Shadowdoom9 (Andi)'s Forum Replies

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

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

The Autumn Offering - "Revelation" (5:04) from Revelations of the Unsung (2004)

Bring Me the Horizon - "Shadow Moses" (4:03) from Sempiternal (2013)

Carnifex - "Torn in Two" (3:52) from Necromanteum (2023)

Make Them Suffer - "Epitaph" (3:37) from Epitaph (2024)

The Number Twelve Looks Like You - "Don't Get Blood on My Prada Shoes" (1:36) from Put on Your Rosy Red Glasses (2003)

Trivium - "Fall Into Your Hands" (7:45) from In the Court of the Dragon (2021)

Within the Ruins - "Death of the Rockstar" (3:51) from Halfway Human (2017)

Total length: 29:48

Here are my submissions for the June Infinite playlist:

Amorphis - "Course of Fate" (4:15) from Skyforger (2009)

Becoming the Archetype - "The Balance of Eternity (The Physics of Fire Pt. 4)" (8:49) from The Physics of Fire (2007)

Dream Theater - "About to Crash" (5:50) from Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence (2002)

Pain of Salvation - "Reasons" (4:45) from In the Passing Light of Day (2017)

Scar Symmetry - "Reichsfall" (5:15) from The Singularity (Phase II – Xenotaph) (2023)

Total length: 28:54

Here are my submissions for the June Gateway playlist:

Avatar - "Make It Rain" (3:15) from Make It Rain / On the Other Side of Tonight (2024)

Bad Omens - "Kingdom of Cards" (4:21) from Finding God Before God Finds Me (2019)

Evanescence - "Lithium" (3:44) from The Open Door (2006)

Future Palace - "Paradise" (3:28) from Run (2022)

Linkin Park - "Qwerty" (3:22) from Papercuts (2024)

Mushroomhead - "Your Demise" (4:21) from Beautiful Stories for Ugly Children (2010)

Nik Nocturnal, Bad Wolves - "Octane" (3:14) from Octane (2024)

Sleep Token - "Alkaline" (3:34) from This Place Will Become Your Tomb (2021)

Total length: 29:19

Here are my thoughts on all selected tracks:

Fear Factory - "Demanufacture" from Demanufacture (1995)

5/5. Already proving the song's original album to be a classic, its title opener starts with synth atmosphere before a killer riff joins in, followed by bass and drums, all proving the band to be industrial metal legends! The crushing riffs and thundering drums perfectly stand alongside the amazing vocal charisma in the growls and cleans.

Turmion Kätilöt - "Teurastaja" from Hoitovirhe (2004)

5/5. Fantastic industrial beats and metal instrumentation are worth taking it to the dancefloor. No matter how much of the Finnish language you can understand (I can't), the great intense vocals of MC Raaka Pee never betray.

Samael - "Rain" from Passage (1996)

4.5/5. Samael is known as the true Swiss heroes of symphonic/industrial metal, and killer songs like this help verify that claim. Fans of the band's earlier black metal album shouldn't f*** with the more creative freedom and madness the band decided to have with their true change of sound from Passage onwards. Their satanic sound before Passage is a good reason why I lost touch with the band's material a couple years ago. But I'm glad as h*ll to be building it back up a bit. They still can sound quite f***ing heavy in other songs from their industrial metal albums. Let it rain!

Godflesh - "Someone Somewhere Scorned" from Slavestate E.P. (1991)

4.5/5. Godflesh has made many different releases and songs that I enjoy, and they nicely cement the band's phenomenal ways of industrial metal. This is another excellent song from the band and a nice break from the more dance-y songs in this playlist like the previous two.

The Amenta - "Teeth" from Flesh is Heir (2013)

5/5. This spectacular brutal highlight takes the industrial vibes of 3TEETH and gives it the Gojira prog-death treatment.

Combichrist - "Modern Demon" from Planet Doom (2024)

4.5/5. Similarly to Psyclon Nine, Combichrist started off as aggrotech before gradually evolving into industrial metal. This single from their new EP combines both eras.

Death SS - "S.I.A.G.F.O.M." from The 7th Seal (2006)

4/5. An interesting blend of classic heavy metal, industrial metal, and satanic horror themes, similar to Danzig's late 90s work.

Circle of Dust - "Regressor" (Aggressive Mix) from Brainchild (1994)

4.5/5. "HE'S A KILLER, I SAW IT!" Many audio samples like that one from Robocop 2 plague this haunting track. For anyone more familiar with Klayton's current more famous project Celldweller can be pleasantly surprised by his work in Circle of Dust. There's also a remix of that track by Battlejuice. I'm currently 25 and looking out for music like this that take on more serious and experimental aspects than the power metal I used to listen to 10 years before today.

Celldweller - "I Can't Wait" from Wish Upon a Blackstar (2012)

5/5. I'm doing a fantastic with my serious and experimental quest thanks to Klayton, among many other rock/metal artists. His music as Celldweller needs a lot more appreciation. The buildup before the final chorus at one minute left is a total spine-chiller. I don't know where my path will take me next, but I CAN'T WAIT.

Crossbreed - "Reflections" from .01 (1998)

4.5/5. Some pretty cool nu/industrial metal, that's all I'm gonna say there.

Rammstein - "Stein um Stein" from Reise, Reise (2004)

4/5. The Neue Deutsche Härte sound developed by Rammstein is quite a phenomenon. I'm definitely OK with this track, though I would like it more if I can get its appeal.

Realize - "Predawn Gloom" from Two Human Minutes (2023)

4/5. Here's some doomy industrial metal gloom that's quite bleak and cool.

Eisbrecher - "Eiszeit" from Eiszeit (2010)

4.5/5. A slightly more enjoyable NDH song to break the ice.

Ruoska - "Amortem" from Amortem (2006)

5/5. Surprisingly, I barely find Finnish industrial metal bad at all despite having the same problem at NDH (sung in a different language). I think one reason why I find this song perfect enough to make me up for more of this band is because of vocalist Patrik Mennander having performed unclean vocals in the first two Battlelore albums.

CHRISTWVRKS - "It Never Was the Same" from Teeth Fall From the Open Eye (2019)

4.5/5. The cool bleak doomy industrial metal gloom continues from that Realize track.

Ministry - "TV Song 1/6 Edition" from Hopiumforthemasses (2024)

4/5. Then we speed up into rapid-fire thrash-metalcore-esque riffing and drumming in this song from Ministry's latest offering.

Motionless in White - "Werewolf" from Scoring the End of the World (2022)

4.5/5. My first time listening to this track was a quite exciting experience, having some of the most f***ing experimentation they've had for so long. It's like a Carpenter Brut remake of Rockwell's "Somebody's Watching Me", especially when Chris Motionless sings Michael Jackson's hook from that song. Some fans may love it, others may hate it. The chorus is my favorite here with pleasing harmonies, "I can be honest, I can be human, I can become the silver bullet in your hand". I want more of that!

ASP - "Welcome" from Weltunter (2003)

4/5. A pretty great gothic industrial rock/metal song with a catchy chorus.

Front Line Assembly - "Millennium" from Millennium (1994)

4.5/5. This track helps solidify its original album's place in the mid-90s industrial metal triptych between Killing Joke's Pandemonium and Fear Factory's Demanufacture.

Strapping Young Lad - "Bring on the Young" from SYL (2003)

5/5. This standout ends Strapping Young Lad's 3rd album similarly to City. It is a drawn-out slow epic building up to a powerful climax. I honestly like this album's closing track better than that of City, despite that album being more perfect than this one.

Red Harvest - "Move or Be Moved" from Cold Dark Matter (2000)

4.5/5. After that preview track from their 1998 Newrage World Music EP in last December's Sphere playlist, it's time for the full track that came in two years later in Cold Dark Matter, as excellent as that preview!

Mechina - "The Hyperion Tragedy" from Acheron (2015)

4/5. Now this is a massive beast of an almost 10-minute epic that works as the soundtrack to a massive space battle. There's a lot of epic power in both the title and the song that's nothing but true galactic carnage. This extensive track is so interesting and prevails as one of the best songs of that Mechina album.

Sybreed - "Into the Blackest Light" from God is an Automaton (2012)

4.5/5. It hurts that Sybreed split up after this song's original album. This heavy banger goes f***ing hard especially in the breakdown midway through.

The Kovenant - "Industrial Twilight" from Seti (2003)

4/5. Let's end this playlist with I once thought was one of the best tracks from this Kovenant album SETI. It's a shame that I stopped listening to this band recently, especially since they've just ended their long hiatus. Maybe they will finally finish the long-awaited Aria Galactica album that's been in development Hell as long as Wintersun's Time II.

Pretty good playlist I've made, huh? Despite some slight drops in quality throughout. Anyway, 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 selected tracks:

Like Moths to Flames - "All That You Lost" from Where the Light Refuses to Go (2019)

4.5/5. First track of this playlist and we're already get some vicious low growls and high screams. The balance of soft ambience and heavy aggression is cranked up and ready for action. For the most hardcore fans of metalcore, it's showtime!

Bullet for My Valentine - "Your Betrayal" from Fever (2010)

5/5. is simple yet killer! It starts with a military marching drum intro for soldiers to prepare for war with a mood similar to a song from The Poison. The simple elements continue on including drop-C tuned guitars, screams and whispers. After the second chorus, the middle section is different from your typical BFMV song. No guitar solo, just siren-like wailing vocals over heavy guitar. It does show some maturity, but it would've been better if the guitar solo does the siren-like wailing. Still perfect all the same!

Any Given Day - "Get That Done" from Limitless (2024)

4.5/5. An excellent song that oughta level up some mornings for me and my brother who likes this band. It definitely has some similarity to the likes of Killswitch Engage! And speak of the devil....

Killswitch Engage - "In Due Time" from Disarm the Descent (2013)

5/5. The main riff in this song is pure heavy metalcore bliss. Awesome music, awesome lyrics ("Shadows will give way to light")!

Thrown - "On the Verge" from On the Verge (2023)

4.5/5. Nicely brutal! Don't let the occasional trap-like beat throw you off though.

