Shadowdoom9 (Andi)'s Forum Replies

Glad to help, Xephyr! Here are my thoughts on some tracks:

Rhapsody of Fire - "Glory for Salvation" (from Glory for Salvation)

4.5/5. The title track for the latest Rhapsody of Fire album blasts your speakers with Roberto De Micheli's technical guitar lightning.

Saxon - "Sniper" (from Thunderbolt)

4/5. Probably the heaviest track I've commented in the playlist so far and the album the song was in, sounding slightly heavier than Judas Priest and making sure your hand stays clenched into a fist.

After Forever - "Emphasis" (from Decipher)

4.5/5. I have quite a lot to say about this song while commenting in the second morning of the new year. In 2005, After Forever was touring with other symphonic metal bands, Therion and Nightwish, shortly before Tarja Turunen was fired from the latter band. Then in a series of events lasting several years, Anette Olzon became Nightwish's front-woman, and Nightwish's first album with Anette was released on the same year as the final album from After Forever before their split-up. A few of the members moved on to different bands including supergroup Mayan and Floor's short-lived project ReVamp. I said short-lived because when Anette left Nightwish, guess who became the new singer? Floor Jansen! After releasing her first album with Nightwish, she ended ReVamp and put all her focus on Nightwish. Anyway, an epic godly intro starts this beautiful song that has an excellent message. Those symphonic gothic metal memories remain in my high-school-age days that are now replaced with my young adult reality of heavier metal genres. And by the way, Floor Jansen and Mark Jansen (the latter later leaving this band to start his own, Epica) are not related. Coincidence? Definitely yes!

Kamelot - "Rhydin" (from Siege Perilous)

5/5. Another fantastic song back in those life-changing days! I love the vocals of Roy Khan, though not much as those of their new singer Tommy Karevik.

Symphony X - "Pharaoh" (from The Divine Wings of Tragedy)

4.5/5. Slowing things down a bit in a bombastic way again is this heavy mid-tempo beast. Once again, the chorus is unique and catchy at the same time. Allen's manipulating vocal performance is magnificent, especially in that chorus.

Christian Muenzner - "Wing Commander" (from Path of the Hero)

4/5. This one is very cool and all, but it has put me right in the middle of two genres I used to enjoy but not so much now. I haven't found any different neoclassical metal artists or bands that I've enjoyed in 5 years now because my Guardians tolerance isn't the same as it would've been back then. On the other hand, this dude has played for several tech-death bands; Necrophagist, Defeated Sanity, Spawn of Possession, Obscura, and I've already made my move out of that genre. Quite a tough call there...

ANGRA - "Wuthering Heights" (from Angels Cry)

5/5. I miss this man, the beautifully singing Andre Matos. It's been over two and a half years since his passing. I can still hear him in this nostalgic music from when I was a power metal-listening teenager, and I'm still not tired of it. Andre shall be immortalized for his vocal range that rarely any other man can have. This song with a homesick vibe I love so much! A masterful heavenly voice! It's so sad to find out about brilliant music artists dropping out of life. His time with Angra was his greatest vocal height, and this song brings back such good memories. I still love it!!! He was one of the kings of Brazilian metal. This is a cover of a song by Kate Bush, and not only does it do the original justice, but I think it might've inspired the name of Danish progressive power metal band Wuthering Heights. Andre Matos was a star that was put out too soon, deserving worldwide attention. A fantastic singer who left us with a big loss. His beautiful voice really keeps up with the rhythm to level up this awesome song with his transcending talent. His legacy shall never be forgotten. This sensational magnificence fits very well in this Guardians playlist. With Andre, Angra had quite a dominating era with not just Angels Cry but also their next two albums, Holy Land and Fireworks. Anyone finding a beautifully singing maestro? Well done...

Seven Spires - "Dare to Live" (from Gods of Debauchery)

4.5/5. This one's excellent in a majority of aspects, including the fact that many of the members are young and talented. Another great combo of female vocals (singing and screaming) and metal guitar! The lyrics are quite motivational; "We all yearn for something when a fire burns inside." "Will you take the chance?" The song is quite f***ing great with extraordinary talent to admire, and a cool one for the second day of the new year (as of commenting). An insanely excellent song balancing heavy and melodic. Think of this like a mix of Arch Enemy, Dream Theater, Amaranthe, and Epica! The female growling could've had some more work though.

Dragonland - "Supernova" (from Astronomy)

5/5. One of the Swedish masters of mixing classical with metal has taken a break from their fantasy saga to explore more philosophical themes in this album, Astronomy. Absolutely amazing magic all around!

My thoughts on some tracks (sorry about most of the selected tracks being my own submissions):

Spiritbox - "Sun Killer" (from Eternal Blue)

5/5. The climatic opener of both the playlist and the album this was in breaks the dam and consumes you with crushing waves as Courtney LaPlante sings about her battle against depression ("I was born to break").

Avatar - "New Land" (from Feathers & Flesh)

4.5/5. I miss this awesome song! The lyrics are f***ing odd at times but still make some sense. The intro riffing might remind some of Motorhead's "Ace of Spades". I'm surprised this song hasn't been featured in Devil May Cry.

Bad Wolves - "On the Case" (from Dear Monsters)

4/5. This is where Bad Wolves get serious with their metal, unleashing groove riff punches and great screams. This bad-A song can really sink its teeth into the skin of your eardrums. Not the best alt-metal song, but a killer one.

Bullet for My Valentine - "Rainbow Veins" (from Bullet for My Valentine)

4.5/5. Changing the pace from the metalcore that dominates its album to a slight, JUST slight, alt-metal break, this one continues the monstrous groove, but with more clean singing than the unclean growls of the other songs there. This rhythmic tune emphasizes on waves of sorrow in the aftermath of a revolution, containing a melancholic chorus followed by a destructive bridge. You feelin' it now?

Dir En Grey - "艶かしき安息、躊躇いに微笑み (NAMAMEKASHIKI ANSOKU, TAMERAI NI HOHOEMI)"

5/5. One of the most awesome songs by Japanese alt-metal masters Dir En Grey! Beautiful gold! It starts soft with acoustic riffing similar to In Flames' The Jester Race, and then at the 4-minute mark, Kyo screams into a final chorus that's as heavy as In Flames' The Jester Race (the metal parts).

Linkin Park - "Faint" (from Meteora)

4.5/5. This mighty hit single is a sudden change of mood that can get you pumping and jumping. The drums are faster with nice guitar layers, though not reaching its strong point until the bridge. Great single!

Machinae Supremacy - "Sid Icarus" (from Overworld)

5/5. I love this band's music, both instrumentally and vocally, especially during my earlier epic metal taste (they're also considered power metal), and they have composed music for the computer game Jets n' Guns. They mix alt/power metal with 8-bit sounds similar to Nintendo-metalcore bands such as HORSE the Band and Sky Eats Airplane. Not everyone's a fan of the vocals, but I think they're unique to much of rock and metal. The song is based on the composition "Flight of the Toyota" used in Jets n' Guns that I've heard when playing the demo level. This kind of metal style the band calls "SID metal". They've also toured with melodeath bands Ensiferum and Children of Bodom.

Type O Negative - "I Don't Wanna Be Me" (from Life Is Killing Me)

4.5/5. This song I loved back when I was still in The Fallen, and I first heard of it when Trivium did a cover of the song. It is relatable for people who have lost a loved one. However, it could be foreshadowing of the passing of frontman Peter Steele. RIP... The ambient outro ends the playlist nicely though.

I've enjoyed creating the threads for the clan playlists (mostly on behalf of Saxy and Xephyr) along with the free-to-use images for the graphics, that not only did I make a new version of my avatar by overlaying the original one over the Gateway (see my profile), but I've also made a panoramic combination of that and the other images to create a new semi-official logo for my username. I even used my username to cover up the sh*tty watermark the program won't let me remove. Check it out!

January 2022

01. Opeth - "Harvest" (from Blackwater Park)

02. Turbulence - "Inside the Gaze" (from Frontal)

03. Kayo Dot - "Get Out of the Tower" (from Moss Grew on the Swords and Plowshares Alike)

04. Amorphis - "The Moon" (from The Moon)

05. Intronaut - "Fast Worms" (from The Direction of Last Things)

06. Rosetta - "Soot" (from Flies to Flame)

07. Thank You Scientist - "Soul Diver" (from Plague Accommodations)

08. Mastodon - "Ancient Kingdom" (from Emperor of Sand)

09. Dream Theater - "Scene Four: Beyond This Life" (from Metropolis, Pt. 2: Scenes from a Memory)

10. Between The Buried And Me - "The Proverbial Bellow" (from Automata II)

11. Symphony X - "The Relic" (from Twilight in Olympus)

12. Cynic - "Mythical Serpents" (from Ascension Codes)

13. Haken - "In Memoriam" (from The Mountain)

14. Stone Healer - "One Whisper" (from Conquistador)

15. Protest the Hero - "Tongue-splitter" (from Scurrilous)

16. Vektor - "Charging the Void" (from Terminal Redux)

17. Converge, Chelsea Wolfe - "Tongues Playing Dead" (from Bloodmoon: I)

18. Wheel - "Ascend" (from Resident Human)

19. Hippotraktor - "A Final Animation" (from Meridian)

January 2022

01. Traveler - "Starbreaker" (from Traveler)

02. Helloween - "Robot King" (from Helloween)

03. Rhapsody of Fire - "Glory for Salvation" (from Glory for Salvation)

04. Angel Witch - "Free Man" (from Angel Witch)

05. HAMMER KING - "Hammerschlag" (from Hammer King)

06. Pharaoh - "Lost in the Waves" (from The Powers That Be)

07. Riot City - "Burn the Night" (from Burn the Night)

08. Smoulder - "The Sword Woman" (from Times of Obscene Evil and Wild Daring)

09. Black Sites - "Sword of Orion" (from Untrue)

10. Saxon - "Sniper" (from Thunderbolt)

11. After Forever - "Emphasis" (from Decipher)

12. Kamelot - "Rhydin" (from Siege Perilous)

13. Symphony X - "Pharaoh" (from The Divine Wings of Tragedy)

14. Christian Muenzner - "Wing Commander" (from Path of the Hero)

15. ANGRA - "Wuthering Heights" (from Angels Cry)

16. Seven Spires - "Dare to Live" (from Gods of Debauchery)

17. Dragonland - "Supernova" (from Astronomy)

18. Tanith - "Cassini's Deadly Plunge" (from In Another Time)

19. Cirith Ungol - "Chaos Rising" (from Paradise Lost)

20. The Night Eternal - "Son Of Sin" (from Moonlit Cross)

21. TOWER - "Prince of Darkness" (from Shock to the System)

22. Enforcer - "Katana" (from Diamonds)

23. Herzel - "Unis Dans La Gloire" (from Unis Dans La Gloire)

January 2022

01. Spiritbox - "Sun Killer" (from Eternal Blue)

02. Avatar - "New Land" (from Feathers & Flesh)

03. Fair To Midland - "A Loophole in Limbo" (from Arrows & Anchors)

04. Karnivool - "All It Takes" (from All It Takes)

05. Malrun - "Moving Into Fear" (from The Empty Frame)

06. TOOL - "Triad" (from Lateralus)

07. Bad Wolves - "On the Case" (from Dear Monsters)

08. Pist.On - "Suddenly Sober" (from Sell Out)

09. Gwar - "Saddam A GoGo" (from This Toilet Earth)

10. Temperance - "Save Me" (from Limitless)

11. Life in Agony - "This Time" (from The Complete Roadrunner Collection)

12. Bullet for My Valentine - "Rainbow Veins" (from Bullet for My Valentine)

13. Alice in Chains - "The One You Know" (from Rainier Fog)

14. Mordred - "Not for You" (from Volition)

15. Saliva - "800" (from Saliva)

16. Dir En Grey - "艶かしき安息、躊躇いに微笑み (NAMAMEKASHIKI ANSOKU, TAMERAI NI HOHOEMI)" (from THE MARROW OF A BONE)

17. Earshot - "Wait" (from Two)

18. Biohazard - "Tales from the Hard Side" (from State Of The World Address)

19. Moon Tooth - "Awe at All Angles" (from Crux)

20. Linkin Park - "Faint" (from Meteora)

21. American Head Charge - "Let All the World Believe" (from Tango Umbrella)

22. Psychostick - "Obey the Beard" (from IV: Revenge of the Vengeance)

23. Sweet Noise - "Dzisiaj mnie kochasz, jutro nienawidzisz" (from Czas ludzi cienia)

24. Machinae Supremacy - "Sid Icarus" (from Overworld)

25. Galactic Cowboys - "Ants" (from At the End of the Day)

26. Sleep Token - "Alkaline" (from This Place Will Become Your Tomb)

27. Chevelle - "Send the Pain Below" (from Wonder What's Next)

28. Type O Negative - "I Don't Wanna Be Me" (from Life Is Killing Me)

Thanks Daniel for accepting my feature release submission! I shall work on my review soon...

I did my review, here's its summary:

Mastodon has kept their progressive metal sound since their very beginning, but this was at the time when they started moving far away from their earlier sludge sound which, not to sound accusing, was stolen by Baroness! With 2009's Crack the Skye, they don't intend on changing any part of their trend except the sludgy part. This album can be considered a sequel to Blood Mountain in terms of music, still keeping a bit of the sludge/hardcore/thrash/progressive metal sound, but far more emphasized on experimental progressive metal. Think of this like Colors by Between the Buried and Me but the amount of solos and growled vocals is greatly reduced to the amount in Frances the Mute by The Mars Volta (almost none). Despite the sludge being reduced, it's not completely abandoned. Here you find 5 mesmerizing 5-minute songs for you to rock out on, and two 10+-minute epics (essential for progressive metal, though the only other epic that long that they've done is "Hearts Alive" from Leviathan) Besides this album being based on the element of ether (continuing their classical element saga that was then abandoned before they could get to the remaining element, air), the word "Skye" being spelled with an "e" is in memory of drummer Brann Dailor's late one-year-younger sister Skye who died by suicide at age 14, almost two decades before this album. It's very sad to lose a sibling, and I'm glad to still have my older brother who, like I said before, first inspired my general interest in metal. It's very clear how much Mastodon matured album after album. You might think Mastodon would've been satisfied with Blood Mountain and not be hyped about making a new album, but nope! They started realizing what was missing, emotional feeling in each song. This is likely the album that defined the band's career (but a close second behind Leviathan) and is considered one of the most essential progressive metal albums of the 2000s. That's what Mastodon is about!

5/5

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

The new self-titled BFMV album marks a near-return to their earlier heaviness. BFMV have been part of my metalcore arsenal for 4 years, and their latest album at that time, Venom is a real headbanger with slight redemption of quality. Then in 2018, Gravity is a half-sh*tty nu metal backstabber. I thought if they released another album like that, I would start avoiding that band for good. Fast forward to the present with their self-titled album grabbing my attention with genuine heavy metalcore with growls to have you fist-pumping and headbanging in no time, though there are clean groove tracks with singing. This band sure knows how to bring on their heavy artillery. Trivium has also done that with their new album the prior month, and if Bring Me the Horizon fully return to metalcore with their next Post Human release, that would make my day. Despite the quality not being same as earlier, BFMV deserves greatness for their killer comeback....

4/5

Recommended tracks: "Parasite", "Knives", "No Happy Ever After", "Rainbow Veins", "Death by a Thousand Cuts"

For fans of: Trivium, There is a Hell/Post Human-era Bring Me the Horizon, late 2000s Machine Head

January 2022

01. Bullet for My Valentine - "Parasite" (from Bullet for My Valentine, 2021) [Submitted by shadowdoom9 (Andi)]

02. Atreyu - "Doomsday" (from Lead Sails Paper Anchor, 2007) [Submitted by Theo-Wyoming]

03. Bleeding Through - "Love Lost in a Hail of Gun Fire" (from This is Love, This is Murderous, 2003) [Submitted by Theo-Wyoming]

04. From Autumn to Ashes - "Daylight Slaving" (from Holding a Wolf by the Ears, 2007) [Submitted by Theo-Wyoming]

05. Trivium - "Feast of Fire" (from In the Court of the Dragon, 2021)

06. Parkway Drive - "Boneyards" (from Horizons, 2007) [Submitted by shadowdoom9 (Andi)]

07. Currents - "Better Days" (from The Way It Ends, 2020)

08. Neon Graves - "Sanctuary" (from All That Brings Us Down, 2020)

09. Every Time I Die - "Prom Song" (from The Burial Plot Bidding War, 2000) [Submitted by shadowdoom9 (Andi)]

10. Motionless in White - "Dragula" (from Creatures, 2010)

11. Knocked Loose - "Where Light Divides the Holler" (from A Tear in the Fabric of Life, 2021) [Submitted by Daniel]

12. Unearth - "Letting Go" (from The March, 2008) [Submitted by shadowdoom9 (Andi)]

13. Like Moths to Flames - "YOTM" (from No Eternity in Gold, 2020)

14. Inventure - "Renaissance" (from No Time to Waste, 2020)

15. Anticline - "Headspinning Bias" (from Urgency, 2020)

16. Spirit Breaker - "Pure Fury & Wonder" (from Cura Nata, 2021)

17. Blueshift - "Voyager" (from Voyager, 2020)

18. 36 Crazyfists - "The Tide And Its Takers" (from The Tide And Its Takers, 2008) [Submitted by Theo-Wyoming]

19. Polaris - "Landmine" (from The Death of Me, 2020)

20. Amaranthe - "Director's Cut" (from Amaranthe, 2011)

21. Brand of Sacrifice - "God Hand" (from God Hand, 2019)

22. Slaughter to Prevail - "Baba Yaga" (from Kostolom, 2021)

23. Darko US - "Pale Tongue" (from Darko, 2021)

24. Bound in Fear - "Penance" (from Penance, 2021)

25. Attila - "Payback" (from Outlawed, 2011) [Submitted by shadowdoom9 (Andi)]

26. The Ghost Inside - "Dear Youth (Day 52)" (from Dear Youth, 2014) [Submitted by Theo-Wyoming]

27. Botch - "Man the Ramparts" (from We are the Romans, 1999)

28. The Dillinger Escape Plan - "Dissociation" (from Dissociation, 2016)

That Dolorian album was also a grand discovery of mine until my departure from The Fallen a few months later.

Thanks to this (and the previous) year's feature releases, I discovered a great amount of bands I haven't listened to before they were featured. Here are the bands that I now listen to because of the 2021 feature releases:

Rosetta

Devin Townsend

Riot

Godflesh

Dir En Grey

Skycamefalling

Samael

Spiritbox

In 1997, 5 bands began to bring symphonic metal into prominent ground, and many of those bands have done so by adding symphonic elements to an existing metal subgenre including the debut albums of Nightwish, Rhapsody of Fire (symphonic power metal), and Within Temptation (symphonic gothic metal), the second album of Emperor (symphonic black metal), and the third album of Septicflesh (symphonic death metal). 

I've been testing my memory over the Septicflesh album you mentioned overnight Andi. It's certainly been a long time since I've heard these releases but I don't remember "The Obsidian Wheel" being the record where they completely converted to a totally symphonic approach. Wasn't it 1998's "A Fallen Temple" album where they did that?

When I was listening to Septicflesh, I remember their earlier albums, including The Ophidian Wheel and A Fallen Temple, having this odd frustrating thing where the songs are straight-up gothic-ish death metal and then they have a few symphonic stage play tracks, and each of those two categories are separated from each other with barely any combination. That's why A Fallen Temple was a bit of a struggle for me at the time, especially the "Underworld" series of symphonic tracks. With that said, those two albums have a few songs that combined the two stylistic categories smoothly, such as the song I've selected for my 1997 symphonic metal Spotify playlist, "On the Topmost Step of the Earth", and "The Eldest Cosmonaut" from the latter album that I submitted to one of The Guardians monthly playlists because of the Therion-like symphonic metal sound. Then after a case of industrial-goth identity crisis in Revolution DNA, the band took their usual death metal and symphonic sounds even further in Sumerian Daemons, with both sounds combined into one, the way it was meant to be. Their comeback album Communion really sealed the deal for that sound that they've maintained ever since.

A good accurate list, Daniel!

Welcome, Deadxxy! It would be interesting to see which clan(s) you plan to choose instead of just The Fallen. Anyway, please feel free to introduce yourself in the Introduce Yourself forums and maybe even share a bit of your life in this thread: https://metal.academy/forum/23/thread/1047 (unless you wanna keep it private of course). If you're feeling up to writing album reviews (which you can in the site), there are clan challenges for you to work on if you're up to earning a 4th clan. You can even create your own public lists compiling some of your favorite releases or albums suitable for a list. There are also monthly Spotify clan playlists to help you find good tracks from your clans whether you've heard them before or just discovered them. And finally, we have monthly feature releases for you to listen to and discuss with the other MA members, and if you're in the mood to contribute to the playlist track suggestions and feature release submissions, ask Daniel and he can add you to the rosters. Have a good metal time here!

So, Dad passed away in hospital this afternoon. We all did manage to get to see him on Tuesday evening when it was obvious he had taken a turn for the worse, so that was a blessing. To be honest it's kind of a relief because he was in a lot of distress and was being fed a lot of medication towards the end.

And so life takes another turn...

So sorry to hear, Sonny. RIP

I've also written less reviews in 2021 than in 2020. The official and unofficial reviewing challenges that I've done in 2020 were quite a ride, but after doing them, I've decided to tone down the amount of time to write reviews so I can focus on other accomplishments here and in the outside world, especially now when I have to be thinking of feature release submissions and good songs for the Revolution playlists. My reviewing quality has stayed comfortably the same, in my usual 6-paragraph structure: two introductory paragraphs (mainly one describing the backstory of the album or the backstory of my experience with the album, and the other describing the album's aspects), 3 paragraphs about the tracks (not everyone likes the track-to-track thing, but I try to keep it interesting, even sometimes adding a story to go along with them), one concluding paragraph (a final summary of my thoughts and possible recommendation to others), and finally, a list of favorite tracks and highlights.

I've just made this Spotify playlist with the longest songs for each of the albums I've recommended (including Dimmu Borgir's 1997 album. Thanks for the heads-up, Daniel!) to celebrate this milestone of an anniversary for symphonic metal. Check it out: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0RUIcyC6ZXEkbknDjSxi8Z

Do Dio even qualify given that they're no longer active?

Given that Loudwire has included bands that have split up in the same year as Dio or earlier such as Death, Type O Negative, and Nasum, then yes, Daniel. Dio are acceptable.

Let's start with traditional heavy metal, shall we? I can see that Loudwire have gone with Black Sabbath, Iron Maiden, Judas Priest & Ozzy Osbourne. I'd suggest that the first three are complete no-brainers as they're by far the most accomplished & dominant heavy metal bands in the history of metal music. The fourth position is open for discussion though. It's actually interesting when you think that Metallica have by far & away the highest selling heavy metal record of all time & Megadeth have also played a significant role in heavy metal since 1990 so there's a case for both. Should either of those be considered?  I tend to think that they've both played a more significant role in thrash metal & should be happy with their current positions in the Big Four of thrash. Other contenders in the popularity stakes might be Motorhead, Avenged Sevenfold, Dio, Queensryche, Mercyful Fate, Venom, Accept, King Diamond, etc. Personally, I'm happy with Ozzy. His US sales are a clear second to Metallica for metal overall with his debut solo record being primarily responsible for metal finally breaking through in the US in the early 80's (along with Judas Priest's "British Steel"). I would think that he'd have at least four records in the top 100 most well-known heavy metal records of all time too, not to mention his record for discovering killer guitarists. Thoughts?

Metallica and Megadeth are already well-known for their thrash albums and better off staying in the thrash metal Big 4, same with Queensryche in the progressive metal list and Avenged Sevenfold in the NWOAHM list. While I'm also OK with Ozzy being part of the traditional heavy metal Big 4, Motorhead might be a slightly stronger contender because they're an important part of heavy metal in late 70s, a precursor to the NWOBHM and the band that united two separate rock genres, punk and metal, into a mix that would inspire later genres such as speed metal and thrash metal. A lot more people would've recognized that band as heavy metal if it wasn't for Lemmy's modesty. They're much more than "rock and roll", seriously! Dio would also be a good contender for the fourth position if any of their other singles are as popular as "Holy Diver".

I'm guessing that's how Loudwire made those "Big 4" subgenre lists, by listing the more commercially successful bands, and while that works well for most bands, a few I think fit better in the subgenres they're more recognized as, and the bands that I add in their place are the ones that practically every true fan of the subgenres has enjoyed or at least heard of along with truly representing the subgenre at times. Here are some examples:

The original symphonic metal list has bands that are some of the most commercially successful bands of that subgenre, but people seem to overlook an important aspect of the subgenre to go along with the commercial success, that aspect being its diverse development. In 1997, 5 bands began to bring symphonic metal into prominent ground, and many of them have done so by adding symphonic elements to an existing metal subgenre including the debut albums of Nightwish, Rhapsody of Fire (symphonic power metal), and Within Temptation (symphonic gothic metal), the second album of Emperor (symphonic black metal), and the third album of Septicflesh (symphonic death metal). While many of those albums don't have the symphonic metal tag or The Guardians clan (or have but don't deserve them), the combination of metal and symphonics would inspire countless bands to do the same, whether they're mainly symphonic metal or not, including symphonic death metallers Fleshgod Apocalypse whose success has greatly surpassed that of Septicflesh and is thereby staying in the list. Of course, there are some bands with one symphonic metal release before and during 1997 including Angra, Arcturus, Haggard, Rage, Skylark, and Therion. I chose Immortal as Emperor's possible replacement in the black metal list because of how well-received it is in the black metal fanbase that I would never join, and they're the first band I could think of because of the conversation in the black metal thread just now.

Mathcore is a better subgenre to describe Converge (although they helped with metalcore's early development in their first few albums) and The Dillinger Escape Plan, two of the main pioneers of mathcore that I've added to that subgenre's Big 4, along with fellow mathcore starter Botch and a later band The Tony Danza Tapdance Extravaganza, all 4 of which, despite splitting up or moving away from the subgenre, helped shape mathcore to how it's meant to be. For the two possible replacements in the metalcore list, All That Remains and August Burns Red have both done their part in taking metalcore's success to a higher level with their respective 3rd albums, and while All That Remains would later add some melodic hard rock/alt-metal elements to their metalcore mix for most of their 2010s albums, August Burns Red would stay consistent with their semi-melodic metalcore greatness the subgenre's fanbase would love. And yes, they are two of my favorite metalcore bands. Facts first, opinions after!

Rammstein definitely has the right to be put into the industrial metal list, but Neue Deutsche Härte is the subgenre they have been known to help create and even have the term coined by the music press following the release of their 1995 debut. They have been put into the NDH list alongside bands that are prominent and represent the style well but not as highly successful; Oomph!, Megaherz, and Eisbrecher. My replacement suggestion for Rammstein in the industrial metal list is Godflesh, who sit next to Ministry as the pioneers of industrial metal and show what industrial metal is really made of to please its fans.

In conclusion, I honestly think that while I agree about the position the commercial successful bands are in, the bands that deserve as much recognition are those that the majority of fans know and enjoy, and represent the important aspects of those genres, such as elements and development. There shall be some balance in the metal-verse!

When I was looking up what other bands besides prog-thrashers Vektor have used raised tunings like F, I found out that Immortal album used F tuning, along with Burzum in the albums Varg Vikernes made before he was sent to prison. This makes me wonder if some of the earlier second-wave black metal bands actually tuned their guitars a half-step higher than standard tuning or if they just recorded in a slower tempo in standard E tuning or lower and then changed the speed and pitch to be faster and higher.

I just found the most abusive Christmas song ever (would you even call it a Christmas song?!):

Here's my estimated new album search progress in this year and the last:

2020 - 38 new albums

2021 - 46 new albums (about 44% of that amount from September to December)

I hope to level up my metal palate further, so here's to, say, 54 new albums in 2022 for me to enjoy if the number keeps going up at that rate!

Russian technical thrash metal for fans of Vektor, Coroner & Obliveon.

I gave this album a listen and a review to level up my Vektor/Coroner-like tech-thrash zone. The brilliant title instrumental is where the entire band can shine without vocals. That's what I call the Russian tech-thrash Crusade!

The big issues in life, whether personal or for the world, can be quite a struggle, but as much as we have to accept those hard times, we're not gonna let them get in the way of an amazing holiday like Christmas. So when the day comes two days from now, get ready to say....

Unfortunately my 86-year old dad is very ill and has been hospitalised (not covid-related) and it looks unlikely that he'll be going back home as he can no longer take care of himself. To be honest, it's been inevitable for a while, but the NHS has just implemented new covid measures and we're not even allowed to go and see him, so that's a real bummer. 

Sorry to hear this.

My 96 year old gran fell earlier this year and spent weeks in hospital.  COVID measures were quite stringent at the time and we could not go to see her which was especially difficult after she developed post-operative delirium but she was soon able to come out of hospital before we knew it and although unable to live at home is now well settled in a care home.

Hopefully your father can get to the same positive place - minus the post operative delirium of course.

Life is a bit tough in my home right now. My wife was three months pregnant with my third daughter when we found out that the baby had died due to a chromosome issue last Wednesday. She had to have surgery to remove the foetus the following day & has been an emotional wreck ever since.

It's tough having to deal with the near-tragedies and tragedies in life, such as hospitalized relatives and miscarriages. So sorry to hear, guys.

Oh yeah, the playlists and monthly features! Thanks for reminding me, Xephyr!

Scarecrow, you might just find a lot of metal suitable for your interest via the monthly features and Spotify clan playlists. If you ever feel like submitting feature releases for your clans, please ask Daniel so he can add you to the roster. As for the playlists, I run The Revolution playlist, so feel free to check out the submissions thread and request a good song for me to the playlist. One track per non-members, maximum 30 minutes total for Revolution members. However, please submit your suggestion by the 15th or 16th of each month if you wish to get your submission into next month's playlist on time. I'm standing by that old rule because I often get so excited about how a playlist turns out that I'd sent to Daniel when I'm ready around that time of month. If you'd like to assemble the playlist for one of your clans, please ask Daniel so he can give you that privilege. The Fallen and Guardians playlists are already reserved. Saxy S is in charge of both The Gateway and The Infinite playlists, and while assembling two clan playlists is a rare treat, it could be quite some tiring work. So if you're up to taking over The Infinite playlist, please check with both Saxy and Daniel. And finally, make sure to send your monthly feature submissions and playlists to Daniel via private message to add a bit of anticipation. Enjoy!

Also lately we've been discussing some ups and downs about our lives, so feel free to join in the conversation as well (unless you prefer to keep your outside life private). Our discussion is right here: https://metal.academy/forum/23/thread/1047

Yikes... The world has been having crazy-a** weather lately. We've all heard about the tornado that hit several states in the US. Last weekend in my country Malaysia, it rained non-stop for 3 days (Friday to Sunday) like some Noah's Ark sh*t, so there were some floods all over the state I live in. Fortunately, our apartment wasn't affected by the floods. As you might remember from the days of when both my Instagram account and the Metal Academy Instagram account were more active, I write and draw my own published book series, and the latest installment in the series will finally be out tomorrow. My family and I plan to donate 5% of the money we earn from the book sales to a charity that would help the victims of the floods. 'Tis the season of giving for my family indeed!

This one is cheesy as all fuck. Simply awful stuff!

This one is indeed kind of a cheesy ballad...

Sorry guys but this is basically the anti-Daniel. How can I unhear this? I'll pay top dollar!

...But this has Majestica's trademark speedy soloing and melodic riffing. You Guardians Grinch!! I understand our Guardians tastes are practically polar opposites, so I forgive you, Daniel. I've had barely any problem with most of this album, but other than the 5-minute outro, this cheesy ballad has made me cringe a bit:

Guardians:

-While Heaven Wept - Vast Oceans Lachrymose (also my favorite album of all time)

-Nightwish - Wishmaster

- X Japan - Art of life

-Kamelot - The Black Halo

-Dio - Holy Diver

Infinite:

-Protest the Hero - Palimpsest

-Mutuymu - I l y a

-Seventh Wonder - Mercy Falls

-Pain of Salvation - In The Passing Light of Day

-Scardust - Strangers

The Nightwish, X Japan, Kamelot, Protest the Hero, Seventh Wonder, and Pain of Salvation albums are some of my favorite releases from their respective clans as well, so we might just get on really well and be able to share each other's favorite metal bands, possibly discovering different bands that one of us has listened to but not yet the other. While Heaven Wept, Mutuymu, Scardust, I haven't heard of before, but I might give them a try at some point. Of course, most people already know Dio's album and song. ("Holy Diver! You've been down too long in the midnight sea...")

I see you also like some of Devin Townsend's works including albums from his former band Strapping Young Lad, along with Bring Me the Horizon's latest alt-metal EP. Good stuff too! If you're looking for some more melodic bands for your metalcore interest, may I suggest Trivium? They're one of my favorite bands of all time and a great metal starter!

Anyway, that's all I gotta say for now. Enjoy your time here, Scarecrow!

Omg! Yeah no it sounds like our tastes really align. I will sing the praises of While Heaven Wept forever, and Vast Oceans is 100% worth checking out if you have even a passing interest in heavy, doom, power, or progressive metal (yeah, it kinda does all of that). Also, if you like Nightwish you'll definitely love Scardust. They do vaudevillian symphonic prog metal that's just an absolute blast. 

I'm listening to Shogun by Trivium now on your suggestion. I've been on a black metal binge for the past 3 days so this is a pretty refreshing changeup. So far so good! I actually recognize a few of these songs. I think Down From the Sky and Into the Mouth of Hell We March were both in one of my brother's football video games. Thanks for the rec 

I'll put Scardust in my must-try list. Thanks for the rec! Shogun is very great, but my favorite album from Trivium (and one of my favorite metal albums ever) is In Waves, definitely worth checking out for anyone with even a slight interest in metalcore.

I agree that Scarsick has an alt-metal sound, but the band's signature progressive metal is still around in "Flame to the Moth" and a couple of their longer more complex tracks, and blending in various non-metal influences adds in a bit of an experimental vibe. I would suggest sending this album to the Hall to be added to The Gateway first, and if it gets enough YES votes and gains The Gateway clan, then we can propose the album to be removed from The Infinite as a second Hall entry.

Guardians:

-While Heaven Wept - Vast Oceans Lachrymose (also my favorite album of all time)

-Nightwish - Wishmaster

- X Japan - Art of life

-Kamelot - The Black Halo

-Dio - Holy Diver

Infinite:

-Protest the Hero - Palimpsest

-Mutuymu - I l y a

-Seventh Wonder - Mercy Falls

-Pain of Salvation - In The Passing Light of Day

-Scardust - Strangers

The Nightwish, X Japan, Kamelot, Protest the Hero, Seventh Wonder, and Pain of Salvation albums are some of my favorite releases from their respective clans as well, so we might just get on really well and be able to share each other's favorite metal bands, possibly discovering different bands that one of us has listened to but not yet the other. While Heaven Wept, Mutuymu, Scardust, I haven't heard of before, but I might give them a try at some point. Of course, most people already know Dio's album and song. ("Holy Diver! You've been down too long in the midnight sea...")

I see you also like some of Devin Townsend's works including albums from his former band Strapping Young Lad, along with Bring Me the Horizon's latest alt-metal EP. Good stuff too! If you're looking for some more melodic bands for your metalcore interest, may I suggest Trivium? They're one of my favorite bands of all time and a great metal starter!

Anyway, that's all I gotta say for now. Enjoy your time here, Scarecrow!

Kind of hard to place Darksynth now that I think about it, Sphere or Revolution? 

Both as a dual clan entry.

Welcome to Metal Academy, Scarecrow!

Good question. It's quite tough judging which non-metal genres would hypothetically fit well in the Metal Academy clans, so here's what I could think of (* = obvious):

The Fallen: Sadcore, slowcore, emo (soft ballads such as Simple Plan's "How Could This Happen to Me?"), drone*, gothic rock*, stoner rock*

The Gateway: Pop, new-wave, grunge, alternative rock*, funk*, hip-hop*

The Guardians: Classical, orchestral, epic trailer music (such as Two Steps From Hell and Audiomachine)

The Horde: Deathrock, horror punk, horrorcore (hardcore hip-hop with horror themes)

The Infinite: Experimental, jazz, ambient, progressive rock*, post-rock*, avant-garde*

The North: Dungeon synth, dark folk, folk*, viking rock*

The Pit: Thrashcore, powerviolence

The Revolution: Protest songs, crust punk, electronic (since trance metal is already in that clan), hardcore punk*, melodic hardcore*, trance*

The Sphere: Industrial*, noise

A Christmas Carol is a very good album to get into the Christmas spirit in my opinion, and probably would've been perfect if it wasn't for the cringe-inducing ballad "The Joy of Christmas" midway through and the repetitive orchestral outro. I may not like Dear Monsters as much as my previous feature release submissions, but I'm quite pleased with Daniel's thoughts on the album, even finding a nice guilty pleasure in "Springfield Summer", an alt-country-ish ballad that I thought wouldn't work for the album. Even though our interests work differently from each other, sometimes we might each find a good win.

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

1. Gateway playlist - 4.5/5 (number of songs commented: 7)

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

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 7 tracks in the Gateway playlist and 11 tracks each in the Guardians and Infinite playlists, but I still enjoy the tracks that I had time for, and I'm grateful to Saxy and Xephyr for their playlist works all the same, and of course to Daniel for accepting those playlists. I really dig the Revolution playlist that I've made! That opinion might seem bad form, but let me even out by saying that I would recommend any metalcore fan and anyone who isn't into metalcore but wants to get into a great start in enjoying the genre. Thanks, Daniel, for accepting my playlist! I'll privately send you the one for next month and its track listing as soon as I can, along with my January feature release submissions for that clan and The Guardians. Also it might be a while before I'm ready to post my feature release outcomes, because so far I've only reviewed two of the December feature releases, one of them being my own submission, but maybe I would be up to checking out more of them this month. Good work on these playlists, all!

My thought on one more track:

Majestica – “Ghost of Christmas Present” (from “A Christmas Carol”, 2020)

4.5/5. This heavily orchestrated track has a lot worth headbanging to. Beginning and ending this playlist with a Christmas song is a brilliant idea for December. Once again, great work with this playlist, Xephyr!

I did my review, here's its summary:

Tommy Johansson has quite a power metal career. After making 6 albums with his main band ReinXeed, he took a break from the band and later joined Sabaton as their new guitarist. Recently, he restarted ReinXeed with a new name, Majestica. The second album from this reincarnation is a Christmas concept album, A Christmas Carol, based on the Charles Dickens classic! Despite its short length of over 40 minutes, and an instrumental intro and outro, the album really does that classic justice. Grinches beware! The album maintains the melodic power metal of Johansson's earlier works, but this time to really kick up the holiday spirit with tinkling bells and genuine orchestration. Expect a lot of festive cheer in this album with catchy metal and orchestral fun, plus a couple minor wine-stinkers such as a ballad right in the middle and the outro. One other problem besides those two tracks is how the other members besides Tommy would sing a line at odd times, but it doesn't matter since he's the vocal star of the show. A Christmas Carol is quite a brave move that might or might not be a proper follow-up to the first Majestica album, Above the Sky. It's a great album to look out for if you're up for Christmas metal. If this band keeps up these Christmas ideas, they might be the next TSO. God bless us with metal, everyone!

4/5

Looking for a grand cinematic mix of Helloween, Manowar, and the dueling solos of Dream Theater? Rhapsody of Fire has it all in their latest album, especially this over 10-minute epic:

Here's my Sphere suggestion for January:

Motionless in White - "Wasp" (from Reincarnate, 2014)

You can hear the atoms sing in the Cynic multiverse... Their new album Ascension Codes shows the band ascending back to the top after the disappointing previous album and subsequent departure of two members from the band and the world. This progressive metal space-trip is suitable for fans of Plini, Leprous, and early-90s Voivod:

Let me know if the Bloodmoon track isn't Infinite enough, I'd have no clue where else it would fit. It doesn't feel like a Fallen track to me.

I agree here, Xephyr, this track doesn't feel like part of the Fallen despite being one of the more pummeling tracks.

Let us know what you think, Saxy.

Xephyr, I can't believe you have not yet listened to Wuthering Heights' Far From the Madding Crowd, it's the ultimate blend of power metal, progressive metal, and folk elements to satisfy your main clans. I would be more pleased than surprised if some of these songs were the influences for the first half of Trivium's recent epic "The Shadow of the Abattoir". So please prioritize listening to this Wuthering Heights album ASAP!

Looking for another collaborative album besides the ones made by post-sludge bands such as Neurosis and Cult of Luna? Converge has joined in that game with goth singer Chelsea Wolfe, with tracks like this showing the band's comfort zone expanding:

Going back to this old thread, I just thought of a New Year's resolution for 2022 and that is to level up my metalcore zone farther than before. First of all, assembling the Revolution playlists has caused incredible results for me; you all get to hear more of my metalcore palette with songs from bands I already listen to, along with songs from bands I've barely or never listened to before thereby conjuring new discoveries. I'm determined to find and listen to more of the bands whose songs I've randomly chosen strike me with perfection, and it's a quest that might take a few months (would be faster but there are tight limits such as outside-world plans) but it shall be done. Of course, I would also be catching up with upcoming releases from longtime habitants of my metalcore arsenal. Can bands like All That Remains and We Came as Romans really do their next albums justice despite each having a fallen founding member? Will the next albums by Bleeding Through and Motionless in White maintain their dark metalcore name? And will ex-metalcore bands Bring Me the Horizon and Underoath pleasantly surprise us by going back to their earlier heavier sound in their next releases (the only new single from the upcoming Underoath album Voyeurist I've heard so far is "Cycle" with Ghostemane, and that one sounds heavy and promising)? I have no idea, but I pray for the best of luck for those bands to maintain their triumph. And don't worry, my passion for my other clans will still be around, so no changes too drastic for my taste. So yeah, my tasks for the new year: More monthly playlists, more featured releases, more bands, and more new albums, all for The Revolution. 2022 shall be my year for metalcore!!

Ben, please add the new In Mourning album The Bleeding Veil.

A friend of mine from the outside world showed me a Rob Zombie song, "Dragula", in which a remix version was used in the first Matrix movie. That song is industrial metal, but the kind of industrial metal I prefer is not the "alt-" kind heard in that song, but rather the more experimental industrial metal bands like Godflesh, Strapping Young Lad, Samael, and Motionless in White, the latter having done a cover of that song with a gothic-ish metalcore twist in style. If you're looking for a mix of Rob Zombie, Ice Nine Kills, and Lacuna Coil without the female vocals, you know which band to call:

A couple recommendations from November's Infinite playlist, plus a standalone recommendation, have opened a few gates to different bands of further horizons for me, from the folk-ish progressive power metal of Wuthering Heights...

...to the djenty progressive metal of Textures...

...and the jazzy instrumental progressive rock/metal of Australian guitarist Plini: