Shadowdoom9 (Andi)'s Forum Replies

Swiss cyber/industrial metallers Sybreed plan to release a 20th anniversary remaster of their stellar debut Slave Design. It includes two new bonus tracks; a re-recording of "Bioactive" and this killer previously unreleased banger that I'm sharing below. No word on whether or not the band will truly reunite.

Thanks, Sonny.

Hello, fellow metalheads. So I'm going to a two-week hospitality management training program, from September 23 to October 4, every weekday, from 9 to 5. Don't worry, I'll still be active here in Metal Academy, and I'll post the October Feature Release threads when the month starts, along with doing the usual clan playlist commenting and submitting tracks in the playlist suggestion threads. I just won't be able to do any big projects like discography reviews (the occasional singular album review is fine), and whether or not I'll submit feature releases and Revolution playlists for the following couple months will depend on if I end up getting a full-time job to follow up from the program. If that happens, I might have to take a two-month break from submitting feature releases and ask someone else to work on The Revolution playlists during then, just like when I had that 3-month break last year. I'll let you all know if the full job and my two-month break from major MA activities will be confirmed or not, once my training program ends. Wish me luck, all!

THE INFINITE: Textures - Polars (2004) 4/5

THE PIT: Hemotoxin - When Time Becomes Loss (2024) 3.5/5

THE SPHERE: Breach the Void - The Monochromatic Era (2010) 4/5

The feature releases I've checked out this month are pretty great and I would recommend them to fans of their respective genres, though the one for The Pit has some slight pointage knocked off. Keep up the good work on the feature releases, all! I look forward to more...

This and "Conscious Descent" are the only tracks in this Hemotoxin album I find progressive, but technicality and aggression continue to reign:

This prog-thrash highlight starts with clean acoustic melancholy before descending into Vektor-ish chaos:

Fast wall-smashing tech-death/thrash metal:

I just gave this Hemotoxin album some listening and a review to continue my on-off thrashy progressive death metal exploration and to give another one of this month's feature releases a go. You are right about the second half of the album being more progressive than the first half. However, for me the progressiveness only covers two songs, and that's not enough to add this album to The Infinite. Technicality and aggression are the main focus point in the other 5 tracks that sound like if Revocation time-traveled to the era of Atheist's debut Piece of Time. With that, I'll have to vote NO for this entry, Daniel.

Update: I accidentally voted YES instead. Whoops!

Catchy new single by Australian alt-rock/metal band Sick Puppies from their upcoming album Wave the Bull, though this one's a little more funky:

An Ocean Between Us is another album in my awesome metalcore offering collection. Good to hear you enjoy it, Sonny! As I Lay Dying have a new album, Through Storms Ahead, coming this November. Here are a couple pre-release singles to get you geared up for the album, and with how much you enjoy the clean vocals in An Ocean Between Us (sung by ex-bassist Josh Gilbert, by the way), the clean singing by their new bassist Ryan Neff (also in Miss May I) might just be up your alley as well:

I love both "Jesu" and the hidden track, the former of which would inspire the name of the band Justin Broadrick formed during Godflesh's split, and the latter serving as a good hint at Jesu's sound.

The most famous modern rock/metal band is back! The other day, Linkin Park have made their comeback with a special livestream concert, introducing new members vocalist Emily Armstrong (from Dead Sara) and drummer Colin Brittain. Scientology associations aside, Emily is a f***ing h*ll of a strong singer/screamer, and I don't think of her as a replacement to the late great Chester Bennington, but instead a new addition to the band, starting a whole new era. The band's greatest hits are taken to a new level, and mostly given a higher tuning as well to accommodate her vocal range. I can do without a few songs that I'm still not a fan of though. And I can rock out to their new cool new single from their upcoming album From Zero, "The Emptiness Machine", which has more of a hardcore alt-rock sound. Welcome back, LP! Still missing you, Chester... RIP

1. Gateway playlist - 4/5 (number of songs commented: 14)

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

3. Revolution playlist - 4.5/5 (number of songs commented: ALL 30)

4. Sphere playlist - 4.5/5 (number of songs commented: ALL 24)

For the clans I've made the monthly playlists for, I've listened to the entire playlists! I'm grateful to Saxy and Daniel for their playlist works. I really dig the tracks I've reviewed in the Gateway and Infinite playlists made by Saxy, and I'm glad the playlists I've made have paid off. I recommend them to any fan of the clans' respective genres and anyone who isn't into those genres but wants to get into a great start in enjoying them. Thanks, Daniel, for accepting these playlists, and good work all!

Besides listening to Time II, I was also checking out one of Jari Mäenpää's demo albums from the massive Time Package boxset. In case you didn't know, the Time Package includes 5 albums of early demos recorded by Mäenpää, dating back to the 90s. There's also a planned 4-album series to follow up from Time II that is said to only happen with the help of fans. We don't know if that upcoming 4-album series will be just re-recording of all those demos, but that's what I'm hoping for, fingers crossed. Anyway, Fantasy Metal Project was written and recorded by Mäenpää between 1998 and 2000. The songs remind me of Wintersun's debut, and I'm sure there's one band that would come to minds of many Finnish E-tuned folk/power/melodeath listeners, Ensiferum. This was back when Jari was still with Ensiferum before he left to focus on Wintersun before the release of both bands' 2004 albums, so he had a lot of fantasy in mind when making his own separate material. One thing to note is, of the 10 songs here, only half that amount of songs have vocals. I think it would've been better if a couple long instrumentals, specifically "Hunters of the Misty Forests" and "Raise Your Swords", had some lyrics. Created by me, maybe? So yeah, Wintersun fans should definitely listen to this offering and support Jari in making his future 4-album series a reality!

4/5

A short mid-tempo banger of a ballad without too much of the overproduction from the longer epics later on in the album:

Probably my newfound favorite 10+ minute epic by Wintersun, a glorious journey of symphonic melodeath:

A marvelous highlight showing that the talented power of Dualism has never died out:

Perhaps the best of Textures' hard-hitting and melodic sides in the music and vocals:

An 8-minute epic of the band's unique sound that has allowed them reach different places:

As much as I enjoy the rest of Textures' debut, I see no point in including this overlong ambient sh*t at the end (the only Textures track to ever qualify for this thread):

I've done my review, here's its summary:

By the mid-2000s, djent was still starting off low-key. We have the originator, Meshuggah, and Sikth made their entrance with their djenty progressive metal sound. Named after an instrumental from Cynic's debut Focus, Textures was determined to give their music the many aspects and layers including djenty guitars. And it all starts with their debut Polars, their only album with talented ex-vocalist Pieter Verpaalen. RIP... There's no underestimating the complexity of this music. As often done by Meshuggah and The Dillinger Escape Plan, heavy aggression and soft relaxation are covered in different grounds of sonic emotion. In the short tracks and the 18-minute title epic, there's everything including minimalistic riffing, clean vocal harmonies, and the deathly djent of Meshuggah. Practically all you can ask for from the band. Polaris would've been as glorious as their subsequent albums if not for that final overlong ambient track....

4/5

Recommended tracks: "Ostensibly Impregnable", "Young Man", "The Barrier", "Polars"

For fans of: Meshuggah, Periphery, Sikth

Here are my sneak peek submissions for the October Sphere playlist:

The Amenta - "Plague of Locus" (3:38) from Plague of Locus (2023)

Celldweller - "Birthright" (5:15) from Wish Upon a Blackstar (2012)

Genitorturers - "Falling Stars" (4:01) from Blackheart Revolution (2009)

Gothminister - "Stonehenge" (5:20) from Anima Inferna (2011)

Psyclon Nine - "Order of the Shadow (The Heretic Awakened)" (6:11) from Order of the Shadow: Act 1 (2013)

Samael - "Us" (4:15) from Eternal (1999)

Total length: 28:40

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

As I Lay Dying - "Within Destruction" (3:54) from An Ocean Between Us (2007)

Bury Your Dead - "Burn Baby Burn" (1:57) from You Had Me at Hello (2002)

The Contortionist - "Advent" (3:17) from Exoplanet (2010)

Fear, and Loathing in Las Vegas - "Hey Girl!! Why Not Party Like a Bitch!?" (3:37) from Dance & Scream (2010)

Trivium - "A Gunshot to the Head of Trepidation" (5:55) from Ascendancy (2005)

Unearth - "No Reprisal" (3:21) from Extinction(s) (2018)

Within the Ruins - "Ataxia IV" (6:52) from Halfway Human (2017)

Total length: 28:53

Here are my submissions for the October Infinite playlist:

Alchemist - "Worlds Within Worlds" (7:05) from Jar of Kingdom (1993) (based on Embryonics 90-98 compilation, 2006)

Gloios - "TELE II" (7:03) from LIDE (2022)

Meshuggah - "Rational Gaze" (5:04) from Chaosphere (2002)

Sadist - "Sadist" (4:20) from Above the Light (1993)

Tesseract - "Juno" (5:12) from Sonder (2018)

Total length: 28:44

Here are my submissions for the October Gateway playlist:

Alesti, The Word Alive - "Disconnected" (4:26) from Disconnected (2021)

Falling in Reverse - "Watch the World Burn" (3:24) from Popular Monster (2024)

Ice Nine Kills - "Hunting Season" (3:18) from Hunting Season (2022)

Linkin Park - "Runaway" (3:03) from Hybrid Theory (2000)

Mushroomhead - "We Don't Care" (3:50) from Call the Devil (2024)

Of Mice & Men - "Pain" (3:43) from Cold World (2016)

RVSHVD, All That Remains - "Proof" (3:30) from Proof (2024)

System of a Down - "B.Y.O.B." (4:15) from Mezmerize (2005)

Total length: 29:29

Here are my thoughts on all the selected tracks:

Blue Stahli - "ULTRAnumb" from Blue Stahli (2011)

5/5. If anyone who's a fan of Blue Stahli and Celldweller tells me they're a fan of any one of those artists since they were in their 20s, I would believe them. This also qualifies for me, and I've only just became interested in Blue Stahli via his classic singles of strong fire, like this one.

Celldweller - "Switchback" from Celldweller (2003) (2024 Definitive Edition)

5/5. A classic released two decades ago and still sounds fresh in this Definitive Edition! The more material I find from Celldweller, the less likely I'm able to SWITCHBACK.

Ministry - "Alert Level (Quarantined Mix)" from Alert Level (Quarantined Mix) (2020)

4.5/5. Is there much difference between this version and the one on Moral Hygiene. I suppose this one is slightly better. "How concerned are you?"

Strapping Young Lad - "All Hail the New Flesh" from City (1997)

5/5. This one's a d*mn great hammerer! The legendary Gene Hoglan performs an intense drumming avalanche through this noisy cacophony whirlpool and the aggressive vocal cyclone from Devy, though his clean vocals help keep you in safe shelter alongside the keys. Townsend can really show us his insane vision of extreme industrial metal. He yells "ALL YOU ARE IS ALL YOU ARE!" in an uplifting chorus before more brilliant riffs and keyboards. UNBELIEVABLE!!!!!!

Pain - "Follow Me" from Cynic Paradise (2008)

4.5/5. Amazing song with the serene singing of ex-Nightwish vocalist Anette Olzon. "No gold at the end of the rainbow..."

White Zombie - "Feed the Gods" from Feed the Gods (1994) (based on Rob Zombie's Past, Present & Future compilation (2003))

4/5. White Zombie made this song for the movie Airheads. Their music has been featured in shows and movies before, like Beavis and Butthead. Cool lyrics too!

Samael - "Into the Pentagram (new version)" from Rebellion (1995)

4.5/5. I love this remake more than the original! The guitars and beats are greatly paced. Excellent!

Acumen Nation - "Djentrify" from Territory=Universe (1996)

4/5. When I first saw the name of this song, I thought, "An early example of djent besides Meshuggah!?!?" Although it turned out not to be, it's still quite catchy.

Dodheimsgard - "Horrorizon" from Supervillain Outcast (2007)

4.5/5. This shall please the ears of any experimental industrial metal fan.

The Amenta - "Nihil" from Occasus (2004)

5/5. One of the greater highlights of The Amenta's debut actually sounds melodic without too much dissonance.

Painkiller - "Buried Secrets" from Buried Secrets (1992)

4.5/5. This one relies less on the d*mn saxophone plaguing this release and features guest appearances by Godflesh, both members with their metal instrumentation and all.

Killing Joke - "Slipstream" from Extremities, Dirt and Various Repressed Emotions (1990)

4/5. This one has a more progressive spirit that makes up for the earlier bumpiness.

Nailbomb - "Wasting Away" from Point Blank (1994)

4.5/5. Right from the start, this track blasts through speedy riffing and Max's signature growls, "Carve your rights into your arm so that they don't get taken away". HOLY SH*T, that's the kind of raging hate you would expect from Arise. It has made me positive that the album is filled with more anger than I've ever heard before.

Aborym - "Harsh and Educational" from Hostile (2021)

5/5. Consider me educated more in the industrial metal world!

Dimension F3H - "Betrayer" from Reaping the World Winds (2003)

4.5/5. Anyone looking for some dark mysterious industrial metal on Spotify, here you go.

Bile - "Built to Fuck, Born to Kill" from Built to Fuck, Born to Kill (2014)

4/5. And how about some more f***ing killer industrial metal not for the faint of heart.

OOMPH! - "Wut (feat. Joachim Witt)" from Richter und Henker (2023)

3.5/5. This isn't really one of my favorite songs, but the chorus is one of the best I've heard in NDH.

Obsydians - "Slaughter of Decency" from Slaughter of Decency (2022)

4/5. Obsydians is another side-project with members of Sybreed, and they have collaborated with different musicians of the metal scene, this one being Dark Funeral vocalist Heljarmadr. Fear Factory, Mnemic, and Deathstars should be next! This is definitely like a blackened Sybreed, and it gets more brutal around halfway through. Cyber black metal can having f***ing great results. Not even Slave Design can beats this single's heaviness. Though it would've been great if Sybreed vocalist Benjamin Nominet could appear here with his vocals. You can also think about this like Samael gone Scar Symmetry.

The Interbeing - "Face Deletion" from Edge of the Obscure (2011)

4.5/5. One of the f***ing best songs from this band that I can't believe barely any people have heard of.

Illidiance - "Breaking the Habit" from Breaking the Habit (2019)

4/5. This kick-A cover of a Linkin Park hit has really done that song justice, though it would've been better if the vocals were louder in the mix. RIP Chester Bennington

Northlane - "Paradigm" from Alien (2019)

4.5/5. This fearless track has more of the heaviness and screaming that's definitely worth playing live. With a lot going on, hearing this song is much more of an experience than a listen.

Fear Factory - "Resurrection" from Obsolete (1998)

5/5. A superb melodic standout anthem with a mighty chorus and riffing.

Corrections House - "Drapes Hung by Jesus" from Last City Zero (2013)

4.5/5. The most unforgiving music and lyrics come straight with this epic. An ambient intro leads into industrial metal that gradually becomes heavier, plus some eerie sax, before the last bit of lyrical poetry at the end.

Lord of the Lost - "Ruins" from Thornstar (2018)

4/5. Finally, we end this playlist with this dark yet upbeat track, with many different moments to admire.

Pretty good playlist I've made, huh? Despite a slight drop in quality somewhere. Anyway, I recommend this to any industrial metal fan and anyone who isn't into industrial metal but is up to getting into a great start for the genre. Thanks Daniel for accepting this and your help with your submission, and I hope the rest of you enjoy it like I've had!

Here are my thoughts on all the selected tracks:

Trivium - "Kirisute Gomen" from Shogun (2008)

5/5. Now this is a pretty effective way to begin this playlist and the song's original album. It begins with an acoustic Japanese guitar intro that is the same melody as the chorus for the epic title track. Then a gong is hit, followed by taiko drums kicking in, and I was amazed by the guitar build-up leading to the song itself drilling in some killer thrashy verses with vocals alternating between clean and growling (for the first time used in a common basis since Ascendancy), and a memorable chorus.

Damnation A.D. - "No More Dreams" from No More Dreams of Happy Endings (1995)

4.5/5. One of only a couple surviving highlights of this Damnation A.D. album, this is one of the darkest and heaviest songs I've heard in early metalcore.

For the Fallen Dreams - "Stone" from Six (2018)

5/5. This explosive single is worth singing and screaming along to, especially in that massive chorus with layers of power from their heavy metalcore/hardcore sound. It is a true blessing to remind us about what metalcore used to be and revive the earlier scene.

Demon Hunter - "On My Side" from War (2019)

4/5. This one also keeps up the metalcore aspect with drilling guitars and drum kicks alongside Ryan Clark's rock vocals.

Annisokay - "Face the Facts" from Aurora (2021)

4.5/5. A strong banger from another underrated band!

Counterparts - "Bound to the Burn" from A Eulogy for Those Still Here (2022)

4/5. You're bound to find some sick metal/hardcore from this band, though it might take slightly more to convince me.

Caliban - "Moment of Clarity" from The Undying Darkness (2006)

3.5/5. One of the most thrashy metalcore songs I've heard, helped out by the guest vocals of Kreator's Mille Petrozza. Could've been better though...

Vein.fm - "Untitled" from Errorzone (2018)

4/5. Even at one minute and with no title, lots of strong emotion and anger can burst right out. Errorzone is an album that can go back and forth from Deftones to Converge, maybe even early Bring Me the Horizon.

Knocked Loose - "Suffocate (feat. Poppy)" from You Won't Go Before You're Supposed To (2024)

4.5/5. HOLY SH*T, what a brutal banger! It has as much impact as an uppercut to the jaw. Poppy unleashes her vicious screams greater than going Super Saiyan, the intensity reaching its high point at the two-minute mark.

Job for a Cowboy - "Entombment of a Machine" from Doom (2005)

5/5. My favorite track of the Doom EP, with some riffing and breakdowns I really enjoy, including that final devastating one at the end. The song also has rare audibility in bass and common usage of horror imagery in the lyrics.

Embodyment – "Swine" from Embrace The Eternal (1998)

4.5/5. This one swings through like a pendulum. Enough said!

Damaged - "Breathe Deep" from Purified in Pain (2000)

4.5/5. This one truly shows the extreme/melodic blend early deathcore has to offer.

Sikth - "How May I Help You" from The Trees Are Dead & Dried Out Wait for Something Wild (2003)

5/5. The EP version has a slightly greater edge, but the album version is still perfect all the same. At least the story of Rodney is still done justice in this f***ing brilliant song.

Converge - "In Her Shadow" from You Fail Me (2004)

4.5/5. This longer song is a calm yet soon experimental acoustic break going on for...6 MINUTES?! Not quite my cup of tea, but I'll go with it. This will help me relax before the heaviness of this playlist returns shortly later.

The Number Twelve Looks Like You" - "Remembrance Dialogue" from Nuclear. Sad. Nuclear (2005)

4/5. People who have listened to this revolutionary band may have heard them as early as in their middle/high school years, but I only started listening to them just a couple years before this comment. This might work as a funeral song. Even when it's soft, it can be quite powerful. The guitar tone and how chill it is brings it closer to AFI though. I'm glad #12 is still around and active.

Saviour - "Jaded" from First Light to My Death Bed (2013)

4.5/5. From the intro to the end, beauty and heaviness sound so good together.

Void of Vision - "Lifeblood" from Broken // Bones (2014)

5/5. Man I want more of the frantic chaos of this band!

Polaris - "All of This is Fleeting" from The Death of Me (2020)

4.5/5. Crashing through again is this deep track. Twisting things up well is an ultra-heavy breakdown after those frantic verses and dramatic chorus.

Memphis May Fire - "Only Human (feat. AJ Channer)" from Remade in Misery (2022)

5/5. Guest vocalists can give almost any song more life, in this case, AJ Channer of Fire from the Gods.

Ankor - "Prisoner" from Prisoner (2022)

4.5/5. I probably wouldn't have heard of this band or this insane song if not for my brother who enjoys this and finds it relatable.

Amaranthe - "BOOM!1" from Manifest (2020)

4/5. The heaviest and most innovative song in this Amaranthe song is more of a djentstep rap-filled track similar to Hacktivist with spoken vocals by Butcher Babies vocalist Heidi Shepherd. Harsh vocalist Henrik Englund does high-speed Eminem-inspired growl-rapping, which normally I'm not a fan of, but here brings wild technical force.

As I Lay Dying - "Burden" from Burden (2024)

4.5/5. As I Lay Dying had already suffered some tough setbacks. Not just frontman Tim Lambesis' imprisonment 10 years ago, but also, after their comeback album Shaped by Fire, 3 of the members left the band. Enter Unearth members guitarist Ken Susi and drummer Nick Pierce, and Miss May I bassist/clean vocalist Ryan Neff. Ryan's singing is perfect for the personal lyrics and crushing instrumentation. I especially enjoy the half-minute intro.

Miss May I - "Forgive and Forget (feat. Fit for a King)" from Forgive and Forget (feat. Fit for a King) (2024)

5/5. And now we go to Ryan Neff's main band Miss May I and check out their collaboration with Fit for a King as part of a 15th anniversary re-recording for their debut Apologies are for the Weak. This almost f***ing outshines the original!

Abbie Falls - "Parasite" from Hell is Other People (2022)

4.5/5. Anyone wanting to hear some brutal metalcore drumming is gonna have a lucky day.

Hollow Front - "Heritage" from The Price of Dreaming (2022)

4/5. Some killer anthemic sh*t right here to rebel against your enemies.

Aviana - "Transcendent" from Corporation (2022)

4.5/5. As the heaviness rises, we eventually get another wicked breakdown.

Becoming the Archetype - "The Sun Eater" from I Am (2012)

5/5. One of the best songs from the only Becoming the Archetype album without Jason Wisdom. The most of the brutality comes in throughout the last minute.

Wage War - "Basic Hate" from Blueprints (2015)

4.5/5. Let's jam on in this heavy glory! Play this amazing song hard and loud (though not deafening). Again the heaviest point at the two-minute mark.

Eighteen Visions - "Terrible Lie" from 1996 (2021)

5/5. This Nine Inch Nails cover is so f***Ing perfect, and my favorite in the rock/metal side of Eighteen Visions' cover album.

Chelsea Grin - "The Path to Suffering" from Suffer in Heaven (2023)

4.5/5. The brutal conclusion to Chelsea Grin's Suffer in Hell/Heaven series of albums has giving this playlist amazing closure.

Pretty good playlist I've made, huh? Despite a slight drop in quality somewhere. Anyway, I recommend this to any metalcore fan and anyone who isn't into metalcore but is up to getting into a great start for the genre. Thanks Daniel for accepting this and your help with your submission, and I hope the rest of you enjoy it like I've had!

Here are my thoughts on some tracks:

7 Horns 7 Eyes – Regeneration (2012)

5/5. A perfect instrumental standout featuring some soloing by Jeff Loomis (ex-Nevermore), reminding me of his later supergroup Conquering Dystopia.

Gojira – The Heaviest Matter of the Universe (2005)

4.5/5. Gojira has made some real heavy stuff alongside their usual progressiveness. The "OPEN THE DOOR!!!" part is quite climatic, I'll say!

Ions – A Terrible Mistake (2023)

4/5. You ever want to hear the sounds of Northlane, Tesseract, and Karnivool come together? You got it right here! There's great talent and craftsmanship to love. It's quite cool hearing the orchestration blend in with the djent guitar. That shall help encourage me to level up my progressive metal zone.

Leprous – Like a Sunken Ship (2024)

4/5. Both Leprous and Opeth are making their comeback to their earlier growl-filled metal roots with their singles from their respective new albums, and that's pretty great! Unfortunately, I found out that this is the only track from Leprous' new album Melodies of Atonement with that sound, and the rest of the album is the soft art rock continued from their previous 3 albums.

MaYaN – The Illusory Self (2018)

4.5/5. This 9-minute progressive epic is the best way to summarize all this album has to offer, from the classic riffing to the epic choruses. This should've been the end of the playlist right there, but it's OK that it isn't, because there's more of the progressiveness to come...

Meshuggah – Future Breed Machine (1995)

5/5. The chaos continues after starting with a bit of an apocalyptic atmosphere that sounds like robotic machines taking over the world; industrial noises for almost 30 seconds, then a piercing siren over a total headbanging onslaught.

Ne Obliviscaris – Painters of the Tempest – Part II – Triptych (2014)

5/5. More of the chaos is unleashed with part 2 of "Painters of the Tempest". Even though the entire suite is 23 minutes long, this part would still be Ne Obliviscaris' longest song at 16 and a half minutes! This is perhaps my favorite Ne Obliviscaris song even though it's NOT in Portal of I. There are so many brilliant ideas! This part is actually is split into 3 smaller movements. The first movement, "Creator" has a couple transitions between fast storms and soft melodies. Then the second movement "Cynosure" is more acoustic/violin oriented, unlike the overpowering guitars in the other two movements. The avant-garde jazz themes are more apparent with only clean vocals and mid-tempo melodic grooves, until it builds back up to a crescendo of metal and growls. The last movement "Curator" is back to some of the most intense powerful chaos of the album until a nice ethereal ending.

Nevermore – The Fault of the Flesh (1999)

4.5/5. RIP Warrel Dane. He had the greatest sense of drama in the vocals. Jeff Loomis is also talented with his face-melting soloing, like the one over 3 minutes in.

Novallo – White Phoenix (2015)

4/5. Quite creative, though having some slight weakness.

The Ocean – Bathyalpelagic II: The Wish in Dreams (2013)

4.5/5. Even in a small part of a multi-track suite, you can get everything from different bands like Mastodon, BTBAM, and Opeth.

Opeth - §1 (2024)

4/5. And with all that talk about Opeth, we've made it to the first single of their upcoming album The Last Will and Testament. While the sound picks up where In Cauda Venenum left off, the growls and metal of Ghost Reveries and Watershed have returned! And there's drumming insanity by Waltteri Väyrynen (previously from Paradise Lost and Bodom After Midnight). This deathly sound better not be a one-time thing like that Leprous single is. It's my last hope in regaining full interest in Opeth....

Here are my thoughts on some tracks:

Bad Omens – Like a Villian (2022)

4.5/5. Let's start with this Bad Omens album's first single in which all the earlier elements come together. There's no denying how anthemic that track is with its catchy chorus and a metallic take on the alt-rock sound of Amo-era BMTH. This song WILL infect your mind!

Bring Me the Horizon – Parasite Eve (2020)

4/5. Speaking of BMTH, this anthem from their first Post Human release doesn't get old, despite fitting eerily well with COVID at the time it came out. Of course, it was written before the pandemic, with a lyric changed to avoid causing unnecessary offense. If we can't save you, saving yourself is the way.

Jeris Johnson – John (2024)

3.5/5. An alt-rock/metal ballad not too far off from the bands my brother likes such as Breaking Benjamin, Skillet, Three Days Grace, etc.

Kontrust – The Smash Song (2009)

3/5. It's not everyday you stumble upon Rammstein-infused Polish-sung dance-metal, and it's not my kind of day either. Also there's an English version of this.

Linkin Park – Nobody’s Listening (2003)

3.5/5. This one is a different departure from Linkin Park's earlier material. It opens with a strange Eastern flute loop and programmed beat. The lyrics are great, though the song is too experimental for my interest.

Living Colour – Auslander (1993)

4/5. One of my favorite songs in this colorful funk-fest!

Mass Hysteria – Tout doit disparaître (2012)

3.5/5. Similarly to Kontrust, Mass Hysteria has a dance-ish vibe and a different language (French). Nothing wrong with that, and slightly better!

Memphis May Fire – Necessary Evil (2024)

4/5. Memphis May Fire's new single shows that they never disappoint their fans, having some heavy fire.

Mushroomhead – Prepackaged (2024)

3.5/5. This one has dark heaviness, but their attempts at that are a bit too drastic.

Nothingface – Can’t Wait For Violence (2000)

4/5. An underrated nu/alt-metal banger to get you pumped. RIP Matt Holt

Of Mice & Men – Would You Still Be There (2014)

4.5/5. The more hard rock side of things is exemplified in this track. Slow and steady wins the catchy radio rock race, though in this case, it made that song another memorable highlight. It can really make their fanbase grow big.

Shuvel – Burn This (2009)

4/5. Great one, though too much on the rapping side. Next!

Sick Puppies – There Goes the Neighbourhood (2024)

4.5/5. I haven't really explored this band apart from their nu metal debut Welcome to the Real World, but when I stumbled upon their new comeback single, I gave it some listening and thought "Wow... That sounds as heavy and metallic as their debut!" If the rest of their upcoming album Wave the Bull is like this, it might just be one f***ing h*ll of a strong comeback release.

Yakui the Maid – Goodnight World (2019)

4/5. A solid experimental way out. Goodnight!

September 2024

1. Blue Stahli - "ULTRAnumb" from Blue Stahli (2011)

2. Celldweller - "Switchback" from Celldweller (2003) (2024 Definitive Edition)

3. Ministry - "Alert Level (Quarantined Mix)" from Alert Level (Quarantined Mix) (2020)

4. Strapping Young Lad - "All Hail the New Flesh" from City (1997) [submitted by Shadowdoom9 (Andi)]

5. Pain - "Follow Me" from Cynic Paradise (2008) [submitted by Shadowdoom9 (Andi)]

6. White Zombie - "Feed the Gods" from Feed the Gods (1994) (based on Rob Zombie's Past, Present & Future compilation (2003))

7. Samael - "Into the Pentagram (new version)" from Rebellion (1995)

8. Acumen Nation - "Djentrify" from Territory=Universe (1996)

9. Dodheimsgard - "Horrorizon" from Supervillain Outcast (2007) [submitted by Shadowdoom9 (Andi)]

10. The Amenta - "Nihil" from Occasus (2004) [submitted by Shadowdoom9 (Andi)]

11. Painkiller - "Buried Secrets" from Buried Secrets (1992) [submitted by Daniel]

12. Killing Joke - "Slipstream" from Extremities, Dirt and Various Repressed Emotions (1990)

13. Nailbomb - "Wasting Away" from Point Blank (1994)

14. Aborym - "Harsh and Educational" from Hostile (2021)

15. Dimension F3H - "Betrayer" from Reaping the World Winds (2003)

16. Bile - "Built to Fuck, Born to Kill" from Built to Fuck, Born to Kill (2014)

17. OOMPH! - "Wut (feat. Joachim Witt)" from Richter und Henker (2023)

18. Obsydians - "Slaughter of Decency" from Slaughter of Decency (2022)

19. The Interbeing - "Face Deletion" from Edge of the Obscure (2011)

20. Illidiance - "Breaking the Habit" from Breaking the Habit (2019)

21. Northlane - "Paradigm" from Alien (2019) [submitted by Shadowdoom9 (Andi)]

22. Fear Factory - "Resurrection" from Obsolete (1998) [submitted by Shadowdoom9 (Andi)]

23. Corrections House - "Drapes Hung by Jesus" from Last City Zero (2013)

24. Lord of the Lost - "Ruins" from Thornstar (2018)

September 2024

1. Trivium - "Kirisute Gomen" from Shogun (2008) [submitted by Shadowdoom9 (Andi)]

2. Damnation A.D. - "No More Dreams" from No More Dreams of Happy Endings (1995)

3. For the Fallen Dreams - "Stone" from Six (2018) [submitted by Shadowdoom9 (Andi)]

4. Demon Hunter - "On My Side" from War (2019) [submitted by Shadowdoom9 (Andi)]

5. Annisokay - "Face the Facts" from Aurora (2021)

6. Counterparts - "Bound to the Burn" from A Eulogy for Those Still Here (2022)

7. Caliban - "Moment of Clarity" from The Undying Darkness (2006)

8. Vein.fm - "Untitled" from Errorzone (2018)

9. Knocked Loose - "Suffocate (feat. Poppy)" from You Won't Go Before You're Supposed To (2024)

10. Job for a Cowboy - "Entombment of a Machine" from Doom (2005)

11. Embodyment – "Swine" from Embrace The Eternal (1998) [submitted by Daniel]

12. Damaged - "Breathe Deep" from Purified in Pain (2000)

13. Sikth - "How May I Help You" from The Trees Are Dead & Dried Out Wait for Something Wild (2003) [submitted by Shadowdoom9 (Andi)]

14. Converge - "In Her Shadow" from You Fail Me (2004)

15. The Number Twelve Looks Like You" - "Remembrance Dialogue" from Nuclear. Sad. Nuclear (2005)

16. Saviour - "Jaded" from First Light to My Death Bed (2013)

17. Void of Vision - "Lifeblood" from Broken // Bones (2014)

18. Polaris - "All of This is Fleeting" from The Death of Me (2020)

19. Memphis May Fire - "Only Human (feat. AJ Channer)" from Remade in Misery (2022)

20. Ankor - "Prisoner" from Prisoner (2022)

21. Amaranthe - "BOOM!1" from Manifest (2020)

22. As I Lay Dying - "Burden" from Burden (2024) [submitted by Shadowdoom9 (Andi)]

23. Miss May I - "Forgive and Forget (feat. Fit for a King)" from Forgive and Forget (feat. Fit for a King) (2024)

24. Abbie Falls - "Parasite" from Hell is Other People (2022)

25. Hollow Front - "Heritage" from The Price of Dreaming (2022)

26. Aviana - "Transcendent" from Corporation (2022)

27. Becoming the Archetype - "The Sun Eater" from I Am (2012) [submitted by Shadowdoom9 (Andi)]

28. Wage War - "Basic Hate" from Blueprints (2015) [submitted by Shadowdoom9 (Andi)]

29. Eighteen Visions - "Terrible Lie" from 1996 (2021)

30. Chelsea Grin - "The Path to Suffering" from Suffer in Heaven (2023)

Here's my review summary:

Sybreed wasn't the only Swiss cyber metal band around. When the drummer for their debut Slave Design, Alex Anxionaz left the band, he formed his own. His band started out as a deathly industrial metal band called Etna, but then changed into Breach the Void with a sound closer to his former band. Sadly, both Sybreed and Breach the Void split up in late 2013, which is a shame because of how solid both band's debuts are. Breach the Void is a clear continuation of the direction Alex Anxionaz wanted to take on Slave Design, with its toolkit of crushing rhythms, clean/unclean vocals, and cyber synths. Many songs can almost be considered a pinnacle of modern industrial/cyber metal, the only slight problem is when the clean vocals sound a bit inferior to the guttural ones. Nonetheless, the band has some original talent in the solid offering that is The Monochromatic Era!

4/5

Recommended tracks: "Subversive Mind", "Customized Genotype", "Digital Structure", "Ruins", "Spirals"

For fans of: Sybreed, The Interbeing, Mnemic

A fun spooky progressive interlude fueled up with horror-filled synths:

A great unique sound of progressive/tech-death that's almost like if Yngwie Malmsteen joined At the Gates at the time:

I just gave this Sadist album some listening and a review to continue my on-off thrashy progressive death metal exploration. There is a bit of thrash riffing going on, but I'm still one of those people who would consider this a progressive death metal album, maybe even technical death metal. Most of the speedy riffing has more to do with the more technical side of death metal, helped out by some neoclassical leads, all that combined with the keyboard ambience stirring up the progressiveness in the sound. I'm afraid I'll have to give this entry a NO vote, Daniel. And I encourage Horde members to please add the technical death metal subgenre to the album's release page.

Hey there, Rex. If you're up for any ideas for your possible "powercore" (power metal/melodic metalcore) band, the new Jeris Johnson album Dragonborn is for you. Particularly the first half in which most of the songs from that section genuinely exemplify this rare epic modern combo.

As with that other Jeris Johnson song I've shared in this thread, expect an epic blend of power metal, melodic metalcore, and... Greensleeves:

This highlight from Jeris Johnson's Dragonborn is a total rocker. Sure there's a bit of the electro-trap in the verses, but it's outshined by the heavy/power metal that makes its entrance in the chorus, along with a brief groove metal breakdown that you might hear from Lamb of God.

Daniel, I meant the original 2004 version of Obsession, not the 2024 re-recording. Could you please change that? Thanks.

One band that comes to my mind is Black Veil Brides. They start off strong with their metalcore debut We Stitch These Wounds then dwindle down to a mediocre attempt at reviving hard rock/glam metal. This doesn't count the equally perfect 10-year anniversary re-recording Re-Stitch These Wounds nor The Mourning, the latter showing their heavy/alt-metal sound at their best but is only an EP. There's another band I've discovered recently that would fall into the same category if it wasn't one album short of the minimum 6, which I'll talk about once it's added into the site...

INCOMING HIGHLY UNPOPULAR OPINION!!!!! That other band is... Falling in Reverse. I actually love their new album Popular Monster, despite all the hate the band and that album has received. I consider it the epitome of a modern alt-metal sound blended with metalcore, trap, and other genres. And it's a drastic improvement from their poor previous albums that are basically just pop-core. More info in my review here: https://metal.academy/reviews/36506/54163

Ben, please add the new Wintersun album Time II.

Some examples off the top of my head (constraining myself to picks only from albums I do enjoy in general):

Gehenna - "A Witch Is Born" (from "Seen Through the Veils of Darkness", 1995)
Inquisition - "Force of Death Is the Force of Life" (from "Veneration of Medieval Mysticism and Cosmological Violence", 2024)
In Flames - "Dead God in Me" (from "The Jester Race", 1996)
Iron Maiden - "Die with Your Boots On" (from "Piece of Mind", 1983)
Iron Maiden - "Bring Your Daughter to the Slaughter" (from "No Prayer for the Dying", 1990)
<insert any blatant Celtic Frost worship track (or, hell forbid, a cover) by a second wave black metal band>
<insert any hard rock/glam metal cover track by a melodic death metal band>

Good list, Karl! I used to listen to In Flames a few years ago. The Jester Race was one of my favorite melodeath albums, and not even "Dead God in Me" could bring it down in my opinion. It was when they started going the alt-metal route in the 2000s that all went downhill from there. I actually enjoy when a melodeath band performs a cover of an 80s hit, as long as the band sounds more like themselves than the artist they're covering, hence metalizing the song. Here are a few of those tracks I found the other day that are my newfound favorite covers:

Norther - "The Final Countdown" (Europe cover) (from Dreams of Endless War, 2002)

Raintime - "Beat It" (Michael Jackson cover) (from Flies & Lies, 2007)

Warmen - "Somebody's Watching Me" (Rockwell cover) (from Accept the Fact, 2005) (more of a track from a power metal band with a guest appearance by a melodeath vocalist. RIP Alexi Laiho)

This one starts with sinister creepiness, then it comes out as more of a d*mn jam track that should've been left out of the album:

The guitars, beats, synths, and vocals collide with one another in one of the strongest comebacks to the band's roots, albeit with a more groove-ish sound:

An instant classic that aptly shows the band not caring about anything except their own thing:

A brief yet wild blitz of thrash, lightyears better than any grindcore band's attempt in my opinion:

Melodeath from the far Northern lands of Finland:

My metalcore band discovery journey continues with these two melodic bands:

As I continue to discover more Gateway bands, here's an alt-/groove metal supergroup consisting of members of Sepultura/Soulfly, The Dillinger Escape Plan, and Mastodon:

And here's one of the least-liked bands of modern rock/metal, which I wouldn't have liked either if not for some awesome songs from their new album that can kick a** and take no sh*t:

Ben, please add these new albums:

Jeris Johnson - Dragonborn

Within the Ruins - Phenomena II