Shadowdoom9 (Andi)'s Forum Replies

Vicious highlights like this one will make sure the thunderous sound of industrial metal is never dead:

Here are the releases I've already reviewed beforehand:

A fantastic concept album that brought me back into the melodic side of progressive metal in my first listen 4 years ago. Here are my thoughts:

Let's start with the fact that the vocalist Tommy Karevik is also the current vocalist for Kamelot, and some Kamelot songs are touching and emotional, as much as gothic metal bands like Sentenced and Elis. Seventh Wonder, however, released a groundbreaking progressive metal album worth shedding a lot of tears. (SPOILER ALERT!!!) Mercy Falls is a concept album about a man who was in a car crash and ends up in a comatose world called Mercy Falls. Inspired by The Human Equation, huh? Beautiful melodies and Tommy Karevik's strong singing are what keep everything in place alongside the concept, so as the lyrics of one of the songs instruct you, "Let the music play! Let it go all the way!!" You won't be disappointed one bit.

Car Bomb's Meta is an exciting mathcore madhouse of technical heaviness that would surely please metalheads looking for that kind of aspect! Here are my thoughts:

So, 2016 was the year when metal/hardcore bands like Norma Jean, The Dillinger Escape Plan, and Meshuggah were releasing new albums to please their respective fanbases, and it doesn't end there! Car Bomb, a band heavily influenced by and often compared to those other bands, would make their addition to that year with their third offering Meta. An awesome standout to this year for that metal/hardcore league! Colossal riffing and raw vocals thunder through mathcore complexity, with the riffing unleashed from buzzsaw guitars. In one song, Joe Duplantier of Gojira makes a guest appearance with clean vocals in some softer sections to set an excellent mood. Then another song has an ULTRA-BRUTAL bridge of growls by Suffocation’s Frank Mullen over some of the most intense rhythm Car Bomb or any other band has generated. For 48 minutes, the band has made a brutal quest to level up their mathcore aura with an essential album to please fans of the genre. The riffing has heavy creativity and superb chemistry for the band members and their product. There's no denying how rewarding Meta is as one of the most consistent albums of the 2010s. Creative yet brutal, Car Bomb has made recent history with one of the most meta metal gems of 2016. Absolutely well-written mathcore for the daring!

A more industrial take on the alternative metal from one of the longest-running Finnish metal bands still active today. Here are my thoughts:

Waltari is known for their huge blend of genres, with Space Avenue focusing on industrial/alternative metal. The album features a lineup with notable members including former Stone guitarist Roope Latvala, taking temporary place of Sami Yli-Sirniö who would also join Kreator, and drummer Janne Parviainen. Latvala and Parviainen would later join Sinergy, and the former would perform with Children of Bodom and the latter with Ensiferum. Absolutely solid! As for the album, a fantastic lineup doesn't necessary show evolution to the band, but Space Avenue is still in the line of perfection. Manning the production is Front Line Assembly's Rhys Fulber, another reason for the album's slick audio appearance. Throughout this release, Waltari shines with their industrial/alternative metal sound, while often going poppy with their cosmic keyboards and vocal fuzz, then later rocking out with heavy mid-paced groove before incredible hyper-thrash soloing. The band had fun making their material, and so did I with listening to what they've made there!

Noticing a lot of releases in the charts with only 3 or 4 ratings, I decided to revive this thread started by Rex, with some slight changes. The thread will be focused on releases with 3 or 4 ratings, so that it can be easy for one or two members to get them up to the minimum 5 ratings in the main section of the charts, and it is for every clan monthly, just to keep things in a quick but steady pace. Depending on how this turns out, I might keep it going with different releases updated every 8th of the month (because the first week of the month is when I focus on checking out the feature releases and monthly playlists for my clans and assembling the Revolution/Sphere playlists). This thread will NOT compete with the monthly feature releases. This is PURELY OPTIONAL, and anyone (including myself for some releases) can join if they want to. I'll be selecting the releases from the charts, whether or not I've heard them before, but suggestions for any other releases are welcome. For this month, March 2024, the chosen releases are:

THE FALLEN: Moonspell - Night Eternal (2008)

THE GATEWAY: Bad Omens - The Death of Peace of Mind (2022)

THE GUARDIANS: Grand Magus - The Hunt (2012)

THE HORDE: Mercenary - The Hours That Remain (2006)

THE INFINITE: Seventh Wonder - Mercy Falls (2008)

THE NORTH: Nehëmah - Requiem Tenebrae (2004)

THE PIT: Viper - Theatre of Fate (1989)

THE REVOLUTION: Car Bomb - Meta (2016)

THE SPHERE: Waltari - Space Avenue (1997)

I've already rated the releases for The Infinite, The Revolution, and The Sphere, with reviews that I'll post in summaries here shortly. Same with The Gateway and The Horde, though I'll review those albums and the rest of the Bad Omens and Mercenary discographies later this month. For The Fallen and The Guardians, I haven't heard anything from Moonspell and Grand Magus for a long time, so their selected albums are good ones to revisit. But the releases from The North and The Pit? NAH. But if any of you want to check them out and any of the other selected releases, feel free to do so, but only if you want to. Let's convert those 3's and 4's into 5's. Get them into the charts!

