Shadowdoom9 (Andi)'s Forum Replies

Here are my suggestions for October's Infinite playlist (I'll make sure any multi-clan suggestions fit well with the playlist I'm submitting to):

Dir En Grey - "冷血なりせば (Reiketsu Nariseba)" (3:34) from Uroboros (2008)

Evergrey - "Broken Wings" (4:42) from Torn (2008)

Fates Warning - "Fata Morgana" (5:25) from Awaken the Guardian (1986)

Leprous - "White" (11:31) from Tall Poppy Syndrome (2009)

Symphony X - "The Damnation Game" (4:32) from The Damnation Game (1995)

Total length: 29:44

Here are my suggestions for October's Guardians playlist (I'll make sure any multi-clan suggestions fit well with the playlist I'm submitting to):

Dark Moor - "Halloween" (13:24) from The Fall of Melnibone (2001) (a special submission to celebrate Halloween month)

Grand Magus - "Holmgång" (3:38) from Triumph and Power (2014)

HammerFall - "Any Means Necessary" (3:37) from No Sacrifice, No Victory (2009)

Queensrÿche - "Walk in the Shadows" (3:32) from Empire (1986)

Savatage - "Sarajevo" (2:31) from Dead Winter Dead (1995) (as a sneak peek before a special submission I have in mind for the December playlist)

The Lord Weird Slough Feg - "Asteroid Belts" (2:22) from Traveller (2003)

Total length: 29:04

A Swiss mix of the industrial metal of Godflesh and the experimental/symphonic black metal of Arcturus and Limbonic Art:

My thoughts on some tracks:

Godflesh – “Shut Me Down” (from “A World Lit Only By Fire”, 2014)

4.5/5. A killer djent-tuned industrial track with a heavy crushing groove. There's still hope in Godflesh after their decade-long hiatus!

Samael – “Exodus” (from “Exodus” E.P., 1998)

5/5. Another special delivery of industrial black metal greatness! This one is probably my favorite album in my Samael journey so far. The band probably deserves some radio play after moving away from the pure black metal last heard in 1994. A bit old yet still good! In fact, the long-time generation might feel fabulous nostalgia. What a pleasant surprise for me that opened the gates of industrial metal interest even further. My strong mind power will never make me look back...

Dagoba – “Maniak” (from “Dagoba”, 2003)

4/5. This isn't really the best industrial metal for me to expect, but these guys have quite the guts to go so heavy. The last screaming part would definitely cause a mosh pit that would tear down the venue.

Ministry – “Burning Inside” (from “The Mind Is A Terrible Thing To Taste”, 1989)

4.5/5. This one, from July's feature release that later played a part in my Sphere DIS vs DAT thread, kicks in a propulsive beat and repetitive guitar to keep you awake. This pounding tune is helped out by the vocals. When I wrote the original review after waking up in the morning, this song fired me up way more than coffee!

Strapping Young Lad – “Skeksis” (from “Alien”, 2005)

5/5. This brutal highlight is where you can hear Gene Hoglan's amazing drumming that might've inspired the more metal side of Protest the Hero. The drumming is filled with punishment, no remorse. Finally, the vocals kick in that are amazing as always, along with fast riffs and neat keyboards all over.

I did my review, here's its summary:

Black metal and industrial metal were both not my thing, but the latter I look forward to expanding, now in higher chance with one of my new all-time favorite metal albums in Samael's Passage, containing the power of unique beauty! Before this, Samael was initially in the 2nd wave of black metal. I haven't heard their earlier black metal material yet, but I'm glad to start with the album where electronic keyboards overpower most of the heavy Satanism of black metal until it's practically no more... Keyboards nicely blend over the heaviness in beautiful melody, making Samael the bridge of difference between industrial metal and black metal. Those melodic keyboard passages would continue shining on in this fantastic album that I would recommend to fans of either the industrial metal of Godflesh or the symphonic black metal of Limbonic Art, or both. Again, this might just be for me one of the best industrial metal albums of space and time!

5/5

My thoughts on some tracks:

Shadows Fall – “Of One Blood” (from “Of One Blood”, 2000)

4.5/5. Let's kick off my playlist journey with one of my favorite songs of this album. It has a long, complicated solo that would've fit well in a DragonForce song.

Demon Hunter – “Sixteen” (from “Storming The Gates Of Hell”, 2007)

4/5. This one sounds more original, starting with a long experimental chamber cello/guitar one and a half minute intro before vocals come in, including edgy guest vocals by Bruce Fitzhugh of Living Sacrifice in the pre-chorus, in contrast to the clean chorus. The breakdown has interesting lyrics.

Underøath – “Paper Lung” (from “Ø (Disambiguation)”, 2010)

5/5. Like "Writing on the Walls" and "In Division", this song's music video is what ignited a slight spark of interest in Underoath 5 years ago that didn't fully began until halfway through that period of time when a different song from the band was used in a TheOdd1sOut video. This is closer to a sludgy metalcore mix a bit like the first 3 He Is Legend albums combined, especially in the intense last minute. I ain't sorry when I say this is much better than their recent pop rock sh*t.

Converge – “You Fail Me” (from “You Fail Me”, 2004)

5/5. For the title track one of the greatest metalcore/mathcore albums, any fan of shorter-length hardcore might find the length and mood boring, but it fits perfectly here. The song is a wall of sludge metal sound. Bass, guitars, and drums combine into a pounding mix while Bannon unleashes his shrieking vocal assault. Now this is a sludgy metalcore epic! Thanks for submitting this, Vinny!

Pupil Slicer – “Mirrors Are More Fun Than Television” (from “Mirrors”, 2021)

3.5/5. This is fun and all, but I'm not that into the brutal experimental kind of metalcore, OK?!

Born Of Osiris – “Recreate” (from “The Discovery”, 2011)

4.5/5. The guitar bit around the 30-second mark of this wicked song really shows what guitarist Lee McKinney can do.

Darkest Hour – “Beneath The Blackening Sky” (from “Darkest Hour”, 2014)

4.5/5. I was once a fan of Darkest Hour, but there were also one of the melodic death metal bands that I moved away from during my death metal departure. But I still enjoy a few songs from their more metalcore albums, like this one which was one of my favorite songs from their self-titled album. A killer kick-A thrashy metalcore instant classic despite its short but average 4-minute length. Their self-titled album marked a swift change out of the earlier melodeath sound the band had up to The Human Romance. In the iTunes deluxe edition, this song is surrounded by two bonus tracks while still before the last two regular tracks. Some might think of the self-titled album as a piece of unholy sh*t, but I say it's by far underrated!

Veil Of Maya – “Namaste” (from “[id]”, 2010)

5/5. This one apparently has a 20-second intro that didn't make the final cut, which is a shame because that intro sounds so awesome and it would've made the song closer to the 4-minute mark. But that song itself is still a sweet highlight!

The Dillinger Escape Plan – “The Running Board” (from “Calculating Infinity”, 1999)

4.5/5. Here's a song that probably works better in the Under the Running Board EP. After a chaotic minute, the song switches to a western noir theme that escalates into some more jazz fusion. Still there's no denying that the song is a hardcore anthem for metalheads.

My thoughts on some tracks:

Mastodon – “Curl of the Burl” (from “The Hunter”, 2011)

5/5. Now this here's the perfect choice to start this playlist. This single has a strange music video, which is yet another contributing factor to how I became in this band, when I watched that video like 5 years ago. That song is a radio/TV-friendly stoner tune with great vocal harmony emphasis.

Ayreon – “Beneath The Waves” (from “01011001”, 2008)

5/5. And this marks another playlist with a soft 4th track, wow! Though this one is more influenced by Pink Floydian prog-rock while staying metal. Ayreon is a band that deserves to be more popular. ONE MAN, Arjen Lucassen, has spent over two and a half decades of hard work making this multi-singer project possible, and he already has above 100 singers and musicians involved in 10 albums! He should really have more fame and recognition. This is one of my favorite Ayreon songs with emotional impact in the vocals and melodies. It seems like one song, but it's actually split into 5 parts, with the outro being one of the coolest things ever, even at first listen 7 years ago. Sweet memories touching my heart! If I end up in an 8-hour overnight cross-country road trip, I would use the time to listen to 4 Ayreon albums in a row. They've already done live performances for The Human Equation and Into the Electric Castle. Once the virus lifts up, 01011001 shall be next! This song is so f***ing unique with a d*mn amazing solo plus an insane final chorus (the 4th part). You can pretty much imagine yourself travelling through oceans and astral planes. The slowness I can stand much more than Crowbar. Steve Lee (Gotthard) was alive to do vocals for the album, but sadly nearly 3 years later, he was killed in the most metal yet still tragic way possible (by a flying motorcycle). RIP... Anyway, this composition is still beautiful during these almost 14 years since its release, with me still remembering it since first listen at the midpoint of that amount of time. And I believe some songs from this album and other albums were referenced in Transitus. Face the facts, our metal opera savior is back!

Fates Warning – “Still Remains” (from “Disconnected”, 2000)

4.5/5. That couple in the cover art seem to be prepared for the virus, even though that was 20 years before the virus. With every lyric and note hitting my heart with pride and joy, I have no other words to describe this 16-minute epic! This is almost, just almost, one of my favorite songs from Fates Warning.

Dream Theater – “Pull Me Under” (from “Images & Words”, 1992)

5/5. Many of you know this as the ultimate hit for Dream Theater, with technical power shining through the song. The lyrics do what the title says and PULL YOU UNDER. The guitar solo from John Petrucci is one of the best he's ever done. It's lyrical theme seems to be heavily inspired by Kansas' "Dust in the Wind", yet it is based on Shakespeare's Hamlet in the prince's point of view. The song ends abruptly during the outro but I don't care. Still an excellent track!

Symphony X – “Absinthe & Rue” (from “Symphony X”, 1994)

4/5. This one is a solid example of the progressive/power/neo-classical metal fury the band is known for, though in not of their best albums, but they just starting, so I won't go too harsh on this.

Teramaze – “A Deep State Of Awake” (from “I Wonder”, 2020)

4.5/5. Now this is an amazing song to listen to during the lockdown! Yet a maze I'm not up to totally be trapped in...

Between The Buried & Me – “Astral Body” (from “The Parallax II: Future Sequence”, 2012)

4.5/5. Times have changed back and forth through my death metal departure that somehow included a few other bands like BTBAM, along with an epic listening of their new album Colors II. Now with this submission in, I can take another glimpse at the creativity of the music and story that I regret breaking away from.

Gojira – “Another World” (from “Fortitude”, 2021)

4/5. So beautiful, including the vibe. Yet I've already moved away from this band due to their death metal past...

My thoughts on some tracks:

Venom Inc. – “Ave Satanas” (from “Avé”, 2017)

4/5. Interesting start to this playlist. Venom Inc., the new direct spin-off to the band that directly introduced Satanism to heavy metal and inspired the creation of black metal. Look, I'm still not into the antichristian lyrical theme, so this band isn't for me or anyone in the outside world worth sharing to. Still a killer song though!

Stratovarius – “Speed Of Light” (from “Episode”, 1996)

5/5. This is better and more acceptable for me! The neo-classical power metal sound I used to really enjoy can definitely fit well as a theme for shows like Power Rangers and ONE PUUUNCH MAN, and be a good song to play in Clone/Guitar Hero. Stratovarius are heroes of this style!

Wintersun – “Time” (from “Time I”, 2012)

5.5/5 (not exaggerating). One of the best songs from my earlier epic metal taste! Back then, I was still into power metal and the melodic progressive metal of Dream Theater, but Wintersun would be the entryway to the melodic death metal that I would abandon recently. No, scratch that, this is epic operatic melodeath! No wonder this band alone would start my journey into melodeath. This should've been the soundtrack to the last 12 minutes of Avengers Infinity War before the credits; the war and the destructive aftermath. Of course, Wintersun would have to create a more epic equivalent to the climax of Endgame if that's the case when making Time II. There's a f***ing beautiful solo alongside the pure perfection of everything else. Time is still waiting for Time II that should follow up the epicness of the first Time album. Then after this epic climatic ride is a Chinese-sounding atmospheric outro, as if to say "To be continued..."

After Forever – “Ephemeral” (from “Prison Of Desire”, 2000)

4.5/5. Check it out, we're still following the soft 10th track of an album being the 4th track of the playlist, as seen in the Fallen and Gateway playlists for this month. I love this beautiful song. And I know, it's more of an ambient gothic metal lament of grief, but it focuses on Hans Zimmer-like symphonics (and right in his classic period in the turn of the millennium), unlike when the album goes darker and heavier as gothic metal should be. And I wanna take a glimpse of gothic metal without directing the submission to The Fallen (remember my self-promise to stop my Fallen playlist requests), so there...

The Lord Weird Slough Feg – “Sky Chariots” (from “Down Among The Deadmen”, 2000)

5/5. I'm glad to finally get interested in this band named after that Slaine character. This US power metal band really needs more exposure to the world, especially with their mix of influences from the early 80s eras of Black Sabbath and Iron Maiden, probably also early Sanctuary. This album is indeed underrated along with the other albums released under the original name with the "Lord Weird" prefix. This is worth singing/screaming along to on your car radio. Ride your chariot!

Grand Magus – “Varangian” (from “Sword Songs”, 2016)

4.5/5. This one continues the new experiments Grand Magus has in their recent era with a waltzing riff similar to folk metal but without folk, rushing through the energy of the chorus with easy momentum.

Elvenking – “Reader Of The Runes – Book I” (from “Reader Of The Runes – Divination”, 2019)

5/5. Wait a sec... This was already in last December's playlist! Xephyr, you must've not seen this one in the "Past The Guardians playlist tracklistings" thread. That's OK, because you can't let an epic song like this down. I shall say my opinion again about their most ambitious song since the ending of the Wyrd album. This is a fantastic great monolithic end to the band's folk-power metal return album trilogy started in Pagan Manifesto, but it might hint at a different saga beginning with a possible "Reader of the Runes - Book II". This is a grand flashback to my earlier folk/power metal taste, along with new elements suited for my current heavier era including a killer black-ish soloing section in the middle. I'm grateful for this powerful masterpiece of f***ing impressive epic metal sorcery, greater than the epics made by Helloween. Love it!

Dragonland – “Storming Across Heaven” (from “The Battle of the Ivory Plains: The Dragonland Chronicles Part I”, 2001)

5.5/5 (not exaggerating). "Look at the sky as the dragon flies by, storming across heaven like fire pierce through ice..." That lyric is forever engraved in my mind in one of the absolute best songs in my earlier power metal taste. There were many classic songs from Dragonland that I loved 8 years ago including "Majesty of the Mithril Mountains", "The Battle of the Ivory Plains", "Holy War", etc. And just like Helloween, this band made two albums that following a story, then a third one years later. So d*mn excellent!

Epica – “Victims Of Contingency” (from “The Quantum Enigma”, 2014)

5/5. I've also enjoyed Epica at the time of this album's release, another early epic metal favorite of mine! I think of this song as Call of Duty's "115" with Gods of War-like lyrics and atmosphere, especially in the death growl verses. This and that Dragonland submission make the perfect ending for this playlist. Thanks for accepting them, Daniel!

My thoughts on some tracks (8 of the first 9 to test my strength in the Gateway):

Mushroomhead – “Solitaire/Unraveling” (from “XX”, 2001)

4.5/5. This is a remix of a song originally from the album M3. It's very great, but not perfect enough. A bit of a slower mix of Mindless Self Indulgence and Powerman 5000 (for that latter band, hope you're enjoying the Stingray variation, Patrick!)

downset. – “Empower” (from “Do We Speak A Dead Language?”, 1996)

4/5. Also great, nicely done! Filled with hostile rapping anger. Though probably too early to go that deep in the Gateway...

Staind – “Something To Remind You” (from “Staind”, 2011)

4.5/5. Just like this month's Fallen playlist, we have the 10th and last song from the 7th and last album from a band before splitting up as the playlist's 4th track to follow an old "track 4 ballad" tradition. So emotional and beautiful... If one day I ever get more interested in this band when digging deeper through the Gateway, this can be my funeral song, or just a "departure from an era" song. I would say rest in peace, Staind, but they've reformed recently, so I guess you can look out for more of this band to come.

Dub War – “Enemy Maker” (from “Wrong Side Of Beautiful”, 1996)

4/5. Ooh, check this out, another nu metal song from 1996! This one having some reggae vibes similar to early The Police. Good, but not for me right now, thanks...

P.O.D. – “Youth Of The Nation” (from “Satellite”, 2001)

4.5/5. I love this one more. Why hasn't people commented on this song so much?! This can stir up some Linkin Park memories even though they're obviously not Linkin Park! Great potential yet still far away...

Skindred – “Cut Dem” (from “Union Black”, 2011)

4/5. I like this a great amount, but still not into this reggae-influenced nu metal sound. Next!

The Almighty – “All Sussed Out” (from “Just Add Life”, 1996)

3.5/5. Avant-garde alt-metal/hard rock, a bit like my failed attempt to review that Dog Fashion Disco release. Not too bad, but it still doesn't get me so much in the mood. I'm all burned out from that...

Dir en Grey – “The Final” (from “Withering To Death.”, 2005)

5/5. An excellent final song to end my 9-track Gateway playlist journey on! Though it's my own submission... Still loving it!

My thoughts on some tracks:

My Dying Bride – “A Kiss To Remember” (from “Like Gods Of The Sun”, 1996)

4.5/5. This mournful song of captivating grief is a playlist beginning to remember, especially since it will be the last Fallen playlist with my submissions (including this one), an unforgettable elegy of ethereal doom atmosphere, sounding close to the previous album with doomy lyrical balladry and being 7 and a half minutes long, the longest song of this album. Yeah, the songs in this album are in slightly more radio-friendly lengths, as opposed to the 10-minute monoliths from earlier albums.

Theatre Of Tragedy – “Forever Is The World” (from “Forever Is The World”, 2009)

5/5. I remember this to be the final song uploaded in my previous account (the one before SirZP) before my initial departure from my earlier epic melodic metal taste, so this was the sign that my time submitting Fallen playlist suggestions is over. And yes, it's the beautiful end to Theatre of Tragedy's journey, the title finale of their last album and the conclusion of their final concert performed exactly 17 years after their 1993 formation. Oh the memories from 5 years before the present! Those good poetic lyrics fit well for the end of that era, like an everlasting illusion of reality. This band's lead singer Nell Sigland can sing far better than a popstar like Miley Cyrus, whether back then or now. I nearly cried when those touching lyrics hit me again, though they may sound slightly flat. And yeah this is actual gothic metal, as opposed to my Theatre of Tragedy submission for last month that was basically an orchestral ballad, not sure what I was thinking. I miss this band, they may be gone, but forever is the world....

Saint Vitus – “Saint Vitus” (from “Saint Vitus”, 1984)

4/5. Well with my departure from Fallen playlist submissions that would indicate the possibility of leaving The Fallen, I definitely wouldn't plan on going to the beginning of a traditional doom band's career. This one sounds a bit punky for a doom song though, but that's probably because of the band sharing the scene with Misfits and Black Flag.

Paradise Lost – “The Last Time” (from “Draconian Times”, 1995)

5/5. This is the last song from Paradise Lost for me to submit to a Fallen playlist, this is..."The Last Time". Yet another excellent track, sounding similar to Metallica at the time, this time mixed with Depeche Mode the industrial drumming of Godflesh. As awesome as All That Remains' "The Last Time"!

Anathema – “A Dying Wish” (from “The Silent Enigma”, 1995)

4.5/5. Here's one more 90s death-doom song in the last Fallen playlist with my submissions, though this one isn't my own. Great one, Ben! This one continues the majestic fashion of the earlier parts of its album, retaining some aggression and adding thunderous upbeat riff-wrath similar to the prog-death style of Opeth at that time. Everything in the song from mellow and heavy is a great summary of the album style.

Draconian – “Stellar Tombs” (from “Sovran”, 2015)

5/5. I seemed to peak in early on my possible future departure from The Fallen when I severed my listening connection to this band and a few others besides my death metal departure in April. This is one of only a few Draconian songs I still love, being absolutely epic with tremendous melody, like h*lla f***ing deep! Wonderful...

Cult Of Luna – “O R O” (from “Vertikal II” E.P., 2013)

4.5/5. OK, just a heads-up, if I really do make my Fallen departure, sludge metal would probably be the one Fallen genre I'll still keep, because conventional sludge has some hardcore roots that would also form a genre I still enjoy, metalcore, and post-sludge is, more often than not, closer to the first part of its name. This one can almost act as a bridge between Eternal Kingdom and Vertikal, a standout to blow me the f*** away!

And finally, while I won't be doing anymore Fallen playlist submissions, I'll still be commenting on later Fallen playlists until I decide that my Fallen time is up. Enjoy my submissions while they're still here!

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

There's a mathematical pollution in the metalcore air, and it's a great one too! Those patterns needed to work out with crushing sounds and atmosphere achieved perfectly, passing by in a way that might make the band frustrated, but they took their frustration out on their sound. This results in the subtle transformations in each song executed smoothly while engaging in real angry instrumentation that create a masterpiece. The album speaks softly and subtly well-written in the midst of chaotic punishing technical metalcore/mathcore madness. The album is intelligent and abrasive. It pounds through clouds of dissonant distortion and otherworldly annihilation! We are the Romans is never over the top. Each and every riff is organic with different variations that fit perfectly. The songs begin and end either differently or the same. The structures are the right ones for every song, with all the riffs, patterns, and harmonies in flawless flow. And all that wild action leads up to an epic 10-minute end-track (along with a hidden electronic remix). Still this album competes with a couple others released around this time as the best mind-blowing mathcore yet!

5/5

Recommended songs: "To Our Friends in the Great White North", "Transitions from Persona to Object", "C. Thomas Howell as the 'Soul Man'", "Saint Matthew Returns to the Womb", "Man the Ramparts"

For fans of: Converge, The Dillinger Escape Plan, Gaza (just like yours in the Mathcore thread, Daniel!)

Between the Buried and Me is back (and so is a bit of my interest in this band) with their new sequel to Colors, including this 15-minute epic in which listening to it speaks louder than speaking about it:

Leprous also released a new album the other day, titled Aphelion. While Leprous' album continues their prog-rock direction from Malina and Pitfalls, a bit of their metal came back in a few songs, including this song that can stand alone as an Infinite single, thanks to many special surprises helped out by fans:

My track ranking for Meteora (don't get it confused with the actual track listing! Review for anyone wanting to see my thoughts on the album unspoiled: https://metal.academy/reviews/19965/4472):

1 (the best). "From the Inside"

2. "Numb"

3. "Don't Stay"

4. "Faint"

5. "Easier to Run"

6. "Somewhere I Belong"

7. "Figure.09"

8. "Breaking the Habit"

9. "Hit the Floor"

10. "Lying From You"

11. "Nobody's Listening"

12 (the worst). "Session"

"Foreword" doesn't count! Again, please feel free to add your own album track rankings below.

Progressive groove metal from Seattle, USA. For fans of Communic, “Shadow Work”-period Warrel Dane & “The Year The Sun Died”-era Sanctuary.

"Is this the American way?... NO!!" But is this the American way of metal?! YES!!!

RIP Warrel Dane );

I'm proud of all the cool stuff we have here at Metal Academy, but I do worry that it could be daunting and/or confusing for newcomers. It doesn't help that the FAQ is outdated and hidden in fine print at the bottom of the site. I want to update it and make it more visible, but ideally in a cool way that really showcases what the site is all about. I'm going to think about how to achieve that, but if anyone has any ideas or has seen something great on another site, please let me know. I wish I had the skills to make an awesome animation that guides people through everything the Metal Academy has to offer its attendees, but alas, I don't.

I'd also like to get an idea from people which features we currently have are valuable to you and which ones aren't particularly. Note that I'm not intending to remove features, but maybe they don't all have to be in the main menu bar? Could we "dumb" down the front page to make it more accessible?

Personally, I mostly use the Releases and Forums buttons, but regularly access the Gallery, Lists and Anniversaries pages too. While I think we need it, I don't personally find value in the Bands page, but maybe others do? I also basically never access the Charts now, as the Releases page allows me to achieve the same functionality with way more options (such as year, format and sub-genre). The only thing the Releases page doesn't have is a numbered order for your results. Do people still find value in the Charts page?

As usual, all feedback is welcome.

I still find value in all these pages, including the Bands and Charts ones. Those two I think are still needed because it would be easier when looking for a specific band or the highest-rated releases on a site, instead of searching for them all in a section of 752 pages of releases!! Perhaps dumbing down the main menu bar might be a good idea since it's getting a little full, otherwise if any more new features come in, you might have to implement a way to fit them all in, and that would be tough. While the Bands and Charts pages can be taken out of the main menu bar, instead of removing them altogether, maybe put them into the release page in a couple new sections? Like replace the "select band" and "minimum # of ratings" with links to the Bands and Charts pages that would otherwise be inaccessible when gone from the main menu bar. I don't know... It's a bit complicated to sort out which features are better off with their own pages, but let's just play it by ear based on everyone else's feedback.

Can I request the ability to edit the name of a forum thread?

Yes please! A few of the threads I created have outdated titles I feel like changing.

Great work, Ben!

Glad you enjoy that Kamelot album, Daniel! Now it's time to get to the more underrated and slightly more epic album Epica, an album that could use slightly more attention. This one tells the first part of Goethe's Faust that continues in the next one, and its album title inspired the name of Dutch symphonic metallers Epica whom their lead singer Simone Simons would appear in a song from said next album. Kamelot's Epica was one of my favorite albums back in the power metal day, and maybe someday I can write a full review. This would surely delight you with more of Kamelot's prog-ish power metal. Vinny and Saxy, I highly recommend Kamelot's Epica to you two as well. Xephyr, please share with us your opinion on this album, whether in a thread or a review.

Some very solid US power metal from Pennsylvania, USA. For fans of Brocas Helm, Manilla Road & Eternal Champion.

I kinda think of the "Vargr" duo of songs to be slightly better than Blind Guardian's "Bard's Songs", in almost the same pace but heavier and faster at times, and less acoustic. The second part (after this one), "Vargr Theme/Confrontation" makes a fantastic transition from the previous "Vargr", though not as superior but still great.

One of the finest US power metal concept albums! Cheers for the rec, Daniel! 5/5

The main things about this album are the consistency of the energy levels and quality of the tracks on offer. Riffs race across the record as the rhythm section maintains a pace of bash and rumble that allows for a bit of flair from the strings; the lead work being of particular note here. Quinn and Scarratt are on fire here and Glockler sounds equally imperious on the drum kit. Biff's trademark nasal vocals are distinct and almost haughty on the symphonic majesty of Nosferatu (my album highlight) and yet still have that down-to-earth twang and inflection to certain words that sound like a northerner trying to sound more eloquent than their accent permits.

I will not pretend to love all of the album, They Played Rock And Roll does not work for me as a tribute. Not that I expect lyrical genius in all honesty but the lyrics here sound naive and clumsy with the Lemmy excerpt not really ringing as authentic and nostalgic as perhaps intended. But you cannot deny the rampant battering of Predator even though the vocal effects get a little OTT for my liking, but where the majority of the quibbles arise on this record there usually is something of a much better quality not too far away.

All agreed!

With a short one and a half year gap since the previous album, seems like having more time to write and record music during quarantine can cause great results. Here's a sneak peek single from Trivium's upcoming album In the Court of the Dragon that will be released in October:

Update on my list, to include a few more albums from my earlier epic metal taste that I might revisit someday or already had revisited:

25. Edguy - Theater of Salvation (1999)

24. Sonata Arctica - Ecliptica (1999)

23. Children of Bodom - Follow the Reaper (2000)

22. Dark Moor - The Gates of Oblivion (2002)

21. Rhapsody of Fire - Symphony of Enchanted Lands (1998)

20. HammerFall - Glory to the Brave (1997)

19. Accept - Metal Heart (1985)

18. Alestorm - Back Through Time (2011)

17. Angra - Holy Land (1996)

16. Gamma Ray - Power Plant (1999)

15. After Forever - Decipher (2001)

14. Kamelot - Epica (2003)

13. Persuader - When Eden Burns (2006)

12. Epica - Design Your Universe (2009)

11. Nightwish - Once (2004)

10. Blind Guardian - Imaginations From the Other Side (1995)

9. Twilight Force - Heroes of Mighty Magic (2016)

8. Crimson Glory - Transcendence (1988)

7. Lost Horizon - A Flame to the Ground Beneath (2003)

6. Lord - Fallen Idols (2019)

5. Running Wild - Death or Glory (1989)

4. Riot - Thundersteel (1988)

3. Stratovarius - Visions (1997)

2. Virgin Steele - The Marriage of Heaven and Hell Part II (1995)

1. DragonForce - Inhuman Rampage (2006) (forever my #1!)

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

1. Accept - Metal Heart (1985)

2. All That Remains - Overcome (2008)

3. Animals as Leaders - Animals as Leaders (2009)

4. Annihilator - Alice in Hell (1989)

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. Bruce Dickinson - Accident of Birth (1997)

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

12. Coroner - Mental Vortex (1991)

13. Crimson Glory - Transcendence (1988)

14. Cult of Luna - Somewhere Along the Highway (2006)

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

16. Devin Townsend - Empath (2019)

17. Dir En Grey - Uroboros (2008)

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

19. Fates Warning - The Spectre Within (1985)

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

21. Horse the Band - Desperate Living (2009)

22. Ice Nine Kills - The Silver Scream (2018)

23. Isis - Panopticon (2004)

24. Leprous - Tall Poppy Syndrome (2009)

25. Liquid Tension Experiment - Liquid Tension Experiment 3 (2021)

26. Lord - Fallen Idols (2019)

27. Lost Horizon - A Flame to the Ground Beneath (2003)

28. Make Them Suffer - Neverbloom (2012)

29. Mastodon - Leviathan (2004)

30. Maudlin of the Well - Bath (2001)

31. Meshuggah - Catch Thirty-Three (2005)

32. Misery Signals - Ultraviolet (2020)

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

38. Protest the Hero - Kezia (2005)

39. Queensryche - The Warning (1984)

40. Riot - Thundersteel (1988)

41. Running Wild - Death or Glory (1989)

42. Sadus - A Vision of Misery (1992)

43. Savatage - Edge of Thorns (1993)

44. Seventh Wonder - Mercy Falls (2008)

45. Skycamefalling - 10.21 (2000)

46. Sólstafir - Köld (2009)

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

48. The Ocean - Pelagial (2013)

49. Trivium - In Waves (2011)

50. Veil of Maya - [id] (2010)

51. Vektor - Black Future (2009)

52. Virgin Steele - The Marriage of Heaven and Hell Part II (1995)

53. Voivod - Dimension Hatross (1988)

54. Within the Ruins - Elite (2013)

55. X Japan - Art of Life (1993)

Update on my list:

Beginning oldies (1978-1992):

1978: Riot - Rock City (yes I know, everyone says the year is 1977, but I don't quite suspect that as its true release year, more info about that in this separate thread reply: https://metal.academy/forum/28/thread/362#topic_6048)

1979: Riot - Narita

1980: Accept - I'm a Rebel

1981: Accept - Breaker

1982: Virgin Steele - Virgin Steele

1983: Savatage - Sirens

1984: Queensryche - The Warning

1985: Fates Warning - The Spectre Within

1986: Crimson Glory - Crimson Glory

1987: Savatage - Hall of the Mountain King

1988: Riot - Thundersteel

1989: Running Wild - Death or Glory

1990: Sanctuary - Into the Mirror Black

1991: Dark Angel - Time Does Not Heal

1992: Sadus - A Vision of Misery

The golden classics (1993-2002):

1993: X Japan - Art of Life

1994: Savatage - Handful of Rain

1995: Savatage - Dead Winter Dead

1996: X Japan - Dahlia

1997: Bruce Dickinson - Accident of Birth

1998: Meshuggah - Chaosphere

1999: Botch - We are the Romans

2000: Skycamefalling - 10.21

2001: Devin Townsend - Terria

2002: Isis - Oceanic

The silver guiding lights (2003-2012):

2003: Lost Horizon - A Flame to the Ground Beneath

2004: Disillusion - Back to Times of Splendor

2005: Rosetta - The Galilean Satellites

2006: Queensryche - Operation Mindcrime II

2007: Annihilator - Metal

2008: Dir En Grey - Uroboros

2009: Animals as Leaders - Animals as Leaders

2010: Virgin Steele - The Black Light Bacchanalia

2011: Trivium - In Waves

2012: Devin Townsend - Epicloud

The bronze yet still great new (2013-2019):

2013: Bring Me the Horizon - Sempiternal

2014: Ne Obliviscaris - Citadel

2015: Bullet for My Valentine - Venom

2016: Vektor - Terminal Redux

2017: Trivium - The Sin and the Sentence

2018: Voivod - The Wake

2019: Devin Townsend - Empath

The newest to make up for the worst of the world (2020-present):

2020: Trivium - What the Dead Men Say

2021 (so far): Born of Osiris - Angel or Alien

Albums I'm looking forward to getting:

Between the Buried and Me - Colors II (slight return to listening to that band for this album)

Leprous - Aphelion

Rivers of Nihil - The Work (slight return to listening to that band for this album)

Enslaved - Caravans to the Outer Worlds (EP)

Katatonia - Mnemosynean (compilation album)

Devin Townsend - The Puzzle/Snuggles

Trivium - In the Court of the Dragon

Ice Nine Kills - The Silver Scream: Welcome to Horrorwood

Bullet for My Valentine - Bullet for My Valentine

Dream Theater - A View From the Top of the World (slight return to listening to that band for this album)

Running Wild - Blood on Blood

I forgot one more important metal milestone in 1993; X Japan's Art of Life! This was one of the first ever half-hour epics in metal, long enough to fit an entire EP/album, and one of the first ever full-on symphonic metal releases. This huge mix of orchestration, heaviness, speed, verses, soloing, and extensive piano is so d*mn impressive, that if Criss Oliva from Savatage listened to that album in the couple months between its release and his fatal car crash, he would be impressed, but sadly we may never know. RIP Criss and X Japan's guitarist Hide... A must-have for anyone looking for a Japanese mix of Virgin Steele, Savatage, and Fates Warning:

By the way, is anyone else here stunned by the amount of people out there who think X Japan is just a rock band, not metal? This is pure symphonic power/progressive metal (other than that lengthy piano section)! The only way you can possibly consider a metal band like X Japan "rock" is if it's used as an umbrella term, and even that I'm not too fond of. This is the opposite of Motörhead's dilemma; they want to be called "rock 'n' roll", we call them metal. X Japan are closer to metal and don't mind be called metal, yet those people call them rock. I swear if I'm ever in a band driving our touring van, and we end up in a debate over whether X Japan is a rock or metal band, I would pretty much make a Bad News-like ultimatum, "I'm not gonna drive any further until all of you say X Japan is metal!"

Glad you enjoy my Infinite feature release submission for this month, Daniel! It's great to find an often overlooked album that turns out to be a stunning masterpiece, but now it's time go deeper into Leprous' discography roots with Aeolia, which is a demo, but with the big amount of original material making this album longer than most Leprous albums, it really should be considered an actual studio album. A prologue in their discography! Though it's not as perfect as Tall Poppy Syndrome, Aeolia would delight you with more of Leprous' jazz-ish progressive metal. Xephyr and Saxy, I highly recommend Aeolia to you two as well, but please feel free to tell us what you think of Tall Poppy Syndrome in the August Infinite feature release thread.

A wonderful Norwegian progressive metal excursion for fans of Opeth, Haken & Ihsahn.

The piano is so haunting effective in this song, dueling with the guitar in mesmerizing ambiance.

Here's my one submission for September's Gateway playlist:

Dir En Grey - "The Final" (from Withering to Death, 2005)

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

1. Fallen playlist - 4.5/5 (number of songs commented: 10)

2. Gateway playlist - 4/5 (number of songs commended: 19)

3. Guardians playlist - 5/5 (number of songs commented: 7)

4. Infinite playlist - 4/5 (number of songs commented: 10)

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

Another rewarding playlist month for me, this time my playlist ratings for The Fallen and The Revolution are each an average total of 4.5 stars, The Gateway and The Infinite are each an average 4 stars, and The Guardians playlist has, by average, a perfect 5 stars, though that's probably my earlier epic metal taste talking. Yep, good month! My submission for next month's Gateway playlist coming soon...

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

The Fallen: Katatonia - Brave Murder Day (1996) - 5/5

The Guardians: Saxon - Thunderbolt (2018) - 4/5

The Infinite: Leprous - Tall Poppy Syndrome (2009) - 5/5

The Revolution: Skycamefalling - 10.21 (2000) - 5/5

Another great month for feature releases, again probably because of the releases submitted by us Metal Academy members (including myself). The one for The Guardians is great but could've been slightly better. My feature release submission for The Fallen and The Infinite deserve a perfect 5 stars and are great classics for their respective genres, and I would recommend it to any fan of death-doom or progressive metal. The Revolution release is also perfect and I look forward to listening to that band more. Thanks for these amazing feature releases, guys!

RIP Motorhead and their fallen members. Though Saxon's poor tribute to that band shall rest in pieces:

Dark ambitious British heavy metal. Fans of Judas Priest, Manowar, and Motorhead might dig this:

I did my review, here's its summary:

Could be my age here, but I honestly don't get much of the appeal to NWOBHM. We have bands like Iron Maiden, Motorhead, and of course, Saxon dominating the popularity of metal in the 80s, yet the less overrated American power metal scene is hidden under our noses. Still this is a great try to check out what the Brits have made... British metal legends Saxon created a pretty great piece of work to show they're not d*cks f***ing around for commercial success, which I've heard can pay off sometimes and other times don't. They can go as slow as Danzig and as speedy as thrash while staying in their classic heavy metal reign. The variable tempo and balance of melody and slight aggression continues in the less travelled roads of Thunderbolt! Most of these songs are cool anthems with astounding vocals of Biff Byford and memorable guitar leads. However, there are a couple stinkers that might make you wanna call that part of the album "Thunderfart" (lol). I might not feel up to checking out more NWOBHM for now, but the stylistic Thunderbolt is worth a good ton. This band can stay consistent and awake in their 22nd album, and I believe many Saxon fans would like it more than I do and stay faithful....

4/5

A lengthy post-rock excursion from this talented New York metalcore outfit whose debut album "10.21" should appeal to fans of Converge, Norma Jean & Cave In.

Ah yeah, the 9-minute instrumental title epic... A soft break from the metalcore action while you breathe in the flames of creativity!

Cheers for the rec, Daniel! Here's its summary:

This is one of those albums that essential for the hardcore/metalcore scene in the new millennium. The sole Skycamefalling album 10.21 and Converge's Jane Doe are two of the first metalcore albums with more poetic lyrics than just uniting a brotherhood of rebellion. 10.21 is also filled with driving guitar intensity, scream-along choruses, and even beautiful piano is some sections, the latter especially in the instrumental title epic. I still can't believe this talented group of musicians split up after one album, but hopefully there would be more after a few recent reunion shows in the 2010s. As much as I enjoy other metalcore bands, I already miss these guys and hope they'll come back again. A metalcore classic of sheer poetry!

5/5

Helloween - "Skyfall" - Helloween

Didn't notice this one is already in this month's Guardians playlist, did you, Xephyr?

Here are my suggestions for September's Revolution playlist (I'll make sure any multi-clan suggestions fit well with the playlist I'm submitting to):

Born of Osiris - "Recreate" (4:01) from The Discovery (2011)

Darkest Hour - "Beneath the Blackening Sky" (3:53) from Darkest Hour (2014)

Demon Hunter - "Sixteen" (5:18) from Storm the Gates of Hell (2007)

The Dillinger Escape Plan - "The Running Board" (3:21) from Calculating Infinity (1999)

Shadows Fall - "Of One Blood" (4:45) from Of One Blood (2000)

Underoath - "Paper Lung" (4:11) from Ø (Disambiguation) (2010)

Veil of Maya - "Namaste" (3:30) from [id] (2010)

Total length: 28:59

Here are my suggestions for September's Infinite playlist (I'll make sure any multi-clan suggestions fit well with the playlist I'm submitting to):

Ayreon - "Beneath the Waves" (8:26) from 01011001 (2008)

Between the Buried and Me - "Astral Body" (5:01) from The Parallax II: Future Sequence (2012)

Gojira - "Another World" (4:25) from Fortitude (2021)

Mastodon - "Curl of the Burl" (3:40) from The Hunter (2011)

Symphony X - "Absinthe and Rue" (7:16) from Symphony X (1994)

Total length: 28:48

Here are my suggestions for September's Guardians playlist (I'll make sure any multi-clan suggestions fit well with the playlist I'm submitting to):

After Forever - "Ephemeral" (3:05) from Prison of Desire (2000)

Dragonland - "Storming Across Heaven" (4:30) from The Battle of the Ivory Plains (2001)

Epica - "Victims of Contingency" (3:31) from The Quantum Enigma (2014)

Grand Magus - "Varangian" (3:40) from Sword Songs (2016)

Stratovarius - "Speed of Light" (3:03) from Episode (1996)

Wintersun - "Time" (11:45) from Time I (2012)

Total length: 29:34

Here are my suggestions for September's Fallen playlist (I'll make sure any multi-clan suggestions fit well with the playlist I'm submitting to):

Cult of Luna - "ORO" (7:20) from Vertikal II (2013)

My Dying Bride - "A Kiss to Remember" (7:31) from Like Gods of the Sun (1996)

Paradise Lost - "The Last Time" (3:27) from Draconian Times (1995)

Theatre of Tragedy - "Forever is the World" (4:40) from Forever is the World (2009)

Total length: 22:58

This might be my last time submitting suggestions for The Fallen playlists. I'm cutting down on some Fallen-related activities due to running low on ideas and other personal reasons I will explain later.

My thoughts on some tracks (reviewing the majority of this playlist to test my strength in The Gateway):

Bring Me The Horizon – “One Day the Only Butterflies Left Will Be in Your Chest as You March Towards Your Death” (from “Post Human: Survival Horror” E.P., 2020)

4/5. Starting my playlist journey with probably the longest song title since that Underoath song used in a TheOdd1sOut video, Bring Me the Horizon continues their brand new surprises. After a thrashy screamo ride with the kawaii Babymetal and a good collaboration with the Nova Twins, we arrive in a beautiful soft duet with Evanescence's Amy Lee. I still miss the heavier darkness of Count Your Blessings though, maybe they can have more of that in the next installment of Post Human...

Thought Industry – “Fairy” (from “Outer Space Is Just a Martini Away”, 1996)

3.5/5. This one is pretty good, having some vibes from a similar band Failure. However, the music doesn't quite reach the height of greatness and is probably staying buried in the deep archives of eternity.

Acid Drinkers – “Acidofilia” (from “Acidofilia”, 2002)

3/5. This is fine, but I prefer to stay out of this acid and chill in my pleasant reality.

Alice In Chains – “So Far Under” (from “Rainier Fog”, 2018)

3.5/5. Props to this one having f***ing killer lyrics such as in the chorus, "So much under hell, fought hard where I fell". However, from the two and a half minute mark onward, the music gets a bit repetitive, but still good nonetheless.

The Bread Scientists – “Cosmonaut” (from “Troposphere”, 2021)

4/5. Still can't accept the instrumental shoegazing alt-rock/metal sound either despite how good it is. Next!

Snot – “Absent” (from “Strait Up”, 2000)

4.5/5. This is one of only two tracks in Strait Up to have the vocals of Lynn Strait. He was killed in a car crash in late 1998, along with the group's mascot, his dog Dobbs ("I told him not to bring his dog in his car. I told him!"). RIP Lynn and Dobbs... ); I'm proud of what he has done. Probably one of the best tracks from this band...

Project 86 – “Your Heroes Are Dead” (from “Truthless Heroes”, 2002)

4/5. This one I also like. Good work! They really have good amounts of P.O.D. influences here, especially the Christian direction the band was intending, which means that they have to cut down the swearing that's common in most other nu metal bands. I still prefer Demon Hunter...

The Union Underground – “Turn Me On “Mr. Deadman”” (from “…An Education In Rebellion”, 2000)

4.5/5. I seem to like the underground bands more, and that's good because it helps keep my rep. While I like experimenting with song editing, censoring the swearing in the clean version kinda disrupts the flow, which is why the explicit version is better for anyone who can handle swearing.

Dead By April – “When You Wake Up” (from “Incomparable”, 2011)

5/5. Now this is an underrated song compared to everything else in this playlist! It really has waken me up more than coffee after waking up early in the morning to do all this commenting. An awesome song to listen to during COVID lockdowns. Probably favorite song in this playlist! At over the two and a half minute mark, there's a different hit in the instrumentation with trance-filled synths. This is incredible, and that's no lie!

Primer 55 – “Loose” (from “Introduction To Mayhem”, 2000)

4.5/5. Holy sh*t, that's great energetic beat for a rap metal song! Good for if you wanna throw and break stuff in Doom Eternal or any other violent video game. They could really f***ing axe-kill MTV for not letting them in. RIP J-Sin...

Coldrain – “Revolution” (from “The Side Effects”, 2019)

5/5. What follows is the best standout here that's beyond d*mn right good, and what got me interested in Coldrain when a friend from the outside world showed me that song and mentioned that it was used as the theme song for Mobile Suit Gundam: Extreme Vs 2. What an anthem! As always, there are strong screams and clean vocals that marks Coldrain's signature vocal department from Masato. There's even a short rapping verse that works better than even Linkin Park.

Architects – “Giving Blood” (from “For Those That Wish To Exist”, 2021)

5/5. This is another contender for my favorite song in this playlist! Especially in almost the entire second half, like holy sh*t!! Amazing energy and good vibes this song has. The music from this band and Dead By April shall meet me...

Serj Tankian – “Elasticity” (from “Elasticity” E.P., 2021)

4.5/5. I love this fun song, and I would recommend to any fan of Tankian and System of a Down, but it's too hard for me to take it seriously with all this scatting in the verses, that's what detracts the score away from perfection.

Clutch – “Far Country” (from “Pitchfork” E.P., 1991)

4/5. I enjoy the p*ssed-off vibe here, but that's about it really.

Galactic Cowboys – “If I Were A Killer” (from “Space In Your Face”, 1993)

4.5/5. This one is quite an amazing one from 28 years ago, a powerful monster! The guitar really picks it up. If I were a killer, I would kill anyone who hates this song, but I won't, because I'm not a killer and will never be one. One of the rare great 90s alt-metal songs!

Sevendust – “Against The World” (from “Blood & Stone”, 2020)

4.5/5. Another month, another song from Sevendust's latest album! This one has a powerful chorus and really reflects upon their 2000s albums. I like it, and it makes me wonder why Sevendust should've been more popular. There are awesome tempo changes as well to bring the fire. The golden lyrics keep it real. As I've said before, my brother enjoys this band along with other alt-rock/metal bands, and with unreal creativity going on, this would be another good song for my bro to listen to. He likes this genre more than I do. Light it up!

Chevelle – “Pistol Star (Gravity Heals)” (from “Niratias”, 2021)

4/5. Chevelle is another band my brother finds amazing, and he has played one or two of their songs on his guitar. This is a great song for him to listen to, despite the lyrics not being too strong or understandable.

Angela Martyr – “On The Edge Of Next Time” (from “The November Harvest”, 2016)

2.5/5. Um...no. Sorry, Sonny. Maybe next time....

Dir en Grey – “Ugly” (from “Six Ugly” E.P., 2002)

5/5. Hammering riff in goth-ish nu metal. F***ing love this! For a song titled "Ugly", it's way more beautiful and trippy. You just gotta love the music these experimental alt-metal masters from Japan have unleashed!

Actually Andi, I've just listened to the Dark Version & have quickly reverted to the original. It's pretty obvious that neither belong on a The Guardians playlist though.

It's true that a song from a death metal band like Septicflesh wouldn't fit in a Guardians playlist, but with that song's more Therion-like symphonic metal sound than death metal, I thought it was a good one to submit.

My thoughts on some tracks:

Ice Kills Nine – “The Greatest Story Ever Told” (from “Safe Is Just A Shadow”, 2010)

5/5. Do you like Ice Nine Kills? I sure do! Do you look forward to their second Silver Scream album coming this October?! For me, H*LL YEAH!! The album this song is in also very cool, and was the only one with bassist/vocalist Shane Bisnett who passed away on New Years Day 2019. RIP... This song indeed tells one of the greatest stories ever told, really in need of millions of YouTube views. Love a bit of vocal reverb! I should really use this song as my ringtone for when I ever get a smartphone. The remake of Safe is Just a Shadow is cleaner, but I enjoy the rawness of the original (this version). Those golden leads they really should've done more of in recent albums. If you include the first version ever in The Burning EP, there would actually be 3 official versions of this amazing song!!! HOLY SH*T!! I just love this awesome song, having a mix of vibes from the mid-2000s eras of Escape the Fate and Panic at the Disco, with a bit of Disney-like storytelling.

Protest The Hero – “Bloodmeat” (from “Fortress”, 2008)

4.5/5. This one crashes in with its Dillinger Escape Plan-like modern math-metalcore. The main riff appears surrounded by many of its chaotic moments to make me jump in joy. The inventive riffs go along with the catchy hooks that sing/scream about worshiping mythology in violent metaphors ("HEADS WILL ROLL!!!"). The fast pace often slows down for little epic moments of greatness. Too bad the bass is a little too turned down, I was looking forward to more awesome bass tapping.

All That Remains – “Down Through The Ages” (from “A War You Cannot Win”, 2012)

4/5. A great heavy thrash-driving metalcore opener! Not much more to say...

Shadows Fall – “Stepping Outside The Circle” (from “The Art Of Balance”, 2002)

5/5. One of the best songs of the playlist and its album, with lots of amazing thrash. Riffs, time changes, gang vocals, all nothing but pure 100% thrash, with a capital TH. But at least there's a nice clean part and nice soloing.

August Burns Red – “The Truth Of A Liar” (from Messengers”, 2007)

4.5/5. Happy August! This song opens with a small throwback to the past; a Black Sabbath-style riff with a vintage metal scream. After that, the band stays with their present-day sound for the rest of that song and its album.

The Devil Wears Prada – “Contagion” (from “ZII” E.P., 2021)

5/5. Ah yeah, one of the best songs of metalcore to be released this year! A comeback to the band's heaviness after their recent electronic-infused experiment. I'm absolutely up for more of this band!

Betraying The Martyrs – “The Sound Of Letting You Go” (from “Rapture”, 2019)

4.5/5. Though Betraying the Martyrs is memorable for their symphonic deathcore style, this song is an example of how melodic their recent album is. 2019 is one of the greatest years in the 2010s for metal, and this song almost seals that deal. One of the best songs from Rapture! The elderly should stay away so they wouldn't get heart-attacked. Nothing lasts forever, and this track teaches not to take it all for granted. The direction is h*lla different yet still has the band's signature heaviness. If this wasn't too heavy and filled with a bit of swearing, this song would fit well for the Frozen 2 soundtrack, especially since they covered "Let It Go" earlier. Awesomeness under my skin!

Starkweather – “Epiphany” (from “This Sheltering Night”, 2010)

3.5/5. A bit too long and experimental for metalcore standards, but has a bit of great potential.

Attila – “You Looked A Lot Better Last Night” (from “Soundtrack To A Party”, 2008)

4/5. Before Attila became a rap-metalcore monster, they had a party-themed death/metalcore sound, and even the lyrics sound more brutal than what they have now: "WHEN THE FIRE RAISES FROM THE DEPTHS OF HELL!!!"

Coalesce – “A Safe Place” (from “In Tongues We Speak” split E.P. with Napalm Death, 1996)

5/5. The day of finding more metal to start enjoying continues with this early mathcore band with slower jams. Perfect! But that EP cover art though, is that supposed to be a tongue!? H*ll if I know...

Winds Of Plague – “Sewer Mouth” (from “Resistance”, 2013)

4.5/5. I just don't understand the lack of attention for this band. I mean it sounds sick and brutal with guest vocals by Vincent Bennett of The Acacia Strain, but this band, along with the metalcore/hardcore punk bands I've commented on need more attention in MTV or the radio, like WT*?! But you know what, I'm just asking for too much. After all, we have this playlist and this website now, do we?