If I Were You - "Hate Me" from Radiant Dark (2020)

4/5. Also nicely brutal! You can hear a lot of heaviness from the DOOM-line intro riff to the screams of Ryan Kirby from Fit for a King.

Fit for a King - "Backbreaker" from Dark Skies (2018)

4.5/5. And here's a killer song from that band, Fit for a King! I'm so thankful for being able to discover bands like this.

In Hearts Wake - "Frequency" from Ark (2017)

5/5. This perfect song can still be f***ing powerful even after the brutality of the previous 3 tracks in this playlist are toned down, particularly in the chorus riffing. Apparently, it's about the lonely 52-hertz whale.

Crown the Empire - "Johnny Ringo" from Limitless (2011)

4.5/5. The story of Johnny Ringo is detailed in this EP and the first two Crown the Empire albums, with its main focus in the "Johnny" tracks. This is powerful theatrical metalcore in a similar vein to Ice Nine Kills. "Don't ever trust the devil, b***h!"

Space of Variations - "Tribe" from Tribe (2024)

4/5. Get spaced out with another killer track to enjoy!

Threat Signal - "Trust in None" from Threat Signal (2011)

4.5/5. An underrated song from a great band that needs more attention. The modern melodic metalcore sound is real and cool as f***. I should really get back to listening to this band someday.

Dragoncorpse - "A Quest for Truth" from A Quest for Truth (2024)

4/5. Dragoncorpse is the answer to the question "What if you can easily blend deathcore with power metal?" This song ended up having one of the most comedic music videos ever in all of metal. And I love the keyboard solo here. I guess you can consider this a more metalcore Into Eternity. A great track with some weird stellar sh*t! The secret to originality in power metal is to mix it with a different metal genre. And we reach a beautiful climax at the 4-minute point.

Within Destruction - "Toxic" from Lotus (2022)

4.5/5. Within Destruction started off as deathcore, then they switched to modern metalcore. And holy sh*t, there's some impressive fire here, especially in the drumming.

Embodyment - "Blinded" from Embrace the Eternal (1998)

5/5. If you combine the metalcore of Converge at that time with the Christian death metal of Mortification, this killer highlight would be it.

As Blood Runs Black - "Angel City Gamble" from Instinct (2011)

4.5/5. This band is willing to "RISK. IT. ALL!!!!!" to combine melodic death metal with deathcore, and it paid off with a wicked heavy sound that shall never die. Absolutely phenomenal! The riffing melody shines at the start of the last 3rd of the track before a face-punching ending breakdown with a f***ing killer scream of "DO NOT FEAR THE FAILURES!" Another deathcore band that can blend melody and brutality in the riffing like that is All Shall Perish. That band and this one is proof that deathcore can still be metal despite what pure metalheads believe. "WILL YOU PURSUE?!"

Amaranthe - "Re-Vision" from The Catalyst (2024)

5/5. This driving highlight breaks through hard with vocoder and the harmony of the vocal trio. A perfect standout!

Currents - "The Death We Seek" from The Death We Seek (2023)

4.5/5. Sick modern metalcore, but there are other bands for me...

Half Me - "Wraith" from Soma (2023)

4/5. And there's more of that sick modern metalcore where that came from! The vocals, riffing, and breakdown all go f***ing hard.

Volumes - "Vahle" from No Sleep (2014)

4.5/5. This powerful underrated song has emotional lyrics in memory of someone the band knew who's last name was Vahle. "Why'd you have to go, why'd you have to go? I've been waiting... Staring at the floor, staring at the phone."

Rolo Tomassi - "Fofteen" from Hysterics (2008)

5/5. This legendary female-fronted mathcore band started off with a more brutal sound before the more serene cleanly-sung later albums. Fantastic!

Car Bomb - "Pieces of You" from Centralia (2007)

4.5/5. Urgently, the drums roll into an opening explosion of the discordant chaos that make up Car Bomb. Seriously, it's TDEP's Irony is a Dead Scene on steroids! This is dark extreme mathcore that marks a killer break from the black metal/grindcore that extreme metal is often associated with.

Protest the Hero - "Limb from Limb" from Fortress (2008)

5/5. Another favorite here! Rody Walker's awesome vocal range varies rapidly, perfectly playing together with the guitar work without overshadowing it. The lower death growls are a bit unnecessary but fit well for the experimentation in the music. The common tapping is still there, but then we find something unique, groovy keyboard soloing by Vadim Pruzhanov from DragonForce. Wicked but I wanna hear from that band's guitarists too.

Iwrestledabearonce - "Pazuzu for the Win" from It's All Happening (2009)

5/5. Another female-fronted mathcore band with a perfect blend of brutality and melody. IWABO FTW!

The Number Twelve Looks Like You - "The Weekly Wars" from Mongrel (2007)

4.5/5. There are so many underrated mathcore bands, and #12 is one of them! Mongrel picks up where the band's wicked mathcore sound in Nuclear Sad Nuclear left off but with more melody, later perfected in Worse Than Alone. What I love is the building ascent and top-notch lyrics. The sound is a more mathcore take on the progressiveness of BTBAM and Cynic, and that's something to remember.

PSYCHO-FRAME - "The Plot To Nuke The Midwest" from Automatic Death Protocol E.P. (2023)

4/5. Now here's some wild brutal deathcore suitable for the moshpit. That f***ing snare though!

Whitechapel - "This Is Exile" from This Is Exile (2008)

4.5/5. This track uses kind of an oriental harmonic guitar scale, especially in the breakdown when one guitar plays the melody, while the other two play the ravaging rhythm.

The Acacia Strain - "House of Abandon" from Death is the Only Mortal (2012)

5/5. The Acacia Strain have already bringing deathcore down to its deathcore variant earlier than other bands. This is also one of the best ways to end a deathcore album. "LIFE IS THE SLOWEST DAY TO DIE!!!!"

VEXED - "It's Not the End" from Negative Energy (2023)

4.5/5. That's right, it's not the end of the playlist yet. This heavy yet beautiful track pays tribute to anyone who has lost their loved ones. Within heartbreak and sorrow, there's hope and strength in all of us. Even when losing a lot that you hold dear, you should never give up. Let out your emotion from the heart so you don't keep it all bottled up. We may not live forever, but the memories of who we lost shall stay eternal. Make sure you have a nice life with your family while any of you are still around. On top of that, we shouldn't put down metalcore while it's still evolving and more female-fronted bands are rolling in like Vexed and Spiritbox. The deepest tears can be shed as you reminisce in grief, but you can always help yourself overcome these tough times. And don't forget, Megan Targett can really master both heavenly cleans and hellish growls.

Zao - "The Web" from The Crimson Corridor (2021)

5/5. Now this is how the playlist should end, with a 10-minute epic filled with the post-/progressive metal aspects of Cult of Luna. Not as f***ing long as The Acacia Strain's "Observer", but quite a journey within a journey.

Pretty good playlist I've made, huh? Despite some slight drops in quality throughout. Anyway, 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!

Here are my thoughts on some tracks:

Devin Townsend – Deadhead (2003)

4.5/5. Let's start off with this beautiful song from Canadian metal mastermind Devin Townsend. I still love the emotion spawned from there!

Leprous – Mb. Indifferentia (2011) 

4/5. I've been a bit indifferent to Leprous for the past couple years, though songs like this make me question why. The perfect vocals of Einar Solberg first enter around the one-minute mark alongside instrumentation that starts reminiscent of the softer Opeth but then rises to be similar to the heavier side of Devin Townsend. Then gets more ominous right in the middle, but after a minute of that, right around 4 and half minutes into the song, that when we reach the heavier climax that Dream Theater is often good at doing. "DO NOTHING AT ALL!!!!"

Pain of Salvation – On a Tuesday (2017)

4.5/5. I haven't heard from this band for so long, apart from a few small revisits. In the Passing Light of Day was the last album I heard from this band 7 years ago before I switched out of the more melodic progressive metal. The lyrics have f***ing meaningful emotion that fits nicely with the Nine Inch Nails vibe in the instrumentation. This song and "Reasons" were total heavy rollercoasters for me back in those days. The "I lost the will" bridge is so beautiful. Then right after that, the heaviness comes back to surprise you. The verses are quite deep with a bit of shallowness. I can understand, considering the near-fatal Hell the band's frontman Daniel Gildenlöw went through when he suffered from a life-threatening disease. Luckily he's still alive and well.

Into Eternity – Into Eternity (1999)

5/5. Ah yeah, the perfect theme song for this progressive melodeath band Into Eternity! Guitarist Tim Roth can write great lyrics and has nice clean singing. This whole "song and album with the same name as the band" thing has been done before by classic heavy metal bands Black Sabbath, Motorhead, and Iron Maiden.

Mutoid Man – Beast (2015)

5/5. For a two-minute track, this one perfectly unites progressive metal with hardcore/speed metal as the leads and rhythms strike each other for dominance.

Persefone – Lingua Ignota Part 1 (2024)

4.5/5. The best riffing comes on in the title track of their new EP. Here we have some great guitar soloing to level up the surrounding riffing and give the EP some redeeming value. This definitely throws back to the band's better earlier material. Although the verses and choruses can sometimes get me ticked, they're still at their best here. The cleans should've been slightly reduced though.

Ever Forthright – Techniflux (2024)

4/5. Soft piano, funky bass, crushing guitar... Ain't that a great combo! The only problem here is the generic structure throughout this 13-minute progressive epic.

Intronaut – Fast Worms (2015) 

4.5/5. Wow, this is the 3rd time this Intronaut song has appeared in an Infinite playlist. I won't complain though, this is f***ing killer jazzy post-/progressive metal with flawless mixing by Devin Townsend.

Voivod – Technocratic Manipulators (1998)

5/5. This highlight demonstrates highly creative originality, packing powerful metal punches, sounding so progressive without turning into a 20-minute epic! After a calm dark ambient intro with a few bass touches, the crossover-ish dynamics erupt with speedy riff rhythms and signature snarling vocals. Near the two-minute mark, the song makes a weird evolution into old-school Hawkwind-like spacey guitar rhythms. Many styles and influences all in dexterous textures in only under 5 minutes. A truly awesome feat!

