Shadowdoom9 (Andi)'s Forum Replies
Saxy, let me just say, you have done such as incredible job assembling this month's Gateway and Infinite playlists! This tracklisting has encouraged me to go through the entire playlist and find good tracks from bands I already listen to along with different bands in which some of them I feel up to trying some more songs from them. Well done, please keep it up! So let's get my track thought journey started:
Sleep Token – The Summoning (2023)
4/5. There's a lot of brand-new metal to explore, and this playlist opener is one of them! After 5 cool minutes of ambient alt-metal, there's a funky turn into something different. But throughout the song, the vocals and lyrics are so divine, alongside the djenty heaviness almost as much as Deftones mixed with Tesseract and Haken. I'm telling you, those lyrics can really guide you through.
Mudvayne – Death Blooms (2000)
4.5/5. A legendary heavy intro starts this track that has a bit of an industrial aspect from Godflesh and Static-X. Ryan Martinie performs excellent bass here. This sh*t can be good as h*ll for the more experimental nu metal fans.
Atreyu – Untouchable (2021)
4/5. A good song to love for anyone who's into Atreyu and Jacoby Shaddix (Papa Roach).
Katatonia – Birds (2023)
4.5/5. Continuing the flow is this song from Katatonia's new album, restoring more of the straight heaviness of their early 2000s albums like Viva Emptiness, within the sinister atmosphere and urgent melody.
Buckethead – Soothsayer (2006)
4/5. This is such a beautiful and emotional long alt-rock/metal instrumental, with some soloing to marvel upon, especially at the 4-minute mark. Excellent! This can almost be consider this playlist's "Crusade".
Breaking Benjamin – Blood (2018)
4.5/5. If there's any song that can fit well with the soundtrack to the film Morbius, it would be this one. It's one of the f***ing heaviest tracks by this band, and one of my brother's favorite songs from one of his favorite bands.
Bloodsimple – What If I Lost It (2005)
5/5. Such as awesome underrated group this band is! A Cruel World is one of the best 2000s alt-metal albums I've heard. This song reminds me a bit of the aforementioned Mudvayne. Lead vocalist Tim Williams is also a founding member of metalcore band Vision of Disorder. Anyone who has watched the ESPN X-Games or played Need for Speed Most Wanted may be familiar with this track that reminds me of Godsmack in a Disturbed-like level of heaviness. Kyle Sanders (brother of Mastodon bassist Troy Sanders) would later join Hellyeah long after this band's split. I would really like more of Bloodsimple for alt-metal at its best.
Candiria – Down (2004)
4.5/5. Some listeners of this song might know it from Greg Hastings' Tournament Paintball. This one has the new millennium balance of heaviness and melody, all while declaring "I bow down to no one!" Its album shows the band's temporary move from the mathcore of The Dillinger Escape Plan to the heavy/alternative metal of Avenged Sevenfold and Clutch. It's gems like this that get me pumped up for the intense experience of a college course that I currently have. Candiria is one of the greatest mind-blowing hybrid bands out there! Though I can find better material from this band in their previous two albums. Too bad I'm nearly two decades late in finding this track. It's quite fun, despite not having their earlier intensity. It's, to me, much better than what I would find in Darwin's Waiting Room and Korn, and is as good as the better side of Linkin Park and Sevendust. They would've brought back the metalcore of The Process of Self Development if not for that van accident, but I'm glad they survived...
Parkway Drive – Glitch (2022)
4/5. The new Parkway Drive album's first single adds a bit of speed while in a mid-paced march through insomniac depression, alongside guitar and gang-style vocals to remind me of While She Sleeps.
Demon Hunter – Heaven Don’t Cry (2022)
4.5/5. This incredible highlight is worth being a radio single, mixing heaviness with melody. This can reach the mainstream without stripping down the sound as much as Songs of Death and Resurrection and instead elevating the writing quality.
Slipknot – The Heretic Anthem (2001)
4/5. Although Slipknot won't ever be a favorite band for me, this song kicks a** with impressive lyrics shouted by the talented Corey Taylor.
Disturbed – Won’t Back Down (2022)
3.5/5. This one's a kinda strong headbanger, bringing back elements of the band's first 3 albums, complete with some of the earlier "OW" and "get up".
Alice In Chains – Drone (2018)
3/5. Now here's something interesting, former Queensryche guitarist Chris DeGarmo performing acoustic guitar in this Alice in Chains song. There are longtime fans who think Alice in Chains isn't the same without the late Layne Staley. While I haven't listened to this band enough to agree, I can understand this song being a bit disappointing.
I Prevail – There’s Fear in Letting Go (2022)
3.5/5. I kinda like this song from another band that my brother loves, but it's a little weird like their Taylor Swift cover. With that said, holy f***, there are a few great surprises such as the extension of the chorus near the midway point.
