Shadowdoom9 (Andi)'s Forum Replies

Here's my review summary:

3 years after their previous album Pain Remains, the masters of symphonic deathcore are back with their new album I Feel the Everblack Festering Within Me! The new album really is similar to Pain Remains. Elitists can put their hand down though, because as I said above, there are some fantastic surprises that not even Pain Remains has, which we'll get to as the review goes on. The album doesn't have a multi-track suite like that of Pain Remains, let alone have it released alongside 3 singles. Less singles, more anticipation, am I right? And guess what, there are more songs that have no breakdowns! As much as I like breakdowns, it's nice to not hear them in nearly every song. Those songs without breakdowns end up sounding closer to straight-up extreme symphonic metal, so I don't mind this album sitting in The Guardians. When the breakdowns do come on though, they're some of the most crushing breakdowns in Lorna Shore's career. The brutal heaviness is balanced out with the epic melody that makes some songs, including the ones without breakdowns, a few of the band's most glorious songs yet, especially that 10-minute final track. Basically, they've taken the best of those eras and added a few new things including a highly different heavier track. In their perfect 2020s melodic symphonic blackened deathcore era, I Feel the Everblack Festering Within Me might just be the best of the best. Extreme vocals, drumming machinery, blazing guitars, booming bass, and cinematic orchestration make a recipe of unbreakable epicness. And I'm grateful that something like this can be heard all over the world!

5/5

Recommended tracks: "Prison of Flesh", "Oblivion", "Unbreakable", "Glenwood", "Death Can Take Me", "War Machine", "Forevermore"

For fans of: A Wake in Providence, Worm Shepherd, Hope for the Dying

Here's my review summary:

I think just found my new favorite nu metal album. There are so amazing songs that sound as fresh as they did 24 years prior. These 9 members perform in great synergy, especially in the rhythm section, not just from Wilson but also two percussionists, as well as drummer Joey Jordison and bassist Paul Gray. RIP the latter two... Many of the tracks are prime examples of nu metal, some of which have a more rock-ish tone while unleashing their usual rage in everything. Then it all ends with the 15-minute closing title epic, an incredible journey for those who are patient and never restless. Truly an offering of pure in-your-face extreme nu metal!

4.5/5

Recommended tracks: "People = Sh*t", "My Plague", "Everything Ends", "Left Behind", "I Am Hated", "New Abortion", "Iowa"

For fans of: Stone Sour, Korn, early Linkin Park

Update for November:

THE FALLEN: SONNY, Vinny

THE GATEWAY: SAXY, Andi

THE GUARDIANS: SONNY, Karl, Andi

THE HORDE: VINNY, Sonny, Karl

THE INFINITE: ANDI, Saxy

THE NORTH: KARL, Vinny, Sonny

THE PIT: VINNY, Sonny

THE REVOLUTION: ANDI

THE SPHERE: ANDI

Here's my submission for the November Gateway playlist:

Cave In - "Paranormal" (from Perfect Pitch Black, 2005)

And now for one of the more popular bands in the Christian alt-metal/metalcore scene:

Demon Hunter - https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2mlaMr1Nf1YzQpIind6IZi

Disc 1

1. Infected

2. The Gauntlet

3. Not Ready to Die

4. Beauty Through the Eyes of a Predator

5. Not I

6. One Thousand Apologies

7. Sixteen

8. Follow the Wolves

9. Collapsing

10. The World is a Thorn

11. Feel as Though You Could

12. Tomorrow Never Comes

13. Dead Flowers

Disc 2

1. Death

2. Beyond Me

3. Jesus Wept

4. The End

5. Cut to Fit

6. The Negative

7. Peace

8. Fear is Not My Guide

9. Loneliness (Resurrected)

10. Silence the World

11. Godless

12. Sorrow Light the Way

13. There Was a Light Here

And now for one of the more popular bands in the Christian alt-metal/metalcore scene:

Demon Hunter

1. The World is a Thorn

2. The Triptych

3. Storm the Gates of Hell

4. True Defiance

5. Summer of Darkness

6. Extremist

7. Demon Hunter

8. War

9. Outlive

10. There Was a Light Here

11. Peace

12. Exile

13. Songs of Death and Resurrection

An absolutely epic and emotional highlight with no breakdowns, basically extreme power-ish symphonic metal, enough to qualify in this thread:

The band tries so hard to sound like fellow Christian alt-rock band Skillet here, but there isn't enough ambition and it comes out as one of the worst tracks they've ever done:

Probably the best Demon Hunter track since the highlights from their 3rd, 4th, and 5th albums (the grand album triptych):

One of the only tracks in Demon Hunter's new album to qualify for The Revolution, this opening highlight may be the closest to the band's earlier melodic metalcore roots:

Plankton AI metal is back again, here's another solid banger:

An epic of triumph and emotion, perhaps Lorna Shore's greatest achievement! More info in my review once their new album gets added to the site:

I couldn't find any of the Cream Abdul Babar tracks from that split EP on YouTube, but I was able to find the sh*tter of Teen Cthulhu's side:

The more black metal-ish track of Teen Cthulhu's side of the EP:

A well-done combination of metalcore and symphonic black metal before early Abigail Williams made it cool:

Ben, please add Ära Krâ.

Indeed. The vocalist of one of Gothenburg melodeath's pioneering bands is sadly gone. RIP Tomas Lindberg 

Despite heading back to the melodic progressive/power metal zone, I enjoy a few of the more modern metalcore bands, like this formerly Christian metalcore band from Phoenix, Arizona:

And this Finnish band that started off as modernized old-school thrash metal but ending up going the alt-metal/metalcore route starting with their 2020 album:

Early Norwegian progressive/power metal with wonderful singing by Roy Khan who would later join Kamelot:

Once again, my return to The Guardians has caused my heavy/power/symphonic metal interest to be reborn and rapidly expand. Here are 6 bands of those genres that I've heard of when I was still completely in that zone 10 years ago (except The Dark Element), but didn't start listening to them full-time until I rediscovered them in the playlists that I've assembled in the last few months:

Ben, please add the 2003 Cream Abdul Babar / Teen Cthulhu split album.

Breaking boundaries further is this standout featuring the Stimmgewalt choir, sounding similar to Moonspell's more symphonic works:

Another well-done piece of gothic/industrial metal:

Starting off hard is this majestic opener of aggression and beauty:

An epic rendition of a Pet Shop Boys classic, even more than Gamma Ray's cover:

The melancholy sounds absolutely right in this gothic cover of a Bronski Beat hit:

A highlight by these masters of war-themed power metal, sounding both catchy and epic:

A grand majestic 10-minute epic summarizing all this album has:

The Chronicles of Eden is one of the most essential compilation albums for a band, with the first disc consisting of bonus tracks for their first 5 albums, including this awesome cover of a James Bond movie theme:

And the second disc having two full songs per album; one greatest hit and one 8+ minute epic, the latter including one of the most melodic epics I've heard in my over a decade of listening to metal:

A massive 12-minute epic with killer riffing, synths, and vocals by a few of the guest vocalists:

And there are some more of those splendid vocals from those vocalists and a couple more in the bonus track:

Here's my one submission for the October Horde playlist, Sonny:

Warmen - "Untouched" (from Band of Brothers, 2025)

Here's my one submission for the October Fallen playlist, Sonny:

Within Temptation - "Enter" (from Enter, 1997)

Children of Bodom-esque melodeath from a band once known for its neoclassical power metal sound:

I've done my review, here's its summary:

With my recent return to The Guardians, I've become more determined to discover more heavy/power metal that's either brand-new or I haven't heard before but wish I had 10 years ago when those two genres were my main focus. This month's Guardians feature release is worth continuing my journey. It's time to check out this band Blazon Rite and listen to them sing their Wild Rites and Ancient Songs! It's quite a promising album with tough instrumentation and melodic writing. I also love the song titles, even though they all look like those AI-generated song titles with at least 5 words each. Considering the amount of bands who get put down for any alleged usage of AI, I just hope this band doesn't get wrongfully accused. The songs are often midpaced or fast, though they can slow down for the occasional bard-sung waltz. In the modern age of metal, not many people expect epic melodies within the way of classic heavy/power metal, but bands like Blazon Rite still have their exciting glory. It's great hearing this band bring more life to a style of metal that has withered decades after its highest peak. This offering shall appeal to listeners wanting more epicness and melody in metal without any cheese or orchestra. It's a Blazon Rite of passage!

4.5/5

A fantastic highlight resurrecting the earlier thrashy aggression:

I've done my review, here's its summary:

Creativity and technology were really advancing in the 90s. ONE MAN, Klayton decided to put his music skills to the test as a once-unknown man determined to fulfill his vision. His project Circle of Dust takes on industrial metal fury that has given him a reasonable fanbase. Turmoils over record labels and the target audience caused the end of the project. He would start his next project Celldweller and formed his own label FiXT, having more electronic rock/industrial metal freedom. Early hints of Circle of Dust returning came in 2015 with a couple remixes of Celldweller and Scandroid (his electronic side-project) tracks. Later that year, it was announced that he finally regained to the albums he made as Circle of Dust, as well as Argyle Park, re-releasing them in remastered forms with a huge array of bonus material. While he has completely brought all of his 90s work back to light, there was one thing left to prove that Circle of Dust isn't dead... A new album! Machines of Our Disgrace, released in late 2016, has the blazing aggression of industrial metal you've known from Circle of Dust, probably the best album since Brainchild. Some of the best lyrics, riffs, keys, and samples can be found in this album. There's more of the cyber complexity from the first two albums as well as the synths and beats of Disengage. Well-produced compositions push through the limits of industrial metal, coming out as another perfect achievement. The music and lyrics are both heavy and compelling, with the concept of striking back against the mechanical atrocities of the world. Klayton has proven himself to be a master of industrial rock/metal, and longtime fans can enjoy this music that's so complex and intense. Circle of Dust has returned, and the vision has come full circle!

5/5

Recommended tracks: "Machines of Our Disgrace", "Contagion", "Humanarchy", "Hive Mind", "Outside In", "Neurachem", "Neophyte"

For fans of: Argyle Park, Blue Stahli, Celldweller

Yet another highlight worth giving lots of praise to, for some of its different versions:

I also enjoy this Blue Stahli remix of a different track from the album:

These tracks were in the original 1992 edition of Circle of Dust's self-titled debut and were never re-recorded because of how much Klayton hated them. And I have to agree, these two sh*tty tracks should never have existed:

I really dig this Circle of Dust highlight, so much so that I love a few different versions of it:

An awesome piece of industrial rock/metal greatness:

But this Blue Stahli remix from the deluxe remastering gives another already great song more life:

Another true anthem of melodic deathcore:

An absolutely phenomenal melodic deathcore highlight! WILL YOU PURSUE?!

I've done my review, here's its summary:

There has been some talk about As Blood Runs Black's debut Allegiance being similar to The Black Dahlia Murder. I haven't listened to a lot of that band, but based on the few songs I've heard from TBDM, I can totally understand. Allegiance I would consider more of a blend of deathcore and melodeath. And everything is in perfect place, including the breakdowns! This is also back when melodic deathcore was more deathly and less blackened/symphonic than their younger peers. Allegiance has the fast guitarwork, melodic soloing, and brutal breakdowns to expect in any metalcore/deathcore album. Vocals range from blackened to deathly. Lots of blast beats are used in the drumming. And the songs are all under 5 minutes in length, so don't expect any progressive epics. The breakdowns actually have audible bass which isn't quite common in other parts of the album. This album would've been 100% perfect but ends up getting a couple percentage points knocked off for a beautiful yet unfitting acoustic interlude in the middle. Still, Allegiance is the best place for anyone wanting to test out deathcore for the first time without going into the popular new wave of symphonic blackened deathcore. I just hope As Blood Runs Black would return with another masterpiece like this without any acoustic interludes. We need more straight-up melodic deathcore, seriously!

5/5

Recommended tracks: "In Dying Days", "My Fears Have Become Phobias", "The Brighter Side of Suffering", "Strife (Chug Chug)", "Legends Never Die"

For fans of: All Shall Perish, The Black Dahlia Murder, The Crimson Armada

Another glorious 7-minute epic of unforgiving riffing:

This massive 80-minute journey is all worth it once you reach this 10-minute sonic behemoth of a closing epic:

I've done my review, here's its summary:

A decade had passed since the djenty debut album by Vildhjarta, Masstaden, the album that pushed the boundaries of djent just like when Meshuggah invented it in the mid-90s. The long wait for their second album is partially because of Calle Thomer (guitar) and Buster Odeholm (drums) being focused on fellow thall developer Humanity's Last Breath. They still have their perfect groove-ish progressive djent in this next album, the massive 80-minute Masstaden Under Vatten (Seagull Town Underwater)! While thall can mean anything, I would say it's as evil and strong as Thrall, the World of Warcraft character that inspired the genre's name. This is exemplified by the complexity, atmosphere, and downtuned heaviness that make the subgenre, following the band's unconventional ways including no set structure, destructive riffing, and clean melody only used for haunting atmosphere, thereby maintaining the band's aggressive evolution. The talent of each member shines from the vocals of Vilhelm Bladin, the drums of Odeholm, the guitars of Thomer and Daniel Bergstrom, and the bass of Johan Nyberg, all drifting through dark djenty waters. The thall sound has opened up dimensions of darkness and brutality that barely any other band could. This is true kaos!

5/5

Recommended tracks: "Nar De Du Alskar Kommer Tillbaka Fran De Doda", "Toxin", "Den Helige Anden", "Passage Noir", "Vagabond", "Detta Drommars Skote en Sloja Till Ormars Naste", "Sunset Sunrise", "Sunset Sunrise Sunset Sunrise", "Paaradiso"

For fans of: Humanity's Last Breath, Meshuggah, Reflections

Here are my sneak peek submissions for the October Sphere playlist:

Blue Stahli - "Not Over Til We Say So" (3:41) from The Devil (2015)

A Dark Halo - "Unbreakable" (4:27) from Catalyst (2006)

The Interbeing - "In the Transcendence" (3:08) from Edge of the Obscure (2011)

Mechina - "Praise Hydrus" (8:15) from Venator (2022)

Neurotech - "Escapism" (6:22) from Exo Escapism (2025)

Omega Lithium - "Point Blank" (3:57) from Dreams in Formaline (2009)

Total length: 29:50

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

The Breathing Process - "Metamorphosis" (4:21) from Odyssey (Un)Dead (2010)

Cave In - "N.I.B." (4:17) from Anomalies, Vol. 1 (2010) (RIP Ozzy Osbourne)

Fear of Domination - "Inner Lies" (4:03) from VI: Revelation (2021)

It Dies Today - "Marigold" (3:06) from The Caitiff Choir (2004)

We Came as Romans - "Dreams" (4:15) from To Plant a Seed (2009)

While She Sleeps - "Gates of Paradise" (5:20) from So What? (2019)

Winds of Plague - "The Impaler" (3:01) from Decimate the Weak (2008)

Total length: 28:23

For the October Infinite playlist, I'd like to nominate this long epic that's one of the best of melodic progressive metal:

Symphony X - "The Odyssey" (24:09) from The Odyssey (2002)

Here are my sneak peek submissions for the October Guardians playlist:

Galneryus - "My Hope is Gone" (7:00) from Into the Purgatory (2019)

Masterplan - "Music" (7:27) from PumpKings (2017)

Powerwolf - "Fire & Forgive" (4:30) from The Sacrament of Sin (2018)

Visions of Atlantis - "Lemuria" (3:41) from Cast Away (2004)

Warkings - "Armata Strigoi" (4:14) from Morgana (2022)

Total length: 26:52