Shadowdoom9 (Andi)'s Forum Replies

Today is the anniversaries of not one, not two, but 3 albums from the Pit that cross over with each band's main clan:

You know how much I like that Trivium album (though not as much as most of their other albums because in that album, they focused less on metalcore while still having it)! The 5FDP album is one of my brother's favorite albums from the band, and I listened to a few songs from that album when following his alt-metal footsteps. I'm feeling up to giving that album another listen and a review (this one's for you, bro!).

I'm sorry to hear you've been doing it tough Andi. We're all here for you if you ever want to talk. COVID has been a major challenge for every one of us (some in very different ways to others) & I can assure you that you're not alone in feeling depressed about the whole situation.

Out of interest, where does your new relationship with artists like Arcturus & Samael that began their careers as black metal bands fit into this arrangement? I also find it interesting that you've elected to keep your options open in regard to sludge metal when it's the most aggressive & violent of the subgenres The Fallen contains. I would have thought it'd be the first to go to be honest.

Despite what I've said about the virus still being around and strong, and me being in the depression stage, I'm actually getting slightly better than I was a month or two ago. The COVID cases are getting lower to the point where we are less restricted and isolated when it comes to going to places, though some restrictions still apply, and with me and my family vaccinated, it's much less of an issue now. I think if it all goes well by the end of the month and my gothic/doom departure, I should be heading into the acceptance stage and live with what reality has to offer. Thanks for your concern, Daniel!

With the slow darkness of gothic/doom to soon be out of my way, this would be a good chance to start building up the upbeat and extreme side of my relationship further, and that Samael album that was the Sphere feature release for last month was a good start. I'm still avoiding bands that are full-on satanic black metal (including subgenres) for my own moral reasons, but if a band is straight-up black metal for the first few albums or releases, and the rest is a genre that I still enjoy, that's OK for me. That's why I still like bands such as Arcturus, Samael, and Enslaved.

The aggressive violence of sludge metal is what sets this genre apart from the other Fallen genres, as that's what it focuses on instead of depressive darkness for the most part. Plus I can't say no to its hardcore roots because my Revolution passion is still strong, nor the post-variant because it's closer to post-metal. I don't mind bringing back some aggression into my life, since I've already left the anger stage earlier this year. And maybe one day I might have the courage to explore a bit of death metal again also, albeit in similar conditions as my black metal rule...

With my recently announced-to-be-starting doom departure (https://metal.academy/forum/7/thread/971), you won't see me do anymore of the sh*t we talked about in this thread, and I'm sure you all might be supportive of my decision, but I know what some of you will also say (though I wouldn't say this myself because it's not in my religion):

As a matter of fact, Daniel, I'm gonna make my official announcement about my gothic/doom metal departure and the reasons for it tomorrow morning. I've enjoyed My Dying Bride and other gothic/doom bands during my Fallen years, but enjoyment isn't forever. We all have our taste changes with good reasons. Soon would be, like that Hopesfall song, the end of an era. Stay tuned for my announcement tomorrow...

Spacey Norwegian avant-prog metal for fans of Leprous, Limbonic Art, and Samael:

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

The Gateway: Linkin Park - The Hunting Party (2014) - 3.5/5

The Guardians: Fates Warning - Night on Bröcken (1984) - 4/5

The Infinite: Ne Obliviscaris - Portal of I (2012) - 5/5

The Revolution: Kickback - Les 150 passions meurtrières (2001) - 2.5/5

Another good month for feature releases, again probably because of the releases submitted by us Metal Academy members (including myself), though in more mixed reactions from me. My feature release submissions for The Gateway and The Guardians are good enough for others to try but could've been slightly better. The feature release for The Infinite deserves a perfect 5 stars and is a great modern classic that I would recommend to any fan of progressive metal. The Revolution release is not really great for me and I'll never feel up to listening to more of that band anytime soon. Thanks for these amazing feature releases, guys! Looking forward to more of this cool activity, along with feature release submissions for next month coming in via private message...

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

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

2. Guardians playlist - 4.5/5 (number of songs commented: 6)

3. Infinite playlist - 4.5/5 (number of songs commented: 9)

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

Another rewarding playlist month for me, this time my playlist ratings for all the clans I've commented on are each an average total of 4.5 stars! It is also the first month that I've never commented on a single part of the Fallen playlist because of my move out of The Fallen, with my move out of gothic/doom metal in general to be announced tomorrow. And yes, I enjoyed the Samael track I've submitted to The Sphere playlist, but my Sphere knowledge still isn't too great, so I'll take a break from making one-track submissions to The Sphere again. Anyway, good month!

Ben, please add the new Trivium album In the Court of the Dragon.

Happy 15th anniversary to a couple more albums essential for true fans of doom metal! I'm sure gonna miss when I used to enjoy that My Dying Bride album...

Wonderful Australian progressive metal for fans of Opeth, Xanthochroid & Persefone.

A perfect blend of loudness and emotion!

The two "Tower" songs really showed Rivers of Nihil's new direction in a weird tone that is a contributing factor to why the album came a star short from a perfect 5 stars:

Rivers of Nihil is back (and so is a bit of my interest in this band) with their new prog-death album The Work, including this 11 and a half minute epic in which listening to it speaks louder than speaking about it:

Also, Enslaved released a new EP the other day, titled Caravans to the Outer Worlds. Enslaved's new release continues their extreme progressive metal direction but apparently in a more appealing light for those outside the underground. One of my friends from the outside world claimed to have "also listened to 75 % of that EP!!!!"

OK, fine, just in case some of you are curious about the radio pop sh*t that I was listening to in the late 2000s before I was 11, I'll show you a playlist I made of some songs from those times. Just remember that I'm still a metalhead, and the pop past shall stay in the past. Also if you're wondering, the explicit songs were censored on radios where I listened to them. Playlist is right here: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/19qhvuCnyKMasNoGAZqFJj

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

All That Remains - "This Calling" (3:39) from The Fall of Ideals (2006)

August Burns Red - "Coordinates" (5:11) from Phantom Anthem (2017)

Betraying the Martyrs - "Tapestry of Me" (4:36) from Breathe in Life (2011)

Bullet for My Valentine - "Scream Aim Fire" (4:26) from Scream Aim Fire (2008)

Converge - "Thaw" (4:30) from Jane Doe (2001)

The Dillinger Escape Plan - "Sandbox Magician" (2:31) from Under the Running Board (1998)

Unearth - "Watch It Burn" (4:06) from Darkness in the Light (2011)

Total length: 28:59

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

Evergrey - "Misled" (6:00) from In Search of Truth (2001)

Pain of Salvation - "On a Tuesday" (10:22) from In the Passing Light of Day (2017)

Seventh Wonder - "Unbreakable" (7:19) from Mercy Falls (2008)

Voivod - "Experiment" (6:10) from Dimension Hatröss (1988)

Total length: 29:51

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

Angra - "The Course of Nature" (4:31) from Aurora Consurgens (2006)

Battlelore - "Doombound" (8:02) from Doombound (2011)

Gamma Ray - "Land of the Free" (4:38) from Land of the Free (1995)

Riot - "Storming the Gates of Hell" (3:43) from The Privilege of Power (1990)

Running Wild - "Little Big Horn" (5:00) from Blazon Stone (1991)

Twilight Force - "Gates of Glory" (3:55) from Tales of Ancient Prophecies (2014)

Total length: 29:49

I'm still keeping the amount of Gateway suggestions from me slightly low because while I'm glad to join the Gateway, I'm new to the clan and want my alt-metal taste to build gradually before going all in with my suggestions. My number of Gateway suggestions will increase by 1 until I get to a set maximum of, say, 8. With that, here are what I'm submitting for November's Gateway playlist (I'll make sure any multi-clan suggestions fit well with the playlist I'm submitting to):

Disturbed - "A Reason to Fight" (4:44) from Evolution (2018)

Green Carnation - "The Quiet Offspring" (4:05) from The Quiet Offspring (2005)

Lacuna Coil - "Closer" (3:02) from Karmacode (2006)

Linkin Park - "Pushing Me Away" (3:11) from Hybrid Theory (2000)

While She Sleeps - "Anti-Social" (4:14) from So What? (2019)

Total length: 19:16

I haven't listened to that MonumentuM album yet, but that can make a good addition to my gothic metal bucket list...

Ben, please add these two new albums:

Rivers of Nihil - The Work

Enslaved - Caravans to the Outer Worlds (EP)

Ben, please add the Samael album Era One. Also I don't think you've added those other non-metal releases I've requested yet (from Eluveitie, Theatre of Tragedy, Underoath, and Virgin Steele), so can you please add them in as soon as possible to bridge the gap? Thanks...

An epic new music video from Trivium's soon-to-be-released album In the Court of the Dragon, with scenes from one of the greatest video game franchises, the Elder Scrolls:

This one didn't sound so great for me, I didn't even try writing a full review. Laugh at this if you must: https://metal.academy/reviews/22573/3132

I did my review, here's its summary:

It wasn't until Ray Adler joined the band when the more progressive era of Fates Warning came to full force, but after 5 years of trying to get into listening to Fates Warning, I've finally done so starting with the John Arch era. As early as their debut Night on Brocken, they had a bit of power/speed metal influenced by Judas Priest and Iron Maiden. While not super impressive, their debut has brooding rhythms and Arch's searing vocals that place him between Dickinson and Kotipelto (the latter from Stratovarius). Apparently, all the songs were re-recorded from a couple demos the band made, the first demo containing two-thirds and released under the band name Misfit, yet the lineup stayed during those first few years, consisting of not just John Arch, but also dueling guitarists Jim Matheos and Victor Arduini, bassist Joe DiBiase, and drummer Steve Zimmerman. The tones work well in the album with purely sung melodies despite sounding raw compared to the other two albums of the Arch era. I can understand why this album is shunned by even the remaining active founding member Matheos. But still there are some solid guitars and memorable vocals with rage nostalgia in the atmosphere. There's no chance this would ever be my ultimate favorite Fates Warning album, but it's a fine powerful Guardians feature release choice for you to get your US power metal on....

4/5

Recommended songs: "Buried Alive", "Night on Brocken", "Misfit", "Damnation", "Soldier Boy"

For fans of: 80s Queensryche, Riot, Omen

My thoughts on some tracks:

All Out War – “Resist” (from “Truth In The Age Of Lies”, 1997)

4/5. Let's start the playlist with one of the more violent metallic hardcore bands that is a direct opposite of those suburban emo bands that wish for peace. Mike Score has sick vocal brutality going on. The first couple minutes play off almost like a slower "Hell Awaits", but after that, they don't need to go thrash, groove, or Swedish death metal. Instead this is OG metalcore that they've helped developed along with Integrity. F***ing great bad-a** sound, but the intensity is slightly overwhelming. This song would definitely be for old-school metalcore fans. War awaits...

Unearth – “Incinerate” (from “Extinction(s)”, 2018)

4.5/5. This one with a hardcore riff that, along with an awesome guitar interlude, can incinerate listeners face down.

Bullet For My Valentine – “The Last Fight” (from “Fever”, 2010)

4.5/5. Here's a glimpse of a driving fighter-attitude. It has the first ever guitar solo in the album. It's my personal favorite song in terms of vocals, most of which is clean singing with background shouting in the chorus, which is unlike the rest of the clan while keep the rebellious attitude. That's a simple but cool mature song.

Shadows Fall – “Destroyer Of Senses” (from “The Art Of Balance”, 2002)

4/5. This one keeps up the fast thrashy pace from the BFMV track, but a little simplistic and repetitive. Brain Fair does some guttural screaming in the slow sludgy part. I just picked this one as a starter for thrashy metalcore newcomers.

Misery Signals – “Five Years” (from “Of Malice & The Magnum Heart”, 2004)

5/5. One of my favorite Misery Signals songs! The line "Blood is forever" really smashes my heart and fixes it back up, restoring the blood that came out of it. And d*mn, what a f***ing amazing ending here!

Born Of Osiris – “Angel Or Alien” (from “Angel Or Alien”, 2021)

4.5/5. What you may hear in this track is a long-time-no-listen infectious hook, in which you can't deny its resemblance to the band's past material while moving the evolution forward. What a grand album that is!

Amaranthe – “Drop Dead Cynical” (from “Massive Addictive”, 2014)

3.5/5. This song I'm not really a big fan of. Their attempt to sound heavier ends coming out as more of an industrial-pop single. That marks the start of the overpowering trance infecting their later albums.

All That Remains – “Behind Silence & Solitude” (from “Behind Silence & Solitude”, 2002)

4/5. One of my favorite songs from All That Remains' melodeath-fueled debut, though not as the same height as songs from their later metalcore albums.

After The Burial – “Pendulum” (from “In Dreams”, 2010)

4.5/5. After the Burial is a f***ing passionate progressive metalcore band that I used to enjoy, but I kinda wish I hadn't given up on this band. This is a great song from them. Justin Lowe did amazing djenty rhythms. RIP...

Converge – “No Heroes” (from “No Heroes”, 2006)

5/5. This awesome killer Jane Doe leftover-ish track has crazy good lyrics ("NO MORE HEROES!! NO MORE!! NO MORE!! In my world of enemies I walk alone!!!").

Threat Signal – “One Last Breath” (from “Under Reprisal”, 2006)

4.5/5. Time for one last song, this one with one of the best choruses by this band that I've also left behind listening to, this time because of their melodeath mixed with metalcore. This can really pound more than coffee for me! Thankfully, this isn't a Creed cover at all, but instead a much better original track than that Creed song. Absolutely kick-A! I haven't heard this band in 5 or 6 months but, I still understand how underrated this band is. The chorus might remind some of a mix of Linkin Park and Fear Factory.

My thoughts on some tracks:

Symphony X – “The Damnation Game” (from “The Damnation Game”, 1995)

4.5/5. When the opening track of Symphony X's second album and this playlist begins, you know right away that the melodic neo-classical/progressive metal sound is fully formed in a fast pace. Drummer Jason Rullo shows his fantastic skills, and new and current vocalist Russell Allen puts his voice in full power.

Leprous – “White” (from “Tall Poppy Syndrome”, 2009)

5/5. The epic closer of my favorite Leprous album (and the August Infinite feature release), Tall Poppy Syndrome, is the longest Leprous song at 11 and a half minutes. 10 minutes of glorious progressive metal, ending with a couple key transposes and unleashing the band's power before collapsing into a couple minute piano outro. Incredible!

Fates Warning – “Fata Morgana” (from “Awaken The Guardian”, 1986)

4.5/5. This one uses the usual melody and time changes less often, which I really like!

Between The Buried & Me – “Revolution In Limbo” (from “Colors II”, 2021)

5/5. A killer track from BTBAM's stylistic and conceptual comeback album, this one continues blending various characteristics including tricky shifts in instrumentation and catchy hooks, all in brilliant repetition that's never boring. The singing is around as often as the growling, and similarly, the guitars can range from acoustic cleans to violent shredding leads. Drummer Blake Richardson does killer growls in the massive breakdown, which is in return for what happens in the album's next track that's another story...

Evergrey – “Broken Wings” (from “Torn”, 2008)

4/5. Another song I like from when my progressive metal interest was slightly more melodic. With that said, this is a heavy song to headbang to that I like. Frontman Tom Englund knows how to make great progressive music despite some restraints for the band.

Cynic – “Veil Of Maya” (from “Focus”, 1993)

4.5/5. RIP Sean Reinert and Malone. Those two members of the band tragically leaving this world is one of two reasons why I lost interest in Cynic, the other being my death metal departure. It is a work of art that puts its album Focus next to Death's Human on the race to the top of the early 90s tech-death mountain, and I think Cynic has taken the lead. So f***ing good, and its 2004 remix makes the guitars sound clearer and more dynamic than the original. This song also inspired the name of death/metalcore band Veil of Maya. I wonder how the upcoming Cynic album would turn out as the first without the two Seans. RIP...

Æthĕrĭa Conscĭentĭa – “Liturgy for the Ekzunreh” (from “Corrupted Pillars Of Vanity”, 2021)

4/5. A bit of a more tribal and atmospheric-sounding Enslaved, but too blackened-ish for me. Next!

Dir en Grey – “Reiketsu nariseba” (from “Uroboros”, 2008)

4.5/5. A superb blend of the jazz and vocals of Mr. Bungle with Schizophrenia-era Sepultura.

Ænigmatum – “Fracturing Proclivity” (from “Deconsecrate”, 2021)

3.5/5. Is this for real progressive metal? Yes, it sounds progressive, but the style is closer to blackened death metal. Anyway it sounds killer, but with the style I just explained, it's not really my cup of tea. Not really the best way to end the playlist...

My thoughts on some tracks:

Savatage – “Sarajevo” (from “Dead Winter Dead”, 1995)

4/5. Dead Winter Dead is a recent favorite classic heavy metal album of mine and I love it all, along with their surrounding 90s albums. However, an intro is not usually the best of the album, still this one is very good. I submitted this one as a sneak peek for a special submission I plan for the December playlist. You can guess what it is...

Queensryche – “Walk In The Shadows” (from “Rage For order”, 1986)

4.5/5. This classic heavy metal track stays purely metal while beginning the band's more artistic direction. What makes this song a highlight is Geoff Tate's vocals of stylistic howling. The main riff and chorus melody are infectious enough to stay in your brain like a hotel visit.

The Lord Weird Slough Feg – “Asteroid Belts” (from “Traveller”, 2003)

4.5/5. This song continues those strong solos and riffs, along with a fantastic intro. Short comment for a short song!

Dark Moor – “Halloween” (from “The Fall Of Melnibone” E.P., 2001)

5/5. Pretty clever, right? Submitting this "Halloween" song for the month of Halloween... This has been an amazing epic from my earlier days of when my power metal taste was more emphasized. And yeah I enjoy this Dark Moor cover more. Sorry, Helloween.

Grand Magus – “Holmgång” (from “Triumph & Power”, 2014)

4/5. A short but enjoyable song. Enough said!

HammerFall – “Any Means Necessary” (from “No Sacrifice, No Victory”, 2009)

4.5/5. This track is from an album that's in the middle between the band's old and new eras. That song has a pattern of a driving verse, pounding bridge, and hymn-like chorus to prepare you for battle.

My thoughts on some tracks:

While She Sleeps – “No Defeat For The Brave” (from “Sleeps Society”, 2021)

5/5. All right, another home run for me with a While She Sleeps track to begin this playlist! A very good and meaningful song to like, though it might get confusing to hear Deryck Whibley of Sum 41 in an alt-metalcore song. Still a perfect collaboration!

Katatonia – “Behind The Blood” (from “City Burials”, 2020)

4/5. This one displays guitarist Roger Öjersson's amazing rock leads in a dark yet uplifting atmosphere, but I might soon run away from the darkness of the band doomier Fallen days. Jonas Renkse's lines in the driving chorus make that song a definite near-highlight.

Linkin Park – “From The Inside” (from “Meteora”, 2003)

4.5/5. Not the most popular song of the album, but my absolute favorite of the album Meteora. This song takes on a heavier side of rock, as Chester sings smoothly in the verses (along with Mike's rapping), gets coherently stronger in the chorus, and finally reaching the repetitive yet good brutal bridge (in the same level as the "SHUT UP!!" bridge from "One Step Closer"). The guitar is not really the best, but everything else makes up for it.

Bad Wolves – “Zombie” (from “Disobey”, 2018)

5/5. Bad Wolves is a band I consider part of the category of alt-metal bands my brother enjoys and I used to, and even though they obviously didn't exist during my peak in the category nearly a decade ago, I enjoyed a few songs from this band when my brother listened to them at around the time of this album's release despite sounding like part of said category. This cover is absolutely incredible, an epic rendition of the Cranberries' smash hit song! That group's lead singer Dolores O'Riordan was going to record the vocals herself, but tragically passed away right before she had the chance. Bad Wolves made the cover anyway with their lead vocalist Tommy Vext as a tribute. This might just surpass Disturbed's "The Sound of Silence" as the best modern alt-rock/metal cover of a classic hit. RIP Dolores...

Disturbed – “Ten Thousand Fists” (from “Ten Thousand Fists”, 2005)

4.5/5. Another killer classic from my pre-high-school (not that I was ever in high school) days of following my brother's footsteps in alt-rock/metal. The funny thing is, while this was (and still is) one of my favorite Disturbed songs, of all the songs from the band my brother likes, this isn't one of them. Perhaps he wasn't too fond of the strange intro. Anyway, this is a much more meaningful song than, say, "Another Way to Die" that is from Asylum but sounds like an outtake for this album. "Ten Thousand Fists" is an amazing song, but like the lyrics say, "If this disturbs you, then walk away."

It seems pretty obvious to me. The gothic chick is about to commit suicide after catching her man in intimate embrace with the blonde & knocking her unconscious. She brought her midget cronies & animals with her. He's still having a better morning than I am though.

That seems accurate, but here's how I see it: The goth girl is doing a "king of the world" pose on the edge of the cliff, but everyone suspects her to be a witch and are trying to kill her in different ways. One of the dwarves is about to karate kick her off with the other two cheering him on. A feral cat is about to attack her if she gets too close. And the man is on his way to burn her with the torch. In the process, he is kicking the blonde lady unconscious after sexually assaulting her, leaving the blonde at risk of being feasted upon by another feral cat. And finally, a vulture is watching the whole scene from a tree, waiting for its turn to snack on those two females once they get killed. A strange and morbid concept, but interesting cover art nonetheless. Anyway, thanks Daniel for accepting this feature release submission! I shall do my review soon...

I did my review, here's its summary:

Ne Obliviscaris is one of the most epic extreme progressive metal bands in my playlist, possibly in the world! This band has everything including "(male) Beauty and the Beast" vocals, brilliant guitars, creative drums, groovy melodic bass, and top-notch violin. It's hard to say exactly what style they play, but I say it's a mix of mixes; neo-classical death metal, jazz-fused black metal, avant-garde thrash metal, and melodic flamenco metal. And wow! Just WOW!! What an album this is! First part of Ne Obliviscaris' discography, and they absolutely nailed it! This album, along with the band's other material, clearly establishes that Ne Obliviscaris is one of my favorite progressive metal bands of all time. One time there's blasting black metal, and another is a quiet atmospheric passage with violin, all to be found in mostly 10+ minute epics that are loud and emotional at the same time. This is definitely one of my favorite progressive metal albums ever with the best and most consistent songwriting. This album flows like a captivating emotional roller-coaster. The production is appropriately clean. I'm saying, completely certainly, that this is a masterpiece you just gotta enjoy. Do not forget this album!

5/5

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

"WAR!!! DESTROYER!!!" That's what's been going in the first Linkin Park album without producer Rick Rubin and with their earlier metal sound since 2003's Meteora. These ultra-famous rap rockers from California decided to go rogue in a Star Destroyer-like spaceship to shoot missiles at ex-record labels and political rule-makers, equivalent to their rediscovery of savage loud guitars. The Hunting Party can be considered the Rogue One of their global-selling 2000 debut Hybrid Theory. While the electronic synths of their non-metal albums in between are still around, they've regained their earlier pummeling aggression. As the sound attacks, the lyrics defend, working as the band's sword and shield for the fight. Apparently, they were going to make another electronic album like Living Things, but when they decided to go to this furious metal direction, they ditched the electronics, which was the right decision for metalheads like myself. So what's with all this rage then? Rap metal can be cool (for metalheads who like rap), but this isn't 1999 anymore. As evolution goes on, do you wish to stop and apologize for making a few critics mad? NO!! It's your sound, and while they won't accept it, just go with it so you can please the rest! Fortunately, Linkin Park had done just that. They even had a little more freedom since they self-produced the album. It's not really the highest point, but heaps of copies have been sold, and there are very few lousy songs. Fortunately most songs are very decent with a few that mark some of the best from the band such as the ones with guests; "All for Nothing" with Helmet's Page Hamilton, the awesome "Guilty All the Same" with hip-hop legend Rakim, and "Rebellion" with System of a Down's Daron Malikian, all 3 great for fans of the respective band's guests. However, "Drawbar" with Rage Against the Machine guitarist Tom Morello was just a lame missed opportunity for that guest. Like I said, most of the songs are pretty great, but I think some of those could've been done better. The Linkin Park blood still remains within me years after my "real" metal interest took over. Sadly, their metal is gone, and so is Chester Bennington. RIP.....

3.5/5

Recommended songs: "Keys to the Kingdom", "Guilty All the Same", "War", "Rebellion", "Final Masquerade", "A Line in the Sand"

For fans of: Helmet, Rage Against the Machine, System of a Down

Wait a minute... (quick doubletake)... are you aware there is no My Dying Bride on this month's list? I thought it was compulsory!

If I was still in The Fallen, I would definitely submit a track from MDB and make the gothic/doom part of the playlist less more bleak, but I'm already on the path of moving on...

Happy 15th anniversary to a couple albums essential for true fans of doom metal! I'm sure gonna miss when I used to enjoy that Draconian album...

I now feel confident enough to go deeper into my pre-metal music memories to unearth some more of the music I've listened to back then. Around that time, I was 11 (half of my current age) and I could only listen to the music from the radio, though I've managed to listen to a few songs on the computer (my parents didn't let me listen to music that wasn't censored on the radio back then, but I went behind their backs a few times, lol). But either way, the ballads were sadly the most I could remember from these bands and artists, mostly because of what the radios played these days, proving once again that public radio stations that don't focus on rock/metal have just lame sh*t in my current metal opinion. Anyway, here are those bands and artists from the radio I was listening to in those really early days, from the 80s glam metal-ish hard rock of Bon Jovi...

And the synth-pop-rock of Depeche Mode...

To the 2000s alt-pop-rock of Daughtry...

The bubblegum pop rock of Avril Lavigne (how does that voice still not annoy me?!)...

And the alt-pop-punk of Simple Plan:

And please don't ask me about the music I've listened to when I was a few years younger than 11 which was all just straight-up radio pop sh*t. Just look at the songs from these links and I'll say no more: https://www.billboard.com/charts/year-end/2007/hot-100-songs https://www.billboard.com/charts/year-end/2008/hot-100-songs https://www.billboard.com/charts/year-end/2009/hot-100-songs

Whew, finally my complete music-listening history was revealed! I thought it would be a little embarrassing to share here, but now that I've been in this site for over two years and I was encouraged by my position in The Gateway, I'm glad to have enough confidence to do so. I plan on making an entire timeline sheet on this, so stay tuned....

I still enjoy this track from this month's Revolution playlist. I look forward to checking out the October playlists once they premiere on Friday morning!

An essential metal ballad mandatory for all metalheads...NOT!!! This one is highly overrated! I don't care if it's the only Queensryche song they play on radio, if this is the only Queensryche song or metal song you enjoy, then you're not a fan of the band or the genre:

An essential metal ballad mandatory for all metalheads:

You just gotta get close to this dark-ish metal combo of the heavy metal of Judas Priest/Iron Maiden and the progressive art of Rush/Pink Floyd:

Seems like September is a special month of metal anniversary Saturdays! Here are two classic heavy metal "greatest hits" albums celebrating their 20th anniversaries today that I look forward to reviewing (along with Queensryche's Rage for Order):

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: Samael - Passage

1997: Bruce Dickinson - Accident of Birth

1998: Meshuggah - Chaosphere

1999: Botch - We are the Romans

2000: Skycamefalling - 10.21

2001: Green Carnation - Light of Day, Day of Darkness

2002: Isis - Oceanic

The silver guiding lights (2003-2012):

2003: The Lord Weird Slough Feg - Traveller

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): Between the Buried and Me - Colors II

Albums I'm looking forward to getting:

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

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

Bad Wolves - Dear Monsters (slight return to listening to that band for this album)

Mastodon - Hushed and Grim

Running Wild - Blood on Blood

Bullet for My Valentine - Bullet for My Valentine

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. Green Carnation - Light of Day, Day of Darkness (2001)

22. Hopesfall - No Wings to Speak of (2001)

23. Horse the Band - Desperate Living (2009)

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

25. Isis - Panopticon (2004)

26. Leprous - Tall Poppy Syndrome (2009)

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

28. Lord - Fallen Idols (2019)

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

30. Make Them Suffer - Neverbloom (2012)

31. Mastodon - Leviathan (2004)

32. Maudlin of the Well - Bath (2001)

33. Meshuggah - Catch Thirty-Three (2005)

34. Ne Obliviscaris - Portal of I (2012)

35. Neurosis - Through Silver in Blood (1996)

36. Opeth - Blackwater Park (2001)

37. Parkway Drive - Horizons (2007)

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

39. Protest the Hero - Kezia (2005)

40. Queensryche - The Warning (1984)

41. Riot - Thundersteel (1988)

42. Running Wild - Death or Glory (1989)

43. Samael - Passage (1996)

44. Savatage - Dead Winter Dead (1995)

45. Seventh Wonder - Mercy Falls (2008)

46. Skycamefalling - 10.21 (2000)

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

48. The Lord Weird Slough Feg - Traveller (2003)

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)

An epic single from a former favorite power metal band of mine. Perhaps this could be a sneak peek to their next album, The War to End All Wars:

Here's the link to a story I've made based on both the Metal Academy clan map and my metal journey so far (along with hinting at the reasons for me to completely leave most of The Fallen genres next month) (press CLICK TO PLAY): https://starwarsintrocreator.kassellabs.io/#!/DMk4q6nTu7rfvl4xOyk-

There are 3 other hard rock/alt-metal/post-grunge bands "not metal enough" to be included in this site that my brother and I used to listen to before I started my "real" metal path. Here they are:

Yep, I've admitted that I used to listen to Nickelback, a rock band that can be considered the metal community's "pineapple pizza".

And one more that I listened to a couple of songs from them (from the radio) (this definitely NOT being one of those):