Shadowdoom9 (Andi)'s Forum Replies

A short, rhythmic groove metal piece from Seattle-based melodic metalcore outfit Demon Hunter.

This one continues the fast heaviness but it's too short at just 2 minutes and filled with an uninteresting Mudvayne-like sound. Doesn't bring down the perfect 5-star rating for this album, but if we were rating albums by percentage, I would say it's 95%.

Here's my updated list:

Beginning oldies (1979-1989)/B.M. (Before Metalcore):

1979: Accept - Accept

1980: Accept - I'm a Rebel

1981: Accept - Breaker

1982: Accept - Restless and Wild

1983: Savatage - Sirens

1984: Queensryche - The Warning

1985: Fates Warning - The Spectre Within

1986: Fates Warning - Awaken the Guardian

1987: Savatage - Hall of the Mountain King

1988: Fates Warning - No Exit

1989: Savatage - Gutter Ballet

Old golden classics (1990-1997)/Humble metalcore beginnings:

1990: Demolition Hammer - Tortured Existence

1991: Dark Angel - Time Does Not Heal

1992: Sadus - A Vision of Misery

1993: Savatage - Edge of Thorns

1994: Savatage - Handful of Rain

1995: Iced Earth - Burnt Offerings

1996: Converge - Petitioning the Empty Sky

1997: Savatage - The Wake of Magellan

Millennium transition highlights (1998-2005)/Light of day-seeing metalcore classics:

1998: Meshuggah - Chaosphere

1999: Opeth - Still Life

2000: Skycamefalling - 10.21

2001: Opeth - Blackwater Park

2002: Hopesfall - The Satellite Years

2003: Strapping Young Lad - Strapping Young Lad

2004: Wuthering Heights - Far From the Madding Crowd

2005: Trivium - Ascendancy

Modern favorites (2006-2013)/Rise of the full Revolution:

2006: Wuthering Heights - The Shadow Cabinet

2007: Enter Shikari - Take to the Skies

2008: Textures - Silhouettes

2009: August Burns Red - Constellations

2010: Attack Attack! - Attack Attack!

2011: Trivium - In Waves

2012: Diablo Swing Orchestra - Pandora's Pinata

2013: We Came as Romans - Tracing Back Roots

The best of the most recent (2014-2021)/A greater new uprising:

2014: Skyharbor - Guiding Lights

2015: Wage War - Blueprints

2016: Car Bomb - Meta

2017: Trivium - The Sin and the Sentence

2018: Vein - Errorzone

2019: Devin Townsend - Empath

2020: Code Orange - Underneath

2021: Trivium - In the Court of the Dragon

The promising present (2022 onwards)/metalcore revival (thanks to Underoath)?:

2022 (so far): Cult of Luna - The Long Road North

2022 albums I'm looking forward to getting:

Animals as Leaders - Parrhesia

Meshuggah - Immutable

Memphis May Fire - Remade in Misery

Motionless in White - Scoring the End of the World

Seventh Wonder - The Testament

Interesting. I have no problem finding both of those Neurosis albums on Spotify from Australia. They must have an alternate streaming service agreement in the UK.

Yeah, Times of Grace isn't on there either. Seems strange that their highest rated albums wouldn't be available. Must be some sort of licensing issue or maybe Neurosis are protesting Boris Johnson (and why wouldn't they).

I'd be interested to know if any of those albums are on Spotify in the US or elsewhere in Europe.

Has anyone had any issues with playlist tracks not being available in their area?

In my country, all the Neurosis albums are available except Through Silver in Blood and Times of Grace.

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

Amaranthe - "Fury" (2:58) from Maximalism (2016) (another attempt at sneaking in a metalcore-sounding Amaranthe song before the fate of trance metal)

Attack Attack! - "The Revolution" (4:11) from Attack Attack! (2012)

Attila - "Metalcore Manson" (2:46) from Closure (2021)

Betraying the Martyrs - "The Righteous with the Wicked" (4:40) from The Hurt the Divine the Light (2009)

Bullet for My Valentine - "4 Words (To Choke Upon)" (3:43) from The Poison (2005)

Silent Planet - "Nervosa" (3:48) from Everything Was Sound (2016)

Trivium - "Strife" (4:29) from Vengeance Falls (2013)

Total length: 26:35

Here are my suggestions for May's playlist:

Accept - "Too Mean to Die" (4:21) from Too Mean to Die (2021)

Alestorm - "No Quarter" (3:02) from Black Sails at Midnight (2009)

Kamelot - "Center of the Universe" (5:27) from Epica (2003)

Savatage - "She's in Love" (3:51) from Gutter Ballet (1989)

Sonata Arctica - "FullMoon" (5:05) from Ecliptica (1999)

Wintersun - "Land of Snow and Sorrow" (8:22) from Time I (2012)

Total length: 30:08 (pardon the slight overtime)

Here are my submissions for the April Gateway playlist:

Breaking Benjamin - "The Diary of Jane" (3:20) from Phobia (2006)

Demon Hunter - "Infected" (3:08) from Demon Hunter (2002)

Dir En Grey - "Unraveling" (4:42) from Unraveling (2013)

Evanescence - "Use My Voice" (4:01) from The Bitter Truth (2021)

In Flames - "I, the Mask" (3:41) from I, the Mask (2019)

Lacuna Coil - "Blood, Tears Dust" (3:55) from Delirium (2016)

Linkin Park - "Session" (2:23) from Meteora (2003) (a different interlude to break things up a bit)

Machine Supremacy - "Gimme More (SID)" (3:32) from Overworld (2008)

Total length: 28:42

Dave Lombardo is really helping out a couple other prominent thrash bands after the end of Slayer. He has performed drums in Mr Bungle's The Raging Wrath of the Easter Bunny Demo and Annihilator's Metal re-recording, Metal II.

Here are my thoughts on all the selected tracks:

Amaranthe - "Leave Everything Behind" (from Amaranthe, 2011)

5/5. This track to begin the playlist is one of the first songs by the band and it has melodeath, alt-metal, power metal, and a bit of trance all in a perfect balance. The choruses are catchy while staying epic, especially in the guitar solo during the last one.

All That Remains - "Two Weeks" from (Overcome, 2008)

5.5/5 (not exaggerating). This is one of the band's first songs to discard most of their metalcore sound, but I still love it anyway! This is the band's best track on the album, probably the band's best one in general. Dueling guitars, deep bass, relentless drumming, this song has it all. And I can thank my usually alt-rock-loving brother for getting me into this melodic metalcore glory!

Invent Animate - "Cloud Cascade" (from Greyview, 2020)

4.5/5. Very good and dark, just the way I like it!

Like Moths to Flames - "Do Not Resuscitate" (from Pure Like Porcelain, 2021)

5/5. Now this is what I really love, melodic-ish metalcore with a brutal breakdown! Like Moths to Flames is a band I wish to discover more of. The chorus rhythm is in excellent progression. The lyrics seem to relate to Alzheimer's. The brutal breakdown groove occurs in the last 30 seconds of the song, one of the best of the year! Though there is an emotional verse a minute earlier. Also there's a bit of amazing soul-touching piano in the middle. The band can go in like a lion and out like a lamb, then vice versa! Seems like after their recent 11-track album, they decided to release another EP. This heavy bomb is phenomenal. An absolute metalcore banger!

Savage Hands - "Memory" (from The Truth in Your Eyes, 2020)

4/5. Gnarly riffs, great vocals, catchy melodies... This band can stay quite sharp!

We Came as Romans - "Daggers" (from Daggers, 2021)

4.5/5. How is this band staying on without Kyle Pavone?! Either way, this single has killer potential! RIP Kyle

Within the Ruins - "Feeding Frenzy" (from Elite, 2013)

5/5. Another fantastic metalcore band! The screaming can sound emotional while staying aggressive along with the rest of the music which also beautiful melody. I f***ing love it! Screams don't ruin metal, it makes it better.

Thornhill - "In My Skin" (from The Dark Pool, 2019)

4.5/5. An atmospheric journey that allows you to drift along with this unique captivating music. The vocals give the track a melodic vibe. However, in my quest to try to score a home-run for this band, I'm stuck in 3rd base.

Void of Vision - "VAMPYR" (from CHRONICLES I: DUST, 2021)

5/5. Here's what I prefer to go for in metalcore, dark aggression! After that heavenly drift in the Thornhill track, the Void of Vision one forcefully drags you through Hell, reaching the deepest most violent depth during the end. One of the best!

InVisions - "Deadlock" (from Deadlock, 2022)

4/5. First song I've heard from this band, and I can hear a bit of their stellar talent.

Saving Vice - "Endgame" (from Hello There, 2020)

4.5/5. A sweet killer balance between brutality and melody. So amazingly bad-a**! This is kind of the equivalent to the limbo realm between Heaven and Hell, when you visualize the aftermath of an untimely death, like in the next track...

August Burns Red - "Indonesia" (from Constellations, 2009)

5.5/5 (not exaggerating). This is my favorite song on this song's album and probably the band and this playlist. It is dedicated to David Clapper, drummer Matt Greiner's second cousin, who was a missionary killed in a plane crash in Indonesia. There's a lot of sweeping and breakdowns, plus a guest clean vocal appearance by Tommy Rogers from Between the Buried and Me.

Weeping Wound - "23[23]23" (from PAIN, 2019)

4.5/5. Now this is some heavy sh*t that's barely bad at all, a f***ing satisfying banger! We shall get more of this amazingness further...

Aviana - "Oblivion" (from Obsession, 2022)

4/5. D*mn, this sounds quite useful for a DOOM-like video game soundtrack. F***ing good heaviness!

Trivium - "Sever the Hand" (from The Sin and the Sentence, 2017)

4.5/5. Speaking of DOOM, my brother's been listening to this song lately because it reminds him of the soundtrack to that game. And why not??? This one really kicks things up to high gear and has a darker thrash metal-influenced sound.

Bullet For My Valentine - "Shatter" (from Bullet For My Valentine, 2021)

3.5/5. After that slight ballad, there's more Hell to unleash with rising feedback before the dark verses and fierce moshing chorus. Interesting choice, Daniel!

Bring Me the Horizon - "Pray for Plagues" (from Count Your Blessings, 2006)

4/5. This band, THIS BAND wrote dark lyrics and brutal music?!? Yep, and it still hits right after all these years! While this isn't as perfect as their metalcore material, it really beats their recent alt-pop-rock phase. This heaviness keeps me both calm and active during the late-night hours of me writing these comments. Seriously, f*** the pop rock sh*t, the older material is what the heavier fans should get. When Oliver Sykes does his amazing screams to say the album's title, that's the best part. So underrated!

Make Them Suffer - "Contraband" (from Contraband, 2021)

5/5. This Australian symphonic metalcore band has returned with a brand new single to start a mosh pit at home. The piano melody is hauntingly beautiful, but Booka Nile doesn't sing in that song. In fact, she was in hiatus due to taking time off to participate in Married At First Sight Australia, then just recently, she was fired from the band. For this song, the band brought in Courtney LaPlante of Spiritbox to perform female vocals. If she wasn't committed to her main band, she might have a chance to join this one. Anyway, this track is kind of like a bridge from their previous album How to Survive a Funeral to whatever comes next, and can be considered August Burns Red with female singing. Still I miss the glory days of Neverbloom and Old Souls.

Psyopus - "The White Light" (from Ideas of Reference, 2004)

4.5/5. Here's a nostalgic throwback to when mathcore was rising in the early 2000s. Only someone who has mastered experience this kind of complex chaos can truly enjoy this track as much as I do. Listen at your own risk!

A Trust Unclean - "Aeon" (from Parturition, 2017)

4/5. F***ing underrated heavy technical deathcore right here! This can please the heavier fans looking for radical brutality.

Alpha Wolf - "The Mind Bends to a Will of Its Own" (from A Quiet Place to Die, 2020)

5/5. Another heavy headbanger! The lyrics follow the breakdown ridiculously well. The blast beats blow you away like a gigantic wind tunnel. A Warp Tour is in order for this band! This is basically Slipknot gone hardcore bonkers. I can definitely hear some Knocked Loose influences. The last-minute breakdown starts with a scream, literally!

Darko US - "Insects" (from Darko, 2021)

4.5/5. These lyrics are quite addictive in this f***ing slammer! What other band can go that wild?...

Brand of Sacrifice - "Demon King" (from Lifeblood, 2021)

4/5. I first started listening to metal when I was 13. Little did I know that, 10 years later, I would be exposed to some of the most berserk music I've heard in my life! Still I would reserve for the more brutal professional fans.

Gaza - "Gristle" (from I Don't Care Where I Go When I Die, 2006)

4.5/5. This one starts hard on the guitar then goes light before heading back into the heavy waves, sounding like another song inspired by early Converge. The song rolls with a heavy punch at the end.

Daughters - "Cheers Pricks" (from Hell Songs, 2006)

5/5. This long 6-minute epic has one of the most catchy bass loops I've heard.

Vein - "Doomtech" (from Errorzone, 2018)

5/5. Here you can find some intimidating hardcore. These 5 minutes are filled with chaotic changes to spin your head in uncontrollable directions.

Shadows Fall - "Somber Angel" (from Somber Eyes to the Sky, 1997)

4.5/5. Another incredible song! The first minute is a beautiful acoustic intro, then the rest is pure melodeath-inspired metalcore mayhem.

Underoath - "Pneumonia" (from Voyeurist, 2022)

4/5. This closing finale is worth describing on its own. It is the band's first 7-minute epic since the one at the end of Define the Great Line (still not as long as any of the songs from Cries of the Past). Basically it's brooding drone/post-metal that really emphasizes the first part of the post-hardcore name. Things start to build up to a final phenomenal climax. All in just that last minute, you hear more energy exploding than a supernova before it's all over. It's Underoath's "Nighttime Disguise"!

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:

Moon Tooth – Carry Me Home (2022)

4.5/5. Here we go again with some groovy progressive metal to fuel my Infinite blood. It's quite f***ing catchy and can almost make an awesome standout. The singing is never disappointing at all. A f***ing innovative headbanger! The riffing has a bit of a He Is Legend-like Southern vibe. The singing rises to its climatic point in the final chorus.

Angra – Black Widow’s Web (2018)

5/5. Holy sh*t, Angra just brought in Brazilian pop star Sandy for this song! Her excellent high singing reigns the intro along with the post-solo bridge alongside Fabio Lione. Alissa White-Gluz of Arch Enemy can also be heard throughout the song, doing her signature female growling alongside great background singing in the final chorus. Angra has even brought in some djent without losing their roots, especially in the breakdown at the 3-minute mark, rare to progressive power metal. A great band to come for the future that's near as f***. The chorus riffing soars through like dark clouds. This awesomeness deserves some great respect. While Sandy should've had more of the spotlight, Alissa provides the perfect contrast just like that of Kamelot's "Sacrimony (Angel of Afterlife)". Alissa still has her growling power from The Agonist and Arch Enemy. People think Angra's not the same after Andre Matos left, but it's great to explore the band's other vocalist eras. They're still hailed as a spectacular band today!

Between the Buried and Me – The Ectopic Stroll (2015)

4.5/5. Another wicked song from when I used to listen to BTBAM, though I would've described this song much better if I kept my review for its album Coma Ecliptic. Some things you just can't keep all of.

Enslaved – Isa (2004)

4/5. This one's a nice recommendation for extreme progressive metal fans, but again, I'm out of the black metal game.

Slugdge – Salt Thrower (2018)

4.5/5. Ditto with this one, though there is a slight touch of brutal death, especially in the grand killer riff right in the middle. It is quite great with the music and the artwork screaming METAL. Plus the Opeth-like strength is another thing that inspired me to keep Opeth with me for a long while. And there is a bit of Mastodon/Kylesa-like sludge.

Cult of Luna – An Offering To The Wild (2022)

5/5. This highlight carries the strong atmosphere back into the sludgy heaviness, with additional instrumentation by Colin Stetson, best known for his film soundtracks including Hereditary. This cinematic composition expands into chaotic cacophony by the end of its 13-minute length.

Queensryche – Eyes Of A Stranger (1988)

5/5. The final song of Queensryche's concept album breakthrough, Operation Mindcrime, is the second most-memorable song of that album and has the best chorus. If you're wondering what's going on in the story, listen to the rest of the album to find out.

Leprous – Coal (2013)

4.5/5. The title track of Leprous' third non-demo album sounds much different, closer to technical groove metal in some parts.

Voivod – Iconspiracy (2018)

4.5/5. Such inventive beauty in this track full of creativity! Then there's a blast-beat-ish bridge in the middle that adds fresh interest by allowing the bass and strings to take the front stage instead of guitars. It's almost how, throughout these nearly 4 decades of their career, they've barely been bad at all, though the E-Force era caused a bit of turbulence. Voivod is quite unlike most other bands!

Jinjer – Home Back (2019)

4/5. Another underrated band that should be heard in far more than just their homeland. The lyrics tell quite a fascinating story, and have a bit of dark vibe added from the current situation in Ukraine where they're from. Stay strong! Also, some might be reminded of Mudvayne and System of a Down.

Persefone – Architecture of the I (2022)

5/5. This one begins with bass/keyboard elegance before an aggressively speedy rollercoaster of emotion. The savageness never bores me at all with the dark vibe helped out by the hardcore screams of lead vocalist Marc Martins. The percussion often reaching hyperblast levels up the chaotic massacre. A killer way to end this playlist!

It's good that I didn't move away from submitting track suggestions to The Guardians, but I'm already moving away from a few of the bands in this playlist (more info here: https://metal.academy/forum/9/thread/1158). Don't worry, I might a few occasional throwback suggestions to those bands in later playlists. Anyway, here are my thoughts on some tracks:

Black Sabbath - Heaven and Hell (from Heaven and Hell, 2008 Remaster)

4/5. A decently great track to begin this playlist, but my attempts to get into 70s/early 80s are still far from my range. However, long live the voice of another passed hero of metal, Ronnie James Dio! RIP

Running Wild - Riding the Storm (from Death Or Glory, 2017 Remaster)

4.5/5. Personally, I think this highlight should've opened the playlist. After the two-minute intro that sounds like it could've inspired the Pirates of the Caribbean soundtrack in the compositional sense, the vocals by Rolf Kasparek come in to shine, especially in the chorus filled with emotion. The riffs cross through like a violent thunderous typhoon into your head, as the charged-up verses and powerful choruses are brought together by the drums all in this unforgettable song. That's the pirate metal "Thundersteel"!

Sabaton - Seven Pillars of Wisdom (from The Great War, 2019)

4.5/5. An amazing catchy song from this band that I started listening to 8 years ago. Sabaton was once one of my favorite power metal bands, but after taking them out of my playlist 4 years ago, it is now time for a proper farewell to this band. I salute them and their "Winged Hussars" and other tracks! (do I get a medal?)

Savatage - Not What You See (from Dead Winter Dead, 1995)

5/5. One of the best songs from one of the best Savatage albums! At least I'm still keeping this band's music with me while saying farewell to the bands I'm moving away from. A flawless song for ice skating, with excellent lyrics and amazing music. Even though Savatage is in the inactive void, TSO is doing their best to keep the music alive. An epic uplifting classic so nicely done! A better metal future is all that I see...

Nightwish - The Siren (from Once, 2004)

5/5. One of my favorites from Tarja-era Nightwish! Though I enjoy their material with Floor Jansen as well. I hope Marko Hietala is doing OK...

LORD - Set In Stone (from Set In Stone, 2009)

4.5/5. A band in a more modern age that prefer to stick to their classic heavy/power metal guns. Set in Stone was a spectacular album, and this song I still think is d*mn amazing with great solos. Their legacy shall be set in stone!

Dream Evil - Children Of The Night (from Evilized, 2003)

5/5. Another awesome underrated band! The intro starts things off perfectly. Listen to that sweet music, like Scorpions but heavier! This is probably my favorite song from this band, it's very awesome! It's been nearly 5 years since I last listened to this band, and this still hits hard.

Elvenking - Warden of the Bane (from Reader of the Runes - Divination, 2019)

4.5/5. This track has some of the fanciest guitar work by the band. Enough said!

The Night Eternal - Elysion (Take Me Over) (from Moonlit Cross, 2021)

4/5. Once again, classic heavy metal continues to rise for future generations. However, the gothic twist makes this band sound too much like Danzig. With that said though, it's truly worth playing air guitar to this one. It is quite great with nicely improved singing. Occult-ish metal prevails!

Grand Magus - Valhalla Rising (from The Hunt, 2012)

4.5/5. Yet another underrated band! This probably would've worked better for my earlier epic metal taste, but it still kicks a**. The crushing guitar and heavenly soloing is far better than the pop sh*t outsiders like too much. Hail this cool band, despite moving away from them during my doom metal departure. It's amazing how they use the same tuning as modern Katatonia (C tuning) for a low yet epic guitar tone.

The Lord Weird Slough Feg - Walls of Shame (from Down Among the Deadmen, 2013)

4.5/5. A good song to listen to from this band one more time before farewell. Praise the Lord Weird Slough Feg!

ANGRA - The Voice Commanding You (from Aurora Consurgens, 2006)

5/5. Aurora Consurgens and Aqua are less superior than the rest of Edu Falaschi era of Angra, but they still rock hard. Rafael Bittencourt does unbelievable riffing, especially at over the 4-minute mark that leads us to a happy powerful ending to this glorious speedy song.

Here are my thoughts on some tracks:

Attila – Day Drinking (2021)

4/5. Cool song to start this playlist! While drinking may never be in my religion, this is still some f***ing fun good sh*t to listen to that might work in underground radios. It might seem like Southern-fried metalcore was gonna die because of Every Time I Die's recent split-up, but nu metalcore masters Attila know how to bring this Southern style back to life. This band is so f***ing underrated, if you ask me. Rob Zombie would be proud...

Chevelle – The Red (2002)

4.5/5. This great track is the ONE SONG my brother can play on guitar. I'm glad to still enjoy this song from my first listen 10 years ago. The lyrics about anger management fit well for the explosive heaviness. The chorus is so good, and it makes sure the song never disappoints. You just wanna keep repeating that song as much as possible. Pete's vocal range is showcased very well, with the most screams in the album.

Dir En Grey – The IID Empire (2003)

4/5. A spark of experimental alt-metal from Japan. H*ll yes!!

Escape the Fate – Issues (2010)

4.5/5. This next song hits you with hard rock instrumentation and a catchy chorus. The bass can be heard pretty well, which is quite rare for bands of this style.  It would be great if more bands try that.

Karnivool – Synops (2005)

5/5. The heaviness continues again. Amazing submission, Daniel!

Lacuna Coil – Our Truth (2006)

4.5/5. Close to a f***ing incredible highlight! Even though I moved away from this band during my departure from gothic metal, after listening and reviewing a couple Evanescence albums, they might be some hope in returning to Lacuna Coil in the future. Maybe...

The Bread Scientists – Starburst (2021)

3/5. Good attempt at testing out a song from The Bread Scientists to see whether or not I'm up for checking out this month's Gateway feature release, but if I've really struggled with this experimental side of alt-metal, perhaps my Gateway feature release should continue sometime else.

Coldrain – We’re not alone (2010)

3.5/5. This next track is where massive heaviness of the rhythms and leads come in while Masato sings cleanly. During then, the band makes sure Masato is not alone. I know a little more of this band's material than that of The Bread Scientists, but even then, it's not at its best.

Mark Morton – Cross Off (2019)

4/5. The final studio recording of vocals from this fallen hero, Linkin Park's Chester Bennington, is what makes this song absolutely killer. It's as if the universe granted Linkin Park fans one last gift from the heavens (not Heaven itself, but you know what I mean). Those g****mn screamed vocals are some of his best since Linkin Park's metal albums. Mark Morton, best known as guitarist of Lamb of God, knows how to pull as much guitar talent as Avenged Sevenfold, maybe a bit of Bullet for My Valentine. Chester was a great man in the world of music. RIP

Memphis May Fire – The Old Me (2018)

5/5. This one fits well for our world falling apart because of the virus, even though this album was released a couple years before the virus started. Is it possible for a such a f***ing personally relatable song to exist?! Great lyrics in this song hitting a great level! That question "What happened to the old me?" is a hard-to-answer question that many people are wondering. A perfectly fitting song for our world!

Wage War – Grave (2019)

4.5/5. Another on-fire track! One of my favorite tracks since the previous album's "Stitch".

Green Carnation – Pile of Doubt (2005)

4/5. I've heard talk about this song ending up in a few 2K sports games. I don't know that for sure, but what I would really like to see if this song reaching the charts instead of the sh*tty ones from the radio. Despite being over a decade and a half old, the insane deep beauty never fades away. The ending part from the 5-minute mark onwards is the best part! This band started off as death metal before moving to a gothic progressive metal sound, and in this album, they had a more of a hard rock/alt-metal sound on. They would switch to moody acoustic rock just for the next album Acoustic Verses. This song is quite kick-A, though that album cover is a little creepy. Great song, somehow ending up in a few sports video games and I didn't know.

Ra – Don’t Turn Away (2008)

5/5. Now this song I totally love! Probably my favorite song of this playlist, definitely worth ending it. This band is so underrated and deserves more fame. Absolutely bad-a**! I don't need any violent death metal or Slayer-like thrash metal, this is the epic heaviness I prefer. Cool catchy riffs! I look forward to listening to their other offerings...

Thanks Daniel for accepting my feature release submission! Here's my review summary:

Demon Hunter still remain a Christian metalcore legend. Since their very beginning, they've been making some of the most original and consistent music out there. The band continues to significantly evolve, and anyone during the waiting period 10 years ago would've been wondering what's next. Their previous album Storm the Gates of Hell is a solid album to enjoy where the band heads off in progressive directions, and it worked! Well, most of the time, with only one flaw in that system. With The World Is A Thorn, Demon Hunter has put most of their progressive experiments aside. And one big thing about this album is, this is the band's first one since the departure of guitarists Ethan Luck and co-founder Don Clark. They were replaced by Patrick Judge and Ryan Helm. Patrick would stay with the band, while Ryan is only here for this album. With those new members, The World Is A Thorn has great guitar improvement. The band's previous albums had some good guitar work but never really impressive, yet here we are, listening to nice riffing with new occasional technicality. While many tracks have the usual fast heavy metalcore action, "Collapsing" is one of the strongest and greatest tracks of the album. That's my usually alt-rock-loving brother's favorite Demon Hunter song which got me into listening to this band. The vocals are mostly clean singing from Ryan Clark and guest member Björn "Speed" Strid of Soilwork, while keeping the song's heaviness along with a delightful guitar solo. Other guests in the album include Christian Älvestam, vocalist of formerly Scar Symmetry and now Solution .45 (two melodeath bands from my younger melodic side), and Dave Peters of Throwdown. Too bad this is the band's last guest-filled album before continuing their journey themselves in subsequent albums. The World Is A Thorn might just surpass The Triptych as the absolute perfect Demon Hunter album, but it was almost brought down from its 5-star rating by a certain 2-minute track. This is an excellent contender for one of top metal albums to begin the 2010s. Bless this band!

5/5 (95% to be exact, due to "LifeWar")

Recommended songs: "Collapsing", "This Is The Line", "The World Is A Thorn", "Just Breathe", "Feel As Though You Could"

For fans of: Throwdown, Unearth, Bad Wolves

March 2022

1. Amaranthe - "Leave Everything Behind" (from Amaranthe, 2011) [Submitted by shadowdoom9 (Andi)]

2. All That Remains - "Two Weeks" from (Overcome, 2008) [Submitted by shadowdoom9 (Andi)]

3. Invent Animate - "Cloud Cascade" (from Greyview, 2020)

4. Like Moths to Flames - "Do Not Resuscitate" (from Pure Like Porcelain, 2021)

5. Savage Hands - "Memory" (from The Truth in Your Eyes, 2020)

6. We Came as Romans - "Daggers" (from Daggers, 2021)

7. Within the Ruins - "Feeding Frenzy" (from Elite, 2013) [Submitted by shadowdoom9 (Andi)]

8. Thornhill - "In My Skin" (from The Dark Pool, 2019)

9. Void of Vision - "VAMPYR" (from CHRONICLES I: DUST, 2021)

10. InVisions - "Deadlock" (from Deadlock, 2022)

11. Saving Vice - "Endgame" (from Hello There, 2020)

12. August Burns Red - "Indonesia" (from Constellations, 2009) [Submitted by shadowdoom9 (Andi)]

13. Weeping Wound - "23[23]23" (from PAIN, 2019)

14. Aviana - "Oblivion" (from Obsession, 2022)

15. Trivium - "Sever the Hand" (from The Sin and the Sentence, 2017) [Submitted by shadowdoom9 (Andi)]

16. Bullet For My Valentine - "Shatter" (from Bullet For My Valentine, 2021) [Submitted by Daniel]

17. Bring Me the Horizon - "Pray for Plagues" (from Count Your Blessings, 2006) [Submitted by shadowdoom9 (Andi)]

18. Make Them Suffer - "Contraband" (from Contraband, 2021)

19. Psyopus - "The White Light" (from Ideas of Reference, 2004)

20. A Trust Unclean - "Aeon" (from Parturition, 2017)

21. Alpha Wolf - "The Mind Bends to a Will of Its Own" (from A Quiet Place to Die, 2020)

22. Darko US - "Insects" (from Darko, 2021)

23. Brand of Sacrifice - "Demon King" (from Lifeblood, 2021)

24. Gaza - "Gristle" (from I Don't Care Where I Go When I Die, 2006) [Submitted by shadowdoom9 (Andi)]

25. Daughters - "Cheers Pricks" (from One of Us Is the Killer, 2013)

26. Vein - "Doomtech" (from Errorzone, 2018)

27. Shadows Fall - "Somber Angel" (from Somber Eyes to the Sky, 1997)

28. Underoath - "Pneumonia" (from Voyeurist, 2022)

I've enjoyed all those bands/genres I've listened to, but there are some times when I've realized they might not be for me because of my interest for those bands fading and my moral compass pointing at which genres I might not feel comfortable with listening to more based on my mood. For death metal, doom/gothic metal, and black metal, I've left those genres because of my concerns about how those lyrical themes of violent gore, dark depression, and irreligious Satanism (respectively) would affect my outside-world rep, as I'm still this young dude in my early 20s living with my parents and expected to spread positive vibes to other outside-world people I know, and a couple bad experiences triggered that realization. Then there are some bands like those heavy/power metal bands mentioned above that I'm moving away from because after 6 months or more, I've noticed that my interest for those bands went from "some of the best bands ever!" to just "meh, not going anywhere". Part of that problem is, I was way more interested in heavy/power metal at least 5 years ago, then when I was losing steam in those genres, my YouTube pen pal introduced me to listening to Trivium, which got me into revamping my metal interest into heavier genres like metalcore and modern progressive metal, and formerly melodeath and gothic/doom metal. Then a couple years later, here in Metal Academy, when some of you like my earlier epic power metal taste enough to motivate me to revive it, I appreciate it, but the strength of power metal passion just isn't as much as it used to be. Another thing that triggers me is the copyright troubles I might face when, say, sharing on YouTube.

Also here are two more bands that I'm moving away from as well:

Lord

Mastodon (actually a progressive/sludge metal band, no heavy/power metal at all)

I definitely will try to improve my interest in heavy/power metal and progressive metal despite moving away from some bands (with occasional throwbacks to those bands in playlist track submissions), but will I fully return to those bands and the genres I'm straying from in the future? Though that would be great, only time will tell....

Let's extend both lists to 30 and look out for more albums.

Heavy metal:

#26 Judas Priest - Sad Wings of Destiny (7903 / 3.89)

#27 Iron Maiden - Brave New World (7885 / 3.72)

#28 Iron Maiden - Fear of the Dark (7581 / 3.21)

#29 Ozzy Osbourne - Blizzard of Ozz (7033 / 3.75)

#30 Metallica - Garage Inc. (7005 / 3.15)

WITHOUT heavy metal:

#26 Iced Earth - Something Wicked This Way Comes (2253 / 3.65)

#27 Blind Guardian - Battalions of Fear (2167 / 3.38)

#28 Iced Earth - Burnt Offerings (2110 / 3.72)

#29 Blind Guardian - Follow the Blind (2102 / 3.33)

#30 Nightwish - Angels Fall First (2037 / 3.06)

Check out the description for my latest video (which I plan to keep), and stay tuned for tomorrow morning when I reveal what those two other bands are:

At the third attempt, my partner of some 15 years and I will be getting married in October.  I proposed back in 2019 in New York and we have had to move dates twice already because of COVID.  This is going to be my second marriage and her first with both of us well into our forties.  This means that I am currently spending most weekends at Wedding Fayres listening to sales people sell me things - as a sales person myself, this really is hard to digest for me, but needs must - as we try and get prepared ahead of October (providing Putin doesn't kill us all by then of course).  Today's fayre attendance saw me hire two casino tables and croupiers for the evening (no real money being used of course with there being kids around).  There's only two things left for me to sort, my suits and my stag do.  Nice and simple.

A weekend in Edinburgh should cover the stag do.  I am not letting my best man sort it because - good mate though he is - he is useless at life in general.  Can also see the suit fitting day ending up in a pub crawl around Liverpool - well would be rude not to, right?

Congrats, Vinny!

The ultimate Evanescence anthem featuring vocalists of Within Temptation, The Pretty Reckless, and Halestorm, recommended for fans of those bands:

Congrats, Sonny!!! Enjoy your freedom!

Anyone looking for a female-led symphonic-gothic-sounding Linkin Park without any rapping, here you go:

After having fun with the "most popular 50 Infinite albums and EPs in 2021" last week, I've decided to the same with my other 3 clans. So here they are for The Gateway, with the number of ratings and average score:

#1 Poppy - Eat (NXT Soundtrack) (2164 / 3.67)

#2 Limp Bizkit - Still Sucks (1813 / 2.73)

#3 Architects - For Those That Wish to Exist (1159 / 2.55)

#4 Spiritbox - Eternal Blue (1109 / 3.38)

#5 Chevelle - Niratias (832 / 3.44)

#6 Evanescence - The Bitter Truth (700 / 2.75)

#7 Lantlôs - Wildhund (683 / 3.28)

#8 Turnstile - Turnstile Love Connection (544 / 3.52)

#9 Whitechapel - Kin (495 / 3.44)

#10 Serj Tankian - Elasticity (331 / 2.74)

#11 Sleep Token - This Place Will Become Your Tomb (329 / 3.20)

#12 Bullet for My Valentine - Bullet for My Valentine (310 / 2.89)

#13 Beartooth - Below (278 / 3.08)

#14 Slaughter to Prevail - Kostolom (275 / 2.77)

#15 Coaltar of the Deepers - Revenge of the Visitors (273 / 3.28)

#16 While She Sleeps - Sleeps Society (256 / 3.14)

#17 The Gentle Men - The Evolution of Tears (175 / 2.83)

#18 Don Broco - Amazing Things (168 / 3.31)

#19 Atreyu - Baptize (164 / 2.49)

#20 The Bread Scientists - Troposphere (160 / 3.16)

#21 Twelve Foot Ninja - Vengeance (153 / 3.18)

#22 Tremonti - Marching in Time (144 / 3.46)

#23 The Plot in You - Swan Song (126 / 3.23)

#24 Times of Grace - Songs of Loss and Separation (115 / 3.19)

#25 Black Veil Brides - The Phantom Tomorrow (111 / 2.81)

#26 Love and Death - Perfectly Preserved (108 / 3.03)

#27 Tetrarch - Unstable (99 / 2.99)

#28 Sion - Sion (95 / 3.25)

#29 Blanket - Modern Escapism (92 / 3.28)

#30 Hacktivist - Hyperdialect (88 / 3.08)

#31 Imminence - Heaven in Hiding (83 / 3.47)

#32 Alien Weaponry - Tangaroa (79 / 2.89)

#33 The Gazette - Mass (76 / 3.23)

#34 Attila - Closure (75 / 1.93)

#35 Slope - Street Heat (73 / 3.35)

#36 ASkySoBlack - What Is Yet to Come? (68 / 3.52)

#37 Aborym - Hostile (65 / 2.14)

#38 LizZard - Eroded (65 / 3.09)

#39 Eisbrecher - Liebe Macht Monster (65 / 3.28)

#40 Loli in Early 20s - blood for evening (64 / 3.16)

#41 Bad Wolves - Dear Monsters (61 / 3.06)

#42 Dreamshade - A Pale Blue Dot (60 / 3.15)

#43 鬱P [Utsu-P] - Unique (54 / 3.59)

#44 Психея [Psiheya] - Видения (48 / 3.06)

#45 Sumo Cyco - Initiation (45 / 2.99)

#46 Blood Youth - Visions of Another Hell (45 / 3.11)

#47 Pain of Truth / Age of Apocalypse - Pain of Truth/Age of Apocalypse Split (43 / 3.26)

#48 ten56. - Downer Part 1 (42 / 3.25)

#49 MolyBaron -The Mutiny (39 / 3.60)

#50 Appalooza - The Holy of Holies (37 / 3.03)

I did not expect that Eisbrecher album to appear here. Neue Deutsche Härte apparently now covers alternative metal and industrial metal in RYM, instead of just the latter. Another RYM genre change to keep in mind...

After having fun with the "most popular 50 Infinite albums and EPs in 2021" last week, I've decided to the same with my other 3 clans. So here they are for The Guardians, with the number of ratings and average score:

#1 Iron Maiden - Senjutsu (2507 / 3.13)

#2 Helloween - Helloween (1388 / 3.53)

#3 Darkthrone - Eternal Hails...... (1315 / 3.25)

#4 Epica - Omega (706 / 3.43)

#5 First Fragment - Gloire éternelle (697 / 3.58)

#6 Accept - Too Mean to Die (542 / 3.25)

#7 Unto Others - Strength (500 / 3.47)

#8 Andrew W.K. - God Is Partying (456 / 3.24)

#9 Therion - Leviathan (391 / 3.09)

#10 Powerwolf - Call of the Wild (329 / 3.40)

#11 Dread Sovereign - Alchemical Warfare (327 / 3.30)

#12 Herzel - Le dernier rempart (268 / 3.47)

#13 KK's Priest - Sermons of the Sinner (257 / 3.14)

#14 Beast in Black - Dark Connection (250 / 3.43)

#15 Volbeat - Servant of the Mind (242 / 3.41)

#16 Eternity's End - Embers of War (226 / 3.65)

#17 Orden Ogan - Final Days (225 / 3.33)

#18 Cirith Ungol - Half Past Human (217 / 3.36)

#19 Various Artists - The Metallica Blacklist (214 / 3.50)

#20 Warrior Path - The Mad King (212 / 3.45)

#21 Vulture - Dealin' Death (199 / 3.34)

#22 Pharaoh - The Powers That Be (198 / 3.53)

#23 石渡太輔 [Daisuke Ishiwatari] - Guilty Gear -Strive- Digital Soundtrack (197 / 3.62)

#24 Heavy Sentence - Bang to Rights (192 / 3.52)

#25 Mechina - Siege (191 / 3.07)

#26 Dragony - Viribus Unitis (186 / 3.15)

#27 Seven Spires - Gods of Debauchery (176 / 3.47)

#28 Bewitcher - Cursed Be Thy Kingdom (170 / 3.26)

#29 Lovebites - Glory, Glory, to the World (169 / 3.56)

#30 Rhapsody of Fire - Glory for Salvation (168 / 3.29)

#31 Edu Falaschi - Vera Cruz (165 / 3.49)

#32 Black Label Society - Doom Crew Inc. (163 / 3.26)

#33 Silver Talon - Decadence and Decay (162 / 3.33)

#34 Labÿrinth - Welcome to the Absurd Circus (161 / 3.30)

#35 Blaze Bayley - War Within Me (157 / 3.41)

#36 Running Wild - Blood on Blood (155 / 3.14)

#37 Lucifer - Lucifer IV (155 / 3.39)

#38 Bloodbound - Creatures of the Dark Realm (151 / 3.41)

#39 Aephanemer - A Dream of Wilderness (150 / 3.56)

#40 Pentakill - III: Lost Chapter (149 / 3.10)

#41 Crystal Viper - The Cult (145 / 3.26)

#42 Rage - Resurrection Day (175 / 3.35)

#43 Sirenia - Riddles, Ruins & Revelations (139 / 2.92)

#44 Haunt - Beautiful Distraction (136 / 3.13)

#45 Significant Point - Into the Storm (135 / 3.29)

#46 Brainstorm - Wall of Skulls (132 / 3.63)

#47 Portrait - At One With None (127 / 3.39)

#48 Lunar Shadow - Wish to Leave (122 / 3.24)

#49 Bonehunter - Dark Blood Reincarnation System (120 / 3.43)

#50 Dalriada - Őszelő (117 / 3.47)

A few of these albums actually have just the speed metal label, but again, it's there because speed metal has been switched to a Heavy Metal subgenre in RYM, which has not yet taken effect here.

I'm back into the Revolution zone early, all!

After having fun with the "most popular 50 Infinite albums and EPs in 2021" last week, I've decided to the same with my other 3 clans. So here they are for The Revolution, with the number of ratings and average score:

#1 Between the Buried and Me - Colors II (2256 / 3.51)

#2 Poppy - Eat (NXT Soundtrack) (2164 / 3.67)

#3 Frontier - Oxidized (1992 / 3.50)

#4 Every Time I Die - Radical (1593 / 3.55)

#5 Knocked Loose - A Tear in the Fabric of Life (1578 / 3.77)

#6 Pupil Slicer - Mirrors (1163 / 3.41)

#7 Trivium - In the Court of the Dragon (938 / 3.47)

#8 SeeYouSpaceCowboy - The Romance of Affliction (807 / 3.46)

#9 Lorna Shore - ...And I Return to Nothingness (706 / 3.51)

#10 Sunami / Gulch - Sunami / Gulch (606 / 3.51)

#11 ERRA - ERRA (592 / 3.39)

#12 For Your Health - In Spite Of (578 / 3.24)

#13 Yautja - The Lurch (563 / 3.45)

#14 Anna Pest - Dark Arms Reach Skyward With Bone White Fingers (481 / 3.14)

#15 Humanity's Last Breath - Välde (435 / 3.30)

#16 SeeYouSpaceCowboy / If I Die First - A Sure Disaster (430 / 3.53)

#17 Brand of Sacrifice - Lifeblood (414 / 3.26)

#18 Ice Nine Kills - The Silver Scream 2: Welcome to Horrorwood (397 / 3.31)

#19 Death Goals - The Horrible and The Miserable (384 / 3.43)

#20 Zao - The Crimson Corridor (369 / 3.46)

#21 Jinjer - Wallflowers (366 / 3.29)

#22 The Devil Wears Prada - ZII (315 / 3.47)

#23 Fawn Limbs - Darwin Falls (311 / 3.35)

#24 Bullet for My Valentine - Bullet for My Valentine (310 / 2.89)

#25 Hazing Over - Pestilence (309 / 3.39)

#26 Born of Osiris - Angel or Alien (292 / 3.16)

#27 Slaughter to Prevail - Kostolom (275 / 2.77)

#28 Silent Planet - Iridescent (275 / 3.44)

#29 While She Sleeps - Sleeps Society (256 / 3.14)

#30 Dying Wish - Fragments of a Bitter Memory (251 / 3.46)

#31 Wristmeetrazor - Replica of a Strange Love (250 / 3.31)

#32 Circuit Circuit - Circuit Circuit (247 / 3.53)

#33 MouthBreather - I'm Sorry Mr. Salesman (244 / 3.48)

#34 God’s Hate - God’s Hate (239 / 3.27)

#35 Employed to Serve - Conquering (215 / 3.14)

#36 Kaonashi - Dear Lemon House, You Ruined Me: Senior Year (208 / 3.24)

#37 Darko - Darko (200 / 3.34)

#38 Skin Tension - Machinic Impulses of the Hyperreal (190 / 3.26)

#39 Wanderer - Liberation From a Brutalist Existence (181 / 3.40)

#40 Mental Cruelty - A Hill to Die Upon (179 / 3.28)

#41 Carnifex - Graveside Confessions (176 / 3.30)

#42 Wage War - Manic (175 / 3.35)

#43 Abiotic - Ikigai (174 / 3.14)

#44 Ghostemane - Fear Network II (161 / 2.58)

#45 Of Mice & Men - Echo (155 / 3.44)

#46 Bridge Burner - Disempath (140 / 3.44)

#47 Juan Bond - Womb (138 / 3.01)

#48 Waking the Cadaver - Authority Through Intimidation (126 / 3.32)

#49 LANDMVRKS - Lost in the Waves (125 / 3.12)

#50 Of Mice & Men - Timeless (124 / 3.34)

Wow. Sabbath are AOR!! Let's move this one to the "unpopular metal opinions" thread.

I didn't say Sabbath as a whole are or sound like AOR, just that one song. C'mon, you can't tell me you don't hear it, that song is super light compared to their usual fare.

I agree. This might've been a hint for the band's heaviness decreasing in their next 3 albums.

Am I the only one who thinks that there should be more acknowledgement of the two distinct types of death doom metal. There seems to me to be a world of difference between the gothic style of death doom practiced by MDB et al and the more heavily (heavenly) death metal vibes of Cianide, Rippikoulu, Asphyx, Atavisma and Coffins. Is a fan of My Dying Bride, Katatonia, Draconian and Paradise Lost necessarily going to get off on Autopsy and Winter? I'm not saying they wouldn't, but surely there is enough of a separation in overall sound and atmosphere to justify a gothic or maybe even melodic death doom tag. They sound as different to me as black metal and melodic black metal do, so if the purpose of tagging is to direct fans of a certain style to further releases or bands they might like why should these two quite differing styles be lumped together.

When I was still listening to death-doom, I thought of the subgenre as 3 distinct types; melodic (My Dying Bride, Katatonia), gothic (Draconian, Paradise Lost), and DEATH-doom (Autopsy, Winter). It makes a lot of sense, and if I really was into the doom side of death-doom that marked the former two categories, I wouldn't like the death side as much (and I've never had). Two metal genres can be combined as one, but what matters is which side gets more of the spotlight. So yeah, you're not alone there, Sonny.

Andi, please see this track from 1984 for an early example of heavily synthesizer-driven metal:

Hmmm... Yeah I can clearly hear a lot of background synths, but they're in more of an 80s new-wave level than symphonic in my opinion. If we really are checking on early examples of prominent synths in metal, here's another good one, mostly in the "Minuet" intro:

99% of symphonic bands are only using keyboards Andi. Besides, if you want to identify the first example of a metal band utilizing an orchestra then it goes way back to a time when there was only one metal band on the planet.

As a symphonic metal nerd, this whole discussion is very interesting and I wanna look at more of these examples of early symphonic metal, but I think maybe it's a stretch to call this a "symphonic metal" song considering how light the sound is on this track. It pretty much sounds like AOR (Boston, Journey, etc.) with Ozzy vocals, and rym seems to agree that this is more symphonic rock that symphonic metal. It's definitely worth noting, but I personally am going to refrain from calling it the "first symphonic metal song".

Back in the 70s, AOR was on the rise with bands like Boston, Journey, and Queen entering the scene, so it really does make more sense that the light strings used in the track have more in common with AOR in the past than symphonic metal today. I looked up the albums where the tracks I've chosen are from in RYM, and it seems like X Japan's Blue Blood and Savatage's Gutter Ballet are the earliest two albums to have the symphonic metal secondary tag, so by that logic, those two albums really would be the first ones to have genuine symphonic metal in at least one song.

Scarecrow, have you ever listened to Metallica's S&M, their live performance with a real orchestra? Normally, Metallica is in your least-listened-to clan The Pit, but in that live album, most of their songs are from their heavy metal albums, twisted with authentic orchestration. I didn't enjoy it so much, but perhaps you might. Give that one a go!

The apocalyptic climax of another perfect post-sludge album, with two guitarists from a pop rock band joining in. It's the Cult of the Phoenix!

I could not find the full "Anabasis" suite in one video, but that's OK because this part is superior, complete with soloing by two neo-classical guitar masters and a female vocalist that I've first heard of 10 years ago from the epic orchestral times of Two Steps From Hell. Fans of Leprous, Enslaved, and Opeth should dig this epic collaboration:

Ben, please add the new re-recording of Annihilator's Metal album, Metal II.

Ben, please add Evanescence. Their new album The Bitter Truth has the Alternative Metal tag that now fits the RYM 2:1 ratio (for: 30 - against: 15).

There are those "top 50 progressive metal releases in 2021" lists on other sites, so I decided to see what are indeed the most popular 50 of the Infinite in 2021 (including EPs) in RYM. I'm actually busy this weekend, but after that, I'll work on similar lists for my other 3 clans. So here they are, with the number of ratings and average score:

#1 Converge & Chelsea Wolfe - Bloodmoon: I (3077 / 3.57)

#2 Gojira - Fortitude (2983 / 3.24)

#3 Ad Nauseam - Imperative Imperceptible Impulse (2566 / 3.63)

#4 Between the Buried and Me - Colors II (2250 / 3.51)

#5 Mastodon - Hushed and Grim (2120 / 3.52)

#6 Papungu - Holoceno (1822 / 3.62)

#7 Thy Catafalque - Vadak (1368 / 3.56)

#8 Cult of Luna - The Raging River (1269 / 3.53)

#9 Kaatayra - Inpariquipê (1256 / 3.74)

#10 Atvm - Famine, Putrid and Fucking Endless (1243 / 3.60)

#11 Amenra - De doorn (1121 / 3.49)

#12 Dream Theater - A View From the Top of the World (1020 / 3.25)

#13 Kaya Dot - Moss Grew on the Swords and Plowshares Alike (1009 / 3.48)

#14 Portal - Avow (986 / 3.40)

#15 Dvne - Etemen Ænka (937 / 3.51)

#16 King Woman - Celestial Blues (905 / 3.49)

#17 Soen - Imperial (876 / 3.30)

#18 Diskord - Degenerations (865 / 3.53)

#19 VOLA - Witness (837 / 3.45)

#20 Emma Ruth Rundle & Thou - The Helm of Sorrow (762 / 3.42)

#21 So Hideous - None but a Pure Heart Can Sing (758 / 3.61)

#22 Genghis Tron - Dream Weapon (755 / 3.27)

#23 Cynic - Ascension Codes (712 / 3.32)

#24 Lantlôs - Wildhund (678 / 3.28)

#25 Kauan - Ice Fleet (639 / 3.45)

#26 Black Sheep Wall - Songs for the Enamel Queen (638 / 3.38)

#27 Plebeian Grandstand - Rien ne suffit (638 / 3.53)

#28 Rivers of Nihil - The Work (624 / 3.33)

#29 Liquid Tension Experiment - Liquid Tension Experiment 3 (604 / 3.49)

#30 ERRA - ERRA (590 / 3.39)

#31 Big Brave - Vital (565 / 3.37)

#32 Fire-Toolz - Eternal Home (551 / 3.42)

#33 Ænigmatum - Deconsecrate (523 / 3.54)

#34 Furia - w Śnialni (510 / 3.14)

#35 Vildhjarta - Måsstaden Under Vatten (505 / 3.45)

#36 Krallice - Demonic Wealth (502 / 3.29)

#37 Whitechapel - Kin (485 / 3.43)

#38 Victory Over the Sun - Nowherer (436 / 3.22)

#39 Year of No Light - Consolamentum (430 / 3.41)

#40 Iotunn - Access All Worlds (427 / 3.45)

#41 Dordeduh - Har (415 / 3.51)

#42 Effluence - Psychocephalic Spawning (379 / 3.66)

#43 Jinjer - Wallflowers (364 / 3.29)

#44 Evergrey - Escape of the Phoenix (350 / 3.40)

#45 Five the Hierophant - Through Aureate Void (343 / 3.38)

#46 Dola - Czasy (336 / 3.46)

#47 Bríi - Sem propósito (325 / 3.44)

#48 Fawn Limbs - Darwin Falls (310 / 3.34)

#49 Suffocate for Fuck Sake - Fyra (292 / 3.33)

#50 Enslaved - Caravans to the Outer Worlds (281 / 3.29)

You're absolutely right, Daniel! I have been thinking so much about those bands I've mentioned above and I didn't realize that the first ever metal band had also made what can be considered the first ever symphonic metal track, or at least proto-symphonic metal. Black Sabbath's "Spiral Architect" is clearly the winner!

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

1. Gateway playlist - 4/5 (number of songs commented: 11)

2. Guardians playlist - 4.5/5 (number of songs commented: 10)

3. Infinite playlist - 4.5/5 (number of songs commented: 9)

4. Revolution playlist - 4.5/5 (number of songs commented: ALL 27)

So far, I've only commented on 11 tracks in the Gateway playlist, 10 tracks in the Guardians playlist, and 9 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've 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 two feature release submissions for this month; Chevelle's Wonder What's Next for The Gateway and Opeth's Still Life for The Infinite. I'm glad to see all this positive reaction from other members for those two. Those two releases may be the only featured releases I had time to review this month, but hopefully more next month to go with the one I'll submit...

I've never realized how easy industrial metalcore is for me to digest until this album with this killer highlight:

Inspired by Sonny sharing with us the top 20 most popular metal releases on RYM, I thought, what if we shared the most popular albums in each clan and judge which ones deserve their right in the list? So that's what I'm doing, starting with my main clans. Any of you please feel free to do the same with the other clans. Here are the 20 most popular releases in the Revolution, according to RYM, with the number of ratings and average score:

#1 Converge - Jane Doe (14389 / 3.94)

#2 Between the Buried and Me - Colors (6793 / 3.68)

#3 Mastodon - Remission (6487 / 3.66)

#4 Converge - All We Love We Leave Behind (6356 / 3.80)

#5 The Dillinger Escape Plan - Calculating Infinity (5996 / 3.67)

#6 Converge - You Fail Me (5852 / 3.81)

#7 Converge - Axe to Fall (5417 / 3.79)

#8 Converge - The Dusk in Us (4934 / 3.72)

#9 The Dillinger Escape Plan - Miss Machine (4620 / 3.67)

#10 The Dillinger Escape Plan - Ire Works (4539 / 3.62)

#11 The Dillinger Escape Plan - One of Us Is the Killer (4265 / 3.74)

#12 Bring Me the Horizon - Sempiternal (4203 / 3.21)

#13 Botch - We Are the Romans (4118 / 3.82)

#14 Converge - No Heroes (3934 / 3.59)

#15 Daughters - Hell Songs (3860 / 3.36)

#16 Daughters - Canada Songs (3803 / 2.79)

#17 Between the Buried and Me - Alaska (3300 / 3.51)

#18 The Dillinger Escape Plan - Option Paralysis (3217 / 3.56)

#19 Converge - Petitioning the Empty Sky (3059 / 3.60)

#20 Avenged Sevenfold - Waking the Fallen (3048 / 2.99)

Lots of great releases here, with Converge and The Dillinger Escape Plan dominating with almost all of their albums. I nearly laughed at Mastodon's Remission being up there because we never put the metalcore label on that album, let alone the band themselves. I should really check out those Daughters albums, like seriously, soon. So what do you all think?

Now let's extend the list to 30 and find some more cool releases:

#21 Loathe - I Let It In and It Took Everything (2965 / 3.47)

#22 Bring Me the Horizon - Suicide Season (2857 / 2.53)

#23 Code Orange - Underneath (2855 / 3.28)

#24 Bring Me the Horizon - There Is a Hell, Believe Me I've Seen It. There Is a Heaven, Let's Keep It a Secret (2819 / 2.94)

#25 The Dillinger Escape Plan - Dissociation (2795 / 3.65)

#26 Bring Me the Horizon - Count Your Blessings (2689 / 2.21)

#27 Vein - Errorzone (2677 / 3.56)

#28 Trivium - Ascendancy (2666 / 3.18)

#29 Bullet for My Valentine - The Poison (2658 / 2.78)

#30 Protest the Hero - Fortress (2643 / 3.51)

Glad to finally see some Trivium, Bullet for My Valentine, and Protest the Hero in here. I should really check out those albums by Code Orange and Vein.

The mighty finale of Tool's progressive comeback album:

Once again trying to push my limits into post-black metal, the 5th and final Agalloch album marked a half-decent end to their two-decade tenure, including this 12-minute final Crusade. This should be picked up by fans of Alcest, Oranssi Pazuzu, and 90s Ulver:

I changed the list above after reviewing a couple of the excluded releases from the previous edition. I might try listening to and reviewing the Tool and Agalloch albums, the latter to see if I'm still up to post-black metal or not after that Oranssi Pazuzu album.

Now let's check on the Metal Academy charts and see the differences. Here are all the Guardians releases with minimum 15 ratings, sorted by rating number:

#1 Black Sabbath - Paranoid (22 / 4.4)

#2 Black Sabbath - Black Sabbath (22 / 4.1)

#3 Iron Maiden - Powerslave (18 / 4.4)

#4 Iron Maiden - Seventh Son of a Seventh Son (18 / 4.3)

#5 Metallica - Metallica [Black Album] (18 / 3.8)

#6 Black Sabbath - Master of Reality (17 / 4.4)

#7 Iron Maiden - The Number of the Beast (17 / 4.1)

#8 Judas Priest - Painkiller (16 / 4.5)

#9 Judas Priest - Sad Wings of Destiny (16 / 4.0)

#10 Iron Maiden - Iron Maiden (16 / 3.8)

#11 Iron Maiden - Piece of Mind (15 / 4.2)

#12 Black Sabbath - Sabbath Bloody Sabbath (15 / 4.1)

#13 Black Sabbath - Black Sabbath Vol. 4 (15 / 3.8)

Not a lot of difference with just 5 Black Sabbath albums, 5 Iron Maiden albums, two Judas Priest albums, and Metallica's Black Album. It would probably be easier seeing which power/symphonic/neoclassical metal albums reign in the charts if we could be able to filter the albums by genres instead of clans there. Ben, if you're reading this, please implement that ability!

Now let's decrease the minimum rating number to 13 and extend that list:

#14 Judas Priest - Stained Class (14 / 4.1)

#15 Iron Maiden - Somewhere in Time (14 / 4.1)

#16 Iron Maiden - Killers (14 / 3.9)

#17 Judas Priest - Screaming for Vengeance (14 / 3.5)

#18 Judas Priest - British Steel (14 / 3.4)

#19 Metallica - Load (14 / 2.9)

#20 Metallica - Reload (14 / 2.7)

#21 Blind Guardian - Imaginations From the Other Side (13 / 4.6)

#22 Black Sabbath - Sabotage (13 / 3.9)

#23 Megadeth - Countdown to Extinction (13 / 3.7)

Glad to find a power metal release (Blind Guardian) here, though I'm still going to keep the power/symphonic/neoclassical metal lists.

Hope you and your family will enjoy your new home, Daniel!

Groovy new track from thrashy progressive metal masters Voivod. Thanks for this, Saxy! I've been quite busy lately, but hopefully next week I can get the new albums from Voivod, Cult of Luna, and Persefone. Not to mention Canadian thrash band Annihilator's Metal re-recording.

Already done that, Daniel!

As someone who normally avoids black metal, I'm stunned by how much I decently enjoy the latest Oranssi Pazuzu album, the avant-psychedelic Mestarin kynsi, though I'm one or two years late for the party. I'm glad to see the appeal of tracks like this and finally reach the other side:

Elemental progressive tech-death for fans of the early 90s eras of Coroner, Cynic, and Death:

So, I've finally decided to get out of the rat race. Been giving it a lot of thought for a while now and then I got into a blazing row with my boss on Wednesday and thought "Fuck it, I've had enough of this shit" and put my notice in today. Gonna give early retirement a chance and see how it goes. Looking forward to it now!

Good luck, Sonny!

I'm working on the next installment of the book series that I write, and it's an activity book. We also started selling reprinted copies of the first book in the series.

Now let's decrease the minimum rating number to 8 and extend that list:

#14 Arcturus - The Sham Mirrors (9 / 3.9)

#15 Enslaved - Below the Lights (9 / 3.7)

#16 Tool - Fear Inoculum (8 / 3.6)

#17 Agalloch - The Serpent & the Sphere (8 / 3.4)

Now let's decrease the minimum rating number to 9 and extend that list:

#22 Katatonia - The Great Cold Distance (9 / 4.2)

#23 Faith No More - Angel Dust (9 / 4.1)

#24 Alice in Chains - Black Gives Way to Blue (9 / 3.9)

#25 Rage Against the Machine - The Battle of Los Angeles (9 / 3.7)

#26 Deftones - Adrenaline (9 / 3.1)

#27 Tool - Opiate (9 / 2.7)

In my opinion, Daughters knew how to do their chaotic grind-mathcore in a way that I can stand. Sure they have the mind-blowing drumming, high screechy vocals, short songs, and time/tempo changes, but the guitar talent being unique and listenable is what sets them apart from other bands of a similar style including Gulch and Inside the Beehive. And there's more melodic experimentation in Hell Songs while keeping the mathematical chaos that has dominated Canada Songs. That's the chaos I prefer!