Here are my thoughts on some tracks:

Anthrax/Public Enemy – Bring The Noise (1991)

4.5/5. Now here's an interesting way to start this playlist. It's a f***ing hard mix of metal and hip-hop in this Anthrax/Public Enemy collaboration. This can be remembered one of the earliest rap metal songs (besides "I'm the Man") and perhaps one of the earliest hints of nu metal. If anyone thought that Linkin Park/Jay-Z mashup EP Collision Course is the best example of a rock/metal band teaming up with a legendary rapper, Anthrax/Public Enemy had their own thing going on before then.

Bad Omens – Just Pretend (2022)

5/5. This one starts slow, but when the drums and guitars kick in, Noah lets out all of his vocal emotion. The heavier action will keep you on your seat. As awesome as that song is, I'm both surprised and not about this song's presence in TikTok boosting the band's fame.

The Blank Theory – Faded (1998)

4.5/5. The Blank Theory started off as more of a metallic take on indie rock, but they would get heavier by the time of their only full album Beyond the Calm of the Corridor. People seem to really mistake this band for Linkin Park. Probably because this song sounds so Linkin Park-ish and the band name sounds similar to Linkin Park's earlier name, debut EP, and debut album, Hybrid Theory. My brother might be able to play this on guitar, if the tabs ever get released.

BOI WHAT – Funeral of an Antihero (2024)

4/5. Boi What made another song with his Plankton AI voice, this one distancing further from the Spongebob-themed lyrics of his other singles. It's more of a My Chemical Romance-inspired banger. If there ever is a movie to mark the ultimate finale of Spongebob Squarepants, this song would work well for Plankton's redeeming self-sacrifice.

Breaking Benjamin – Break My Fall (2004)

3.5/5. This track combines heavy guitar with Burnley's singing in steady motion. Wonderful, yet nothing else worth writing about there...

Bring Me the Horizon – Teardrops (2020)

4/5. You know Bring Me the Horizon as that band with epic metalcore hits like "It Never Ends". Still their newer alt-metal material like this track sounds pretty great.

Butcher Babies – Lilith (2017)

4.5/5. Another killer respectable track from these cool ladies of extreme alt-metal!

Gravity Kills – Enough (1996)

4/5. Another piece of alt-rock/industrial metal that I love, but still not enough to go further with this band. You can jam out during a long drive! Definitely having some vibes from Nine Inch Nails, Ministry, and a bit KMFDM.

In This Moment – I Would Die For You (2023)

4.5/5. An epic ballad originally in the soundtrack for John Wick: Chapter 4. It reaches a hysterical climax that has really paid off.

Issues – Since I Lost You (2024)

5/5. Seems like Issues stopped their will to go on after they fired clean vocalist Tyler Carter for abuse allegations. This final single has bassist Skyler Acord performing clean vocals, and the band's final shows have Brian Butcher (The Home Team) as their clean vocalist. Adrian "AJ" Rebollo sounds talented in his guitarwork. Let's just hope this pop metal sound the band perfected will live on. Farewell Issues....

Linkin Park – War (2014)

4.5/5. This one is surprisingly closer sounding to Bad Religion, but the stunning punk attack moves on smoothly. For a two-minute song, guitarist Brad Delson has quite some time to pull a fierce solo with Chester Bennington (RIP) playing rhythm guitar to follow his lead (pun somewhat intended).

Sleep Token – Blood Sport (2019)

5/5. One of the most stunning tracks from this band! If I discovered this band a few years ago instead of last year, it would've suited the COVID isolation quite well. The only other band that could sound so emotional in the music and lyrics is Type O Negative. Vessel can really let out his thoughts like he would in other tracks like "Alkaline".

Voice of Baceprot – Testify (Live Session) (2021)

4.5/5. Time to end this playlist with...an Islamic female nu/rap metal cover of a Rage Against the Machine song. RATM Guitarist Tom Morello has certainly influenced aspiring metal musicians all over the globe, including this band from Indonesia (directly South of my country Malaysia), Voice of Baceprot. This cover is quite amazing! Teamwork has been put to the test and it ends well as those girls stand together to revolutionize their unique image. Nicely done!

April 2024

1. Bad Brains – Soul Craft (1989)

2. Blanket – Where the Light Takes Us (2021)

3. Body Count – Violent Demise (1997)

4. Crossfaith – Zero (2024)

5. Dark new Day – Evergreen (2005)

6. Dead by April – Break My Fall (2024)

7. Demon Hunter – Time Only Takes (2019)

8. From Ashes to New – Shadows (2016)

9. In Flames – Clayman (2020 Version)

10. In This Moment – Standing Alone (2010)

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

12. Karnivool – The Caudal Lure (2010)

13. Mordred – Falling Away (1991)

14. Mucky Pup – Mucky Pumpin’ Motion (1992)

15. Nik Nocturnal, Fronzilla – In Da Club (2023)

16. Nonpoint – Tribute (2000)

17. Poppy – Concrete (2019)

18. Powerman 5000 – Action (2003)

19. Rollins Band – Tearing (1992)

20. Sleep Token – Gods (2019)

21. Spineshank – New Disease (2000)

22. Twelve Foot Ninja – Manufacture of Consent (2010)

23. Yousei Teikoku – Missing (2013)

Here's my review summary:

