Shadowdoom9 (Andi)'s Forum Replies
Here are my submissions for the September Gateway playlist:
A Day to Remember - "Miracle" (4:04) from Miracle (2022)
Beartooth - "Riptide" (3:31) from Riptide (2022)
Coldrain - "Help Me Help You" (3:43) from Nonnegative (2022)
Dir En Grey - "Ningen Wo Kaburu" (3:44) from The Insulated World (2018)
Disturbed - "This Moment" (3:05) from The Lost Children (2011)
Escape the Fate - "The Aftermath (G3)" (5:34) from Escape the Fate (2010)
Mushroomhead - "Rumor Has It" (3:39) from The Righteous & the Butterfly (2014)
Total length: 27:20
Here are my thoughts on all the selected tracks:
Static-X - "Regeneration" from Project Regeneration, Vol. 1 (2020)
3/5. A good intro to begin the playlist. Not the best, but still decent. RIP Wayne Static...
Rob Zombie - "The Triumph of King Freak (A Crypt of Preservation and Superstition)" from The Lunar Injection Kool Aid Eclipse Conspiracy (2021)
3.5/5. First real song here, and a pretty good track for Halloween Eve, used as the theme for NXT Takeover: Stand and Deliver. You can imagine your own horror movie that lasts from dusk to dawn. More horrors than Slayer's "Angel of Death"!
White Zombie - "More Human Than Human" from Astro-Creep: 2000 – Songs of Love, Destruction and Other Synthetic Delusions of the Electric Head (1995)
4/5. Then we travel back over 25 years to when Rob Zombie was still in the band White Zombie before starting his own solo career. This is one of those songs that I can't let my metal-hating mother hear. I can't believe I'm a few months away from turning 24 and did not hear anything from this band until when after making this playlist. Another good track for Halloween, if you imagine the moaning in the intro as ghost noises.
Vigilante - "Answers" from The Heroes' Code (2005)
4.5/5. This amazing tune could apparently be found in YTMND (You're The Man Now, Dog), an online community website that has recently declined in popularity. This could be remembered for aeons along with power metal bands Lost Horizon and DragonForce! A mysterious audio sample from the 1989 Punisher movie can be heard in the intro, along with the 2003 Daredevil film at the 3-minute mark.
Emigrate - "Eat You Alive" from Silent So Long (2014)
4/5. Emigrate is a spin-off band for Rammstein guitarist Richard Kruspe. Apparently this was from an Undertale blog, and this song is quite lovable. Though I don't what the f*** Undertale has to do with this song other than that blog.
Die Krupps - "Welcome to the Blackout" from Vision 2020 Vision (2019)
4.5/5. "Welcome to the blackout! Welcome to the siege! Welcome to the breakdown! The collapse within reach!" Well said for this killer tune.
Strapping Young Lad - "Wrong Side" from The New Black (2006)
5/5. Devin Townsend is the king of progressive metal and has made Strapping Young Lad one of the d*mn kings of industrial metal besides Fear Factory. I just love the insane drumming in this one! Anyone who thinks that kind of drumming doesn't belong in industrial metal can stand corrected.
Samael - "Jupiterian Vibe" from Passage (1996)
4.5/5. This was one of my favorite songs from this album that remains seared into my brain more than an LSD trip.
Ministry - "Alter Level" from Moral Hygiene (2021)
4/5. Another good new song, this one from one of the industrial metal inventors Ministry. "How concerned are you?"
KMFDM - "Juke-Joint Jezebel" from Nihil (1995)
4/5. This is the most popular song from industrial rock/metal KMFDM, selling over a million single copies, and ending up in the soundtracks for Bad Boys and the Mortal Kombat movies (remixed for the latter). You can really dance along to some parts, much more than Nine Inch Nails.
Code Orange - "Erasure Scan" from Underneath (2020)
4.5/5. The closest we have to Emmure with Erasure synths!
Northlane - "Echo Chamber" from Obsidian (2022)
5/5. This is my favorite song in its original album, and it shows how big the band's sound can be. There's strong synth-dance bits while staying heavy and vocally diverse. I sometimes feel like I'm in an online vortex where my goals have a hard time being reached, and that's what that track relates, along with the virus lasting for a couple years. Again, that track is the f***ing best!
Kidneythieves - "The Invisible Plan" from The Invisible Plan (2011)
4.5/5. Here's another underrated band, this time with a sexy voice to love. This girl's the kind of guardian angel needed to guide me through this industrial rock/metal dimension, a little more than the poppy gospel choir from that KMFDM song. I also love the drumming here! The lyrics might've been inspired by the second Deus Ex game Invisible War. Free Dominguez is almost like the Gwen Stefani of industrial rock/metal!
Gravity Kills - "Enough" from Gravity Kills (1996)
4/5. Another piece of alt-rock/industrial metal that I love, but still not enough to go further with this band. The last time I heard this band was from another Sphere playlist track from two months ago. Even now, you can jam out during a long drive! Definitely having some vibes from Nine Inch Nails, Ministry, and a bit of that KMFDM song.
Scum of the Earth - "Bombshell From Hell" from Sleaze Freak (2007)
3.5/5. This continues the Rob Zombie-like horror groove punch, a decent song to like.
Spineshank - "Beginning of the End" from Self-Destructive Pattern (2003)
3.5/5. Many listeners might know this song from the Freddy vs. Jason soundtrack. I would've liked this a lot more when I was 14 and listening to alt-rock/metal before my switch to "real" metal, but I can still jam out to this one now at age 23, I guess. I'm not a huge fan of horror films, but this tune works out quite well for that movie.
Lard - "War Pimp Renaissance" from Pure Chewing Satisfaction (1997)
4/5. Once again, if you wanna hear a collaboration project between Jello Biafra and Ministry, you would be lucky with this band Lard.
Zeromancer - "Doctor Online" from Eurotrash (2001)
4.5/5. This song is something to love if you're up for a poppy-ish mix of Nine Inch Nails and Orgy. This is almost as suicide-encouraging than the majority of DSBM, but if you end up in the mood to calling this hotline, DON'T DO IT. Get help!
Motionless in White - "Cyberhex" from Scoring the End of the World (2022)
5/5. Motionless in White came back with an epic vengeance in the first single of their new album, with guest narration from Lindsay Schoolcraft, formerly of Cradle of Filth.
Dawn of Ashes - "Scars of the Broken" from Scars of the Broken (2022)
4.5/5. Dawn of Ashes can have some misleading instrumentation, y'know. Like sounding epic in the beginning, but it ends up remaining as metalized industrial-techno. It's still a very great soul-toucher with distant wonders that can give you sonic delight. The interesting factor would've reached perfection with a f***ing lot more metal though.
Black Light Discipline - "Self Control" from Against Each Other (2012)
4/5. Now this is a pretty great cover of an 80s disco song, and I'm a sucker for those kind of metal covers. The song was originally by Italian singer Raf, then popularized by Laura Branigan. A cool tribute to the 80s to play and jam out! Though this electro-industrial metal style works out well, Nightwish should cover that song next.
Breach the Void - "Propagate" from The Monochromatic Era (2010)
3.5/5. If you like this band, you might like a lot more cyber metal. Though my relationship with cyber metal is still strained...
Heldmaschine - "Nachts am Kanal" from Propaganda (2014)
3/5. ...So is my relationship with Neue Deutsche Härte. The German listeners might find this cool though, and it can work as an MMORPG theme.
Terminal Choice - "Keine Macht" from Ubermacht (2010)
3.5/5. This is slightly better, but again I would like this better if I was German.
Godflesh - "Gift from Heaven (Heavenly)" from Love and Hate in Dub (1997)
4/5. Continuing Daniel's idea of adding a long ambient track (from the previous two playlists), this is like an apocalyptic transcendence to Hell, in a good way.
Marilyn Manson - "Tainted Love" from The Golden Age of Grotesque (2003)
4.5/5. Another industrial metal cover of a popular disco song from the 80s. Marilyn Manson's version was originally released 20 years ago as part of the soundtrack to Not Another Teen Movie. Slipknot fanboys, turn away!
Fear Factory - "End of Line" from Aggression Continuum (2021)
5/5. Well, we've come to the end of line for this playlist, along with this album that marks the final Fear Factory one with Burton C. Bell. Probably the best extreme industrial metal song I've heard in a long time, especially those clean vocals. We'll miss you, Burton....
Pretty good playlist I've made, huh? Despite a few slight bumps in the beginning and towards the end... 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!
Once again, I continue to shine more of the spotlight on tracks from the 90s and early 2000s, since my earlier playlists barely have any songs from those eras like one or two per playlist. Of course, I've also added some new tracks from the 2020s, and the in-betweens of the mid-late 2000s and 2010s. I might bring back the spotlight on the new tracks in later playlists once I switch my focus out of those older tracks. After all, brand-new tracks are an essential part of playlists, right? Anyway, I like the way this all turned out, so here are my thoughts on all the selected tracks:
Integrity - "Those Who Fear Tomorrow" from Those Who Fear Tomorrow (1991)
4/5. Dwid Hellion makes an unforgettable shout of "MICHA!!!" that kick-starts this track and playlist, similar to the "NIGHTFALL!!!" scream that begins Dark Tranquillity's debut Skydancer. This was an important part of 90s hardcore, already signifying the metalcore vision of Earth Crisis and Hatebreed, even Killswitch Engage.
Avenged Sevenfold - "Unholy Confessions" from Waking the Fallen (2003)
4.5/5. The real melodic metalcore action begins with this recognizable track, a perfect embodiment of 2003 A7X!! The distinct hammering guitar intro is decently familiar in the metalcore realm, along with the power slides and other varieties in the mix. The tight drumming is so awesome and inspiring. No one can do it like the late Rev! (RIP) The bass patterns are tricky to hear but you can still feel them. The vocals are more enjoyable in the diverse sense than in any other part of the band's discography, alternating between screaming and clean singing. I also enjoy the catchy chorus and harmonies. I'll never argue with the fact that "Unholy Confessions" is the band's breakthrough hit!
Black Veil Brides - "Knives and Pens" from We Stitch the Wounds (2010)
5/5. I found this song that has similar riffing to that Avenged Sevenfold song, and that actually beats that one! I'm starting to love this band already and might support them directly as well, despite dumping those metalcore/emo (man, I hate that latter word) roots. SO AWESOME!!!
Asking Alexandria - "Not the American Average" from Stand Up and Scream (2009)
5/5. One more awesome song to follow the "Unholy Confessions"-like riffing chain, despite the somewhat immature lyrics ("YOU STUPID! F***ING!! WH*RE!!!").
Iwrestledabearonce - "Corey Feldman Holocaust" from Iwrestledabearonce (2007)
4.5/5. Another awesome band who knows how to make a brutal breakdown after a blissful clean bridge. They have definitely surpassed August Burns Red in adding experimentation to metalcore while staying true to the genre. Holy sh*t, the lyrics are sick without having to understand! Part of the experimentation comes from comedic samples including, towards the end, the iconic Super Mario Bros. jingle and, shortly after, a line from Clerks, "Hey try not to suck any d*ck on the way to the parking lot."
The Tony Danza Tapdance Extravaganza - "Paul Bunyan and the Blue Ox" from Danza 4: The Alpha - the Omega (2012)
5/5. This is pure beauty! Probably the most insane mathcore swarm without vocals, that you can tap-dance to so hard that you can cause an earthquake on the streets. So much intricate elegance in perhaps my favorite song of this f***ing sick and killer album!
Rorschach - "In the Year of Our Lord" from Remain Sedate (1990)
4.5/5. The name of this track can easily refer to this year being the year of the creators of metalcore, Rorschach!
Trivium - "Ember to Inferno" from Ember to Inferno (2003)
5/5. Here they unleash their upbeat yet heavy metalcore guitar riffs, similar to Shadows Fall, that not only sound good but keep the listener going through the music, not just the lyrics, including its incredible lightning-fast solo.
Premonitions of War - "Time for Iron" from Premonitions of War (2000)
2.5/5. Wow, this sounds worse than I thought in Spotify! Why the f*** did I choose this?! Probably because it's under a minute long and I wanna get this sh*t out of here fast in my early metalcore subgenres tour.
Born of Osiris - "Rosecrance" from The New Reign (2007)
3.5/5. This is an unusual yet mind-blowing opening track. It is one of the oldest songs by the band to be re-recorded from an earlier demo, the first version being as early as 2004, when they were a post-hardcore/deathcore band called Your Heart Engraved. In the song, the keyboard doesn't appear until the end. There's a lot of sharp chugging in the guitars, made groove-sounding with the impressive vocals. After over the first half-minute is a lovable but annoying break that would confuse you until you listen to more of the riff-wrath and drumming.
Converge - "Eagles Become Vultures" from You Fail Me (2004)
5/5. Totally the best song in its original album! The intro drum fill sends you into the great hellfire of energetic riffs, insane drums, and vocals screaming scathing lyrics. There's a fantastic breakdown with dissonant chords with Bannon shrieking, "Our eagles become our vultures!!"
Earth Crisis - "Firestorm/Forged in the Flames" from Firestorm (1993)
5/5. Karl Buechner indirectly screams out a message against all the world's problems, in the popular title track of this EP Firestorm, "A chemically tainted welfare generation, absolute complete moral degeneration". The track is indexed together with "Forged in the Flames", an incredible anthem for The Revolution.
Snapcase - "Killing Yourself To Live" from Progression Through Unlearning (1997)
4.5/5. Now this kicks a**! This was back in the hardcore side of metalcore was still reigning and can cause cool riots. I'm not currently thinking of continuing my non-melodic metalcore rediscovery journey, but if I do, this album might be a good one to start with. Great one, Daniel!
Deadguy - "Free Mustache Rides" from Screamin' with the Deadguy Quintet (1996)
5/5. This is the odd yet best one in this EP. The lyrics and screams can be scary as sh*t for newcomers while having a bit of humor, particularly in the title.
Deformity - "The Dark Sun" from Murder Within Sin (1999)
4.5/5. The centerpiece of this song's entire album, and a great underrated part of death metal/deathcore history. The riffing starts off sounding like Slayer before leading into bruising death, complete with screams and growls in the vocals. That's how explosive death metal/core can be!
Crawlspace - "Enter the Realm of Chaos" from Enter the Realm of Chaos (2001)
3/5. The best song for me in this poor attempt of a death metal/core EP, with good drums in the mix, and once it's all over, the album's piano/string intro is reprised.
God Forbid - "Chains of Humanity" from IV: Constitution of Treason (2005)
5/5. This is the strongest headbanging track of its original album, binding together extreme Megadeth-like riffing with an intense yet melodic chorus. The "STRENGTH! BEYOND STRENGTH!!" bridge with Byron Davis’ shouting really gives the song more commanding force.
Underoath - "The Only Survivor Was Miraculously Unharmed" from Lost in the Sound of Separation (2008)
5/5. This is a furious follow-up, stunning you way hard. Once again, what makes that song a highlight is the drumming by Gillespie. That and his singing keeps getting better album after album, dominating alongside melodic chanting after all that fire and brimstone.
Electric Callboy - "We Got the Moves" from We Got the Moves (2021)
4.5/5. Another music video from Electric Callboy that my brother likes and gave me the idea to add this song to the playlist. Keep the trance-dance up and high! It's so bizarre yet worth approaching, this wild roller.
Memphis May Fire - "Wanting More" from This Light I Hold (2016)
4.5/5. H*ll yes, I want some more of this!
Upon a Burning Body - "Snake Eyes" from A New Responsibility (2022)
5/5. ...And even more of this! This banger shows Upon a Burning Body channeling their Pantera spirit while reminding some of Throwdown. You can hear that all the way to the ending bass line! This would be a crazy good live staple. SO G****MN AWESOME!!! Well done, guys!
In Hearts Wake - "Warcry" from Ark (2017)
5/5. The lyrics are well-written from this solid band! At least there isn't a wild breakdown in every moment (except the bridge), easier for this song to be preserved for eternity.
Northlane - "Citizen" from Mesmer (2017)
5/5. Both this album and that In Hearts Wake album were released a year after both bands' collaborative EP. For this track, OMG, I have no words to describe this beauty!
Down & Dirty - "Heaven Sent" from Heaven Sent (2017)
4.5/5. This is one of those songs you can use to comfort yourself after a painful relationship, especially those cool lyrics. This can almost be like a combination of Architects and the early 2010s eras of Asking Alexandria and Bring Me the Horizon. This can really show how relationships can end up dead in Hell. The vocals rule here!
Kingdom of Giants - "Wayfinder" from Passenger (2020)
4/5. Another underrated song with cool production, though I'm not into the synthwave undertone.
Sienna Skies - "Misunderstood" from A Darker Shade of Truth (2016)
4.5/5. The vocals sound really good, almost like early 2010s Parkway Drive, though there is a clean chorus.
Wage War - "If Tomorrow Never Comes" from Manic (2021)
5/5. If tomorrow never comes and we watch the world burn, at least we have this awesome banger!
Betraying the Martyrs - "Swan Song" from Silver Lining (2022)
5/5. This is pretty awesome! With a new frontman, Betraying the Martyrs have completed their transformation from symphonic deathcore to technical metalcore that Make Them Suffer have completed two years prior. Probably my favorite track in this EP!
Shadow of Intent - "The Dreaded Mystic Abyss" from Melancholy (2020)
4.5/5. Another long instrumental epic, a mind-blowing monster that has hit me the hardest in my 9 years of metal. I still only have mild interest in Shadow of Intent, though I guess this could be what the DOOM soundtrack would sound like if Angel Vivaldi teamed up with Mick Gordon. 10 minutes of atmospheric, epic, and brutal genius!
Every Time I Die - "We Go Together" from Radical (2021)
5/5. This track ends this playlist and Every Time I Die's final album similarly to Between the Buried and Me's Automata pair of albums, a theatrical metal ending encouraging us to go together. I didn't the band would actually go for real... RIP
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!
Wow, Saxy, it's incredibly nice of you for me that you've placed all 5 of my suggestions first before the rest of the playlist. Thanks for that! However, I'm still kind of straining from some of the more melodic genres, such as the melodic side of progressive metal, but don't worry, I'm still staying in The Infinite, I just need to pace myself if I want my time in the clan for be more bearable for me. I still look forward to submitting track suggestions for next month's Infinite playlist, and I have a special amount planned for then. In the meantime, here are my thoughts on over half of the tracks here:
Between the Buried and Me - "Specular Reflection" (from The Parallax: Hypersleep Dialogues)
4.5/5. Ah, one of my favorite BTBAM epics when I was still listening to that band. This can be reduced to a 7-minute radio edit and still be brilliant! The melodic and aggressive chills are a nice step up from the previous album The Great Misdirect. The clean singing sections can remind some of Circa Survive.
Dream Theater - "Hell's Kitchen" (from Falling into Infinity)
4/5. This instrumental is, contrary to the title, like transcending through Heaven's gates in magnificent mind-space. Still it did not beat the other Dream Theater instrumentals I liked when I was still enjoying this band, especially "Stream of Consciousness" which takes its title from a lyric in the epic coming after this track, "Lines in the Sand".
Leprous - "Restless" (from Bilateral)
4.5/5. A short catchy song with Einar Solberg's vocals ranging from peaceful to, that's right, restless!
Seventh Wonder - "Victorious" (from Tiara)
5/5. There's another reason why I would never forget Kamelot, and that's because of the powerful vocals of Tommy Karevik, who's also in this band Seventh Wonder. It's songs like this that make me enjoy the best of both worlds reigning victorious!
Veil of Maya - "Doublespeak" (from False Idol)
5/5. This song is aptly named because of both the singing and the growling playing out well in the lighter instrumentation. The chorus filled with singing really creates a beautiful aura along with rising drumming. The guitar tone lingers through heavy verses before the delicate chorus.
Threshold - "Silenced" (from Silenced)
4.5/5. I've practically forgotten about this band in the two years since I've given up interest in them after a mere two months, but now I remember them again with this excellent new song. Welcome back, Threshold! Absolutely sensational and could almost make an instant classic.
Cynic - "Infinite Shapes" (from Kindly Bent to Free Us)
4/5. Interesting choice, since this is from Cynic's small break from metal in Kindly Bent to Free Us. With that said, this was one of my favorite tracks from the album with the best lyrics there. So beautiful, especially the g****mn synthesized wolf howling at over the 3-minute part that then transitions into guitar. This is also the final album with the two Seans before their untimely passings in separate ends of 2020. RIP...
Mastodon - "More Than I Could Chew" (from Hushed and Grim)
4.5/5. A killer track from Mastodon's recent offering that marks their first double album. So f***ing beautiful, but what else can I say?
Novembre - "Jules" (from Materia)
5/5. An astonishing blend of progressive metal with gothic/doom influences, similarly to Green Carnation in the early 2000s. I think I might've found a decent re-entryway into gothic/doom metal, thanks to this track!
The Ocean - "Triassic" (from Phanerozoic II: Mesozoic | Cenozoic)
4.5/5. This one has heavy dynamic groove and stays in a between clean soft melody and harsh aggressive riffing. They haven't unleashed their contained destruction yet until later on in that album.
Protest the Hero - "The Canary" (from Palimpsest)
5/5. This song shows intricate groove hooks alongside the captivating narrative. The charging pace and epic dramatic chorus really makes that song a sweet highlight.
I like the idea of adding new singles from upcoming albums, and that's kind of what I've been submitting to some of the playlists for my clans lately. After all, that's an essential part of playlists, isn't it? Anyway, once again I'm going to comment on a few tracks here that I still like, for memories' sake. Here are my thoughts:
Blind Guardian – “Deliver Us From Evil” (from “Blood Of The Elves”, 2022)
4.5/5. The opening track and single from the band's upcoming album The God Machine has great lyrics based on the play The Crucible.
Slough Feg – “Street Jammer" (from "Hardworlder”, 2007)
4/5. I like this one. I have not yet heard the original song by Manilla Road, but honestly, I'm still not in the mood for a big amount of Guardians discoveries.
Avantasia – “The Wicked Rule the Night” (from “The Moonflower Society”, 2022)
4.5/5. New single from the upcoming Avantasia album A Paranormal Evening with the Moonflower Society, and it sounds great, especially the vocals by Ralf Scheepers from Primal Fear and formerly Gamma Ray.
Dark Moor – “Somewhere in Dreams” (from “Project X”, 2015)
5/5. I actually meant the original version of this song from The Hall of the Olden Dreams, but never mind, this one's perfect too. Alfred Romero's vocals sound amazing, though Elisa C. Martin had a slightly greater edge in the original. A power metal classic nonetheless!
Virgin Steele – “Through the Ring of Fire” (from “Hymns to Victory”, 2018)
4.5/5. The power metal sound courses through your veins and turns your heart steel. This song is part of an incredibly long double-and-a-half album, The House of Atreus. Some songs from this band, like this one, are still fantastic for me. The sound is so dynamic, especially back in the late 90s, when genres like power metal were building up their untouchable glory. This band would've connected to me better if I was listening to them at age 15 when I was enjoying bands like Blind Guardian much more back then.
Scanner - "Terrion" (from "Hypertrace", 1988)
5/5. OK, now this is amazing! It sounds like a much better continuation of Helloween's original speed metal sound that they dumped that year for their Keeper of the Seven Keys. Grand 80s speed/heavy metal that might make up to exploring more of this band and speed metal! Talk about ending this playlist in a mighty speedy bang.
Saxy, let me just say, you have done such as incredible job assembling this month's Gateway and Infinite playlists! This tracklisting has encouraged me to go through the entire playlist and find excellent tracks from bands I already listen to along with different bands in which some of them I feel up to trying some more songs from them. Well done, please keep it up! So let's get my track thought journey started:
Reliqa - "The Bearer of Bad News" (from The Bearer of Bad News)
4.5/5. This one's quite great, promising a more progressive future for alternative metal. Good killer technicality!
Dorje - "Catalyst" (from Catalyst)
4/5. Beautiful mixing here, with an intro groove that's like Alice in Chains' "Them Bones" on steroids.
Floodgate - "Running With Sodden Legs" (from Penalty)
3.5/5. In the year of Sepultura's Roots, 1996, Floodgate was active for one album. Pretty d*mn good, but I'm not into this stoner-ish style of alt-metal.
36 Crazyfists - "Where Revenge Ends" (from Lanterns)
4/5. 36 Crazyfists is one of my recent favorite alt-metalcore bands, and they've always stayed steady on their feet, even in soft ballads like this one. You can feel the deep soothing touch within your heart.
Pyogenesis - "Undead" (from Twinaleblood)
3.5/5. I haven't heard this band before, but I probably would've loved it better if I continued developing my initial alt-rock/metal interest 10 years ago.
Evanescence - "Sweet Sacrifice" (from The Open Door)
4/5. This is a heavy lamenting anthem showing how much a breakup can feel like freedom ("It's true we're all a little insane, but it's so clear now that I'm unchained").
Helmet - "Crashing Foreign Cars" (from Size Matters)
4.5/5. This is a nice song to love, especially after getting immersed in one of their earlier albums Strap It On. Many listeners might know this song as part of the soundtrack for Need for Speed Underground 2.
DIR EN GREY - "Beautiful Dirt" (from Withering to Death)
5/5. Man, for a song with the word "Beautiful" in the title, it's very aggressive the way I love it, especially the direct lyrics. If this band continues re-recording their songs, they should definitely do this one!
Clawfinger - "Don't Wake Me Up" (from Clawfinger)
4.5/5. I don't usually like rap-ish nu metal (except a bit of Linkin Park), but this one's an excellent tune to take you to mystifying dimensions. It has kind of an emo vibe here (the mood, not the genre).
Five Finger Death Punch - "Got Your Six" (from Got Your Six)
4/5. My brother has been a huge fan of 7FDP among other alt-metal bands. This shall encourage combat soldiers to fight their enemies and GET THEIR SIX! Another good song to love and fight for your rights.
Giraffe Tongue Orchestra - "Crucifixion" (from Broken Lines)
4.5/5. An amazing great track from a supergroup that includes guitarists Brent Hinds (Mastodon) and Ben Weinman (The Dillinger Escape Plan).
Katatonia - "Buildings" (from Dead End Kings)
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.
Spiritbox - "Rotoscope" (from Rotoscope) (song already in last month's playlist, but I'll let it slide this time)
4.5/5. Spiritbox is back with a great hysterical alt-metalcore tune!
Memphis May Fire - "Misery" (from Remade in Misery)
5/5. One of only two tracks from Memphis May Fire's new album to not be a single (the other being "The Fight Within), and it's an underrated piece of greatness, with lyrics to love to bits! Has a bit of a vibe from Motionless in White, who also released a new album the same month. We'll get to a song from that album after this next one...
Yakui the Maid - "Guilt" (from Flock)
4.5/5. An odd digital-sounding instrumental, but I quite love this!
Motionless in White - "Scoring the End of the World" (from Scoring the End of the World)
5/5. One of my favorite songs from the brand-new Motionless in White, with amazing lyrics and melodies, plus a total headbanging breakdown! This can motivate listeners to look out for a possible apocalypse. While this song fits well for the Gateway playlist, I have another song from the album in the Sphere playlist, which I'll tell you over there. I guess Mick Gordon's instrumentation work could've been heavier, but it all comes out perfectly!
The Butterfly Effect - "One Second of Insanity" (from Begins Here)
4.5/5. A d*mn brilliant song that would be better suited for my brother's alt-metal/post-grunge taste, though it close to the Karnivool-like sound that I like. Either way, this is a killer and f***ing underrated tune!
Lacuna Coil - "Kill the Light" (from Dark Adrenaline)
4/5. Another insane yet lovable song. Enough said!
Nekrogoblikon - "Bones" (from The Fundamental Slimes and Humours)
4.5/5. There's a Goblikon in all of us, and I'm glad that my brother's enjoying this lately.
While She Sleeps - "CALL OF THE VOID" (from SLEEPS SOCIETY)
5/5. Probably the best and most epic part of its original album!
Finger Eleven - "Awake and Dreaming" (from Tip)
4.5/5. I love this nice beautiful song from the 90s, though it sounds closer to Our Lady Peace. Before this, I only knew this band from one of my brother's favorite songs, "Living in a Dream", which happened to be the final song in a rock music program from a channel that ended up discontinued shortly after. So this is a good way to end here...
I gave this one a listen and a (not-so-full) review, and if anyone thinks this kind of grind-mathcore chaos is worth it for me, well.... https://metal.academy/reviews/26007/14030
Here's my submission for the September Guardians playlist:
Freedom Call - "Metal is for Everyone" (from Master of Light, 2016)
No worries, Daniel.
It's not yet updated, Morpheus.
Daniel, Sonny, each of you guys have a good Revolution track you wanna submit? I plan to start working on the September playlist later this week.
Deconstruction is what I think is the true start of the 4-part metal saga of the Devin Townsend Project (the other 3 parts being Epicloud, Z², and Transcendence), spawning brilliant (often humorous) masterpieces like this 16-minute epic with a strange title:
Still not forgetting this strange yet brilliant epic!
Part of the problem I had with Machine Head's The Blackening is the lyrics in a few songs here, like in this f***ing slanderous stinker:
Two years since I've reviewed this album and I still haven't forgotten this atrocity.
I actually gave this album a listen and review as part of a reviewing challenge two years ago. It did not get me into listening to this band full-time because of a few weak disappointments, but who knows, maybe one day... Anyway, here's my review summary:
Machine Head has two sides of the metal coin that can be flipped over at any moment. It might be the groove/thrash metal heads or the nu metal tails. Most of their albums are in the heads, while flipping to the tails in the turn of the new millennium and in their recent album Catharsis. The Blackening is often considered the most thrashy of the band! That sounds about right, and it might be their most progressive album too. The album has long epics, an aspect that I love, and it's better than most nu metal albums out there, so that's a bit promising. The Blackening is a good album, but it left me disappointed by not being the masterpiece people thought it was. This is due to a couple songs, including the first of the two 10-minute epics, having mediocre riffs and vocals, plus one song that's an outright horrible sh*tter. The rest of the album is much better, often having excellent riffs and solos. All in all, The Blackened is a good release that I have mixed feelings for. I gave the album 3.5 stars thanks to the nice flowing vibe and a few great songs. It's nice listening to the great solos that make up for some of the bad parts. Seeing how long the album gap was, it must've taken a long while for the band to mature and compose the songs just to be themselves. There's just isn't a lot I would consider mind-blowing....
3.5/5
I did my review, here's its summary:
Even though I'm glad to join The Sphere, I still haven't listened to as much industrial metal as many of the genres in my other clans, though there might be more, thanks to the tracks I've enjoyed in the Sphere monthly playlists, such as one of the tracks in this album. Termination Bliss is a perfect work of cyber metal and what got me interested in Deathstars, specifically "Blitzkrieg", filled with blazing epic techno-metal fire complete with an awesome mix of voice samples, guitar distortion, and driving rhythm. Many of the other songs are kinda like that, all staying heavy while displaying their usual industrial sound, with a couple calm tracks as well. Termination Bliss is Deathstars' best work and a (inter)stellar piece of cyber metal!
5/5
Recommended tracks: "Tongues", "Blitzkrieg", "Cyanide", "Greatest Fight on Earth", "Play God", "The Last Ammunition"
For fans of: PAIN, Rammstein, Samael
I did my review, here's its summary:
You ever think years from now, in the later part of this century, people are gonna look back at albums dating back to the 2000s and 2010s and realize how much outlandish yet great appeal would carry over to their future children? This album Deconstruction is an experimental evolution of an album to remember! We could finally see again what an extremely talented musician Townsend is. The production is inspiring and the music is ridiculously awesome! The experimental writing stays steady and catchy. The hooks are far more unique than the ones in Addicted or any other album in the world for that matter. An array of vocalists (as many as in Ayreon's albums) help sing these satirical yet meaningful lyrics for a bombastic nature taking this wonderful offering to where no other album has gone before... This mighty array includes harsh vocalists from Opeth, Between the Buried and Me, Gojira, and The Dillinger Escape Plan, clean singers from bands like Cynic and Nightwish, and a guitar solo from Meshuggah. This unique mix of orchestral electro-industrial progressive metal that occurs in many songs, including a 16-minute epic in the middle, can be referred to as "Ziltoidian metal". But I refer to this album as...next-gen extreme Ayreon!
5/5
Recommended tracks: "Stand", "Planet of the Apes", "Sumeria", "The Mighty Masturbator", "Pandemic"
For fans of: Ayreon, Between the Buried and Me, Strapping Young Lad
I did my review, here's its summary:
Northlane were named after a song from metalcore band Architects and once known for their djent-fueled metalcore sound. While experimenting on their untouchable sound in recent albums might alienate their fanbase, for me, it fits well with my current clans! Many of the songs are bangers filled with emotion and talent in their music. The songs all stay heavy while displaying their dance-y industrial experimentation, with a couple calm tracks as well. The band has been plagued with lineup changes and other problems over the years, but they've never given up. Obsidian is the album they've pretty much dreamt of making, and much different from what they had 10 years prior. Well done, Northlane! You've served a masterpiece for the new modern metal age!
5/5
Recommended tracks: "Clarity", "Clockwork", "Echo Chamber", "Plenty", "Xen", "Cypher", "Obsidian"
For fans of: Mushroomhead, and the more recent albums by Architects and Code Orange
August 2022
1. Static-X - "Regeneration" from Project Regeneration, Vol. 1 (2020)
2. Rob Zombie - "The Triumph of King Freak (A Crypt of Preservation and Superstition)" from The Lunar Injection Kool Aid Eclipse Conspiracy (2021)
3. White Zombie - "More Human Than Human" from Astro-Creep: 2000 – Songs of Love, Destruction and Other Synthetic Delusions of the Electric Head (1995)
4. Vigilante - "Answers" from The Heroes' Code (2005)
5. Emigrate - "Eat You Alive" from Silent So Long (2014)
6. Die Krupps - "Welcome to the Blackout" from Vision 2020 Vision (2019)
7. Strapping Young Lad - "Wrong Side" from The New Black (2006) [submitted by Shadowdoom9 (Andi)]
8. Samael - "Jupiterian Vibe" from Passage (1996) [submitted by Shadowdoom9 (Andi)]
9. Ministry - "Alter Level" from Moral Hygiene (2021)
10. KMFDM - "Juke-Joint Jezebel" from Nihil (1995)
11. Code Orange - "Erasure Scan" from Underneath (2020) [submitted by Daniel]
12. Northlane - "Echo Chamber" from Obsidian (2022)
13. Kidneythieves - "The Invisible Plan" from The Invisible Plan (2011)
14. Gravity Kills - "Enough" from Gravity Kills (1996)
15. Scum of the Earth - "Bombshell From Hell" from Sleaze Freak (2007)
16. Spineshank - "Beginning of the End" from Self-Destructive Pattern (2003)
17. Lard - "War Pimp Renaissance" from Pure Chewing Satisfaction (1997)
18. Zeromancer - "Doctor Online" from Eurotrash (2001)
19. Motionless in White - "Cyberhex" from Scoring the End of the World (2022)
20. Dawn of Ashes - "Scars of the Broken" from Scars of the Broken (2022)
21. Black Light Discipline - "Self Control" from Against Each Other (2012)
22. Breach the Void - "Propagate" from The Monochromatic Era (2010)
23. Heldmaschine - "Nachts am Kanal" from Propaganda (2014)
24. Terminal Choice - "Keine Macht" from Ubermacht (2010)
25. Godflesh - "Gift from Heaven (Heavenly)" from Love and Hate in Dub (1997) [submitted by Shadowdoom9 (Andi)]
26. Marilyn Manson - "Tainted Love" from The Golden Age of Grotesque (2003)
27. Fear Factory - "End of Line" from Aggression Continuum (2021)
August 2022
1. Integrity - "Those Who Fear Tomorrow" from Those Who Fear Tomorrow (1991)
2. Avenged Sevenfold - "Unholy Confessions" from Waking the Fallen (2003)
3. Black Veil Brides - "Knives and Pens" from We Stitch the Wounds (2010)
4. Asking Alexandria - "Not the American Average" from Stand Up and Scream (2009) [submitted by Shadowdoom9 (Andi)]
5. Iwrestledabearonce - "Corey Feldman Holocaust" from Iwrestledabearonce (2007)
6. The Tony Danza Tapdance Extravaganza - "Paul Bunyan and the Blue Ox" from Danza 4: The Alpha - the Omega (2012)
7. Rorschach - "In the Year of Our Lord" from Remain Sedate (1990)
8. Trivium - "Ember to Inferno" from Ember to Inferno (2003)
9. Premonitions of War - "Time for Iron" from Premonitions of War (2000)
10. Born of Osiris - "Rosecrance" from The New Reign (2007) [submitted by Shadowdoom9 (Andi)]
11. Converge - "Eagles Become Vultures" from You Fail Me (2004) [submitted by Shadowdoom9 (Andi)]
12. Earth Crisis - "Firestorm/Forged in the Flames" from Firestorm (1993) [submitted by Shadowdoom9 (Andi)]
13. Snapcase - "Killing Yourself To Live" from Progression Through Unlearning (1997) [submitted by Daniel]
14. Deadguy - "Free Mustache Rides" from Screamin' with the Deadguy Quintet (1996)
15. Deformity - "The Dark Sun" from Murder Within Sin (1999)
16. Crawlspace - "Enter the Realm of Chaos" from Enter the Realm of Chaos (2001)
17. God Forbid - "Chains of Humanity" from IV: Constitution of Treason (2005) [submitted by Shadowdoom9 (Andi)]
18. Underoath - "The Only Survivor Was Miraculously Unharmed" from Lost in the Sound of Separation (2008) [submitted by Shadowdoom9 (Andi)]
19. Electric Callboy - "We Got the Moves" from We Got the Moves (2021)
20. Memphis May Fire - "Wanting More" from This Light I Hold (2016)
21. Upon a Burning Body - "Snake Eyes" from A New Responsibility (2022)
22. In Hearts Wake - "Warcry" from Ark (2017)
23. Northlane - "Citizen" from Mesmer (2017)
24. Down & Dirty - "Heaven Sent" from Heaven Sent (2017)
25. Kingdom of Giants - "Wayfinder" from Passenger (2020)
26. Sienna Skies - "Misunderstood" from A Darker Shade of Truth (2016)
27. Wage War - "If Tomorrow Never Comes" from Manic (2021)
28. Betraying the Martyrs - "Swan Song" from Silver Lining (2022)
29. Shadow of Intent - "The Dreaded Mystic Abyss" from Melancholy (2020)
30. Every Time I Die - "We Go Together" from Radical (2021) [submitted by Shadowdoom9 (Andi)]
This band mixes alternative/nu metal with bits of electro-industrial in a way that I think would surely surpass Slipknot and Static-X by many miles:
Coldrain are back, and they are back strong with this perfect anthem:
Thanks, Daniel!
A Texas thrash metal anthem from my youth.
Interesting choice, Daniel. To me, it sounds fun yet forgettable, but what can I say? I'm not too fully immersed in this earlier groove/thrash, and my metal youth was much more recent. With that said though, this shred-tastic thrasher has made up for the album's mistakes:
Thanks, Daniel! I’d also like the Atheist and Trivium albums I’ve submitted last month sent to the Hall when possible please:
Ben, please add these new albums:
Betraying the Martyrs - Silver Lining (EP)
Bleeding Through - Rage (EP)
Coldrain - Nonnegative
Thinking a lot about that Pestilence album, aren't we?
Shoegazy, djenty alternative metal from Melbourne, Australia. Aussie Aussie Aussie.... Oi Oi Oi....
Cinematic alt-metal that can easily fit in a Hollywood film soundtrack!
I did my review, here's its summary:
I've noticed what an easily different journey Thornhill has taken in this album. They've boarded a new concept in the style and lyrics, heading into alt-metal territory in a similar yet less industrial manner to Northlane. I've enjoyed the majority of Heroine without letting my expectations run wild. Many of the songs here have a more cinematic take on alt-metal, sometimes mixed with bits of djent and metalcore, and in a few songs, combined with 90s grungy nostalgia, all in inspiring poetry and sound! It would be boring for the band to stay with their original sound whether or not that's what fans want, so don't dismiss something that's different. Just listen and learn!
4.5/5.
Classy Dutch progressive death metal from 1993.
What a prog-death trip this is, boldly expanding beyond death metal's boundaries where the genre had never gone before!
I did my review, here's its summary:
Dutch band Pestilence made a brilliant evolving revolution in the European death metal scene in the late 80s and early 90s. First they were thrash, then death, then tech-death... Then came top-notch original progressive death metal in Spheres, making the many elements that were in their first 3 albums possible! Patrick Maneli and co. bring their music to more imaginative realms beyond comprehension, despite disapproval from heavier fans and the band doubting their future, leading to their 15-year split. I really mean it when I say that I just found what might be my favorite Pestilence album and a true motivation to get me listening to this band full-time. Sure the music disappointed earlier extreme fans who prefer Testimony of the Ancients or earlier. While that album is great too, Spheres has a better understanding in attracting attention with its unique sound, and it would make open-minded listeners want more. It was a risky yet intriguing move for the band. Whether the consequences were good or bad for them, they've never lost their stylistic essence. Spheres is quite a spacy through dynamic thrash-ish prog-death, plus a few ambient interludes, and was the band's last attempt at changing their style into something phenomenal before their long hiatus. The album has placed this band in the tech-death league along with Cynic and Atheist, thanks to their combination of space and extreme. A unique masterpiece before their disappearance from activity!
5/5
Djent-ish industrial/alternative metal, from NSW, Australia:
THE FALLEN: Type O Negative - "World Coming Down" (1999) 4.5/5 (as I recall from the rating I had until last year)
THE GATEWAY: Thornhill - "Heroine" (2022) 4.5/5
THE HORDE: Pestilence - "Spheres" (1993) 5/5
THE INFINITE: Plini - "Homemade Cities" (2016) 5/5
THE REVOLUTION: Every Time I Die - "Radical" (2021) 5/5
My greatest discovery for this month Pestilence's Spheres, my own submission Every Time I Die's Radical, and one of Saxy's submissions Plini's Handmade Cities, all each receive a perfect 5 stars. I also commented on Daniel's Fallen feature release submission that I haven't listened to in over a year, Type O Negative's World Coming Down, that and Saxy's other submission Thornhill's Heroine are great enough for 4.5 stars. Glad to see some positive reaction for all those releases! It's been an awesome month. Though I'll skip out on The Sphere feature release because I've had enough of video game soundtracks disguising themselves as metal when they're aren't. Keep up the good work on the feature releases, all! I look forward to more...
Here are my overall ratings for the playlists I've reviewed this month (July):
1. Gateway playlist - 4.5/5 (number of songs commented: ALL 21)
2. Guardians playlist - 4.5/5 (number of songs commented: 5)
3. Infinite playlist - 4.5/5 (number of songs commented: ALL 17)
4. Revolution playlist - 4/5 (number of songs commented: ALL 30)
4. Sphere playlist - 4/5 (number of songs commented: ALL 24)
So far, I've only commented on 5 tracks in the Guardians playlist, but for 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 the Gateway and Infinite playlists made by Saxy and the Revolution and Sphere playlists made by me. I would 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 have some suggestions for the August playlist...
Helloween - The Sage, The Fool, The Sinner
Manticora - 1944. Playing God
Mercyful Fate - Burn In Hell
Morpheus, I just found out that your Helloween track submission is not available on Spotify. If you're up to replacing that one with one or a few more submissions (as long as the total length of your submissions is under 30 minutes), please feel free to do so. I'm glad you're contributing more to this recently nearly-deserted clan, Morpheus. The Guardians need you!
An early wicked combo of groove-ish hardcore/metalcore and Deicide-like death metal:
Ben, please add Nineironspitfire. Their EP Seventh Soul Sacrificed is an early example of mathcore, was released as a CD, and can be found on Spotify.
Here are my sneak peek submissions for the August Sphere playlist (now at 3 of them):
Godflesh - "Gift from Heaven (Heavenly)" (10:11) from Love and Hate in Dub (1997)
Samael - "Jupiterian Vibe" (3:23) from Passage (1996)
Strapping Young Lad - "Wrong Side" (3:35) from The New Black (2006)
Total length: 17:09
Here are my sneak peek submissions for the August Revolution playlist:
Asking Alexandria - "Not the American Average" (4:39) from Stand Up and Scream (2009)
Born of Osiris - "Rosecrance" (2:11) from The New Reign (2007)
Converge - "Eagles Become Vultures" (2:10) from You Fail Me (2004)
Earth Crisis - "Firestorm/Forged in the Flames" (6:38) from Firestorm (1993)
Every Time I Die - "We Go Together" (5:02) from Radical (2021)
God Forbid - "Chains of Humanity" (4:03) from IV: Constitution of Treason (2005)
Underoath - "The Only Survivor Was Miraculously Unharmed" (3:09) from Lost in the Sound of Separation (2008)
Total length: 27:52
Here are my submissions for the August Infinite playlist:
Between the Buried and Me - "Specular Reflection" (11:21) from The Parallax: Hypersleep Dialogues (2011)
Dream Theater - "Hell's Kitchen" (4:16) from Falling Into Infinity (1997)
Leprous - "Restless" (3:30) from Bilateral (2011)
Seventh Wonder - "Victorious" (4:55) from Tiara (2018)
Veil of Maya - "Doublespeak" (4:12) from False Idol (2017)
Total length: 28:14
Here are my submissions for the August Gateway playlist:
36 Crazyfists - "Where Revenge Ends" (2:29) from Lanterns (2017)
Dir En Grey - "Beautiful Dirt" (2:33) from Withering to Death (2005)
Evanescence - "Sweet Sacrifice" (3:05) from The Open Door (2006)
Five Finger Death Punch - "Got Your Six" (2:58) from Got Your Six (2015)
Katatonia - "Buildings" (3:28) from Dead End Kings (2012)
Memphis May Fire - "Misery" (3:12) from Remade in Misery (2022)
Motionless in White - "Scoring the End of the World" (3:48) from Scoring the End of the World (2022)
Nekrogoblikon - "Bones" (4:11) from The Fundamental Slimes and Humours (2022)
While She Sleeps - "Call of the Void" (4:11) from Sleeps Society (2021)
Total length: 29:51
Here are my thoughts on all the selected tracks:
Godflesh - "Perfect Skin" from Slavestate (1991)
5/5. Ah, the perfect start to this Sphere playlist, continuing the never-ending chain of Sphere playlists containing a Godflesh song. It's amazing how talented Justin Broadrick has been since those days when he was younger than I am currently. All hail the f***ing beautiful sounds of Godflesh!
SPF1000 - "Horror Show" from Witch Hunt (2003)
4.5/5. This would be great for a horror movie franchise like Return of the Living Dead or that Cartoon Network series The Grim Adventures of Billy and Mandy. A nice cool horror-themed industrial metal tune!
Treponem Pal - "Silico's Return" from Rockers' Vibes (2017)
3.5/5. Welcome back, Silico! Though I might not return to this one.
Vanity Beach - "Garden of Cruelty" from Garden of Cruelty (2007)
4/5. I like this one, sounding like a more industrial HIM.
Society 1 - "Nothing" from Exit Through Fear (2003)
4.5/5. Another slightly old song that shows this band's killer talent still on after all these years. There's a bit of a nu metal vibe that could get this band into Guitar Hero. That along with the Marilyn Manson-like instrumentation and aesthetics.
Deathstars - "Blitzkrieg" from Termination Bliss (2006)
5/5. This is blazing epic techno-metal fire complete with an awesome mix of voice samples, guitar distortion, and driving rhythm. Excellent single and probably the best in its original album and this playlist!
Lard - "Forkboy" from The Last Temptation of Reid (1990)
4.5/5. Lard is a side-project by ex-Dead Kennedys vocalist Jello Biafra and a few Ministry members, most notably Al Jourgensen. They're currently on hiatus, but they might continue the collaboration with a new album in the future. This is a fun riot-starting song to love. Thrash fans might recognize the Flotsam and Jetsam cover. There's a feeling of death and betrayal here, all in a fun listen.
Circus of Dead Squirrels - "16-Bit Piece of Shit" from Scary Melodies (2022)
4/5. Also a fun track, but I have other ways to revisit the 90s then just the lyrics...
Ap2 - "My Sympathies" from Suspension of Disbelief (2000)
5/5. Another awesome side-project of Celldweller's Klayton! Adding some nice touches in the vocal department is Mark Salomon of Stavesacre and The Crucified. Klayton has worked on many different projects, some of which are Christian. This one's much more soothing than the Circle of Dust track from my previous playlist. The vocals sound almost like Nine Inch Nails' Trent Reznor. There's actually a little more of techno/trance/drum n bass influences here, but it's still metal enough for my enjoyment!
Spectrum-X - "Gnomes Bones" from Darkest Night Ever (2008)
4.5/5. This song is different and catchy. I love the vocals and lyrics here that are weird yet good. This might be great for some RuneScape gnome-slaying! The chorus is quite funny to hear, "the gnomes are coming, they want to steal your pony, they'll take your heart and tear it all apart". As amazing as their doll-like aesthetics!
Punish Yourself - "Spin the Pig" from Spin the Pig (2017)
3.5/5. I enjoy a lot of the music scenes from the Western side of the world (American, French, and German), and this track has a slightly similar sound to Treponem Pal. I might not give this a lot of spins though.
Excessive Force - "Blitzkrieg (Sturzkampf)" from Gentle Death (1993)
4/5. Excessive Force was a short-lived side-project to KMFDM, with some sick kicks and licks from former KMFDM guitarist Günter Schulz and great industrial power from the rest of the crew. "Leather-clad warrior!"
Skrew - "Dark Ride" from Shadow of Doubt (1996)
3.5/5. A little too deep in darkness there. Next!
Strapping Young Lad - "Detox" from City (1997)
4/5. The heavier metalheads wanting to try some industrial might like this track from Devin Townsend's former project Strapping Young Lad. You just want to scream along to those lyrics. "Hey! Devo!"
Samael - "The Cross" from Eternal (1999)
4.5/5. People seem to mistake this song as a Christian hymn, even though the band was going for the opposite. A good reason for me to leave behind all of black metal earlier this year. Will I someday return?...
Thorns - "Underneath The Universe 1" from Thorns (2001)
5/5. Perhaps I might! The spooky atmosphere fits well for this mostly ambient industrial piece, which serves as a contrast to the black metal of Part 2 and the rest of this album. Thanks for this, Daniel!
Dawn of Ashes - "Hexcraft" from The Crypt Injection II (Non Serviam) (2019)
4.5/5. I give this song a good amount of points for the epic orchestral intro, then subtract some for the anti-climatic switch into what's basically metalized industrial techno. It's still very great though!
Unit:187 - "Threatened" from Out for Blood (2010)
4/5. I like this one, loading up some great industrial metal fury, though probably closer to the style of Front Line Assembly.
Turmion Kätilöt - "Faster Than God" from Universal Satan (2018)
3.5/5. Some really hard work they've made in this track, though running a little too wild.
Minority Sound - "Cyberkitty" from Analysis (2010)
3/5. Kinda overdosing on the cyber elements here, but fine.
Tanzwut - "Meer" from Ihr wolltet Spass (2003)
3.5/5. An interesting timeless mix of Neue Deutsche Härte and medieval folk. A pretty cool song to impress the industrial metal diehards, whom I would be happy to recommend this song to. These guys have worked things out quite well. Unfortunately, I still have trouble getting used to the whole Neue Deutsche Härte business. However, it's still a good song to like and that thought counts.
Metallspürhunde - "Alarm" from Moloch (2011)
3/5. I like this song where all the instrumentation and vocals fit like a glove, though I still struggle with the subgenre.
Neurotech - "Solace" from Solace (2021)
3.5/5. The title track of one of Neurotech's albums, I enjoy slightly better than the other subgenre tracks here. It's a good 8-minute cyber metal epic that listeners would have on repeat. It's almost close to uplifting rock trance! The starting guitar and bass is insanely cool! Some parts might be anti-climatic, but once it builds into the crescendo at over the 5-minute mark, the climax is filled with aggressive divinity. Some cyber metal listeners might be reminded of SyBreed. I think the remaining essential sci-fi industrial metal band I still haven't gotten a grasp on yet is Fear Factory, and perhaps I can when the next playlist assembly is in command.
Code Orange - "Underneath" from Underneath (2020)
4/5. This sounds almost as poppy as Nine Inch Nails. Still it's quite a satisfying ending to this futuristic industrial metal adventure.
Pretty good playlist I've made, huh? Despite a few slight bumps in the second half... 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!
For this month's playlist, I decided to shine more of the spotlight on tracks from the 90s and early 2000s, since my earlier playlists barely have any songs from those eras like one or two per playlist. Part of the inspiration for that motive came from my rediscovery of bands from all different metalcore subgenres (except melodic metalcore when that subgenre wasn't a primary genre at that time), and I would sometimes feel up to adding more to my journey. I like the way this all turned out, so I might continue this for another playlist or so. Of course, I would have to control myself so I don't run out of options from those eras too fast. So here are my thoughts on all the selected tracks:
Eighteen Visions - "1996" from 1996 (2021)
5/5. If we're going travel back to 1996 and its surrounding years, might as well start with a recent song about that year. This is heavy old-school-sounding metalcore that would have you party like it's that year!
Ice Nine Kills - "Funeral Derangements" from The Silver Scream 2: Welcome to Horrorwood (2021)
4.5/5. This is a heavy fast one based on Pet Sematary, in fact basing the music and lyrics on the score and sounds of the movie, the latter coming from a truck horn and a laughing child.
Coalesce - "Simulcast" from 002 (1996)
4/5. This is the only incredible song in that false start of an EP, with some changes into an occasional sludgy sound that would hint at the band's incoming technical experimentation and emotion.
Kublai Khan - "The Truest Love" from Absolute (2019)
3.5/5. Kublai Khan is one of the few bands still around to stay heavy instead of going soft. In fact, the only other band that has probably done the same is Knocked Loose. "FEET TO THE F***ING EARTH!"
Static Dress - "Fleahouse" from Rouge Carpet Disaster (2022)
4/5. This is a melodic starter for its album, bouncing through a noisy mix of singing choruses and harsh verses. It's the perfect setup for what to expect in the album. Things would keep expanding as it all goes on, as the crew stabilize the foundation.
Embodyment - "Religious Infamy" from Embrace the Eternal (1998)
4.5/5. Recorded from an earlier demo is this killer track with brutal growls from Bruce Fitzhugh of Living Sacrifice.
Reprisal - "The Shadow of Mankind" from Boundless Human Stupidity (2000)
3/5. This is the only song that really slightly stands out in this album, reminding me of Underoath at that time.
Caliban - "A Small Boy and a Grey Heaven" from A Small Boy and a Grey Heaven (1999)
3.5/5. This track has the hardcore bass crunch going on that's actually audible, though low and ominous. That's how early metalcore shall roll around here!
Threat Signal - "As I Destruct" from Under Reprisal (2006)
4/5. I loved Threat Signal quite a lot when I was still listening to melodeath mixed with metalcore. The riffs, solos, and drums can be violent in contrast to the melodic singing in the chorus and the awesome solo, probably the best in this playlist that, at this point, has so far gone down to 1996. It's so f***ing good and heavy! I can hear what caused ERRA to be. I would consider the track cyber-ish heavy metalcore.
Bullet for My Valentine - "You Want a Battle? (Here's a War)" from Venom (2015)
4.5/5. This stadium-ready gang-singing anthem really shows the band's higher strengths, having some potential as a theme for a WWE wrestling montage.
Strife - "Question Mark" from One Truth (1994)
4/5. This is the most f***ing metal track in this album, especially that shriek towards the end.
Attack Attack! - "What Happens If I Can't Check My Myspace When We Get There?" from Someday Came Suddenly (2008)
4.5/5. Honestly, this sounds like a mix of metalcore-era Avenged Sevenfold, Black Veil Brides, and Asking Alexandria, plus a bit of Underoath. This is a killer mix of metal and electronics, why exactly do people treat it like sh*t?!
Electric Callboy - "Spaceman" from Spaceman (2022)
4/5. OK, there might be a good amount of metalheads who might hate this, probably hate it far more than Elton John. Sure the instrumentation, vocals, and lyrics might sound ridiculous, but it's still quite fun, and my brother likes it, which is why I submitted this. "The universe is down for my rave attack!"
Integrity - "Jimson Isolation" from Den of Iniquity (1994)
4.5/5. This demo is a sneak peek to their next album System Overload, and has a nice Danzig/Sabbath influence in the pace.
Deadguy - "Die With Your Mask On" from Fixation on a Coworker (1995)
5/5. This mid-paced cruiser keeps up the standard-tuned riff wrath as you hear a ranting frenzy in the vocals ("so quick to deny and patronize"). That's a much better way to start mathcore than the overly experimental Candiria!
Car Bomb - "Vague Skies" from Meta (2019)
4.5/5. An unforgiving sonic crusher.
Damaged - "The Mirror Perils" from Token Remedies Research (1997)
4.5/5. This track is the best of its original album! It turns things around from the sh*tty first half of that album by mixing their deathgrind/deathcore sound with more extreme yet melodic influence than just nu metal.
Rorschach - "Pavlov's Dogs" from Remain Sedate (1990)
5/5. There's not much justice done if I describe in words a song from the very first metalcore album, but this one blasts out into metalcore fury right from its very creation. And those interrogators in Zero Dark Thirty though this music would be torture...
The Artificials - "Lone" from Parables of the Human Spirit (2019)
4.5/5. This is quite f***ing insane! It sounds so emotional, especially the female vocals and that scream over the one-minute mark. The last half-minute is so otherworldly, taking me to another dimension!
Oceans Ate Alaska - "Hansha" from Hikari (2017)
5/5. A different morph between metalcore and ambience. I love it!
Make Them Suffer - "Vortex (Interdimensional Spiral Hindering Inexplicable Euphoria)" from Worlds Apart (2017)
4.5/5. If you pay close attention to this track, the part where vocalist Sean Harmanis screams "A-A A-A-A A-A-A-A A-A A", that's actually Morse code for the subtitle's acronym "ISHIE". Cool, right?!
Betraying the Martyrs - "Black Hole" from Black Hole (2021)
5/5. Sensational new single from BTM! Gotta get the Silver Lining EP as soon as I can...
In Hearts Wake - "Timebomb" from Kaliyuga (2020)
5/5. Alongside the awesome breakdown, this song has a devastating mix of Parkway Drive verses and and Linkin Park choruses. I'm so thankful to find one of the best songs I've heard in this playlist! This amazing fiery banger is what I need to take my mind off the ongoing virus. I can definitely hear a bit of a Crystal Lake vibe in the vocals. The melodic guitars are quite fun as h*ll.
Memphis May Fire - "Sever the Ties" from This Light I Hold (2016)
4.5/5. Another insanely good track! Matty Mullins continues leveling up his vocal intensity.
Parkway Drive - "A Deathless Song" from Ire (2015)
4/5. This is a killer 6-minute finale to its original album, opening with an uplifting acoustic intro before the melody transcends into heavy overdrive. The lyrics are as epic as the song while having a few hilariously cheesy lines like "Let me be your drum of war and love." I still like it! The deluxe edition has a shortened version of the song with guest vocals by Jenna McDougall of Tonight Alive, along with a couple other bonus tracks. My brother likes that shortened version, and so do I. However, I just prefer the original epic, since it seems more Revolution-worthy.
Trivium - "Declaration" from Ascendancy (2005)
5/5. The epic of the pinnacle album of Trivium's career is the album’s 7-minute final track. Intense harmonies, lightning-fast beats and solid grooves mingle together to form a driving wall of sound, basically everything metal fans can surely enjoy. The vocals range from deep growls to higher clean vocals that will strike through the heart of any metal listener.
We Came as Romans - "I Knew You Were Trouble" from Punk Goes Pop, Vol. 6 (2014)
4.5/5. An odd song to choose here, but I still quite love this Taylor Swift cover and this band, We Came as Romans. It's an awesome motivator for when I something going on later today (as of this comment). In fact, much better than Taylor Swift's original song! Kyle Pavone really nailed the vocals here. RIP
Arkangel - "Killing to Keep the World Turning" from Arkangel is Your Enemy (2008)
4/5. Well, time for a few brutal songs to close this playlist. This one's quite killer.
Deformity - "177252: God Defined" from Misanthrope (1997)
3.5/5. working the best and most memorable in its original EP is this 4-minute riff-monster, actually adopting fast breakdowns and catchy vocal sections, despite lyrics of Alien-like extraterrestrial murder.
Unbroken - "Curtain" from Life. Love. Regret (1994)
4/5. This playlist ends with a 9-minute epic to shape up top-notch progressive hardcore/metalcore for a different metal future. Everything is wrapped up with long feedback outro to pleasantly end the short yet wholesome journey this band has made. I know the more hardcore fans would certainly look forward to give this playlist and the song's original album a spin again.
This playlist really worked well with this "early throwback" motive, despite a few slight bumps in the beginning, and I look forward to continuing that idea wisely. 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's my top 10:
1. Bullet for My Valentine - The Poison (2005)
2. The Dillinger Escape Plan - Calculating Infinity (1999)
3. Ne Obliviscaris - Portal of I (2012)
4. Leprous - Tall Poppy Syndrome (2009) (not including Aeolia though that demo's great too)
5. Make Them Suffer - Neverbloom (2012)
6. Prayer for Cleansing - The Rain in Endless Fall (1999) (don't know if it counts if it's a band's only album)
7. Disillusion - Back to Times of Splendor (2004)
8. Sadus - Illusions (1988)
9. Devin Townsend - Ocean Machine - Biomech (1997) (not including his one-album project Punky Bruster)
10. Wage War - Blueprints (2015)
July 2022
01. Cynic - "Mythical Serpents" (from Ascension Codes)
02. Evergrey - "The Orphean Testament" (from A Heartless Portrait (The Orphean Testament))
03. Charlie Griffiths - "Luminous Beings" (from Luminous Beings)
04. Dream Theater - "The Shattered Fortress" (from Black Clouds & Silver Linings)
05. The Contortionist - "Early Grave" (from Our Bones)
06. Between the Buried and Me - "Prequel to the Sequel" (from Colors)
07. Kardashev - "Cellar of Ghosts" (from Liminal Rite)
08. Diablo Swing Orchestra - "Exit Strategy of a Wrecking Ball" (from Pandora's Pinata)
09. Isis - "Garden of Light" (from In the Absence of Truth)
10. Gojira - "Magma" (from Magma)
11. Vanden Plas - "Godmaker - Live" (from Godmaker (Live))
12. Dir En Grey - "Schadenfreude" (from Phalaris)
13. Mastodon - "Fallen Torches" (from Medium Rarities)
14. Symphony X - "Seven" (from Paradise Lost)
15. Polyphia - "Playing God" (from Playing God)
16. The Ocean - "The Grand Inquisitor I: Karamazov Baseness" (from Anthropocentric)
17. Novena - "Ghosts" (from Ghosts)
July 2022
01. Katatonia - "Soil's Song" (from The Great Cold Distance)
02. Avatar - "Bloody Angel" (from Hail the Apocalypse)
03. Spiritbox - "Rotoscope" (from Rotoscope)
04. New Years Day - "Crawling" (from Diary of a Creep)
05. Treyarch Sound - "115" (from Call of Duty: Black Ops - Zombies Soundtrack)
06. Sleep Token - "Hypnosis" (from This Place Will Become Your Tomb)
07. Bloodsimple - "Blood In Blood Out" (from A Cruel World)
08. Twelve Foot Ninja - "Portrait #1" (from New Dawn)
09. Time, the Valuator - "Black Water" (from Black Water)
10. System of a Down - "Lost in Hollywood" (from Mezmerize)
11. Disturbed - "Intoxication" (from Believe)
12. Alpha Wolf - "Akudama" (from A Quiet Place to Die)
13. Egypt Central - "White Rabbit" (from White Rabbit)
14. Embodyment - "Pendulum" (from The Narrow Scope of Things)
15. P.O.D. - "Lost in Forever" (from Murdered Love)
16. A Pale Horse Named Death - "As Black as My Heart" (from And Hell Will Follow Me)
17. Evanescence - "Everybody's Fool" (from Fallen)
18. Yakui the Maid - "Flock" (from Flock)
19. Cold - "Suffocate" (from Year of the Spider)
20. Nekrogoblikon - "This Is It" (from The Fundamental Slimes and Humours)
21. Blindside - "Superman" (from Blindside)
Saxy, let me just say, you have done such as incredible job assembling this month's Gateway and Infinite playlists! This tracklisting has encouraged me to go through the entire playlist and find excellent tracks from bands I already listen to along with different bands in which some of them I feel up to trying some more songs from them. Well done, please keep it up! So let's get my track thought journey started:
Cynic - "Mythical Serpents" (from Ascension Codes)
4.5/5. A great opening highlight to show each member's skill! This is actually also in the January playlist, but never mind. Moving on...
Evergrey - "The Orphean Testament" (from A Heartless Portrait (The Orphean Testament))
4/5. Evergrey strikes again with a good heavy tune from their new album released only a year after the last.
Charlie Griffiths - "Luminous Beings" (from Luminous Beings)
4/5. I was only a Haken fan for about a year before realizing that band was better off being listened to by me 8 years ago when my melodic side of progressive metal was dominant. With that said, I'm still delighted by such a h*ll of a prog-metal experience from that band's guitarist. This song's pretty great and so is the cartoony video for any biology lovers out there. Monstrous Haken-like riffs can be found especially near the 4-minute mark and in the intro chord. Great guitar skills from this man, with some Allan Holdsworth influence. Amazing how creative he can be! The drums also rule, though I don't know who's performing them. Blessings to this beautiful yet monstrous piece, along with the video aesthetics reminding me of Spongebob Squarepants. Call this song prog, rock, or metal, but what matters is this journey with lyrics warning us about the darkness of extinction. Crawl, walk, run!
Dream Theater - "The Shattered Fortress" (from Black Clouds & Silver Linings)
4.5/5. This was one of my favorite melodic progressive metal epics that marks the end of the band's "Twelve-Step Suite" and eventually, Mike Portnoy leaving the band after 25 years, heart-breaking many DT listeners. There's a lot to mention, so here goes: The volume heads up at the 3 and a half minute mark, then two minutes we have a f***ing great riff. At the 7-minute mark we have a Metallica-ballad-like section with narration, before throwing back to Octavarium a minute and a half later, even sounding close to Black Sabbath after a minute. And after some Paul Gilbert-like soloing and one more verse ("I am responsible when anyone, anywhere reaches out for help, I want my hand to be there"), the opening of "The Glass Prison" is reprised, closing the suite in full circle. EPIC!
The Contortionist - "Early Grave" (from Our Bones)
4/5. This one continues the aggressive vs. mellow pattern. Then we reach a climatic post-metal bridge with an outro that's probably the band's heaviest since their Language album from 5 years prior!
Between the Buried and Me - "Prequel to the Sequel" (from Colors)
4.5/5. Between the Buried and Me is another band I loved for a few years but have not gotten in touch a lot recently, other than this album's recent sequel Colors II. This one's quite awesome despite the recent remaster making not a lot of difference, other than making the bass and keys sound better while lessening the power of Adam Fisher (Fear Before)'s screams. Life is constant happiness...
Kardashev - "Cellar of Ghosts" (from Liminal Rite)
4/5. This one's quite powerful from start to end. F***ing sick instrumentation and growls at times. Rock on!
Diablo Swing Orchestra - "Exit Strategy of a Wrecking Ball" (from Pandora's Pinata)
4.5/5. The lyrics here convey the feeling of betrayal and not seeing the one you love again. That inspiring lyrical theme might one day make me up to trying Diablo Swing Orchestra despite crossing them out after a short month. This is a band of musical geniuses! Who knew swing and metal fit like a glove?! There's even a slight death/nu-metal scream section towards the end. The lyrics should probably have thicker meaning though, but I can identify with that situation well. High-quality unique swing-infused progressive metal here, am I right? Still there are other bands for me to enjoy in my nearly a decade of listen to metal...
Isis - "Garden of Light" (from In the Absence of Truth)
5/5. Such as this band whom each instrument has their own significant parts. An incredibly epic song with a f***ing awesome intro and outro. The album this song is in shows a more melodic/experimental side that the Isis band members would have in their later band Palms with Deftones' Chino Moreno.
Symphony X - "Seven" (from Paradise Lost)
4/5. This was one of my favorite Symphony X songs from when I was still commonly listening to that band and Dream Theater. It's decently long at 7 minutes, but I guess it's short in comparison with the longer progressive epics out there.
Polyphia - "Playing God" (from Playing God)
3.5/5. The first time I heard the jazzy riffing, I had a confusing "WT*" look on my face, but the majority of this is a beautiful listening experience. Note that this band's earlier material was basically just jazzy prog-rock.
The Ocean - "The Grand Inquisitor I: Karamazov Baseness" (from Anthropocentric)
4/5. This is part of "The Grand Inquisitor" trilogy that has killer heaviness. Enough said!
Novena - "Ghosts" (from Ghosts)
3.5/5. This one ends the playlist in an almost similar direction to the end of the Gateway playlist, sounding the closest to hard rock. In saying that, the male and female vocals sound pretty good. Though there could've been a better end to this playlist in which the rest of it is awesome.
Saxy, let me just say, you have done such as incredible job assembling this month's Gateway and Infinite playlists! This tracklisting has encouraged me to go through the entire playlist and find excellent tracks from bands I already listen to along with different bands in which some of them I feel up to trying some more songs from them. Well done, please keep it up! So let's get my track thought journey started:
Katatonia - "Soil's Song" (from The Great Cold Distance)
4.5/5. Awesome eerie start to this playlist, with alternating guitar notes in the chorus. This was one of my favorite songs from Katatonia when I was still listening to them. I still love the powerful rhythms throwing back instrumentally to Brave Murder Day. The simple concept is about evaluation and its resulting crisis, though "Who's first?" makes me think of Abbott & Costello. It's annoying how underrated songs like this don't get as much attention as the more popular sh*t.
Avatar - "Bloody Angel" (from Hail the Apocalypse)
4/5. It's f***ing great hearing a slow gentle beat blend into hardcore-ish melodeath/alt-metal, comfortably ringing into my head. A couple songs from this band like this one and "Hail the Apocalypse" are what got my brother hooked, then got me hooked next until I left The Horde completely behind. Still this is something metalheads must hear. So crazy yet beautiful! Though it might remind some too much like Alice Cooper, both musically and aesthetically. A couple other genius albums from this band are their self-titled 3rd album and Black Waltz. To start headbanging, just wait until after the one-minute intro.
Spiritbox - "Rotoscope" (from Rotoscope)
4.5/5. Spiritbox is back with a great hysterical alt-metalcore tune!
New Years Day - "Crawling" (from Diary of a Creep)
4/5. RIP Chester Bennington. New Years Day made a beautiful tribute to him with this great synth-rock-ish cover. It's not highly horrible at all, but I still prefer the original Linkin Park song. Keep up those vocals, Ash! It would be interesting if we have just the vocal track for New Years Day's version to use for the instrumental of the original. Such a killer job Ash has done singing this! Not sure if the reception this has received is positive, but my feedback practically is. My brother is a fan of New Years Day and still likes them to this day. I also listened to them when I was still into Linkin Park before my "real" metal discovery. Still not as emotional as the original. I think the only weak part was still with the first chorus vocals without the intro before actually starting the music.
Treyarch Sound - "115" (from Call of Duty: Black Ops - Zombies Soundtrack)
4.5/5. Another song I still remember from long ago is the best part of the entire Call of Duty: Black Ops - Zombies soundtrack, and my first (melodic) metalcore encounter (though I submitted it to the Gateway playlist because, where else?). The first time I listened to this, the only "real" metal genres I knew were power/symphonic metal, so I probably said something cringe about this like "Epica without symphonic elements". Now here's my better real opinion about that track; blazing riffs and drumming, with vocal alternation between screams and cleans, make that song a memorable metalcore one.
Sleep Token - "Hypnosis" (from This Place Will Become Your Tomb)
4/5. Another underrated progressive alt-metal song that's worth a fortune!
Bloodsimple - "Blood In Blood Out" (from A Cruel World)
4.5/5. Bloodsimple is a band that deserves to continue making these kinds of metal rampages from the crime-filled streets of New York. This is a black hole that only the strongest (like myself) can survive. This album continued the alt-metal twist from Tim Williams' other band Vision of Disorder's alt-metal twist. Might remind some of Dope!
Twelve Foot Ninja - "Portrait #1" (from New Dawn)
5/5. First time finding this band and I can't get enough of this great gem. The star-shining bass is so mind-f***ing-blowing!
Time, the Valuator - "Black Water" (from Black Water)
4.5/5. The vocals are what you gotta love in this song!
System of a Down - "Lost in Hollywood" (from Mezmerize)
4/5. Sounds beautiful, having a bit of Beatles/Bauhaus influence. However, I'm still not into the nu-leaning alternative metal of other songs from this band. I got other kinds of alt-metal to listen to, and that band ain't it.
Disturbed - "Intoxication" (from Believe)
4.5/5. Of course, I wasn't strictly against that kind 10 years ago. Disturbed was an awesome band in my pre-"real"-metal times, including this f***ing hard-hitter. Of course, this might not reach church, while having such an extensive vocabulary in the lyrics.
Alpha Wolf - "Akudama" (from A Quiet Place to Die)
5/5. There are some killer moments like the breakdown teleporting you like a Magic the Gathering wizard into the asteroid explosion killing the dinosaurs. A great angry song that would never disappoint!
Egypt Central - "White Rabbit" (from White Rabbit)
4.5/5. Egypt Central! That's another band my brother likes and I used to. This is one of the best from this band, it's practically f***ing awesome! After this album, they split up for 7 years and are planning some new material. From my lyrical knowledge, this follows a similar theme to that Jefferson Airplane classic covered by Sanctuary ("We follow like Alice and just keep diving down the hole"). This band certainly knows how to express themselves via these mental metaphors. I can thank my brother for blasting this music for me to hear all those years ago. I was just hitting puberty the first time I listened to any of the 12 tracks in that album. This is as insane as the Mad Hatter and the White Rabbit combined! You can just imagine this strange black-and-while world while stuck in this colorful reality. Though if anyone has nothing nice to say about this, they should just ignore it and move on. I was entering my teenage-hood when first encountering Egypt Central and other bands, but I was never so moody or mean unlike most other teens. I would also never do drugs, which is what any song titled "White Rabbit" is about. Yeah, those stereotypes can get annoying. I've never had the thought of the world trying to get us another just a couple year before the present when the virus started, and it is quite hard to escape that reality...
Embodyment - "Pendulum" (from The Narrow Scope of Things)
5/5. This is a more aggressive highlight, with bass Derrick Wadsworth's dominating work and the instrumentation and vocals sounding close to emocore.
P.O.D. - "Lost in Forever" (from Murdered Love)
4.5/5. Unlike those other bands I've listened to years ago, I've only heard one or two songs from P.O.D. I'm glad to hear good lyrics in this one, unlike the sh*tty you might expect from the most popular alt-/nu metal bands. God bless!
A Pale Horse Named Death - "As Black as My Heart" (from And Hell Will Follow Me)
5/5. Now this is super great! I haven't gotten back in touch with gothic metal since leaving that genre nearly a year ago, but I might return with this track from the revival of Type O Negative by that band's two drummers. RIP TON leader Peter Steele
Evanescence - "Everybody's Fool" (from Fallen)
4.5/5. Gothic vocal harmonies appear in this song that's basically about how celebrities keep sexualizing themselves for the sake of success, something that has bothered Amy Lee, especially when a little sister of her was badly influenced. An interesting lyrical message in another killer highlight.
Yakui the Maid - "Flock" (from Flock)
4/5. This one's pretty great and can fit well for an anime, though more digital-sounding and instrumental than the other tracks.
Cold - "Suffocate" (from Year of the Spider)
3.5/5. Beautiful skill here! Doesn't work quite well for me, but still a good job.
Nekrogoblikon - "This Is It" (from The Fundamental Slimes and Humours)
4/5. Excellent lyrics here, like d*mn good this song is! I can once again thank my brother for recommending me this along with one more song from that album for next playlist. Stay tuned for that...
Blindside - "Superman" (from Blindside)
3.5/5. This final time-travel into 25 years ago might not really make me a fan of Blindside or classic nu metal, not even 10 years ago when I was developing my taste closer to that style. It sounds too much like 311 gone hard rock. Of course, it's not totally sucky, but there could've been a better end to this playlist in which the rest of it is awesome.
A solid mix of funk, djent, and progressive rock, cooked up by this amazing Australian prog-metal guitarist:
I did my review, here's its summary:
Reviving progressive rock/metal in a djent-ish yet melodic wave, Plini has unleashed a calming storm from his own bedroom. I wish I could do that! Handmade Cities marks his full-length debut after several EPs, displaying his astonishing writing ability. While he has incredible strength throughout, it should be noted that a couple songs threaten to be close to generic or as scatterbrained as the cover art. But in the end, we have absolute true melodic instrumental prog-rock/metal! I would give this album just 96% with some slight fat needing trimming, but he's still at his very strongest!
5/5 (more specifically, 96%)
It is good to occasionally add in tracks from different genres and/or eras that don't get much of the spotlight. That's kind of what I've done with the 90s/early 2000s metalcore eras in this month's Revolution playlist. Anyway, once again I'm going to comment on a few tracks here that I still like, for memories' sake. Here are my thoughts:
HammerFall – “Steel Meets Steel” (from “Glory to the Brave”, 1997)
4.5/5. I loved HammerFall a lot when I was still heavily into power metal, though not as much, despite great classic songs like this. The lyrics in the bridge explain the song's concept, "In July in '99, the Holy City was stormed and won, Jerusalem was freed, we thanked the lord for our glory."
Within Temptation – “Iron” (from “The Unforgiving”, 2011)
5/5. This epic expressive song still touches my heart to this day with the angelic voice of Sharon den Adel. This is awesome music for symphonic metal lovers like I was. Such godly spectacular power! Sharon is very much one of the symphonic metal queens out there. An awesome song to play at full blast when driving an abandoned highway, and it reminds me of DragonForce's "Cry Thunder".
Nightwish – “Nemo” (from “Once", 2004)
5/5. Another brilliant symphonic metal classic piece! I loved this album back in my high-school-age teens. The sound is so amazing and lovable, with Tarja's beautiful voice. Those were my earlier days of orchestral metal magic. I feel like g****mn crying from the lyrics about loss and longing. And this album Once was the band's last with Tarja...
Stratovarius – “Infinity" (from “Infinite”, 2010)
4.5/5. I've heard of Stratovarius for a very long time, though not at long as the previous bands I've commented on, and this is still an excellent melodic progressive epic from that band. Any metalhead would enjoy this even with better songs in those listeners' arsenal! This could've really helped well with spreading awareness of the possible end of the world when the virus was on the rise. This song is so popular, though a few points are off due to the song and others from this album being plagiarized into Dragon Ball game soundtracks. That's OK if you wanna unleash your SUPER SAIYAN!!!
Iced Earth - "The Hunter" (from "The Dark Saga", 1996)
4.5/5. This one continues the classic streak with killer riffing and a soaring chorus, almost perfect for this playlist and its original album. There's more of this awesome glory to come in other songs, but that's all for now, good Guardians!