Shadowdoom9 (Andi)'s Forum Replies

October 2022

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

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

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

4. The Ghost Inside - "Avalanche" (from Dear Youth, 2014) [submitted by Shadowdoom9 (Andi)]

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

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

7. Oh, Sleeper - "Hush Yael" (from Children of Fire, 2011) [submitted by Shadowdoom9 (Andi)]

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

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

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

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

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

13. Underoath - "Writing on the Walls" (from Define the Great Line, 2006) [submitted by Shadowdoom9 (Andi)]

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

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

16. Psyopus - "Insects" (from Our Puzzling Encounters Considered, 2007) [submitted by Shadowdoom9 (Andi)]

17. Electric Callboy - "Hypa Hypa" (from MMXX, 2020) [submitted by Shadowdoom9 (Andi)]

18. Motionless in White - "B.F.B.T.G.: Corpse Nation" (from Scoring the End of the World, 2021) [submitted by Shadowdoom9 (Andi)]

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

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

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

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

23. Trivium - "The Shadow of the Abattoir" (from In the Court of the Dragon, 2021) [submitted by Shadowdoom9 (Andi)]

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Daniel, do you have a good Sphere track you wanna submit? I plan to start working on the November playlist later this week.

Daniel, do you have a good Revolution track you wanna submit? I plan to start working on the November playlist later this week.

Here's my review summary:

Hymns would mark the last Godflesh album before their decade-long split-up. They've definitely had more industrial metal in their earlier works. While this one does not have as much industrial, there's barely any weakness. Most of the keyboards are dropped with more emphasis on guitar, bass, and real drums, and it actually sounds strong. This trio actually worked pretty well, unlike other trios that end up sounding boring as a tea party (both the band and literally). Why did they have to break up with a steady lineup?! For this album, the industrial beat is more of a background aspect. This group of amazing geniuses know how to add small amounts of drum loops and keyboard into the songs and somehow make them sound so big. It's great for the music's diversity! The heavy riffs and beats often range from hip-hop to a metal groove, and the vocals have a solid alternation between shouts and cleans. However, the clean vocals and repetition in a couple songs are kind of this album's "Achilles Heel". Still, the songs all have a unique identity despite lack of the elements that made their signature sound. Still, Hymns is pretty solid, though not as great as their classic releases. I understand how far this duo (for the most part) of technical industrial metal had come to that point, to fill your ears and drums with heavy hymns....

4/5

Recommended tracks: "Defeated", "Anthem", "Tyrant", "For Life", "Regal", "Jesu" and the hidden track

For fans of: Jesu, Kill the Thrill, Red Harvest

Here's my review summary:

2020 was the year when everything in the world slowed down due to a certain virus, and many bands were in a storm of plan changes, one of those bands being Japanese alt-metalcore rockers Coldrain. However, despite delaying album production by a year, they're still strong in creating their latest offering... Coldrain is the kind of band that prefer to rise up and not stand down. Nonnegative marks the 7th full-length part of their discography filled with ups and downs. The album is filled with heavy powerful anthems, plus a few poppy-ish ballads. Relentless guitars and great vocal variety can make real crystal gems. Nonnegative is very solid for an alt-metalcore album with barely anything worth harsh criticism. Calm sections with clean singing are mixed with heavy sections with harsh growls. The successful formula they've had in The Side Effects is still strong in this album. They're back on their path, and might be off to a golden future in J-rock/metal!

4.5/5

Recommended tracks: "Help Me Help You", "Cut Me", "Bloody Power Fame", "Paradise (Kill the Silence)", "2020", "From Today"

For fans of: A Day to Remember, Linkin Park, One Ok Rock

It's been a long while, like 5 months, since I've last updated my "favorite metal albums by years" list. I will certainly still update this, while putting my "favorite metal albums" thread list to rest because of the Top 20 releases feature. I decided to scratch off the albums before 1984 because I've never really been listening to any of the late 70s/early 80s classic heavy metal bands lately (such as Accept and Savatage) and I'm thinking of moving away from that era altogether (more about that later). Also I changed the years in each era to coincide with the developing stage of metalcore, according to what's included in my monthly Revolution playlists. So...here's my updated list:

Beginning oldies (1984-1989)/B.M. (Before Metalcore):

1984: Voivod - War and Pain

1985: Dark Angel - We Have Arrived

1986: Dark Angel - Darkness Descends

1987: Voivod - Killing Technology

1988: Sadus - Illusions

1989: Godflesh - Streetcleaner

Old golden classics and millennium transition highlights (1990-2001)/Metalcore's humble beginnings and light of day-seeing classics:

1990: Rorschach - Remain Sedate

1991: Atheist - Unquestionable Presence

1992: Sadus - A Vision of Misery

1993: Pestilence - Spheres

1994: Godflesh - Selfless

1995: Earth Crisis - Destroy the Machines

1996: Vision of Disorder - Vision of Disorder

1997: Coalesce - Give Them Rope

1998: Embodyment - Embrace the Eternal

1999: Cave In - Until Your Heart Stops

2000: Eighteen Visions - Until the Ink Runs Out

2001: Candiria - 300 Percent Density

Modern favorites (2002-2013)/Rise of the full Revolution:

2002: Knut - Challenger

2003: Hatebreed - The Rise of Brutality

2004: Candiria - What Doesn't Kill You...

2005: Trivium - Ascendancy

2006: Deathstars - Termination Bliss

2007: The Number Twelve Looks Like You - Mongrel

2008: Shai Hulud - Misanthropy Pure

2009: Vektor - Black Future

2010: Crystal Lake - Into the Great Beyond

2011: Trivium - In Waves

2012: The Tony Danza Tapdance Extravaganza - Danza IIII: The Alpha – The Omega

2013: Northlane - Singularity

The best of the most recent (2014-present)/A greater new uprising:

2014: Conquering Dystopia - Conquering Dystopia

2015: Vision of Disorder - Razed to the Ground

2016: Car Bomb - Meta

2017: Trivium - The Sin and the Sentence

2018: Crystal Lake - Helix

2019: Northlane - Alien

2020: Code Orange - Underneath

2021: Trivium - In the Court of the Dragon

2022 (so far): Northlane - Obsidian

2022 albums I'm looking forward to getting:

Lorna Shore - Pain Remains (my brother likes a couple of the pre-release singles, and considering how much I enjoy the band's 2021 EP, this album is a must)

We Came as Romans - Darkbloom (their first album without the late Kyle Pavone, RIP)

Architects - The Classic Symptoms of a Broken Spirit (self-recommendation)

Gothminister - Pandemonium (self-recommendation)

Fear, and Loathing in Las Vegas - Cocoon for the Golden Future

Demon Hunter - Exile

Voivod - Ultraman EP

Chelsea Grin - Suffer in Hell/Suffer in Heaven (two new albums from this band, with the second one to be released in March 2023)

Disturbed - Divisive (revisiting a band from my alt-rock/metal past from 10 years ago)

Nickelback - Get Rollin' (revisiting a band from my alt-rock/metal past from 10 years ago)

Saint Asonia - Extrovert EP (revisiting a new project from the former lead vocalist of a band from my alt-rock/metal past from 10 years ago)

In the Woods - Diversum (self-recommendation in an attempt to restore my interest in black metal and avant-garde metal, with this band having been formed by former members of Green Carnation)

Also on this day:

One of my former favorites from Nightwish when I was still listening to this band, and one of only two albums with lead singer Anette Olzon, the other being Imaginaerum.

