Shadowdoom9 (Andi)'s Forum Replies
Scar Symmetry? I haven't heard that name in years... Welcome back, you amazing Swedish sci-fi melodic death metallers! https://www.reddit.com/r/melodicdeathmetal/comments/127n2vi/release_date_for_scar_symmetry_the_singularity/
Another band I really need to revisit! In Times is known as one of the greatest albums from the band's 2010s era, and was a masterpiece for me when I was still listening to them. Look out for my second attempt at reviewing this album sometime this month!
April 2023
1. Samael - "Year Zero" from Eternal (1999) [submitted by Shadowdoom9 (Andi)]
2. Strapping Young Lad - "S.Y.L." from Heavy as a Really Heavy Thing (1995)
3. Dead World - "Lies" from The Machine (1993)
4. Circle of Dust - "Descend" from Brainchild (1994)
5. Code Orange - "Drowning In It" from What is Really Underneath? (2023) [submitted by Shadowdoom9 (Andi)]
6. Ministry - "Burning Inside" from In Case You Didn't Feel Like Showing Up (1990)
7. Lard - "Pineapple Face" from The Last Temptation of Reid (1990)
8. Omega Lithium - "Dance With Me" from Kinetik (2011)
9. Nine Inch Nails - "Last" from Broken (1992)
10. Godflesh - "Mothra" from Pure (1992) [submitted by Shadowdoom9 (Andi)]
11. Pitchshifter - "Triad" from Desensitized (1993)
12. Old - "Happy Tantrum" from The Musical Dimensions of Sleastak (1993)
13. Voivod - "Phobos" from Phobos (1997) [submitted by Shadowdoom9 (Andi)]
14. Celldweller - "My Disintegration" from Satellites (2022)
15. Gothminister - "Bloodride" from Pandemonium (2022) [submitted by Shadowdoom9 (Andi)]
16. Dawn of Ashes - "Blood of the Titans" from The Antimonian (2020)
17. Fear Factory - "Linchpin" from Digimortal (2001)
18. Motionless in White - "Reincarnate" from Reincarnate (2014)
19. Combichrist - "Compliance" from Compliance (2021)
20. Illidiance - "Critical Damage" from Damage Theory (2010)
21. Logical Terror, Soilwork - "The World Was Mine" from Ashes of Fate (2016)
22. KMFDM - "Brute" from Nihil (1995)
23. 3TEETH - "PUMPED UP KICKS" from PUMPED UP KICKS (2019)
24. Terminal Choice - "Kommerz" from Ubermacht (2010)
25. Megaherz - "5. Marz" from Herzwerk II (2002)
26. The Kovenant - "The Memory Remains" from SETI (2003) [submitted by Shadowdoom9 (Andi)]
April 2023
1. Lorna Shore - "To the Hellfire" from ...And I Return to Nothingness (2021) [submitted by Shadowdoom9 (Andi)]
2. We Came as Romans - "Intentions" from To Plant a Seed (2009) [submitted by Shadowdoom9 (Andi)]
3. 36 Crazyfists - "We Gave It Hell" from The Tide and Its Takers (2008) [submitted by Shadowdoom9 (Andi)]
4. Sikth - "Peep Show" from The Trees Are Dead & Dried Out Wait for Something Wild (2003)
5. From Autumn to Ashes - "The After Dinner Payback" from The Fiction We Live (2003) [submitted by Shadowdoom9 (Andi)]
6. Motionless in White - "Slaughterhouse" from Scoring the End of the World (2022)
7. Despised Icon - "Absolu" from Consumed by Your Poison (2002)
8. Make Them Suffer - "Maelstrom" from Neverbloom (2012)
9. All That Remains - "Become the Catalyst" from The Fall of Ideals (2006) [submitted by Shadowdoom9 (Andi)]
10. Upon This Dawning - "Embrace the Evil" from We Are All Sinners (2014)
11. The Amity Affliction - "The Weigh Down" from Let the Ocean Take Me (2014)
12. Killswitch Engage - "Eye of the Storm" from As Daylight Dies (2006)
13. As I Lay Dying - "A Greater Foundation" from Awakened (2012)
14. Any Given Day - "Possession" from My Longest Way Home (2014)
15. Candiria - "Temple of Sickness" from The Process of Self-Development (1999) [submitted by Shadowdoom9 (Andi)]
16. The Acacia Strain - "One Thousand Painful Stings" from Slow Decay (2020)
17. Asking Alexandria - "I Won't Give In" from The Black (2016)
18. 108 - "Son of Nanda" from Songs of Separation (1995)
19. Eighteen Visions - "Motionless in White" from The Best Of (2001)
20. Wage War - "Godspeed" from Manic (2021)
21. Defiler - "Fanueil Falls" from A Deity Depraved (2021)
22. All Shall Perish - "The Death Plague" from This Is Where It Ends (2011) [submitted by Shadowdoom9 (Andi)]
23. Will Haven - "I've Seen My Fate" from El Diablo (1997)
24. The Dillinger Escape Plan - "Widower" from Option Paralysis (2010)
25. The Chariot - "The King" from Long Live (2010) [submitted by Daniel]
26. Electric Callboy - "Tekkno Train" from Tekkno (2022)
27. Deadguy - "Apparatus" from Fixation on a Co-Worker (1995)
28. Zao - "Man in Cage Jack Wilson" from Liberate Te Ex Inferis (1999)
April 2023
1. Within Temptation, Annisokay - "Shed My Skin" from Shed My Skin (2021)
2. Avantasia - "The Scarecrow" from The Scarecrow (2008) [submitted by Shadowdoom9 (Andi)]
3. Scorpions - "Blackout" from Blackout (1982) (re-recorded version from Comeblack (2011))
4. LOUDNESS - "Crazy Night" from Thunder in the East (1985)
5. Iron Maiden - "Stratego" from Senjutsu (2021)
6. Lizzy Borden - "Me Against the World" from Visual Lies (1987)
7. Dokken - "It's Not Love" from Under Lock and Key (1985)
8. Warlock - "All We Are" from Triumph and Agony (1987)
9. Quiet Riot - "Cum on Feel the Noize" from Metal Health (1983)
10. Dio - "Rainbow in the Dark" from Holy Diver (1983)
11. Motorhead - "Hellraiser" from March or Die (1992)
12. Ozzy Osbourne - "Lightning Strikes" from The Ultimate Sin (1986)
13. Motley Crue - "Live Wire" from Too Fast for Love (1981)
14. Judas Priest - "Hell Bent for Leather" from Killing Machine (1978)
15. Skid Row - "Not Dead Yet" from The Gang's All Here (2022)
16. Narnia - "Heavenly Love" from Awakening (1998)
17. Time Requiem - "Creator in Time" from Optical Illusion (2006)
18. Queensryche - "Spreading the Disease" from Operation: Mindcrime (1988)
19. Sabaton - "The Lion From the North" from Carolus Rex (2012)
20. Kamelot - "Ghost Opera" from Ghost Opera (2007)
21. Nightwish - "Over the Hills and Far Away" from Over the Hills and Far Away (2001)
22. Xandria, Ralf Scheepers - "You Will Never Be Our God" from The Wonders Still Awaiting (2023)
23. Epica - "Freedom - The Wolves Within" from Omega (2021)
24. DragonForce - "Heart of the Storm" from The Power Within (2012)
25. RichaadEB, Cristina Vee - "Bad Apple!!" from Bullet Hell (2018)
Well this is gonna be tough. I don't think I've ever heard of those bands before in my life, but that's part of the point of the review draft, to discover different bands and albums that had never previously encountered by the reviewer. I'm gonna take my chances and choose... (plays that "eenie meanie minie mo" game) that Stone Healer album!
Your turn, Saxy.
Thanks, Daniel!
Thanks, Daniel!
Ben, please add these new releases:
Attack Attack! - Dark Waves (EP)
For the Fallen Dreams - For the Fallen Dreams
In Hearts Wake - Green Is the New Black (Original Soundtrack)
The Word Alive - Empire (EP)
Some metalcore bands I now enjoy thanks to what I discovered when assembling the Revolution playlists:
Empowering hardcore/metalcore from one of the leading (yet short-lived) bands in the Christian hardcore scene:
Maybe one day I can be up for checking more of what's truly considered metal's biggest year, but for now, here's my top 5 of 1986:
1. Dark Angel - Darkness Descends
2. Vinnie Moore - Mind's Eye
3. Destruction - Eternal Devastation
4. Megadeth - Peace Sells... But Who's Buying?
5. Kreator - Pleasure to Kill
Honorable mention: Voivod - Rrröööaaarrr
Here's my updated list:
Beginning oldies (1984-1989)/B.M. (Before Metalcore):
1984: Voivod - War and Pain
1985: Watchtower - Energetic Disassembly
1986: Dark Angel - Darkness Descends
1987: Voivod - Killing Technology
1988: Sadus - Illusions
1989: Godflesh - Streetcleaner
Old golden classics and millennium transition highlights (1990-2001)/Metalcore's humble beginnings and light of day-seeing classics:
1990: Rorschach - Remain Sedate
1991: Old - Lo Flux Tube
1992: Sadus - A Vision of Misery
1993: Old - The Musical Dimensions of Sleastak
1994: Amorphis - Tales from the Thousand Lakes
1995: Fear Factory - Demanufacture
1996: Amorphis - Elegy
1997: Will Haven - El Diablo
1998: Embodyment - Embrace the Eternal
1999: The Kovenant - Animatronik
2000: Living Sacrifice - The Hammering Process
2001: Candiria - 300 Percent Density
Modern favorites (2002-2013)/Rise of the full Revolution:
2002: The Red Chord - Fused Together in Revolving Doors
2003: All Shall Perish - Hate. Malice. Revenge
2004: Mnemic - The Audio Injected Soul
2005: Trivium - Ascendancy
2006: Insomnium - Above the Weeping World
2007: Despised Icon - The Ills of Modern Man
2008: Dead to Fall - Are You Serious?
2009: Vektor - Black Future
2010: Crystal Lake - Into the Great Beyond
2011: Trivium - In Waves
2012: Twelve Foot Ninja - Silent Machine
2013: Living Sacrifice - Ghost Thief
The best of the most recent (2014-present)/A greater new uprising:
2014: Beartooth - Disgusting
2015: Amorphis - Under the Red Cloud
2016: Insomnium - Winter's Gate
2017: Gothminister - The Other Side
2018: The Browning - Geist
2019: Northlane - Alien
2020: Code Orange - Underneath
2021: Trivium - In the Court of the Dragon
2022: Lorna Shore - Pain Remains
2023 so far: Insomnium - Anno 1696
2023 albums I'm looking forward to getting:
For the Fallen Dreams - For the Fallen Dreams (self-recommendation)
Chelsea Grin - Suffer in Heaven
Kamelot - The Awakening (revisiting one of the only power metal bands I still want to keep)
August Burns Red - Death Below
Ne Obliviscaris - Exul
Attack Attack! - Dark Waves EP
Enter Shikari - A Kiss for the Whole World
Crown the Empire - Dogma (self-recommendation)
Deathstars - Everything Destroys You
Unearth - The Wretched; The Ruinous
The Acacia Strain - Step into the Light/Failure Will Follow (self-recommendation)
The Amity Affliction - Not Without My Ghosts (self-recommendation)
Veil of Maya - Mother
The Ocean - Holocene
Omnium Gatherum - Slasher EP (self-recommendation)
Godflesh - Purge
Saturnus - The Storm Within (revisiting a Fallen band to try to revive my interest)
As a result of my Pit Test (no longer describing it as "ultimate" because apparently it ain't), I've encountered some amazing classics from the 80s. This is great for when I write my next story based on the golden decade of classic metal genres. Anyway, here's my top 10 of 1985:
1. Watchtower - Energetic Disassembly
2. Helloween - Walls of Jericho
3. Warfare - Metal Anarchy
4. Amebix - Arise!
5. Sacrilege - Behind the Realms of Madness
6. Slayer - Hell Awaits
7. Celtic Frost - To Mega Therion
8. Dark Angel - We Have Arrived
9. Living Death - Metal Revolution
10. Corrosion of Conformity - Animosity
I can't, Daniel. I'm no longer in The Guardians.
One of only a couple songs of the album to have a neoclassical vibe in more than just the soloing while mixed with the dominating progressive side of the sound, a blend that was never attempted before at the time:
An early honorable standout of progressive/neoclassical metal:
I decided to give this album some listening and a review to try to revive my interest in the progressive/neoclassical metal blend I've last experienced in Symphony X. Vinnie Moore's debut is definitely progressive to my ears because of the structural complexity and spacey keyboards. And I agree that the neoclassical aspect is secondary, appearing more in just the soloing technique without being the main genre, though a couple songs to me have more of that neoclassical vibe while mixed with the dominating progressive side of the sound. So I'll vote YES for this album's Infinite Hall entry.
To be honest, I was surprised to see a classic hard rock/progressive rock band like Deep Purple added to this site, but I think I know why... Good news, Rexorcist, if you're still around: Your remaining top 100 metal album is here!
Here's mine throughout the previous year and this year so far (the years before that were different and all over the place for me):
The Revolution - 25%
The Sphere - 21%
The Infinite - 17%
The Gateway - 13%
The Guardians - 9%
The Pit - 9%
The Horde - 3%
The Fallen - 2%
The North - 1%
Congrats, Daniel!
Sneak peek for the April Guardians playlist, this YouTube guitarist made a kick-A trance-power metal cover of a song from the Touhou Project video game series popularized by Alstroemeria Records, featuring the beautiful vocals of Miraculous Ladybug actress Cristina Vee:
I gave this Alcest album some listening and a review a couple years ago, and I still remember Les voyages de l'âme having some great blackgaze dominance. The black metal aggression in the guitar distortion and grim vocals is in smooth balance with the shoegaze atmosphere of uplifting melody and tranquil beauty. I made a judgement submission similar to this for the album, but somehow it didn't get through. I'm glad the album is in the Hall now, so thanks for that, Daniel.
An epic single from the new Kamelot album The Awakening! I look forward to hearing the rest of the album once my schedule clears up.
An amazing live rendition of one of Kamelot's greatest classic hits that I still enjoy:
I just gave this album some listening and a review to revisit this live album mainly consisting of songs from their best era, and to celebrate the release of Kamelot's new album with a blast to the past. Similarly to Angra's Aurora Consurgens, many songs show the more progressive side of the band with complex riffing and soloing that occur more in the songs from Epica and The Black Halo than in their earlier albums like Karma, and more diverse structure. So I'll definitely be giving this Hall entry a YES vote.
Congratulations to you and your wife, Daniel! Glad to hear your baby girl has finally entered this world.
A fantastic intersection between several of the hardcore/metal genres from earlier and later bands; the hardcore of Strife, the metalcore/melodic metalcore of August Burns Red and Parkway Drive, the deathcore of Chelsea Grin, and the melodeath of Avatar:
One of the more popular metalcore bands that somehow I keep overlooking started their career with an incredible album of underrated gems like this one:
Ben, please add the Strongarm album Atonement. Its Metalcore tag now fits the RYM 2:1 ratio (for: 12 - against: 6).
A 7-minute epic that starts off as melodic as Unearth and Trivium before this band's usual early black/death-infused metalcore:
Seriously, why would they ruin something sounding potentially good by f***ing hiding it too deep in the mix!?
A punishing highlight from one of the more famous industrial metal musicians around:
A true classic of Lard's brand of industrial rock/metal:
Amidst a sea of ambient tracks lies a few brilliant industrial metal tracks, like this hammering opening track:
One of two amazing remixes of the most well-known single of Broken:
I bought this Children of Bodom live bootleg CD earlier today, and it's quite killer. Though the original 2001 edition had 9 tracks, the edition I bought that was apparently from two years later (2003) adds 4 more live tracks not heard in any other available edition; "Downfall", "Needled 24/7" (probably their first time performing that track), "Children of Bodom", and "Everytime I Die", all of which are really kick-A. I still miss this amazing guitarist/vocalist Alex Laiho. RIP
4/5
The drummer from Artillery died on the same day. Not a great one for thrash metal it has to be said.
RIP Josua Madsen
RIP Dark Angel guitarist Jim Durkin. Though he's gone from this world now, the wicked thrash material he's made with Dark Angel shall rise in our hearts.
The occasional switch from metal to surf music will make you be like Joe Pesci and say "What the f*** is this piece of sh*t?!":
The Swedish experimental groove-ish alt-metal masters are back with perhaps their best song since the title track of Hail the Apocalypse:
1. Gateway playlist - 4.5/5 (number of songs commented: 8)
2. Guardians playlist - 4/5 (number of songs commented: ALL 24)
3. Infinite playlist - 4.5/5 (number of songs commented: 10)
4. Revolution playlist - 4.5/5 (number of songs commented: ALL 29)
5. Sphere playlist - 4/5 (number of songs commented: ALL 27)
For the clans I've made the monthly playlists for, I've listened to the entire playlists! I'm grateful to Saxy and Daniel for their playlist works. I really dig the tracks I've reviewed in the Gateway and Infinite playlists made by Saxy, and I'm glad the Guardians, Revolution, and Sphere playlists made by me paid off. I recommend them to any fan of the clans' 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! Once again, all the best with your exam, Xephyr!
THE GATEWAY: Static-X - "Wisconsin Death Trip" (1999) 4/5
THE INFINITE: Between the Buried and Me - "The Great Misdirect" (2009) 4/5
THE REVOLUTION: Underoath - "Lost in the Sound of Separation" (2008) 5/5
THE SPHERE: Ministry - "In Case You Didn't Feel Like Showing Up (Live)" (1990) 4.5/5
Even though I don't see that Between the Buried and Me album as a perfect masterpiece as much as I used to, I still enjoyed most of it along with that Static-X album. My Revolution nomination shows Underoath as their best, and I really would recommend it to fans of that band and metalcore. That Ministry live album is also excellent. Keep up the good work on the feature releases, all! I look forward to more...
This sh*tty composition has nothing to do with the glory of its heavier more furious counterpart:
The best throwback to the Jesper Strömblad era of In Flames' melodeath fury with a memorable chorus:
Another one of the best songs from earlier Breaking Benjamin despite being a soft ballad-ish track:
A fast pounding highlight in the alternative/avant-garde metal realms:
I've done my review for that Dog Fashion Disco release. Here's the link to my review: https://metal.academy/reviews/29111/1140
And here's its summary:
Dog Fashion Disco have really done their job well in this album, Committed to a Bright Future! It shows the band's talent at a nice pace, and it has given me the motivation to continue exploring this band instead of just giving up after part of it. In many songs, one moment you hear fast guitars and drums, and the next you hear jazzy bass and creepy carnival-like keyboards, with a bit of xylophone or saxophone. So weird, but I love it! Todd Smith's vocals would make Mike Patton proud. Committed to a Bright Future can pretty much be one of my top 10 releases in alternative/avant-garde metal. Any fan of rock or metal should look into this bright future!
5/5
I've heard about this band Dog Fashion Disco, having listened to a couple songs from them, and even tried listening to and reviewing one of their albums but I couldn't finish because of its experimental wackiness. I've never heard their 2003 album before, so I'm up to giving it some listening and a review to see if the band really is worth adding to my metal arsenal. So yeah I'm going with Dog Fashion Disco's Committed to a Bright Future.
Another floppy ending track for a modern thrash album: