Shadowdoom9 (Andi)'s Forum Replies

Update due to Xephyr's vote:

Metalcore: 4

Non-metal: 1

Yeah, I'd suggest that the Fear, & Loathing In Las Vegas track is metal too Andi & it's definitely Melodic Metalcore-based so I feel like we've got it right to have Trancecore as a subgenre of Melodic Metalcore if these four tracks are a true reflection of the Trancecore sound.

I agree, Daniel! That track is symphonic trance-metalcore at its best with the metal-synth mix as well-balanced as those other 3...

Daniel, Xephyr, and Saxy, perhaps you guys would also dig Voivod's 1991 twist into the mainstream that is Angel Rat. It's not as bad as some people think! You might find a lot of beautiful guitar and broad vocal hooks to expect in prog-rock/metal that fans of Pain of Salvation, Riverside, and the softer material of Devin Townsend should hear...

I don't know any issues with release cover arts, but here are a couple involving release years:

I suggested this change before, and since nothing has happened there, I'll suggest it again. Symphony X's self-titled debut was released in 1994, not 1996. This error was because the release on their official label Inside Out Music was not until 1996, but it was actually first released in 1994 via Japanese label Zero Corporation. The second album The Damnation Game was released in 1995, so this looks like The Damnation Game is the first and this album is the second, but it isn't!! Ben, please change this album's release year to 1994.

I've never been too sure about the release year for Riot's Rock City being 1977, despite popular belief. Barely anyone has heard of them until at least 1978, which was the year they started selling a decently prominent amount of copies and performed with AC/DC and Molly Hatchet, and then later right when they were about to lose momentum, DJ Neal Kay of the Bandwagon Soundhouse helped spread the word about them in the UK, earning the band a higher fanbase and encouraging them to continue. And even though the original vinyl label says 1977, that's not highly reliable because some CD/vinyl publishing years might be slightly false (like for example, Symphony X's The Divine Wings of Tragedy has the release year label 1996 even though its official release year is 1997 (what is up with Symphony X album release years being 1996!?)). With that, I'd like the release year for Riot's Rock City to be changed to 1978.

Metalcore: 3

Non-metal: 1

So far, trancecore is getting a good amount of votes on the metal side. With those 3 tracks representing the subgenre very well, the fate of trancecore in this site is in good metal hands. If anyone's up for something slightly challenging, here's another song to listen to alongside the other 3, I'll tell you my opinion about it once I get some feedback:

Update due to Daniel's vote:

Metalcore: 2

Non-metal: 1

Update due to Vinny's vote:

Metalcore: 1

Non-metal: 1

I remember listening to all 3 of those songs! Here's what I think of them: "Sorry, You're Not a Winner" is a perfect fusion of metalcore and synths that can cause a mosh-pit in a nightclub. I count that song as metalcore for its heavier riffing and occasional breakdowns. "The Final Episode (Let's Change The Channel)" I remember because I kept bumping into Friends memes based on the yell of "OH. MY. GOD!!!" That song is pure heavy metalcore with the trance synths not appearing prominently until around the last minute. "Stick Stickly" is known for starting the "Crabcore" meme because of the members squatting like crabs in the music video. And oh man, the synth-infused metalcore heaviness from those other two songs continues there! Can you f***ing feel it, Mr. Krabs?! Anyway, that's 3 trancecore tracks that, to my ears, all count as metal. So there might still be some potential for trancecore to stay in this site, maybe as a trance metal subgenre...

Metalcore: 1

Non-metal: 0

I think I'd learn more about Prog Metal on the whole if I did the 1st Decade one, but how can I pass up having a reason to finally write reviews for From Mars to Sirius, Biomech, Metropolis Part 2, Evergrey's arguably best album, Bath, Catch Thirtythree, Light of Day, Day of Darkness, plus like 5 others that I'm excited about? 

Most of those are great albums! The 2nd Decade seems like a great era for progressive metal, and I probably should've done that challenge instead of The Modern Era one.

I forgot about the clan challenges sometime after I finished the one for my 4th clan The Fallen, and after Ben stopped creating new challenges. I'm glad to see the revival of clan challenge appeal, but I don't intend on returning to them now, unless we see the unlikely ability to lock in a 5th clan, in that case, I would take on a challenge for The Pit...

I did not post my monthly playlist and feature release outcomes until now because I was a little busy with other things this month and only reviewed 3 releases so far, but they are mostly perfect, so here are my scores:

THE FALLEN: The Gathering - "Mandylion" (1995) - 5/5

THE GATEWAY: Dir En Grey - "Uroboros" (2008) - 5/5

THE INFINITE: Lucid Planet - "Lucid Planet II" (2020) - 4/5

The Fallen and Gateway releases each deserve a perfect 5 stars, the former I've first listened to 5 years ago, and the latter I've first listened to this month! The Infinite release is great but could've been slightly better. I'm just at the lower edge of people who enjoy that album. Thanks for these amazing feature releases, everyone! Looking forward to more of this cool activity, along with feature release submissions for next month coming in via private message...

PS: NecroDevil, if you're still active after your big round of ratings, I highly recommend those releases I've mentioned above, please give them each a rating and maybe a review.

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

1. Fallen playlist - 4.5/5 (number of songs commented: 8)

2. Guardians playlist - 4.5/5 (number of songs commented: 9)

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

4. Pit playlist - 4.5/5 (number of songs commended: 5)

5. Revolution playlist - 4.5/5 (number of songs commented: 14)

Another rewarding playlist month for me, this time my playlist ratings for all my 4 clans plus one are each an average total of 4.5 stars. And yes, I enjoy my Gateway suggestion.

My small talk about "Darkness and Hope" reminded me of that Moonspell album and song:

My "Darkness and Hope" quote above reminded me of another Pearls Before Swine comic, which I've also just made a parody of:

Here’s another band that might have a link between the trad styles of heavy metal and doom, Grand Magus! They’re 21st Century classic heavy metal with epic Viking lyrical themes you might find in power metal, and they frequently have slower doom, especially in their first couple albums.

Going back to the main topic, here's a Spotify playlist I just made to show what I'm talking about when I say the elements that shape up epic doom need to be emphasized on gothic/death-doom, like those songs I mentioned above: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/75EvbiKoz4Vyizs1Ix2SE2

Honestly, if southern metal were added here, I'd put it forward for The Pit more than The Fallen. To me, it's always sounded like more of a descendant of groove metal than anything doom-related. I think the muddied waters there comes more from the frequent overlap with stoner and sludge metal, but those themselves are already steps away from the core "doom metal" approach (sludge metal, for example, mixes doom with more hardcore influences, and those influences also appear as a common feature of groove metal).

Thanks for this suggestion, Tymell! Let's all stop these new clan ideas for a while and let The Fallen be. Southern metal might fit very well in The Pit, and it could also replace another Pit genre, speed metal. Of course, speed metal is still around, but it is now a Heavy Metal subgenre in RYM. That would pretty much cause speed metal to move to The Guardians as a subgenre to Heavy Metal. But then the Pit would be more of a mid-tempo groove clan than a speedy thrash one. We'll just see how it goes from there...

Currently there are 232 primarily voted Epic Doom releases in RYM, so I see some potential for the genre to appear in Metal Academy.

I've listened to a couple Volbeat tracks before (via music videos on TV), and with the "Metalbilly" parts of their sound, I'm genuinely surprised that nobody has added the Southern Metal tag to them, not even secondarily! Even though the band is from Denmark, rockabilly originated from the American South and is a key part of Southern rock. Volbeat is a band I would call "Danish Southern Heavy Metal". I still think if the southern metal genre gets added here as a primary genre, I don't think it can fit in The Fallen because that clan already has so many genres (currently 5), and while southern and its relatives sludge and stoner have their doom roots, a decent number of bands of those styles don't follow those roots for the most part and have their own unique style, whether it's the hardcore of sludge or the mid-tempo groove of southern and stoner. With that, southern metal might end up having its own clan, and sludge metal and stoner metal can move out of The Fallen into that new clan as well. So while doom metal, gothic metal, and drone metal stay in The Fallen, southern metal, stoner metal, and sludge metal would have their own clan which we can name... The South!

1985 and 1986 were the first two years of death metal with the earlier releases of Possessed, Sepultura, and Messiah. However, they also have the thrash metal tag, and while there's nothing wrong with death/thrash, I personally think that if a genre's "traditional" or "standard", it means it stands out as truly that genre without any other genre tying in. In that sense, Death's Scream Bloody Gore should be the starting point for traditional death metal because it's the first album to be pure thrash-less death metal.

Subgenres make a lot of sense because then it’s easier for people to listen to a descendant of a main genre they generally avoid, like how I used to listen to melodeath while avoiding the standard death metal, and how I listen to doom metal while avoiding funeral doom. Indeed, one of the problems with the Epic Doom Metal label is, bands with that tag (Candlemass, Solitude Aeturnus, and Solstice) are much closer to standard doom metal. While the only difference is the addition of classical-sounding keyboards, more operatic singing, and fantasy lyrics to add that "epic" sound, the traditional doom sound is still dominant. In my opinion, those "epic" additions really have to be emphasized in balance with the doom sound. Here are a few gothic/death-doom songs that demonstrate what I'm talking about and hopefully my idea would catch on:

Two things for me to talk about here:

1. Since we're discussing anniversaries, here's another special album having its x5 anniversary today:

Happy 15th anniversary to this grand progressive metalcore concept album! Though that's just for the US release. The original Canadian release for the album was in the previous year, but I won't argue.

2. We discussed this in an earlier thread, but I don't mind sharing my opinion again here. Epic Doom Metal really is an actual doom metal subgenre. I wasn't sure RYM would ever feel like using that subgenre because of the overuse of the term "Epic" to describe other genres for some bands in websites such as the Metal Archives (for example; "Bal-Sagoth = Symphonic/Epic Black Metal", "Battlelore = Epic Symphonic Metal", "Dethlehem = Epic Melodic Death Metal", "Ensiferum = Epic Folk Metal", "Manilla Road = Epic Heavy/Power Metal"). Yeah, overly adding the word "Epic" to genres for bands that are already epic enough can make that word a little less...epic. I'm glad that RYM now acknowledges Epic Doom Metal, but it's a subgenre for Traditional Doom Metal, a label some of us find redundant. I'm fine with Epic Doom Metal being a valid subgenre here, but Traditional Doom Metal releases should just be part of the conventional Doom Metal genre...

My thoughts on some tracks:

Evile – “The Thing (1982)” (from “Hell Unleashed”, 2021)

5/5. Evile is back with some more killer music, rising against the pandemic! This f***ing brutal song is a tribute to a certain classic sci-fi horror film directed by John Carpenter. This awesome THING basically sounds like Sadus gone Annihilator, though some might think of Slayer or Megadeth. The intro at around the 30-second part has a bit of groove. Probably the most amazing aggressive thrash song I've heard this year, enough to almost have my pants sh*t on. If there was another Thing remake, this good fast song should be part of the soundtrack. The bridge halfway through can induce absolute headbanging! Every awesome thing a thrash fan wants and more is right here including the tone, speed, and lyrical subject. An epic cure to drinking depression you just gotta f***ing love, all in amazing thrash splendor! Not even Gojira could go ultra-fast in a common basis. The speed is all in the vocals, guitars, bass and drums. They pretty much assimilated their influences way more than The Thing into a blend that can never be duplicated. Some of their vocabulary has not been used by anyone else, not even Eminem (like the word "transmogrified"). Once more, this is a great song based on a sci-fi horror classic. Well done guys! Thanks for this, Sonny and Daniel!

Lamb Of God – “Black Label” (from “New American Gospel”, 2000)

4.5/5. I had this one as a Revolution playlist suggestion, but I replaced it because its album New American Gospel is tough groove metal to my ears, with small hardcore elements borrowed from the Burn the Priest album. I'm not sure what I was thinking adding that song suggestion. I made a judgement submission for this album to be removed from The Revolution. Anyway, an example of a well-crafted songwriting moment is its opening buildup, which is filled with the groove moments and layers of screaming madness Lamb of God would be known for. Another notable thing is the lyrics that are basically screaming scat gibberish with lyrics fit in based on what they sound like. Love that song!

Anthrax – “Metal Thrashing Mad” (from “Fistful Of Metal”, 1984)

4.5/5. Another incredible song! This one has inspired the name thrash metal when Kerrang! writer Malcolm Dome coined the term for his review for the song's album Fistful of Metal. However, compared to that other thrash band Evile, I'm still not up to this band until I feel like I'm ready which would be a long while from now. Scr*w Nickelback, the voice of Neil Turbin is far better than the lead singer of a band many people are addicted to these days...

Exciter – “Delivering To The Master” (from “Violence & Force”, 1984)

5/5. Boy am I excited for this band! This is the best underrated true pioneering force of speed metal! I love the great singing from Dan Beehler who can multitask by also playing the drums even in live performances.

Cryptosis – “Game Of Souls” (from “Bionic Swarm”, 2021)

4.5/5. Once again showing the band is at the top of their progressive thrash game. That is all...

An almost completely sh*tty remix album that turned most of the songs from one of the band's weakest albums into something worse:

Hello again, MartinDavey87! I don't know whether or not you have listened to those two Linkin Park recommendations, but I hope you had because I have a couple more for you; their remix albums Reanimation and Collision Course! Also could you please help me vote in the Rap Metal subgenre for both releases? Seems a little tacky and I don't wanna spoil too much for you before your reviews, but many of the songs in each album, especially the latter, have a more hip-hop-ish metal sound with mostly or solely rapping in the vocals. You don't have to vote if you disagree, though it's very likely you'll find what I'm talking about. OK thanks Martin!

Couldn't these guys just add in some of Linkin Park's rock/metal music instead of only keeping the rapping ?!

Only Linkin Park knows how to make even a Jay-Z song appealing to my ears:

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

An underrated band from Australia, Lucid Planet play a style of heavy-psych-prog-metal with bits of electronic trance, to be enjoyed whether or not you love progressive metal, that brings Tool into the minds of their listeners. Before this album, Lucid Planet made a more psychedelic rock debut, and while I haven't listened to that debut, I'm never really a fan of just psychedelia, so I'm not gonna try that one. If the psychedelia is elementally part of a progressive metal sound though, I can't say no to that. The band made an astounding mind-blowing evolution, though a few things seem a bit lumpy. While it's not entirely perfect, I would suggest passing it on to many more listeners who would enjoy it. It's up to us where and what the journey would bring....

4/5

Nearly a carbon copy of the original besides the vocals and additional programming:

The two most brilliant nu metal remixes you'll ever hear in your lifetime:

Continuing the theme of classic heavy metal songs that have developed speed metal, Tymell's recent review of Accept's Restless and Wild made me remember this fast song with its proto-thrash riffing and double-bass drumming:

The first ever Gateway recommendation goes to... MartinDavey87! I think you might dig Linkin Park's Hybrid Theory EP and The Hunting Party album as much as their other two metal albums. Also I have a favor to ask you about one of the releases; could you please help me vote in the Rap Metal subgenre for the Hybrid Theory EP? Seems a little tacky and I don't wanna spoil too much for you before your review, but half the amount of songs in the EP have a more hip-hop-ish metal sound with only Mike Shinoda's rapping in the vocals. You don't have to vote if you disagree, though it's very likely you'll find what I'm talking about. OK thanks Martin!

A weak angry half-rap half-metal song, followed by 6 minutes of static, then a decent but still poor "Ambient" hidden track. What order can be worse than this?

Linkin Park began their highly successful discography with the EP released when they still had the name Hybrid Theory, and it shines with a few killer songs like this one:

Here's my suggestion for the July Gateway playlist:

Linkin Park - "Guilty All the Same" (from The Hunting Party, 2014)

Here are my suggestions for July's Revolution playlist:

August Burns Red - "The Frost" (4:46) from Phantom Anthem (2017)

Between the Buried and Me - "Alaska" (4:00) from Alaska (2005)

Demon Hunter - "Artificial Light" (4:29) from Extremist (2014)

The Dillinger Escape Plan - "Pig Latin" (3:31) from Irony is a Dead Scene (2002)

Fear, and Loathing in Las Vegas - "Return to Zero" (3:43) from New Sunrise (2017)

Unearth - "Survivalist" (4:14) from Extinction(s) (2018)

Winds of Plague - "Never Alone" (4:25) from Blood of My Enemy (2017)

Total length: 29:08

Here are my suggestions for July's Infinite playlist:

Ayreon -  "Daniel's Descent Into Transitus" (2:40) from Transitus (2020)

Enslaved - "Return to Yggdrasill" (5:39) from Isa (2004)

Haken - "The Good Doctor" (3:55) from Vector (2018)

Pain of Salvation - "Restless Boy" (3:34) from Panther (2020)

Vektor - "Accelerating Universe" (13:31) from Black Future (2009)

Total length: 29:19

Here are my suggestions for July's Guardians playlist:

Angra - "Carry On" (5:03) from Angels Cry (1993)

Children of Bodom - "Everytime I Die" (4:02) from Follow the Reaper (2000)

Dragonland - "Shadow of the Mithril Mountains" (5:44) from Under the Grey Banner (2011)

Epica - "The Second Stone" (5:00) from The Quantum Enigma (2014)

Grand Magus - "Steel Versus Steel" (5:19) from Triumph and Power (2014)

Kamelot - "Sacrimony (Angel of Afterlife)" (4:19) from I Am the Empire – Live from the 013 (2020)

Total length: 29:27

I have a special request to make about the Dragonland and Kamelot submissions. They have been two of my favorite power metal songs since over 7 years ago and they sound so similar to each other in a good mashup kind of way, so I would really appreciate it if you could please position the Kamelot song to be right after the Dragonland one in the playlist track listing, so I can listen to the glory of those two tracks back to back. The original Kamelot song isn't on Spotify, but I found its recent live version. OK thanks!

Here are my suggestions for July's Fallen playlist:

Charon - "The Stone" (5:45) from Tearstained (2000)

The Gathering - "In Sickness and Health" (7:00) from Always... (1992)

Isis - "Carry" (6:46) from Oceanic (2002)

My Dying Bride - "Bring Me Victory" (4:08) from For Lies I Sire (2009)

Total length: 23:39

So Linkin Park had Rage Against the Machine guitarist Tom Morello along for their metal album ride, but instead of continuing Linkin Park's rock return, he does not play a single riff or chord, he just provides guitar ambience over a shuffle of piano, synths, and drums in an off-kilter mix. Talk about a missed opportunity!

Thanks Ben for adding Linkin Park's The Hunting Party album to the site, and sorry you had to go to the pain of adding their non-metal albums in between to bridge the gap. Behold the last ever song I've heard from Linkin Park in my brother's alt-rock/metal footsteps before fading out into my "real" metal interest. I still love it to this day because of how metal it is!

I did my review, here's its summary:

Once a Japanese Visual Kei/glam rock band, Dir En Grey toned down their earlier imagery and focused on becoming something greater and more modern. Their superb songwriting will surely persuade listeners to enter the Japanese alt-garde metal realm! Their 7th album Uroboros further establishes the unique genre the band has reinvented, all in emerging triumph. It is an exploration through new territory while staying familiar to earlier fans. They continue to expand on the earlier pop elements but twist it with the metal sound that would dominate this album in sonic talent. And seeing how I can better tolerate both Japanese metal bands and bands in other languages besides English, I should have no problem as I explore songs that range dark gothic prog-pop to thrashy death metal, whether both styles are together in one song or apart. If you enjoy this alt-garde metal kind of style, this would get you hooked. Dir En Grey have made one of the proudest achievements in the history of metal!

5/5