I have an outside-world friend (NOT the Audiomachine-loving one) who's into metal-ish darksynth projects like Carpenter Brut, Scandroid, and Dance With the Dead. The new Carpenter Brut album Leather Terror has a few guest appearances, including The Dillinger Escape Plan vocalist Greg Puciato in this killer tune (actually this song's single was given the Alternative Metal tag in RYM, and that seems slightly accurate, but this is from a mostly darksynth artist, so here):

Vote re-submitted. Thanks Daniel!

I haven't given the EP a review because it's practically the same as 5 of the songs from their self-titled debut, other than the songs from the EP being demo versions. I consider many of those songs (both in the EP and re-recorded in the album) a mix of melodic metalcore, pieces of alt-metal and power metal, and a bit of trance, all in a great balance, so I agree with your thoughts, Daniel. However, the debut album would foreshadow a bit of their less metalcore, more trance-y sound in some of the new songs, including the song "Amaranthine" that is more of a symphonic power metal ballad. Judgement submission coming up for their debut!

Also what the sh*t is this?! I checked on the release page for the Leave Everything Behind EP, and The Sphere clan appeared as part of the release's clan lineup! I enjoy The Sphere, but there's no way Amaranthe can be part of that clan...unless they can be considered cyber metal, but even that's way too far-fetched.

We've gotten through the harmony test & the twelve week scan unscathed sao it seems that it's gonna happen. We're having a third daughter in March!

Congrats, Daniel!

Here's another song from The Downward Spiral that I think sounds metal, this one from the deluxe edition:

In a Discord server that I'm in, someone recommended a few songs from Nine Inch Nails from the album The Downward Spiral, and even though that album is basically atmospheric industrial rock, those few songs are metal bangers that I believe have potential in The Sphere:

If any of you are up to explore a bit of industrial rock/metal and/or the heavier side of Nine Inch Nails, please give those songs a listen and see if you agree with me about whether or not they can be considered Sphere tracks. I might even add one of them to one of my monthly Sphere playlists...

Ben, please add Downcast (one of the earliest metalcore bands, with only one album and can also be found on Spotify).

Neo-classical-influenced progressive metalcore, kinda like a mix of Avenged Sevenfold, Protest the Hero, and Symphony X:

An epic heavy/alt-metal tune by this ex-metalcore band from Byron Bay, NSW:

Ben, please add the new Parkway Drive album Darker Still.

A couple highlights from the pinnacle of KMFDM's career:

The former of which can be heard in the Martin Lawrence/Will Smith film Bad Boys (throughout the first minute of this video):

Just how diverse can they guys get!? A wild blend of mathcore, groove, and jazz:

So my deep dive into the Stenchcore genre begun yesterday. Here's some thoughts on the first record I investigated:

Amebix - "Arise!" (1985)

This debut album is currently tagged as both Crust Punk & Stenchcore at RYM & I think I can differentiate which tracks fall into each category pretty comfortably. What we have here is a filthy combination of hardcore, metal & post-punk with, from what I can gather, tracks like "Largactyl" & "Slave" falling into the Crust Punk category in that they're influenced by metal & show a few common traits without really ever feeling like metal & the thrashier tracks like "Axeman", "Fear Of God", "Spoils Of Victory" & the title track falling into the Stenchcore category in that they cross the line into genuine metal territory while still maintaining the hardcore aesthetic. Based on this experience alone Stenchcore seems to be intense hardcore music that borrows the riffs & vocals from the dirtier & more extreme early 80's metal bands (Venom, Motorhead, Hellhammer, Bathory, etc.) & presents them with an obviously hardcore-driven production & tone. In this case the Venom influence is the most prominent, especially in the vocals which are the spitting image of Cronos. Is there enough metal here to warrant inclusion at Metal Academy? Well I'd suggest that four of the nine tracks fall into the Stenchcore category & that's just enough to have me reaching for my metal pass. What clan would it belong to? Well despite the Venom & Motorhead links, I'd suggest that members of The Pit would be the most likely to enjoy a record like this one as it simply feels too dirty & punky for The Guardians with absolutely zero in the way of polish or precision & a healthy dose of Discharge which never goes astray in the thrash community. Perhaps that's why I've found myself enjoying it given that I'm a loyal member of The Pit. There are a couple of duds on the A side but there's enough quality to keep me interested with the more ambitious tracks being particularly enjoyable. 

For fans of Axegrinder, Sacrilege & Hellbastard.

3.5/5

I'd suggest that this is probably the best example of the Stenchcore sound on the album for those that are interested:

Many subgenres are created out of different experimentation, and crust punk/stenchcore is no exception, thanks to a band wanting to take a more unorthodox path. Amebix was the kind of band who wanted to craft music without any limitations. This band moved fresh out of the 70s punk scene and took their roots to the metal scene rising in the UK in the 80s, taking on a new sound of eclectic consistence. After a few demos and EPs, the band become more than just "experimental". They were a band that made some of the heaviest, most aggressive fusions of punk and thrash, a style known as stenchcore! As much as they've made a great impact to the punk and metal scenes at that time, the actual material of debut album Arise! is worth looking out for. These guys can actually play their instruments, unlike some punk bands. They perform simple riffs then mix them up with atmospheric keyboards. I've never really heard much of stenchcore before finding this album and requesting its addition to the site as part of helping the genre expand in the site, but I already have a great feeling about it... Here there are thrashy/punky anthems along with a couple longer prog-ish tracks, and you're right about "Spoils of Victory", Daniel, that track is the best example of stenchcore! All in all, Amebix's debut is perhaps the first release to seal the stenchcore deal and probably the best this genre had to offer, adding relevance to the lyrics and intricate music to touch your punky soul. It's mostly a well-defined part of the style that quickly started a kick-A evolution. Amebix is a pioneering force of a genre they were piecing together in their earlier EPs. I don't really intend to continue on with their next album, Monolith, but for those who wanna hear thrash crossing over into crust punk.... Arise!

4.5/5

1. Gateway playlist - 5/5 (number of songs commented: 12)

2. Guardians playlist - 4.5/5 (number of songs commented: 7)

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

4. Revolution playlist - 4.5/5 (number of songs commented: ALL 30)

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

So far, I've only commented on 12 tracks in the Gateway playlist, 7 tracks in the Guardians playlist, and 9 tracks in the Infinite playlist, but for the other 2 of my own clans I've listened to the entire playlists! I'm grateful to Saxy, Xephyr, and Daniel for their playlist works. I really dig what I've listened in the Gateway playlist made by Saxy, and I'm glad the Revolution and Sphere playlists made by me paid off. I recommend them to any fan of those respective genres and anyone who isn't into those genres but wants to get into a great start in enjoying them. Thanks, Daniel, for accepting these playlists, and good work all!

I guess it comes down to what you understand rock & metal music to be, doesn't it? I was taught the different techniques for playing the two genres when I was in my early teenage years & those theoretical rules have stuck with me ever since so I see a well defined line between the two. As I've already explained in another recent thread, the point of contention shouldn't really be about how heavy or light-weight a release feels. You either have metal guitar & drum techniques being used or you don't as far as I'm concerned. Now, if we're going to be throwing the likes of Guns 'n' Roses, Def Leppard, Scorpions, AC/DC, Deep Purple, Led Zeppelin, etc. under the metal banner then I have to ask a pretty obvious question i.e. just what is hard rock music then because those are some clear examples of it as far as I'm concerned. To be open & transparent, my personal cut-off ratio for a release to qualify as metal is 40% i.e. if 40% or more of it's run time is legitimate metal then I'm happy enough to include it. Here's ten examples of some very big "metal" releases that I don't think should qualify as metal if we use that philosophy:

Kyuss - "Welcome To Sky Valley"

Boris - "Pink"

Rainbow - "Rising"

Black Flag - "My War"

Motorhead - "Overkill"

Primus - "Frizzle Fry"

Black Sabbath - "Technical Ecstasy"

Alcest - "Kodama"

Voivod - "Nothingface"

Elder - "Reflections of a Floating World"

Good list, Daniel. Although I have to say, to my ears, Voivod's Nothingface is like 45% metal, and a slight notch heavier than their mainstream-sounding follow-up Angel Rat.

An outside-world friend of mine showed me this song. It's not metal but it's really kick-A:

Thanks, Daniel.

Ben, please add Clear (very early deathcore band with only one album, can also be found on Spotify).

Here are my sneak peek submissions for the October Sphere playlist (finally reached a set maximum of 5, though it might increase depending on the distance from the 30-minute limit):

Godflesh - "Streetcleaner 2" (8:41) from Godflesh (1988 (1990 reissue))

Lord of the Lost - "Priest" (5:20) from Judas (2021)

Ministry - "So What" (8:14) from The Mind Is a Terrible Thing to Taste (1989)

Northlane - "Eclipse" (4:02) from Alien (2019)

Strapping Young Lad - "Home Nucleonics" (2:31) from City (1997)

Total length: 28:48

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

Electric Callboy - "Hypa Hypa" (3:33) from MMXX (2020)

The Ghost Inside - "Avalanche" (3:32) from Dear Youth (2014)

Motionless in White - "B.F.B.T.G.: Corpse Nation" (3:34) from Scoring the End of the World (2021)

Oh, Sleeper - "Hush Yael" (4:29) from Children of Fire (2011)

Psyopus - "Insects" (3:16) from Our Puzzling Encounters Considered (2007)

Trivium - "The Shadow of the Abattoir" (7:11) from In the Court of the Dragon (2021)

Underoath - "Writing on the Walls" (4:02) from Define the Great Line (2006) (my attempt to submit a metal-sounding song from an album that's (in my opinion) misplaced as non-metal)

Total length: 29:37

Here are my submissions for the October Infinite playlist:

Conquering Dystopia - "Lachrymose" (3:02) from Conquering Dystopia (2014)

Devin Townsend - "Silent Militia" (4:28) from Z² (2014)

Erra - "Pull From the Ghost" (4:10) from Pull From the Ghost (2022)

Leprous - "Nighttime Disguise" (7:04) from Aphelion (2021) (my attempt to submit a metal-sounding song from a non-metal album by a usually progressive metal band after a song from Cynic's non-metal album Kindly Bent to Free Us appeared in the August playlist)

Liquid Tension Experiment - "Liquid Evolution" (3:23) from Liquid Tension Experiment 3 (2021)

Neurosis - "Water Is Not Enough" (7:03) from Given to the Rising (2007)

Total length: 29:10

Here are my submissions for the October Gateway playlist:

Attila - "Shots for the Boys" (2:41) from About That Life (2013)

Bad Wolves - "Run for Your Life" (3:32) from Disobey (2018)

Chevelle - "Open" (2:01) from Point No. 1 (1999)

Coldrain - "Gone" (4:12) from Vena (2015)

Dead by April - "Freeze Frame" (3:58) from Let the World Know (2014)

Dir En Grey - "The Deeper Vileness" (3:46) from The Marrow of a Bone (2007)

Machinae Supremacy - "The Greatest Show on Earth" (3:31) from A View from the End of the World (2010)

Parkway Drive - "The Greatest Fear" (5:28) from Darker Still (2022)

Total length: 29:09

Here are my thoughts on all the selected tracks:

Mushroomhead - "Simple Survival" from Savior Sorrow (2006)

5/5. Let's start with one of my favorite and more industrial-sounding Mushroomhead songs, beginning with the sinister yet melodic opening line, "The shadow within me, the sorrow at my feet". This will make you wanna pay more to get more of Mushroomhead's releases. So cool! I can hear a bit of a Linkin Park influence in the music and a Slipknot influence in the aesthetics, though it's no reason to start a feud between these bands. Still an awesome song! "THE END IN ME!!!"

Samael - "Samael" from Hegemony (2017)

4.5/5. This is one of the best songs from the masters of symphonic black-ish industrial metal, and can be considered their own theme song!

Fear Factory - "Cars" from Obsolete (1998)

5/5. This cover/remix of a Gary Numan hit is the perfect song to blast out on a cross-country drive, whether in real life or in GTA. Fear Factory are cool genius who can remix what is considered a pop classic. Numan himself has even sung along in Fear Factory's first remix.

Spineshank - "Stillborn" from Self-Destructive Pattern (2003)

4.5/5. Spineshank is a band known for a punk-ish electro-industrial nu metal blend. A sweet killer song that would make you wish they would make more new music. Alt-metal fans can forget about that TOOL sh*t and enjoy this kick-A track.

Emigrate - "1234" from A Million Degrees (2018)

4/5. This is a cool catchy song. What can else I say?

Deflore - "Egodrive" from Egodrive (2008)

3.5/5. Interesting instrumental, but feels hollow when there's barely any lyrics.

Underlined - "The Suffering" from Deadtime Stories (2012)

4/5. Apparently this is a remix of a song that was originally recorded a few years prior. Nonetheless, this is good horror-themed electro-industrial nu metal, similar to that Spineshank song a few tracks ago.

Nerve Factor - "Last Call" from Criminal Within (2000)

3.5/5. Nice background symphonics, but a little too pompous. Let's move on...

Trust Obey - "Hands of Fire" from Hands of Ash (1996)

4/5. One of a only few highlights in its original album, this is quite a killer tune.

Godflesh - "Unworthy" from Merciless EP (1994)

4/5. This one has more sounds and more speed. Not really the greatest of its original EP, but worth listening to. The vocals sounding clean in the beginning seem out of place. Other than that, it's still pretty good.

meganeko - "The Cyber Grind" from The Cyber Grind single (2020)

3.5/5. I did not realize this was part of the Ultrakill soundtrack that I chose not to review when it was July's Sphere feature release. Interesting choice, Daniel! You can play this on full blast while playing the game when the world is asleep, though you might end up p*ssing off your neighbors in the process. Get ready to fight in a speaker-blowing stadium-like experience that is... THE CYBER GRIND!! (not to be confused with the subgenre)

Sybreed - "Love Like Blood" from The Pulse of Awakening (2009)

4/5. I like this nice metallic cover of a song by Killing Joke from their earlier new-wave era, with its cold feeling. The emotion can be expressed through the instrumentation more than the original vocals. Sybreed did not live as long as fans hoped they would, only for 10 years. I like Dead by April's cover slightly more. The synth sounds mixed with booming guitars can blow you away more than Nine Inch Nails would ever. I like when covers stick to their band's usual style instead of just blindly following the original artist's footsteps, that's kind of the whole point of covers, I think... Props to this band for greatly standing by that rule!

Luminous Vault - "Ancient North" from Animate the Emptiness (2021)

4.5/5. This one is almost like an atmospheric mutation combo of Killing Joke's 80s pop, Godflesh's signature industrial metal, and Septicflesh's epic blackened death metal. A great interesting spacey vibe with cool ethereal beauty! It's almost different from the rest of this playlist. They might surpass Genghis Tron as the band with the most prominent mix of electronics and extreme metal.

Gothminister - "Pandemonium" from Pandemonium (2022)

5/5. I've only heard of this band after a song from their previous album The Other Side in a playlist a few months ago, and both that song and this one are filled with epic industrial metal greatness! Can't for more of this band, along with this album to come out!

Rammstein - "Du Hast" from Sehnsucht (1997)

4.5/5. This song I'm sure many people in the world or maybe the universe have heard whether or not they're into metal. It's a really great song to listen to, and would probably keep the band's legacy lasting as long as they can last. Though I'm not into the Neue Deutsche Härte style, this is quite addictive. Du... Du Hast!

Tyrant of Death - "Detonate" from Superior Firepower (2019)

4/5. Another mostly instrumental track, though I like that this heavy-sounding band is just MAKING SOMETHING NEW.

Eisheilig - "Elysium" from Elysium (2006)

3.5/5. Good industrial metal song, but close to the NDH sound with its German lyrics.

Klank - "Numb" from Numb (2000)

4/5. This one's quite cool. Industrial nu metal is really playing its part in this playlist.

Deadheaven - "Тени" from Антиреальность (2014)

4.5/5. Raise your hand if you misread the band's name as blackgaze band Deafheaven. It has great smooth vocals, despite the lyrics all being in Russian. Super cool! There is quite a bit of vibe from Sybreed along with Soilwork. This is the second metal band I've heard with Russian lyrics, the other being KYPCK. Many cyber metal and NDH songs come out as mediocre sh*t for me, but this one has great amounts of cyber hellfire! I just wish they would have more ideas such as mixing the Russian lyrics with English. Still interesting and excellent all the same!

The Interbeing - "Pinnacle of the Strain" from Among the Amorphous (2017)

4/5. This one's quite impressive, though not as much as the better progressive metal bands out there. The great screaming vocals fit the song well in amazing goodness. Truly this is Meshuggah-inspired cyber metal!

Unzucht - "Ein Wort fliegt wie ein Stein" from Neuntöter (2016)

3.5/5. And we're back in the Neue Deutsche Härte zone. Though this is quite good...

Weissglut - "Tanz der sinne" from Zeichen (2000)

3/5. I like this slightly, but it's probably the weakest point of the playlist, right before the finale...

Strapping Young Lad - "Info Dump" from Alien (2005)

3.5/5. This one is a controversial track worth liking or hating. It's a 12-minute ambient track, but it doesn't affect the perfection at all. If you're patient enough to stick around, you would find that there's more than just feedback, instead being a feedback experiment. It's so cool yet scary! It sounds like the feedback has its own beat. Then the feedback stops then comes back differently, getting louder and more distorted. This is SYL's "Elastic"!

Deathstars - "Termination Bliss" from Termination Bliss (2006)

4/5. The final track of its original album and this playlist has slower melancholy with sad emotion. You don't need to know the lyrics to get the feeling, an achievement first made by Queen in "Bohemian Rhapsody".

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:

Asking Alexandria - "Don't Pray for Me" from From Death to Destiny (2013)

5/5. Now this is an awesome way to start an album and playlist! The one-and-a-half minute intro is basically like a main menu theme for one of the HALO games, then FFDP-ish alt-metalcore is unleashed. Asking Alexandria is one of my recent favorite bands, and this song helps seal the deal!

Phinehas - "I am the Lion" from Thegodmachine (2011)

4.5/5. Another fantastic melodic metalcore song to love! The guitar leads two minutes on are hard to replicate, that's what unique this band is.

Coalesce - "Simulcast" from Coalesce (1995)

4/5. This track is in its original demo form, but still the only incredible song here, with some changes into an occasional sludgy sound that would hint at the band's incoming technical experimentation and emotion.

Parkway Drive - "Wild Eyes" from Atlas (2012)

4.5/5. This one has epic background chants and a cool bridge. The lyrics continue the theme of was from the past causing atrocities in the world today, this time in an anthem that you can sing and shout along to. VIVA THE UNDERDOGS!!

Silent Planet - "Afterdusk" from When the End Began (2018)

5/5. Imagine taking the metal/hardcore sound and lyrics of Underminded and The Warriors into Christian ambient progressive territory. This is the kind of greatness you're bound to love if you're up for that style.

Upon a Burning Body - "Fake Plastic Smile" from Straight from the Barrio (2016)

4.5/5. Danny Leal is a kick-A vocalist in sick songs like this one, though some lyrics are questionable. Both his unclean and clean vocals are f***ing kick-A, especially the Breaking Benjamin influence in the latter.

From Autumn to Ashes - "Milligram Smile" from The Fiction We Live (2003)

4.5/5. From Autumn to Ashes is another band that deserves more fame and f***ing respect. This heavily flawless song would fit well for that xXx snowboarding scene as much as the Hatebreed song that was chosen for that scene. The band has already reformed after a hiatus and intends to make more music. I can't believe I'm 23 and didn't discover this band until earlier this year. The indifferent listeners don't know what they miss. I kinda wish for more of that singing girl who appeared in a couple other songs.

Deadguy - "Turk 182" from Screamin' with the Deadguy Quintet (1996)

5/5. This one makes the band sounds more unique than most other hardcore/metalcore bands, but not the most unique themselves. That's good because everything gets balanced well for perfect enjoyment.

CMD81 - "Subsequent" from VOL_1 (2021)

4.5/5. This is one of those songs I've discovered from a YouTube ad that I can't skip unlike many of those sh*tty ads YouTube has nowadays. This is f***ing sick heaviness! Put this one on your workout playlist.

Earth Crisis - "The Wrath of Sanity" from Destroy the Machines (1995)

5/5. This song touches my metal heart the most of all hardcore-oriented tracks with probably the best breakdown of that genre.

Bury Tomorrow - "Man on Fire" from Runes (2014)

5/5. Another underrated unique metalcore band with perfect vocals, both clean and unclean. The lyrics, riffs, and beats also kick a**! I f***ing love this can't wait to find more from this band. It's almost worth a peaceful walk by yourself alone. Why the f*** can't this song get more popular?! Definitely some Parkway Drive/Silent Planet vibes here!

The Number Twelve Looks Like You - "Raised and Erased" from Wild Gods (2019)

4.5/5. With Wild Gods, #12 made their comeback for the more of the fantastic material mathcore fans have been craving for, including a bit of the emotional chaos of Put on Your Rosy Red Glasses. I'm digging this amazing sh*t, including the bridge that starts near the 3-minute mark.

Car Bomb - "Solid Grey" from Centralia (2007)

4/5. The mathcore madness is demonstrated yet again in this solid track.

Nineironspitfire - "Charcoal Drawings / Weapon of Choice" from Seventh Soul Sacrificed (1996)

3/5. The least agonizing song in this EP is their best attempt at the mathcore Deadguy developed more properly, in a two-part epic.

Veil of Maya - "It's Not Safe to Swim Today" from The Common Man's Collapse (2008)

4.5/5. This one has more melodic guitar skills along with unique drumming including the usual blast beats and...A WOOD BLOCK!!

Bring Me the Horizon - "Liquor & Love Lost" from Count Your Blessings (2006)

4/5. A strong sensational deathcore track. It kind of makes me think of a more death-ified take on Avenged Sevenfold's heavier metalcore material. The ending breakdown is so cool and brutal as f***.

Day of Suffering - "Shades of Red" from The Eternal Jihad (1997)

4.5/5. This one is a better highlight, with as much blasting intensity as Deicide before settling into hardcore groove. There's a chanting chorus important for live shows.

Demon Hunter - "We Don't Care" from True Defiance (2012)

5/5. Here's an awesome anthem that sounds like a Christian battle song of apathy, where Christians don't care if the world around them is condemned by sin. A heavy song with a heavy theme!

I, the Breather - "The Beginning" from Truth and Purpose (2012)

5/5. I love this kick-A song. Another instant favorite for me! The chorus has quite a message, "Fight for what you're longing for, hold tight, life has its funny ways, follow your heart when you can't think straight, life has its funny ways". This band has awesome metalcore roars. If I still had that electronic drum kit we ended up giving away and got better at drums, I would've performed a drum cover for this song. The pinch-harmonic breakdown reminds me of Born of Osiris.

The Devil Wears Prada - "Watchtower" from Watchtower (2022)

5/5. After a few false attempts to get into listening to this band, this is where I got my jump-start! Nothing disappointing even after 17 long years for the band!

Glass Houses - "Wellspring" from Wellspring (2016)

4.5/5. Holy f***, this is an excellent Skillet-ish anthem with unique lyrics! Quite heavenly...

Bad Omens - "The Fountain" from Bad Omens (2016)

4/5. Another good anthemic hit to live on forevermore...

The Artificials - "Tunnel Vision" from Heart (2017)

4.5/5. I can listen to this track a few times in a row, mixing blissful melody with angry rhythm. Close to a beautiful winner!

Elitist - "Equinox" from Reshape Reason (2012)

5/5. Ah yeah, let's hear it for an amazing round of melodic/technical metalcore! Obviously not all the vocals are clean, but I'm obsessed with the clean chorus, "The secrets of time are dying for more, than the weakness of our existence holds", in awesome contrast with the riffs and breakdowns. I would love more of this album and band! Standard 7-string B tuning is absolutely worth jamming out to, though I don't have a guitar, and the one my brother has is only 6-string. What makes this great song impressive is the ability to not overdo the clean vocals in metalcore, and that's why they rule here. So don't go telling a band to "drop their vocalist" just because of the cleans. There are some similarities to the djenty technicality of Born of Osiris and Volumes, and the melodic power of As I Lay Dying and All That Remains, but at least these guys are pros who don't rip off. Their riffs have gone through different unique ways...

Damaged - "Swine Eyed Sheep" from Token Remedies Research (1997)

3.5/5. The extreme-infused deathgrind/deathcore sound Damaged had in their career is proven in this good killer track.

Within the Ruins - "Roads" from Invade (2010)

4/5. A 6-minute two-part instrumental epic from this Massachusetts-based djenty metal/deathcore band, though it would've been better with some vocals...

Miss May I - "Masses of a Dying Breed" from Monument (2010)

5/5. This one's another nice highlight to get me into this band I've only recently discovered. Some editions say this features Caleb Shomo (ex-Attack Attack! and Beartooth), but I don't hear him, so that's probably just a mistake to overlook.

Everyone Dies in Utah - "Regenerate" from Infra (2021)

4.5/5. Another beautiful song worth headbanging to! I'm nearly a year late for this, but no prob. This is quite an amazing that I'm glad it's available on Spotify. Interesting that this band isn't highly well-known despite being active since the late 2000s.

Convictions - "Last Cell" from I Won't Survive (2021)

4/5. Slightly less quality while a great rocker. Enough said!

Architects - "Memento Mori" from All Our Gods Have Abandoned Us (2016)

5/5. This astonishing epic, along with the rest of this album, was written, recorded, and released in the last months of the life of guitarist Tom Searle, and the lyrics include a couple recorded quotes from Alan Watts that perfectly do justice to the inevitable transcendence into infinite darkness that awaited him. Absolutely amazing, emotional, and deserving to be heard beyond the universe. RIP this amazing legend... My mind is blown by such great remembrance for the memory of a talent young man gone too soon. And if one day, I end up passing too, this would be my funeral song. The power of the music and lyrics can be absolutely gripping. In fact, the lyrics and melody (specifically at the 4-minute mark) is revisited in "Death is Not Defeat", the opener of their next album and first without Tom. If you end up on the brink of death with no way out, just let it be. It is your fate. An inspirational message from this glorious epic to end this album and playlist. RIP Tom Searle. Memento Mori, be mindful of death....

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. 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 some tracks:

Between the Buried and Me - "(B) The Decade of Statues" (from Colors)

4.5/5. Between the Buried and Me was one of those must-have bands for me in the progressive metal realm. Sadly when I moved away from this band, it was too late to bring it all back. This album and Alaska, among a couple of their other albums, had g****mn great moments. One of the most beautiful moments is the 30-second ending that almost marks this song a brilliant highlight.

Cynic - "Elements and Their Inhabitants" (from Ascension Codes)

4/5. You further travel through the cosmos with this sweet tune.

Cyborg Octopus - "The Projector" (from Between the Light and Air)

3.5/5. This one's pretty good, but a little weird for me. Moving on...

Maudlin of the Well - "Heaven and Weak" (from Bath)

4/5. This one starts with a slightly weak slow intro, but gets more progressive and heavier before twisting into stronger aggression to f*** off that weak heaven.

Gojira - "L'enfant Sauvage" (from L'enfant Sauvage)

4.5/5. When I was still listening to deathly progressive metal bands like Gojira, I've recognized how well-done their songs have been, including this killer single, especially in the loose angry bridge. The title is French for "The Wild Child", fitting for something wild throughout this track.

Devin Townsend - "Moonpeople" (from Moonpeople)

5/5. Devin Townsend has brought back his heavy talent after his ambient album pair from last year. I'm glad we finally have a song from his upcoming album Lightwork. I have a feeling this album would be a heavier yet light end of the dark tunnel that is the pandemic...

Meshuggah - "Born in Dissonance" (from The Violent Sleep of Reason)

4.5/5. This is more dissonant yet simple, working well enough to get caught up in the game.

Enslaved - "Kingdom" (from Kingdom)

4/5. I admire the riffing work that sounds weird at first being arranged into amazing coherence. I've lost my fan status for this band since moving away from black metal at the start of this year, but there's majestic creativity that makes me acknowledge their Infinite position, especially the cleans. Though an instrumental version would work too.

Opeth - "To Bid You Farewell" (from Morningrise)

4.5/5. This track is an ending highlight to both its original album and its playlist, a mostly acoustic ballad except for 3 minutes of heaviness toward the end. Mikael Åkerfeldt uses his clean singing as his sole vocal style for the first time, delivering such an emotional performance, a nice break from his furious aggressive growls from other songs. It's not easy to absorb the complex structure, but it's an underrated song that deserves attention. The next few albums would continue the motive of including at least one prog-rock ballad, but shorter.

Here are my thoughts on some tracks:

Time, the Valuator - "Ivy" (from Ivy)

4.5/5. Let's start with some new heavy power that barely disappoints at all! I love the instrumentation and vocals lighting up like fire with killer tone and lyrics. The music is so d*mn phenomenal that you would almost wanna f***ing cry. This single would inspire you to believe in breaking the limits of your dreams. This amazing sh*t is a slight step up from "Black Water" from a couple playlists back. These guys bring you good value in time...

A Day to Remember - "Miracle" (from Miracle)

5/5. This song is what really caused me to love this band and look forward to finding more from this band when my brother was listening to this song. I'm glad he's still around to guide me through my Gateway journey. This is a must-have for alt-metalcore fans! I'm glad that my brother drives our family car legally while listening to this song instead of revving it up to a dangerous speed of over 200mph. This song is almost indeed a f***ing miracle! I'm up to checking out this band's earlier material whenever I can. "You might think it’s somethin’ spiritual..."

Katatonia - "Buildings" (from Dead End Kings) (song already in last month's playlist, but I'll let it slide this time)

4/5. I used to really love Katatonia and the vocals of Jonas Renkse before moving away from the more depressive metal styles. The brutal riff-drumming combo at around the one-minute mark is so f***ing good. I still love a few songs like this one from Katatonia and In Flames, kind of like when you break up from a girlfriend but remain friends. I just wish the song didn't have a bit of inconsistent cr*p.

Beartooth - "Riptide" (from Riptide)

5/5. I think I found a new favorite band in Beartooth! Hearing more of Caleb Shomo after leaving Attack Attack! brings joy and excitement into my heart and grows it powerfully similar to near the end of The Grinch. There is hope for me to finally become a Beartooth fan, along with winning a battle against my demons. I just love this f***ing hard-hitter that shows that metal music addiction isn't so bad at all. Though my childhood was pretty good, I had a few traumatic experiences back then, but this helps me overcome them better. This would be a great follow-up to the aforementioned A Day to Remember song if not for the repeated Katatonia track. Some non-metal listeners call metal sick and disgusting, but Beartooth's new track would prove them wrong! I got a lot more to look out for from this band...

Coldrain - "Help Me Help You" (from Nonnegative)

5/5. This anthem will make you rise up and clap along with the intro beat that's like Vena's "Gone" on steroids. The song kick-starts the top-notch power of vocalist Masato, and the rest is worth giving this song a perfect 5 stars.

Twelve Foot Ninja - "Vanguard" (from Silent Machine)

5/5. Same with this song, which comes across reggae rock/metal, but in a way that's f***ing perfect! This would also fit well in The Infinite with its progressive/experimental poetry within the music and lyrics.

Thornhill - "The Hellfire Club" (from Heroine)

4.5/5. This song has a title that could remind some of either Stranger Things or that Edguy album. Yet the music in this track is cinematic alt-metal that can easily fit in a Hollywood film soundtrack.

DIR EN GREY - "Ningen Wo Kaburu" (from The Insulated World)

5/5. It's been over a year since I started listening to this band from Japan. They have great stylistic experimentation, and while you may lose count at the different aspects they have, they're all worth make the journey absolutely worthwhile. They keep their lyrics grounded while in the mix of English and Japanese. This song has the alt-styled heaviness of the mid-2000s material. The lyrics kinda work as a metaphor for someone manipulating hate from the masses with a reflective feeling under the skin.

Disturbed - "This Moment" (from The Lost Children)

4.5/5. This is a killer song from the Transformers movie soundtrack and end credits, possibly inspiring the heaviness of In This Moment.

The GazettE - "BLINDING HOPE" (from MASS)

5/5. Another killer alt-metal band from Japan, with this song being one I love so much that I want more of this band. Sit back, and relax, and enjoy this ride!

Escape the Fate - "The Aftermath (G3)" (from Escape the Fate)

4.5/5. This is a very well-done ending track for its original album. It is the 3rd and the last part of the band's "Guillotine" trilogy of songs and is a lot better than any of the other songs in the album. The starting solo and subsequent scream-vocals sounds so good. The chorus and its vocals sound so nice for once. Kicking off the song's second half is an epic guitar solo. This song should get the band recognized more.

Mushroomhead - "Rumor Has It" (from The Righteous & the Butterfly)

5/5. It's no rumor that this awesome cover is what got me into this band. Incredible!

September 2022

01. OSI - "Set the Controls for the Heart of the Sun" (from Office of Strategic Influence)

02. Parius - "The Signal" (from The Signal)

03. Between the Buried and Me - "(B) The Decade of Statues" (from Colors)

04. Tomarum - "Condemned to a Life of Grief" (from Ash in Realms of Stone Icons)

05. Threshold - "King of Nothing" (from King of Nothing)

06. Agalloch - "In the Shadow of Our Pale Companion" (from The Mantle)

07. Cynic - "Elements and Their Inhabitants" (from Ascension Codes)

08. Cyborg Octopus - "The Projector" (from Between the Light and Air)

09. Maudlin of the Well - "Heaven and Weak" (from Bath)

10. Gojira - "L'enfant Sauvage" (from L'enfant Sauvage)

11. Imperial Triumphant - "Merkurius Gilded" (from Spirit of Ecstasy)

12. Mandroid Echostar - "Ancient Arrows" (from Citadels)

13. Devin Townsend - "Moonpeople" (from Moonpeople)

14. Meshuggah - "Born in Dissonance" (from The Violent Sleep of Reason)

15. Enslaved - "Kingdom" (from Kingdom)

16. Ihlo - "Hollow" (from Union)

17. Ashenspire - "The Law of Asbestos" (from Hostile Architecture)

18. Opeth - "To Bid You Farewell" (from Morningrise)

September 2022

01. Time, the Valuator - "Ivy" (from Ivy)

02. A Day to Remember - "Miracle" (from Miracle)

03. Katatonia - "Buildings" (from Dead End Kings) (song already in last month's playlist, but I'll let it slide this time)

04. Beartooth - "Riptide" (from Riptide)

05. Hacktivist - "Elevate" (from Hacktivist)

06. CKY - "Sink Into the Underground" (from Infiltrate-Destroy-Rebuild)

07. Coldrain - "Help Me Help You" (from Nonnegative)

08. Twelve Foot Ninja - "Vanguard" (from Silent Machine)

09. Thornhill - "The Hellfire Club" (from Heroine)

10. DIR EN GREY - "Ningen Wo Kaburu" (from The Insulated World)

11. Saliva - "Turn the Lights On" (from Under Your Skin)

12. Nonpoint - "Frontlines" (from Miracle)

13. Disturbed - "This Moment" (from The Lost Children)

14. The GazettE - "BLINDING HOPE" (from MASS)

15. Escape the Fate - "The Aftermath (G3)" (from Escape the Fate)

16. Ektomorf - "I Know Them" (from Destroy)

17. Ill Nino - "Forgive Me Father..." (from Epidemia)

18. Mushroomhead - "Rumor Has It" (from The Righteous & the Butterfly)

19. Infected Rain - "Longing" (from Ecdysis)

20. Primus - "Follow the Fool" (from Follow the Fool)

21. System of a Down - "Bounce" (from Toxicity)

22. Otep - "Rise, Rebel, Resist" (from Smash the Control Machine)

August 2022

01. Between the Buried and Me - "Specular Reflection" (from The Parallax: Hypersleep Dialogues)

02. Dream Theater - "Hell's Kitchen" (from Falling into Infinity)

03. Leprous - "Restless" (from Bilateral)

04. Seventh Wonder - "Victorious" (from Tiara)

05. Veil of Maya - "Doublespeak" (from False Idol)

06. Threshold - "Silenced" (from Silenced)

07. Cynic - "Infinite Shapes" (from Kindly Bent to Free Us)

08. Periphery - "The Walk" (from Periphery)

09. Voyager - "Submarine" (from Submarine)

10. I Am Abomination - "Heir to the Throne" (from Passion of the Heist II)

11. Soulsplitter - "Gratitude" (from Connection)

12. Anubis Gate - "Chromazone" (from Covered in Colours)

13. Mastodon - "More Than I Could Chew" (from Hushed and Grim)

14. Novembre - "Jules" (from Materia)

15. The Ocean - "Triassic" (from Phanerozoic II: Mesozoic | Cenozoic)

16. Mother of Millions - "Rome" (from Sigma)

17. Indukti - "Ninth Wave" (from Idmen)

18. Protest the Hero - "The Canary" (from Palimpsest)

19. Burden of Life - "Geistesblitz" (from The Makeshift Conqueror)

20. Ashenspire - "Apathy as Arsenic Lethargy as Lead" (from Hostile Architecture)

August 2022

01. Reliqa - "The Bearer of Bad News" (from The Bearer of Bad News)

02. Dorje - "Catalyst" (from Catalyst)

03. Floodgate - "Running With Sodden Legs" (from Penalty)

04. 36 Crazyfists - "Where Revenge Ends" (from Lanterns)

05. Pyogenesis - "Undead" (from Twinaleblood)

06. Evanescence - "Sweet Sacrifice" (from The Open Door)

07. Helmet - "Crashing Foreign Cars" (from Size Matters)

08. DIR EN GREY - "Beautiful Dirt" (from Withering to Death)

09. Clawfinger - "Don't Wake Me Up" (from Clawfinger)

10. Five Finger Death Punch - "Got Your Six" (from Got Your Six)

11. Giraffe Tongue Orchestra - "Crucifixion" (from Broken Lines)

12. Katatonia - "Buildings" (from Dead End Kings)

13. Spiritbox - "Rotoscope" (from Rotoscope) (song already in last month's playlist, but I'll let it slide this time)

14. Memphis May Fire - "Misery" (from Remade in Misery)

15. Yakui the Maid - "Guilt" (from Flock)

16. Motionless in White - "Scoring the End of the World" (from Scoring the End of the World)

17. The Butterfly Effect - "One Second of Insanity" (from Begins Here)

18. Lacuna Coil - "Kill the Light" (from Dark Adrenaline)

19. Nekrogoblikon - "Bones" (from The Fundamental Slimes and Humours)

20. While She Sleeps - "CALL OF THE VOID" (from SLEEPS SOCIETY)

21. Finger Eleven - "Awake and Dreaming" (from Tip)

Here are my thoughts on some tracks:

Persuader – “Twisted Eyes” (from “When Eden Burns”, 2006)

5/5. Honestly, I don't get how pop stars with computer-made music such as Lady Gaga are nearly a million times more popular than this killer band. But I guess that's how the world is... I enjoy the instrumentation and vocals, though the latter is criticized is for sounding too similar to Hansi Kürsch from Blind Guardian.

Blind Guardian – “Violent Shadows” (from “Violent Shadows”, 2022)

4.5/5. ...And speaking of that band! To paraphrase a line from this song, you need a rebel heart, you need a pure soul. My rebel heart is in a different rebellion, though this is quite an amazing song as part of the Bards' metal comeback.

Freedom Call – “Metal Is For Everyone” (from “Master of Light", 2016)

5/5. My brother stumbled upon this song when I was still listening to this band a lot more, and he was pleased with the ability to cross over into a few other metal genres while staying in their usual power metal. This is a metal song for everyone!

The Sword – "Arrows in the Dark” (from “Warp Riders”, 2010)

4.5/5. I'm not really into the stoner-ish heavy metal, but this is a great track to rock hard and high. Kick-A!

Avantasia – “The Moonflower Society" (from “The Moonflower Society", 2022)

4/5. Another great song, this one with a beautiful video clip. I'm slightly disappointed by how poppy it sounds at times, but it's still d*mn inspiring and promising for what the new album might bring, especially after the worst of the pandemic. It's quite a Toto-infused power metal dream...

Running Wild – “Black Hand Inn” (from “Black Hand Inn", 1994)

4.5/5. This was one of my favorite Running Wild songs, with some quintessential guitar. Right from the start, you get very good speedy pirate power metal, though I've proven that a pirate power metal life is not for me.

Kamelot – “The Spell” (from “Karma”, 2001)

5/5. I was actually gonna submit a song from that album for next month's playlist, but never mind, I'm glad to see one of the songs here. Enjoyable with spooky keyboards.

Here's my submission for the October Guardians playlist:

Saviour Machine - "A World Alone" (from "Saviour Machine", 1993)

I did my review, here's its summary:

While on the search for a suitable replacement for previous vocalist Dimitri Minakakis, The Dillinger Escape Plan came across Mike Patton who was touring with Mr. Bungle. He must've been such a big fan of TDEP's Calculating Infinity that he was interested in joining in some sort of record of theirs. Having been some time since their last album and this is THE Mike Patton, the band agreed and put their vocalist search on hold. It's pretty interesting that one of the craziest bands team up one of the craziest vocalists to create a super crazily awesome EP. You get to hear the usual chaos in the instrumentation during the first 3 tracks, here with Patton displaying his massive vocal range from whispering to singing to screaming, all over the place. Then the final 4th track is an Aphex Twin cover. Dillinger truly has a chaotic insane sound of noise-mathcore. With this release, they seem to shine the spotlight further away from themselves onto Patton, the main star, though their musical creativity is still in this EP, hinting at what was to come next in Miss Machine. While not having the same level of insanity as Calculating Infinity, this EP takes and refines every aspect of that album. Dillinger had learnt some great tricks from this EP, and that's why Miss Machine would be worth the wait!

5/5

Recommended tracks: "Pig Latin", "When Good Dogs Do Bad Things"

For fans of: Faith No More, Converge, Daughters

September 2022

1. Mushroomhead - "Simple Survival" from Savior Sorrow (2006) [submitted by Shadowdoom9 (Andi)]

2. Samael - "Samael" from Hegemony (2017) [submitted by Shadowdoom9 (Andi)]

3. Fear Factory - "Cars" from Obsolete (1998)

4. Spineshank - "Stillborn" from Self-Destructive Pattern (2003)

5. Emigrate - "1234" from A Million Degrees (2018)

6. Deflore - "Egodrive" from Egodrive (2008)

7. Underlined - "The Suffering" from Deadtime Stories (2012)

8. Nerve Factor - "Last Call" from Criminal Within (2000)

9. Trust Obey - "Hands of Fire" from Hands of Ash (1996)

10. Godflesh - "Unworthy" from Merciless EP (1994) [submitted by Shadowdoom9 (Andi)]

11. meganeko - "The Cyber Grind" from The Cyber Grind single (2020) [submitted by Daniel]

12. Sybreed - "Love Like Blood" from The Pulse of Awakening (2009)

13. Luminous Vault - "Ancient North" from Animate the Emptiness (2021)

14. Gothminister - "Pandemonium" from Pandemonium (2022)

15. Rammstein - "Du Hast" from Sehnsucht (1997)

16. Tyrant of Death - "Detonate" from Superior Firepower (2019)

17. Eisheilig - "Elysium" from Elysium (2006)

18. Klank - "Numb" from Numb (2000)

19. Deadheaven - "Тени" from Антиреальность (2014)

20. The Interbeing - "Pinnacle of the Strain" from Among the Amorphous (2017)

21. Unzucht - "Ein Wort fliegt wie ein Stein" from Neuntöter (2016)

22. Weissglut - "Tanz der sinne" from Zeichen (2000)

23. Strapping Young Lad - "Info Dump" from Alien (2005)

24. Deathstars - "Termination Bliss" from Termination Bliss (2006) [submitted by Shadowdoom9 (Andi)]

September 2022

1. Asking Alexandria - "Don't Pray for Me" from From Death to Destiny (2013) [submitted by Shadowdoom9 (Andi)]

2. Phinehas - "I am the Lion" from Thegodmachine (2011)

3. Coalesce - "Simulcast" from Coalesce (1995) [BONUS submission by Shadowdoom9 (Andi)]

4. Parkway Drive - "Wild Eyes" from Atlas (2012)

5. Silent Planet - "Afterdusk" from When the End Began (2018) [submitted by Shadowdoom9 (Andi)]

6. Upon a Burning Body - "Fake Plastic Smile" from Straight from the Barrio (2016)

7. From Autumn to Ashes - "Milligram Smile" from The Fiction We Live (2003) [submitted by Shadowdoom9 (Andi)]

8. Deadguy - "Turk 182" from Screamin' with the Deadguy Quintet (1996)

9. CMD81 - "Subsequent" from VOL_1 (2021)

10. Earth Crisis - "The Wrath of Sanity" from Destroy the Machines (1995) [submitted by Shadowdoom9 (Andi)]

11. Bury Tomorrow - "Man on Fire" from Runes (2014)

12. The Number Twelve Looks Like You - "Raised and Erased" from Wild Gods (2019)

13. Car Bomb - "Solid Grey" from Centralia (2007)

14. Nineironspitfire - "Charcoal Drawings / Weapon of Choice" from Seventh Soul Sacrificed (1996)

15. Veil of Maya - "It's Not Safe to Swim Today" from The Common Man's Collapse (2008) [submitted by Shadowdoom9 (Andi)]

16. Bring Me the Horizon - "Liquor & Love Lost" from Count Your Blessings (2006)

17. Day of Suffering - "Shades of Red" from The Eternal Jihad (1997)

18. Demon Hunter - "We Don't Care" from True Defiance (2012) [submitted by Shadowdoom9 (Andi)]

19. I, the Breather - "The Beginning" from Truth and Purpose (2012)

20. The Devil Wears Prada - "Watchtower" from Watchtower (2022)

21. Glass Houses - "Wellspring" from Wellspring (2016)

22. Bad Omens - "The Fountain" from Bad Omens (2016)

23. The Artificials - "Tunnel Vision" from Heart (2017)

24. Elitist - "Equinox" from Reshape Reason (2012)

25. Damaged - "Swine Eyed Sheep" from Token Remedies Research (1997)

26. Within the Ruins - "Roads" from Invade (2010) [submitted by Shadowdoom9 (Andi)]

27. Miss May I - "Masses of a Dying Breed" from Monument (2010)

28. Everyone Dies in Utah - "Regenerate" from Infra (2021)

29. Convictions - "Last Cell" from I Won't Survive (2021)

30. Architects - "Memento Mori" from All Our Gods Have Abandoned Us (2016)

This seems like a fun idea. However, of my 4 main clans, only The Infinite would work with the 4-member approach (me, Xephyr, Saxy, and Rexorcist). My other 3 clans, The Gateway, The Revolution, and The Sphere are the least popular ones with only me in them along with Saxy in The Gateway. But I think we can work something out...

Fair enough. 

The issues are valid.  Then I have a different suggestion.  Metalforum allows users to change their username three times a month.  What if we're allowed to change our fourth clan once a month?  Just until we get more popular here.  And this only applies to those who have a fourth clan, such as you or Ben.

Good suggestion, Rexorcist! There were a couple times when I lost interest in one of my clans and had to ask Daniel via PMs for a change into a clan that we know I like more. Changing only one of your clans after a certain amount of time seems like a nice easy way to signify a different direction for your metal interest. However, there are two things I would like to suggest to avoid needlessly changing your 4th clan whenever you can: 1. Maybe let Ben or Daniel know beforehand in the PMs anyway to see if they're OK with it. 2. Once a month seems a little short, not a lot of people can change their taste in a metal genre that fast. Once every 6 months, perhaps?

After revisiting a couple albums from my symphonic-ish power metal past, it was time to return to the more brutal end of the symphonic-ish metal spectrum, with a newfound favorite for me and my usually alt-rock/metal-loving brother. Solid epic symphonic black/technical deathcore, mandatory for fans of deathcore including bands such as Shadow of Intent, Brand of Sacrifice, and Chelsea Grin:

Here are some for my clans' genres/subgenres:

Nu metal - Linkin Park's first two albums (Korn is the founding band of nu metal and has been active even during that genre's downfall, but I chose Linkin Park's nu metal era that pretty much everyone in the world knows)

Melodic progressive metal - Dream Theater

Extreme progressive metal/djent - Meshuggah

Standard metalcore - Converge

Melodic metalcore - Trivium (move over, Killswitch Engage, Trivium is the real deal in melodic metalcore's popularity)

Industrial metal - Godflesh (for the experimental side, anyway, showing more of the cold bleakness that the genre is about than the mainstream of Ministry)

Rexorcist and Xephyr, I would be interested in hearing you guys' thoughts on one of Kamelot's grand masterpieces, Karma. Morpheus, if you haven't gotten around to listening to this superb offering, I would highly recommend it.

Some of the best power metal I still enjoy to this day. Highly recommended for fans of Sonata Arctica, Rhapsody (of Fire), and Pagan's Mind: