Shadowdoom9 (Andi)'s Forum Replies
With Xephyr having stepped down from major activity in the site and none of the other Guardians members seeming to be up to taking over The Guardians playlist (based on no response), I decided to step in with Daniel's approval and allowing me to be a collaborator, at least for now until we can find a Guardians member who can manage the playlist full-time. I also included all the unused submissions from January and February in the half-a-month-late March playlist, so consider it a special suggestions-filled playlist. For future playlists though, I'd like to note a few things. I'll still do the usual monthly schedule, so I can release new playlists on April, May, June etc., because I enjoy making the playlists and have a lot of time in my hands, and I want to keep those playlists active in the uncommon chance of attracting new listeners of these genres. Though I might skip a month or a few if I end up busy in the outside world with a job or a college course like when I had that break a couple years ago. Contributions are always welcome, but the one track per non-clan member rule still stands for the sake of the playlist's legitimacy, though if you send me two or 3 submissions that are all by bands I'm familiar with and enjoy, I can accept them all. While the recommended deadline is the 15th of each month, I'm flexible enough to allow one submission after that date. The maximum deadline is the second-to-last day of the month (clarified in the deadline list below), so I can have time in the last day of the month to finalize the playlist and get it ready for when a new month dawns. If anyone has comments about this, please let me know here or PM me. Let's hope the playlists can stay alive!
Deadlines for next few months' playlists after the April one:
May playlist: recommended - April 15, maximum - April 29
June playlist: recommended - May 15, maximum - May 30
July playlist: recommended - June 15, maximum - June 29
And so on, until a new Guardians member wants to take control of the playlist.
March 2025
1. Accept - "Metal Heart" from Metal Heart (1985) [Suggested by Karl]
2. Capilla Ardiente - "The Hands of Fate Around My Neck" from Where Gods Live and Men Die (2024) [Suggested by Karl]
3. Throne of Iron - "Past the Doors of Death" from Adventure One (2020) [Suggested by Karl]
4. Savatage - "Strange Reality" from Streets - A Rock Opera (1991) [Suggested by Shadowdoom9 (Andi)]
5. Sabaton - "Unbreakable" from The Art of War (2008) [Suggested by Shadowdoom9 (Andi)]
6. Heavenly - "Sign of the Winner" from Sign of the Winner (2001)
7. Blind Guardian - "Nightfall" from Nightfall in Middle-Earth (1998)
8. Saxon - "Crusader" from Crusader (1984) [Suggested by Karl]
9. Medieval Steel - "Medieval Steel" from Medieval Steel (1984, reissued on The Dungeon Tapes (2005)) [Suggested by Karl]
10. Lethal - "Arrival" from Programmed (1990) [Suggested by Karl]
11. Taramis - "Doesn't Seem" from Queen of Thieves (1988)
12. Conception - "Silent Crying" from Parallel Minds (1993) [Suggested by Daniel]
13. Rampage - "Benevolent Approach" from Acid Storm demo (1986, reissued on Veil of Mourn (1988)) [Suggested by Daniel]
14. Brocas Helm - "Fly High" from Black Death (1988) [Suggested by Karl]
15. Attacker - "Battle at Helm Deep" from Downfall (1985) [Suggested by Karl]
16. Destiny's End - "Breathe Deep the Dark" from Breathe Deep the Dark (1998) [Suggested by Karl]
17. Concerto Moon - "The Gold Digger" from Back Beyond Time (2023)
18. Vitalij Kuprij - "Piano Overture" from Forward & Beyond (2004)
19. Within Temptation - "Caged" from Mother Earth (2000)
20. Nightwish - "Ghost Love Score" from Once (2004) [Suggested by Shadowdoom9 (Andi)]
21. Mechina - "When Honor Meets Steel" from Venator (2022)
Whitechapel's brutal roots are back, especially in the album's title highlight:
Oh dear... Hope things won't go that serious. All the best, Zach.
Featuring harmonic soloing by Doc Coyle from God Forbid and Bad Wolves, this is the new Bleeding Through album's ultimate highlight of melody and intensity:
My renewed interest in melodic/symphonic/progressive death metal really shows as I discover more bands of that sound such as this German tech-death band:
And this Chicago-based melodeath/symphonic power metal band:
Melodic metalcore supergroup formed by the talented Howard Jones, formerly of Killswitch Engage, with some melodic yet heavy moments similar to his time with KSE:
Wicked new single by this alt-metal/rock band from Maryland:
Ben, please add A Day to Remember's Big Ole Album Vol. 1, along with their 2021 album You're Welcome to bridge the gap.
The new Mechina album Bellum Interruptum has arrived! Or at least the first third of it. And so far, it's shaping up quite well as another great offering of epic cyber metal. Here's the first part that has just premiered, and below are my thoughts on the tracks:
1. Cruelty is the Point - 5:03
2. The Plague Pit - 5:22
3. The Wasteful Energy of Words - 6:27
"Cruelty is the Point" throws back to the Venator era nicely with the serene vocals of Mel Rose. "The Plague Pit" is my favorite track of this part, a powerful djenty banger that reminds me of a futuristic Arch Enemy with the crushing growls of Anna Hel. "The Wasteful Energy of Words" is a duet between Mel Rose and Dave Lowmiller, similarly to the single "When Honor Meant Something" which I hope would also appear in the full album. And maybe we'll also have David Holch somewhere in the next two parts. Or are Anna Hel and/or Dave Lowmiller the new growlers? More coming up through the next two weeks, so stay tuned...