Argyle Park was an industrial rock/metal project Klayton was in between his own two projects Circle of Dust and the more famous Celldweller. The other founder of this project goes by the name Buka. Despite being signed to Christian labels, their dark lyrics and contributions from secular artists caused some controversy in the Christian music scene. Their record label R.E.X. tried to censor a track in the band's album Misguided. Because of all this, the band split up after only two years of activity. Fast forward a few years, the band reformed under a different name AP2, and released a second album titled Suspension of Disbelief. While the poor sales and criticism caused the band to end again, this is one of the most innovative industrial rock/metal albums I've heard. The darkness is what I love! The industrial sound rages on in the heavy songs then quiets down in the slower ones, and sometimes their techno/trance/drum n bass influences shine in an enjoyable way alongside other experimental aspects to make underrated works of art. Not one other project could attempt to make the darkest, most experimental industrial rock/metal in the Christian music scene. It's a risk that caused them to be shunned by the scene, but at least industrial metal fans like myself would have something to listen to a lot every now and then!

5/5

Recommend tracks: "My Sympathies", "A New Wound", "The Red Shirt Conspiracy", "The Pact", "Resurrection of the Ravens", "The Only Man I Know"

For fans of: Nine Inch Nails, Celldweller, Psyclon Nine

A special playlist I've made to celebrate the two-year anniversary of when I started making the monthly Sphere Spotify playlists: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3yhSwbqBZHj0u5t9ZPSfy1

May 2024

1. Like Moths to Flames - "All That You Lost" from Where the Light Refuses to Go (2019) [submitted by Shadowdoom9 (Andi)]

2. Bullet for My Valentine - "Your Betrayal" from Fever (2010) [submitted by Shadowdoom9 (Andi)]

3. Any Given Day - "Get That Done" from Limitless (2024)

4. Killswitch Engage - "In Due Time" from Disarm the Descent (2013)

5. Thrown - "On the Verge" from On the Verge (2023)

6. If I Were You - "Hate Me" from Radiant Dark (2020)

7. Fit for a King - "Backbreaker" from Dark Skies (2018) [submitted by Shadowdoom9 (Andi)]

8. In Hearts Wake - "Frequency" from Ark (2017) [submitted by Shadowdoom9 (Andi)]

9. Crown the Empire - "Johnny Ringo" from Limitless (2011)

10. Space of Variations - "Tribe" from Tribe (2024)

11. Threat Signal - "Trust in None" from Threat Signal (2011) [submitted by Shadowdoom9 (Andi)]

12. Dragoncorpse - "A Quest for Truth" from A Quest for Truth (2024)

13. Within Destruction - "Toxic" from Lotus (2022)

14. Embodyment - "Blinded" from Embrace the Eternal (1998)

15. As Blood Runs Black - "Angel City Gamble" from Instinct (2011)

16. Amaranthe - "Re-Vision" from The Catalyst (2024)

17. Currents - "The Death We Seek" from The Death We Seek (2023)

18. Half Me - "Wraith" from Soma (2023)

19. Volumes - "Vahle" from No Sleep (2014)

20. Rolo Tomassi - "Fofteen" from Hysterics (2008)

21. Car Bomb - "Pieces of You" from Centralia (2007)

22. Protest the Hero - "Limb from Limb" from Fortress (2008) [submitted by Shadowdoom9 (Andi)]

23. Iwrestledabearonce - "Pazuzu for the Win" from It's All Happening (2009)

24. The Number Twelve Looks Like You - "The Weekly Wars" from Mongrel (2007)

25. PSYCHO-FRAME - "The Plot To Nuke The Midwest" from Automatic Death Protocol E.P. (2023) [submitted by Daniel]

26. Whitechapel - "This Is Exile" from This Is Exile (2008) [submitted by Shadowdoom9 (Andi)]

27. The Acacia Strain - "House of Abandon" from Death is the Only Mortal (2012)

28. VEXED - "It's Not the End" from Negative Energy (2023)

29. Zao - "The Web" from The Crimson Corridor (2021)

May 2024

1. Fear Factory - "Demanufacture" from Demanufacture (1995) [submitted by Shadowdoom9 (Andi)]

2. Turmion Kätilöt - "Teurastaja" from Hoitovirhe (2004) [submitted by Shadowdoom9 (Andi)]

3. Samael - "Rain" from Passage (1996) [submitted by Shadowdoom9 (Andi)]

4. Godflesh - "Someone Somewhere Scorned" from Slavestate E.P. (1991) [submitted by Daniel]

5. The Amenta - "Teeth" from Flesh is Heir (2013)

6. Combichrist - "Modern Demon" from Planet Doom (2024)

7. Death SS - "S.I.A.G.F.O.M." from The 7th Seal (2006)

8. Circle of Dust - "Regressor" (Aggressive Mix) from Brainchild (1994) [submitted by Shadowdoom9 (Andi)]

9. Celldweller - "I Can't Wait" from Wish Upon a Blackstar (2012) [submitted by Shadowdoom9 (Andi)]

10. Crossbreed - "Reflections" from .01 (1998)

11. Rammstein - "Stein um Stein" from Reise, Reise (2004)

12. Realize - "Predawn Gloom" from Two Human Minutes (2023)

13. Eisbrecher - "Eiszeit" from Eiszeit (2010)

14. Ruoska - "Amortem" from Amortem (2006)

15. CHRISTWVRKS - "It Never Was the Same" from Teeth Fall From the Open Eye (2019)

16. Ministry - "TV Song 1/6 Edition" from Hopiumforthemasses (2024)

17. Motionless in White - "Werewolf" from Scoring the End of the World (2022)

18. ASP - "Welcome" from Weltunter (2003)

19. Front Line Assembly - "Millennium" from Millennium (1994)

20. Strapping Young Lad - "Bring on the Young" from SYL (2003)

21. Red Harvest - "Move or Be Moved" from Cold Dark Matter (2000) [submitted by Shadowdoom9 (Andi)]

22. Mechina - "The Hyperion Tragedy" from Acheron (2015)

23. Sybreed - "Into the Blackest Light" from God is an Automaton (2012)

24. The Kovenant - "Industrial Twilight" from Seti (2003)

One of two perfect classics from the true founding band of this revolutionary (no pun intended....maybe) genre of metalcore! Here's my review summary:

The original 90s creators of the metalcore universe returned for one last album. Album #2 Protestant is a kick-A masterpiece that would make weeks-long welcomed visits in the playlists of metalcore fans wanting to hear an early mix of the genre with many others! You can hear small bits of punky thrash, deathgrind, and black-doom added to their early metallic hardcore. With these influences, there's more riff variation than their violent metalcore-establishing debut Remain Sedate. For Protestant, they expanded on their early Voivod-like punk-thrash riffing into more creative variety. The Slayer-like dissonance is spiced up with tempo changes for progressive chaos. Breakdowns appear sparsely without any cliche over-usage. The abrasive guitar can sound atmospheric before going violent in the standard metalcore zone with hysterical shrieks to accompany the abstract madness that gets more melodic later. With top-notch music, anger, and atmosphere, this early metalcore classic is highly recommended for fans of metalcore, or simply metal or hardcore, and any mix of those two genres that has ever existed!

5/5

Sorry, Daniel. I already included that Circuit Circuit track in last March's Revolution playlist. Got anything else in mind?

Here's my submission for the June Guardians playlist:

DragonForce - "Pixel Prison" (from Warp Speed Warriors, 2024)

I've given both of the first two Painkiller releases some listening and reviews (with the third album Execution Ground to be done the same soon) as a self-challenge to explore the band's avant-garde weirdness. There is definitely a lot of the bizarre jazzy avant-garde metal going on in both albums. However, I can hear some prominent grindcore in some sections of the mid-length tracks in their debut, enough that I think it should still qualify as grindcore in half of the tracklisting. So I'll vote YES for both Guts of a Virgin and Buried Secrets to be added to The Infinite and avant-garde metal, but for those albums to be removed from The Horde and grindcore, I'll vote NO for the former and YES for the latter.

One of my favorite Scorpions songs too! This perfect 70s hard rock/metal tune should've had more attention than the band's other popular slow songs in my opinion.

An early demo from the band's Underground series, that I would recommend for fans of the band's heavier work:

The brand-new compilation album from the lost heroes of modern rock Linkin Park has only the rap rock and alternative rock primary genre tags, but I still thinking putting this small review of it in this Gateway thread is appropriate since almost half of the tracklisting covers the band's nu metal era. Anyway, so we have all heard the tragic suicide of lead vocalist Chester Bennington in July 2017, just two months after the release of his final album with the band, One More Light, a departure from the band's earlier nu metal/alt-rock for an electropop sound. Since then, there has never been any freshly recorded music from Linkin Park, though they have re-released Hybrid Theory and Meteora with never before heard demos and outtakes. We don't know if this compilation Papercuts will be the last we hear from Linkin Park, but it's certainly a decent tour through the band's different eras, an interesting tribute to the past...

Papercuts has some solid highlights from their career, along with a few duds. You can check out my reviews for the albums that are in the site for what I think of the songs from there, but let's talk about the new ones. "One More Light" is the title track of the aforementioned poppy final LP album with Chester. Being the final release single from that album and having all its soft emotional melancholy, it's enough to make even the toughest music listener shed tears. I miss him so much... An early demo from the band's Underground series, "Qwerty" is a strong standout that I would recommend for fans of the band's heavier work. It sounds like this should've been in The Hunting Party, the only album to not have a song in this compilation.

"New Divide" is known as the theme song for Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen. With its anthemic vibe and that killer mechanical breakdown in the bridge, the streak of Linkin Park Transformers highlights stands unbroken! From the Meteora re-release Meteora20, "Lost" is an unreleased track from that album's recording sessions. To be honest though, if I heard that song before knowing where it came from, I would've thought it was part of the electronic-infused Living Things. "Friendly Fire" is the final track here and an unused track from One More Light. It's actually a true highlight for this compilation and Chester's vocals give me a pleasant feeling of both sorrow and bliss.

And now for me to point out the major problems this album has... As I've said before, none of the songs in their metal throwback album The Hunting Party are in this album. I would like more if they added a couple highlights from there like "Guilty All the Same" and "Rebellion" to use up most of the remaining CD space. I also think some underrated highlights like "Pushing Me Away" and "From the Inside" should've replaced a couple tracks like the weak "Bleed It Out" and the enjoyable yet redundant "Numb/Encore".

Despite those issues and the tracklisting order being a bit random, the amount of solid tracks here is what prevent Papercuts from being a total failure of a compilation. All in all, a decent best-of album more suitable for true Linkin Park fans rather than heavier metalheads like myself. Not the best, but I still approve. RIP Chester Bennington.....

Favorites (one per album): "Numb/Encore", "Waiting for the End", "One More Light", "Burn It Down", "What I've Done", "Qwerty", "One Step Closer", "New Divide", "Numb", "Friendly Fire"

3/5

Ben, please add the new Pestilence re-recording album Levels of Perception.

Some more metalcore bands I now enjoy thanks to some amazing discoveries, including the deathly melodic metalcore of The Autumn Offering:

The modern alt-metalcore of Imminence:

And the melodic metalcore turned heavy/Southern/groove metal of The Showdown:

A couple awesome melodic death metal bands whose music I've encountered in the past, but was never fully interested in them until recently:

Modern nu metal with metalcore/industrial/grunge influences from New Orleans:

Welcome to Metal Academy, Pelle! Don't feel bad for making any requests, Ben can add them to the site at any time.

Here's how I would genre-tag the 9 tracks in this Riot album:

1. Desperation - Hard rock/heavy metal

2. Warrior - Heavy metal

3. Rock City - Hard rock/blues rock

4. Overdrive - Hard rock/heavy metal

5. Angel - Hard rock

6. Tokyo Rose - Hard rock/heavy metal

7. Heart of Fire - Hard rock

8. Gypsy Queen - Hard rock/proto-glam metal

9. This Is What I Get - Heavy metal/hard rock

Primary genres: Hard rock, heavy metal

Secondary genres: N/A

With all that, I agree that Rock City is more of a hard rock album, but I can still hear some of their later metal sound, enough to make heavy metal a primary genre here. I look forward to our track-to-track discussion about Scorpions' Taken by Force and my track-by-track genre analysis that will follow...

I would've chosen one or both of the Crimson epics for this thread, but that felt like too much of a cheat. So I'll just go with this highlight of catchy progressive action:

A 30th anniversary remastering of that track, having just come out today:

Too atrociously poppy in the chorus for a symphonic death metal song:

An enjoyable piece of symphonic death metal:

This 9-minute progressive epic is the best way to summarize all this Mayan album has to offer:

Soaring blast-beats and riff-wrath are in perfect balance with Marcela Bovio's serene vocal glory in one of the best and heaviest tracks of this Mayan album:

This otherwise good song is totally ruined by Lars Eikind's cleans sound awkward and more overly dramatic than melancholic:

My favorite track of this Before the Dawn album with the right sense of closure and none of Lars Eikind's poor vocals:

The only Lars Eikind-led highlight of this Before the Dawn album, where he sings in more natural delivery in the soft verses, and it doesn't get in the way of the heavy guitar:

This wicked heavy highlight brings melody and speed up front, almost like Sonic Syndicate on steroids:

A dynamic progressive adventure within an adventure:

After revisiting a couple Wintersun releases yesterday, today I decided to listen to last year's instrumental single "Warning". I know not a lot of people like this sudden cyber djent twist in symphonic metal, but I do. This totally reminds me of Mechina and Neurotech, and I've listened to enough of those two bands to be used to this. Just be aware that the upcoming Time II is never going to take on that kind of style, since the majority of that album was recorded many years prior.

The usual sound of Edge of Sanity has taken on a more melodic route in this highlight while staying destructive:

I would've chosen one or both of the Crimson epics for this thread, but that felt like too much of a cheat. So I'll just go with this highlight of catchy progressive action:

Here are a few more hidden gems for me besides the ones in my earlier list:

Dethklok - The Doomstar Requiem: A Klok Opera (2013) - Melodeath/symphonic metal opera soundtrack to that Metalocalypse special

October Tide - The Cancer Pledge (2023) - Melodic death-doom

Hinayana - Shatter and Fall (2023) - Melodic death-doom

Mercenary - Everblack (2002) - Melodeath with power metal influences

Becoming the Archetype - The Physics of Fire (2007) - Progressive melodeath with metalcore influences

An unfitting bizarre stinker of a Doors cover:

The perfect progressive closing epic to this re-recording album, combining the heavy and acoustic versions of this iconic song for a memorable climax of harmonic leads:

Whether original or re-recorded, this still remains my favorite song of Amorphis' debut album:

Daniel, Ben, Rex, Sonny, Illusionist... Seeing how much you guys like the earlier melodeath material of Amorphis, here's the perfect test of how much enjoyment you can get out of a re-recording album of songs from that era that shall be right up your alley: