Shadowdoom9 (Andi)'s Forum Replies

Here's my review summary:

A couple months ago, I had a not-so-ordinary family car ride, with the driver, my usually alt-rock/metal-loving brother, blasting this EP (among other songs) along the way, and holy mother, this was one of the most epic and brutal at the same time EPs I've heard recently! I recognized one of the songs and remembered where it's from, so I knew I had to find the right time to listen to it at home. I was prepared for a full listen to this EP by myself, and let me just say, this is THE deathcore EP of 2021, and facing it head-on is demanded if you haven't given a listen in the year since release! You know how much the sh*t is real from the start. Lorna Shore has let go of two vocalists, one for another band Chelsea Grin, and the other due to abuse allegations. Enter Will Ramos, a young yet monstrous vocalist whom his first song with the band has become their entryway to popularity. Here we have three 6-minute pieces of symphonic black/technical deathcore epicness filled with berserk vocals, shredding guitar, machine-gun drumming, grand orchestra, and don't forget... breakdowns, brutal pulverizing breakdowns. I can't believe how incredible this is! If you're a deathcore fan enjoying this as much as me and my brother, you definitely need it. If you're like my indifferent-to-extremeness parents, you're better off elsewhere. This deathcore gem has made history for a epic brutal future!

5/5

Recommended tracks: ALL 3 tracks, though I would especially recommend the title track

For fans of: Shadow of Intent, Brand of Sacrifice, Chelsea Grin

Here's my review summary:

The oceans are vast, deep, powerful, making up 70% of the entire planet Earth, has wrapped around the land, and are a whole different world within our world. Soothing calm seas can make an explosive transformation from the unexplored depths. An entirely fitting metaphor for this German collective, The Ocean! This band, founded in 2000 by guitarist Robin Staps, has created an Ocean of unique genuine metal soundscapes. A good reason to call them a collective is, throughout their career, there has been various members of the band heading in and out of the lineup to help with their post-progressive metal talent and ingenuity. It's a beautiful deep Ocean of passion and creative ability. Soon the band remained a 5-member group led by Staps. The Ocean's deep sound has been re-emerged with Pelagial! This album is a prime example of The Ocean's musically capable emotional depths. Apparently, Pelagial was originally meant to be an instrumental album because singer Loic Rossetti was on hiatus due to vocal health problems. Well there were guest vocals from Tomas Hallbom in a couple songs. Then when Rossetti fully recovered and returned to the band, they decided to record his vocals, turning Pelagial into a full album. The instrumental version is available as a bonus disc in some versions, but in an alternate mix. The end result is an amazing well-executed progressive design. As the record plays, it's as if you're brought back to the surface for a little then dragged back down to the deep descending realms. Each song segues to one another with no breaks to create a big overall album atmosphere, but that does NOT mean it's one long song because of the subtle gentle transitions. It is an 11-track album that is played as 7 songs with 3 of the longer songs split into two or three tracks. These songs are powerful enough for their own definition, thanks to the well-envisioned production. The intensity matches the depths of the ocean, starting meditative and smooth, before getting heavier song after song until you finally reach the dark crushing bottom. The Ocean has performed a fully embodied masterpiece that is Pelagial. The band shall continue their pathway of progressive perfection in amazing grace. Pelagial is the pinnacle for The Ocean and one of the strongest metal masterpieces ever made. However, there are more underwater depths to discover, and despite the need to breathe, this band shall just keep swimming and exploring!

5/5

Recommended tracks: "Mesopelagic: The Uncanny", "Bathyalpelagic I: Impasses", "Abyssopelagic II: Signals of Anxiety", "Hadopelagic II: Let Them Believe", "Demersal: Cognitive Dissonance"

For fans of: Gojira, Mastodon, Neurosis

Purgatory Afterglow is known as the album where Edge of Sanity have solidified their melodeath sound before the progressive 40-minute epic that is their next album Crimson. I haven't listened to this band and album since my hiatus from death metal that started a year and a half ago, but now that I'm already rebuilding a bit of my death metal interest starting with a few progressive tech-death bands, maybe I can someday make my return trip to melodeath and give good Horde releases like this one another chance...

Try it on a computer if you use one.

My latest YouTube video has an important description that explains my departure from symphonic/power metal, and then some. Please check it out:

My grand move out of symphonic/power metal commences later today. Farewell to those genres...

Thrash fans, get ready for the return of a band we haven't heard new material from for over a decade and a half, coming sometime next month: https://www.ultimate-guitar.com/news/general_music_news/sadus_to_release_video_for_first_song_in_16_years_in_november.html

Congrats, Vinny, and have a good honeymoon!

OK, thanks Daniel.

Probably the absolute worst of those Dawn of Ashes remixes, far more suitable for the dance-floor than an extreme metal moshpit:

The only remix I like from that Dawn of Ashes EP, for those curious to hear what Psyclon Nine with Therion symphonics would sound like:

A wicked piece of industrial-infused symphonic black metal for those looking for a mix of Dimmu Borgir, Agathodaimon, and Fear Factory:

I should've saved my 2022 submissions for December, but I think they're already in the November playlist that has been submitted, so it's too late to change that. I'm up for this challenge in the Gateway and Infinite playlists, and I got some good 2022 track suggestions coming soon...

Yesterday I've given Watchtower's Energetic Disassembly a listen and a review, and even though I've referred to that album as progressive/technical thrash, I've just realized that it might be closer to speed metal than I thought because of that 5th option:

5. Fast metal that utilizes predominantly thrash metal techniques only the riffs are kept a lot simpler in order to act as an accompaniment for the vocal hooks rather than to act as a rhythmic protagonist. Stronger focus on song-writing & often offers a bit more melody than thrash. This is the brand that European power metal borrows from the most.

The only main differences are, at times when the riffs don't accompany the vocal hooks, they add in the technical complexity that would ignite the spark of influence for tech-thrash and even tech-death, and it's more borrowable for progressive metal bands than power metal. Now that I've thought about it more clearly, my initial description for the album's sound is quite off. It's more of a technical mix of progressive metal and speed metal, with elements of the technical thrash genre that wouldn't take full form until at least Coroner's R.I.P. Judgement submission coming soon!

Continuing my earlier speed metal clan comparison:

The Guardians - 4

The Pit - 2

Seems like The Guardians still has a higher edge than The Pit for me on where speed metal should go, but I'll let the other members share their thoughts on this.

Also, I've noticed something in one of your earlier posts in this thread, Daniel. You don't think of neoclassical metal as a legit genre. That's not really an opinion I can agree to. Neoclassical metal is basically a very technical and classical-based metal genre, with the classical-influenced compositions played in guitar instead of orchestra, and that's different enough to be its own genre. I used to listen to Symphony X, and that band is a quintessential example of that genre mixed with progressive metal. If neoclassical metal isn't a genre, what would you consider artists like Yngwie Malmsteen then? I think that's another issue that would have to be sorted out, though sometime next month or so. A good rest is what you need after your speed metal deep dive. Slow down the speed!

Part of an energetic mind-blowing beginning for thrashy technical progressive metal:

OK, thanks Daniel!

Remember one of my favorite songs by metalcore band Architects:

Although it was originally a swan-song for the band's late guitarist Tom Searle who passed away a few months after the release of its album All Our Gods Have Abandoned Us (RIP Tom), one of the sampled quotes from Alan Watts actually form a metaphor for my taste changing, and no matter how much some of you wanted me to revisit the symphonic/power metal of my past, I'm already floating in the stream of my current clans (Gateway, Infinite, Revolution, Sphere), and I can't keep fighting and resisting it to go back to a past I'm drifting farther away. I feel it's more natural for my taste to let the modern heaviness of my clans take form, especially metalcore and industrial metal, which I'm making playlists for, to continue letting myself and other curious fans of those genres explore and discover.

"Change, and everything is change, nothing can be held onto. To the degree that you go with a stream, you see, you are still. You are floating with it. But to the degree that you resist the stream. Then you notice that the current is rushing past you and fighting you. So swim with it. Go with it. And you're there. You're at rest." - Alan Watts (1915-1973)

Farewell soon, symphonic/power metal...

Some more fantastic bands I've discovered and listened through, thanks to the songs included in the playlists that I've assembled, along with separate discoveries, from the futuristic industrial/groove metal of Mnemic:

To the goth-influenced industrial metal of Gothminister:

Along with the dark blackened industrial rock/metal of Psyclon Nine:

And finally, Klayton's pre-Celldweller project Circle of Dust:

Some more fantastic bands I've discovered and listened through, thanks to the songs included in the playlists that I've assembled. In terms of my Metalcore Pyramid Guide (https://metal.academy/forum/14/thread/1219), here are those bands, from the MELODIC pop-influenced alt-metalcore of Issues:

To the STYLISTIC djenty metalcore of Architects:

Along with the STANDARD-influenced metalcore/hardcore of Beartooth:

And finally the epic blackened deathcore of Lorna Shore:

Ben, please add these new albums:

Lorna Shore - Pain Remains

We Came as Romans - Darkbloom

Ben, please add these new albums:

Architects - Classic Symptoms of a Broken Spirit

Gothminister - The Other Side

Gothminister - Pandemonium

Psyclon Nine - Less to Heaven

Welcome, Primordial!

Such an embarrassing abomination in this EP, especially the lyrics:

For those wondering what Skillet would sound like if adding in the heaviness of Disturbed and Five Finger Death Punch, here's your answer:

Bands from the Every Noise metal map I've listened to in the past and still listen to today (might also keep traveling through the industrial metal "north" with bands like Pain and Fear Factory):

Ben, please add Fight the Fury.

Here you go, Morpheus. https://metal.academy/releases/40000

After finding out that today (as of this review) is the 25th anniversary of two obscure yet relevant Revolution releases with one of them being that Damaged album I've reviewed, the other release, Crisis' The Hollowing is filled with female-led sludgy metalcore with elements of a few other metal genres. Think of this like a mix of Earth Crisis, Eyehategod, and a bit of the doomy melodeath that Insomnium would later have:

Great work, Ben, we appreciate it! Here's to more to come for this site with your amazing effort and our helpful contributions. 

Even though this EP is not really the best work of Prayer for Cleansing/Between the Buried and Me guitarist Paul Waggoner and vocalist Tommy Rogers, this song has perhaps the best breakdown I've heard in any of those guys' bands:

Sorry, Ben, one more request. Please add the Abnegation / Chapter split EP (probably the earliest example of deathcore mixed with metalcore, and the Abnegation tracks can be found on Spotify).

An example of a sh*t-load of what went wrong with the album, including the lo-fi production, the film-sample intro, and the uninteresting riffing:

I can hear some Cannibal Corpse influence in the guitar and vocals, enough to interest someone like me who's not normally a brutal listener:

Aggressive early brutal deathcore/death metal:

A slight step up in quality and maturity compared to Coalesce's earlier demos:

I'm generally not the kind of person to enjoy deathgrind, but here's a rare exception:

A special playlist I've made to celebrate the one-year anniversary of when I started making the monthly Revolution Spotify playlists: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2SMtGO7FN4ZMUGsmeeKVkZ

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

Deathstars - "Explode" (4:53) from The Perfect Cult (2014)

Godflesh - "Head Dirt" (6:09) from Streetcleaner (1989)

Ministry - "Golden Dawn" (5:42) from The Land of Rape and Honey (1988)

Nine Inch Nails - "Reptile" (6:52) from The Downward Spiral (1994) (Yes I know this album isn't metal, but someone on Discord recommended me a few songs (including this one) because of how metal they are, and this one really does sound metal enough for inclusion)

Northlane - "Clarity" (5:53) from Obsidian (2022)

Total length: 29:29

And since Daniel skipped out on his monthly Sphere playlist submission for November, I decided to add an optional bonus sneak peek submission. If anyone else is up to submitting their own track suggestion, I can remove my bonus and either put it in the November playlist anyway or a different month. So here's my bonus submission:

Celldweller - "Into the Void" (5:16) from Into the Void (2019)

Another song that my brother likes, and one that I submitted for one of last year's Sphere playlist (before joining that clan), but somehow it didn't make it in.

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

Clear - "Falling Into Ashes" (5:28) from Deeper Than Blood (1999)

Code Orange - "Forever" (3:07) from Forever (2017)

From Autumn to Ashes - "Short for Show" (4:01) from Abandon Your Friends (2005)

The Human Abstract - "Crossing the Rubicon" (5:06) from Nocturne (2006)

Silent Planet - "The New Eternity" (3:25) from When the End Began (2018)

The Tony Danza Tapdance Extravaganza - "The Electric Boogaloo" (3:04) from Danza II: Electric Boogaloo (2007)

Trivium - "The Defiant" (4:29) from What the Dead Men Say (2020)

Total length: 28:40

And since Daniel skipped out on his monthly Revolution playlist submission for November, I decided to add an optional bonus sneak peek submission. If anyone else is up to submitting their own track suggestion, I can remove my bonus and either put it in the November playlist anyway or a different month. So here's my bonus submission:

Uni/Vs - "Ghost of Me" (3:30) from Ghost of Me (2022)

Found this one via a YouTube ad. The band is in RYM, but not this single, though there's enough Architects-like metalcore to qualify.

I have only one submission in my mind for November's Infinite playlist, and it's a really long one:

Devin Townsend - "Singularity" (from Empath, 2019)

I have a few reasons for submitting this: 1. I listened to this entirely a few times before, and I plan to listen to this one more time after my plan severing my ties from listening to this musician I'm kinda getting tired of, and the reason for that listen is because it really sounds so good. This has been one of my favorite progressive metal epics. It is a complex 6-part epic and the longest track Devin Townsend has ever made (30 seconds longer than "Arc" from The Hummer), with some of his best work yet. You also don't have to worry about adding in different parts because it plays on Spotify as one entire 23 and a half minute track. 2. Look I do not wish to sound critical or unappreciative or anything, but this is a good track to add in the event that you have a short amount of idea that do not reach the usual two-hour length. It would be nice for me to help out alongside your usual focus on 3 to 9 minute tracks and at least one 10+ minute epic. 3. I'm actually a little less focused on The Infinite, because I want to focus on my other clans, along with one different genre that I want to break free from all these years. Don't get me wrong, I still enjoy progressive metal, and I have zero intention of leaving The Infinite. This is just a one-off one-track submission for that playlist. I appreciate all the effort you and the rest of the active Metal Academy crew have made with creating these playlists, whether something's a hit or miss. Keep up the good work, man!

Here's my submission for the November Guardians playlist, last one from me:

Savatage - "Back to a Reason" (from "Poets and Madmen", 2001)

For the November Gateway playlist, I decided that I would go for songs from this year including two singles and two epics. So here are my suggestions:

Carpenter Brut - "Imaginary Fire" (4:21) from Imaginary Fire (2022)

Cave In - "Wavering Angel" (12:08) from Heavy Pendulum (2022)

Disturbed - "Hey You" (4:28) from Hey You (2022)

Parkway Drive - "Darker Still" (6:50) from Darker Still (2022)

Total length: 27:47

Here are my thoughts on all the selected tracks:

Lard - "The Power of Lard" (from Power of Lard, 1989)

3.5/5. And so we begin by practically picking up where Jourgensen left off in his Pailhead, including the pattern; opening slow before building up frantic fast energy. Once the drums roll in, Biafra leads a group in shouting the band's name, "Lard!" Biafra adds his recognizable vocals to socially political lyrics in the verses. It's the kind of commentary to sonically assault the listener!

Prime Sinister - "So Close" (from United in Violence, 2008)

4/5. So close to being a great hit, but still seems slightly far off...

Lord of the Lost - "Priest" (from Judas, 2021)

4.5/5. I love this song, though it's close to the Neue Deutsche Härte sound (though with English lyrics) that I usually save for next-to-last.

Killus - "Ultrazombies" (from Ultrazombies, 2016)

4/5. A good song to pass the spooky industrial metal test. It would've been perfect if I could find the lyrics, but I can hum them, I guess...

Sore Throat - "Phase V" (from Inde$troy, 1989)

3.5/5. "If on Earth is a heavenly place, it is this, it is this, it is this..." If you're looking for part of an earlier, more ambient/industrial attempt at a grindcore band's sludge epic than Pig Destroyer's Natasha, here you go...

Ministry - "So What" (from The Mind Is a Terrible Thing to Taste, 1989)

4/5. This is more than a 8-minute song, it's an anthem with harmonic guitars and catchy bass as Jourgensen declares, "So what!? it's your own problem to learn to live with. Destroy us! Or make us saints!! WE DON'T CARE!!! IT'S NOT OUR FAULT THAT WE WERE BORN TOO LATE!!!!" This song of the generation's apathy will get you singing along to an anthem that's unlike any other.

Fashion Bomb - "SS" (from Devils to Some Angels to Others, 2006)

4.5/5. This one's quite amazing, though I believe to have gone far past their active era. This is for metalheads who prefer more of Marilyn Manson or Korn than Metallica or Iron Maiden. In fact, this band has pulled off f***ing sicker stuff than Marilyn Manson, especially in the drums and vocals. They would probably get paid for playing in bars!

Ap2 - "Resurrection of the Ravens" (from Suspension of Disbelief, 2000)

5/5. A totally underrated work of art! This is pretty much what Klayton's other projects Circle of Dust and Celldweller, and might just go down as a long-lasting favorite. The techno-dance-rave-like industrial rock/metal sound is killer! Klayton is the writer and singer of this beautiful piece. I'm bummed out that Argyle Park split up after their second album's release in 2000, but there's always those other projects. I actually have an idea for a Celldweller song suggestion. Stay tuned for that next month...

Limbogott - "Stash" (from One Minute Violence, 2005)

4.5/5. Another underrated track in need of more attention!

Underlined - "Altruism" (from Altruism, Vol. 1, 2015)

4/5. When I first saw this song title, I thought it was "Autism", which is what I have. Quite a killer song, though not super interested.

Spf 1000 - "Haunted House" (from Witch Hunt, 2003)

3.5/5. Welcome back to the Horror Show! This time we're heading into the Haunted House... This deserves a music video, probably one inspired by that Cartoon Network series The Grim Adventures of Billy and Mandy.

N17 - "Version 1.2" (from Trust No One, 1997)

4/5. Now this song can really turn a strip club into a f***ing mosh pit while jack-jumping off chairs. Crazy sick and almost hardcore-sounding!

Northlane - "Eclipse" (from Alien, 2019)

4.5/5. This is one of the most upbeat and heaviest songs by Northlane. You can definitely scream along to the lyrics in live shows!

Strapping Young Lad - "Home Nucleonics" (from City, 1997)

5/5. "The beat starts here" WITH A F***ING SCREAM!!! This one makes that Northlane track sound like smooth jazz in comparison! Probably the heaviest, most chaotic storm from Strapping Young Lad besides "Sh*t Storm" and having the most amazing screams from Devin Townsend. "I! WARNED!! YOOOOOOOOOOOOOU!!!"

Chaotica - "Prison of Decay" (from Prison of Decay, 2006)

4.5/5. Why the actual f*** is this practically unknown!?! It's freaking underrated and as good what people think of the more mainstream bands! This makes me smile and almost laugh maniacally. It's practically relatable for anyone who has their own metaphorical mental prison, such as an office job. This one's basically a techno-industrial rock/metal tune. The fast-rapping-ish bridge at over the two-and-a-half-minute mark is slightly off-putting, but far more genius! If there's a rave party using this, sign me up!

Circle of Dust - "Deviate" (from Brainchild, 1994)

5/5. Now this I dig much more, and this is the only second song I've heard from Circle of Dust, the other one from the June Sphere playlist. Klayton has done an amazing job combining the industrial metal and samples of Ministry with Slayer-like thrash. The remastered version gives the song fresher dynamic. You can headbang while playing the air-guitar and starting a mosh pit! Apparently, the "DON'T MAKE ME USE THIS!!" part is from Ren and Stimpy. It's a little shocking that this band is of Christian background, though I'm speaking as someone who is not Christian. This is more for those who want to destroy everything in sight, in video games, of course. "Who's got the shotgun!?"

Skrew - "Picasso Trigger" (from Dusted, 1994)

4.5/5. Skrew is one of the earliest mainstream-ish industrial metal bands besides Ministry, probably slightly more underrated than Ministry. The intro f***ing kicks a**! I'm sure Beavis and Butthead fans would recognize this song.

Deathstars - "Synthetic Generation" (from Synthetic Generation, 2002)

4.5/5. Deathstars is the kind of band that would play Marilyn Manson-like industrial metal with Murderdolls-like aesthetics. Hail this synthetic generation!

Code Orange - "Sulfur Surrounding" (from Underneath, 2020)

5/5. This one would have your heart breaking out of your ribcage in emotional balladry.

Nine Inch Nails - Physical (You're So)" (from Broken, 1992)

4.5/5. Originally by Adam and the Ants, this cover track is an awesome catchy tune with a sexual-sounding chorus that you desperately try to resist singing out loud, "You're too physical to me".

The Kovenant - "Mirror's Paradise" (from Animatronik, 1999)

5/5. "Like a river flowing around me... Mirror's paradise! Pulling me in it's wake... Mirror's paradise!" Man, that chorus is serene! I think I found another perfect band via a perfect song for stuff like jogging. I probably would've liked this band more if I discovered them during my epic metal teens, but then again, their black metal background would've been too much. Epic-sounding techno-symphonic synths here! The shrieks sound a bit like Dani Filth. Lyrics sound close to Christian territory, but I don't know...

Digimortal - "Добро пожаловать на бой" (from Дети галактики, 2015)

4.5/5. Another Russian cyber metal song (after the one from the previous month's playlist)! What are the odds?! This one's pretty cool. During the chorus, the vocalist sounds almost like an old drunk man, and I don't mean that in a mean way.

Eisenherz - "Die Seele Brennt" (from Eisenherz, 2006)

4/5. Also pretty cool for an NDH song. Enough said!

[die!] - "Mein Letzter Wille" (from Still, 2009)

3.5/5. Not the best, but definitely needs more attention.

Godflesh - "Streetcleaner 2" (from Godflesh, 1988 (1990 reissue))

4/5. Ending this playlist with an ambient remix of the title track of the band's debut Streetcleaner, you can also hear a bit of the solid vocal aggression to be delivered in the Streetcleaner album, more aggressive than the EP where the music has spoken.

Pretty good playlist I've made, huh? Despite a few slight bumps throughout... Anyway, I sure would recommend this to any industrial metal fan and anyone who isn't into industrial metal but is up to getting into a great start in enjoying the genre. Thanks Daniel for accepting this and your help with your submission, and I hope the rest of you enjoy it like I've had!

Here are my thoughts on all the selected tracks:

Atka - "1xs{aix:ccc}3xs{/a1:cc}4xs{Ij8}4xs{:::comtlkcc}" (from Untitled Album 1, 2018)

2.5/5. WARNING: This intro track suggested by Daniel (thanks for that, by the way) may be too intense for most music listeners, so if you can't handle the extra-spicy grind-mathcore, you might wanna skip it. Or if you want a more melodic start, go to track #4 and start there, then save these first 3 tracks for last.

Between the Buried and Me - "More of Myself to Kill" (from Between the Buried and Me, 2002)

4/5. Of course, this isn't as intense as that Atka track, but it's Between the Buried and Me at their most bonkers, when their original sound was basically deathly progressive metalcore. Still the "Memories keeping all these tears inside" section would have you raising your fist to this beauty. The cleans are really great, and I remember when I was listening to this band in my late teens. This pandemic sh*t really decimated the band's live plans, for they had the chance to remaster their first 4 albums and work on their recent album Colors II. The pace makes sure those 7 minutes don't last forever. Paul Waggoner has done excellent guitar tabs, not just in that aforementioned clean section, but during the first minute and half as well. This album and The Silent Circus show the band's heaviest material. The remastering has really paid off, and g****mn, the return to heaviness midway through gets my attention all the time.

Botch - "Hutton's Great Heat Engine" (from American Nervoso, 1998)

4.5/5. This fantastic highlight, "Hutton’s Great Heat Engine" has great chaotic moves including the guitar dive-bombing into a sludgy riff breakdown. Guitarist Dave Knudson has such extraordinary talent. He performs so naturally and helps the band gain its sense of individuality.

The Ghost Inside - "Avalanche" (from Dear Youth, 2014)

5/5. The Ghost Inside has some of the most blazing fire in metalcore and have managed to stay in their road through success. This album was released a year before the band's terrible accident. It's great that they've recovered after those subsequent years and continue to make f***ing awesome music like this. Dear Youth is a solid step up from Get What You Give, and would stay in that path for their self-titled comeback album.

Beartooth - "In Between" (from Disgusting, 2014)

5/5. The catchy chorus is so great within the melody and lyrics, in perfect balance with the raging verses. Gotta get more of this band!

Silent Planet - "Native Blood" (from The Night God Slept, 2014)

4.5/5. Another heart-toucher! The timeless music and powerful lyrics are amazing ("We were dressed in potential, now we're draped in sorrow").

Oh, Sleeper - "Hush Yael" (from Children of Fire, 2011)

5/5. I discovered this awesome band when my brother shared this song to me and made his own 8-bit version of it. For those who don't know what the story is about, Samir Kuntar was a terrorist who killed half a family when he was 16 in the 1979 Nahariya attack. He shot and drowned the father, then crushed the daughter's head. Yael is the other daughter whom her mother (the only survivor of the family) accidentally choked while trying to silence her cries. Kuntar was sent to prison for life, but was freed after nearly 3 decades. I didn't wanna have to spoil this much, but I guess it's good to know before you get to the song.

Caliban - "Assassin to Love" (from The Split Program, 2000)

4.5/5. A good thrash/groove riff rises after a great scream beginning this song. There are two f***ing brilliant breakdowns, but afterwards, the song sounds a bit draggy.

Deadguy - "Human Pig" (from Screamin' with the Deadguy Quintet, 1996)

5/5. This one gets you started in the same way as their debut, to level up your energy. After siren-like wailing of the guitar, the drumming gets all crazy, and vocalist Tim "Pops" Naumann (replacing Tim Singer) screams all over the place up to the end.

Unbroken - "End of a Life Time" (from Life. Love. Regret, 1994)

4.5/5. This one is also so good, and the more hardcore fans might keep coming back more.

Miss May I - "Relentless Chaos" (from Monument, 2010)

5/5. Another newfound favorite that would make me up for more of this band!

Betraying the Martyrs - "Embers" (from Silver Lining, 2022)

4.5/5. Nice melodic drama, though I miss when their earlier material had more prominent symphonics mixed with death/metalcore. The addictive cleans and killer screams make an amazing mix, especially in the huge chorus. Despite the ambience, the excellent metalcore heaviness is still around, and I love the exciting breakdown over the two-minute mark, energizing me more than coffee! This shows that, while the earlier epic vibe is lost, their new direction can be quite promising.

Underoath - "Writing on the Walls" (from Define the Great Line, 2006)

5/5. One of the best songs of this album and by the band! That's the music video I found on TV a few years before getting interested in this band, and it still rules! The vocals are really delivered well.

Fire From the Gods - "Excuse Me" (from Narrative, 2016)

4.5/5. If you wish to start with the more commercial metal sounds without going into older territory, this is a great place to start with multiple vocal styles, mixing rap with metal and hardcore. I'm not usually into a lot of this style besides Attila, how the f*** is this so good?! So radical!

Coalesce - "Every Reason to" (from Give Them Rope, 1997)

5/5. This band can pummel with every instrumentation aspect, including the heavy groove bass of Stacey Hilt, the smashing drums of James Dewees and the technical destruction in the guitar riffs by Jes Steineger. Altogether with Sean Ingram's mighty roars.

Psyopus - "Insects" (from Our Puzzling Encounters Considered, 2007)

4.5/5. It's too bad this band didn't get a lot of attention and ended up splitting up after only 3 albums. This is crushing technical mathcore, probably more technical than even tech-death bands like Cattle Decapitation and Job for a Cowboy. I'm enjoying this despite being half a world apart from this band. This is basically jazzy grind/mathcore more well-played and tolerable than Atka, with lots of notes. This really should've grabbed the world's attention than Kanye West, though it might cause a major p*ss. Those video-game-sounding guitars and vocal shrieks are not to be missed!

Electric Callboy - "Hypa Hypa" (from MMXX, 2020)

4/5. Once again my brother is really in the zone listening to this band, and while it's not exactly what I'm up for, this song would've definitely dominated Eurovision.

Motionless in White - "B.F.B.T.G.: Corpse Nation" (from Scoring the End of the World, 2021)

4/5. I'm glad to find this band last year. Their new album has a lot to touch my industrial alt-metalcore soul.

Scarlet - "Don't Hold Your Breath" (from Breaking the Dead Stare, 2000)

4.5/5. This is the best song in this EP, filled with top-notch raw math/metalcore brutality! Honestly, this is the kind of metalcore sound bands like Underoath, All That Remains, and Lamb of God were starting out at that time. Yep, that's brilliant mathcore right there!

Volumes - "Happier?" (from Happier?, 2021)

5/5. 100% loving this song, probably one of the best of last year! An incredible song to jam along to in a happy Summer after a depressing time. This emotional groove can pretty much make me shed tears of joy. I really love the lyrics, including that magical chorus. Volumes will never disappoint, instead making me happier!

Haste the Day - "Stitches" (from Pressure the Hinges, 2007)

5/5. Another beautiful song from another underrated band, worth listening to during an early morning motorbike ride.

State Craft - "Season's End" (from To Celebrate the Forlorn Seasons, 2000)

4.5/5. The ending epic to this album is the only one there that stands out well. The outro reminds of that of Trivium's Ember to Inferno. And speaking of Trivium...

Trivium - "The Shadow of the Abattoir" (from In the Court of the Dragon, 2021)

5/5. This brooding masterpiece of a song is the first of not one, not two, but THREE 7+ minute epics in the new Trivium album! This one might just have Heafy's best vocals EVER!! The verses go slow like a power ballad from Blind Guardian or Slough Feg with deep baritone vocals before rising to higher power in the chorus in a depressive journey ("Don't go searching for the battle, you won't find any beasts to slay, you'll rip yourself to pieces, you'll drive yourself insane, in the shadow of the abattoir...") The heavier bridge is more complex with key-switching breakdowns and extensive soloing that ends by perfectly replicating the chorus vocal harmony, before the final chorus itself where the background vocal harmony of bassist Paolo Gregoletto puts more emphasis in the harmony than before. EPIC!!

Crown the Empire - "Lucky Us" (from Retrograde, 2016)

5/5. Another song I just found that I now love. Lots of emotional passion that can make an instant favorite!

Bury Tomorrow - "Lionheart" (from The Union of Crowns, 2012)

5/5. Yet another instant #1! I want more of this band really bad.

Wage War - "Manic" (from Manic, 2021)

4.5/5. This song would have you repeating it over and over. F***ing great sh*t to headbang to! This is like a movie soundtrack to getting ready for fight and, during the heavy choruses and breakdown, fighting the enemies brutally. The Ghostemane vibes are quite accurate. I have a feeling there will be mosh-pits larger than any of the World Wars...

Make Them Suffer - "Bones" (from How to Survive a Funeral, 2020)

4.5/5. This one starts with Sean shouting "I CAN'T BREATHE!!", which in the wake of certain protests, might make you think that's what the song is about, but most likely not. Anyway, that song is one of the grooviest tunes by the band and my personal favorite of this album. The punchy guitar tones and jumpy drums sounds like the song might've been inspired by Issues. It is greatly memorable for its catchy chorus, where the instrumentation gets brighter and Sean sings cleanly for the first time, sounding like August Burns Red's Jake Luhrs' attempts in clean singing, in contrast to the darker djent-core passages. The final chorus especially would be worth singing along to once the band can go on gigs again. Speaking of August Burns Red, I love both MTS' "Bones" and ABR's "Bones", they're both great!

Oceans Ate Alaska - "Dead Behind the Eyes" (from Disparity, 2022)

5/5. Another song of kick-A greatness from Oceans Ate Alaska! It features I Prevail unclean vocalist Eric Vanlerberghe. I can repeat this part of the playlist any time! The clean vocals only appear during the last 20 seconds of the song and make a big impact.

Lorna Shore - "...And I Return to Nothingness" (from ...And I Return to Nothingness, 2021)

5/5. And finally, we have the title track to behold in all its epic glory. This is pure massive destruction that the band had in earlier material, perhaps much more than that. The death metal elements carry on in a steady rhythm, as the vocals are unleashed with berserk might, and the guitars shine even more. The riffs have incredible technical speed. Ramos doesn't have any mistakes in his vocals and the dark lyrics he reads. It's all in intentional thought and focus. His lines are made high while breaking through the lows. While the breakdown fury is an important aspect to the other two songs, and pretty much many other deathcore bands, for this track, fast blasting technicality is the key. Speaking of technicality and keys, the final climatic minute marks a couple raises in the key signature, blows you away with the last of the technical speed, and ends it all with an operatic outro. That final epic is probably the best of the 3 and one of the most glorious extreme metal songs in my entire lifetime!

Ice Nine Kills - "IT is the End" (from The Silver Scream, 2018)

5/5. OK, THIS is the final song of the playlist, a chaotic crown of disturbing glory, "IT is the End", and I think you already know what it's based on. It has many elements but they're used much better and features a few final guest vocalists, Peter "JR" Wasilewski and Buddy Schaub of Less Than Jake and Will Salazar of Fenix TX. It is indeed the craziest and most horrific of the album, and I love it! I made an entire scenario for this album, but I've spoiled enough, so check out my review. Happy Halloween!

HOLY SH*T, this is probably one of the best metalcore playlists I've ever done, with most of the tracks reaching 4.5 or 5 stars, and only a few tough speed bumps including a rough start (sorry, Daniel). Anyway, I sure would recommend this to any metalcore fan and anyone who isn't into metalcore but wants to get into a great start in enjoying the genre. Thanks Daniel for accepting this and your help with your submission, and I hope the rest of you enjoy it like I've had!

Here are my thoughts on most of the tracks:

An Abstract Illusion - "Tear Down This Holy Mountain" (from Woe)

4.5/5. Greater start than that of the Gateway playlist, but again the experimentation can be SO MUCH in this over 11-minute epic.

Conquering Dystopia - "Lachrymose" (from Conquering Dystopia)

5/5. A beautifully haunting acoustic/electric descent from that torn down holy mountain, with Jeff Loomis (also from Nevermore) playing Jason Becker-like guitar melodies. This could almost work well with lyrics that can turn it into a Nevermore ballad sung by Warrel Dane (RIP). D*mn, there should be an orchestral version of this soul-melting tune! It makes me glad against the sadness, sounding intense while staying beautiful and melodic. There is even a bit of a Last of Us vibe here.

Ihlo - "Haar" (from Haar - Live Sessions From Pirate Studios)

4.5/5. Another nice progressive metal blessing! This amazing song can almost be a total winner. It's bands like Ihlo and VOLA that can guide you through the astral plane then take you on a wild ride through the crescendo. Of course, the intro can also blow your mind. This can nearly reach the f***ing height of g****mn progressive luxury! I wonder how if the name of the song is pronounced like how Germans or sassy pre-teen girls say "hair"...

ERRA - "Pull From the Ghost" (from Pull From the Ghost)

5/5. You can assume that my ongoing progressive metalcore search is an addiction, but the truth is, many of those bands rule! For this one, the guitar riffs sound so godly, and the angelic cleans battle against the demonic growls. Hardcore progressive metal has never sounded so ethereal.

Neurosis - "Water is Not Enough" (from Given to the Rising)

4.5/5. Great band, super-cool song, sick intro, karaoke-worthy vocals. The singing is by Scott Kelly, who has recently confirmed his departure from the band after a shocking revelation of his family abuse. It's not easy to make amends for serious wrongdoings that make you look like a total a**, but the music is still good, despite the outer drama.

Haken - "Nobody" (from The Mountain)

4/5. This can be considered a softer radio version of the song "Somebody", considering the shortened length and the acoustic instrumentation. This sounds so much like Anathema at that time, and I've already moved out of that kind of softness.

Psychonaut - "Violate Consensus Reality" (from Violate Consensus Reality)

4.5/5. You can never be highly disappointed by such a composition! The vocals by Colin H. van Eeckhout from Amenra really add that nice touch. Just how the f*** can this heartfelt emotion get so intense?! This is an immense post-progressive metal composition with awesome vocal power! Colin adds weight to the beautiful groove you cannot miss. It's like a great emotional timebomb! And I thought The Ocean was THE European progressive post-sludge metal collective... I can see and hear lots of magic fire here. Top-notch straight from the first minute!

Parius - "Contact!" (from Contact!)

4.5/5. A short, sweet, sick rocker! Throughout the first half, I wasn't sure about the OK riff. Then the bass and drums in the second half balance things out in greatness and leveled up my rating score a bit. I guess you can think of this like mid-90s Entombed gone Primus.

Liquid Tension Experiment - "Liquid Evolution" (from LTE3)

4/5. A beautiful short jazzy progressive interlude from this instrumental Dream Theater spinoff-band.

The Ocean - "Silurian: Age of Sea Scorpions" (from Phanerozoic I: Palaeozoic)

4.5/5. Then finally, we end the playlist with a bit of the energy from the Precambrian era (of The Ocean).

Saxy, let me just say, you have done such as incredible job assembling this month's Gateway and Infinite playlists! This tracklisting has encouraged me to go through the entire playlist and find excellent tracks from bands I already listen to along with different bands in which some of them I feel up to trying some more songs from them. Well done, please keep it up! So let's get my track thought journey started:

Destrage - "Venice Has Sunk" (from SO MUCH. too much.)

4/5. Good start, though the experimentation can be SO MUCH.

Attila - "Shots for the Boys" (from About That Life)

4.5/5. This is one of the best songs of this album where Attila took a turn for their metalcore/deathcore sound to add in some rap/nu metal. This direction has worked much better than most other rap metal bands out there. That Gateway side of them aside, Attila is one of the best Revolution bands alongside Oh Sleeper. That's proven by the breakdown almost a minute in, sounding closer to their earlier material, that alcoholics can headbang to while splashing beer in a bar, and they only drink straight shots ("If you don't like to take straight shots, well shut the f*** up, we only take straight shots"). I would never drink, but bottoms up for those who do!

Karnivool - "Fear of the Sky" (from Themata)

5/5. This one adds odd time signatures for the heavy guitar in the same vein as late 90s Incubus and A Perfect Circle at that time. These guys never f*** up this sound, unlike other such albums that end up being a blur. Karnivool have their multi-flavor identity to keep your attention span high.

Devin Townsend Project - "Bastard" (from Ocean Machine - Live at the Ancient Roman Theatre Plovdiv)

5/5. Interesting choice here. I've never really expected a Devin Townsend song in the Gateway playlist (unless it's a song from the Project album Addicted which has recently been removed from Spotify) nor a live track here. But that's OK because it's one of my favorite songs originally from one of the best Devin Townsend albums, visualizing a deadly night voyage through a stormy ocean. More about that scenario in my review for the original Ocean Machine album.

Bad Wolves - "Run for Your Life" (from Disobey)

4.5/5. This songs shows an example of humanity working and giving until the end of their lives without a break, and the slaves trying to run from that vicious cycle so they can live a free life. The music adds color to the story!

Killer Be Killed - "Dream Gone Bad" (from Reluctant Hero)

5/5. More like a "Dream Gone Good", if you ask me! This killer song is made by a great team of members from bands Soulfly, The Dillinger Escape Plan, Mastodon, and Converge. F***ing mind-blowing!!!

Mushroomhead - "Carry On" (from A Wonderful Life)

4.5/5. Have I mentioned how much I like Mushroomhead more than Slipknot, both musically and aesthetically? Lots of great tracks in their new album, especially this one that's beautiful and addictive. It's almost entirely clean vocals here, and I like it as much as other tracks. Great music! The band sure know how to build back up after their split from founding members keyboardist Tom Schmitz and vocalist Jeffery Hatrix. It's so riveting! I feel like this is a continuation of the dedication to the loved ones they lost that started with their previous album The Righteous and the Butterfly. Keep calm and do what the song says!

Chevelle - "Point #1" (from Point #1)

4/5. You know what's interesting? I submitted just the "Open" intro because I felt like including a song from this album, but I was running out of space for my suggestions. Then the song that leads to has appeared here instead, and it works out quite well. A solid song in the beginning of Chevelle's tenure!

Dope - "1999" (from Blood Money)

3.5/5. My first year of being alive! I like this one, though it sounds a little too angry, especially the "F*** IT" parts.

Northlane - "Carbonized" (from Obsidian)

4/5. This one is another single, this one starting with grungy experimentation in the intro. The screams giving you a moshing urge. The moods often change. Then the chorus adds more life with Marcus Bridge's d*mn beautiful singing.

Static-X - "Cold" (from Machine)

4.5/5. This one is kick-A for those who wanna take a f***ing trip through a lifestyle of strip-club viewing and fast-racing. RIP Wayne Static

Coldrain - "GONE" (from VENA)

4/5. Staying innovative as ever, the groove and clapping unexpectedly add rock anthem traditions to the lament of a walkaway love.

Abrahma - "Neptune of Sorrow" (from Through the Dusty Paths of Our Lives)

4.5/5. Another great catchy tune, though slightly away from being a total groundbreaker. The mid-tempo pace shows that you don't need a fast thrasher for full-gear headbanging. The slight weakness is in the muddy mastering that needs to be tightened.

Dead by April - "Freeze Frame" (from Let the World Know)

5/5. "Everything is gonna be just fine." Well it's way more than fine! It's songs like this that made me love this band.

Kittie - "Paperdoll" (from Spit)

4.5/5. I love the cool beautiful voice of Tanya Candler. I also like the amazing bass she performs. Is it wrong for me, a grown man, to keep praising a 16-year-old girl (that she was back in 1999) like that? But since she's older now, does that even matter? Quite a confusing paradox... Apparently, Tanya left the band after this album's recording and was replaced by Talena Atfield, with whom the band re-recorded the track. There's also a sinister laugh in the last 20 seconds of the song.

Saliva - "Unshatter Me" (from Love, Lies & Therapy)

4/5. I like how beautifully haunting this song sounds. It's also a good metaphor for undying love mending back together a shattered heart, including loved ones who have passed. That's how good the lyrics are.

DIR EN GREY - "THE DEEPER VILENESS" (from THE MARROW OF A BONE)

4.5/5. This song is from the earlier part of their ongoing metal era, and it has a lot of raw passion especially in the screaming. Listen before you judge.

FEVER 333 - "Walking in My Shoes" (from Made an America)

4/5. I'm glad to hear some killer greatness in this song, despite this trap-metal sound combo.

Machinae Supremacy - "The Greatest Show on Earth" (from A View From the End of the World)

4.5/5. One of the most awesome songs, and possibly my favorite, from this album. F***ing heroic! This band has gotten more popular throughout the years thanks to online sharing and other means of support. This song would encourage you to head out and enjoy life. Don't confuse it with Nightwish's 24-minute epic!

Parkway Drive - "The Greatest Fear" (from Darker Still)

5/5. This shows a different, more epic direction for the band, beginning with a church organ and an angelic choir. Then melodic riffing marches in to make you think of Iron Maiden then it's twisted into the groove of Rob Zombie in the verses. In the bridge, we hear a Gregorian-like choir singing the "hymns of nevermore" and then they're replaced with a moshing breakdown. Probably one of the best of the album for me and my brother whose listening to the song reminded me that I needed to get into the action.

End of Green - "Like a Stranger" (from Void Estate)

4.5/5. We've reached the end of the journey with some of the best lyrics in this playlist. They really nailed the message of an ex-relationship. A sad yet powerful finale....

October 2022

01. An Abstract Illusion - "Tear Down This Holy Mountain" (from Woe)

02. Conquering Dystopia - "Lachrymose" (from Conquering Dystopia)

03. Disillusion - "Fall" (from Back to Times of Splendor)

04. Fallujah - "Mindless Omnipotent Master" (from Empyrean)

05. Devin Townsend Project - "Silent Militia" (from Z²)

06. Mastodon - "Stargasm" (from The Hunter)

07. Ihlo - "Haar" (from Haar - Live Sessions From Pirate Studios)

08. ERRA - "Pull From the Ghost" (from Pull From the Ghost)

09. Neurosis - "Water is Not Enough" (from Given to the Rising)

10. Haken - "Nobody" (from The Mountain)

11. Psychonaut - "Violate Consensus Reality" (from Violate Consensus Reality)

12. Leprous - "Nighttime Disguise" (from Aphelion)

13. Soen - "Lotus" (from Lotus)

14. Parius - "Contact!" (from Contact!)

15. Liquid Tension Experiment - "Liquid Evolution" (from LTE3)

16. The Ocean - "Silurian: Age of Sea Scorpions" (from Phanerozoic I: Palaeozoic)

October 2022

01. Destrage - "Venice Has Sunk" (from SO MUCH. too much.)

02. Attila - "Shots for the Boys" (from About That Life)

03. Karnivool - "Fear of the Sky" (from Themata)

04. Devin Townsend Project - "Bastard" (from Ocean Machine - Live at the Ancient Roman Theatre Plovdiv)

05. Bad Wolves - "Run for Your Life" (from Disobey)

06. Killer Be Killed - "Dream Gone Bad" (from Reluctant Hero)

07. Mushroomhead - "Carry On" (from A Wonderful Life)

08. Chevelle - "Point #1" (from Point #1)

09. Dope - "1999" (from Blood Money)

10. Northlane - "Carbonized" (from Obsidian)

11. Static-X - "Cold" (from Machine)

12. Coldrain - "GONE" (from VENA)

13. Abrahma - "Neptune of Sorrow" (from Through the Dusty Paths of Our Lives)

14. Dead by April - "Freeze Frame" (from Let the World Know)

15. Kittie - "Paperdoll" (from Spit)

16. Saliva - "Unshatter Me" (from Love, Lies & Therapy)

17. DIR EN GREY - "THE DEEPER VILENESS" (from THE MARROW OF A BONE)

18. FEVER 333 - "Walking in My Shoes" (from Made an America)

19. Machinae Supremacy - "The Greatest Show on Earth" (from A View From the End of the World)

20. Parkway Drive - "The Greatest Fear" (from Darker Still)

21. End of Green - "Like a Stranger" (from Void Estate)

October 2022

1. Lard - "The Power of Lard" (from Power of Lard, 1989)

2. Prime Sinister - "So Close" (from United in Violence, 2008)

3. Lord of the Lost - "Priest" (from Judas, 2021) [submitted by Shadowdoom9 (Andi)]

4. Killus - "Ultrazombies" (from Ultrazombies, 2016)

5. Sore Throat - "Phase V" (from Inde$troy, 1989) [submitted by Daniel]

6. Ministry - "So What" (from The Mind Is a Terrible Thing to Taste, 1989) [submitted by Shadowdoom9 (Andi)]

7. Fashion Bomb - "SS" (from Devils to Some Angels to Others, 2006)

8. Ap2 - "Resurrection of the Ravens" (from Suspension of Disbelief, 2000)

9. Limbogott - "Stash" (from One Minute Violence, 2005)

10. Underlined - "Altruism" (from Altruism, Vol. 1, 2015)

11. Spf 1000 - "Haunted House" (from Witch Hunt, 2003)

12. N17 - "Version 1.2" (from Trust No One, 1997)

13. Northlane - "Eclipse" (from Alien, 2019) [submitted by Shadowdoom9 (Andi)]

14. Strapping Young Lad - "Home Nucleonics" (from City, 1997) [submitted by Shadowdoom9 (Andi)]

15. Chaotica - "Prison of Decay" (from Prison of Decay, 2006)

16. Circle of Dust - "Deviate" (from Brainchild, 1994)

17. Skrew - "Picasso Trigger" (from Dusted, 1994)

18. Deathstars - "Synthetic Generation" (from Synthetic Generation, 2002)

19. Code Orange - "Sulfur Surrounding" (from Underneath, 2020)

20. Nine Inch Nails - Physical (You're So)" (from Broken, 1992)

21. The Kovenant - "Mirror's Paradise" (from Animatronik, 1999)

22. Digimortal - "Добро пожаловать на бой" (from Дети галактики, 2015)

23. Eisenherz - "Die Seele Brennt" (from Eisenherz, 2006)

24. [die!] - "Mein Letzter Wille" (from Still, 2009)

25. Godflesh - "Streetcleaner 2" (from Godflesh, 1988 (1990 reissue)) [submitted by Shadowdoom9 (Andi)]