Coaltar Of The Deepers – AMETHYST [REVENGE] (2021)
4/5. For any Japanese rock/metal fans who want some sweet energy without having to go into the thrash of Overkill, this is your answer, I guess. So poetic and versatile!
Twelve Foot Ninja – Oxygen (2016)
4.5/5. It's quite great to hear groovy prog-ish alt-metal without having cross too much into TOOL territory. There are great lyrics, but they can't beat the jazzy bridge in the middle. Mike Patton and the rest of Mr. Bungle would be pleased.
Love and Death – Down (2021)
4/5. A pretty great song with well-done singing from Brian "Head" Welch. This oughta motivate to live life with faith in your heart.
Within Temptation – The Reckoning (2019)
4.5/5. Despite having completed my move away from this band, I love how they've impressively enhanced their over 25-year career with cyber elements added to their symphonic/alternative metal sound. It's a great song to love and motivate your spirit.
In This Moment – Black Wedding (feat. Rob Halford) (2017)
5/5. Oh man, I need this played in my future wedding! This is some of the darkest alternative metal I've heard since the recent Motionless in White. Maria Brink has bad-a** vocal power, leveled up in this duet with Judas Priest's Rob Halford.
Halestorm – The Steeple (2022)
4.5/5. The second song I've heard from the new Halestorm album, and I have a feeling about this being their heaviest one yet. My brother listens to this band more than I do, and while you can assume that I've been living under a rock when it comes to hard rock/alt-metal, I have a lot to listen to in my heavier metal cave of solitude. Even without the fast speed from other metal bands that I enjoy, this is one you just gotta love. It really hits hard! Lzzy Hale has also guest appeared in songs from other bands like Trans-Siberian Orchestra, Dream Theater, In This Moment, The Hu, and Evanescence. While I don't have my own church, I have my own community of like-minded metalheads, this website. Whether we like the same or different metal genres, we're all our own people.
Stuck Mojo – The Ward Is My Shepard (2000)
4/5. Rich Ward has done amazing guitar that has pleased fans of Stuck Mojo throughout their career. And thank greatness this is instrumental, because I'm not really up for a whole lot of rapping that the band usually has, and it's a great way to close this playlist.
February 2023
1. Godflesh - "Spite" (from Pure, 1992) [submitted by Shadowdoom9 (Andi)]
2. Celldweller - "Into the Void - HARD BOX Remix" (from Into the Void (Remix Contest Compilation), 2022)
3. 3TEETH - "President X" (from Metawar, 2019)
4. Mnemic - "Tattoos" (from Mechanical Spin Phenomena, 2003) [submitted by Daniel]
5. Excessive Force - "Divebomb" (from Gentle Death, 1993) [submitted by Shadowdoom9 (Andi)]
6. Ghostemane - "Hydrochloride" (from ANTI-ICON, 2020)
7. Static-X - "Hollow (Project Regeneration) (from Project: Regeneration Vol. 1, 2020)
8. Ministry - "Disinformation" (from Moral Hygiene, 2021)
9. Northlane - "Talking Heads" (from Alien, 2019) [submitted by Shadowdoom9 (Andi)]
10. Motionless in White - "Not My Type: Dead as Fuck 2" (from Graveyard Shift, 2017) [submitted by Shadowdoom9 (Andi)]
11. 1000 Homo DJs - "Apathy" (from Supernaut, 1990)
12. Pitchshifter - "New Flesh P.S.I." (from Submit, 1992)
13. Gothminister - "Nachtzehrer" (from Empire of Dark Salvation, 2005) [submitted by Shadowdoom9 (Andi)]
14. Crossbreed - "Stem" (from Synthetic Division, 2001)
15. Strapping Young Lad - "Almost Again" (from The New Black, 2006) [submitted by Shadowdoom9 (Andi)]
16. Combichrist - "Hate Like Me" (from One Fire, 2019)
17. Omega Lithium - "Stigmata" (from Dreams in Formaline, 2009)
18. Nine Inch Nails - "March of the Pigs" (from The Downward Spiral, 1994)
19. Fear Factory - "Disobey - Disruptor Remix" (from Recoded, 2022)
20. Lindemann - "Skills in Pills" (from Skills in Pills, 2015)
21. Ludovico - "Burn Everything" (from Haunted People, 2022)
22. Deathstars - "Death Dies Hard" (from Night Electric Night, 2009)
23. ASP - "Krabat" (from Zaubererbruder: der Krabat-Liederzyklus, 2008)
24. The Mad Capsule Markets - "Island" (from OSC-DIS, 2001)
25. Author & Punisher - "Glorybox" (from Kruller, 2022)
26. Neurotech - "Through Hardships" (from Stigma, 2015)
27. Rammstein - "Adieu" (from Zeit, 2022)
February 2023
1. Lorna Shore - "Immortal" (from Immortal, 2020)
2. Cave In - "Until Your Heart Stops (Segue 2)" (from Until Your Heart Stops, 1998)
3. This Day Forward - "Sunfalls and Watershine" (from Kairos, 2002)
4. Drowningman - "Code Breaking Hearts" (from Rock and Roll Killing Machine, 2001)
5. All Shall Perish - "Never Ending War" (from Hate.Malice.Revenge, 2003)
6. Earth Crisis - "Broken Foundation" (from Gomorrah's Season Ends, 1996) [submitted by Shadowdoom9 (Andi)]