Ben, please add League of Distortion.
Ben, please add Pridian.
The perfect track to exemplify what the new Dark Tranquillity album is going for thematically, darkness and dread for the endtimes:
Hope you and your family will be safe, Daniel.
Here's my review summary:
What makes Stormlord stand out in the symphonic black metal pack is the lyrics centered around Italian mythology, and it fits well for when the music alternates between melodic and thrashy. At the Gates of Utopia is the band's second album and their first with the locally popular Scarlet Records after a decade in the underground. Many songs have an epic black metal structure of fast guitars and drums occasionally slowing down for a gloomy section. Even people like me who aren't into black metal that much can enjoy this power and glory. There's also some dramatic choir and male operatic singing. Still we have great speed in the guitars, bass, and drums, in conjunction with the epic atmosphere. As amazing as At the Gates of Utopia is, I still don't feel up to switching back to the on side of my on-off relationship with black metal. Nonetheless, this is the best I've heard from symphonic black metal in a long while, particularly in some highly memorable tracks including the title intermission. As for a couple tracks, they rule too but could've had less forced ideas. With all that said, power metal-ish symphonic black metal might just be worth it for any metal listener!
4.5/5
Recommended tracks: "Under the Samnites' Spears", "Xanadu (A Vision in a Dream)", "At the Gates of Utopia", "The Curse of Medusa", "The Secrets of the Earth"
For fans of: Arcturus' 1996 debut, Bal-Sagoth, Demoniac (the pre-DragonForce band formed in New Zealand)
Here's my review summary:
The musical journey of Trail of Tears was filled with sorrow (Helena Iren Michaelsen era), darkness (A New Dimension of Might), violence (Kjetil Nordhus era), and accessible glory (Cathrine Paulsen's second era). It really is a shame that the band fell apart after Bloodstained Endurance and Oscillation. The talented voice of Cathrine can't be found anywhere besides this band and Lucid Fear. During the split, Ronny Thorsen was in a different band, Viper Solfa. And now these extreme gothic metallers are reborn! Two singles were released, leading up to the EP Winds of Disdain. Their greatness is still in full force, but a new female vocalist has stepped in, Ailyn. Here we have crushing guitars, bombastic symphonics, bass/drum assaults, and cool synth effects to reminds us who they are. I look forward to if the band ever makes a new album with this kind of sound plus more of the occasional acoustic section and audible bass. An absolute must for any symphonic gothic metal fan. Oscillation wasn't their final stand after all!
5/5
Recommended tracks: all of them, especially "Winds of Disdain", "No Colours Left"
For fans of: Epica, Sirenia, Starkill
Update due to Xephyr stepping down from major activity in MA (including feature releases and the Guardians playlist) to focus on his work and personal life (I also swapped mine and Saxy's places in The Infinite for April and May to make April a little more fair):
THE FALLEN: VINNY, Sonny
THE GATEWAY: ANDI, Saxy
THE GUARDIANS: KARL
THE HORDE: KARL, Vinny, Sonny
THE INFINITE: SAXY, Andi
THE NORTH: SONNY, Karl
THE PIT: SONNY, Vinny
THE REVOLUTION: ANDI
THE SPHERE: ANDI
Ben, please add Myproof.
The gothic strength of Comalies and the groove-metalcore-ish sound of Delirium actually become one in this mighty first single and ending track of the new Lacuna Coil album:
An absolute must-listen for anyone wanting to hear the bridge between Comalies and Karmacode:
My curse of cover tracks I've once enjoyed 10 years ago ending up becoming f***ing awful today continues. I prefer It Dies Today's cover!
Although I don't like Karmacode as much as I did 10 years ago, there are still a few amazing songs like this one remaining immortal in my memory:
Well this album didn't hit me as well as it once did when I first heard it 10 years ago, sorry Saxy. I'll just post my review link here: https://metal.academy/reviews/38245/6445
The band's early atmospheric progressive doom sound reaches its greatest height in this 19-minute epic:
A doomy highlight of peaceful melancholy:
I'm voting YES for this entry too, Daniel. Same thoughts on the progressiveness of this album as in Sorrow.
All right, thanks Sonny.
OK then, please cancel my submissions, Sonny.
