Shadowdoom9 (Andi)'s Forum Replies
I can probably check on RYM to see if there are any underground pre-Queensryche/Fates Warning progressive metal releases that aren't in this site, but the RYM server has been acting odd lately, so maybe later. Anyway, I also checked out that Fates Warning album, and it's another brilliant early example of 80s heavy/progressive metal. A very solid start, thanks Daniel! I think its closing track has pushed that of Queensryche's debut off the reign for the mightiest epic of that style and era:
Inspired by Daniel's top 10 favorite US power metal albums, I decided to check out one of them, the first Queensryche album The Warning! While mostly in the US power metal style, the album almost marks the birth of progressive metal in a few songs that drop prominent hints of the style. As a fan of progressive metal, no matter how extreme or melodic the style of the genre I prefer, this album is worth thanking, recommended for listeners of Black Sabbath, Sanctuary, and Dream Theater:
Nicely done, Vinny!
Well done Vinny. I've just started hitting one if the Heavy Metal challenges myself. I've decided to go at the First Age challenge and see if I can lock The Guardians in as a fourth clan. I've found during initial spins of albums on the challenge that it has re-ignited my love of classic heavy metal and I'm really looking forward to getting stuck into this one.
Excellent choice, Sonny! The Guardians are waiting for you...
Here's my top 10 that I remember were my favorites of the genre before my departure from death metal:
10. Burn the Priest - Burn the Priest (1999)
9. Threat Signal - Under Reprisal (2006)
8. Revocation - The Outer Ones (2018)
7. Rivers of Nihil - Where Owls Know My Name (2018)
6. Nightrage - A New Disease is Born (2007)
5. Cynic - Focus (1993)
4. In Mourning - The Weight of Oceans (2012)
3. Avatar - Hail the Apocalypse (2014)
2. In Flames - The Jester Race (1996)
1. At the Gates - Slaughter of the Soul (1995)
Chaotic experimental alt-metal from Japan:
I enjoy Bruce Dickinson's solo material, along with Savatage who also took classic heavy metal to a new epic level.
Ben, please add the new Attila album Closure.
Thanks Ben!
Classic heavy metal for fans of Iron Maiden, Dio & Halford.
From beautiful to aggressive... That's the kind of heavy metal song structure I'm up for!
Lucifugum... That name sounds like a pack of chewing gum made by Lucifer or Satan, like in this Pearls Before Swine comic (and on its 15th anniversary!):
Behold the Cistercian symbol for the golden year of my metal genres:
Update on my list (now in different "ages" based on my opinion, might update later):
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: Virgin Steele - Guardians of the Flame
1984: Voivod - War and Pain
1985: Accept - Metal Heart
1986: Crimson Glory - Crimson Glory
1987: Voivod - Killing Technology
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: Savatage - Edge of Thorns
1994: Virgin Steele - The Marriage of Heaven and Hell Part I
1995: Virgin Steele - The Marriage of Heaven and Hell Part II
1996: Katatonia - Brave Murder Day
1997: Strapping Young Lad - City
1998: Meshuggah - Chaosphere
1999: Botch - We are the Romans
2000: Nevermore - Dead Heart in a Dead World
2001: Dolorian - Dolorian
2002: Isis - Oceanic
The silver guiding lights (2003-2012):
2003: Lost Horizon - A Flame to the Ground Beneath
2004: Disillusion - Back to Times of Splendor
2005: Rosetta - The Galilean Satellites
2006: Saturnus - Veronika Decides to Die
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: Woods of Ypres - Woods 5: Grey Skies & Electric Light
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: Grand Magus - Wolf God
The newest to make up for the worst of the world (2020-present):
2020: Cryptic Shift - Visitations from Enceladus
2021 (so far): Born of Osiris - Angel or Alien
Albums I'm looking forward to getting:
Attila - Closure
Between the Buried and Me - Colors II (slight return to listening to that band for this album)
Leprous - Aphelion
Ice Nine Kills - The Silver Scream: Welcome to Horrorwood
Bullet for My Valentine - Bullet for My Valentine
This track is such a disappointment given the undeniable strength of some of the other material on Savatage's "Edge Of Thorns" album.
