed in the Gateway and Infinite playlists made by Saxy, and I'm glad the playlists I've made have paid off. I recommend them to any fan of the clans' respective genres and anyone who isn't into those genres but wants to get into a great start in enjoying them. Thanks, Daniel, for accepting these playlists, and good work all!

THE GATEWAY: Living Colour - Stain (1993) 3/5

THE INFINITE: Alchemist - Jar of Kingdom (1993) 5/5

THE REVOLUTION: Rorschach - Protestant (1993) 5/5

THE SPHERE: AP2 - Suspension of Disbelief (2000) 5/5

Although the Gateway feature release is not really up my alley but still decent, the feature releases for my other 3 clans are all glorious gems that I would recommend to fans of their respective genres, with a grand discovery in Alchemist's debut. Keep up the good work on the feature releases, all! I look forward to more...

Synthwave metal at its best in the perfect ending to this Parasite Inc. album:

Who knew synthwave and melodeath can go well together in a catchy blend? I certainly didn't before encountering this album and highlights like this song:

I just discovered this cover of a Fear Factory song, and while the original song is still amazing, Mechina gave it an epic enhancement:

The lack of balance in some songs from this Mechina album can stir up a few failures, with this one being the worst, most flat-sounding sh*tter there:

The perfect epic cyber metal soundtrack to a sci-fi boss battle:

A true symphonic blessing with the right balance of guitar and orchestra:

A perfect metallic attempt in throwing back to the mid-2000s post-hardcore scene:

A variant piece of death metal with some doom and synthesized orchestration:

The perfect progressive closing epic to this out-of-this-world experience:

A cacophonic highlight of 70s space rock twisted into intricate thrashy death metal rhythms:

I totally agree with you, Daniel. Jar of Kingdom is so experimental that the avant-garde metal tag is a must! Except I still find a lot of progressiveness from the complex structures and twists enough that the progressive metal tag isn't redundant. So while I'm voting YES for this entry, I'll vote NO for your possible later entry of taking out the progressive metal tag.

Thanks so much for this, Daniel! Here's my review summary:

I haven't heard of this band from Canberra, Australia before, but let me fill you in right away on what to expect from Alchemist's debut Jar of Kingdom. This is avant-garde/progressive death metal soaring through the psychedelic cosmos! This is the kind of style that's either awesome or too weird to enjoy. In this case, it's the former. Alchemist made an experiment in metal alchemy that has really paid off! With this incredible debut, I have a great feeling about the rest of their discography. There are many things that are both expected and unexpected all in one dish. Avant-garde/prog-metal has lots of twists through death and doom here. For newcomers to The Infinite genres, it may sound weird and take some time to digest. Listeners of the album get an out-of-this-world experience, as 70s space rock and Eastern balladry twisted into intricate thrashy death metal rhythms. Frontman Adam Agius actually damaged his voice during recording, hence the rawness of his deathly vocals here. The complex experimentation of Alchemist is a deathly adventure through the dark psychedelic depths of space!

5/5

As with Mushroomhead's debut, there are a couple pointless short tracks in Living Colour's Stain, with this track being the worst offender there:

An explosive highlight of Living Colour's usual funk/alt-metal/rock:

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

Living Colour has been shaping up the funk metal scene since their 1988 debut album Vivid that includes their Grammy-winning hit, political anthem "Cult of Personality". In the years that followed, even more exposure was inevitable thanks to more popular tour-mates Guns N' Roses and The Rolling Stones, as well as participating in the Lollapalooza tour on its very first year, 1991. Bassist Muzz Skillings left the group before they could start recording their 3rd album Stain. His replacement Doug Wimbish has been known for working with popular musicians like Madonna and Mick Jagger. Bad Brains producer Ron Germain helped show the band's dark heavy side while suitable for the mainstream. The more melodic songs truly stand out here, whether they pack killer punches or crank it down to ballad-ish territory. Though I can do without some of the more experimental tracks, particularly a few oddballs towards the end. With all that said, Stain is a decent funky album with a few standouts, a few mess-ups, and a few in-betweens. Despite its success, the album ceased printing for 20 years due to a lawsuit from the band The Stain, and Living Colour split up due to creative differences. It won't be until a decade after Stain's release when their next offering would occur....

3/5

OK, thanks Daniel.

Hmmm... "Metalcore-riculum" doesn't have the same ring. Maybe "Metalcore Gym"? It fits well with the academic theme for a different reason, a common metal genre for people to listen to during gym workouts.

No problem.

My 3 favorite Dir En Grey albums are Uroboros, Arche, and Phalaris. Out of those 3 albums though, Uroboros is what I would recommend the most for the ultimate best of their stylistic experimentation.

Self-proclaimed "old school death metal pop" band. Is it good? you decide!

https://youtu.be/LhaDlpHyvsk?si=_7vKYeBOrO7cO2GI

I always thought Dir En Grey was the only band that can blend together Japanese pop rock with extreme metal so easily, but this band can do it quite well too. Nice one, Pelle!

awesome and classic band, I only really love mystic places of dawn, though. Hey, you're pretty active in this thread, that's pretty cool!

An enjoyable piece of symphonic death metal:

Oh yeah, I've been trying to get back in touch with melodic/progressive/symphonic death metal lately.

Here's how I would genre-tag the 8 tracks in Scorpions' Taken by Force:

1. Steamrock Fever - Hard rock

2. We'll Burn the Sky - Hard rock/heavy metal

3. I've Got To Be Free - Hard rock

4. The Riot of Your Time - Hard rock

5. The Sails of Charon - Hard rock/heavy metal

6. Your Light - Hard rock/heavy metal

7. He’s a Woman, She’s a Man - Hard rock/heavy metal

8. Born to Touch Your Feelings - Hard rock

Primary genres: Hard rock, heavy metal

Secondary genres: N/A

With all that, I agree that Taken by Force is more of a hard rock album, but I consider half the amount of tracks metal enough to make heavy metal a primary genre for the album. The metal songs also happen to be my favorite highlights of the album, which may caused my view on the album to look a bit biased, but it's just pure coincidence. I still like the hard rock songs, with the only part I truly can't stand being the final third of "Born to Touch Your Feelings".

Glam metal is considered a hard rock genre in RYM, not metal, so no. Sorry, Pelle. But if there are one or two albums from a non-metal band that you find metal enough to be in the site, you may ask Ben to add them and then make a submission for the Hall of Judgement, a feature for site members to vote on which genre(s)/clan(s) any album should go to.

I wasn't thinking about big corporations, Sonny, just people using AI in general. Sadly, AI or not, big corporations of entertainment media don't care about what is really tolerated, they just want to gain money.

Pestilence has also taken some heat for the original AI cover of their re-recording album Levels of Perception, and as a result, they ended up using a different cover art featuring all the band members. But whether or not people keep putting down AI art/music for being fake or mangling copyrighted work, there's no escape from the inevitable evolution of technology. I gotta admit, I've explored countless AI-produced pieces of art and music and I enjoy them as long as they're used in a respectable and respectful manner. Some examples of AI metal that I like include several of those band vocalist cover experimentations, those AI Plankton voice tracks made by Boi What, and this DragonForce "demo track" someone made as an April Fool's Joke:

Excellent, thanks Daniel!

Listening to this catchy cyber metal party anthem again on its album's one-year anniversary:

Kulintang death metal.... A very interesting combo! With that and the fact that I'm Malaysian, I should check out that band as soon as they get added to the site. Thanks for that, Pelle.

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

Argyle Park - "Leave Me Alone" (5:31) from Misguided (1994) (only song from that album that I find metal enough for inclusion)

Celldweller - "Blind Lead the Blind" (6:00) from Satellites (2022)

Gothminister - "Hatred" (3:33) from Gothic Electronic Anthems (2003)

In This Moment - "Hunting Grounds" (4:33) from Mother (2020)

Pain - "Push the Pusher" (4:11) from Push the Pusher (2024)

Turmion Kätilöt - "Pyhä kolminaisuus" (3:29) from Omen X (2023)

Total length: 27:17