7. Botch - "Transitions from Persona to Object" (from We Are the Romans, 1999) [submitted by Shadowdoom9 (Andi)]
8. August Burns Red - "Bones" (from Guardians, 2020) [submitted by Shadowdoom9 (Andi)]
9. Issues - "COMA" (from Headspace, 2016)
10. Northlane - "Singularity" (from Singularity, 2013)
11. Rorschach - "Traditional" (from Protestant, 1993)
12. Crystal Lake - "Fabricated Refuge" (from The Voyages, 2020) [submitted by Shadowdoom9 (Andi)]
13. The Red Chord - "Dreaming in Dog Years" (from Fused Together in Revolving Doors, 2002)
14. Downcast - "System" (from Downcast, 1991)
15. The Browning - "Standing on the Edge" (from Burn This World, 2011)
16. Candye♡Syrup - "Idol of Death (Burst Ver.)" (from iDOL Can Dye Sick Rock!!, 2018) [submitted by Daniel]
17. Annisokay - "Coma Blue" (from Arms, 2018)
18. Impending Doom - "Ravenous Disease" (from Death Will Reign, 2013)
19. Trenches - "Horizons" (from Reckoner, 2022)
20. Vatican - "Reverence" (from Ultra, 2022)
21. The Dillinger Escape Plan - "We Are the Storm" (from Miss Machine, 2004)
22. Dead to Fall - "Villainy and Virtue" (from Villainy and Virtue, 2004) [submitted by Shadowdoom9 (Andi)]
23. All That Remains - "The Air That I Breathe" (from The Fall of Ideals, 2006)
24. Trivium - "Shattering the Skies Above" (from In Waves, 2011) [submitted by Shadowdoom9 (Andi)]
25. Hatebreed - "Refuse/Resist" (from For the Lions, 2009) [submitted by Shadowdoom9 (Andi)]
26. Phinehas - "Dream Thief" (from The Fire Itself, 2021)
27. Sikth - "Philistine Philosophies" (from Opacities, 2015)
28. Kingdom of Giants - "The Ride" (from Passenger, 2020)
29. Living Sacrifice - "Despair" (from Ghost Thief, 2013)
This Angra album was a classic for me when I was still listening to power metal. I plan to revisit Temple of Shadows and see if it's worth another chance, so some listening and a review shall be done this month.
Ned Dickens.
That's quite awesome, Rex! I look forward to checking out that book.
And on that note, the next book I'll make is a spin-off to my main series, centered around the golden age of classic metal genres (the 80s).
An amazing highlight of oriental extreme progressive metal from Japan:
I decided to give that album some listening and a review to further push my progressive metal boundaries into more experimental and extreme territory. I would say this is kind of like the Eastern oriental equivalent to Enslaved's recent material. There's barely any weird avant-garde aspects as far as I can hear. So I agree with you here, Daniel, and will definitely give your Hall entry a YES vote.
The Swedish gothic-infused industrial/cyber metal masters are back with a new single from their upcoming comeback album. This is their new single "This Is"!
Katatonia has made a thrilling return to higher form in their new album Sky Void of Stars, proven by tracks such as this progressive opener:
That's OK. Thanks Daniel!
P.S. I see that this release is currently tagged with both the Atmospheric Sludge Metal & Post-Metal (conventional) subgenres in our database but I'd encourage members of The Infinite to consider down-voting Post-Metal as this release so clearly sits in the sludge end of the Post-Metal spectrum which makes the Post-Metal (conventional) tag redundant.
I've just done that, Daniel. I also noticed The Infinite missing from the release's clan lineup, can that be fixed please?
Gothic/industrial metal from Croatia. Think of this like Evanescence if they added more of the Synthesis-esque symphonics/electronics along with darker gothic aesthetics:
American trance-metalcore with a bit of Crossfaith worship:
Ben, please add the new Katatonia album Sky Void of Stars.
OK, thanks Daniel!
Ben, please add Stigmata (one of the earliest American metalcore bands, from Troy, New York, mixed with groove metal in some releases that would also qualify in The Pit).
The DragonForce "Ring of Fire" curse carries on into this Through Fire album with their atrocious attempt at covering an Ellie Goulding single:
A strong motivational hard rock/alt-metal anthem:
A sinister 9-minute industrial sludge metal attack, expanding on the percussion and screams until all fades to oblivion:
Raging sludge with lyrics describing the need to live in a hole and hide from outside society:
I just gave this album a listen to continue my test of strength in the experimental sludge realms, and indeed it's a noise-ridden industrial sludge arsenal, ready for the listener to make a stinging dark descent. Subtle keyboard passages give light to the pummeling darkness, and the noise influences have more in common with the mechanical industrial sound, though sometimes having a bit of the post-punk level of late Daughters. So this release's judgement entry will definitely receive a YES vote from me.
1. Gateway playlist - 4/5 (number of songs commented: ALL 20)
2. Infinite playlist - 4.5/5 (number of songs commented: 10)
3. Revolution playlist - 4.5/5 (number of songs commented: ALL 29)
4. Sphere playlist - 4/5 (number of songs commented: ALL 24)
So far, I've only commented on 10 tracks in the Infinite playlist, but for the other 3 of my own clans I've listened to the entire playlists! I'm grateful to Saxy and Daniel for their playlist works. I really dig what I've listened to in the Gateway and Infinite playlists 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!
One of only a couple highlights from metal's entry into the hardcore subgenre Krishnacore:
I also agree. This album is really just doomy industrial metal, with slight bits of electronica and shoegaze. If this was drone metal, it would be even slower.
Ben, please add Through Fire.
Heavy raging metalcore that pretty much all fans of the genre can enjoy:
Daniel, seeing how much you've been enjoying some releases that mix metalcore with sludge metal (Admiral Angry, Knut, etc.), I don't think you'll have any problem checking out Trenches' fantastic comeback album Reckoner.
Update on my list:
1. Botch - We Are The Romans (1999)
2. Converge - You Fail Me (2004)
3. Every Time I Die - Radical (2021)
4. Gaza - I Don’t Care Where I Go When I Die (2006)
5. The Dillinger Escape Plan - Calculating Infinity (1999)
6. Deadguy - Fixation on a Coworker (1995)
7. Coalesce - Give Them Rope (1997)
8. Candiria - Beyond Reasonable Doubt (1997)
9. Sikth - How May I Help You? (2002)
10. Knut - Challenger (2002)
Glad you enjoy it, Daniel! There's already a Judgement entry for this album so you can vote here: https://metal.academy/hall/200
"I'll be back..."
Amazing inspiring lyrics from one of the earliest Christian metal/hardcore bands besides Zao:
I also decide to take a small sneak peek at Strongarm's other album Atonement, and this song has some metalcore potential as well. I might give the rest of the album a listen if it becomes metal enough to quality for this site.
Industrial drone doom meets shoegaze-ish rock. Sounds weird but I love it!
I did my review, here's its summary:
Author & Punisher is a solo project by Tristan Shone, reaching beyond the limits of his extreme mix of industrial metal and doom. He made his own instruments that would help him achieve all that's possible in extreme experimentation. His machinery and sound has continuously been refined from his raw earlier material to his deeper recent albums. His identity has evolved further with more nightmarish metal within his heart and mind... Different aspects fill up this offering, from the most devastating industrial doom to the less pleasant bits of electronica and shoegaze, and helping out in martial structures in a couple tracks are TOOL members bassist Justin Chancellor and drummer Danny Carey. Within the darkness is a brighter light that you need to find. Author & Punisher would take you on this powerful journey that is Kruller, before that destination....
3.5/5
This one starts as a slow serene ballad, but the horrible auto-tuned singing ruins everything:
A couple fantastic highlights from the new album of Neue Deutsche Härte kings Rammstein:
Hey there, Daniel. Since you enjoy that Admiral Angry album, and you have a good feeling about Knut's Challenger based on earlier monthly playlist research, this Today is the Day album might just make your day:
A twisted horrifying experimental noise-sludge highlight, not for those with the faint of heart or a fear of bugs:
An absolute highlight of brutal technical death metal/core hellfire, something fans of The Red Chord, Gorguts, and Cryptopsy should try before they judge:
Here are my sneak peek submissions for the February Sphere playlist:
Excessive Force - "Divebomb" (6:04) from Gentle Death (1993)
Godflesh - "Spite" (4:31) from Pure (1992)
Gothminister - "Nachtzehrer" (5:33) from Empire of Dark Salvation (2005)
Motionless in White - "Not My Type: Dead as Fuck 2" (4:22) from Graveyard Shift (2017)
Northlane - "Talking Heads" (3:50) from Alien (2019)
Strapping Young Lad - "Almost Again" (3:43) from The New Black (2006)
Total length: 28:03
Here are my sneak peek submissions for the February Revolution playlist:
August Burns Red - "Bones" (4:15) from Guardians (2020)
Botch - "Transitions from Persona to Object" (6:04) from We Are the Romans (1999)
Crystal Lake - "Fabricated Refuge" (3:23) from The Voyages (2020)
Dead to Fall - "Villainy and Virtue" (3:04) from Villainy and Virtue (2004)
Earth Crisis - "Broken Foundation" (4:02) from Gomorrah's Season Ends (1996)
Hatebreed - "Refuse/Resist" (3:07) from For the Lions (2009)
Trivium - "Shattering the Skies Above" (4:45) from In Waves (2011)
Total length: 28:40
Here are my submissions for the February Infinite playlist:
Caligula's Horse - "Into the White" (8:19) from The Tide, the Thief & River's End (2013)
Converge & Chelsea Wolfe - "Lord of Liars" (3:23) from Bloodmoon: I (2021)
Enslaved - "Havenless" (5:35) from Below the Lights (2003)
In Mourning - "Isle of Solace" (4:54) from The Weight of Oceans (2012)
Sikth - "Tupelo" (7:11) from How May I Help You? (2002)
Total length: 29:22
Here are my submissions for the February Gateway playlist:
Atreyu - "Untouchable" (3:05) from Baptize (2021)
Breaking Benjamin - "Blood" (3:09) from Ember (2018)
Candiria - "Down" (3:31) from What Doesn't Kill You... (2004)
Demon Hunter - "Heaven Don't Cry" (4:25) from Exile (2022)
Disturbed - "Won't Back Down" (2:52) from Divisive (2022)
I Prevail - "There’s Fear in Letting Go" (3:54) from True Power (2022)
Twelve Foot Ninja - "Oxygen" (4:24) from Outlier (2016)
Within Temptation - "The Reckoning" (4:11) from Resist (2019)
Total length: 29:31
Wild fantastic progressive metal/mathcore that should appeal to fans of The Dillinger Escape Plan, Protest the Hero, and early 2000s Between the Buried and Me:
I've done my review for that Sikth release. Here's the link to my review: https://metal.academy/reviews/28495/3152
And here's its summary:
I can't believe I haven't fully discovered one of Sikth's releases until now. This band has really cranked up their talent higher than 11! While this might not be for everyone, the heavier metal/hardcore fans of bands like Converge and The Dillinger Escape Plan can and should really get onboard. There's a crazy lot of guitar shredding and screaming babbling in a way that I love, all fantastic with no need for improvement. Their Nick Cave song cover does the original justice while keeping Sikth's identity. One of the vocalists, Mikee Goodman is awesome at his work. He's as energetic as the rest of the group, all determined to shake up their live performances. The 3 songs were all re-recorded for their debut album The Trees Are Dead & Dried Out Wait for Something Wild. Listen to this band and witness how hard-hitting they can be!
5/5
I decided to give this album some listening and a review as another attempt to explore some blackgaze, and while I can definitely hear those post-rock sections, the black metal side is more dominant. Roads to Judah is a clear example of black metal in a much more atmospheric light, enough to warrant its place in the blackgaze realm, and to consider it post-metal would be a big inaccuracy. So I agree that Roads to Judah is a more appropriate album for The North than The Infinite. Vote coming up!
I've heard about this band Sikth who are one of the earliest bands besides Meshuggah to develop the djent technique, while mixing that sound with experimental metalcore. I've checked out a couple songs from this band but never a full release, so now would be a great time to listen to and review one of their releases for the first time. Yeah, I'm going with Sikth's How May I Help You?.
Your turn, Saxy!
Here are my thoughts on all the selected tracks:
Samael - "Solar Soul" (from Solar Soul, 2007)
4/5. Let's start with something so dark yet so bright! The background details such as the short screams really emphasize the song. A pretty great banger! The lyrics are at its best when they tell you to push aside yesterday and tomorrow. Longtime fans would surely have some good memories. Crank up the volume!
Circle of Dust - "Waste of Time" (from Disengage, 1998)
4.5/5. Klayton has been active in the music scene even before his more well-known project Celldweller, and this song is never a waste of time! I especially enjoy the rap-ish metal verse and its lyrics.
Pitchshifter - "Gritter" (from Submit, 1992)
4/5. This is a brilliant favorite of mine from this EP. It brings in some groove momentum and their earlier deathly vibe, the latter caused by crushing downtuned riffing and deep growling vocals. However, it sounds closer to Godflesh than the more deathly Dead World. JS Clayden took over on vocals after his brother MD put his focus on bass.
Fear Factory - "Invisible Wounds (Dark Bodies)" (from Digimortal, 2001)
4.5/5. Another amazing song, having pleased many longtime Fear Factory fans for so many years. The best part is the heavier bridge at over the two-minute mark. Other than that, it sounds closer to some of my brother's favorite alt-rock/metal bands that I've discovered when I was middle-school-age, and it might be good for one of our car rides. This should really be shared to the world!
Ministry - "Shove" (from Animositisomina, 2003)
4/5. Another underrated satisfying track, this one from Ministry. Apparently, Animositisomina is Al Jourgensen's least favorite album alongside their synthpop debut With Sympathy, though obviously both albums are different like chalk and cheese. I don't know what the symbols on the cover art represent, but you can take a guess.
Marilyn Manson - "Man That You Fear" (from Antichrist Superstar, 1996)
3.5/5. "When all of your wishes are granted, many of your dreams will be destroyed." This repeated line has haunted many listeners of this album for over two and a half decades. Call Marilyn Manson what you would like besides industrial metal; grunge, emo, goth, irreligious or even inspiring mass murderers... Unnecessary labels can hurt, but he ain't affected by them. And why bother? Just enjoy the music without harsh criticism.
Godflesh - "Endgames" (from Us and Them, 1999)
4/5. This one has something I might enjoy in Godflesh's most controversial album, with dark layers of bass textures.
Gothminister - "Utopia" (from Utopia, 2013)
4.5/5. I definitely prefer to get my gothic-infused industrial metal from Gothminister, and this song is a great example.
Rob Zombie - "The Eternal Struggles of the Howling Man" (from The Lunar Injection Kool Aid Eclipse Conspiracy, 2021)
4/5. I would recommend this sick track to fans of Rob Zombie and his material. AAHHOOO YEAH!!!
OOMPH! - "Die Schlinge" (from GlaubeLiebeTod, 2006)
4.5/5. Apocalyptica fans can thank Oomph! for featuring that cello metal band in this track. It's really great!
Old - "Freak Now" (from The Musical Dimension of Sleastak, 1993)
5/5. More of the experimentation commences in this freaky highlight. That song was used in the soundtrack for the film Brainscan.
Necromorphic Despair - "The Only Thing They Fear Is You" (from The Only Thing They Fear Is You, 2022)
4.5/5. You know that song from the DOOM Eternal soundtrack? I found a cover of that track by Necromorphic Despair, with lyrics and growls added. It's so f***ing brutal! Necromorphic Despair is not yet in RYM, but I can definitely hear this as deathly industrial metal at its finest.
Scorn - "Scum After Death (Dub)" (from Vae Solis, 1992)
4/5. Napalm Death fans might recognize the opening bass from their song "Scum", and it makes sense since the 3 musicians who performed in the first side of that album perform here. The 3 voice samples that appear in the song are all from I Drink Your Blood: "Do we pray?" "Satan was an acid head." "Together we'll all freak out!"
Excessive Force - "Ride the Bomb" (from Conquer Your World, 1991)
3.5/5. The only decently great track from a sh*tty dance album that has blown me off instead of blown me away....
Emigrate - "Silent So Long" (from Silent So Long, 2014)
3/5. This isn't really a song I love, though I like the 80s-sounding solo and the guest vocals from Jonathan Davis from Korn. However, some lyrics are in Latin, specifically in over the 3-minute mark, and most of the riffing Richard Kruspe is at a low level. Bummer...
Xe-NONE - "Summertime" (from Dancefloration, 2011)
3.5/5. This one's slightly better, with the cyber metal instrumentation and vocals leveling up like a boss.
Seth Ect - "E.C.T." (from Godspeak, 2011)
4/5. Anyone having trouble finding a killer cyber metal bands? The search is over! This band has a bit of f***ing talent!
Code Orange - "A Sliver" (from Underneath, 2020)
4.5/5. This one shows that Gojira is not the only band in the world that can mix melodic ambience with extreme heavy matter so easily, though obviously not the same style.
Sybreed - "A.E.O.N." (from The Pulse of Awakening, 2009)
4/5. Good cyber-industrial metal genius talent from Switzerland! The synth-ambience really adds some that cyber effect.
Eisbrecher - "Verrückt" (from Die Hölle muss warten, 2012)
3.5/5. It's hard for me to understand German, but the music is quite enough for the radio.
Schwarzer Engel - "Schwarze Sonne" (from In Brennenden Himmeln, 2013)
4/5. Real superb addition of symphonic gothic metal elements while staying in Neue Deutsche Harte. The operatic female verse at the one-and-a-half-minute is the best part with flowing texture, probably more than Tarja.
Killing Joke - "Exorcism" (from Pandemonium, 1994)
4.5/5. An astounding tune from one of Killing Joke's heavier releases. Jaz Coleman encourages listeners to "Let it out, let it rise, let it-" (literally coughs and wheezes, f***ing amusing). The theme of exorcism can be associated with Babylonian religion.
Mnemic - "The Eye on Your Back" (from Passenger, 2007)
5/5. Making up a lot for the slight bit of mediocrity, the closing epic is bound to keep you awake with its cycling through some of the best vocals, keyboards, and riffs in this offering. The power that makes up most of Passenger is revisited, while not as Meshuggah-infused as their earlier albums.
Morbid Angel - "Profundis - Mea Culpa" (from Illud Divinum Insanus, 2011)
4.5/5. The closing song of this playlist is the best track in its original album. The industrial rhythm and metal complexity are combined very well, David Vincent's vocals are very captivating, and there's none of that sh*tty rock in sight.
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:
Phinehas - "Eternally Apart" (from The Fire Itself, 2021)
5/5. I'm proud of this band for showing great evolution with perhaps their best song since "Crowns" to open their first album since 2017's Dark Flag. Nicely done! One of the masters of Christian metalcore shall continue their reign.
Converge - "Conduit" (from When Forever Comes Crashing, 1998)
4.5/5. This is a crushing metalcore tune that starts with fast chaos, and I swear, the brief riff fiddling that appears a few times sounds exactly like that of the last part of My Dying Bride's "Vast Choirs". I think I'm the only one who has noticed that because of my interest in both metalcore and formerly death-doom. Anyway, that song has slow breakdowns as well, due to the band's mind-blowing ability to change the tempo and time signature.
Starkweather - "Lazarus Runs" (from Crossbearer, 1992)
4/5. This one runs at a slow sludgy pace before leveling it up towards the end.
Misery Signals - "Coma" (from Controller, 2008)
4.5/5. I need to continue revisiting this album along with their other ones like Ultraviolet. The music and even the growled vocals are all beautiful! I kinda like the dark vibe the album has. The lyric "Reach into her guts, take back what's tangled up, I wasted it on you" sounds morbid, but it's a metaphor for the regret of conceiving a child when your wife doesn't want it. Also I hear what might later influence ERRA.
Zao - "Times of Separation" (from The Splinter Shards the Birth of Separation, 1997)
5/5. Considering how similar the intro is to that of Every Time I Die's Radical, you might think the latter made a tribute. Anyway, Shawn's long screaming is often what levels up the quality.
Vision of Disorder - "Element" (from Vision of Disorder, 1996)
5/5. This highlight has lots of angry heaviness. Enough said!
Strife - "Am I the Only One" (from One Truth, 1994)
4.5/5. This one is more hardcore, but it's an awesome anthemic standout!
Earth Crisis - "Forced March" (from Destroy the Machines, 1995)
5/5. This brilliant metalcore track shows you what the album is gonna be about. It was later covered by Between the Buried and Me in their own cover album.
Born of Osiris - "Singularity" (from The Discovery, 2011)
4.5/5. This is one of the best songs of the album and a killer album opening with strong soaring melodies through busy original compositions.
Iwrestledabearonce - "Erase It All" (from Hail Mary, 2015)
4/5. It's too bad this band ended right when they were skyrocketing in fame, with vocalist Courtney LaPlante and guitarist Mike Stringer moving on to Spiritbox. Mike adds in a bit of a Tony Danza Tapdance Extravaganza-like vibe to the guitar. All Shall Perish/Suicide Silence vocalist Eddie Hermida delivers a fantastic brutal guest appearance.
Winds of Plague - "Decimate the Weak" (from Decimate the Weak, 2008)
4.5/5. The album cover has already shown promise to the music's brutality. The band has that epic deathcore sound that would later be developed in all its glory by other bands like Lorna Shore. The weak, beware...
Upon a Burning Body - "Predators" (from Red. White. Green., 2012)
4/5. Then we have more of Winds of Plague vocalist Johnny Plague's beastly vocals in a guest appearance for one of Upon a Burning Body's song of eternal lyrical power.
Abnegation - "Blanket of Black" (from Abnegation / Chapter split, 1996)
4.5/5. Abnegation began their transition from hardcore to metal around that time, and what helped out is this highlight showing more of a speedy deathly metalcore sound. This was considered the most metallic/Slayer-sounding any hardcore band has gone before. It was thanks to this band and that song that every metalcore band would start emphasizing the metal part of their template.
Lorna Shore - "Of the Abyss" (from ...And I Return to Nothingness, 2021)
5/5. This is a 6-minute epic that can really pack some punches right through. Will Ramos warms up his vocals while the band rises from the cinematic orchestral inferno while still attacking from the deepest pits of Hell. This is symphonic black/technical deathcore we're talking about at its most epic, and it might be a new style to add to my metal arsenal. There are new standards in the drumming that just never stop, maintaining its power in every beat. They shoot like a machine-gun above the guitars, bass, and orchestration. In the middle is a spectacular breakdown with perfect vocal precision from Ramos. Super wonderful production once again ensures that the album is one of the best releases of deathcore and perhaps all of metal.
DAGames - "One by One (Doom Song)" (from One by One (Doom Song), 2016)
4.5/5. I love this song, and so does my brother. This is amazing thrashy metalcore suitable for the new DOOM games!
Annisokay - "I Saw What You Did" (from Aurora, 2021)
4/5. Another metalcore song my brother likes, though he was initially confused by the djenty opening that also has a Tony Danza Tapdance Extravaganza-like vibe.
Wage War - "Alive" (from Blueprints, 2015)
4.5/5. This band is capable of writing killer hits like this one, although metal purists might not see them that way.
Northlane - "Vultures" (from Alien, 2019)
5/5. Marcus Bridge is really having more influence from the band whom Northlane named one of their songs after, Architects, including adding melody to his screaming. So insanely epic, continuing the writing of Mesmer while restoring their earlier riff-wrath.
After the Burial - "44891" (from Evergreen, 2019)
4.5/5. The song title is actually "11/26". I'm not quite sure what was up with Spotify over there. Remove the "2" and it would be 11/6, the date a couple months ago when an outside-world friend of mine passed away. He was good at singing and inspired me to continue singing practice at home. Although this song contains only growls/screams which I practice as well. I've managed to hold back my tears as I'm writing this. I just wish I could listen to this band more instead of abandoning this amazing music from them. RIP my outside-world friend. And RIP their former guitarist Justin Lowe.
Car Bomb - "The Oppressor" (from Meta, 2016)
5/5. This one maintains the mathcore feel while heading back and forth to a ballad-like song. Joe Duplantier of Gojira makes another guest appearance, albeit with just clean vocals in those softer sections to set an excellent mood. Near the end there's brutal immense sludge for a riff-powered climax. One of the most experimental tracks here!
Frontierer - "This Magnetic Drift" (from Oxidized, 2021)
4.5/5. F***ing brutal mathcore! I think the guest appearance from Will Haven is what gave me the incentive to listen to and review one of that band's albums.
The Dillinger Escape Plan - "Dead as History" (from Ire Works, 2007)
5/5. This highlight starts with some static noises before beginning some cool riffing and chord progressions that almost come out as a Coheed and Cambria song. Perhaps it's a nice tribute to Chris Pennie leaving Dillinger for Coheed and Cambria, though some of the heavier listeners might hate it.
Bleeding Through - "Damage Done" (from Rage, 2022)
4.5/5. This one reminds me of 2000s-era Dark Tranquillity with more of Peterson's enchanting keyboards, melodeath-ish riffing/soloing, and melancholic atmosphere. The chorus is definitely worth singing along to and makes a modern classic moment, alongside lyrics of love and hate. The final hardcore breakdown crashes through to instantly start a moshpit.
The Browning - "Skybreaker" (from Geist, 2018)
5/5. Wow... WOW!!! When I first listened to this song when my brother played it, it sounded to me like an Emigrate-ish electro-industrial rock/metal ballad. Then sometime later, my brother played another Browning song "Standing on the Edge" that sounds closer to what I'm familiar with in The Revolution. After enjoying that song and finding out that "Skybreaker" is made by the same band, I knew I had to find more of this band, and that I shall do. Thanks bro! The lyrics are the best.
Amaranthe - "Act of Desperation" (from Amaranthe, 2011)
4.5/5. Another great song I love! I still think this band was metalcore back then.
All That Remains - "Hold On" (from For We Are Many, 2010)
4/5. Thundering drumming and merciless pounding rolls in on and once again balances heaviness with melody.
Cookiebreed & Boyinaband - "The Vox" (from The Vox, 2013)
4.5/5. Parodies are often better than originals, and this fun one is no exception, parodying Ylvis' "The Fox" with a lesson about metalcore vocals. Although Cookiebreed makes the vocal noises quite impressively, it's Boyinaband who really takes the spotlight, both in the song and in general fame. He has performed songs with different YouTubers like PewDiePie, TheOdd1sOut, and Jaiden Animations. Having watched videos from the latter two when I was still watching YouTube animator videos, discovering Boyinaband's metal material is an epic double treat! "WHAT DO YOU SAY?!?"
Trivium - "Incineration: The Broken World" (from Vengeance Falls, 2013)
5/5. This track is part of what I consider the epic trilogy of Vengeance Falls. They are longer than the previous songs in the album with the latter two each reaching nearly 6 minutes. They break out of the Disturbed formula. The clean vocals and screams are back to their equal balance. The key signature varies with more than just D-flat minor. And they maintain their signature thrash-metalcore sound. Those 3 songs really bring this album to a pleasantly heavy end.
From Autumn to Ashes - "Abandon Your Friends" (from Abandon Your Friends, 2005)
4.5/5. It really is around this year 2005 when the older metalcore followers start listening to From Autumn to Ashes, despite the softness of songs like this one and "Short Stories with Tragic Endings". The somber atmosphere of this song is what really makes it amazing, suitable for Winter, even though my country doesn't have snow. The band has already gotten back together, I wonder if they'll make more material. This is actually suitable for a situation last week when I left a Discord server that I was in for almost a year due to a big argument, so the song is kind of my therapy for a toxic end of an era. The piano melody might work for the soundtrack of computer games like Resident Evil or Silent Hill. Honestly, emo/post-hardcore does not deserve to be stoned (the stone-throwing kind) just because they think it's more flash than substance. Amazing works of art like this (before low-tuned breakdowns took the reign) shouldn't be taken for granted. These guys are real music geniuses. To h*ll with Rebecca Black!
HOLY SH*T, this is probably one of the best metalcore playlists I've ever done, with all tracks ranging from 4 to 5 stars. 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!