I agree that this isn't really the best song here, but the emotional vocals by Zak Stevens stand out with great lyrics and maintain the perfect 5-star rating I've given to the highly strong remainder of the album.
I'm very surprised to hear myself saying that I genuinely adore this Savatage belter. For fans of Queensryche, Virgin Steele & Crimson Glory.
I love this one, especially the catchiest chorus in this album, soaring through singalong fun.
That's a challenge for each of my three clans completed, so now I have to determine which clan to go for as a fourth. I am still not sure and that makes me wonder if I should even have a fourth clan if I can't commit to one or the other. Of the six remaining, The Gateway, Revolution and Sphere are out for me. The Guardians, Horde and Infinite all have plenty of albums I love, but also a lot that I'm not keen on. I still intend to keep on with the challenges, but I may not seek a fourth clan at the end of it.
Skimming through the lists of your reviews per clan, you have more Guardians reviews than The Horde and Infinite, and most of them are positive, with nothing as low as 0.5 or one star. I think you'll have no trouble doing one of the Guardians clan challenges, Sonny, specifically heavy metal.
As a metalhead who's not really into black metal, avoiding the satanic part of the genre like the plague, here are my top 5, each from one of only 5 bands that I like to have at least one black metal album:
5. Moonspell - Under the Moonspell (1994)
4. Underoath - Cries of the Past (2000)
3. Sólstafir - Í Blóði og Anda (2002)
2. Woods of Ypres - Woods III: The Deepest Roots and Darkest Blues (2007)
1. Enslaved - Isa (2004)
6. "Living After Midnight" is an absolute shocker.
6. This is a true statement. Although it's not as bad as Take on the World or the truly execrable United (in fact British Steel as a whole is their most overrated album).
I agree with both of you! However, I don't think the rest of British Steel is as overrated as most other Priest albums, maybe even Iron Maiden (the kind of opinion that might have metalheads from the early half of the 80s yell "Off with his head!!"). If I want true underrated classic heavy metal from the late 70s and 80s, at least I have Riot, Accept, Running Wild, Virgin Steele, and Crimson Glory.
No matter how popular or unpopular our metal opinions are, they're lost in the shadows of painfully overrated opinions from those who enjoy radio pop:
28. Dæmonarch (NORTH)
29. Hirilorn (NORTH)
30. Darkwoods My Betrothed (NORTH)
Dæmonarch and Darkwoods My Betrothed I haven't listened to but I know they were black metal spinoffs to the more famous ongoing metal bands Moonspell and Nightwish, respectively, and I forgot about them until they just got added. Black metal still isn't my thing, but still, thanks Ben!
The song that got me interested in Coldrain, and I'm sure it might get you interested in this band as well along with their perfect alt-metalcore album The Side Effects:
Coldrain's Fateless turned out to be a flop compared to their other albums that are way better, and their attempt to metalize an Alanis Morissette single didn't help at all:
Love songs are a heavily overrated theme in any type of music, and this sh*tter doesn't change that opinion/fact:
Coldrain's 4th album Vena shows the band unleashing more metalcore than before in killer songs like this one:
Some of the best lyrics and most awesome alt-metalcore to bring exciting entertainment to the tough times of the virus:
Small update to my top 5:
5. Disturbed - The Lost Children (2011)
4. Linkin Park - Meteora (2003)
3. Coldrain - The Enemy Inside (2011)
2. Coldrain - The Side Effects (2019)
1. Dir En Grey - Uroboros (2008)
This is far better than that sh*tty Helloween song of the same title, and part of an album that is a big improvement compared to Coldrain's earlier releases:
A killer Coldrain song to start with, but the rest of the band's debut doesn't reach its heaviness:
My thoughts on some more tracks:
Sevendust – “Criminal” (from “Blood & Stone”, 2020)
4.5/5. Sevendust is one of my brother's recent favorite bands, and this song is a downright soft one that would fit greatly as a single. What an emotional blessing! The poetic lyrics and powerful harmony help fuel up this amazingly written song. Beautiful! I've listened to a few songs that I sent to my brother when he asked to transfer some of their songs to him, and just listening to this one, this is probably the greatest and most underrated song in this band's 25-year career. I just love the harmony being so stellar. They've really nailed the fantastic song! They even had a streaming concert to celebrate the album's release. This heavy metal/alt-rock band should be more appreciated after make a d*mn right good song. It might even work well as the soundtrack to an emotional scene in My Hero Academia. This song shows what a f***ing solid band Sevendust is for fans of their sound. But does it get me hooked on this band, along with other such bands like Breaking Benjamin and Disturbed? NAH. They're for my bro...
Luxtorpeda – “Autystyczny” (from “Luxtorpeda”, 2011)
3.5/5. I don't understand this Polish-sung song at all, but I like just a small bit of it. Despite having the alt-metal label, this sounds closer to stoner-ish hard rock, so I wouldn't count on this band being on this site.
Grey Waters – “Below The Ever Setting Sun” (from “Below The Ever Setting Sun” E.P. (2010)
4.5/5. This one has more mind-blowing atmosphere. Amazing song with a fantastic outro! This might be a great song to listen to forget about the death metal past I left behind and remember something different. It sounds like what would happen if Woods of Ypres is still active and their founder David Gold is still alive but moved in the same alt-metal path as Katatonia. Still I would have to finalize some stylistic changes before going down this path...
Architects – “Dead Butterflies” (from “For Those That Wish To Exist”, 2021)
5/5. I love this! Best alt-metalcore song in ages!! I've been trying to find my key to interest in this band since I first starting diving into metalcore in my late teens, and with this killer song, I might just have the chance!
Infectious Grooves – “Turtle Wax (Funkaholics Anonymous)” (from “Sarsippius’ Ark (Limited Edition)”, 1993)
4/5. This one is a static b*ll shock-like wake-up call of funk-groove. This is probably my favorite funk metal song, and by that I mean it's far better than what other bands of the genre like Mr. Bungle would make. The awesome riff and good groove are what make this song OK for me. Of course, this isn't 1997 anymore, most metalheads want something more than the funk f***ing up metal back then.
Serj Tankian – “How Many Times?” (from “Elasticity” E.P., 2021)
3.5/5. Serj is known as an alt-metal genius and part of one of what many consider the master bands of the genre. I say it starts fantastic in the intro sounding like an emotional ballad, but then it fakes its way into a mid-tempo song. Seems a bit anti-climatic...
36 Crazyfists – “Slit Wrist Theory” (from “Bitterness The Star”, 2002)
5/5. Definitely an underrated band that should have more fame through the nearly two decades since its release. Seriously I love this!! Though the nu metal sound would p*ss off many metal purists. I would probably do a vocal cover of this song to test my vocal range if not for suggestive lyrics and swearing. This amazing song has an iconic riff. Some music channels shorten the song name to "Wrist Theory", most likely to eliminate the reference of self-harm/suicide, but also probably because "Slit" looks like a mix of two S-swears. The amazing vocals have a bit of an emo vibe especially when in the "Lace me up" part. I might just return to listening to this band full-time...
The Bread Scientists – “Vaporous” (from “Troposphere”, 2021)
4/5. I can't deny how good this song is, but I can't accept the instrumental shoegazing alt-rock/metal sound either. Next!
Korn – “Love & Meth” (from “The Paradigm Shift”, 2013)
3/5. A nu metal song promoting drugs, specifically raw meth? What the h*ll, man?! Look, I am sober when it comes to drugs, having never taken any drugs, and this isn't the stoner rock of Luxtorpeda, this is nu metal! And not the kind of nu metal made well by Linkin Park. Korn is just not my thing, OK? I'll still give the song points for its heaviness.
Disturbed – “Prayer” (from “Believe”, 2002)
4.5/5. Let's wrap up my commenting with a song from a Disturbed album that my brother and I have probably listened to the least. I can't believe what I missed nearly a decade ago! This is better than the overrated single "Down With the Sickness" and has bit of a Dope vibe. The singing in the vocals sound heavenly. In fact, this could even be an actual prayer about the hopeless struggles in life. Hope you like this song when I send it to you, my bro!
D*mn, forgot about that Dir En Grey album. Thanks for reminding me, Daniel! I'll make a slight change to my list above. Coldrain is another Japanese alternative metal band, but they mix the melody and singing of the genre with the heaviness and screaming of post-hardcore/metalcore, as opposed to Dir En Grey's wildly stylistic alt-garde metal style. Coldrain's latest album The Side Effects marks the perfect balance of alternative metal and metalcore that they had slowly built up since their punk-ish debut Final Destination from a decade prior. One song from the Side Effects album, "Revolution" (my August Gateway playlist suggestion) is beyond d*mn right good, and what got me interested in the band when a friend from the outside world showed me that song and mentioned that it was used as the theme song for Mobile Suit Gundam: Extreme Vs 2. Anyway, I plan on reviewing their albums, so you can read them and see whether or not they seem like a band for you to try listening to.
I've never realized how suitable The Gateway is for me! To look back at The Gateway albums I've rated, most of them are from bands of other genres, a couple of them (Machine Head and Stuck Mojo) were failures from an unofficial challenge (they have the only two albums that aren't non-metal to get 2.5 stars from me), a couple more, Disturbed and Linkin Park, were throwbacks to when I was following my brother's music footsteps before getting into "real" metal, the latter, Linkin Park I've reviewed all their albums in the site as a special memory-lane-like project, and of course, I told you about Coldrain. With most of The Gateway releases I listened to connected to bands of other genres and rated weak or average (in my rating system) with only a few perfect 5-star ratings, I didn't know the potential I can have in this clan, but now I might! The clan's heaviness can be a balancing contrast to the melody of The Guardians, and The Gateway can practically be like The Infinite's sibling! I might need to adjust my interest a bit more before going all in, so I'll start with listening to and commenting on the tracks between the 3 that I've already commented in this month's The Gateway playlist. And if I ever feel like sacrificing my position in a clan that I've lost interest in or if the ability to gain a 5th clan via the clan challenges gets implemented, I might take on one of the two Gateway challenges. This whole time I thought the key to the Gateway wasn't for me, but it's in my hands and I didn't know it until today...
I’m not really a fan of The Gateway as much as the clans I have, so here are 5 Gateway albums coming to my mind, rated from low to high (#1 being the highest):
5. Linkin Park - Hybrid Theory (2000)
4. Disturbed - Asylum (2010)
3. Linkin Park - Meteora (2003)
2. Coldrain - The Side Effects (2019)
1. Dir En Grey - Uroboros (2008)
Trivium's epic new single and music video (maybe a hint at their next album?):
One of my recent reviews mentioning Coldrain gave me an idea for a suggestion for the August Gateway playlist, so here it is:
Coldrain - "Revolution" (from The Side Effects, 2019)
Here are my ratings for this month's feature releases for all my clans plus The Sphere, and a quick summary:
The Guardians: Gamma Ray - Power Plant (1999) - 5/5
The Infinite: Altesia - Paragon Circus (2019) - 4/5
The Revolution: Converge - You Fail Me (2004) - 5/5
The Sphere: Ministry - The Mind Is a Terrible Thing to Taste (1989) - 4.5/5
Another great month for feature releases, again probably because of the releases submitted by us Metal Academy members (including myself). The one for The Infinite is great but could've been slightly better. My feature release submission for The Guardians and The Revolution deserve a perfect 5 stars and great classics for their respective genres, and I would recommend it to any fan of power metal or metalcore. The Sphere feature release I've reviewed 6 months ago in a DIS vs DAT debate and hold a 4.5 star rating, despite two sh*tters holding back the perfection the album would have otherwise. 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...
Here are my overall ratings for the playlists I've reviewed this month (July):
1. Fallen playlist - 4.5/5 (number of songs commented: 6)
2. Gateway playlist - 4/5 (number of songs commended: 13)
3. Guardians playlist - 4.5/5 (number of songs commented: 10)
4. Infinite playlist - 4.5/5 (number of songs commented: 8)
5. Revolution playlist - 4.5/5 (number of songs commented: 11)
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. I still haven't thought of a good Gateway suggestion for next month's playlist (August), but I still have a week left, so no rush...
A belter of an industrial metal anthem from these Chicago legends. For fans of White Zombie, Red Harvest & "Broken"-era Nine Inch Nails.
A pounding industrial metal tune that has fired me up way more than coffee or tea or any hot drink you prefer!
Thanks, Saxy and Daniel! Here's my summary:
Altesia was the result of a progressive metal brainstorm in France by vocalist/guitarist Clément Darrieu, a life-long passionate fan of music in general. Formed in 2017, it took two years to write and produce an album with members of a few other bands. With this new lineup and an album ready for release, they set off to play live shows until the virus put everything on hold. Fortunately, their debut had already came out in late 2019, their beginning offering Paragon Circus! Throughout these 57 minutes, you get 6 tracks (an intro and 5 long songs) that deal with the self-destruction of the society we've created and are trapped in, with issues including economic wars and lack of happy reasonability. That's what this "Paragon Circus" is, a circus we've designed but can't escape from. The style is basically progressive rock/metal with small hints of jazz, funk, and death metal. There's something special about this unity, especially the virtuoso guitar soloing and even violin and saxophone. You can hear them all in beautiful melody and varied rhythm to keep the music in interesting drift. However, it's not entirely perfect and a few things seem a bit lumpy, so it's better to be mesmerized by the entire album without thinking of those flaws. Perhaps one day I can like this album more after several more listens....
4/5
Good small reviews, Xephyr! I would also recommend the Altesia song "Hex Reverse", it's amazing and maybe that would get you up to listening to its album Paragon Circus.
Daniel and Saxy, after reading your reviews for that Altesia album, I decided to take a small sneak peek of the album before getting to the review by listening to the song shared in the Track of the Day thread, and like I said, it's amazing! The description said "For fans of : Haken, Opeth, Dream Theater, Between The Buried And Me, Leprous, Steven Wilson, Porcupine Tree…", and I can totally understand when it sounds as if they took at least one piece of each band, formed into a unique mix. Anyway, I'll recommend the album to myself, and with you two really enjoying this album, you two would have no trouble checking out my two other recommendations; Voivod's Angel Rat and Pain of Salvation's The Perfect Element I (though the latter is now just for Saxy, since Daniel is the one who recommended it). Please tell me what you think!
The grand finale of Born of Osiris' latest masterpiece album is almost an anthem for my first year in Metal Academy, at a time when progressive metal/metalcore was at a higher height of my metal interest:
Here are my suggestions for August's Revolution playlist (I'll make sure any multi-clan suggestions fit well with the playlist I'm submitting to):
All That Remains - "Down Through the Ages" (3:31) from A War You Cannot Win (2012)
Attila - "You Looked a Lot Better Last Night" (4:27) from Soundtrack to a Party (2008)
August Burns Red - "Truth of a Liar" (4:12) from Messengers (2007)
Betraying the Martyrs - "The Sound of Letting You Go" (5:00) from Rapture (2019)
Bring Me the Horizon - "Rawwwrr!" (4:13) from This Is What the Edge of Your Seat Was Made For (2004)
Protest the Hero - "Bloodmeat" (3:54) from Fortress (2008)
Winds of Plague - "Sewer Mouth" (3:09) from Resistance (2013)
Total length: 28:26