Here's my review summary:
Somewhere in Southern Europe lies a small land between borders, a great distance away from wherever you live but smaller than your country's average state... Andorra! And over there is one group who has taken both eastern philosophy and western-cultural music in a great attempt to let people about Andorra's existence, and that is... melo-deathly progressive metal band Persefone! The band's spiritual philosophy continues from their previous album as they maintain their atmosphere-flavored extreme impact that has kinda put them in rivalry against the Australian Ne Obliviscaris (friendly rivals, of course, Ne Obliviscaris' Tim Charles would perform guest vocals and violin in a special single later), yet there's the slight addition of traditional prog ala Dream Theater. Persefone's previous two albums established their motive of songs ranging one-minute interludes to 10-minute epic. For this album, they've spiced it up with a 4-part 20-minute epic. The esoteric amount of subjects is in strong symmetry with the clean and unclean vocals, plus a small bit of robotic vocals from Cynic vocalist Paul Masvidal. That epic perfectly exemplifies all the band has to offer, plus some vocals by Merethe Soltvedt (best known from a few songs by Two Steps From Hell) and guitars by Øystein Landsverk who recently left Leprous. Any fan of Persefone should get Aathma, and probably start with an earlier album if they're newcomers. It has been Persefone's quest to expand their horizons, and they have a promising path to please the Earth!
4.5/5
Here are my sneak peek submissions for the April Sphere playlist:
The Amenta - "Slave" (5:12) from n0n (2008)
Celldweller - "I Believe You" (3:26) from Celldweller (2003)
Circle of Dust - "Onenemy (Fury Weekend Remix)" (4:32) from Circle of Dust (Remixed) (2022)
Fear Factory - "Descent" (4:36) from Obsolete (1998)
Godflesh - "Live to Lose" (5:39) from Us and Them (1999)
Sybreed - "I Am Ultraviolence" (4:03) from The Pulse of Awakening (2009)
Total length: 28:28
Here are my sneak peek submissions for the April Revolution playlist:
Amaranthe - "Supersonic" (3:17) from Maximalism (2016)
Carnifex - "How the Knife Gets Twisted" (3:50) from Necromanteum (2023)
Demon Hunter - "Worlds Apart" (4:28) from Worlds Apart (2024)
Every Time I Die - "Punch-Drunk Punk Rock Romance" (4:36) from Last Night in Town (2001)
From Autumn to Ashes - "Pioneers" (3:42) from Holding a Wolf by the Ears (2007)
God Forbid - "Gone Forever" (4:28) from Gone Forever (2004)
Imminence - "Continuum (feat. Niklas Karlsson)" (4:17) from Continuum (2024)
Total length: 28:38
Here are my submissions for the April Infinite playlist:
Allegaeon - "Driftwood" (4:28) from Driftwood (2025)
Apocalyptica - "Aqua Genesis" (7:32) from Aquarela (2019)
Fallujah - "Levitation" (5:30) from The Flesh Prevails (2014)
Into Eternity - "Behind the Disguise" (4:15) from Into Eternity (1999)
Meshuggah - "Swarm" (5:26) from Koloss (2012)
Total length: 27:11
Here are my submissions for the April Gateway playlist:
Any Given Sin - "Rest for the Wicked" (3:02) from Rest for the Wicked (2025)
Demon Hunter - "Freedom is Dead" (2:53) from Exile (2022)
Falling in Reverse - "Prequel" (3:53) from Popular Monster (2024)
Five Finger Death Punch - "A Little Bit Off" (3:11) from F8 (2020)
In This Moment - "Adrenalize" (4:15) from Blood (2012)
Lacuna Coil - "I Wish You Were Dead" (2:51) from Sleepless Empire (2025)
Spiritbox - "Perfect Soul" (3:59) from Perfect Soul (2025)
Swallow the Sun - "What I Have Become" (4:06) from Shining (2024)
Total length: 28:10
Here are my thoughts on all the selected tracks:
Fear Factory - "Edgecrusher" from Obsolete (1998)
4.5/5. I like how the first track of this playlist starts with a disclaimer saying "Due to the graphic nature of this program, listener discretion is advised." Interestingly, the playlist has only a couple "explicit" tracks in the middle. Anyway, the tough lyrics and hip-hop beat sound quite odd in the band's attempt to discard their death metal roots, yet it brings me great delight. Guilty pleasure, much!?
Turmion Kätilöt - "Pirun Nyrkki" from Pirun Nyrkki (2006)
5/5. This was actually the first track of the first very Sphere playlist back in August 2020, so it's the perfect throwback to that, a true highlight combining speed with industrial synths, almost like a blend of Strapping Young Lad and Deathstars.
Deathstars - "The Last Ammunition" from Termination Bliss (2006)
5/5. Speaking of Deathstars, holy sh*t, this is another brilliant highlight. There really should've been a single for this, being the 3rd-best song of its original album (behind "Cyanide" and "Blitzkrieg"), though maybe I would find better songs in the others. If there ever was a video for this song, it could be the soundtrack for the combat sequence of a modern war video game. With dramatic rhythm, synths, and vocals, this is as perfect bliss as those two other favorites. You must check them out!
Rabbit Junk - "Denature" from Denature (2021)
4.5/5. Now this shall shine well in this playlist. I can probably sing along to this catchy tune.
Terminal Choice - "Don't Go" from New Born Enemies (2006)
4/5. I like this cover of a Yazoo hit. Tracks like this shall never go away!
Ludovico Technique - "Embrace" from Haunted People (2022)
3.5/5. Another newfound dark industrial metal track, though the chorus is a bit repetitive.