There are so many hidden gems for me that it was hard to choose which of them would make a top 10. So hard that I had to take a full-day break from reviewing to do this, but it's all worth it. Here are my chosen 10 (rated by no one here but 5 stars from me):

1. God Forbid - IV: Constitution of Treason (2005) - Melodic metalcore

2. Make Them Suffer - Neverbloom (2012) - Epic symphonic deathcore before Lorna Shore made the sound popular

3. Prayer for Cleansing - The Rain in Endless Fall (1999) - Melodic metalcore with death/black metal influences

4. Embodyment - Embrace the Eternal (1998) - One of the first ever deathcore releases

5. Conquering Dystopia - Conquering Dystopia (2014) - Instrumental deathly progressive metal

6. Circle of Dust - Brainchild (1994) - Industrial metal from Klayton's pre-Celldweller project

7. In This Moment - The Dream (2008) - Female-fronted alternative metal

8. Alien Weaponry - Tū (2018) - Maori-inspired groove/alternative metal

9. Turmion Kätilöt - Hoitovirhe (2004) - Finnish industrial metal

10. Mutoid Man - War Moans (2017) - Stoner/speed metal

For the albums mentioned in the thread that seem to intrigue me enough to check out later, I might be up to giving the Novembre and The Amenta releases some spins. Cheers guys!

Danish melodeath with power metal influences:

Here's how I would genre-tag the 6 tracks in this Rainbow album:

1. Tarot Woman - Heavy metal/proto-power metal

2. Run with the Wolf - Blues/hard rock

3. Starstruck - Hard rock

4. Do You Close Your Eyes - Hard rock

5. Stargazer - Heavy metal/epic doom metal

6. A Light in the Black - Heavy metal/power metal (perhaps the first true power metal song from what I hear)

Primary genres: Heavy metal, hard rock

Secondary genres: Power metal

U.S.C.H! has great highlights with the band's well-balanced industrial metal sound, such as this one:

And this awesome aggressive bonus track in the physical edition:

When horror, speed, and industrial collide, with excellent results:

Fantastic industrial beats and metal instrumentation are worth taking it to the dancefloor in this honorable Finnish industrial metal highlight:

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

Bad Omens, Poppy - "V.A.N." (4:34) from V.A.N. (2024)

Deathstars - "All the Devil's Toys" (3:59) from The Perfect Cult (2014)

Gothminister - "Dark Salvation" (4:05) from Empire of Dark Salvation (2005)

In This Moment - "Sanctify Me" (4:11) from Godmode (2023)

Mushroomhead - "Just Pretending" (4:12) from Savior Sorrow (2006)

Turmion Kätilöt - "To Be Contiuned, kohtaus 3" (7:06) from Dance Panique (2017)

Total length: 28:07

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

Amaranthe - "Digital World" (3:17) from Massive Addictive (2014)

As I Lay Dying - "An Ocean Between Us" (4:13) from An Ocean Between Us (2007)

Bullet for My Valentine - "Alone" (5:56) from Fever (2010)

Fear, and Loathing in Las Vegas - "The Stronger, the Further You'll Be" (3:41) from Hypertoughness (2019)

Fit for a King - "Pissed Off" (3:31) from Deathgrip (2016)

Hatebreed - "Instinctive (Slaughterlust)" (2:52) from Weight of the False Self (2020)

Ice Nine Kills - "Someone Like You" (4:35) from The Predator (2013)

Total length: 28:05

Here are my submissions for the April Infinite playlist:

Anacrusis - "Still Black" (6:08) from Manic Impressions (1991)

Mechina - "Earth-Born Axiom" (8:31) from Acheron (2015)

Mr. Bungle - "Squeeze Me Macaroni" (5:38) from Mr. Bungle (1991)

Mutoid Man - "Siphon" (3:03) from Mutants (2023)

Rolo Tomassi - "Closer" (5:15) from Where Myth Becomes Memory (2022)

Total length: 28:35

Here are my submissions for the April Gateway playlist:

Crossfaith - "Zero" (3:07) from Zero (2024)

Dead by April - "Break My Fall" (3:32) from The Affliction (2024)

Demon Hunter - "Time Only Takes" (4:38) from Peace (2019)

In This Moment - "Standing Alone" (3:51) from A Star-Crossed Wasteland (2010)

Jeris Johnson, BOI WHAT - "Battling My Demons" (3:15) from Battling My Demons (2024)

Nik Nocturnal, Fronzilla - "In Da Club" (3:04) from In Da Club (2023)

Rollins Band - "Tearing" (4:58) from The End of Silence (1992)

Sleep Token - "Gods" (3:25) from Sundowning (2019)

Total length: 29:50

A hard-hitting progressive epic of "RAGE!... RAGE!... RAGE!... RAGE!...":

An excellent single that has caused Rollins' work to spread to MTV and metalheads:

In 1986, punk legends Black Flag split up. Less than a year later, former vocalist Henry Rollins formed a new band, Rollins Band. After two post-hardcore albums, he decided to turn their sound into a progressive form of alternative metal in the 3rd album... 1992's The End of Silence showed a new era for the band since getting signed to Imago Records. Prolific producer Andy Wallace helped bring life to the production and gave Rollins' vocals a chance to be in front of the line of the compact sound. His once-punk-filled audience has expanded to more than just that. The album attacks with his well-focused writing that would make anyone outside the Black Flag fanbase want more. It starts with 4 vicious yet catchy alt-metal songs, two of which ended up as singles that caused Rollins' work to spread to MTV and metalheads. Then the band switches gears to a more progressive sound from "Almost Real" onwards, with most of those remaining tracks ranging from over 7 minutes to nearly 12 minutes, and having a complex structure enhancing the alt-metal side of the sound. Although "Blues Jam" is right in the name, a 12-minute blues jam. The End of Silence opened the gates for metalheads and alt-fans to explore the music created by this talented man from the 80s punk scene....

4/5

Ben, please add AP2 (one-off reformed industrial metal incarnation of industrial rock band Argyle Park).

Industrial rock/metal from this bridge between Klayton's two greater-known projects Circle of Dust and Celldweller:

Some more metalcore bands I now enjoy thanks to some amazing discoveries, including the dark brutal epic-ish deathcore of Carnifex:

The light pleasant yet wild mathcore of Rolo Tomassi:

The djent-ish modern metalcore of Oceans Ate Alaska:

And the modern alt-metalcore of Bad Omens:

I've mentioned that Rocka Rolla has some Black Sabbath worship, but it sounds like the only Black Sabbath style they were following at the time was that of "The Wizard" and "Evil Woman", both blues/hard rock songs from Black Sabbath's 1970 debut. It's not until Sad Wings of Destiny when they finally go the proper Black Sabbath route of heavy metal with their own sound.

Interestingly, the only songs in Rocka Rolla that I consider metal or at least metal enough are the hard-rocking title track and "Run of the Mill", both of which foreshadow their metallic sound. The rest of the album I say has a blues/hard rock sound with some prog-rock, a bit like Wishbone Ash but without any folk.

Here are my thoughts on all the selected tracks:

Godflesh - "Like Rats" from Streetcleaner (1989)

5/5. Kicking off this playlist is one of the heavier well-known industrial metal tracks, a furious groove track with a noise-powered bridge ("You breed...like rats!!").

Turmion Katilot - "Hengita" from Hengita (2022)

5/5. An absolute Finnish party rock anthem! The vocals are a bit drowned out, but I don't care.

Rave the Reqviem - "Ofelia" from Ofelia (2023)

4.5/5. Spotify knows what I like when searching for industrial metal. I love the idea of several vocalists at once, something already used by Amaranthe. The amazing beauty of the female vocals ("All colors have faded, but one inside you, like the eyes of the devil eternally blue") are leveled up by the background male choirs when they sing "O-Ofelia!" How f***ing g****mn serene! What's also interesting is, the ex-female vocalist before the new one is the mother of the frontman.

Dodheimsgard - "Ion Storm" (title swapped with "Carpet Bombing" on Spotify) from 666 International (1999)

4/5. This one greatly displays what its original album is about; an industrial beat and shouting that leads into black metal riffing. Industrial black metal really takes time to sink in, and it can sink in well for those who have black metal in their passion.

Eisbrecher - "Liebe Macht Monster" from Liebe Macht Monster (2021)

3.5/5. Some nice well-done lyrics despite being all in German. Next!

Rob Zombie - "Demonoid Phenomenon" from Hellbilly Deluxe (1998)

4/5. This one prevails in dark anarchy.

Static-X - "Black Star" from Project: Regeneration Vol. 2 (2024)

4.5/5. The project continues greatly. RIP Wayne Static.

Mnemic - "Deathbox" from The Audio Injected Soul (2004)

5/5. This single has tons of madness to be injected in your mind and soul, especially in the AM3D technology.

Red Harvest - "Cybernaut" from Sick Transit Gloria Mundi (2002)

4.5/5. REALITY IS BORING! Escape into the industrial fantasy of this band!

Blood From the Soul - "Natures Hole" from To Spite the Gland That Breeds (1994)

4/5. Sludgy hardcore industrial metal. Enough said!

Killing Joke - "Whiteout" from Pandemonium (1994)

4/5. Then we return to the heavier chaos with the kind of energy I needed to make sure I don't get bored to death at some points.

Fear Factory - "Cloning Technology" from Remanufacture – Cloning Technology (1997)

4.5/5. The Remanufacture remixes are quite killer, though they don't do the exact same justice as the originals. Industrial remixes can sometimes kick f***ing a**. "I DON'T WANT TO LIVE THAT WAY!"

In This Moment - "We Will Rock You" from Mother (2020)

5/5. This one lights up the fire as an epic cover of the Queen hit, featuring Lzzy Hale (Halestorm) and Taylor Momsen (The Pretty Reckless). F*** yeah, that's the female-powered anthem we need alongside Evanescence's "Use My Voice"!

Ghostemane - "Convoluted" from Fear Network II (2021)

4.5/5. This is f***ing one of those weird yet underrated songs. We really need more songs like this that aren't as bare industrial as Front Line Assembly or Skinny Puppy.

Realize - "Crest Dispersal" from Two Human Minutes (2023)

4/5. Things get a bit weirder while still enjoyable to some degree.

White Zombie - "Blood, Milk and Sky (Miss September Mix)" from Supersexy Swingin' Sounds (1996)

3.5/5. Basically one of my favorite songs from Astro-Creep 2000 given a sexier remix treatment by P.M. Dawn. RIP Prince Be

Raubtier - "En hjältes väg" from Skriet Från Vildmarken (2010)

3/5. Sabaton would make a cover of this song, and that's actually more worth listening to than the original.

Emigrate - "This is What" from Emigrate (2007)

3.5/5. This is WHAT?! This is a cool song from this Rammstein side-project, that's what!

The Mad Capsule Markets - "Let It Rip -Download From Joujouka" from CiSTm K0nFLiqT (2004)

4/5. 3, 2, 1! Let the techno-industrial metal rip!

Lord of the Lost - "The Heart is a Traitor" from Judas (2021)

3.5/5. G****mn these driving drums, they're so good!

Khost - "Iversion" from Corrosive Shroud (2015)

3/5. A bit too drone-ish there. Let's move on...

P.H.O.B.O.S. - "Gregarious" from Tectonics (2005)

3.5/5. Same with this one, but with a more brain-melting blend of heaviness and melody.

Sybreed - "Ex Inferis" from Antares (2007)

4/5. A Sybreed song ending up on the radio of a movie/video game soundtrack would be interesting. Think HALO or Red Alert.

Neurotech - "The Halcyon Symphony" from Symphonies (2016)

4.5/5. Neurotech's symphonies can take your soul through a galactic adventure. Wulf knows how to master the art of symphonies as greatly as Hans Zimmer, and possibly also Mozart and Bach, while blending the orchestral arrangements with his usual cyber metal. It's impressive how well your creativity can take you when composing such a piece. This should really be more popular, seriously! The speaker frequency would be greatly enhanced with its intricacy and drama. F***ing outstanding!

Gothminister - "Somewhere in Time" from The Other Side (2017)

5/5. After two instrumentals (one short and one long), it all comes down to something so spooky, and I'm just talking about the riffing and whispered baritone vocals. It's actually a melodic symphonic closer to this dark industrial metal journey.

Pretty good playlist I've made, huh? Despite some bumpiness throughout, especially in the second half. Anyway, I recommend this to any industrial metal fan and anyone who isn't into industrial metal but is up to getting into a great start for the genre. Thanks Daniel for accepting this, and I hope the rest of you enjoy it like I've had!

Here are my thoughts on all the selected tracks:

Before I Turn - "Beginning My Descent to Hell" from The Devil Exists (2024)

4.5/5. Continuing from last month's playlist, the Hellfire spreads all over the land and everyone and everything falls. This track almost reminds me of Mechina's "Tyrannos" in the symphonic-ish metalcore instrumentation.

Sonic Syndicate - "Aftermath" from Only Inhuman (2007)

5/5. Then we head into the aftermath. I love this song, and I can't believe I wasn't fully interested in this band until just a few months ago.

As Blood Runs Black - "In Dying Days" from Allegiance (2006)

5/5. Some more melodic awesomeness, this time diving into a bit of deathcore and giving me a reason to enjoy that subgenre. "BRING THE MOTHERF***IN' RUCKUS!"

War of Ages - "The Awakening" from Fire From the Tomb (2007)

5/5. This is the only song from this album that is a new song instead of re-recorded from the band's 2005 self-titled debut, and it was re-recorded for their next album Arise and Conquer. Do I enjoy this song? H*ll yes!

In This Moment - "This Moment" from Beautiful Tragedy (2007)

4.5/5. This one can greatly work as this band's theme song, as least in this early era. It summarizes harsh vocals harmonizing the cleans and blending Swedish melodeath with metalcore breakdowns in this upbeat tune.

The Amity Affliction - "Pittsburgh" from Let the Ocean Take Me (2014)

5/5. I'm really thankful about finding this band via music videos for this song and "The Weigh Down". I really am!

Malevolence - "Higher Place" from Malicious Intent (2022)

4.5/5. That's right, a f***ing metalcore ballad! And one you can definitely sway your phone light to back and forth.

VENUES - "Unspoken Words" from Unspoken Words (2024)

4/5. Unspoken words are what you need to build up strength against toxic situations and become more mentally healthy. This is quite a catchy emotional banger, and almost like Lacuna Coil would sound like if they've expanded their metalcore influences.

Thrown - "Backfire" from Backfire (2024)

3.5/5. If Thrown decide to make their own album, it would just be like 8 songs in 12 minutes. And this one's breakdown at the end goes down HARD.

Acres, Silent Planet - "Nothing." from Burning Throne (2023)

4/5. A great song featuring Garrett Russell of Silent Planet. His screams are addictive and never a disappointment. They really add heaviness to the beautiful colors. I almost feel like crying. The heaviness in the song builds up, leading up to that killer breakdown. The drums, guitars, and bass stand together in unison to guide the vocals. A d*mn powerful song with different aspects of Bad Omens, Royal Blood, and Devin Townsend all in one.

One Morning Left - "Emerald Dragon" from Emerald Dragon (2024)

4.5/5. This band and Blessed by a Broken Heart know how to blend metalcore with 80s synths and a bit of the power metal of DragonForce. Jake Luhrs of August Burns Red conquers this fun banger with his screamed vocals. Their glam-ish aspects stand out quite a bit. You never really hear them in metalcore frequently.

Miss May I - "Gone" from Rise of the Lion (2014)

5/5. One of the best songs I've heard from this band! The screaming and singing make a perfect contrast with each other.

Unearth - "Zombie Autopilot" from The Oncoming Storm (2004)

5/5. This one totally rules! The extreme action starts with an awesome melodic riff and dueling leads. The band really shines there, giving them the fame they deserve! As if the song title doesn't tribute to In Flames enough, the song soars with an amazing soaring duel solo that the band was missing out in their debut. However, if there are a couple very small flaws to point out, they would be the spoken section ("all days are lost") and the overused breakdowns breaking part of the melodic flow. Remove those small flaws and that's an awesome extreme metalcore song!

Drown in Sulphur - "Eclipse of the Sun of Eden" from Dark Secrets of the Soul (2024)

4.5/5. A crushing modern blackened riff commences in this track with spectacular growling vocals.

Osiah - "Street Justice" from Terror Firma (2016)

4/5. When it comes to brutal deathcore, there's bound to be a face-melting blast break like that at the one and a half minute mark, followed then by an explosive breakdown less than 30 seconds later.

Monasteries - "Dreadwaste" from The Empty Black (2015)

4/5. Early Lamb of God gone f***ing brutal deathcore. Enough said!

Humanity's Last Breath - "Human Swarm" from Humanity's Last Breath (2013)

4.5/5. You can't go wrong with brutality in deathcore, that's what most of the subgenre is made of. They know how to bust sh*t hard. After a spoken line of "We stop the wind from blowing", then comes a f***ing massive breakdown near the 3-minute mark. A nice surprise for the more extreme 'core listeners. Practically heavier than all that's heavy! Quite hard and evil for the moshpit.

Deadguy - "Nine Stitches" from Fixation on a Co-Worker (1995)

5/5. This early mathcore highlight has the kind of bridge you wish to have in music class, with as many time changes as The Dillinger Escape Plan can have, enough to induce f***ing confused headbanging.

Circuit Circuit - "I Dream the World Awake" from Body Songs (2023)

4.5/5. This one opens with a guitar riff loop before vocals crash in. Then the guitar halts for a bit of drum tapping before exploding into total riff noise. The riffing basically mashes together the early 2000s eras of Converge and Linkin Park.

Great Falls - "Born As An Argument" from Objects Without Pain (2023)

4/5. This song is from a sludge metal band and album. I've given it some listening, and I agree with Daniel that it has the sludgy mathcore sound of 2000s Converge and Gaza. And it sound quite killer.

Car Bomb - "The Sentinel" from w^w^^w^w (2012)

4.5/5. This one shows the drumming action pummeling over complex riffing and bass strokes.

Zao - "Xenophobe" from The Well-Intentioned Virus (2016)

5/5. The vocals by Dan Weyandt are quite haunting. I'm glad this band is still alive along with fellow metalcore forerunners Converge. And they still have the glory from their earlier albums like Where Blood and Fire Bring Rest.

Invent Animate - "Indigo" from Stillworld (2016)

4.5/5. Ex-vocalist Ben English has the heart of a f***ing wolf. A metalcore wolf!

HEAVENSGATE - "GINSICK" from AND ALL I LOVED, I LOVED ALONE (2023)

4/5. I'm proud of how well the band can put some f***ing massive great sh*t. Over a minute in is when they get more emotional while staying brutal.

Feed the Addiction - "Thorn" from Rebirth (2023)

3.5/5. The metalcore sound of Volumes can go quite big in this song. You can pretty much travel through space with this ambient deathly metalcore sound. It's almost a solid sequel to that Before I Turn song at the start of this playlist. The f***ing heavy breakdown is worth jamming to as all the members break through with their instruments.

Sail's End - "Wishful Thinking" from Live and Die (2023)

4/5. Another song with Before I Turn vibes! The cleans and screams are amazing, fitting well with the production. And that breakdown at the last minute is f***ing monstrous.

Architects - "Doomsday" from Holy Hell (2018)

4.5/5. A smooth cool example of Architects sound after the passing of guitarist Tom Searle (RIP). Soft verses make a brilliant contrast with the soaring chorus.

Trivium - "The Phalanx" from In the Court of the Dragon (2021)

5/5. The triumphant closer of Trivium's latest album starts with grand intro riffing before a mid-tempo verse that starts building up speed when Heafy starts his usual screaming. Strings return to prominence again in the pre-chorus before the chorus of heroic glory. This epic pretty much summarizes everything they've had in the album, with sublime soloing by Corey Beaulieu. Drummer Alex Bent really keeps his pace with the riffs and elevating them. The song's lyrical theme of fighting demons fit the song's music video like a glove, and that video is a collaboration with Bethesda Game Studios based on the Elder Scrolls Online. And to cap it all off beautifully is an ultra-epic two-minute outro as Matt's vocals lead the band and the one-man orchestra to victory, until next time...

For the Fallen Dreams - "Through the Looking Glass" from Changes (2008)

5/5. Actually, there's still the last bit of the metalcore war in this awesome 6-minute epic. The one-minute intro is beautiful, but not as much as the final two minutes of epic glory, concluding the song and the album with synthesized strings that fade into a solitary snare drum, as the war ends and the surviving soldiers march home...

Pretty good playlist I've made, huh? Despite some bumpiness in a couple places. Anyway, I recommend this to any metalcore fan and anyone who isn't into metalcore but is up to getting into a great start for the genre. Thanks Daniel for accepting this and your help with your submission, and I hope the rest of you enjoy it like I've had!

Here are my thoughts on some tracks:

Job for a Cowboy – Beyond the Chemical Doorway (2024)

5/5. Starting this playlist is a band that I never had the leeway to listen to in the year 2014 when I was in my power metal-loving teens, due to their death metal (deathcore in their 2006 EP) sound. But now that I'm in my 20s and can handle that kind of sound, especially in their more progressive material like their new album Moon Healer, I'm up for more! It's just way too good to lose, and the bass sounds audible and groovy.

 The Ocean – Permian: The Great Dying (2018)

4.5/5. My interest in this band seemed to have died out lately, but songs like this one still have their underrated greatness.

Ibaraki – Kagutsuchi (2022)

4.5/5. Violent yet melodic blackened prog-metal. How did I not hear this until now???

