Shadowdoom9 (Andi)'s Forum Replies

Ben, please add the new Meshuggah album Immutable.

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

I did my review, here's its summary:

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

5/5

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

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

No problem, Daniel. I can wait.

Here's my review summary:

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

3.5/5

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

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

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

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

April 2022

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Animals As Leaders - Parrhesia (2022)

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

3.5/5

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

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

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

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

Quoted Daniel

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

Quoted Vinny

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

1. DragonForce - "Through the Fire and Flames"

2. Judas Priest - "Breaking the Law"

3. Black Sabbath - "Children of the Grave"

4. Accept - "Fast as a Shark"

5. Iron Maiden - "The Trooper"

6. Savatage - "Hall of the Mountain King"

7. Iced Earth - "Dante's Inferno"

8. Kamelot - "Center of the Universe"

9. Riot - "Thundersteel"

10. Crimson Glory - "Valhalla"

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

1. Dream Theater - "Pull Me Under"

2. Opeth - "The Drapery Falls"

3. Tool -  "Fear Inoculum"

4. Devin Townsend - "Earth Day"

5. Meshuggah - "Future Breed Machine"

6. Mastodon - "Oblivion"

7. Queensryche - "Eyes of a Stranger"

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

9. Voivod - "Experiment"

10. Leprous - "White"

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

So far, I've only commented on 13 tracks in the Gateway playlist, 12 tracks in the Guardians playlist, and 11 tracks in the Infinite playlist, but I still enjoy the tracks that I had time for, and I'm grateful to Saxy and Xephyr for their playlist works all the same, and of course to Daniel for accepting those playlists. I really dig the Revolution playlist that I made! That opinion might seem bad form, but let me even out by saying that I would recommend any metalcore fan and anyone who isn't into metalcore but wants to get into a great start in enjoying the genre. Thanks, Daniel, for accepting my playlist! Good work on these playlists, all!

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

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

Demoniac - So It Goes (2021)

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

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

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

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

Here's my updated list:

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

1979: Accept - Accept

1980: Accept - I'm a Rebel

1981: Accept - Breaker

1982: Accept - Restless and Wild

1983: Savatage - Sirens

1984: Queensryche - The Warning

1985: Fates Warning - The Spectre Within

1986: Fates Warning - Awaken the Guardian

1987: Savatage - Hall of the Mountain King

1988: Fates Warning - No Exit

1989: Savatage - Gutter Ballet

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

1990: Demolition Hammer - Tortured Existence

1991: Dark Angel - Time Does Not Heal

1992: Sadus - A Vision of Misery

1993: Savatage - Edge of Thorns

1994: Savatage - Handful of Rain

1995: Iced Earth - Burnt Offerings

1996: Converge - Petitioning the Empty Sky

1997: Savatage - The Wake of Magellan

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

1998: Meshuggah - Chaosphere

1999: Opeth - Still Life

2000: Skycamefalling - 10.21

2001: Opeth - Blackwater Park

2002: Hopesfall - The Satellite Years

2003: Strapping Young Lad - Strapping Young Lad

2004: Wuthering Heights - Far From the Madding Crowd

2005: Trivium - Ascendancy

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

2006: Wuthering Heights - The Shadow Cabinet

2007: Enter Shikari - Take to the Skies

2008: Textures - Silhouettes

2009: August Burns Red - Constellations

2010: Attack Attack! - Attack Attack!

2011: Trivium - In Waves

2012: Diablo Swing Orchestra - Pandora's Pinata

2013: We Came as Romans - Tracing Back Roots

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

2014: Skyharbor - Guiding Lights

2015: Wage War - Blueprints

2016: Car Bomb - Meta

2017: Trivium - The Sin and the Sentence

2018: Vein - Errorzone

2019: Devin Townsend - Empath

2020: Code Orange - Underneath

2021: Trivium - In the Court of the Dragon

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

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

2022 albums I'm looking forward to getting:

Animals as Leaders - Parrhesia

Meshuggah - Immutable

Memphis May Fire - Remade in Misery

Motionless in White - Scoring the End of the World

Seventh Wonder - The Testament

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Total length: 26:35

Here are my suggestions for May's playlist:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Here are my submissions for the April Gateway playlist:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Total length: 28:42

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

Here are my thoughts on all the selected tracks:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

InVisions - "Deadlock" (from Deadlock, 2022)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Aviana - "Oblivion" (from Obsession, 2022)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Vein - "Doomtech" (from Errorzone, 2018)

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

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

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

Underoath - "Pneumonia" (from Voyeurist, 2022)

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

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

Here are my thoughts on some tracks:

Moon Tooth – Carry Me Home (2022)

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

Angra – Black Widow’s Web (2018)

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

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

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

Enslaved – Isa (2004)

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

Slugdge – Salt Thrower (2018)

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

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

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

Queensryche – Eyes Of A Stranger (1988)

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

Leprous – Coal (2013)

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

Voivod – Iconspiracy (2018)

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

Jinjer – Home Back (2019)

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

Persefone – Architecture of the I (2022)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Nightwish - The Siren (from Once, 2004)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Here are my thoughts on some tracks:

Attila – Day Drinking (2021)

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

Chevelle – The Red (2002)

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

Dir En Grey – The IID Empire (2003)

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

Escape the Fate – Issues (2010)

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

Karnivool – Synops (2005)

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

Lacuna Coil – Our Truth (2006)

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

The Bread Scientists – Starburst (2021)

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

Coldrain – We’re not alone (2010)

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

Mark Morton – Cross Off (2019)

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

Memphis May Fire – The Old Me (2018)

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

Wage War – Grave (2019)

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

Green Carnation – Pile of Doubt (2005)

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

Ra – Don’t Turn Away (2008)

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

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

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

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

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

For fans of: Throwdown, Unearth, Bad Wolves

March 2022

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Lord

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

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

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

Heavy metal:

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

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

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

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

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

WITHOUT heavy metal:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Congrats, Vinny!

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

Congrats, Sonny!!! Enjoy your freedom!

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