Sphere (NO) - "Primordial" from Primordial (2013)
4/5. Shouldn't this band be called Horde/Infinite/Sphere because of the industrial/cyber metal mixed with djenty melodeath? Jokes aside, that chorus f***ing rules! This blend of cleans and uncleans can also be found in Black Comedy. "MAKE 'EM BLEED."
Digimortal - "Белое знамя" from Белое знамя (2024)
4.5/5. Stay loyal to this modern cyber metal sound, help keep it alive!
Neurotech - "The Serpent Bites" from Ave Neptune (2023)
5/5. This absolute highlight might just be one of my favorite tracks by this band, with excellent riffing and a catchy chorus.
Oblivion Machine - "Shield Mode" from Zero-Gravity (2011)
4.5/5. Groove-ish industrial/cyber metal suitable for Star Trek and Warframe.
Circle of Dust - "Telltale Crime" from Brainchild (1994)
5/5. A lot more people need to hear more of Klayton's underrated pre-Celldweller projects.
Blue Stahli - "Gravity" from Obsidian (2021)
4.5/5. Bret Autrey's singing sounds so peaceful in the heavy instrumentation. That's what I love about Blue Stahli.
Cypecore - "Neoteric Gods" from Make Me Real (2024)
5/5. This one kicks off the technical action hard. This is deathly djenty industrial/groove metal at its best! It impresses me with its background synths and its dark yet anthemic chorus. I love it, and I'm sure Cypecore fans would too.
The Axis of Perdition - "This, Then, in Paradise?" from Deleted Scenes From the Transition Hospital (2005)
4.5/5. Industrial metal takes a more ambient black metal turn with this nightmarish yet beautiful beast.
The Amenta - "Obliterate’s Prayer" from Flesh is Heir (2013)
5/5. This highlight has gigantic hooks to obliterate anything in the song's path.
Corrections House - "Dirt Poor and Mentally Ill" from Last City Zero (2013)
4.5/5. This one has chanting vocals while still making room for Williams' rage. Soon the lyrics become more poetic, especially in the spoken bridge.
Sybreed - "Bioactive (Neurotech Remix)" from Bioactive Remixes (2025)
5/5. Now this is the best of both worlds! As with the original, you get to hear the members drive through sonic cyber/industrial metal without relying too much on electronics. Here we have the powerful drumming of Alex Anxionaz, showing a bit of Fear Factory influence, the gloomy vocals of Benjamin Nominet ranging from clean to harsh, the heavy guitar grooves of Drop, and the burning bass of Burn.
Nine Inch Nails - "Give Up" from Fixed (1992)
4.5/5. This remix is a great example of how the guitar riff blasts are still around despite the industrial parts.
Eisbrecher - "Kaltfront" from Kaltfront (2025)
4/5. Eisbrecher has a new album coming out later this month or so. Fans of Rammstein and other NDH shall get the h*ll ready!
Viter - "Two Colors" from Springtime (2012)
3.5/5. Viter blends industrial metal with medieval folk similarly to Subway to Sally, which is nice, but not totally my thing.
Rammstein - "Engel" from Sehnsucht (1997)
4/5. Singing along to Rammstein's lyrics is a great way to learn German, though I'm better off staying with English and my native language.
Morgoth - "A New Start" from Feel Sorry for the Fanatic (1996)
4.5/5. Morgoth had a different start with this album, a detour into alt-/industrial metal as opposed to their usual death metal.
KMFDM - "Trust" from Nihil (1995)
4/5. This one has another female sung chorus, by Dorona Alberti, "Do what you can, what you want, what you must, feel the hunger inside, don't lose your trust", which has a funny similarity to Steely Dan, and is ironic during the battle for idealism that ends up getting lost.
Tyrant of Death - "Biomechanical" from Biomechanical (2014)
4.5/5. I shouldn't have to explain this amazing 10-minute instrumental djenty industrial metal epic.
Black Light Discipline - "Faded" from Faded (2018)
4/5. Black Light Discipline have their own underrated cyber metal sound going on. There's much more emotion in his vocals than in the original Alan Walker song. You know how much I love covers that metalize the original song and give it their own spin. I like the more top-notch upbeat sound here. The bass is quite cool too.
Pretty good playlist I've made, huh? I recommend this to any industrial metal fan and anyone who isn't into industrial metal but is up to getting into a great start for the genre. Thanks to anyone who have contributed with their own submissions, and I hope the rest of you enjoy it like I've had!
Here are my thoughts on all the selected tracks:
Underoath - "Breathing in a New Mentality" from Lost in the Sound of Separation (2008)
5/5. Honestly, this opening highlight can really take you by surprise by starting with riffs, drumming, and screams in a lower volume before shoving heavy loudness through your mouth and throat. This is a far more powerful opener than that of the previous album and playlist. Spencer Chamberlain's screaming sound demanding while Aaron Gillespie's drumming dominates and the guitar chords cuts more sharply than razor blades.
Trivium - "Rain" from Ascendancy (2005)
5/5. This next song kicks off the metal action in a vicious bang, setting a feverish pace maintained throughout its original album.
Falling in Reverse - "Raised by Wolves" from The Drug in Me Is You (2011)
4.5/5. Pre-Popular Monster Falling in Reverse isn't really metal nor something I really like, but this kick-A first track of their debut is as metalcore as they could get back then, mixing it with their usual pop punk similarly to early A Day to Remember.
BOI WHAT - "Let Me Crawl" from Let Me Crawl (2025)
4.5/5. Plankton AI metal goes Linkin Park/Memphis May Fire/Architects.
Bleed from Within - "Hands of Sin" from Hands of Sin (2024)
5/5. An awesome hard-hitter with a deep chorus, "Stood on the outside I'm looking in, holding peace in hands of sin. This moral mind wears a second skin, the end is now where I begin."
Shadow of Intent - "The Return" from Reclaimer (2017)
5/5. Technical deathcore is practically combined with the symphonic power metal guitarwork of Symphony X and Iced Earth. If the clean vocals were higher and more operatic, the band would've beaten Dragoncorpse in that game. Plus there's some medieval harpsichord! Now there's still the more extreme side of the spectrum with the brutal breakdown and the blackened death growls. It's amazing that the vocalist Ben Duerr would still have that power in their next album.
Carnifex - "No Light Shall Save Us" from World War X (2019)
4.5/5. An antiheroic anthem to love and embrace the darkness, featuring Arch Enemy vocalist Alissa White-Gluz.
A Night in Texas - "The God Delusion" from The River Delusion (2015)
4/5. Death metal/core continues to strike with its great cosmos-destroying might.
The Acacia Strain - "Beast" from Wormwood (2010)
4.5/5. "Whatever is necessary to do, you do it. Whenever somebody needs to be killed, there's no wrong, you do it, and you move on." "My life is a shooting range, people never change." Those lyrics are better taken as an incentive for taking on video game bosses. F***ing bad-a** downtempo deathcore featuring Jamey Jasta of Hatebreed.
CABAL - "Redemption Denied" from Redemption Denied (2025)
4/5. Another underrated band rises in the deathcore horde. Let's all stop being fixated on the behind-the-scenes drama of the genre and focus on how sick the music's gonna be this year. Other bands heading up include Humanity's Last Breath, Black Tongue, and Paleface Swiss. The lyrics and drumming are quite great here. So brutal as f*** with lots of creativity and noise.
Dal Av, Andy Cizek - "Remember Me" from Remember Me (2023)
4.5/5. With Monuments vocalist Andy Cizek onboard, it's a battle of demons and angels that can make any car ride brutal. Absolute djenty metalcore gold!
Shokran - "Supreme Truth" from Supreme Truth (2014)
4/5. I love this track getting me hypnotized by the riffs and growls sounding like Whitechapel while mixed with stunning melodies.
Mindsnare - "Flood" from Credulity (1996)
3.5/5. Pretty good early hardcore/metalcore track though it would've been better without that one-minute intro ("CAN YOU HEAR ME!?!").
Ice Nine Kills - "Dead is the New Black" from The Burning (2007)
4/5. This is from Ice Nine Kills' earlier era before they went all intense and horror-themed. Spencer Charnas is quite talented in his vocals and guitarwork. They've already gotten past their ska punk phase at this point.
Vianova - "Melanchronic" from Melanchronic (2025)
4.5/5. A sick song for a fun night drive, almost like Neurotech gone metalcore.
Get the Shot - "Pit of Misery" from Pit of Misery (2025)
4/5. This journey through brutal death/metalcore insanity isn't over yet...
Parkway Drive - "It's Hard to Speak Without a Tongue" from Killing with a Smile (2005)
4.5/5. This one is a standout track beginning with a simple clean guitar riff before drilling drums and thunderous bass come in followed and impressive solo-like melody. The melody fades into a quieter riff to fit it with the growling. That melody is used again the chorus section. An unusually well-balanced song for Parkway Drive!
Eighteen Visions - "A Short Walk Down a Long Hallway" from Vanity (2002)
5/5. The best track of its original album for me. The singing, soloing, riffing, and lyrics all reach their very peak. "Disgust, disgrace, you'll slap that look right off of my face, I'll play God, I'll play dead, You'll be the one to shoot me in the head." I also love the screaming by Corey Darst from The Pretty Weapons who was also a live vocalist for Zao.
Imminence - "Proclaim" from The Reclamation of I (2024)
4.5/5. The violin that starts this track might have some listeners confused thinking they put on a My Dying Bride album, but then it explodes into dramatic metalcore, not too far off from The Showdown's 2004 debut instrumentally.
Make Them Suffer - "No Hard Feelings" from Make Them Suffer (2024)
5/5. Alex Reade has more of the divine spotlight in this highlight. The heaviness is toned down slightly for some lovely melody, while staying fast and killer. Sean Harmanis continues his harsh screams while also offering some gruff singing behind Reade. They both might make the best metal vocal duo of the year alongside Linkin Park's Mike Shinoda and Emily Armstrong!
Alleviate - "Forevermore" from DMNS (2024)
4.5/5. One of the heaviest songs I've heard in modern metalcore. You don't wanna miss out on the chaos that is two minutes of your life you want more of. This banger is more brutal than even the heaviest of As I Lay Dying. Lots of interesting fire to make up for the worst of times.
Graphic Nature - "Human" from Who Are You When No One is Watching? (2024)
4/5. This one has more melodic synths, while blending it with heavy guitars, a balance already mastered by Sleep Token.
Hollow Front - "Caved In" from Homewrecker (2017)
3.5/5. Pretty cool, but I wish there could've been some Cave In-like experimentation.
Convictions - "Sleeping Lotus" from The Fear of God (2024)
4/5. Such a destructive yet beautiful tune. What else can I say?
Inertia - "Theist" from Unlearn (2017)
4.5/5. Bad-a** lyrics once again, with the music reminding me of Polaris.
Half Me - "Fatalist" from Opium EP (2024)
4/5. "I WILL DIE AS A FATALIST!!!!!" The breakdown goes quite hard, as much as the ones by Thrown, whom they have collaborated with previously.
Rolo Tomassi - "Opalescent" from Grievance (2015)
4.5/5. Rolo Tomassi never disappoints! The drums start off jazzy then, at the end, rise into massive blackened blasts. The instrumentation and vocals are quite beautiful, though if there was any screamed vocals, it would've been perfect.
Ion Dissonance - "(D.A.B.D.A.) State of Discomposure" from Cast the First Stone (2016)
5/5. See what I mean!? Those growled/screamed vocals help make this the fantastic nearly 9-minute mathcore epic it is.
Revnoir - "Revenge" from Revenge (2025)
4.5/5. Revnoir, along with Landmvrks, Novelists, and Resolve, have the ambition to bring light to the French metalcore scene with heavy bangers like this. D*mn, I'm so proud of those guys!
All That Remains - "Blood & Stone" from Antifragile (2025)
5/5. Finally we have this epic emotional closing track. The piano intro and outro are performed by none other than Jordan Rudess of Dream Theater. And in between is a metalcore extravaganza of heavy riffs and whimsical DragonForce-like leads. Philip Labonte lets out perhaps his most dynamic vocals to date. The perfect way to close this masterpiece album and this playlist!
Pretty good playlist I've made, huh? I recommend this to any metalcore fan and anyone who isn't into metalcore but is up to getting into a great start for the genre. Thanks to anyone who have contributed with their own submissions, and I hope the rest of you enjoy it like I've had!
Here are my thoughts on some tracks:
Atheist – Air (1993)
4.5/5. This waltz-paced track to start this playlist rises from jazzy guitar and cymbal into a riff blizzard. Shaefer's impressive shrieking strike the music down into the snow. Rather than being catchy, the windy music catches the feeling and drags through the breeze. After a bit more fury comes some more commanding jazz.
Black Crown Initiate – Belle The Machine (2016)
5/5. Some of the greatest modern progressive death metal songs are the ones that are around 9 minutes long. This one is so unique and beautiful! Anyone discovering this band should be considered lucky to find great gems in their discography. The instrumentation and growls is like a modern upgrade for Opeth. The guitarwork should be worth playing on a djenty 8-string guitar. Too bad the massive rhythm section of rhythm guitarist Wes Hauch and drummer Jesse Beahler are gone after this album...
Car Bomb – Gratitude (2016)
4.5/5. This trippy track actually has a Deftones-like sound, where a verse drives through with clean vocals and jangly guitars, taking a sideways turn in direction.
Fallujah – Sapphire (2024)
5/5. Over 10 years and still timeless, so much so that its album The Flesh Prevails has been given a f***ing kick-A 10th anniversary remastering. Transcending through this epic djenty sound!
Haken – The Architect (feat. Einar Solberg) (2016)
4.5/5. I still enjoy this Haken epic with a lot going on throughout these 16 minutes. When the heaviness enters in the first minute, it's closer to some jazzy progressive metal packaged from Planet X. The verses don't come until the 3-minute mark, with background 80s synths. Then the riffing hits hard in the chorus. After those 6 minutes of Dream Theater-esque progressiveness, it calms down for a soft ambient break with some guitar fiddling. The ambience slowly rises up for a bit of TOOL and the softer side of Rosetta. When the vocals come back on after a minute, they might remind some of Porcupine Tree. At over the 10-minute point is when things start to sound more like Opeth, especially when we get to hear screamed vocals by Leprous vocalist Einar Solberg, his last screams that he would perform in 5 years. Two minutes later, the heavy djent-ish riffing really fires away. Soon the chorus returns, and we reach the ultimate climax during the final two minutes. Truly an astonishing epic!
Ihsahn – Celestial Violence (feat. Einar Solberg) (2016)
5/5. Up next, we have another track featuring Einar Solberg. Shorter, darker, and showcasing his cleans. What a masterpiece of a song! Ihsahn has appeared in a couple Leprous tracks, so it's good for Einar to return the favor. Truly an anthem that should be remembered for centuries, maybe even millennia!
Intronaut – Fast Worms (2015)
4.5/5. Wow, this is the 4th 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.
Novembre – Marea (2002)
4/5. A 3-part 12-minute epic that actually combines two tracks originally in Novembre's debut. Calm acoustics aside, it's a vast improvement and another great track here!
Here are my thoughts on some tracks:
Ankor – Chop Suey! (2014)
4.5/5. Well this is an interesting start to this playlist. I had no idea Ankor covered this System of a Down classic. The band's usual A Day to Remember/Bring Me the Horizon gone Paramore sound gives the song more climatic drama, especially during the bridge leading up to the final chorus. Well done!
Any Given Sin – Nearer Our God to Thee (2015)
5/5. Wow, this might just be the greatest song I've heard in this Disturbed kind of alt-metal style. This is my jam!
Avenged Sevenfold – Afterlife (2007)
4.5/5. Although I've fallen off the A7X train, I can still go back to this killer track again and again. RIP The Rev
Limp Bizkit – Shotgun (2011)
4/5. My favorite track in this Limp Bizkit album attacks with the band's earlier humor and heaviness of Significant Other. Anyone here caught off-guard by the awesome rare guitar soloing?
Metallica – Some Kind of Monster (2003)
3.5/5. A monstrous 8-minute epic that should be re-recorded with improved production, guitar soloing, audible bass, and none of the G****MN SNARE.
Mucky Pup – Own Up for What You Say (1993)
4/5. Pretty great track, but a little too punky.
Nothing More – Fade In/Fade Out (2017)
4.5/5. A 6-minute pic to touch the hearts of all music listeners.
TOOL – Jambi (2006)
4/5. This one track really lets loose with the groove, especially the riffing surrounding the guitar solo.
March 2025
1. Fear Factory - "Edgecrusher" from Obsolete (1998) [submitted by Shadowdoom9 (Andi)]
2. Turmion Kätilöt - "Pirun Nyrkki" from Pirun Nyrkki (2006) [submitted by Shadowdoom9 (Andi)]
3. Deathstars - "The Last Ammunition" from Termination Bliss (2006) [submitted by Shadowdoom9 (Andi)]
4. Rabbit Junk - "Denature" from Denature (2021)
5. Terminal Choice - "Don't Go" from New Born Enemies (2006)
6. Ludovico Technique - "Embrace" from Haunted People (2022)
7. Sphere (NO) - "Primordial" from Primordial (2013)
8. Digimortal - "Белое знамя" from Белое знамя (2024)
9. Neurotech - "The Serpent Bites" from Ave Neptune (2023)
10. Oblivion Machine - "Shield Mode" from Zero-Gravity (2011)
11. Circle of Dust - "Telltale Crime" from Brainchild (1994) [submitted by Shadowdoom9 (Andi)]
12. Blue Stahli - "Gravity" from Obsidian (2021) [submitted by Shadowdoom9 (Andi)]
13. Cypecore - "Neoteric Gods" from Make Me Real (2024)
14. The Axis of Perdition - "This, Then, in Paradise?" from Deleted Scenes From the Transition Hospital (2005)
15. The Amenta - "Obliterate’s Prayer" from Flesh is Heir (2013) [submitted by Shadowdoom9 (Andi)]
16. Corrections House - "Dirt Poor and Mentally Ill" from Last City Zero (2013)
17. Sybreed - "Bioactive (Neurotech Remix)" from Bioactive Remixes (2025)
18. Nine Inch Nails - "Give Up" from Fixed (1992)
19. Eisbrecher - "Kaltfront" from Kaltfront (2025)
20. Viter - "Two Colors" from Springtime (2012)
21. Rammstein - "Engel" from Sehnsucht (1997)
22. Morgoth - "A New Start" from Feel Sorry for the Fanatic (1996)
23. KMFDM - "Trust" from Nihil (1995)
24. Tyrant of Death - "Biomechanical" from Biomechanical (2014)
25. Black Light Discipline - "Faded" from Faded (2018)
March 2025
1. Underoath - "Breathing in a New Mentality" from Lost in the Sound of Separation (2008) [submitted by Shadowdoom9 (Andi)]
2. Trivium - "Rain" from Ascendancy (2005)
3. Falling in Reverse - "Raised by Wolves" from The Drug in Me Is You (2011) [submitted by Shadowdoom9 (Andi)]
4. BOI WHAT - "Let Me Crawl" from Let Me Crawl (2025)
5. Bleed from Within - "Hands of Sin" from Hands of Sin (2024)
6. Shadow of Intent - "The Return" from Reclaimer (2017) [submitted by Shadowdoom9 (Andi)]
7. Carnifex - "No Light Shall Save Us" from World War X (2019) [submitted by Shadowdoom9 (Andi)]
8. A Night in Texas - "The God Delusion" from The River Delusion (2015)
9. The Acacia Strain - "Beast" from Wormwood (2010)
10. CABAL - "Redemption Denied" from Redemption Denied (2025)
11. Dal Av, Andy Cizek - "Remember Me" from Remember Me (2023)
12. Shokran - "Supreme Truth" from Supreme Truth (2014)
13. Mindsnare - "Flood" from Credulity (1996)
14. Ice Nine Kills - "Dead is the New Black" from The Burning (2007) [submitted by Shadowdoom9 (Andi)]
15. Vianova - "Melanchronic" from Melanchronic (2025)
16. Get the Shot - "Pit of Misery" from Pit of Misery (2025)
17. Parkway Drive - "It's Hard to Speak Without a Tongue" from Killing with a Smile (2005) [submitted by Shadowdoom9 (Andi)]
18. Eighteen Visions - "A Short Walk Down a Long Hallway" from Vanity (2002) [submitted by Shadowdoom9 (Andi)]
19. Imminence - "Proclaim" from The Reclamation of I (2024) [submitted by Saxy S]
20. Make Them Suffer - "No Hard Feelings" from Make Them Suffer (2024) [submitted by Saxy S]
21. Alleviate - "Forevermore" from DMNS (2024)
22. Graphic Nature - "Human" from Who Are You When No One is Watching? (2024)
23. Hollow Front - "Caved In" from Homewrecker (2017)
24. Convictions - "Sleeping Lotus" from The Fear of God (2024)
25. Inertia - "Theist" from Unlearn (2017)
26. Half Me - "Fatalist" from Opium EP (2024)
27. Rolo Tomassi - "Opalescent" from Grievance (2015)
28. Ion Dissonance - "(D.A.B.D.A.) State of Discomposure" from Cast the First Stone (2016)
29. Revnoir - "Revenge" from Revenge (2025)
30. All That Remains - "Blood & Stone" from Antifragile (2025)
Here's my review summary:
I would've thought this smooth cyber/industrial metal sound was weird a few years ago, before I realized its true potential. Now it's something so fresh and unique that's hard to find in any other band or style. Ave Neptune continues restoring the many aspects of Neurotech's material from 10 years prior, while adding new stuff including the occasional acoustic bridge and even extreme blast beats. Wulf's ongoing journey of electronics blended with metal is something once done by Dead by April and The Browning, only mellower and more focused on electronics while still having a great deal of metal, with excellent riffing, pleasant singing, and catchy choruses. All in all, Ave Neptune has been an amazing experience in the cyber realm of Neurotech, with some of my newfound favorite tracks by the band. I look forward to hearing more of the band's discography and finding out which albums can surpass this one. All hail Neurotech!
4.5/5
Recommended tracks: "Mundane Entropy", "The Serpent Bites", "Repent in Need", "Inner Quest", "The Years of the Flood"
For fans of: Deathstars, Mechina, The Browning's "Skybreaker"
Here's my review summary:
Shadow of Intent made a couple albums based on their favorite video game franchise Halo. After that, with another new lineup, Ben Duerr and Chris Wiseman have made a separate concept album about mass suicides at the hands of a demonic goddess. So dark, so depressing, yet... so intriguing! Until at least 5 years ago, I was never really into deathcore. At first I thought it was like standard death metal with metalcore breakdowns. The kind of deathcore I prefer is when the genre goes progressive and symphonic. I only just discovered this band a couple years ago, and eventually it has managed to grow on me with epic extreme songs showcasing the harsh vocals by Ben Duerr and the searing guitar work of Chris Wiseman, alongside orchestration filled with eeriness and drama. Before this discovery, albums like Make Them Suffer's Neverbloom and Lorna Shore's Pain Remains have been my go-to albums for symphonic deathcore. In comes Shadow of Intent's Melancholy, an epic riff-tastic melodic deathcore album to please any metalhead. I just found a new best album of 2019!
5/5
Recommended tracks: "Gravesinger", "Barren and Breathless Macrocosm", "Dirge of the Void", "The Dreaded Mystic Abyss", "Malediction"
For fans of: Fleshgod Apocalypse, Lorna Shore, early Make Them Suffer
Update for April:
THE FALLEN: VINNY, Sonny
THE GATEWAY: ANDI, Saxy
THE GUARDIANS: KARL, Xephyr
THE HORDE: KARL, Vinny, Sonny
THE INFINITE: XEPHYR, Andi, Saxy
THE NORTH: SONNY, Karl, Xephyr
THE PIT: SONNY, Vinny
THE REVOLUTION: ANDI
THE SPHERE: ANDI
Here's my submission for the April Guardians playlist:
Starkill - "Detonate" (from Gravity, 2019) (a little deathly for a Guardians track submission, but it sounds closer to the likes of Epica and Trail of Tears)
Ben, please add these new Saliva albums:
Revelation
Revelation: Retold
A more progressive while still doomy 8-minute epic:
A great early example of female-fronted progressive doom with its bleak darkness:
I've just revisited this EP and I can definitely hear those lush arrangements and guitar arpeggios, with tracks "Grevinnens Bønn" and "Silently I Surrender" sounding quite expansive. With enough progressiveness to qualify, I'll vote YES for this entry, Daniel.
Some of the best highlights from this compilation of all of Dawn of Orion's recordings, one per release, not including the debut album mentioned above:
We definitely don't need to worry about that now. Seems like RYM is aware of the scene/genre situation and will fix the issue in a later update. Here's what they had to say:
"For the moment Scene and Movement voting is still mixed in with genre voting on this page, even though they are now displayed separately. The voting UI for this will be improved at some point in the future.
"For Scenes and Movements the primary/secondary vote distinction is irrelevant, it is recommended to just vote them up in the Primary section but in the future the voting data for these will likely be combined. Again this is something that will be improved in future site updates."
