Shadowdoom9 (Andi)'s Forum Replies

I was going to stop this project there, but now I've given myself two more tasks: 1. I plan to listen to and review the rest of the Scorpions albums that are up in this site and judge which of the albums are metal or not. 2. After experiencing the earliest European-style power metal ever in Rainbow's Rising, I plan to search for any albums that are stylistically similar to Rising released in the years between that album and Helloween's first releases (NOT from America, otherwise they would be considered US power metal which is a different genre/scene). Any suggestions for my second task are welcome. But for now, I'll be taking a break from this project for the weekend to focus on finishing and sending my clan playlists and feature releases, discover a few more bands of different genres, and other projects. More to explore on Monday! Stay tuned...

A true Scorpions classic that should've had more attention than those other songs that practically everyone knows:

I know I said I wouldn't use Scorpions' more controversial album covers, but this one's already in the site. And it isn't controversial in the sexual/nudity sense, but I'll just say, this is why you shouldn't let kids dress up as cowboy gunmen in a soldiers' graveyard. Anyway, here are my thoughts:

Taken by Force is another solid Scorpions album! The dark heaviness continues with a slight step up from their previous album. Although this is the final part of their Uli Jon Roth hard rock/metal trilogy, his lyrics shine as well as his guitarwork, and thank heavens there's none of his god-awful vocals. Vocalist Klaus Meine is the real singing star here, particularly in a few of the band's greatest 70s hits. And the dark lyrics in the Roth-written songs helps them shine as well. Most people who have heard of Scorpions only know them from their newer ballads. That's a shame because they don't know what they're missing out in Taken by Force. Forget about the band's material from the 80s and beyond for a while and check out their 70s era. This album is a total view-changer!

4.5/5

Metal enough in my opinion: yes

Uli Jon Roth is an amazing guitarist, and THAT'S THAT. His awful attempt at vocals ruin everything:

I can still witness Scorpions' late-70s material having some songs metal enough to qualify for that genre. I suggest giving this song a go and checking out its metallic speed:

You know you can't do a review on Virgin Killer without mentioning the elephant in the room. And by that I mean the naked pre-teen girl in the original album cover. Scorpions' record company RCA had that odd disturbing idea for that album cover and the guts to actually do it! Of course, the cover shown here is the replacement one with all the band members in it, as I don't dare share the original. I'm pretty sure laws against child porn in some places have become more stringent after what happened to Manowar's Karl Logan. So that's the major controversy, though a lesser-known controversy is how it inspired the name of a backless sweater often worn on its own. OK, moving on...

The hard rock/metal direction of In Trance continues in Virgin Killer. They still hadn't reached their breakthrough but they're already reaching the public, for both the right and wrong reasons. The progressive/psychedelic rock roots of their first two albums are much further out and unreachable. Virgin Killer has a more commercial sound in the midst of heaviness and balladry of In Trance. And although there's a slight drop in quality, they'll improve again later. Continuing this blend of heavy and soft, there are fast chargers and mellow ballads switching back and forth. All tracks are structurally simple and have a radio-friendly average length of 4 minutes. There's some more of the horrendous vocals from guitarist Ulrich Roth, but the strength of vocalist Klaus Meine almost never runs down, even when things get more mainstream.

"Pictured Life" is a good example of this more commercial take on hard rock/metal, but Meine's singing is a bit awkward, especially in the verses. "Catch Your Train" follows through with more of those catchy yet simple melodies, best found in the chorus. The band truly master their soft side with the first of a few ballads here, "In Your Park". It's quite appealing for rock/metal listeners who want to take things easy once in a while.

For the next track "Backstage Queen", the verses are kinda dull. It is forgettable, though there are other tracks that make up for it quite a lot, like this next one... The title track kicks up the metallic speed greatly. I can consider this song part of the proto-thrash trio, together with Queen's "Stone Cold Crazy" and Black Sabbath's "Symptoms of the Universe". If you don't believe Scorpions has ever gone full-on metal, at least give that song a go. One of two Roth-led songs, "Hell-Cat" is more experimental track. His vocals sound like he's rapping! The first rap rock/metal track!? God forbid... Besides that, the guitars, bass, and drums are not that interesting. But the worst is yet to come...

One track that hasn't been talked about much is "Crying Days", one last song in the album to be written by Klaus Meine and Rudolf Schenker. Sticking an epic-sounding ballad right in the middle of those f***ing Roth-led tracks makes the order quite awkward. Still there's some great slow heavy metal power in that song. The worst track of the album has to be "Polar Nights", the other Roth-led song. It starts off promising with the awesome drumming, but Roth's awkwardly accented vocals ruin everything. Seriously, man! Meine is one of the most killer vocalists in 70s hard rock/metal, so why try to hijack the spotlight? Roth is an amazing guitar player, and THAT'S THAT. I can't handle any more of his annoying singing. "Yellow Raven" is one last memorable mind-blowing ballad to make sure the album ends smoothly.

All in all, Virgin Killer isn't really the best 70s hard rock/metal I've heard. Nonetheless, it's very enjoyable, despite a couple issues that they could've averted. This album is the second part of Roth's hard rock/heavy metal trilogy with the band (though he was also in their second album Fly to the Rainbow). His guitar work has been praised greatly, but certainly not his vocals, which is the album's biggest mistake besides the original album cover. The band will take on a better heavier sound in their next album Taken by Force, but Virgin Killer is still something to recommend for early hard rock/heavy metal fans. Quite underrated when you think of all the high points....

Favorites: "Catch Your Train", "In Your Park", "Virgin Killer", "Crying Days", "Yellow Raven"

4/5

Metal enough in my opinion: yes

I might add Blackout to my listen-and-review to-do list, though my side of the Roots of Metal project only covers albums from the 70s.

Scorpions has had metal aggression as early as their 1975 album In Trance, which they've barely had any of after the second half of the 1970s:

OK, a couple things to be said here: 1. Scorpions' albums in the second half of the 70s have quite some metal going on with their hard rock sound, as my ears would hear it. 2. They're no stranger to controversial cover art, and if you see the censored versions of their cover art in this thread (like in this album cover in which the model originally had an exposed breast), you'll find out why when I review their next album that is the epicenter of that controversy.

In Trance may be Scorpions' third album, but it's the first one with their true sound! They've gone the Deep Purple route of releasing a couple progressive/psychedelic rock albums and then eliminated that sound for something new. Here we have hard rock/heavy metal anthems in furious glory, plus some power ballads.

The album opens with "Dark Lady", in which the guitar riffing fury of Ulrich Roth causes a great deal of aggression Scorpions hasn't had since. While vocalist Klaus Meine sings his usual vocals, you can also hear some singing from Roth which I enjoy. Meine can practically shatter glass with his melodic screams like Judas Priest' Rob Halford can. A ballad that's never lame at all is the title track. It's actually one of the best 70s hard rock ballads I've ever heard! Meine's vocals have so emotion, the chorus sounds powerful, and the song ends epically in the guitar leads. And don't forget a subtle reference to the Beatles. Continuing the sad balladry is "Life’s Like a River". It's about how fast growing up can seem, which is powerful, but any of the older Scorpions fans might feel sad for sure.

One song that's low on quality is "Top of the Bill". That hard rock/metal song sounds too straight in the Black Sabbath-like riff. It's fine, but would be better in a later album. Changing things up lighter but better is Living and Dying". Meine sings a soft verse before rising into a perfect chorus with guitar leads performed in true melancholy. "Robot Man" is another solid enjoyable rock/metal track with guitar Rudolf Schenker shuffling through a catchy riff rhythm. The lyrics are quite amusing, but they add to the song's charm, "I'm a robot man, I'm a loser." Another remorseful ballad is "Evening Wind". The Black Sabbath-esque riffing is performed much better along with the searing solo.

I should note that Roth's attempt at lead vocals in "Sun in My Hand" seems kinda poor. It's a great song with joyful soloing, but it would've been better with Meine. Should've stuck to just guitars, Mr. Roth! Another couple percentage points are knocked off from "Longing for Fire" which sounds like the band is getting tired out at that point from all that rock/metal. However, Schenker and Roth close the album with instrumental "Night Lights", performing beautiful leads and rhythms, ending the album smoothly.

With all that said, In Trance has amazing 70s hard rock/heavy metal going. You can sing along to the metallic anthems and cry tears of joy to the power ballads. I never realized how much potential Scorpions has greatly fulfilled until now, and they would continue that streak for a few years!

Favorites: "Dark Lady", "In Trance", "Living and Dying", "Robot Man", "Evening Wind"

4.5/5

Metal enough in my opinion: yes

I don't think you guys are gonna agree with me here, but similarly to what I think of "Speed King", "Flight of the Rat" is practically proto-speed metal, or speed rock, I don't know. Even back then, there's some speed and intensity in the hard rock/metal riffing not too far off from early speed metal. My genre verdict for "Flight of the Rat": Hard rock/heavy metal/proto-speed metal

A mystical Middle East-inspired classic piece from the final part of Rainbow's Dio trilogy:

The final part of Rainbow's Dio trilogy that would never reach those amazing heights again after he left. Here are my thoughts:

It was after their strong classic Rising and their live album On Stage. The band planned to make one more album that would have the special delivery of Ritchie Blackmore's guitar and Ronnie James Dio's vocals and maintain the magic of Rising. And did they do it? Yes they did! Long Live Rock ‘n’ Roll is another amazing addition to the band's discography and Dio's career. They expand their heavy focus in their songs, while at the same time, continuing the versatile experimentation. And most of the songs fit highly well with their respective sounds; hard rock, heavy metal, one more early power metal song, and even a medieval folk ballad. Only a couple hard rock songs are unsteady, but once again they're OK and the album's classic status is never highly detracted. Other members that have worked with Blackmore and Dio in this offering are keyboardists Tony Carey and David Stone with their magical synths, the late Cozy Powell with his devastating drums, and Bob Daisley with his booming bass. Long Live Rock 'n' Roll is the final part of Rainbow's amazing trilogy, and is the second-best of the trilogy, with the band's debut in 3rd place and Rising winning the gold medal. Sadly, Blackmore planned to move to a more commercial sound after their 3rd album, and Dio, disapproving of that idea, left the band and joined Black Sabbath. And thus ended Rainbow's era of promising glory, with all hopes for Dio to reunite with Rainbow no longer possible. RIP... Long live their music!

4.5/5

Metal enough in my opinion: yes

Not only is Rainbow's Rising a game-changer in heavy metal, it is also perhaps the first ever album that can truly be considered power metal. The Tolkien-inspired lyrics, long song length, and blazing soloing say it all, in classics like this one:

That's interesting, Daniel. I can find some prominent metal in songs from the first two Rainbow albums, especially in...

Since this isn't an entirely American band, and there's more focus on epicness than speed, I can safely say that Rising is the first ever European-style power metal album right here, at least in half the amount of songs. Here are my thoughts:

Rising shows Rainbow... well, rising! And there are some aspects that are actually ahead of their time, like up to a decade ahead. They already have the melodic NWOBHM of Iron Maiden and even the epic-sounding power metal of Helloween, while a bit of their prog-ish hard rock is still around. There's practically no weakness in the group's talent. The late Ronnie James Dio sounds strong as always, especially when boosted by Ritchie Blackmore's background riffing. Only a couple small moments in the album show his vocals at fault, but he's still the lean mean singing machine that he was. I'm not kidding about the power metal sound in the songs that have it. They can range from mid-paced ("Tarot Woman") to slow and almost doomy ("Stargazer") and fast and speedy ("A Light in the Black"). But in between those songs are 3 more that are problematic and more boogie hard rock than anything, but they barely affect the album's classic status. Rising is the kind of album you should get if you're up for early melodic heavy metal, and perhaps the earliest power metal songs ever!

4.5/5

Metal enough in my opinion: yes

This bluesy hard rock/heavy metal blend is so appealing for even a young metalhead like myself, and Ritchie Blackmore's guitars and the late legendary Dio's vocals are what make this sound shine in classics like this:

Well this next album is gonna cause some divisive discussion...

The most essential part of the history of Rainbow involves two members. First off, there's the band's main founder, ex-Deep Purple guitarist Ritchie Blackmore. He and Deep Purple were touring with support from blues/hard rock band Elf. That band was known as an early one for the legendary Dio (RIP). Impressive by Dio's mighty magical voice, Blackmore invited him for a different project, one that would become a great success, resulting in Blackmore leaving Deep Purple and Dio disbanding Elf.

As you can hear in Rainbow's 1975 debut, their hard rock sound combines the blues of Elf with the early metal of Deep Purple. Yeah, I'm saying it, this album is metal! Though their metal side would be more pronounced in their second album. But with a large amount of blues/hard rock in the album as well, I say the rock/metal ratio is 50:50.

"Man on the Silver Mountain" is a classic opener, right from that memorable riff. It's the most metallic sound here while combining their heavy metal side with hard rock. And that's just the start of the variation that would occur in the rest of the album. What makes that track the fresh classic highlight is how guitar-driven it is, as Blackmore slides through his riffing and soloing. Dio's vocals help give that guitarwork more atmosphere. More of that top-notch guitar playing appears in "Self Portrait" which, I suppose you can consider a power ballad, but to me, it has more of a hard rock/proto-doom metal (doom rock?) song of early Black Sabbath. The bass can be heard greatly, and the lyrics have poetic appeal. "Black Sheep of the Family" has the nice prog-ish hard rock speed of the band whose song they were covering, Quatermass. Good, but not spectacular.

Then we have a more obscure yet underrated track in "Catch the Rainbow". This can work greatly live with the clean guitar and vocals of Ritchie and Dio, respectively. It's more effectively that way for a slow blues rock ballad. Would the band's later vocalists like Joe Lynn Turner and Ronnie Romero be able to master singing that song as greatly as Dio? Didn't think so... The more exotic hard rock/metal sound comes back in "Snake Charmer", with a serene guitar solo. "The Temple of the King" has cleaner mid-tempo blues rock that continues to have the torch carried by Dio's vocals and Blackmore's guitars.

"If You Don’t Like Rock ‘N Roll" is OK, but their attempt to push their usual hard rock back a couple decades into the rock 'n roll era just doesn't sound right for me, especially that annoying piano. They assumed right, I don't like early rock 'n roll. "Sixteenth Century Greensleeves" is a mid-tempo hard rock/heavy metal march. One more highlight is an upbeat instrumental cover of "Still I'm Sad" by The Yardbirds. They take that band's blues/hard rock sound and give it a more metallic edge.

Other than that "Rock 'N Roll" track detracted a half-star from what would've been a perfect 5-star rating for the album, the music for Ritchie Blackmore's Rainbow is all in amazing performance and mood. Although it is a rock/metal album, the more metal fans might find the songs laid back. Despite that, the heavy energy is what keeps things rolling. I must admit, I wasn't expecting that kind of approach, so consider me surprised. I never usually enjoy 70s music, but the "Roots of Metal" project is going mostly smoothly for me so far. If you enjoy Dio and Deep Purple, you might get a great kick out of this as much as their second more solidifying album. Catch that rainbow!

Favorites: "Man on the Silver Mountain", "Self Portrait", "Catch the Rainbow", "Snake Charmer", "Still I'm Sad"

4.5/5

Metal enough in my opinion: yes

Another underrated classic, this one from the second album of a band that threw away their bluesy roots for an even better revival of early heavy metal after the magic of Black Sabbath had worn off:

Judas Priest restored heavy metal and added more speed and energy in their second album Sad Wings of Destiny! Gone is the messy forgettable blues/hard rock of the 2.5-star debut Rocka Rolla. Instead, we have Rob Halford's aggressive singing shrieks and Glenn Tipton and K.K. Downing's harmonic guitar melodies. Here are my thoughts:

Like Black Sabbath's debut, the visual is worth the price of admission. The dark cover (Why's the angel dude dabbing!?), the gothic band logo, the fierce song titles... Judas Priest wanted to let the world know that they're not the bluesy hippies producer Rodger Bain forced them to be, but rather a band who wants to be the next Black Sabbath, but in a more unique way. While Judas Priest's sound is heavier, they still don't mind composing soft and long songs, albeit with most of the progressive aspects taken out for something more commercial. Also, note that side A and side B were switched after the original pressing. I like the more well-known tracklisting better, because it gives the album a similar vibe to the order Black Sabbath's Paranoid (not including the middle "Prelude"); one long classic, one short classic, a soft mediocre song, a heavy mediocre song, an underrated classic, a not-too-great but still OK song, an experimental track, and a finale classic. And throughout these tracks in the Judas Priest album, Rob Halford shines with his melodious screams and the two guitarists shred with full power, and the rhythm section rules too. Sad Wings of Destiny is an amazing album that I recognize as a classic in early heavy metal. And as a young metalhead who's had much experience with the classic past as the modern present, I can really see the appeal. The few songs that don't reach true glory prevent the album from being totally perfect. Nonetheless, there are great treats in this heavy metal game-changer to behold!

4.5/5

Metal enough for my opinion: yes

I meant to say "2.5/5", Daniel. Oops!

Pretty much the only song in Judas Priest's Rocka Rolla that would qualify for this thread, in terms of both style and my enjoyment:

Y'know, I would've thought Judas Priest had made it big in their debut the way Black Sabbath did with theirs, but the divebomb dropped by Priest in Rocka Rolla didn't quite explode as much it should have. They have all their essential aspects, though in this album, they were mostly bottled up. I mean you can't deny the cool guitar dueling of Glenn Tipton and K. K. Downing, but all we're getting is a blues/hard rock sound with some prog-rock, a bit like Wishbone Ash but without any folk.

The only songs that stand out for me are the ones with a metallic edge, which is present in the hard-rocking title track to a lesser extent. The other song, "Run of the Mill" roars out with a foreshadowing of their metallic sound. Rob Halford's vocals range from low to high, though he hadn't yet fully gained his melodic shrieking ability.

There's just not much compelling going on in this album when it sounds like the only Black Sabbath style they were following was that of "The Wizard" and "Evil Woman". It's not until their second album Sad Wings of Destiny when they finally go the proper Black Sabbath route of heavy metal with their own sound. And this debut would've actually sounded like that album if their label didn't insist on more commercial songs. So blame the label, not the band. Their second album would start a better age of metal....

Favorites (only songs I like and are metal enough): "Rocka Rolla", "Run of the Mill"

2.5/5

Metal enough in my opinion: no

Personally, "War Pigs" and "Electric Funeral" are my go-to tracks for the darkness and beauty of Paranoid.

I'm sorry, but this lousy psychedelic ballad doesn't belong in what's supposed to be heavy metal's ground zero album:

My exploration of the earliest heavy metal in 1970 has seen me encounter several classic hits from those 3 albums, which true essential starters from Deep Purple...

...and Black Sabbath....

...who have also spawned underrated tracks like this one:

And now to present the awards for that 1970 founding trio of heavy metal albums...

Deep Purple - Deep Purple in Rock - The Experimenter

Black Sabbath - Black Sabbath - The Originator

Black Sabbath - Paranoid - True Ground Zero

Next up, I'll explore the first few albums from each of 3 bands that have contributed to heavy metal's development, even in their hard rock albums, those bands being Judas Priest, Rainbow, and Scorpions. The reviews for their non-metal albums will appear here, and if some of them are in fact metal enough to be included in this site, I'll let Ben know and ask him to add them in, and once they're in the site, I'll copy my review to an actual review. More reviews coming soon...

With Black Sabbath's 1970 debut showing the first ever signs of the heavy metal genre, their second album Paranoid, released later that year, sealed the deal and solidified the genre, with most tracks stuck firmly in that category. Here are my thoughts:

What's jarring is, unlike most metalheads when they encounter Black Sabbath, I actually like Paranoid a half-star less than their debut. I would consider side A to be the more accessible side and side B to be the more serious side. This kind of balance is what makes the album the right place for some of the earliest full-on heavy metal. And despite their accessibility, the first two songs are true legendary hits and deserve their right as singles, a great one-two punch before going slightly downhill. The next tracks are pretty mundane, and this might get be hanged but "Iron Maiden" isn't all that great for me despite it being considered another essential hit for Black Sabbath and heavy metal, as well as an anthem for the Marvel superhero. I can't even get mad, I just feel bad. But the more serious second half gives the album great redemption in value. After that first half that had accessible heavy metal with one track having some doom and progressive tendencies and another being just poor psychedelic rock, the second half throws back deeply to the debut's main sound that is a blend of heavy metal, hard rock, and blues rock, with stoner rock and progressive rock as secondary genres. And the famous founding 4 continue to shine with their respective instruments. I hate to consider Paranoid not as legendary as their debut, but I gotta speak my true opinion. Still there's a lot to offer for any music fan. Anyone can enjoy the accessibility in the first half, and anyone can enjoy the depth of the second half. I enjoy this album, though I prefer the band's debut. Either way, you gotta be thankful for those legends....

4/5

Metal enough for my opinion: yes

Yeah, I'm changing my vote to hard rock and heavy metal as well for "Bloodsucker". Clearly I was more focused on the catchiness in the rhythm and soloing that seemed to have the spotlight for me.

I think the content filter function is good just in case.

While we wait to see if there's any remaining input from anyone prior to us starting to take a look at Deep Purple's "In Rock" album tomorrow morning, here's my final track-by-track position on "Black Sabbath":

The combined run time of the three tracks that I've tagged as being metal amounts to exactly 40% of the total album duration which is within the qualification parameters set at the start of this exercise. Therefore, I'm comfortable that "Black Sabbath" is a legitimate metal release, the very first one in fact.

While it's really great to be able to visually justify my long-time feelings on the matter, the REALLY interesting thing about the above chart can be found in the Subgenre column. As most of you will no doubt be aware, "Black Sabbath" is generally tagged as a Heavy Metal release & always has been but I haven't tagged a single track as Heavy Metal. Right or wrong, this is in line with some niggling subconscious feelings I've held for several years now, ever since I started putting together the monthly playlists for The Guardians actually. You see, whenever I would select a track from "Black Sabbath" for inclusion in the playlist it would sound very different to the remainder of the tracklisting which left me wondering if the Heavy Metal tag was really the most accurate description of the album by the modern understanding of the genre definitions. Using the above chart as a guide, I would actually have to suggest that the best fit would be a combination of Blues Rock & Stoner Metal. To support that position, the definition of Stoner Metal is as follows: "a subgenre of Metal music that combines elements of Doom Metal with elements of Psychedelic Rock and Blues Rock to create a melodic yet heavy sound". That description sounds very close to what I've listed above & have heard while reviewing the album to be honest. It just feels more in line with Black Sabbath's early musical direction than the definition of Heavy Metal i.e. "a heavier outgrowth of Hard Rock featuring greater distortion and intensity along with lesser Blues influences".

If we decided to make a change from the long-time consensus (which would need two successful Hall of Judgement entries just quietly), it would not only require a clan change for the album but would indirectly require an acceptance that we should tag releases with the most relevant subgenre as per the current day meaning of the terms rather than simply tagging releases with whatever it is they may have been tagged as many decades ago. I for one would be happy with that approach because, by its very definition, genre-tagging is about bringing people's attention to music that they're likely to enjoy. So, if basically every Stoner Metal band known to man is simply emulating "Black Sabbath" then it only makes sense that "Black Sabbath" is also tagged as Stoner Metal, regardless of whether that term existed back at the time of release. I'm also of the strong opinion that Metal Academy should run its own race rather than being dictated to by the masses who may be completely off the mark. Anyway... that's just my two cents. Feel free to shoot my position down in flames if you disagree. I just thought it was an interesting discussion point. Thoughts?

Coming in late for the track-by-track analysis for Black Sabbath's debut, I'll just do it all at once. Once again, our ears don't hear alike, Daniel. Not that there's anything really different for each of us to hear, but we do think differently. Here's how I would genre-tag these 8 tracks:

1. Black Sabbath - Doom metal/hard rock/heavy metal

2. The Wizard - Blues rock/hard rock

3. Behind the Wall of Sleep - Blues rock/stoner rock

4. N.I.B. - Blues rock/hard rock/heavy metal/stoner metal

5. Evil Woman - Blues rock/hard rock

6. Sleeping Village - Hard rock/heavy metal/progressive rock

7. Warning - Blues rock/progressive rock/jazz rock

8. Wicked World - Hard rock/heavy metal/stoner rock

The only songs that we both agree on the exact style are the two blues/hard rock songs "The Wizard" and "Evil Woman". As for the other songs... The title track is indeed the first ever doom metal song, though the last minute and a half speeds up to hard rock/heavy metal. "Behind the Wall of Sleep" has a more bluesy form of stoner rock. The riffing has that bluesy hard rock vibe of Cream, but the rest of the song shines in heavy metal/proto-stoner metal. For "Sleeping Village", replace the word "psych" with "metal", and witness the prog-ish hard rock emotion in the second half. "Warning" is basically blues rock with an overlong twist of a progressive/jazz rock improvisational jam. And "Wicked World is an underrated stoner-ish hard rock/heavy metal classic. With all that, I consider the album on the whole a blend of heavy metal, hard rock, and blues rock, with stoner rock and progressive rock as secondary genres. Black Sabbath's debut is indeed the first true heavy metal album, despite the blues rock influences that they would greatly reduce in their more solidifying sophomore album Paranoid released later that year...

So, this is where it all begins... The rock genre that has since spawned countless subgenres. The main topic of this site. HEAVY METAL. The quartet of guitarist Tony Iommi, bassist Geezer Butler, drummer Bill Ward and vocalist Ozzy Osbourne are who you gotta thank for starting this awesome genre. Here are my thoughts on this album:

One band decided to perform downtuned guitar and write horror film-inspired lyrics in scary atmosphere, all forming a revolutionary game-changer of a genre that is heavy metal. That band is... BLACK SABBATH! Earlier bands like Cream, Led Zeppelin (still not metal, SIT DOWN, guys) and The Who may have been known as noisy trailblazers, but Sabbath took the noisiness to a different heavier level. Right from the visual, you know what this band and album is gonna be about. A frightening yet intriguing cover art of a pale woman in a black cloak with a watermill in the bleak background. And when you start playing that record, you'll be entering the most spooky yet pleasant experience of your life, a stormy realm with church bells ringing from afar... And thus begins the big bang track of heavy metal, with that melodic doomy riff in dark atmosphere being as impactful as the actual Big Bang! Yes, that is the earliest example of doom metal, with the track ending with a minute and a half of faster hard rock/heavy metal. However, for the rest of the songs, expect a couple blues/hard rockers, stoner-ish hard rock/heavy metal songs, and even a couple progressive-sounding tracks. And many of them offer Iommi's powerful riffing/soloing, Butler's booming bass, Ward's mighty drumming, and Ozzy's strong versatile voice for a grand historical sound. I don't think any other album released in 1970 has ever been as historical as Black Sabbath's first two albums, with only Deep Purple in Rock being close to Black Sabbath's heavy greatness. Their debut is a revolutionary beginning of a new band, a new era, and a new genre. So put this record on and witness the birth of heavy metal!

4.5/5

Metal enough in my opinion: yes

That's OK, Ben. I'll just listen to and review the albums in my thread, and I'll let you know which ones I consider truly metal.

Interesting thoughts on "Speed King", Rex and Daniel. You guys might laugh at what I'm about to say, but to my ears, this is practically proto-speed metal! Maybe close to speed rock? Even back then, there's some speed and intensity in the hard rock/metal riffing not too far off from early speed metal. My genre verdict for "Speed King": Hard rock/heavy metal/proto-speed metal

Unlike most metalheads who start exploring heavy metal from the very first year, I chose Deep Purple in Rock as my starting point. Sure this album came out in the middle of the period between those two Black Sabbath albums' release, but you gotta acknowledge that Deep Purple came before Black Sabbath, releasing 3 psychedelic/prog-rock albums in the late 60s. Here are my thoughts:

When vocalist Ian Gillan and bassist Roger Glover stepped in, Deep Purple dumped most of their psychedelic roots in exchange for something heavier. Deep Purple in Rock is a true start to metal alongside those Black Sabbath albums (SIT DOWN, Led Zeppelin). Deep Purple's raw heavy formula is something that is hard to replicate in subsequent albums. And while this album can be considered hard rock/heavy metal, you might not agree with me here but a couple songs actually come out as practically proto-speed metal! Maybe close to speed rock? Another song even has a Sabbath-like direction, slower marching hard rock/heavy metal, coming close to proto-doom metal. Of course, we can't forget about the vocals, guitar riffing/soloing, and organ that make the magical combo the band is stylistically known for. Deep Purple in Rock offers a lot of tight heaviness and variety, and is the one Deep Purple album that truly does that. With that, it is an essential hard rock/heavy metal album and one of the true first of the latter genre. Practically any music lover should give this historical offering a listen!

4.5/5

Metal enough in my opinion: yes

Hi, Ben. As part of my side of the "Roots of Metal" project, there are a few albums that are often considered more hard rock than heavy metal, but they're a highly essential part of heavy metal's development and should be worth some discussion in this site. So can you please add the following:

Judas Priest - Rocka Rolla

Rainbow - Ritchie Blackmore's Rainbow

Scorpions - In Trance

Scorpions - Virgin Killer (PLEASE use the replacement album cover with all the band members in it, not the original, for the sake of decency and legality)

The earliest industrial metal to exist comes from an album compiling demos by Godflesh's earlier incarnation Fall of Because, from the studio songs in which a few would be re-recorded for a couple of Godflesh's releases...

...To a couple live shows in which this one fits well a full-on multi-part 15-minute suite, including even that crowd fight in the middle:

This f***ing Sinatra-inspired lounge track is so awful that I would much rather listen to "More Than Words" than this sh*t any day:

Radio stations can give "More Than Words" as much airplay as they possibly can, but they're missing out on this glam/heavy metal shredding head-buzzer:

Thanks Daniel for your review on this Extreme album. I'm thanking you for that because the review reminded me of how much I needed to check out that album and find more of this band than just the acoustic radio ballad single that is "More Than Words". I can understand the lack of funk in this album when only a couple tracks have some slight funk including the aptly titled "Get the Funk Out". However, you might certainly disagree with me on this one but to my ears, I find this album sitting comfortably in glam metal AND heavy metal. Almost every track that's not acoustic nor a ballad has metal spirit, especially in the guitar riffing and soloing performed by Nuno Bettencourt, the best examples of that can be found in tracks like "Decadence Dance", "Money (In God We Trust)", and "He-Man Woman Hater". Even in other songs like "Li'l Jack Horny", "It('s a Monster)", and the title track that have more of a hard rock and/or glam metal sound, the hard rock of AC/DC is enhanced by the guitars almost reaching the heaviness of Metallica's Black Album. So while I'll give this Hall entry a YES vote to have removed from funk metal and The Gateway, I'll add in a judgement submission to have added to The Guardians with the heavy metal tag, so stay tuned for that.

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

16volt - "Motorskill" (5:11) from Wisdom (1993)

Fear Factory - "Soul Hacker" (3:12) from Genexus (2015)

Godflesh - "The Infinite End" (5:16) from Post Self (2017)

In This Moment - "Godmode" (4:00) from Godmode (2023)

OLD - "Marzuraan" (5:04) from Lo Flux Tube (1991)

PAIN - "Revolution" (3:24) from Revolution (2023)

Total length: 26:07

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

Amaranthe - "Viral" (3:01) from Manifest (2020)

Demon Hunter - "The End" (4:39) from Outlive (2017)

Every Time I Die - "Revival Mode" (3:46) from Ex Lives (2012)

Knut - "Shine" (3:07) from Leftovers (1997)

Lorna Shore - "Welcome Back, O' Sleeping Dreamer" (7:21) from Pain Remains (2022)

Sikth - "In This Light" (4:24) from Death of a Dead Day (2006)

The Browning - "Poison" (3:10) from Poison (2023)

Total length: 29:28

Here are my submissions for the November Infinite playlist, and they are two long epics:

Between the Buried and Me - "Ants of the Sky" (13:10) from Colors_Live (2008) (I don't know if you accept live tracks, but if you don't, please add the studio version of the song from Colors (2007) instead)

Opeth - "Forest of October" (13:05) from Orchid (1995)

Total length: 26:15

Here are my submissions for the November Gateway playlist:

Alien Weaponry - "Kai Tangata" (6:37) from Tu (2018)

Alter Bridge - "Fortress" (7:36) from Fortress (2013)

Any Given Day - "Winds of Change" (5:22) from Winds of Change (2022)

Celldweller - "Switchback" (5:02) from Celldweller (2003)

In This Moment - "In the Air Tonight" (4:57) from Ritual (2017)

Total length: 29:34

Great to hear, Daniel!

Here are my thoughts on all the selected tracks:

Napalm Death - "Evolved as One" from From Enslavement to Obliteration (1988)

4.5/5. Now this is an interesting start to this playlist, suggested by Daniel. It's a song by UK grindcore pioneers Napalm Death, but rather a slow sludgy industrial metal track similar to Godflesh. An instrumental version of this track titled "The Curse" was used for an EP known for its cover art being that famous photograph of a Vietnamese girl running down the streets, suffering from a napalm attack that burned off her clothes. From the intro of that track, you can hear what's different the band's usual death/grind. Also a surprise is, the sludgy guitar is performed by Carcass guitarist Bill Steer. "WEAK MINDS!!!"

The Kovenant - "New World Order" from Animatronic (1999)

5/5. This highlight is a brilliant song that mixes heavy guitars with catchy techno. The chorus sounds so good in both the vocals and lyrics.

Strapping Young Lad - "In the Rainy Season" from Heavy as a Really Heavy Thing (1995)

4.5/5. This one continues to test out the anger that would be shoved up haters' f***ing a**es, adding to the album's general theme. There's also a well-placed clean chorus, an aspect later adopted by Soilwork.

Fear Factory - "Powershifter" from Mechanize (2010)

5/5. Another killer standout, what more can I say?

Static X - "Terrible Lie" from Terrible Lie (2023)

4.5/5. First hint at the next part of Static-X's Project Regeneration, and it's amazing hammer cover of an earlier Nine Inch Nails track. I have a bit of trouble with the deep tone though. Still missing you, Wayne. RIP

Lock the Basement - "Come Back to Life" from Come Back to Life (2020)

4/5. When I assemble the clan playlists, I often get the songs from YouTube and Spotify playlists. With this technique, I'm able to find cool songs like this easily! It's almost like Strapping Young Lad gone Rammstein.

Pitchshifter - "Genius" from www.pitchshifter.com (1998)

3.5/5. This highlight single is more bare but in great effect.

Red Harvest - "Symbol of Decay" from Internal Punishment Programs (2004)

4/5. This song and the rest of its album shows how different Red Harvest is from their awesome past while still being so d*mn good. True sludgy industrial metal right there!

Nine Inch Nails - "Mr. Self Destruct" from The Downward Spiral (1994)

4.5/5. And now here's a song from Nine Inch Nails themselves. Although it's from the album The Downward Spiral that's more of an industrial rock album, this track is one of a few from the album that's filled with bad-A industrial metal. This excellent high-quality song sounds beautiful while having a brutal message. No matter how f***ed up the message may seems, it really carries the point of the song smoothly. Pretty cool, huh? "I drag you down, I use you up, Mr. Self Destruct"

Gothminister - "Demons" from Demons (2022)

4/5. This one has poppy synths, along with a catchy chorus that you can't resist.

Lord of the Lost - "Loreley" from Thornstar (2018)

4.5/5. A dark industrial metal song to love. It's quite amazing hearing this tune that's half-Rammstein half-Gothminister.

Omega Lithium - "Breaking" from Kinetik (2011)

5/5. It's really such a shame that this band who made two albums of awesome addictive songs ended up disbanding afterwards. Absolutely underrated!

Code Orange - "Autumn and Carbine" from Underneath (2020)

4.5/5. Anthemic choruses add balance to this intensity!

Scum of the Earth - "Give Up Your Ghost" from Blah...Blah...Blah...Love Songs for the New Millennium (2004)

4/5. It's great hearing something different yet intriguing from start to end in this track. Scum of the Earth is named after a track by former Rob Zombie guitarist Riggs, and this song sounds like some of Zombie's earlier solo work but slower and sadder. Quite mellow while never being mainstream-ish. Lots of dark emotion!

Ministry - "Broken System" from Moral Hygiene (2021)

4.5/5. We are all to blame for the truth that is spoken by Al Jourgensen. "We must! Act!! NOW!!! Are you ready?!"

Circle of Dust - "Aggressor - Regressive Mix" from Brainchild (1994)

5/5. I just love this gothic-ish industrial metal track, especially the whispered screams. I just wish there would be new music from Klayton's 90s project Circle of Dust. And I really need to get into more of his current project Celldweller. "Behave yourself!"

Killing Joke - "Communion" from Pandemonium (1994)

4.5/5. This excellent highlight has more of the Egyptian vibe than before to add more uniqueness to the album's style, as Kevin Walker's chords are in perfect blend with the percussion and violin.

Deathstars - "An Atomic Prayer" from Everything Destroys You (2023)

4/5. Strong groovy bass in this song. That's all that's super notable in this song really.

Deafkids, Petbrick - "O Antropoceno" from Deafbrick (2020)

3.5/5. This part of a collaboration release between Deafkids and Petbrick. Not bad, but it has too much industrial experimentation.

Raubtier - "A. I" from Överlevare (2019)

3/5. Perhaps the only true Neue Deutsche Härte song in this playlist. It's decent, but what catches me off-guard are those haunting robotic horns heard in the background. It's still somewhat good for the NDH future.

Zaraza - "Inti Raymi" from Spasms of Rebirth (2017)

3.5/5. Still slightly low-quality, but not too bad. This is pretty much industrial death-doom.

Samsas Traum - "Tineoidea" from Tineoidea oder: Die Folgen einer Nacht - Eine Gothic-Oper in Blut-Moll (2003)

4/5. This is another Sphere track that also explores The Fallen, in this case atmospheric gothic metal. It's quite a touching song that shouldn't be forgotten. Samsas Traum is German for "Samsas' Dream". I don't need to translate the German lyrics to English when the beautiful music embraces my heart.

Godflesh - "Locust Furnace" from Streetcleaner (1989)

4.5/5. Then into the Locust Furnace, the corpses of the human race are thrown into for their cremation. In that song, Justin continues his shouts of tortured devastation until the end ("FURNACE!!!").

Celldweller - "Aurora Borealis" from Soundtrack for the Voices in My Head Vol. 01 (2008)

5/5. Know what I mean about me wanting to hear more Celldweller? This track has beautiful fire! And it's the perfect setup for a grand finale epic...

Casey Edwards, Victor Borba - "Bury the Light" from Bury the Light (2020)

4.5/5. "Bury the light deep within!!!" Straight from Devil May Cry 5 Special Edition is a motivational cyber metal epic like none other! It's slightly draggy, but nonetheless a grand exit from this playlist. And coincidentally a friend of mine showed me this song shortly before this comment!

Pretty good playlist I've made, huh? Despite some bumpiness in some places. 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!

Thank you once again Saxy for taking my place in assembling the Revolution playlists when I was having my break. Here are my thoughts on some tracks:

Crossfaith – "Xeno" (from XENO)

5/5. What a way to start this playlist, with an epic masterpiece of a trance-metalcore song!

Earth Crisis – "All Out War" (from All Out War)

4.5/5. The title opener of Earth Crisis first EP stands against its sloppy production and comes close to surpassing "Firestorm" as the band's best classic track.

Electric Callboy – "Parasite" (from TEKKNO)

4/5. My brother likes this track, and I like it too. However, the only problem is, the clean singing isn't that fun and instead rather unfocused.

Enda Vinera – "Unholy Incarnate" (from Unholy Incarnate)

4.5/5. I can understand people think this band is a Lorna Shore copy because of their "Death's Calling" single. However, "Unholy Incarnate" makes the similarities much less obvious, and even adding different aspects like clean singing in the chorus. Don't just stand there, get this epic extreme single NOW!!!

Miss May I – "Under Fire" (from Shadows Inside)

5/5. Metalcore is a genre that may sound cliche at first, but as you give it some chance, you end up loving that genre. That's what happened when I first got into metalcore, but I didn't actually get interested in Miss May I until 5 years later. Anyway, this is one of the best songs by this band with lots of beauty and chaos, and the chorus reminding me of Killswitch Engage. Miss May I have been standing strong since their debut Apologies are for the Weak. I heard that the intro and verses sound identical to Metallica's "Moth Into Flame", but personally I think they sound closer to the band Like Moths to Flames.

Parkway Drive – "Atlas" (from Atlas)

4.5/5. This one is more progressive, having the classical vibe of acoustic guitar over orchestral background.

Trivium – "Beauty in the Sorrow" (from The Sin and the Sentence)

4/5. This is another mid-tempo song but still has a good balance between heaviness and melody.

Premonitions of War – "Black Den" (from Left in Kowloon)

4.5/5. Then we have the second longest track of the playlist, taking the brutal sludge of the first two Isis albums.

Full Blown Chaos – "Heavy Lies the Crown" (from Heavy Lies the Crown)

4/5. An underrated song for metalcore fans to like. The lyrics sound great, and the music is different from what more modern metalcore bands have nowadays. I'm really getting some As Blood Runs Black and Hatebreed vibes from this. The breakdown at the 3-minute mark is f***ing sick!

Unearth – "This Glorious Nightmare" (from III: In the Eyes of Fire)

3.5/5. An aptly-titled song that's a little weaker than the other songs and should've been placed at the end of the playlist.

Lamb of God – "Black Label" (from New American Gospel)

4/5. OK, this is an interesting track to add here because I submitted it as an earlier Revolution playlist suggestion, back when Daniel was doing these playlists. He told me that he was gonna add that track to that month's Pit playlist and it fits much better there, so I had to replace that submission with a different one. I think that was the right call, because Lamb of God is never really a metalcore band. Anyway, enjoy this raw groove metal hellfire!

Bad Omens – "F E R A L" (from Bad Omens)

3.5/5. Now this one has potential to be in a soundtrack for a movie similar to Queen of the Damned. A nice way to end this playlist. Not a complete run-through of this playlist but I'm satisfied all the same.

Here are my thoughts on some tracks:

Ayreon – Collision (2013)

4/5. Interestingly the start of this month's Infinite playlist, the song is from Ayreon's The Theory of Everything that is more of a progressive rock opera album. However, some songs like this one have metal energy, and I enjoy the vocal synergy between two power metal vocalists; Tommy Karevik (Kamelot/ex-Seventh Wonder) and Marko Hietala (ex-Nightwish). From the intro drumming to the Star One-like speed, this could easy be a radio single.

Meshuggah – Sane (1998)

4.5/5. This song is just INSANE, continuing the complex riff-wrath.

Sikth – Days Are Dreamed (2015)

5/5. This is such a unique epic track from djenty progressive metal/core band Sikth. It reminds me more of Green Carnation and In the Woods... It might even be a fitting soundtrack for Stephan King's Revival. "A heart can glow, so bright if it has grown"

The Ocean – Isla Del Sol (2004)

4.5/5. Although I've lost interest in The Ocean recently, this song is still underrated. It's sounds so beautiful and emotional, yet heavy and complex, all at once! And that's only the second-longest epic of their debut Fluxion.

Voivod – Golem (1991)

5/5. The industrial rock-ish machinery is a powerful hint to the band's mid-90s experimental trilogy, telling a tale of self-awareness within artificial intelligence in existential monotone. A discovery of futuristic humanity that can surely surpass any Star Trek TV series episode!

Cyborg Octopus – Hindsight (2022)

4.5/5. Cyber djenty progressive metalcore, huh? Quite excellent, but they'll have to do something slightly better to get me fully hooked.

Symphony X – The Turning (2002)

4/5. This song from Symphony X I still like for its fast pace. Like HOLY SH*T, the a**-kicking speed really picks up halfway through! Still I need to slow down on this playlist after all that madness. I'm still grateful for this playlist though, thanks Saxy!

Here are my thoughts on all the selected tracks in this playlist I've made in Xephyr's absence:

DragonForce - "Doomsday Party" from Doomsday Party (2023)

5/5. LET'S F***ING GO!!! The UK speedy power metal heroes are back with a brand-new catchy singalong single! With the one-two-punch of Reaching Into Infinity and Extreme Power Metal, could they continue that streak with their next album?!? I certainly hope so...

Volbeat - "Lola Montez" from Outlaw Gentlemen & Shady Ladies (2013)

4.5/5. My brother likes a couple songs from this band, this song being one of them. When he plays this song during one of our car rides, it's like a sunny day has become much brighter and happier! Even in rush-hour traffic, I'm in a superb mood.

Ozzy Osbourne - "Dead and Gone" from Patient Number 9 (2022)

4/5. Depression is a battle some people out there are facing. I'm not one of those people, but I'm someone who can help. Ozzy's lyric-writing has really paid off. I can imagine this song being great for a funeral.

Iron Maiden - "Days of Future Past" from Senjutsu (2021)

4.5/5. Wow, this song can give listeners more pure energy than Red Bull! It's short but it full displays the vocal strength of Bruce Dickinson, the guitar wizardry of Adrian Smith, and the songwriting abilities of both. Bruce is still so Bruce since starting his second era with the band in Brave New World. They might just rock this song out live! Some might be reminded of Cain and Stephen King's The Dark Tower in the lyrics. The band is still as hard-working as ever throughout nearly half a century.

Queensryche - "Realms" from Digital Noise Alliance (2022)

4/5. Another heavy metal track with lots of energy! Queensryche is still pretty strong with a different lead vocalist.

Judas Priest - "Turbo Love" from Turbo (1986)

3.5/5. Now let's head back to the 80s when songs like this can easily end up in action movies or shows. I can hear how lively this song is, but it's from their most glam album Turbo and sounds a bit cheesy.

Scorpions - "The Zoo" from Animal Magnetism (1980)

4/5. Same thing with this song. However, the "Roots of Metal" project has made me realize its appeal. The chorus is melodic while having aggressive metal fury in the leads, hard to match in most of the band's other tracks with its bouncy groove.

W.A.S.P. - "Wild Child" from The Last Command (1985)

3.5/5. More glam, but better lyrics. This song sounds quite cool despite coming out 14 years before I was born. Some oldies don't have a lot of perfect glory but can still be good. And sh*t, this is so mesmerizing! Children of Bodom frontman Alexi Laiho adopted his nickname "Wild Child" from this song. RIP... Also, the part at the 3 and a half minute mark with what sounds like cat meowing kind of threw me off.

Warrior - "Fighting for the Earth" from Fighting for the Earth (1985)

4/5. Great mastering on this track for an 80s song. Warrior have done their motivational fantasy lyrics that are popularized by Manowar. Somehow this reminds me of the first two Stratovarius albums, specifically the mid-paced tracks like "Break the Ice". 80s greatness is hard to find nowadays...

Motley Crue - "Too Young to Fall in Love" from Shout at the Devil (1983)

3.5/5. Although I'm still not getting the glam appeal, I have to admit, Mick Mars is an underrated guitarist.

Vicious Rumors - "Digital Dictator" from Digital Dictator (1988)

4/5. RIP Carl Albert. His golden voice is what made tunes like this quite killer. And that guitar solo is the most brilliant part of the song here. Believe in the Digital Dictator!

Dio - "Wild One" from Lock Up the Wolves (1990)

4.5/5. Another great song for the classic heavy metal crowd. RIP Dio

Trivium - "Blind Leading the Blind" from Silence in the Snow (2015)

5/5. One of many favorite Trivium songs of mine, casting a great surge of immediacy and riffing.

Rhapsody - "Land of Immortals" from Legendary Tales (1997)

4.5/5. This was one of my favorite Rhapsody (of Fire) songs when I was still listening to that band. I thought it was an epic classic. Even though the tremendous Fabio Lione is out of the band (one reason for my initial move out of power metal), the sound of his albums with Rhapsody will live on.

Elvenking - "Your Heroes Are Dead" from Red Silent Tides (2010)

4/5. This Elvenking song is still like because rather than having the heavy emphasis on folk from as early as Heathenreel, the strength lies in the metal instrumentation. A bad-a** evolution! Well this isn't the heaviest the band has gone, there's also the dark melodeath elements blended with their usual power/folk metal in The Scythe. This folky power metal sound might work well while playing World of Warcraft and RuneScape. Of course, if a band decides to go a different path, it's their decision, not the audience's. The track has some beautiful moments, like the violin solo at the one and a half minute mark that shows creativity and variety in just a small serene melody, probably more so than Nightwish. If anyone prefers the band's earlier material over this killer song, that's all right. Also I heard that the name of this band comes from Schubert's "Der Erlkönig". The music video for this Elvenking song is pretty cool too, having some Metalocalypse-esque animation. And don't forget those interesting poetic lyrics. It's power metal bands like Elvenking that really made my teen days. But this song kind of foreshadows my metalcore era that I would subsequently dump my folk/power metal taste for. H*ll, this actually reminds me of Bullet for My Valentine's Scream Aim Fire album. And even though I'm tired of folk/power metal, that song still works pretty well for me.

Lost Horizon - "World Through My Fateless Eyes" from Awakening the World (2001)

4.5/5. F***ing mighty vocals by Daniel Heiman, singing lyrics written by guitarist Wojtek Lisicki. So I'm not too tired of power metal in some cases.

Blind Guardian - "Violent Shadows" from The God Machine (2022)

4/5. The God Machine has been hailed as a prime example of the power metal sound the band is known for. However, this song is filled with the violent thrashy speed metal sound from their late-80s era. "I will not surrender, let it be"

Epica - "Code of Life" from Omega (2021)

4.5/5. This song shows that Epica still have what it takes with enjoyable vocal technique, both the operatic singing and demonic growling, the former shining the most in the sublime final chorus close to the last minute. The f***ing kick-A riffing helps balance things out. I say this should end up in a soundtrack for a Prince of Persia/The Mummy movie. Of course, this album also has some ballads to make sure things don't have too much heavy power. The Arabic lyrics are a godly touch, sung by Zaher Zorgati of Myrath. So everyone keep calm and listen to Epica!

Xandria - "The Wonders Still Awaiting" from The Wonders Still Awaiting (2023)

4/5. Beautiful choirs and unpredictable melodies give the track cinematic freshness. During the bridge that starts the last third of the track, Ambre Vourvahis' vocals rise into sounding as operatic as Simone Simons of Epica. Gorgeous!

Within Temptation - "Forsaken - The Aftermath" from Forsaken (The Aftermath) (2022)

4.5/5. Excellent re-recording with great lyrics. Enough said!

Amberian Dawn - "Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! (A Man After Midnight)" from Take a Chance - a Metal Tribute to ABBA (2022)

4/5. Amberian Dawn have recently released an entire tribute cover album to ABBA. Capri Virkkunen can perform such phenomenal vocals. I guess you can call this band "ABBArian Dawn", am I right?

Helloween - "Halloween" from Keeper of the Seven Keys, Pt. 1 (1987)

3.5/5. It's October, so you know there's gotta be a Halloween song in this playlist. Somehow I was never really interested in Helloween, not even my European power metal-loving teen years, despite this band having pioneered that genre. This 13-minute epic has some good potential. IT'S HALLOWEEN!!!

Cacophony - "Speed Metal Symphony" from Speed Metal Symphony (1987)

4/5. Now here's one more epic to end this playlist, and it's a neoclassical metal instrumental. This dense energy would've also been better for me in my teenage years, but it's out of this universe! Those notes are meant to be nicely absorbed into your mind. Jason Becker was 17 at that time, and he's still a musical genius, even with his crippling ALS. This heavily guitar-focused composition can be considered quite an achievement for Jason and Marty Friedman. Geniuses like those two guys can be a sheer rarity.

Pretty good playlist I've made, huh? Despite a bit of bumpiness... Anyway, I would recommend this to heavy/power/symphonic/neoclassical metal fans and anyone who isn't into those genres but is up to getting into a great start in enjoying them. Thanks Daniel for letting me take over on the Guardians playlist for this month, 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:

Fiends – Rented Mental (2023)

4/5. Can you feel how hard this hits?! This playlist kicks off with a d*mn heavy banger! Like holy sh*t, the riffing starts off a bit like Taproot on steroids. Feel that fire!

Annisokay – Calamity (2023)

4.5/5. New singles just keep appearing out of nowhere from Annisokay and Electric Callboy, and they never cease to amaze me and my brother.

Beartooth – Doubt Me (2023)

5/5. I just love what I'm getting so far from Beartooth's upcoming album The Surface. This is probably my second-favorite single from that album, behind "Riptide". Great lyrics with a p*ssed-off attitude!

Breaking Benjamin – Hollow (2015)

4.5/5. Another amazing song from one of my brother's longtime favorite bands.

Five Finger Death Punch – The Agony of Regret (2013)

4/5. More of a short interlude but a great one for a quick breather.

In This Moment – Black Wedding (2017)

4.5/5. A f***ing great song that you can use for a metal wedding! And of course, you can recognize a metal legend in Judas Priest's Rob Halford in this song.

Mushroomhead – Qwerty (2014)

5/5. This song is one that sounds weird at first, but eventually I end up loving it to bits. This might've also happened to my brother because he loves it as well. I guess you can consider this Slipknot performing at a haunted carnival. This band should've had greater fame than Slipknot.

Soilwork – Övergivenheten (2022)

5/5. From a melodeath band to a band that makes epic songs like this. Absolutely wonderful! Björn "Speed" Strid is one of my all-time favorite vocalists, and if my brother likes Speed's vocals from Demon Hunter's "Collapsing", surely he would like at least something from this band.

Spiritbox – Circle With Me (2021)

4.5/5. "CUT DOWN THE ALTAR!!" Although Spiritbox hasn't struck my metal heart as much as it should have, I still enjoy this song, and so does my brother. Some kick-A fire here, especially in the chorus.

Static-X – New Pain (2003)

4/5. Another interesting song to like. RIP Wayne Static

New Years Day – Epidemic (2015)

4.5/5. Holy sh*t, I wanted to submit this song as a playlist suggestion for a few months, but you added in at the perfect time, thanks Saxy! "We're so contagious!"

Black Veil Brides – Devil’s Choir (2013)

5/5. Another super-cool song to love! Sure this band can be associated with Panic! at the Disco, Fall Out Boy, and My Chemical Romance, but this is also for modern non-purist metalheads who are up for this kind of sound. Still not everyone is ready for this much awesome. I'm proud of this band for standing strong despite the criticism. We will carry you away from the fires of hate!

Therapy ? – Trigger Inside (1994)

4.5/5. Great anthem! ...For psychopaths, though I'm not one.

Twelve Foot Ninja – Endless (2008)

4/5. Getting things kicking is the experimental alt-metal band from Australia!

Sôber – Superbia (2011)

4.5/5. Great vocals singing Spanish lyrics! There also seems to be that dark psychedelic complexity of TOOL. Seems like they know how to surpass their influences with pleasant surprises. There's some progressive essence along with a bit of Latin to add to the equation. D*mn, these lyrics are great despite being in Spanish. Not only is the alt-metal of TOOL around, but also the hard rock of A Perfect Circle and to a lesser extent, the nu metal of early Disturbed. The progressiveness is amazing! The song allows you to see the future and witness the destiny of the world. Someone save this f***ing planet! If I knew any Spanish, I would be singing along. There's also some unique dark ambience. The beginning of the human race had already been witnessed, but pride and greed may lead to humanity's loss and destruction. The beginning of the end, as they say. Our offspring shall progress and keep mankind alive, and with this song, the consequences of our poor choices have warned us well.

The World Alive – Trapped (2016)

5/5. Another f***ing sick and phenomenal song! And one to make a stopping point on this playlist. I'm still grateful for this playlist though, thanks Saxy!