Intronaut – Prehistoricisms (2008)

5/5. And how perfect can this progressive post-sludge sound get?!

Periphery – Zagreus (2023)

5/5. This glorious highlight kicks the heaviness back to bloodthirsty brutality. This almost has a blackened vibe with the riffing and demonic growling. I haven't heard Sotelo sound so savage since when he guest appeared in Sikth's "Cracks of Light". Then the track closes with a cinematic orchestral ending.

Stortgern – Xeno Chaos (2023)

4.5/5. Standing out well is this track that bursts out more than a human-killing Xenomorph (unrelated). It truly is special as the progressive tech-death rises up in melody.

Charlie Griffiths – Arctic Cemetery (2022)

4.5/5. I hadn't listened to much Haken and Between the Buried and Me in the past couple years, but hearing the former band's guitarist Charlie Griffiths and the latter band's vocalist Tommy Rogers together is quite a treat where you get to hear a bit of BTBAM's signature deathly progressive metal sound.

The Human Abstract – Complex Terms (2011)

5/5. I just wish this band was still around. Their complex djent-ish neoclassical prog-metal sound rules, especially close to the one-minute mark then two minutes after.

Rivers of Nihil – Where Owls Know My Name (2018)

4.5/5. This one is a bleak yet amazing song from another band that I should've listened to more of. The lyrics are some of the best here, and what makes it beautiful yet slightly laughable is the jazzy saxophone solos, one of them as early as the two-minute mark. Quite a groovy headbanger this track is! It will make you float out or orbit into the astral plane. I think I can hear where some of the more technical aspects of Lorna Shore came from!

Leprous – Contaminate Me (2013)

4/5. Horns up for one of the heaviest Leprous songs, featuring Emperor's Ihsahn!

Here are my thoughts on some tracks:

Alien Weaponry – Titokowaru (2021)

5/5. The opening track of its original album and this playlist starts with some Maori warriors chanting while rowing their boat over stormy seas. Then the storm becomes pummeling as fast riff groove comes in. The verses have a simple melody that pushes along like when those warriors push their oars, as the seas have different layers. It also fits well for a gym workout. An excellent boat-rower!

Biohazard – These Eyes (Have Seen) (1996)

4.5/5. These ears haven't heard before an amazing blended of Pantera groove with rapping. Pretty cool, right?

Demon Hunter – Revolutions (2022)

4.5/5. Then enters this rebellious track, ranging in vocal variety, battling between the screaming empire and the soft-singing rebellion.

Imminence – Death by a Thousand Cuts (2023)

5/5. Another f***ing banger from this band I should listen to more of. G****mn, I look forward to their new album The Black!

Karnivool – Mauseum (2005)

5/5. The heaviness builds up again with this slower highlight that I found a few years before the rest of this band's material.

Katatonia – Lethean (2012)

4.5/5. One of the nicest songs from this band!

Sleep Token – The Offering (2019)

5/5. It's so incredible how perfectly the vocals, guitars, and drums can flow from anger to despair at ease. Discovering this band via their new album Take Me Back to Eden was a pleasant experience, and songs from their other albums like this one make me want more.

Spotlights – Crawling Toward the Light (2023)

4.5/5. Then we have the ominous experimentation again with this band, this time with a similar vibe to Madder Mortem.

Type O Negative – Anesthesia (2003)

4/5. RIP Peter Steele. This was what I enjoyed when I was still highly in the gothic metal zone. The bass and synths shine well here. Though I still prefer upbeat power of songs like "I Don't Wanna Be Me".

Ugly Kid Joe – Sweet Leaf/Funky Fresh Country Club (1991)

4.5/5. This playlist ends with two over 7-minute covers of classic heavy metal songs, the first of which doing the original Sabbath song justice despite adding more funk and the vocals of Whitfield Crane sounding a bit nasal.

Waltari – Infinite Dreams (2011)

5/5. And here's the other cover, perhaps the best Maiden cover I've heard! It's part of a special covers album to celebrate the band's 25 anniversary. The band really lets out their influences here, often sounding like Ozzy Osbourne/Black Sabbath and Metallica, while throwing in some... Johnny Cash-like country?!? And melodeath?!?! Now that's wild! Kärtsy Hatakka is a true genius.

Well, here I am again in the Roots of Metal project. I see that we are in the second half of the 70s that I have tested out a few months ago. I would personally also include Ritchie Blackmore's Rainbow and Scorpions albums In Trance and Virgin Killer, because I also consider those releases equally heavy metal/hard rock, and they're worth discussion to see if anyone agrees with me and if they should end up in the site, but that's just my opinion. Anyway, here's how I would genre-tag the 9 tracks in this Judas Priest album:

1. Victim of Changes - Heavy metal

2. The Ripper - Heavy metal

3. Dreamer Deceiver - Art/soft rock

4. Deceiver - Heavy metal

5. Prelude - Art rock (with classical synths)

6. Tyrant - Heavy metal

7. Genocide - Heavy metal/hard rock

8. Epitaph - Piano ballad

9. Island of Domination - Heavy metal/hard rock

Primary genres: Heavy metal

Secondary genres: Hard rock, art rock

With all that, I consider Sad Wings of Destiny a prime example of classic heavy metal, with a couple of the metal songs leaning into hard rock, two softer art rock tracks, and one piano ballad. I look forward to our track-to-track discussion about Rainbow's Rising and my track-by-track genre analysis that will follow...

March 2024

1. Godflesh - "Like Rats" from Streetcleaner (1989) [submitted by Shadowdoom9 (Andi)]

2. Turmion Katilot - "Hengita" from Hengita (2022)

3. Rave the Reqviem - "Ofelia" from Ofelia (2023)

4. Dodheimsgard - "Ion Storm" (title swapped with "Carpet Bombing" on Spotify) from 666 International (1999) [submitted by Daniel]

5. Eisbrecher - "Liebe Macht Monster" from Liebe Macht Monster (2021)

6. Rob Zombie - "Demonoid Phenomenon" from Hellbilly Deluxe (1998)

7. Static-X - "Black Star" from Project: Regeneration Vol. 2 (2024)

8. Mnemic - "Deathbox" from The Audio Injected Soul (2004) [submitted by Shadowdoom9 (Andi)]

9. Red Harvest - "Cybernaut" from Sick Transit Gloria Mundi (2002) [submitted by Shadowdoom9 (Andi)]

10. Blood From the Soul - "Natures Hole" from To Spite the Gland That Breeds (1994)

11. Killing Joke - "Whiteout" from Pandemonium (1994)

12. Fear Factory - "Cloning Technology" from Remanufacture – Cloning Technology (1997) [submitted by Shadowdoom9 (Andi)]

13. In This Moment - "We Will Rock You" from Mother (2020) [submitted by Shadowdoom9 (Andi)]

14. Ghostemane - "Convoluted" from Fear Network II (2021)

15. Realize - "Crest Dispersal" from Two Human Minutes (2023)

16. White Zombie - "Blood, Milk and Sky (Miss September Mix)" from Supersexy Swingin' Sounds (1996)

17. Raubtier - "En hjältes väg" from Skriet Från Vildmarken (2010)

18. Emigrate - "This is What" from Emigrate (2007)

19. The Mad Capsule Markets - "Let It Rip -Download From Joujouka" from CiSTm K0nFLiqT (2004)

20. Lord of the Lost - "The Heart is a Traitor" from Judas (2021)

21. Khost - "Iversion" from Corrosive Shroud (2015)

22. P.H.O.B.O.S. - "Gregarious" from Tectonics (2005)

23. Sybreed - "Ex Inferis" from Antares (2007)

24. Neurotech - "The Halcyon Symphony" from Symphonies (2016)

25. Gothminister - "Somewhere in Time" from The Other Side (2017) [submitted by Shadowdoom9 (Andi)]

March 2024

1. Before I Turn - "Beginning My Descent to Hell" from The Devil Exists (2024)

2. Sonic Syndicate - "Aftermath" from Only Inhuman (2007) [submitted by Shadowdoom9 (Andi)]

3. As Blood Runs Black - "In Dying Days" from Allegiance (2006)

4. War of Ages - "The Awakening" from Fire From the Tomb (2007) [submitted by Shadowdoom9 (Andi)]

5. In This Moment - "This Moment" from Beautiful Tragedy (2007)

6. The Amity Affliction - "Pittsburgh" from Let the Ocean Take Me (2014)

7. Malevolence - "Higher Place" from Malicious Intent (2022)

8. VENUES - "Unspoken Words" from Unspoken Words (2024)

9. Thrown - "Backfire" from Backfire (2024)

10. Acres, Silent Planet - "Nothing." from Burning Throne (2023)

11. One Morning Left - "Emerald Dragon" from Emerald Dragon (2024)

12. Miss May I - "Gone" from Rise of the Lion (2014) [submitted by Shadowdoom9 (Andi)]

13. Unearth - "Zombie Autopilot" from The Oncoming Storm (2004) [submitted by Shadowdoom9 (Andi)]

14. Drown in Sulphur - "Eclipse of the Sun of Eden" from Dark Secrets of the Soul (2024)

15. Osiah - "Street Justice" from Terror Firma (2016)

16. Humanity's Last Breath - "Human Swarm" from Humanity's Last Breath (2013)

17. Monasteries - "Dreadwaste" from The Empty Black (2015)

18. Deadguy - "Nine Stitches" from Fixation on a Co-Worker (1995) [submitted by Shadowdoom9 (Andi)]

19. Circuit Circuit - "I Dream the World Awake" from Body Songs (2023)

20. Great Falls - "Born As An Argument" from Objects Without Pain (2023) [submitted by Daniel]

21. Car Bomb - "The Sentinel" from w^w^^w^w (2012)

22. Zao - "Xenophobe" from The Well-Intentioned Virus (2016) [submitted by Shadowdoom9 (Andi)]

23. Invent Animate - "Indigo" from Stillworld (2016)

24. HEAVENSGATE - "GINSICK" from AND ALL I LOVED, I LOVED ALONE (2023)

25. Feed the Addiction - "Thorn" from Rebirth (2023)

26. Sail's End - "Wishful Thinking" from Live and Die (2023)

27. Architects - "Doomsday" from Holy Hell (2018)

28. Trivium - "The Phalanx" from In the Court of the Dragon (2021)

29. For the Fallen Dreams - "Through the Looking Glass" from Changes (2008) [submitted by Shadowdoom9 (Andi)]

Here's my review summary:

Whenever there's experimentation, their results are often mixed reactions from many critics. The negative reception is due to those changes being suddenly different from the sound they're used to, whereas bands like Voivod take things slowly when gradually changing their sound for a fresh complex result. And on that same year, Metallica also released a more progressive thrash metal album before making their abrupt switch to the heavy/alternative metal that was received negatively. For Dimension Hatröss, only a few traces of thrash remain, those traces being just the fast thrashy tempos. Those tempos are dominated by all its changes every few measures. The band can go straight-on progressive without making a 20-minute epic, with many styles and influences all in dexterous textures in just an under 5-minute track. Some of the jazz influences come from the otherworldly diminished chords of Piggy (Denis D'Amour) (RIP). Their progressive sound would be fully solidified in their next album Nothingface. Their thrash was in the past, but their progressive metal would come in that's out of this world!

5/5

Recommended tracks: "Chaosmöngers", "Technocratic Manipulators", "Macrosolutions to Megaproblems", "Brain Scan", "Batman Theme" (bonus track)

For fans of: Watchtower, and the early 90s eras of Anacrusis and Coroner

Here's my submission for the April Guardians playlist:

Beast in Black - "To the Last Drop of Blood" (from Dark Connection, 2021)

This Earth Crisis EP is a decent start to their career and early example of the metallic hardcore sound the band is known for, but not as much impact as their subsequent releases. More info in my short review here: https://metal.academy/reviews/30122/45462

I actually just experienced the opposite when reviewing that Persefone EP, Sonny. When I initially gave that EP some listening, I thought I was hearing their melodic deathly progressive metal in full force, enough to give it 4.5 stars. But now that I've listened more thoroughly for the sake of reviewing, let's just say, the rating dropped a full star. With that, I've made a couple small changes to my new releases list and upcoming releases wishlist (see above).

These new unfitting modern influences cause things to go down in sh*t with pointless filter in this EP's intro:

Although this new blend of deathly progressive metal with metalcore elements doesn't sound as cool as it should, it shines the best in this 7 and a half minute epic throwing back to Persefone's earlier greatness:

Anthemic power metal, featuring Joakim Brodén of Sabaton:

A techno-pop sh*tter that I would rather not talk much about:

A nice alt-metal anthem that's more melodic while still heavy:

Genitorturers still have their industrial metal sound in this rock-out Rob Zombie-like highlight:

The band example of funky carnival-style avant-garde metal from this band that includes Faith No More vocalist Mike Patton:

I've just given this album some listening and a review because I felt up to checking out one of the most experimental releases in metal. Here we have an avant-garde metal exploration through noise, funk, thrash, and circus music. I agree that there's barely any pure funk here, and I shall give your Hall entry a YES vote.

I consider Testimony of the Ancients the transition album between Pestilence's early standard death metal in Consuming Impulse and their progressive death metal sound in Spheres. The tech-death side of this progressive/tech-death coin would go on to be the band's main sound for the albums they're released since their 2008 reformation. The album would also solidify their position in the prog-death metal Big 4 alongside Death, Atheist (with those two bands' 1991 albums as well), and Cynic (with their debut Focus two years later). Those albums really made history with the rise of prog-death metal in 1991, and I once gave those game-changing releases a small meme:

Anyway, back to the main point. Am I going to give this Hall entry of Pestilence's 3rd album a YES vote? The answer is YES.

Ben, please add Tungsten.

I haven't found a lot of new releases in 2024 so far, but I have enough for a top 5, all in a solid range of 4 to 5 stars:

1. Ryujin - Ryujin [melodic death/power metal]

2. Madder Mortem - Old Eyes, New Heart [progressive metal]

3. Drown in Sulphur - Dark Secrets of the Soul [deathcore]

4. Dead by April - The Affliction [alternative metal]

5. Persefone - Lingua Ignota: Part I [progressive metal]

Quite an amazing start for this year of metal for me! And there's a lot more that I look forward to getting. Here are some releases coming out later in 2024 that make my wishlist:

Amaranthe - The Catalyst

Bruce Dickinson - The Mandrake Project (I've listened to Iron Maiden vocalist Bruce Dickinson's solo material before, so I thought, why not catch up?)

DragonForce - Warp Speed Warriors (can't forget about the band that started it all for my metal interest)

While She Sleeps - Self Hell

Erra - Cure

Northlane - Mirror's Edge

The Ghost Inside - Searching for Solace

High on Fire - Cometh the Storm (their Bat Salad EP is so fantastic for me that I want more of this band)

Pestilence - Levels of Perception

Gothminister - Pandemonium II: The Battle of the Underworlds

Knocked Loose - You Won't Go Before You're Supposed To

Trail of Tears - Winds of Disdain

Wintersun - Time II (how can I not look forward to one of the most anticipated albums in all of metal?)

Ben, please add Grailknights.

Ben, please add the Genitorturers album Blackheart Revolution. Although it only has 2 upvotes for alternative metal in RYM, I strongly think there's enough metal to qualify.

Influence? Coincidence? Likely balancing on the line in between there.

If you're going for the epic symphonic Mechina/Neurotech style of cyber metal, the ingredients are the industrial electronics of Fear Factory, the djenty guitars of Meshuggah, the cinematic symphonics of Two Steps From Hell, and the progressive structure of Symphony X. Vocal styles may vary.

How about an epic deathcore album in the style of Lorna Shore? How would you make that?

DragonForce has done it again! They turned a pop single into a kick-A speedy power metal song, just the way I like these kinds of covers:

This Celtic Frost cover does proper justice to that band's earlier extreme thrash sound:

A blend of sludgy heavy/stoner metal in this instrumental that pays tribute to Black Sabbath: