Shadowdoom9 (Andi)'s Forum Replies

Djenty progressive metal and deathcore fit well like a glove, and this 13-minute 3-part epic proves it. Still gearing up for Intrinsic though...

The most mathcore tribute to Metallica?! You decide!

I did my review, here's its summary:

Mathcore and many other "core" genres you just can't take with a grain of salt. You have to let your ears embrace the assault that would leave you hungry for more of its golden violence. If you thought these mathcore Long Islanders have reached their pinnacle on Meta, Mordial successfully adds more of the crushing power and maintains their perfect streak. There's also a bit of Deftones-like alt-metal influences with clean vocals, soft guitar, and cinematic synth, within the chaos of guitar meltdowns, hardcore breakdowns, and tons of time signature changes, more powerful than planet-destroying laser beams! The tempo can slow down without ever going out of sync. Mordial is a 5-star head-twisting mathcore tornado, that's what it is!

5/5

Recommended tracks: "Fade Out", "Scattered Sprites", "Dissect Yourself", "Blackened Battery", "Mordial", "Antipatterns"

For fans of: The Dillinger Escape Plan, Gaza, Gojira

As I make my reviewing journey through Car Bomb's discography to gear up for when I review their recent album Mordial that is this month's Revolution feature release, their previous album Meta is another perfect mathcore album with experimental highlights like this one featuring clean vocals by Joe Duplantier of Gojira:

Here are my thoughts on all the selected tracks:

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

5/5. Let's start with this mighty metalcore opener that would make you want more, especially the first chorus at the one-minute mark!

The Ghost Inside - "Between the Lines" from Returners (2010)

4.5/5. I'm glad this band is still here after that near-fatal tour bus crash in 2015. You get to witness the band create more tunes that follow the ones before the crash. I love the brilliant lyrics here. "Where have the words gone?!"

ERRA - "Gungrave" from ERRA (2021)

5/5. I love this one! The artwork for that album is quite cyberpunk-ish. The sound here is awesome too!

Of Mice & Men - "Echo" from Echo (2021)

5/5. I've heard of this band a few years ago and never gotten the chance to actually listen to much of them... But now I might feel up for that again with this amazing track! Aaron Pauley's vocals sound awesome despite having to go solo.

Any Given Day - "Loveless" from Overpower (2019)

4.5/5. Any Given Day sounds like they continue the groove anthems Five Finger Death Punch had in their earlier albums, while sticking to their own metalcore recipe. There are great lyrics in this one!

Crystal Lake - "Aeon" from Helix (2018)

5/5. Another band that has now become one of my favorites, because of this wild rollercoaster ride through progressive metalcore, deathcore, djent-core, and tech-black-death. That's how diverse this can be!

If I Were You - "Broken" from Inner Signals (2018)

4.5/5. Another great song really worth listening to. Enough said!

Architects - "Death Is Not Defeat" from Holy Hell (2018)

5/5. Some of the most intense lyrics and music I've heard in this amazing masterpiece of a song! It fits well for the band after their earlier guitarist Tom Searle passed away. RIP... If death catches up to me on an untimely moment, I'd like this as my funeral song. Absolutely underrated! The rhythm in the final minute, towards the end, shows the Tom era coming full circle.

Currents - "Origin" from The Way It Ends (2020)

4.5/5. Quite some fire here. Feel it burn!

Trivium - "Watch the World Burn" from In Waves (2011)

5/5. And then watch it burn as this track branches out beyond the band's usual sound of thrash metalcore. It still keeps that style but it's a more progressive track. The song has pretty much everything from heavy riffs and a progressive bridge with epic singing and screaming vocals to a melodic thrash chorus.

Demon Hunter - "This is the Line" from The World is a Thorn (2010)

5/5. Another awesome heavy song. That song's chorus is a little cheesy with more clean singing and not as much shouting as the rest of the song that the shouting plagues. Outstanding song choice there, Daniel!

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

4.5/5. This is based on the Resident Evil movie, which itself is based on the video game series and that makes me wonder if they should've saved it for a horror video game tribute album. The highly different gamer-industrial tones produce a vibe of video games and early 2000s action film soundtracks.

Attila - "Proving Grounds" from Guilty Pleasure (2014)

4.5/5. One of the best Attila songs for me! I love how this song is based on Fronz's real-life stories in a way that almost stretches the truth of his struggles in the music industry with his "b****rds be damned" like attitude. Not the super-best, and not the most appreciated but still so good. Makes you want to "Hit the back button, repeat this song." Except if you're like my mother who can't stand the heavier metal/core or if you're sensitive to a bit of homophobia in the middle ("WHO'S THE F****T NOW?!"), in which case you might wanna go somewhere else. Can Of Mice & Men reach that level? Most likely not.

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

5/5. For a song titled "Fake", it's never fake. It's a real punishing song with sharp riffs and menacing views towards hypocrisy and indoctrination that basically say "To h*ll with religion!" A great standout!

War From a Harlots Mouth - "Spineless" from MMX (2010)

4.5/5. Without a doubt, this has some of the best instrumentation here. Catchy breakdowns, a well-placed clean section, and crushing riffs keep leveling up.

The Dillinger Escape Plan - "Mouth of Ghosts" from Ire Works (2007)

5/5. Probably the longest TDEP song at almost 7 minutes. After 4 minutes of mellow jazz piano, things start building up before the guitars enter one last time in an almost theatrical conclusion.

ExitWounds - "Sickened" from Heaven is Empty (Hell is in My Mind) (2021)

4.5/5. This is quite a sick banger, with nearly the right metalcore vibe!

Convictions - "The War That Followed Me Home" from I Won't Survive (2021)

4/5. If the band Reflections married Norma Jean and then cheated on that band for Veil of Maya, this song is what would be spawned. You can definitely hear the influences from those bands within the guitars.

Lost in Separation - "The Secrets We Keep" from The Secrets We Keep (2022)

4/5. It's no secret what there is for the heavier metalcore fans to love. Some cool metalcore hype here! The vocals are quite a chiller, especially in the chorus. Quite some beautiful killer jamming there. Sworn In has really influenced this band to make such a banger.

The Parallel - "Monochrome" from Weaver (2018)

4.5/5. D*mn, that chorus has powerful meaning! Other than that, I don't have a lot to say.

Void of Vision - "GOTHIKA" from CHRONICLES I: LUST (2021)

5/5. Filthy synths and breakdowns are gonna make Ocean Grove regret not having them longer. The playlist gets better again with this d*mn underrated band. So ravaging this sound! And I thought their song "VAMPYR" from the March playlist was the heaviest those guys can do. The mixing is f***ing brilliant, a fantastic distorted beast of a song! I don't know any other filthy banger that could top this. The unclean vocals really transcend through realms, maybe one of them being Emmure. Your bones would be crushed in a moshpit activated when this song is blasted live. Heavy in a decent level for me, kinda like Northlane at their heaviest.

The Afterimage - "Cerulean" from Eve (2020)

4.5/5. Apparently the vocalist of this band is also in deathcore band Brand of Sacrifice. Quite fascinating! The riffing/rhythm in the intro and bridge reminds me a bit of Meshuggah, specifically the Nothing era.

Dead by April - "As a Butterfly" from Let the World Know (2014)

5/5. High-quality beautiful lyrics in this excellent song! If the tempo was two times faster, this would've made the song more metalcore. But there's already enough strength to brush aside that weakness like it's nothing.

Asking Alexandria - "Moving On" from From Death to Destiny (2013)

4.5/5. A great song from Asking Alexandria, and one of my favorite metal ballads, to break things up a bit.

Chelsea Grin - "Blind Kings" from Blind Kings (2020)

4/5. Chelsea Grin is back at it again with some searing deathcore only suitable for those who can go underground.

Underoath - "Act of Depression" from Act of Depression (1999)

3.5/5. Some of Dallas' best screaming comes from the 10-minute title epic of this band's deathly metalcore debut. The lyrics deal with suicide, but the way he screams those lyrics with pain and depression in his voice is the best aspect of the track. Christians normally condemn suicide, but the lyrics tell the story of someone who was bullied (as you can hear from the sound samples at the 7-minute mark). The lyrics are meant to discourage such a tragic action, instead of encourage, and that's what Christians prefer. However, it can't beat the rest of this playlist.

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

4/5. A killer song to roll with the f***ing punches. You can hear the deathcore elements of Whitechapel combined with the symphonic black metal of Dimmu Borgir, mixed into this band's own unique sound.

Slice the Cake - "The Holy Mountain" from Odyssey to the West (2016)

4.5/5. This fits well as the closing single track epic to both this playlist and its original album, mixing all and additional elements to end this theatrical journey. Nothing is simple! The melody and rhythm fades, and you might just feel up to repeating this journey again.

Holy wars, this is probably the best Revolution playlist I've assembled, particularly the first half with all songs from that half reaching 4.5 and 5 stars! To make my opinion not sound selfish or bad form, 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 your help with your submission, and I hope the rest of you enjoy it like I've had!

Guys, I just thought it would be helpful to Xephyr and Saxy for me to create their respective playlist threads. They wouldn't have to spend any extra time making those threads, while I can do the commenting as soon as possible. I have a life outside the internet as well. But if there's a rule that only the creator of a playlist can create a thread for that playlist, and I know about it earlier, then I would've let go of the matter. Now I understand that not everyone needs to be helped.

Another issue, regarding this specific clan playlist, is my evidential dwindling passion for The Guardians. I was kind of over-rushing on creating this thread and commenting on half the songs in this playlist, and wanted to get them all done because, like I said, I have a life outside the internet and might be away for some events this week. So some of those comments I've made may not be accurate to how I truly feel, especially since I've announced moving away from half of those bands within the past couple months or so, and the power metal bands I liked more at least 5 years ago than now. So with that, I think, as of now, I'm gonna take a hiatus from The Guardians and any Guardians-related activities, then later see if I'm up to continuing my time in the clan or switching to a different clan I'm more comfortable in. Sorry for any trouble I've caused, all....

Here are my thoughts on some tracks:

Primus - "Conspiranoia" (from Conspiranoid)

4/5. Starting the playlist with 11 and a half minutes of prog-ish funk metal, you can already hear the signature vocals and bass of Les Claypool to please Primus fans. This isn't usually my style, but I would definitely recommend this to Emitter!

36 Crazyfists - "Wars to Walk Away From" (from Lanterns)

4.5/5. I love this killer track! Though they wouldn't reach the same heights as their 2000s metalcore material.

System of a Down - "Mr. Jack" (from Steal This Album!)

4/5. Apparently, this "Mr. Jack" dude was a man disguised as a cop who kidnapped people and was eventually beaten by real police, a story bassist Shavo Odadjian wrote in the lyrics inspired from witnessing bank robberies. Guitarist/co-lead vocalist Daron Malakian can do some voice-threatening screams then continue singing well. I listen to a lot of alt-metal bands now, but nowhere close to the mainstream of System of a Down and Alice in Chains. That said though, this is a nice song to love with some good lyrics ("F*** you man!). The tempo changes and different chords Serj Tankian follows really well with his vocals.

Karnivool - "Roquefort" (from Themata)

4.5/5. This one shows how confident the band is to try a funky approach and expand boundaries without going beyond anyone's comfort zone.

Atreyu - "Warrior" (from Baptize)

5/5. One of the top best songs from Atreyu, despite ditching much of their metalcore roots! Blink-182 drummer Travis Barker contributes with some marching-like percussion in the bridge. Sounds awesome, right?!

Avenged Sevenfold - "Almost Easy" (from Avenged Sevenfold)

4.5/5. One thing about Avenged Sevenfold's sound at that time is, it sound so clean yet dirty, bright yet dark. There's also a "CLA mix" that's rawer than the original. Still the original is impressive! What's not to love? Amazing vocals that sometimes border on aggressive, especially in the chorus. The guitars are heavy while adding melody. Absorb the speed! Their late drummer The Rev also added some of his own vocals mixed with M. Shadows, and the drums really pummel through as well. RIP Rev...

Evanescence - "Going Under" (from Fallen)

4/5. Another track I love, though it lacks a bit of potential, yet made up for by the strong heavy instrumentation and Amy Lee's massive singing.

Otep - "Battle Ready" (from Sevas Tra)

3.5/5. Add rapping as the main vocal style for Evanescence, and you get Otep! Sounds kick-A, but I still struggle with the rapping.

Bad Wolves - "Remember When" (from Disobey)

4/5. Here's a good song about lead vocalist Tommy Vext having fun with his twin brother when they were young, kind of like me and my older brother. However, a dark twist came when Tommy's brother descending into drug addiction and was so high that at one point, he attacked Tommy and nearly murdered him. Fortunately, Tommy survived. His brother ended up in jail for that incident. Great song based on an intense true story...

Wage War - "Me Against Myself" (from Pressure)

4.5/5. Also a h*lla amazing track with great lyrics! That's the kind of song that needs more attention. If anyone out there is shy about rock or metal being their favorite genre, you don't have to hide it anymore with this one.

Bad Omens - "What Do You Want From Me?" (from THE DEATH OF PEACE OF MIND)

4/5. This one has a bit of heavier potential, but the synthwave-like beats don't really light up my heart. Next!

Dead by April - "Anything at All" (from Anything at All)

4.5/5. Another song I love! I appreciate the work this band puts in perfecting their poppy metal sound.

Katatonia - "Inside the City of Glass" (from Viva Emptiness (10th Anniversary Edition))

4/5. Though this is the "10th Anniversary Edition" with vocals, as opposed to the instrumental version I requested, this is still a good doomy alt-metal track, and the vocals add more emotion. The lyrics are a great description of life. For anyone who has only listened to the instrumental version, the one with vocals would blow their minds. This could be easy for me to sing along to this haunting tune. Besides Jonas' wonderous vocals, the drumming has improved as well. All good despite me preferring the version without vocals by a slight edge. The beautiful vocals shine without ever being overshadowed by the powerful guitars. A decent track fixed with something to make it slightly more complete. Katatonia was a good band for me...

Black Map - "Run Rabbit Run" (from In Droves)

3.5/5. The sound in this song is basically U2 gone as heavy as Chevelle. I'm not sure if this is even metal to be honest, closer to alt-rock. Still this isn't too bad for this band that was formed by Mark Engles during his break from Dredg.

Linkin Park - "Rebellion" (from The Hunting Party)

4/5. This one stomps in with a gnarly guitar intro, which along with the background synths, once again give the song a European power metal vibe for a medieval sword war. Assisting the band in the quest is a guest, System of a Down's Daron Malikian performing part of the aforesaid guitar riffing. The song's lyrics speak of anger and urgency, with nothing specific to fight against and just rebelling for the h*ll of it.

Spiritbox - "Yellowjacket" (from Eternal Blue)

4.5/5. This song can also get you hooked with lines such as "Where was the grace when I was asking for it?!" Architects’ Sam Carter delivers one of the most memorable choruses of the year. This should really be performed live, with or without Sam, for beautiful chaos in motion.

Bloodsimple - "Dead Man Walking" (from Red Harvest)

5/5. Now this amazing song I absolutely love! I find Bloodsimple a kick-A band now. The song is notable as part of the sound track for WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2009. I gotta put this f***ing banger into my iTunes playlist. The bass here sounds deadly as f***. There also seems to be a Clutch-like pace. Sick metal right here! I shall add this killer tune as one of my most awesome favorites. This playlist really ended in a bang for me!

May 2022

01. Nevermore - "Sentient 6" (from This Godless Endeavour)

02. Between the Buried and Me - "Informal Gluttony" (from Colors)

03. Meshuggah - "Broken Cog" (from Immutable)

04. Ayreon - "Everybody Dies" (from The Source)

05. Fallujah - "The Void Alone" (from Dreamless)

06. Cynic - "6th Dimensional Archetype" (from Ascension Codes)

07. White Ward - "Leviathan" (from Leviathan)

08. Evergrey - "Barricades" (from Hymns for the Broken)

09. Kardashev - "Compost Grave-Song" (from Compost Grave-Song)

10. Lucid Planet - "Entrancement" (from II)

11. Isis - "Wills Dissolve" (from Panopticon)

12. Skyharbor - "Evolution" (from Guiding Lights)

13. Solstafir - "Her Fall From Grace" (from Endless Twilight of Codependent Love)

14. Edge of Haze - "Remains" (from Remains)

15. Haken - "Nightingale" (from Nightingale)

May 2022

01. Primus - "Conspiranoia" (from Conspiranoid)

02. 36 Crazyfists - "Wars to Walk Away From" (from Lanterns)

03. System of a Down - "Mr. Jack" (from Steal This Album!)

04. Karnivool - "Roquefort" (from Themata)

05. Atreyu - "Warrior" (from Baptize)

06. Fair to Midland - "Musical Chairs" (from Arrows & Anchors)

07. Manes - "Diving With Your Hands Bound" (from Vilosophe)

08. Sevendust - "Dying to Live" (from Blood & Stone)

09. Living Colour - "Glamour Boys" (from Vivid)

10. Avenged Sevenfold - "Almost Easy" (from Avenged Sevenfold)

11. Evanescence - "Going Under" (from Fallen)

12. Otep - "Battle Ready" (from Sevas Tra)

13. Bad Wolves - "Remember When" (from Disobey)

14. Wage War - "Me Against Myself" (from Pressure)

15. Bad Omens - "What Do You Want From Me?" (from THE DEATH OF PEACE OF MIND)

16. Dead by April - "Anything at All" (from Anything at All)

17. Toothgrinder - "The Shadow" (from Phantom Amour)

18. Fightstar - "Animal" (from Behind the Devil's Back)

19. Katatonia - "Inside the City of Glass" (from Viva Emptiness (10th Anniversary Edition))

20. Black Map - "Run Rabbit Run" (from In Droves)

21. Linkin Park - "Rebellion" (from The Hunting Party)

22. Helmet - "In the Meantime" (from Meantime)

23. Yakui the Maid - "Daisy Killer" (from Polyneuroparty, Pt. 2)

24. Spiritbox - "Yellowjacket" (from Eternal Blue)

25. Bloodsimple - "Dead Man Walking" (from Red Harvest)

May 2022

1. Memphis May Fire - "The Sinner" from The Hollow (2011) [Submitted by shadowdoom9 (Andi)]

2. The Ghost Inside - "Between the Lines" from Returners (2010)

3. ERRA - "Gungrave" from ERRA (2021)

4. Of Mice & Men - "Echo" from Echo (2021)

5. Any Given Day - "Loveless" from Overpower (2019)

6. Crystal Lake - "Aeon" from Helix (2018)

7. If I Were You - "Broken" from Inner Signals (2018)

8. Architects - "Death Is Not Defeat" from Holy Hell (2018)

9. Currents - "Origin" from The Way It Ends (2020)

10. Trivium - "Watch the World Burn" from In Waves (2011) [Submitted by shadowdoom9 (Andi)]

11. Demon Hunter - "This is the Line" from The World is a Thorn (2010) [Submitted by Daniel]

12. Ice Nine Kills - "Rainy Day" from The Silver Scream 2: Welcome to Horrorwood (2021) [Submitted by shadowdoom9 (Andi)]

13. Attila - "Proving Grounds" from Guilty Pleasure (2014) [Submitted by shadowdoom9 (Andi)]

14. Make Them Suffer - "Fake" from Old Souls (2015) [Submitted by shadowdoom9 (Andi)]

15. War From a Harlots Mouth - "Spineless" from MMX (2010)

16. The Dillinger Escape Plan - "Mouth of Ghosts" from Ire Works (2007)

17. ExitWounds - "Sickened" from Heaven is Empty (Hell is in My Mind) (2021)

18. Convictions - "The War That Followed Me Home" from I Won't Survive (2021)

19. Lost in Separation - "The Secrets We Keep" from The Secrets We Keep (2022)

20. Void of Vision - "GOTHIKA" from CHRONICLES I: LUST (2021)

21. The Parallel - "Monochrome" from Weaver (2018)

22. The Afterimage - "Cerulean" from Eve (2020)

23. Dead by April - "As a Butterfly" from Let the World Know (2014)

24. Asking Alexandria - "Moving On" from From Death to Destiny (2013)

25. Chelsea Grin - "Blind Kings" from Blind Kings (2020) [Submitted by shadowdoom9 (Andi)]

26. Underoath - "Act of Depression" from Act of Depression (1999)

27. Betraying the Martyrs - "When You're Alone" from Breathe in Life (2011) [Submitted by shadowdoom9 (Andi)]

28. Slice the Cake - "The Holy Mountain" from Odyssey to the West (2016)

Looks great, Ben! I plan to listen to and review the featured releases I've submitted for May once they're out a few days from now, so I'll definitely test out that new feature.

Crossover thrash is the only one of the 3 thrash metal subgenres (the other two, of course, being conventional and technical) that I've never really gotten a grip on. However, the first two Neurosis albums (before they created post-sludge) have some crossover thrash tendencies while primarily regarded as thrashy hardcore.

Update on my list (still alphabetized and still at Bruno Terrosa's 55):

1. 36 Crazyfists - The Tide and Its Takers (2008)

2. All That Remains - Overcome (2008)

3. Asking Alexandria - Stand Up and Scream (2009)

4. Atreyu - Lead Sails Paper Anchor (2007)

5. August Burns Red - Constellations (2009)

6. Bleeding Through - Love Will Kill All (2018)

7. Born of Osiris - The Discovery (2011)

8. Botch - We are the Romans (1999)

9. Bring Me the Horizon - Sempiternal (2013)

10. Bullet for My Valentine - The Poison (2005)

11. Chelsea Grin - Desolation of Eden (2010)

12. Converge & Chelsea Wolfe - Bloodmoon: I (2021)

13. Code Orange - Underneath (2020)

14. Dark Angel - Time Does Not Heal (1991)

15. Daughters - Hell Songs (2006)

16. Devin Townsend - Empath (2019)

17. Dir En Grey - Uroboros (2008)

18. Disillusion - Back to Times of Splendor (2004)

19. From Autumn to Ashes - Holding a Wolf by the Ears (2007)

20. God Forbid - IV: Constitution of Treason (2005)

21. Green Carnation - Light of Day, Day of Darkness (2001)

22. Hopesfall - No Wings to Speak of (2001)

23. Horse the Band - Desperate Living (2009)

24. Iced Earth - Burnt Offerings (1995)

25. Karnivool - Themata (2005)

26. Leprous - Tall Poppy Syndrome (2009)

27. Like Moths to Flames - No Eternity in Gold (2020)

28. Make Them Suffer - Neverbloom (2012)

29. Maudlin of the Well - Bath (2001)

30. Memphis May Fire - The Hollow (2011)

31. Meshuggah - Catch Thirty-Three (2005)

32. Motionless in White - Creatures (2010)

33. Ne Obliviscaris - Portal of I (2012)

34. Neurosis - Through Silver in Blood (1996)

35. Opeth - Blackwater Park (2001)

36. Parkway Drive - Horizons (2007)

37. Plini - Impulse Voices (2020)

38. Prayer for Cleansing - Rain in Endless Fall (1999)

39. Protest the Hero - Kezia (2005)

40. Psyopus - Our Puzzling Encounters Considered (2007)

41. Sadus - A Vision of Misery (1992)

42. Savatage - Dead Winter Dead (1995)

43. Seventh Wonder - Mercy Falls (2008)

44. Silent Planet - Iridescent (2021)

45. Skycamefalling - 10.21 (2000)

46. Structures - Life Through a Window (2014)

47. Textures - Dualism (2011)

48. The Dillinger Escape Plan - Calculating Infinity (1999)

49. The Ghost Inside - Dear Youth (2014)

50. Trivium - In Waves (2011)

51. Upon a Burning Body - Fury (2022)

52. Vektor - Black Future (2009)

53. Voivod - Dimension Hatross (1988)

54. Wage War - Manic (2021)

55. Wuthering Heights - The Shadow Cabinet (2006)

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: Voivod - War and Pain

1985: Accept - Metal Heart

1986: Dark Angel - Darkness Descends

1987: Savatage - Hall of the Mountain King

1988: Sadus - Illusions

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: Atreyu - Lead Sails Paper Anchor

2008: 36 Crazyfists - The Tide and Its Takers

2009: Asking Alexandria - Stand Up and Scream

2010: Chelsea Grin - Desolation of Eden

2011: Trivium - In Waves

2012: The Ghost Inside - Get What You Give

2013: We Came as Romans - Tracing Back Roots

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

2014: The Ghost Inside - Dear Youth

2015: Wage War - Blueprints

2016: Car Bomb - Meta

2017: Trivium - The Sin and the Sentence

2018: Crystal Lake - Helix

2019: Devin Townsend - Empath

2020: Like Moths to Flames - No Eternity in Gold

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:

Upon a Burning Body - Fury

Memphis May Fire - Remade in Misery

Motionless in White - Scoring the End of the World

Seventh Wonder - The Testament

Dir En Grey - Phalaris

Coldrain - Nonnegative

Like I said in the Conventional Thrash Metal Thread, I enjoy a good amount of conventional and technical thrash metal. Technical thrash is actually the kind of direction I wanted to go for late 80s/early 90s thrash, but there's still a huge load to conventional thrash releases I've rated, about 40% of them coming from all the Annihilator albums (except their temporary switch into classic heavy metal in Set the World on Fire). Anyway, here's my top 5:

5. Mekong Delta - Dances of Death (And Other Walking Shadows) (1990)

4. Sadus - A Vision of Misery (1992)

3. Annihilator - Alice in Hell (1989)

2. Coroner - Mental Vortex (1991)

1. Vektor - Black Future (2009)

A brutal killer remake of We Came as Romans' epic comeback single:

Great album from when I used to listen to that band, along with...

Awesome changes, Ben! The only error still around that I can think of is when a new thread doesn't appear in the "Recent Topics" thing until someone replies in a different post, so could you please keep that in mind for the next round of improvements? Thanks!

Radio station meetings in a nutshell:

Norwegian progressive metal with an alternative metal slant.

I just gave this Extol album a listen and a review to see if I still have the Leprous/Opeth/Voivod appeal, and it's still on! The Blueprint Dives is a perfectly balanced album and makes me up to checking out the rest of their discography, possibly ending my hiatus from death metal. That track is my favorite here. It starts almost dark, but the chorus is so emotional in the lyrics. Awesome!

The Swedish creators of djent are back with some of the most aggressive extreme progressive metal this year, like in this killer track:

Here's the link to a story I've made based on both the Metal Academy clan map and my metal journey so far (along with hinting at the reasons for me to completely leave most of The Fallen genres next month) (press CLICK TO PLAY): https://starwarsintrocreator.kassellabs.io/#!/DMk4q6nTu7rfvl4xOyk-

Now available on YouTube!

I enjoy a good amount of conventional and technical thrash metal, and looking at how many Pit releases I've rated, in the slightly possible event that my Guardians interest flops (as it already seems that way) and I feel up to having that clan replaced in my 4-clan lineup, The Pit might be a potential option for me. Then again, I'm more focused on the lesser-known and underground bands as opposed to the greater thrash giants in your list, Daniel. Anyway, here's my top 5:

5. Dark Angel - Time Does Not Heal (1991)

4. Voivod - Killing Technology (1987)

3. Demolition Hammer - Tortured Existence (1990)

2. Sadus - Illusions (1988)

1. Annihilator - Alice in Hell (1989)

Just from reading that list, it's clear what polar opposites we are when it comes to what we enjoy, but it's all good, I respect that. Anyway, see you later, Sonny, and happy Easter!

So we've finally finished our move to the Gold Coast & are currently setting ourselves up in a very spacious five bedroom house with a big pool. It's a huge change for the family after so many years spent cramped in a two-bedroom apartment in Sydney's Northern Beaches. It's just a shame that I've gotten sick at an inopportune time with the house still relatively full of boxes. By the way, I place removalists on the same level as politicians & parking inspectors after last week's experience. They quite simply have no morals whatsoever.

Get well soon, Daniel!

I have been trying to go the heavier modern route since starting my interest in metalcore and wanting to focus on that and modern progressive metal rather than power metal and melodic progressive metal a few years ago. At that time, I was tired of my taste going full-on melodic and wanted to refresh with heavier and modern sounds. It was great that you all kept recommending these Guardians releases based on my earlier ratings, and those helped me revisit my epic metal past. Those power metal and melodic prog-metal releases have indeed been enjoyable, but enjoyment isn't forever. If I lose some mood for some bands, I can move towards other bands and choose where to stay. And when I make these threads, it's kind of a warning so any changes wouldn't seem too abrupt and end up causing more confusion.

I have thought about your comments about my prog-metal favorites, Daniel, and you're right. A few bands like Leprous, Opeth, and Voivod have been my favorites in progressive metal for a couple years. While some of each band's albums are very melodic with one or a few being non-metal or close to non-metal, their earlier releases have some extreme elements, especially Voivod's 80s speed/thrash era. That's heavier than a lot of power metal or melodic progressive metal, I'm not sure what I was thinking! So I'll keep those bands (Leprous, Opeth, and Voivod) with me and continue listening to them for as long as I can enjoy them. However, those other 4 bands will still be out. I can do without those bands being very melody-focused with half of them being all-instrumental...

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

1. Gateway playlist - 4/5 (number of songs commented: ALL 23)

2. Guardians playlist - 4/5 (number of songs commented: 5)

3. Infinite playlist - 4.5/5 (number of songs commented: 12)

4. Revolution playlist - 4.5/5 (number of songs commented: ALL 29)

4. Sphere playlist - 4/5 (number of songs commented: 17)

So far, I've only commented on 5 tracks in the Guardians playlist, 12 tracks in the Infinite playlist, and 17 tracks in the Sphere playlist, but I still enjoy the tracks that I had time for, and I'm grateful to Saxy, Xephyr, and Daniel for their playlist works all the same. I really dig the Gateway playlist made by Saxy and the Revolution playlist made by me, enough to go through all the tracks! I would recommend them to any alt-metal/metalcore fan and anyone who isn't into those respective genres but wants to get into a great start in enjoying the genre. Thanks, Daniel, for accepting these playlists, and good work all!

Here are my ratings for this month's feature releases for all my clans, and a quick summary:

The Gateway: Evanescence - The Bitter Truth (2021) - 3.5/5

The Guardians: Kamelot - Epica (2003) - 5/5

The Infinite: Slice the Cake - Odyssey to the West (2016) - 4/5

The Revolution: War From a Harlots Mouth - MMX (2010) - 4/5

The Sphere: Godflesh - Merciless (1994) - 4.5/5

Another very solid month for feature releases, again probably because of the releases submitted by us Metal Academy members (including myself). While the Gateway release is never really the best of these releases, I'm glad to share it here to bring Evanescence's music into discussion, to mixed results. The Guardians release is perfect for me and worth recommending to fans of Kamelot and power metal. The Infinite and Revolution releases both have a great abrasive level, but I can't say they would ever be fully perfect for my balance. And The Sphere release is a sweet classic EP from industrial metal innovators Godflesh. Thanks for these amazing feature releases, guys! Looking forward to more to come...

Modern hardcore industrial metal at its best:

I decided to dive into part of the Sphere playlist because of this month's Sphere feature release that I enjoy (Godflesh's Merciless EP) and it felt like a good time to test out my industrial metal interest. So here are my track thoughts:

Code Orange – “(deeperthanbefore)” (from “Underneath”, 2020)

5/5. The perfect way to start the playlist, and a suitable electronic intro for how deep the band is gonna get in diversity.

Samael – “For A Thousand Years” (from “Lux Mundi”, 2011)

4.5/5. Great song from the venomously good song, so heavy and dark! The symphonic-industrial keyboards are what their recent albums apart from the band's earlier black metal era that ended with the Rebellion EP.

Neurotech – “Awaiting Deception” (from “Antagonist”, 2011)

4/5. The ambient guitar adds darkness to this song's chorus. A great song to love for anyone into cyber/industrial metal. It even works well when listening in the rain. However, I might downvote this from perfection.

Unheilig – “Für immer” (from “Grosse Freiheit”, 2010)

3.5/5. For this song, the beat is good along with the vocals, but I can't really understand the German lyrics, that's the problem I have with Neue Deutsche Härte. Actually is it that genre? Sounds closer to the gothic pop rock of HIM that I got bored of.

Kong – “Horse L.” (from “Phlegm”, 1992)

3/5. An early instrumental industrial metal/rock track, but Godflesh this is not. Next!

Eisbrecher – “Die Engel” (from “Eiszeit”, 2010)

3.5/5. More of this Neue Deutsche Härte! Once again I can't understand the German lyrics, but the instrumentation and vocals sound good.

Pitchshifter – “Wafer Thin” (from “Deviant”, 2000)

4/5. An interesting twist in the playlist's sound so far, shifting to a nu/alt-metal approach while staying industrial. Absolute f***ing intense anger in this tune! This could bring back memories for anyone involved in the alt-metal millennium turn, reminding some of Therapy? at that time. After Pitchshifter's first split, two of the members formed a temporary alt-metalcore side-project This is Menace. I thought this nu/alt-ish industrial metal sound was menacing enough.

Killing Joke – “Invocation” (from “Hosannas From The Basements Of Hell”, 2006)

3.5/5. The music and lyrics sound f***ing supernatural here. I definitely like the beat. This was Paul Raven's last album with the band before his passing the next year, RIP. There's some ominous cello to go along with the strings. It would've been cooler if the beat was more synchronized, but it's still OK.

Author & Punisher – “Misery” (from “Krüller”, 2022)

3/5. A little out of my league, especially after having moved out of the droning doom misery. Moving on...

Ministry – “Never Believe” (from “The Mind Is A Terrible Thing To Taste”, 1989)

3.5/5. Here is another industrial machine, this time Chris Connelly on lead vocals for deranged ambient assembly. Not absolutely the best, but this is still worth headbanging until your head falls off!

Lard – “Pineapple Face” (from “The Last Temptation Of Reid”, 1990)

4/5. Jello Biafra is one of strangest vocalists in metal, giving this song some strong potential.

Crisis Sigil – “Shape.” (from “Small Towns.”, 2020)

4.5/5. Much better shape, but I'm a little concerned about if any of their other songs would be like this which would tire me out fast.

In This Moment – “Fly Like An Eagle” (from “Mother”, 2020)

5/5. Now we're talking! This band took a 70s rock song and covered it to make it dark and beautiful. Maria Brink's vocal power is incredible! If I had started on my metalhead journey in my earlier alt-rock/metal days before DragonForce set my direction, I would've certainly listened to In This Moment more. The intro itself is almost a cover of the Terminator theme. I f***ing love it!

Nine Inch Nails – “Gave Up” (from “Broken” E.P., 1992)

4.5/5. Well if I were to level up my industrial metal interest via the alt-metal bands, they would have to actually be a metal band. Broken is the most metal EP for this mainly industrial rock band. This is probably the best song I would enjoy from NIN. The last third of the song would really make you go Hulk-smashing or some sh*t. It is quite a gamble to test out a good amount of industrial metal bands and see which one would be right for me. Some would just be f***ing over-the-top nonsense while others sound decently well. I don't know what other feelings I have here. Play it one of the more action-oriented Star Trek movie scenes and see if it makes things sound better.

Apartment 26 – “Slicedbeats” (from “Hallucinating”, 2000)

4/5. This is not the greatest, but still decently f***ing killer industrial alt-metal sh*t.

Static-X – “This Is Not” (from “Machine”, 2001)

4.5/5. THIS IS NOT my type. I don't hate this, but it's better off as a recommendation for my recent Discord friend. RIP Wayne Static...

Godflesh – “Spinebender” (from “Godflesh” E.P., 1988)

5/5. This one focuses on creative beats and dissonance that might bring discomfort to anyone including classic metalheads. It's a great song to stop my commenting while the quality is still on top in case it goes downhill, so see you later, Sphere controllers!

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

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

I did my review, here's its summary:

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

4/5

Super-extreme mathcore from Berlin, Germany.

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

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

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

4/5

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Total length: 26:17

Here are my submissions for the May Infinite playlist:

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

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

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

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

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

Total length: 29:15

Here are my submissions for the May Gateway playlist:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Total length: 29:09

Here are my thoughts on all the selected tracks:

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

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

Attila - "Metalcore Manson" from Closure (2021)

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

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

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

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

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

Trivium - "Strife" from Vengeance Falls (2013)

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

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

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

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

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

TheCityIsOurs - "Violent" from COMA (2021)

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

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

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

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

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

Northlane - "Bloodline" from Alien (2019)

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

Sleep Waker - "Alias" from Alias (2021)

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

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

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

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

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

Dealer - "Tourniquet" from Saint (2020)

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

Amaranthe - "Fury" from Maximalism (2016)

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

ERRA - "White Noise" from Impulse (2011)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Wow, this playlist turned out pretty well! I'm glad to have some good help from Daniel with his submission. I look forward to listening to more of the bands that are perfect for me. I would recommend this to any metalcore fan and anyone who isn't into metalcore but wants to get into a great start in enjoying the genre. Thanks Daniel for accepting this, and I hope the rest of you enjoy it like I've had!

Here are my thoughts on some tracks:

Hath - The Million Violations (2022)

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

Converge & Chelsea Wolfe – Coil (2021)

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

Slice The Cake – Unending Waltz (2016)

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

Earthside – Crater (2015)

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

Meshuggah – Light the Shortening Fuse (2022)

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

Opeth – Burden (2008)

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

Enslaved – The Dead Stare (2003)

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

Playgrounded – Rituals (2022)

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

Plini – Handmade Cities (2016)

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

Liquid Tension Experiment – Rhapsody in Blue (2021)

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

Voivod – Brain Scan (1988)

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

Animals As Leaders – Red Miso (2022)

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

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

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

Linkin Park – Session (2003)

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

Hum – In the Den (2020)

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

36 Crazyfists – Better To Burn (2017)

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

Demon Hunter – Infected (2002)

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

Fire From The Gods – Excuse Me (2016)

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

FEVER 333 – SUPREMACY (2020)

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

Chevelle – Family System (2002)

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

Breaking Benjamin – The Diary of Jane (2006)

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

Tool – Opiate2 (2022)

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

Dog Fashion Disco – Wait (2017)

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

In This Moment – Forever (2008)

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

MAXIMUM THE HORMONE – REREREREREREREREMAMAMAMAMAMAMAMA (2005)

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

Dir En Grey – Unraveling (2013)

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

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

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

Disturbed – Perfect Insanity (2008)

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

Evanescence – Use My Voice (2021)

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

Atreyu – Save Us (2021)

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

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

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

In Flames – I, The Mask (2019)

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

Dope – Survive (2005)

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

Lacuna Coil – Blood, Tears, Dust (2016)

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

Architects – Black Lungs (2021)

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

Machinae Supremacy – Gimmie More (SID) (2008)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Here's my Sphere suggestion for May:

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

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

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

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

I did my review, here's its summary:

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

4.5/5