Shadowdoom9 (Andi)'s Forum Replies

Progressive deathcore from this trio featuring musicians from England, Sweden & Australia.

Starts calm before turning into an absolute headbanger. You could sing along to the cleans and scream along to the growls! I am quite familiar with melodic death metal/core, so this works out great.

I did my review, here's its summary:

Odyssey to the West is the kind of album that progressive deathcore experts would have a listening marathon. That said, the deathcore aspect is a bit of a struggle. Slice the Cake's massive offering pleased many fans of the style and genre and gained the band great exposure. Though composer Jack Richardson had his own plan for the release that got foiled when it came out early and that resulted in the band splitting up for a few years. Setting that ordeal aside, this is worth listening to if you're up to 4 multi-track epics and 4 singular tracks, ranging from soft melody with emotional poetry to fast aggressive rhythm with growls of frustration. And when it's all over, you might just feel up to repeating this journey again. However, with some flaws around, it still doesn't peak total interest in this band for me. Nonetheless, this heavy theatrical progressive/melodic deathcore journey is practically BTBAM's The Parallax II: Future Sequence on steroids. Only the most adventurous can reach the heart of this odyssey!

4/5

Super-extreme mathcore from Berlin, Germany.

Definitely the best track in the album with riffs crushing through frantic drumming.

This is actually not too struggling for me, Daniel. A great abrasive level I can stand but not without a few flaws here and there. To clarify further, here's my review summary:

In the year MMX, from what I heard, some mathcore bands out there have improved their songwriting and riffing, and one of those bands is War From a Harlots Mouth. This album is very listenable, with cohesive writing reigning through this album, and is slightly more tolerable than bands like Gulch, Fawn Limbs, and Inside the Beehive, though still a little flawed at times. The guitars are restrained in the chords, but the 8-string riffing is where they have their power, with Meshuggah-like polyrhythmic groove sections. The extremely low tuning you might think would overshadow the bass, but the proficient mix makes sure everything's audible. The drums by Paule Seidel (later joining The Ocean) all over the place, from slow in the soft bridge to tightly structured in the heavier parts. Vocalist Nico Webers (having just left The Ocean) performs decent highs and brutal lows. Once again, MMX is quite mature in the writing and riffing, mostly consistent and listenable. The guitars on their own would attract fans of Meshuggah and Car Bomb. However, with some flaws around, it still doesn't peak total interest in this band for me. Nonetheless, very solid and nicely intense!

4/5

When I was listening to the April Infinite playlist, I tried looking up some of those bands in Metal Archives, and not only is Slice the Cake not there but also Earthside. Metal Archives seems to have an issue with some progressive metal bands, not accepting bands that are closer to rock, hardcore, or even djent. That's why we're unable to find bands like The Contortionist, Born of Osiris, and Between the Buried and Me in that site, and they only accepted Meshuggah because of their tech-thrash debut Contradictions Collapse. Unbelievable!

A beautifully executed ballad from this Florida-based power metal outfit.

Another one of the best tracks in the album and a rare ballad that I truly enjoy!

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

Attila - "Proving Grounds" (3:28) from Guilty Pleasure (2014)

Betraying the Martyrs - "When You're Alone" (3:52) from Breathe in Life (2011)

Chelsea Grin - "Blind Kings" (4:02) from Blind Kings (2020)

Ice Nine Kills - "Rainy Day" (3:01) from The Silver Scream 2: Welcome to Horrorwood (2021)

Make Them Suffer - "Fake" (3:00) from Old Souls (2015)

Memphis May Fire - "The Sinner" (4:01) from The Hollow (2011)

Trivium - "Watch the World Burn" (4:53) from In Waves (2011) (my chance to submit that track after one or two failed attempts from last year)

Total length: 26:17

Here are my submissions for the May Infinite playlist:

Between the Buried and Me - "Informal Gluttony" (6:47) from Colors (2007)

Cynic - "6th Dimensional Archetype" (4:07) from Mythical Serpents (2021)

Evergrey - "Barricades" (4:59) from Hymns for the Broken (2014)

Isis - "Wills Dissolve" (6:47) from Panopticon (2004)

Solstafir - "Her Fall From Grace" (6:35) from Endless Twilight of Codependent Love (2020)

Total length: 29:15

Here are my submissions for the May Gateway playlist:

36 Crazyfists - "Wars to Walk Away From" (3:44) from Lanterns (2017)

Atreyu - "Warrior" (2:45) from Baptize (2021)

Avenged Sevenfold - "Almost Easy" (3:55) from Avenged Sevenfold (2007)

Bad Wolves - "Remember When" (3:29) from Disobey (2018)

Dead by April - "Anything at All" (4:06) from Anything at All (2021)

Katatonia - "Inside the City of Glass" (4:08) from Viva Emptiness (2003)

Linkin Park - "Rebellion" (3:44) from The Hunting Party (2014)

Spiritbox - "Yellowjacket" (3:18) from Eternal Blue (2021)

Total length: 29:09

Here are my thoughts on all the selected tracks:

Attack Attack! - "The Revolution" from Attack Attack! (2012)

4.5/5. Let's start this playlist with a suitable anthems for The Revolution and metalcore, the first of which being an amazing Attack Attack song! And why wouldn't it be the Revolution anthem? This is full-on metalcore power that fans of the genre love. Wow, this is absolutely worth headbanging to! It's surprising fitting for the recent Capitol Riot. The 30-second intro might bore some, but it's all for suspense before the action starts. And there's more metalcore greatness to come in this playlist...

Attila - "Metalcore Manson" from Closure (2021)

4/5. Here's the other beginning metalcore anthem of lit fire. Actually like the title suggests, it mixes metalcore with the more alt-metal side of Marilyn Manson. Very cool metalcore that could remind some of an X-rated partying recent Architects. A f***ing crazy banger!

Code Orange - "Swallowing the Rabbit Whole" from Underneath (2020)

5/5. Another climatic start point of the action, this one is awesome! One funky section has an average one time change per second in 7 seconds!

Bullet for My Valentine - "4 Words (To Choke Upon)" from The Poison (2005)

4.5/5. Another really good song with excellent lyrics, amazing drums, and a good solo!

Trivium - "Strife" from Vengeance Falls (2013)

5/5. This is of the best songs from the band and its album, combining a small bit of the Disturbed formula with the band's signature thrash elements. Though it still cannot beat the ultimate favorite which is the title track of the previous album In Waves.

Dreamshade - "Photographs" from The Gift of Life (2013)

4.5/5. "Look at these photographs, every time I do it makes me laugh..." Just kidding, it's not that song. Such strong lyrics in this melodic Dreamshade song, so intense to fit well with the emotional music. The heavy rhythm levels up the vocals. There's even a bit of synth power here and there. I might show this song to my brother who's having a bit of melodic metalcore in his playlist. "Through my eyes you're fading..."

From Sorrow to Serenity - "Perpetrator" from Reclaim (2019)

4.5/5. This d*mn underrated good sh*t goes hard, an excellent hammering single they've nailed. Such a brutal beast, so new and unique! And holy f***, that chorus sounds amazing! Lots of djent-core riffing here. This guys cleans sound a bit like James Hetfield. Some things might be a bit confusing, but I'll this band do what they love.

TheCityIsOurs - "Violent" from COMA (2021)

4/5. Found this cool song and snuck it in here. This might please the heavier fans who enjoy metalcore with a more f***ing violent edge.

Silent Planet - "Nervosa" from Everything Was Sound (2016)

4.5/5. This song is apparently about anorexia and encourages people suffering from that disorder to overcome with passion. Such captivating lyrics from this amazing song, with guest vocals from Cory Brandan of Norma Jean.

Phinehas - "Grace Disguised by Darkness" from The God Machine (2011)

5/5. "I scream Your name! Your name!! Your Name!!! Are You outside Your wrath?! OH GOD~!!! YOUR NAME!!!!" Some of the best music! What more can we f***ing get?!? I feel like conquering the rest of their discography.

Northlane - "Bloodline" from Alien (2019)

5/5. Absolutely awesome lyrics and production here! So atmospheric while dark and heavy. Fantastic prog-ish alt-metalcore!

Sleep Waker - "Alias" from Alias (2021)

4.5/5. This is quite a heavy jam! I love the cleans here. The story might take some time to understand, but the song is an amazing chiller. This is a brand new generation of metalcore this band is, along with Polaris, ERRA, and Crystal Lake (the latter two bands we'll hear later in this playlist). The screams are great too and essential for such a metalcore banger. It is killer, but the best I can give this is 9 out of 10. Still this band is quite f***ing underrated. Metalcore started in 1990 as an experiment to add metallic elements into hardcore, and listen to that genre now! Good music that shall keeping moving forward, probably as far as Cane Hill.

The Ansible - "Maestranza (Lost)" from Forever (2019)

4.5/5. Some more amazing atmosphere and tempo. A f***ing sick and amazing single! This is atmospheric prog-ish metalcore similar to the Silent Planet and Northlane songs from earlier. Though the singing sounds like Brendon Urie from Panic at the Disco.

If I Were You - "Radiant Dark" from Radiant Dark (2020)

4/5. Another consistent banger for the new decade, but the Dreamshade song a slightly higher edge.

Dealer - "Tourniquet" from Saint (2020)

3.5/5. The intro sounds almost like that of Godflesh's "Crush My Soul", and the rest is just nu metalcore that close to Attila's level but not as much of an anthem.

Amaranthe - "Fury" from Maximalism (2016)

3/5. This blaster displays Henrik Englund charging like a raging bull with vocal venom, actually sounding like Blood Stain Child-esque melodeath for the first 40 seconds, until it gets ruined by Elize Ryd trying to impersonate Rihanna. What a joke! So why did I submit this? Because I wanna hear Amaranthe once more before the fate of trance metal.

ERRA - "White Noise" from Impulse (2011)

5/5. Can you believe that I've never actually listened to a full song from this band until I was assembling this playlist?! The tone and depth is all in perfect dissonance! Definitely a piece of perfection that makes me want more of this band.

Monasteries - "Allowing Your Traitors to Die" (2021)

4.5/5. A mathy deathcore ripper to flex upon. Enough said!

Bound in Fear - "Cardinal Sin" from Eternal (2021)

4/5. Same with this sick hammering track. But I would have to have real deathcore man b*lls to go that far into brutality.

Impending Doom - "Chaos: Reborn" from Baptized In Filth (2012)

5/5. Actually I might! Indeed this is deathcore, but with Christian faith instead of that satanic sh*t. There's a bit of a Meshuggah influence here, so that's interesting... If anybody thought deathcore/death metal doesn't mix with Christian themes, they would be wrong. Thanks for this submission, Daniel!

Betraying the Martyrs - "The Righteous with the Wicked" from The Hurt the Divine the Light (2009)

4.5/5. I still enjoy the kind of deathcore I used to strictly be into, which is when the genre has more symphonic/progressive elements. Think of this one as a killer mix of the mid-2000s eras of Bring Me the Horizon and Bleeding Through, and Septicflesh.

Shadow of Intent - "Gravesinger" from Melancholy (2019)

4.5/5. Seems like Shadow of Intent took Betraying the Martyrs' earlier sound to a much darker level alongside some classical elements of Bach and Beethoven mixed with some of the most brutal metal subgenres out there. This might also include some Dimmu Borgir-like symphonic black metal in the middle. And the outro with neoclassical soloing before a symphonic closure is just EPIC.

The Tony Danza Tapdance Extravaganza - "Yippie-Kay-Yay Mother!@#$%^" from Danza 3: The Series of Unfortunate Events (2010)

5/5. Fans of the Die Hard film series would definitely recognize that track title. This is f***ing incredible underrated mathcore in the house!

The Number Twelve Looks Like You - "The Garden's All Nighters" from Worse Than Alone (2009)

5/5. In early 2009, this band released their last album before breaking up for 6 years. I now recognize what a f***ing amazing band #12 is! A new adventure awaits to add to my ongoing journey. At over the 4-minute mark is one of the most beautiful while still wild mathcore sections around.

The Dillinger Escape Plan - "43% Burnt" from Calculating Infinity (1999)

5/5. The most popular track in its album and possibly mathcore! The fans love it enough for the song to remain a staple in the band's stage setlist. The song opens with screeching chords, before continuing into what may be the anthem of mathcore. The last minute and a half is just a trance-inducing mantra that slowly fades out. I think that's the 43% of the song that's burnt. The song still has a lot of the potential the band has offered; a playful section, atmospheric guitar, enraged lyrics, and more tempo changes than most other bands' albums. Beautiful yet defiant!

Gaza - "Mostly Hair and Bones Now" from No Absolutes in Human Suffering (2012)

4.5/5. This one starts Gaza's last album amazingly, as nicely intense as mints!

Crystal Lake - "Into the Great Beyond" from The Voyages (2020)

5/5. First thing when I starting getting some more band's discographies, this one, Crystal Lake! More perfect greatness beyond...

Resolve - "Between Me and the Machine" from Between Me and the Machine (2021)

4.5/5. As this journey comes in, one thing I don't wanna miss is a long epic, this one lasting 8 and a half minutes! It almost summarizes everything we've witnessed in this playlist, and the breakdown/solo mix is just heavenly. There are times when it seems like they f***ing nailed what they have in that amount of length. Such a climatic epic would make this complete, though I expected slightly more.

Enter Shikari - "Reprise 2" from Take to the Skies (2007)

4/5. Also known as "Closing", this marks the outro of Enter Shikari's most metal album, their debut Take to the Skies, and it's suitable for ending this playlist, still having the metalcore instrumentation in the first half, including the weird growls that not many other bands can do. "And still we will be here, standing like statues!"

Wow, this playlist turned out pretty well! I'm glad to have some good help from Daniel with his submission. I look forward to listening to more of the bands that are perfect for me. I 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 I hope the rest of you enjoy it like I've had!

Here are my thoughts on some tracks:

Hath - The Million Violations (2022)

4.5/5. Interesting way to start this playlist, with an ominous intro before you get hit hard by the progressive black/death metal action. Sounds absolutely killer, but don't expect to get that extreme in my taste nowadays.

Converge & Chelsea Wolfe – Coil (2021)

5/5. Then things quiet down in this song where Chelsea Wolfe's influence shines strongly, in a grand acoustic/orchestral rock single of heartbreak.

Slice The Cake – Unending Waltz (2016)

4.5/5. This sounds quite awesome, but the heavier parts, especially in the final minute, sound closer to Hath's progressive black/death metal. I'm not quite sure if this qualifies as having the deathcore elements you guys keep talking about.

Earthside – Crater (2015)

4.5/5. This also has amazing potential in the sound. The guest vocals by Björn Strid of Soilwork work almost as greatly as in Demon Hunter's "Collapsing". So simple yet close to epic! The intrinsic time signatures and ambient guitar fit with the vocals. There's no doubt how amazing this can be. I should hear some more of Speed's vocals. The album is mixed and mastered by Jens Bogren who has also worked with the spectacular Devin Townsend. About 90% of this song I like, especially the complementary guitar tone. Somehow I think of this as Breaking Benjamin gone The Contortionist. Could be longer though...

Meshuggah – Light the Shortening Fuse (2022)

5/5. Another hail of a killer song from the Swedish djent inventors' new album, for a f***ing awesome moshing future! Well, the album has come out last week on April 1, and we haven't seen the black hole Andrew O'Neill predicted in the History of Heavy Metal book, but I might see for myself when I listen to and review the rest of Immutable. Best of luck to us all! At two and a half minutes is a cleaner part that's the best here. I'm sure Jinjer has done the same in one of their songs.

Opeth – Burden (2008)

4.5/5. The beautiful ballad, "Burden" is a hint of the pressures from Roadrunner for a more commercial sound that the band would have entirely later. Still it is a really nice song reminiscent of 70s prog rock.

Enslaved – The Dead Stare (2003)

4.5/5. A great song from when I still listened to this progressive black metal band. From nearly the two-minute mark on, things sound so godly, and then at over the 3-minute mark, the fantastic riff brings it up to legendary status. One of the songs I love from this album in which the greatness would continue their next 3 offerings. I'm working on my metal taste away from black metal at the moment, but the beauty is something I wished I could've enjoyed more. So cool!

Playgrounded – Rituals (2022)

4/5. Very good, but a little too much on the rock side. Next!

Plini – Handmade Cities (2016)

4.5/5. Also closer to prog-rock while staying progressive metal, but it's quite brilliant. It's well-known for the guitar rhythm during its solo being plagiarized for that of the guitar solo in American pop singer Doja Cat's 2020 metal remix of "Say So". Despite the slight controversy, the original solo at the 3 and a half minute mark is so melodic.

Liquid Tension Experiment – Rhapsody in Blue (2021)

5/5. This is a more fascinating instrumental track, being a 13-minute epic based on a George Gershwin composition, originally performed during Liquid Tension Experiment's 2008 tour, with the middle section at slightly over the 4-minute mark inspiring the midsection of "The Count of Tuscany" from Dream Theater's Black Clouds & Silver Linings. So progressive and innovative! Then at nearly the 7-minute mark is a King Crimson-inspired bridge. LTE and Dream Theater make great connection between the two side-projects. The final soloing starting at nearly 11-minutes in is some of the most beautiful I've heard. Well done, guys!

Voivod – Brain Scan (1988)

4.5/5. This has some things worth mentioning including a jazzy chorus with complex drumming. You've read right...jazz! More of those jazz influences come from the otherworldly diminished chords of Piggy (Denis D'Amour) (RIP). His replacement guitarist Daniel Mongrain's former band Martyr covered that song before Martyr's hiatus.

Animals As Leaders – Red Miso (2022)

5/5. Animals as Leaders is another band with a new album having come out recently, and this song might just be my new favorite of them. Here you get to hear old and new riffs from Tosin Abasi. And then shortly after the two and a half minute mark is a sick breakneck 30-second djent breakdown, the most killer from this band! I really gotta listen to the rest of this album.

A few good albums from when I used to listen to those bands (except Angizia which I still haven't heard of)! And here's a recent anniversary-celebrating album from a band that I've enjoyed since last week:

Saxy, you're really on fire with the assembling of your Gateway and Infinite playlists! I might just be up to commenting on all the tracks, and that's what I'm gonna do:

Linkin Park – Session (2003)

4/5. While this might not work best on its own, I'm glad that it's used as the playlist's intro. "Session" is a two-minute digital-sounding interlude with nice piano and scratching from Joe Hahn. It's Meteora's "Cure for the Itch"!

Hum – In the Den (2020)

4.5/5. This one's a great portal to the nostalgic times this band was reliving. It's more of a spacey alt-rock track in my opinion, but this band walks around with it ends up sounding well-done. 22 years since their last album, and it's as if they never left! This sounds closer to if Danish band Dúné attempted to revive My Bloody Valentine's sound. Sadly, Hum's long-standing drummer Bryan St. Pere passed away a year after this album. RIP

36 Crazyfists – Better To Burn (2017)

5/5. I love this one! I'm glad that I'm finally getting into listening to this band.

Demon Hunter – Infected (2002)

4.5/5. Here's a heavy highlight! It begins with an oil-drum solo before beginning the riff aura, followed by Ryan Clark's growls that sound like rapping. Those rap-growls threaten to deduct points from the song, but the chorus keeps the score high with its catchy flow. A definite album favorite!

Fire From The Gods – Excuse Me (2016)

4/5. Excuse me, but why am I caught in this rap trap?! That's OK because I enjoy some parts including the "I Yearn to Be Free" part that would make you go savage in Fortnite! Still I didn't enter The Gateway for any rapping.

FEVER 333 – SUPREMACY (2020)

3.5/5. Here's some more slightly good RATM-like hip-hop. People have compared the music and lyrics to Blondie's "Rapture", but I think they have a bit of the wrong idea. The audio sounds a bit distorted while still clear.

Chevelle – Family System (2002)

4/5. This one starts with soft guitar and vocals in the intro before exploding into hard rock riffing. Pete's vocals sound rough, a bit close to yelling, throughout much of this song. There's some repetition, but it sounds catchy in this worthwhile track.

Breaking Benjamin – The Diary of Jane (2006)

4.5/5. Ah, a modern classic from my pre-"real"-metal days of listening to my brother's favorite alt-rock/metal music. Good times that haven't gone stale...

Tool – Opiate2 (2022)

4/5. On the EP's 30th anniversary, Tool made a 10-minute re-recording of "Opiate". This would definitely be the bomb for Tool fans wanting to hear their older material remade but this still hasn't opened my eyes to this band despite how cool this sounds.

Dog Fashion Disco – Wait (2017)

5/5. My second attempt at getting into this underrated amazing band, and this brilliant piece might just be the key I needed! Like that previous Tool song, this one is a re-recording, from a recent 20th anniversary remake of their debut Erotic Massage. I might try more of this band along with side-project Polkadot Cadaver. I think they even changed the lyrics for this track to be more appealing to the modern audience. Todd Smith and co. are still at their game, delivering the kind of disco I prefer. So thunderously beautiful! I might just get this album on my own for better quality. This should've been high in the alt-metal reign instead of System of a Down. Good work, guys!

In This Moment – Forever (2008)

5/5. From the opening riff, I see some more alt-metal greatness coming! That along with soft verses and dramatic chorus what makes this song epic in the vocal and guitar department. I'm loving this awesome song and I want more of this amazing band! If they could use this as an anime theme, it would leave an awesome impact. This was when In This Moment was an actual alt-metal band before they ended up adding more experimentation. Maria Brink might just f***ing surpass Bonnie Tyler by far. So cool!

MAXIMUM THE HORMONE – REREREREREREREREMAMAMAMAMAMAMAMA (2005)

5/5. This one's quite entertaining as f***. The bass and lower guitar tone along with the snare-less drums fit perfectly well for an anime. This is a motherf***er of funky nu metal sound the way I like it!

Dir En Grey – Unraveling (2013)

4.5/5. Another alt-metal band from Japan. Kyo's raw vocals really sell it!

Prophets Of Rage – The Party’s Over (2016)

4/5. At the time this song came out, Donald Trump was in the presidential race that he eventually won and became president. Then in 2020, the party was over for both Prophets of Rage and Trump's time as president. Good track, but I'm still not up to joining the rap metal party.

Disturbed – Perfect Insanity (2008)

4.5/5. This insane song is one of my favorites from Disturbed. It's actually a re-recording of a song from 10 years before Indestructible, even before The Sickness. I wonder what my brother thinks of that one...

Evanescence – Use My Voice (2021)

4/5. This was inspired by the Stanford sexual assault cases and trial, and is the ultimate anthem in fighting back against those atrocities of the world. What makes it even more of an anthem is the amount of female vocalists singing in the background including Sharon den Adel (Within Temptation), Taylor Momsen (The Pretty Reckless), Lzzy Hale (Halestorm), and Lindsey Sterling.

Atreyu – Save Us (2021)

5/5. Turn this sh*t up! A great song that I love from another band I just started getting the hang of. It reminds me of another song that I like, Parkway Drive's "Crushed". This I also gotta show to my bro.

Stone Sour – Rose Red Violent Blue (This Song Is Dumb & so Am I) (2017)

3/5. ... There's some good potential in this song, but I'll let you guess what I really think about it.

In Flames – I, The Mask (2019)

4.5/5. Most metalheads started listening to this band in their teens or early 30s, but I was somewhere in between. I still enjoy this killer song despite my move away from this band as part of my death metal departure.

Dope – Survive (2005)

4/5. Cool song. Not my style, but I would recommend this to my recent Discord friend.

Lacuna Coil – Blood, Tears, Dust (2016)

4.5/5. This was one of my favorite songs from this gothic metal-turned-alt-metal band before dumping the darkness of the former genre. The fire burns especially in the breakdown at the two and a half minute mark.

Architects – Black Lungs (2021)

5/5. D*mn, I would recommend this song to anyone wanting to get into alt-metalcore, along with recommending this band to myself!

Machinae Supremacy – Gimmie More (SID) (2008)

4.5/5. What better way to head out than with a Britney Spears cover! Converting this song into 8-bit alt-power metal adds some bad-a** fire. Very nice for sure. This playlist may be over, but the Gateway is still open for me, and most of my comments here prove it!

Even though my suggestions did not make it to this playlist, I'm still gonna comment on a few of the tracks here:

Crimson Glory – “Dance On Fire” (from “Strange and Beautiful", 1991)

4/5. This song is from the album where Crimson Glory switched into a sound closer to hard rock while keeping the metal, but it's a groovy song to dance to. Midnight's vocals shine in his last album with the band. RIP

Battle Beast – “Eye of the Storm” (from “Circus of Doom”, 2022)

4.5/5. This one has an insane amount of Malmsteen-style guitar, the anthemic vocals of Judas Priest and Dio, and the background symphonics of Nightwish.

Opera Magna – “La Herida” (from “Del Amor Y Otros Demonios - Acto 1”, 2014)

3.5/5. A good work of power metal art, though a little too operatic for what I prefer nowadays and with Spanish lyrics. The operatic part comes in when a mysterious female singer enters with her beautiful vocals.

Eternity's End – “Call of the Valkyries” (from “Embers of War”, 2021)

4/5. This one attacks as a stomping anthem. Enough said!

Iced Earth – “Dante's Inferno” (from “Burnt Offerings”, 1995)

5/5. Ending this playlist is the finest part of Iced Earth's career, the band's longest track at over 16 minutes of relentless metal fury! The two-minute intro gets you ready for a f***ing skull-bashing great time. The moments range from quiet to heavy quite a few times. Seriously you gotta enjoy this if you wish to be worthy in this site! I'm happy that I can finally see the appeal of such an epic that would please me and others for generations.

The hip-hop instrumental approach in Us and Them does not work well for me, now that I gave the album a clear listen for a review. Here's an example of how awful it can get at times:

Here's my Sphere suggestion for May:

Godflesh - "Blind" (from Merciless (EP), 1994)

Songs of Love and Hate is indeed an album full of songs to love and hate, with this sh*tter being a suitable addition to the latter category:

Continuing my Godflesh review journey after the Merciless EP, the grand finale of Selfless is the ultimate industrial metal epic:

Slow doomy industrial metal from one of the pioneering forces of the genre:

I did my review, here's its summary:

Merciless is pure industrial metal, fresh from the 90s. The record label Earache is essential for game-changing albums from bands like At the Gates, Cult of Luna, Woods of Ypres, and of course, Godflesh. The bass really drives through as G.C. Green pounds away, while Justin Broadrick plays his droning distorted guitarwork. The guitar and bass are in a nice loud balance with distorted tone. It sounds so raw and clear, and the drum machine almost sounds like real drums! The title track is a slow heavy doom track, and the rest is more industrial-sounding with one of the songs being a remix of a song from the Pure album, all put together in another simply great EP that you can listen to without disappointment. It focuses on minimalism instead of technicality that never fails to amaze me. This is one of Godflesh's more metallic releases and an underrated offering that should be picked up. Merciless deserves listening mercy!

4.5/5

Ben, please add the new Meshuggah album Immutable.

A fast heavy track to begin one of the greatest power metal stories ever told, that should really be picked up by fans of Epica (the band), Blind Guardian, Rhapsody of Fire:

I did my review, here's its summary:

It was their 6th album, and Kamelot was still a barely recognizable underground power metal band. Nonetheless, their 2003 album Epica would reach the ultimate pinnacle of their sound and lead them to a more prominent record label that would release their next album The Black Halo in 2005 and propel the band to global prominence. What do those two albums have in common? Well they both tell a tale based on an old play, Goethe's Faust. However, while they're both two of the best Kamelot albums, Epica is darker in atmosphere and smoother when flowing through songs and interludes, in the same kind of ratio as Blind Guardian's Nightfall in Middle-Earth. With heavy power metal tunes, amazing ballads (yes, they're awesome), and deep lyrics, Epica is their most underrated work. Vocalist Roy Khan sounds like HIM's Ville Valo trying to sing as high and operatic as Tarja from Nightwish, and that's good because it adds a unique edge to the singing. Perfect vocal talent to fit well with the atmosphere! Guitarist Thomas Youngblood has more talent in heavy riffing, beautiful solos, soft acoustics. His awesome skills help keep Kamelot and its music alive. Bassist Glenn Barry also has talent, and often while drowned out in the guitar waves, still shines in some tracks. Drummer Casey Grillo is also talented pummels in a well-flowing fashion through the beauty of the riffs and melodies. The album is filled with guest members, but two of them definitely need to be mentioned. Miro provides the keyboards, piano, and orchestration that have the most effect in the ballads, while enhancing the heavier songs. Mari Youngblood (Thomas' wife) sings beautifully in a few tracks, in great sync with Khan's vocals. Created for this tale is the world of Epica. Love and loss spreads throughout the saga. A man named Ariel has a great amount of wealth and power but often gets cocky and overconfident. His fate is in the hands of the dark demonized angel Mephisto, intending to lead Ariel into trouble. Helena is a beautiful Maiden whom Ariel is in love with, though (SPOILER) Mephisto's sinister mind-games would ultimately cost her life. There's much more depth in the detail in Epica than in The Black Halo, and there's much more interaction between the characters. Some minor characters each appearing in only one song include the Master of Ceremonies and a River Spirit (both voiced by John Wilton). There's also a choir to go along with the orchestration. You just gotta listen to this album for the full story, with more detail in my review, but I'll say. Epica should really be checked out for fans of Kamelot and especially their album The Black Halo, if they wanna hear the band's sound at the best and what leads to the part of the story they know more of. The more global part of Kamelot's journey may have begun after being signed to a greater record deal for their next album, but the best of their sound is in this epic album of Epica!

5/5

Recommended songs: "Center of the Universe", "Farewell", "Wander", "Descent of the Archangel", "A Feast for the Vain", "Lost and Damned", "The Mourning After (Carry On)", "III Ways To Epica"

For fans of: Epica (the band), Blind Guardian, Rhapsody of Fire

No problem, Daniel. I can wait.

Here's my review summary:

It's good for me to return to listening to a band from around 10 years ago. I wouldn't have heard beyond this band's singles if it wasn't for my alt-rock/metal-loving brother. I'm glad to still have him around... Especially since two of the band members have suffered family tragedy. Vocalist Amy Lee's brother Robby passed from epileptic complications (her second fallen sibling, 30 years after Bonnie), and guitarists Tim McCord's stepdaughter Alyssa died by suicide. Despite this dark agony, their new album let them let it out in shards of heavy hope. While the electronic/orchestral elements of Synthesis is still around, they resurrected their rock guitars and brought them to the frontstage. Of course, Amy Lee's angelic singing is what really takes the spotlight. But the ultimate anthem is "Use My Voice", fighting back against the sexual atrocities of the world. What makes it even more of an anthem is the amount of female vocalists singing in the background including Sharon den Adel (Within Temptation), Taylor Momsen (The Pretty Reckless), Lzzy Hale (Halestorm), and Lindsey Sterling. Evanescence returned with the first original album in nearly a decade, The Bitter Truth, redeeming their earlier heaviness. And you can find a lot more in the deluxe edition box set. The Bitter Truth is out there....

3.5/5

Recommended songs: "Broken Pieces Shine", "The Game is Over", "Wasted on You", "Use My Voice", "Take Cover", "Blind Belief"

For fans of: Within Temptation, Lacuna Coil, Linkin Park

Daniel, Vinny, each of you guys have a good Revolution track you wanna submit? Theo-Wyoming, I hope you're still in the Revolution track-submitting zone and have any good ideas for the playlist.

PS: Daniel, please update the Spotify playlists soon so the links can be added to our respective playlist threads.

April 2022

1. Attack Attack! - "The Revolution" from Attack Attack! (2012) [Submitted by shadowdoom9 (Andi)]

2. Attila - "Metalcore Manson" from Closure (2021) [Submitted by shadowdoom9 (Andi)]

3. Code Orange - "Swallowing the Rabbit Whole" from Underneath (2020)

4. Bullet for My Valentine - "4 Words (To Choke Upon)" from The Poison (2005) [Submitted by shadowdoom9 (Andi)]

5. Trivium - "Strife" from Vengeance Falls (2013) [Submitted by shadowdoom9 (Andi)]

6. Dreamshade - "Photographs" from The Gift of Life (2013)

7. From Sorrow to Serenity - "Perpetrator" from Reclaim (2019)

8. TheCityIsOurs - "Violent" from COMA (2021)

9. Silent Planet - "Nervosa" from Everything Was Sound (2016) [Submitted by shadowdoom9 (Andi)]

10. Phinehas - "Grace Disguised by Darkness" from The God Machine (2011)

11. Northlane - "Bloodline" from Alien (2019)

12. Sleep Waker - "Alias" from Alias (2021)

13. The Ansible - "Maestranza (Lost)" from Forever (2019)

14. If I Were You - "Radiant Dark" from Radiant Dark (2020)

15. Dealer - "Tourniquet" from Saint (2020)

16. Amaranthe - "Fury" from Maximalism (2016) [Submitted by shadowdoom9 (Andi)]

17. ERRA - "White Noise" from Impulse (2011)

18. Monasteries - "Allowing Your Traitors to Die" from Silence (2021)

19. Bound in Fear - "Cardinal Sin" from Eternal (2021)

20. Impending Doom - "Chaos: Reborn" from Baptized In Filth (2012) [Submitted by Daniel]

21. Betraying the Martyrs - "The Righteous with the Wicked" from The Hurt the Divine the Light (2009) [Submitted by shadowdoom9 (Andi)]

22. Shadow of Intent - "Gravesinger" from Melancholy (2021)

23. The Tony Danza Tapdance Extravaganza - "Yippie-Kay-Yay Mother!@#$%^" from Danza 3: The Series of Unfortunate Events (2010)

24. The Dillinger Escape Plan - "43% Burnt" from Calculating Infinity (1999)

25. The Number Twelve Looks Like You - "The Garden's All Nighters" from Worse Than Alone (2009)

26. Gaza - "Mostly Hair and Bones Now" from No Absolutes in Human Suffering (2012)

27. Crystal Lake - "Into the Great Beyond" from The Voyages (2020)

28. Resolve - "Between Me and the Machine" from Between Me and the Machine (2021)

29. Enter Shikari - "Reprise 2" from Take to the Skies (2007)

Animals As Leaders - Parrhesia (2022)

Been really enjoying this new one from Animals As Leaders. While not as technically crazy as their debut, it's a big step up in terms of replayability and catchiness from The Madness Of Many and all of the tracks have some sort of neat idea or element that makes the admittedly short runtime fly by. The performances and writing are clean, clinical even, and extremely tight; there isn't too much boundary stepping on this one but I think that's okay for what it's trying to do.

3.5/5

I plan to get that album tomorrow, along with the new Meshuggah album Immutable. Oh man... Wish me luck, no, ALL of us luck, that Meshuggah and the rest of the galaxy don't end up getting trapped in the black hole of their complex music like Andrew O'Neill predicted. I expect that prediction to be an epic heavy April Fools hoax.

Looks like we have the double member name issue again. Ben, please PM the two members named Dylanconover and ask them each to change their username, either by changing it to something different, adding another part of their username (for example, "Dani Filth"), or their full name (unless they wanna keep it private). Then once they changed their names, please try again to implement a new rule saying that new accounts can't have the same username as other accounts. OK thanks!

Xephyr, Daniel already submitted an Enslaved track for the April playlist, and it might already be too late to submit. You wanna save your submissions for May?

So life is all a bit difficult this week. My wife & two daughters all have COVID so I've been stuck in our two bedroom apartment in isolation for the past 5-6 days. I'm still testing negative but it'll be disastrous if I test positive in the coming days as we've got to be out of our apartment with all of our belongings being moved into storage by Friday's settlement with the new owner. We'll be staying in a serviced apartment in the city for a week while we wait for the settlement of our new home on the Gold Coast on 7th April. I'm so looking forward to this relocation being over & done with so that I can go back to focusing solely on the extreme stresses that my everyday job has been presenting me with of late.

Quoted Daniel

Need a break though, having had my eldest cat put to sleep in the last fortnight we need to get some relaxing time in. I don't have kids, I have cats so the loss of any of them is fucking awful for us.

Quoted Vinny

I've had COVID for the past week, along with my wife and daughter. It's been pretty awful to be honest, even after three shots. I guess I can just be thankful that my daughter's symptoms have been relatively mild, as her health is always a concern. On the bright side, this means I can't get COVID again for up to six months, so I may actually go back to the gym once I feel well enough.

It's tough having to deal with some of the tough things in life, such as getting the virus and losing a pet. So sorry to hear, guys, hope things get better for you all.

The only album from a band I enjoy that's close to melodic black metal is Underoath's Cries of the Past, and that album I strongly believe doesn't qualify for that subgenre. More info in this judgement submission: https://metal.academy/forum/28/thread/1104

I've updated my Best of my Post-Sludge Elemental Star Spotify playlist to make sure all 7 bands I've chosen are post-sludge. If any of you have the time, please check it out and see which of these tracks are more suitable for The Fallen and/or The Infinite: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/59Sf6o9TJg2z7sjVzQkMcp

Jesu's Infinity has more drone, but I think there's some post-sludge potential in that 50-minute track.

Voting would be good, maybe via an experiment similar to the ones for trance metal, trancecore, and Nintendocore, where we listen to a song from each of the prominent Atmospheric Sludge metal bands/releases to see which closest-sounding genres/clans the subgenre can stay in. How does that sound?

Saxy, Sonny, Vinny... do any of you guys feel up to sharing what each of you think are the 10 most essential songs in The Revolution?

Well, time to change the number to 0 in "days since last Atmospheric Sludge clan discussion"! In all seriousness though, Atmospheric Sludge does indeed mix sludge metal and post-metal. The subgenre has the slow tempo and harsh vocals of regular sludge, but that's where the similarities between those two kinds end. Atmospheric Sludge put its focus on the intense atmosphere, lengthy structures, and crescendo themes of post-metal, all that more superior to the sludgy aspects. With that, Atmospheric Sludge has a lot more in common with post-metal and should be considered an Infinite subgenre. I would also call this subgenre "Post-Sludge", but that's just my opinion.

Not exactly, Vinny. If someone makes a list and I copy most or all of it, then that would be plagiarism, but that's not my intent, and that other person never made any actual lists. Remember, "essential" doesn't always mean favorites. I've listened to the tracks I chosen, and while they don't fit the alt-metal taste direction I'm trying to take, I understand their importance and would recommend it to people who enjoy alt-metal more than I do at the moment. When I find some essential alt-metal I really enjoy during my Gateway search quest, they'll certainly be added in.

I know it wasn't Sonny's intent, but the second list I made is if I hypothetically add in a few classic heavy metal hits. The first with mostly power/symphonic/neoclassical metal is still my true list.

Hmm... Well if I give classic heavy metal a greater appearance in my list with new additions based on importance, here's what it would be:

1. DragonForce - "Through the Fire and Flames"

2. Judas Priest - "Breaking the Law"

3. Black Sabbath - "Children of the Grave"

4. Accept - "Fast as a Shark"

5. Iron Maiden - "The Trooper"

6. Savatage - "Hall of the Mountain King"

7. Iced Earth - "Dante's Inferno"

8. Kamelot - "Center of the Universe"

9. Riot - "Thundersteel"

10. Crimson Glory - "Valhalla"

Your list very much surprises me Andi. I had no idea that you had any affiliation with most of these bands/releases, let alone regard their songs as the absolute pinnacle of the clan. Or have I misunderstood what we're trying to achieve here? Aren't these threads supposed to showcase our personal tastes & what we each find to be the most appealing tracks from a clan rather than simply collating the popular opinion which would inevitably see us all posting the same list?

This isn't really the "favorite songs" thread, Daniel, we're looking for the ESSENTIAL tracks, but of course, some of your favorite tracks can be essential too. I'm still kind of new to The Gateway, trying to make new discoveries to bands that might fit in with my current taste. Currently, it's not a lot, but I look forward to expanding that side further. You know this new online friend of mine who published his own EP as "Sharps & Dulls": https://metal.academy/forum/23/thread/402?page=1&#topic_9757 He likes alt-metal more than I currently do and would fit well in the Gateway if he joins this site. He has listened to most of the songs I chose for the list, and after giving those songs a listen, I now understand how important they are in letting this kind of music sweep the globe. So I've included them for the time being. If I was making my list based on favorites, I probably would've included something from bands like Katatonia and Karnivool, but for now my list is based on importance.

Is it possible to talk about essential Guardians tracks and have nothing from Black Sabbath, Judas Priest OR Iron Maiden?

If most of the list is full of power/symphonic/neoclassical metal as opposed to classic heavy metal, yes.

Cool list, Sonny! ARRG, I forgot about Enslaved, Ne Obliviscaris, and Persefone! The songs from those bands would've been great additions to my list. That's OK, I think what makes my songs in the list essential is how they're recognized as part of the albums that have shaped up progressive metal's respective forms, and I focused on that aspect too much to think of the lesser-known underrated releases. Nevermind, my list still seems agreeable.

Cool list, Daniel! I probably would've added the Rosetta, Neurosis, and Isis tracks into my list if I wasn't thinking so much about progressive metal.

Here's what I think would be the list of top 10 essential Infinite songs:

1. Dream Theater - "Pull Me Under"

2. Opeth - "The Drapery Falls"

3. Tool -  "Fear Inoculum"

4. Devin Townsend - "Earth Day"

5. Meshuggah - "Future Breed Machine"

6. Mastodon - "Oblivion"

7. Queensryche - "Eyes of a Stranger"

8. Fates Warning - "The Ivory Gate of Dreams"

9. Voivod - "Experiment"

10. Leprous - "White"

Yeah I know the rules say I can include post-metal/avant-garde metal/djent, but all the Infinite essentials I believe happen to reside in progressive metal. I like this kind of thread, I might do something similar in my other clans.

Two weeks left before Meshuggah's new album Immutable gets released and we find out whether or not the band and the rest of the galaxy end up getting trapped in the darkness of their complex music like Andrew O'Neill predicted. In the case of surviving this killer djent track, it might be a good sign of us getting April-Fooled in the most epic and heaviest way possible when that day comes:

Awesome improvement! I appreciate it, Ben. This is the second impressive milestone for this site we’ve had today, the other being 10000 forum posts. The only problem with this is, the recent forum posts take longer to refresh, like 20 minutes for them to appear. Can you please fix that, Ben? Thanks.

Here are my overall ratings for the playlists I've reviewed this month (March):

1. Gateway playlist - 4/5 (number of songs commented: 13)

2. Guardians playlist - 4.5/5 (number of songs commented: 12)

3. Infinite playlist - 4.5/5 (number of songs commented: 11)

4. Revolution playlist - 4.5/5 (number of songs commented: ALL 28)

So far, I've only commented on 13 tracks in the Gateway playlist, 12 tracks in the Guardians playlist, and 11 tracks in the Infinite playlist, but I still enjoy the tracks that I had time for, and I'm grateful to Saxy and Xephyr for their playlist works all the same, and of course to Daniel for accepting those playlists. I really dig the Revolution playlist that I made! That opinion might seem bad form, but let me even out by saying that I would recommend 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 my playlist! Good work on these playlists, all!

So far I've only reviewed my Revolution feature release submission for this month, Demon Hunter's The World is a Thorn. The reaction for this album from other members was nowhere near super positive, but I'm glad to submit that one all the same. That may be the only featured release I had time to review this month, but hopefully more next month to go with the one I'll submit. This post isn't really how I wanted to celebrate the 10000th Metal Academy forum post, but it still marks an amazing milestone. 

The Open Door is, in my opinion, the better sequel, compared to Fallen. This single, while still successful, should have as much fame as a certain similar hit from their debut:

Demoniac - So It Goes (2021)

Continuing my travelogue through Chilean thrash I have arrived at Demoniac. Well, this album has completely blown my mind. I thought that Parkcrest's ...And That Blue Will Turn to Red album was good, but this is insane! It takes the amazing aggressive thrash metal of Parkcrest and adds a further layer of technicality and diversity - we are even treated to some dark thrash-jazz which is simply incredible-sounding. The nearly twenty-minute title track is a thrash metal classic make no bones about it. I see you have heard this Xephyr, but Daniel and Vinny you really should give this a spin - I seriously doubt you will be disappointed. I've ordered the CD off Bandcamp and I will have to work up a review to try and do it justice, but for now I'll just give it a 5/5.

All this talk about Demoniac made me think about this black/power metal band from New Zealand also called Demoniac, Sam Totman and Herman Li’s former band before starting the power metal band that got me into metal, DragonForce. Probably the first ever black metal band I’ve at least heard of!