Shadowdoom9 (Andi)'s Forum Replies

Ben, please add the Neurotech compilation album The Decipher Volumes.

An epic piece of majestic symphonic metalcore:

A true f***ing banger of alt-metalcore:

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

Swedish violin-fueled metalcore masters Imminence has been gaining a lot more fans with their successful 2021 album Heaven in Hiding. Their growing maturity has pulled them towards their vision to please metalcore listeners with a unique atmospheric sound. Several singles for that album and its deluxe edition have spawned, and they came with immersive music videos for anyone wanting more than just the music experience. And now they're back with their new album The Black! Despite half the amount of songs having already been released as singles, their great consistency is still on, with heaviness from breakdowns and melodies from hooks. And of course, the violin is what helps them stay nicely different, while the songs attack with thick riffs and rhythms that fit with the drumming of Peter Hanstrom. You can expect songs focused on heavy aggression or majestic symphonics or both. Let your mind absorb The Black and remember the band's game-changing ways in the metalcore scene. A big impact rising out of the void!

4.5/5

Recommended tracks: "Heaven Shall Burn", "Beyond the Pale", "Death by a Thousand Cuts", "The Call of the Void", "Continuum", "The Black"

For fans of: Architects, Ne Obliviscaris (for the blend of violins and metal), Northlane

Ah jeez... I was trying to ease myself through the drama of As I Lay Dying falling apart and their frontman Tim Lambesis involved in domestic violence, and now another band appears to have a similar ordeal. With Jon Allen's domestic abuse and subsequent firing, Sadus is down to its last member (Darren Travis) and dropped from their record label Nuclear Blast. I feel sorry for all affected and harmed in this matter and wish them the best.

The perfect summary of all the band had to offer in their 4th album:

The heavy guitars and drums, as well as emotional cleans and screams, can have you thinking of Architects with violins:

Just a sh*tty poppy track sounding like a leftover from their previous album This is Goodbye:

The epitome of epic ambient metalcore:

An amazing track with sweet piano and drums:

An amazing highlight to please metalcore fans who have been following Imminence in the 10 years since this album's release:

I have to admit, I was also sitting on the fence between whether or not I would consider this album and the 1994 debut black metal as a primary genre. While there are songs with a prominent black metal sound, whether in sections or as a whole, the other main genres have more of the spotlight. But ultimately, after some further listening, I've come to the conclusion that there is enough black metal to qualify. My opinion on the gothic metal side of the sound still stands though in the more mellow melancholic moments. So I'd consider both albums progressive/gothic/black metal, thereby voting YES for the entries adding them to The North and NO for the entries removing them from The Fallen.

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

Celldweller - "Unshakeable" (5:14) from Wish Upon a Blackstar (2012)

Fear Factory - "Zero Signal" (5:57) from Demanufacture (1995)

Psyclon Nine - "Anaesthetic (For the Pathetic)" (4:02) from Crwn Thy Frnicatr (2006)

Red Harvest - "Dead Cities" (3:42) from A Greater Darkness (2007)

Sybreed - "Twelve Megatons Gravity" (5:44) from Antares (2007)

Turmion Katilot - "Schlachter" (3:49) from Reset (2024)

Total length: 28:28

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

All That Remains - "Forever Cold" (4:44) from Forever Cold (2024)

Black Veil Brides - "Knives and Pens" (4:16) from Re-Stitch These Wounds (2020)

The Browning - "MISERY.exe" (2:22) from OMNI (2024)

Carnifex - "Dragged into the Grave" (3:54) from Die Without Hope (2014)

Enter Shikari - "Sorry, You're Not a Winner" (4:12) from Take to the Skies (2007)

Haste the Day - "For a Lifetime" (3:23) from When Everything Falls (2005)

Trivium - "Forsake Not the Dream" (5:20) from In Waves (2011)

Total length: 28:11

Here are my submissions for the January Infinite playlist:

Alchemist - "Jar of Kingdom" (6:17) from Jar of Kingdom (1993) (based on Embryonics 90-98 compilation, 2006)

Atheist - "Unquestionable Presence" (4:07) from Unquestionable Presence (1991)

Devin Townsend - "Tiny Tears" (9:12) from Terria (2001)

Extol - "The Things I Found" (6:24) from The Blueprint Dives (2005)

Gojira, Marina Viotti & Victor Le Masne - "Mea Culpa (Ah! Ça ira!)" (2:53) from Mea Culpa (Ah! Ça ira!) (2024)

Total length: 28:53

Here are my submissions for the January Gateway playlist:

Alesti, Loveless - "Voices" (3:20) from Voices (2021)

Bad Omens - "Blood" (3:50) from Finding God Before God Finds Me (2019)

Bring Me the Horizon - "Kingslayer" (3:38) from Post Human: Survival Horror (2020)

Coldrain - "Bloody Power Fame" (3:58) from Nonnegative (2022)

Godsmack - "Bulletproof" (2:57) from When Legends Rise (2018)

Linkin Park - "Two Faced" (3:03) from From Zero (2024)

Nothing More - "Stuck" (3:29) from Carnal (2024)

Starset - "Dystopia" (4:37) from Dystopia (2024)

Total length: 28:52

Calm acoustics aside, this is a vast improvement compared to the two tracks originally in the debut:

Still reigning as one of my favorites from Novembre's debut in this re-recording:

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

The talented Novembre know how to please their longtime listeners. Their 1994 debut Wish I Could Dream It Again suffered from poor production and execution and ended up out of print. One year after the 4th album Novembrine Waltz, the band decided to re-record their debut with a new name, Dreams d'Azur. Now this is a much better take on that album! There's more unique atmosphere to let the different parts really shine, whether it's the extreme heaviness in the drums, guitars, and growls, or the smooth melody from the acoustics, keyboards, and cleans that are greatly improved compared to the debut. The structures greatly set up the bridge between extreme and melancholic. There's great flow with some slight choppiness. Beautiful dreamy lyrics cover all the songs, with one of them written in Italian. The only songs I enjoy in the debut still reign as some of my favorites in the re-recording. And most of the other tracks have vast improvement compared to the debut. The progressive/gothic/black metal dream is real....

4/5

Here are my thoughts on all the selected tracks:

Blue Stahli - "Obsidian" from Obsidian (2021)

5/5. I love the opening track of Blue Stahli's new album Obsidian, which in a way, is like a more cyber Circle of Dust. After building up in drums and guitars for almost a minute, you get to hear one of the darkest melodies in industrial metal. Then a minute after that part ends, a DOOM-like drop B-flat breakdown comes in before that melody is reprised once more. Truly exceptional! Bret Autrey has done fantastic work, even in the lyrics that only show up briefly.

Celldweller - "The Last Firstborn" from Celldweller (2003)

5/5. Another f***ing awesome piece of electro-industrial rock/metal! Many of Celldweller's songs have appeared in different TV shows, video games, and movies. There really should be more progressive songs for Klayton to create. I also love the heavy verses, first one at the one-minute mark.

Psyclon Nine - "Crown of the Worm" from Icon of the Adversary (2017)

4.5/5. Heavy is the f***ing crown worn by these masters of blackened electro-industrial metal.

Dawn of Ashes - "Poisoning the Steps of Babel" from Anathema (2013)

4/5. One of the most f***ing disturbing songs I've heard in industrial metal and probably any other genre. This dramatic blackened industrial metal sound is like a more electronic take on the symphonic black metal of Covenant and Dimmu Borgir. Adding to the disturbance is the muffled cries of torture heard throughout the song, most prominently during the final 30 seconds.

Red Queen - "Naked" from Star Blood (2016)

3.5/5. I said this before and I'll say it again; Red Queen is basically In This Moment gone Psyclon Nine/Dawn of Ashes.

Marilyn Manson - "In the Shadow of the Valley of Death" from Holy Wood (2000)

3/5. The soft acoustic first half sounds a little too poppy for me, but at least the second half has the industrial rock/metal that fans of the genre can adore.

OOMPH! - "Es ist nichts, wie es scheint" from Richter und Henker (2023)

3.5/5. Slightly better, but not by a long shot, since this is the unappealing to me Neue Deutsche Härte.

Rammstein - "Angst" from Zeit (2022)

4/5. This one stomps away the anxiety that Rammstein has written about in the lyrics.

Static-X - "Cold" from Machine (2001)

3.5/5. Many people remember this track from the movie Queen of the Damned. RIP Aaliyah, and RIP Wayne...

Meathook Seed - "Cling to an Image" from Embedded (1993)

4/5. The second-best song of this Meathook Seed album (behind its opener), in which dynamic beats intertwine with the complex guitar.

Fear Factory – "Scumgrief (Deep Dub Trauma Mix)" from Fear is the Mindkiller E.P. (1993)

2.5/5. This remix starts off promising with its original proto-melodeath riffing. However, the overuse of techno beats can be quite traumatic for the more deathly metalheads. Well, not all deathly metalheads. Daniel is the one who requested it, thanks for that.

Red Harvest - "Beyond the End" from Sick Transit Gloria Mundi (2002)

4/5. Some great extreme industrial metal from this Norwegian band!

The CNK - "Total Eclipse of Dead Europa" from L'hymne à la joie (2007)

3.5/5. Grand chorus and rhythms, though a little too pompous. Next!

Dodheimsgard - "Foe X Foe" from Supervillain Outcast (2007)

4/5. Fight against your foes with this piece of experimental blackened industrial metal!

In This Moment - "Mother" from Mother (2020)

4.5/5. The title track of In This Moment album has a spoken prayer in the intro followed by quiet piano before the powerful vocals explode in with tender moments. "I'll give you my everything, I'll never let you fall".

PAIN - "On and On" from Rebirth (1999)

5/5. One of the most f***ing kick-A songs in this dance-y kind of industrial metal. A cool one for any weight-lifters to train.

Luminous Vault - "Earth Daemon" from Animate the Emptiness (2022)

4.5/5. Sludgy blackened industrial metal worth battling your demons!

Neurotech - "We are the Last" from Antagonist (2011)

4/5. Wulf is quite a genius in his Neurotech project. The first 45 seconds have a sweet blend of epic orchestration and heavy riffing.

Mechina - "Elephtheria" from Empyrean (2013)

4.5/5. This is perhaps the most well-executed highlight in this Mechina album, never as poorly aging as the other tracks.

Turmion Katilot - "Verta Sataa" from Perstechnique (2011)

5/5. Having more of the stereotypical catchy industrial metal is this highlight that fuels the cyber sounds of The Kovenant and Deathstars.

Deathstars - "Trinity Fields" from Termination Bliss (2006)

4.5/5. Speaking of Deathstars, we have this track that's the longest of their 2006 album Termination Bliss, though only 4 and a half minutes long. It works as a relaxing change of pace in one of their gigs, or at home after a long day out. Different yet nicely great.

Black Magnet - "Hegemon" from Hallucination Scene (2020)

4/5. Similar vibes to late-80s Ministry/Godflesh, maybe even Machines of Loving Grace.

Unheilig - "Schneller, höher, weiter" from Astronaut (2006)

3.5/5. The vocals sounds quite good here, eerie while not in the same level as Count Dracula.

Samsas Traum - "Es tut uns leid" from Poesie: Friedrichs Geschichte (2015)

4/5. Also solid while I'm still not really into NDH. Now what else is here?...

Ministry - "Cult of Suffering" from HOPIUMFORTHEMASSES (2024)

4.5/5. Oh yeah, we have this Ministry track that's excellent despite relying so much on gospel-like female singing.

Sybreed - "System Debaser" from Slave Design (20th Anniversary Edition) (2024)

5/5. Swiss cyber/industrial metallers Sybreed plan have released a 20th anniversary remaster of their stellar debut Slave Design. It includes two new bonus tracks; a re-recording of "Bioactive" and this killer previously unreleased banger to close this playlist. No word on whether or not the band will truly reunite.

Pretty good playlist I've made, huh? I recommend this to any industrial metal fan and anyone who isn't into industrial metal but is up to getting into a great start for the genre. Thanks Daniel for accepting this and your help with your submission, and I hope the rest of you enjoy it like I've had!

Here are my thoughts on all the selected tracks:

Merauder – "Time Ends" from Master Killer (1995)

3.5/5. Let's start with a nice throwback to the mid-90s, when bands like Madball and Merauder showed us what early metalcore was made of. There's some cool metallic riffing, especially to start the last minute. Quite classic, though a little too f***ing hardcore.

Structures - "The Worst of Both Worlds" from Life Through a Window (2014)

4/5. This was actually the first track of the first very Revolution playlist back in August 2020, so it's a great throwback to that, and a fitting one too. It's the beginning of the never-ending cycle of Revolution playlists, and after being trapped in the headphones of metalheads with personal collections for years, it can finally be shared via Spotify. When that intro strikes, it strikes HARD. And there's great diversity in the vocals and guitars.

Becoming the Archetype - "The Time Bender" from I Am (2012)

4.5/5. One of the best tracks in this powerful Christian technical deathcore album. Instrumentally it sounds like a more deathly Nevermore. The instrumentation is so simple yet brutal, that coming from the same band who made that "Elegy" epic suite featuring Demon Hunter's Ryan Clark.

Lorna Shore - "White Noise" from Psalms (2015)

5/5. Now here's a vicious anthem of deathcore devastation, with drums kicking and smashing skulls like cannonballs launched into the face. Guiding drummer Austin Archey along in the assault is founding bassist Gary Herrera, providing heavy patterns in synchronization.

Slaughter to Prevail - "Zavali Ebalo" from Kostolom (2021)

4.5/5. The lyrics in this one are quite brutal, even the Russian verses. Amazing content! Somehow this is like a blend of Slipknot and Brand of Sacrifice.

As I Lay Dying - "We are the Dead (feat. Alex Terrible, Tom Barber)" from We are the Dead (2024)

4/5. As this band seems close to being dead with its dissolving lineup and more drama coming to light involving remaining member frontman Tim Lambesis, the enjoyment factor starts to slowly wear off. With that said, the guest vocals and f***ing searing guitar work make the song more interesting.

Wage War - "Stitch" from Deadweight (2017)

4.5/5. F*** yeah, Wage War! PICK IT UP!!!

Ice Nine Kills - "So This is My Future" from Safe is Just a Shadow (2010)

5/5. This was what I thought of the coronavirus situation at first, fearing a future of a world of plague and having to stay in our homes to survive. Epic metalcore song!

Thrown - "Guilt" from EXCESSIVE GUILT (2024)

4.5/5. Bands like Thrown, TEN56, and Alpha Wolf can throw brutal heaviness at you for two and a half minutes, heavier than Linkin Park could with "One Step Closer".

Jeris Johnson - "Siren Song" from Dragonborn (2024)

4/5. More of the epic blend of melodic metalcore and power metal in Jeris Johnson's Dragonborn album comes in my favorite track of the album. You may recognize "Greensleeves" as the main melody, and holy f***, it can definitely compete with August Burns Red's "What Child is This?" cover. Merry Christmas!

Oh, Sleeper - "The Siren's Song" from When I Am God (2007)

4.5/5. Then we follow it up with another, more dramatic "Siren Song", with beautiful lyrics. God bless!

Atreyu - "Right Side of the Bed" from The Curse (2004)

5/5. I love the melody in this one! The Curse was the last album before bassist Marc McKnight joined the band shortly after its release and former unclean vocalist Alex Varkatzas started adding his own clean vocals in subsequent albums for the rest of his time with the band. Some might know this song from the racing video game Burnout 3: Takedown. This works as a bridge between the melodeath riffing of In Flames and the metalcore of Bullet for My Valentine.

Haste the Day - "One Life to Live" from Burning Bridges (2004)

4.5/5. One of the most inspiring songs from this band. Enough said!

Aviana - "Overcome" from Corporation (2022)

4/5. Another brutal banger! What else can I say?

Alleviate - "Broken" from DMNS (2024)

4.5/5. Yet another amazing track. Really!

Out of Vision - "Disintegrated" from Deceiving Lights (2024)

4/5. Here's another track with Alleviate vocalist Marius Wedler. A relatable track to listen to!

Jinjer - "Kafka" from Kafka (2024)

4.5/5. A progressive metalcore song inspired by Kafka. Jinjer has great f***ing talent!

Silent Planet - "Dreamwalker" from SUPERBLOOM (2023)

5/5. F***ing killer atmospheric metalcore! This song and several others from their new album Superbloom were inspired by the band's horrifying tour bus crash and vocalist Garrett Russell's near-death experience from that incident. Luckily he's still alive.

Imminence - "Surrender" from Heaven in Hiding (2021)

4.5/5. You just gotta hear how intense this band is!

Monasteries - "Final Note 2 You" from Ominous (2023)

4/5. Monasteries made their final note to technical deathcore fans with their sole studio album before disbanding.

Brand of Sacrifice, Will Ramos - "Lifeblood" from Lifeblood (2021)

4.5/5. Lorna Shore's Will Ramos shows his f***ing berserk vocals in this chaotic banger. The choir towards the end stirs up some more Lorna Shore vibes.

Converge - "Plagues" from No Heroes (2006)

4/5. Then we have this sludgy mathcore track.

Botch - "Swimming the Channel vs. Driving the Chunnel" from We are the Romans (1999)

4.5/5. The guitar leads here are simple yet frighteningly ominous, building up into one of the eeriest songs in metalcore/mathcore. Almost the entire song has just that guitar melody with different variations, accompanied by eerie spoken vocals. Soon the vocals stop, but the guitar melody is still going with the drums that fade out as well. That's quite a timid ambient song...

The Chariot - "Then Came to Kill" from The Fiancée (2007)

5/5. Imagine if Jen Ledger from Skillet contributed her own vocals to an August Burns Red song. This song is it right there! The second half that includes the beautiful vocals of Hayley Williams from Paramore is beyond epic. A match made in metal/hardcore heaven! The Chariot vocalist Josh Scogin still have vocal power from his time with Norma Jean. There's peace in the mathcore chaos!

Bullet for My Valentine - "All These Things I Hate (Revolve Around Me)" from The Poison (2005)

4.5/5. No solo, but still amazing!

Dead by April - "Lost" from Incomparable (2011)

4.5/5. This was one of the earliest Dead by April songs, having existed before even their self-titled debut. Another amazing song worth appreciating!

Bleed from Within - "Alive" from Era (2018)

5/5. Absolutely kick-A downtuned melodic metalcore with beautiful lyrics!

Norma Jean - "IV. The Nexus" from Polar Similar (2016)

4.5/5. This 10-minute epic begins with a soft Buckethead-ish intro, then after a couple minutes, rises into ambient metalcore similar to late 2000s Underoath. And a couple more minutes later, g****mn this heaviness is really breaking things apart! Finally, as with many good things, it has to end, as the final two minutes are nothing but an ambient drift into nothingness and hard-to-decipher spoken lyrics. Polar Similar is the start of a heavier more atmospheric new era for Norma Jean to follow in their next couple albums. So melodic and hypnotic to go with the rawness! This band shall stay moshing in my metal heart.

Eighteen Visions - "Dead Rose" from The Best of (2001)

5/5. Finally we have this playlist's heaviest way out and my favorite here. Even those most unfamiliar with Eighteen Visions would love it.

Pretty good playlist I've made, huh? I recommend this to any metalcore fan and anyone who isn't into metalcore but is up to getting into a great start for the genre. Thanks Daniel for accepting this and your help with your submission, and I hope the rest of you enjoy it like I've had!

I wasn't planning on doing a new top 10 for my favorite Fallen releases, since I'm already way past my Fallen prime of 3 years ago, but I realized that I still have some favorites, so here's my current list:

1. Trail of Tears - Bloodstained Endurance (2009)

2. Omega Lithium - Dreams in Formaline (2009)

3. October Tide - Rain Without End (1997)

4. Cult of Luna - Somewhere Along the Highway (2006)

5. Neurosis - Through Silver in Blood (1996)

6. Rosetta - The Galilean Satellites (2005)

7. Converge & Chelsea Wolfe - Bloodmoon: I (2021)

8. Hinayana - Shatter and Fall (2023)

9. Mutoid Man - Mutants (2023)

10. High on Fire - Snakes for the Divine (2010)

Having been over 3 years since this thread was last active, with a lot going on throughout that time, such as when I joined the Gateway clan and since took on hundreds of Gateway releases, it's time for me to update my list into a top 10, with my top 2 still standing after all these years:

1. Dir En Grey - Uroboros (2008)

2. Coldrain - The Side Effects (2019)

3. Karnivool - Themata (2005)

4. Northlane - Obsidian (2022)

5. Mushroomhead - The Righteous & the Butterfly (2014)

6. Sleep Token - Take Me Back to Eden (2023)

7. Soilwork - Övergivenheten (2022)

8. Bad Omens - Finding God Before God Finds Me (2019)

9. Celldweller - Celldweller (2003)

10. Falling in Reverse - Popular Monster (2024)

Saxy, you've done an amazing job with this playlist! So much so that I have the incentive to comment on all the tracks in it. So here are all my thoughts:

Altesia – Mouth of the Sky (2021)

4/5. A pretty great start to this playlist with killer vocals and chorus to illuminate your soul. There's a nice balance of influences from Haken and Opeth. I remember listening to their album Paragon Circus a few years ago but haven't checked out much of this band ever since. The amount of high quality is quite big! I like how well-composed it is. Things also get a bit djenty here and there.

Atomic Guava – Tether (2024)

4.5/5. The bass sounds quite rad in this one.

Chaos Divine – Landmines (2015)

5/5. Not gonna lie, this mind-blowing song has one of the best choruses I've heard in this Karnivool-ish brand of melodic progressive metal. So heavenly!

Devin Townsend – Goodbye (2024)

4.5/5. This 6-minute epic is a joyful rocker in a similar vein to Van Halen, probably done better!

DGM – From Ashes (2024)

4.5/5. Wicked progressive power metal rising from the ashes.

Extol – Reflections of a Broken Soul (1998)

5/5. This one continues the amazingness with more cleans and lyrics of depression.

Fates Warning – One (2000)

4.5/5. Fates Warning can add in not just upbeat drumming but also melancholic melody. While their 80s era is often considered the best, they've also shown their standing potential in later albums like A Pleasant Shade of Grey and Disconnected. They also have the operatic progressiveness of 90s Savatage. Nice vocals and guitars!

Hemotoxin – Reborn in Tragedy (2024)

4/5. This one has more of a tech-death/thrash sound, practically rebirthing a genre that faded out long ago, but it's actually more progressive than most of the other tracks in its original album, but again, technicality and aggression reigns.

Intronaut – The Unlikely Event of a Water Landing (2015)

4.5/5. Intronaut is such a mind-blowing band that f***ing needs to be more famous. This is one of my favorite songs from this band, especially the kick-A vocals touching the 3-minute mark alongside the more soulful harmonies. Though the outro throughout the final 3 minutes might remind some of Alice in Chains. If you're up for atmospheric progressive metal, you've come to the right band.

Kardashev – Silvered Shadows (2022)

4/5. If you're up for atmospheric progressive metal similar to Intronaut but more deathly, you've come to the right band, but I'll just keep digging.

Mur – Vitrun (2024)

3.5/5. Some nice fresh arrangement, though a bit draggy.

The Ocean – Unconformities (2023)

4/5. It was great listening to The Ocean for a few years, but my interest didn't last as long as I hoped. The dark lyrics and orchestration throw back to 20 years ago when they relied on all that in their debut Fluxion. This was one of my favorites of their new album Holocene, with great gorgeous guest vocals by Karin Park. Her vocals help bring power to even the softer moments. So d*mn stunning! The music and vocals work well together for that part. The heavier part from the 5 and a half minute mark onwards somehow don't strike me as greatly as they should. But what sad is, the band's lineup might split up after an upcoming tour. I wish them all the best...

Opeth – S4 (2024)

4.5/5. I'm glad this highlight got added in because it's my favorite track in the new Opeth album. The riffs and rhythms flow together perfectly. Generally, the folk-prog of Heritage is given a darker heavier treatment complete with growls.

Pyrrhon – Not Going To Mars (2024)

5/5. We may not be going to Mars too soon, but I'm going to get more of this band's material sometime later, thanks to this wild banger.

Tesseract – Luminary (2018)

4.5/5. Another excellent djenty track!

Textures – To Erase a Lifetime (2008)

5/5. This highlight closes its original masterpiece album in all its beauty and glory. However, we still have two more tracks in this playlist...

Trenches – Pathways (2008)

4.5/5. Trenches can be considered progressive post-sludge with metalcore screams from vocalist Jimmy Ryan, formerly of Haste the Day, and this song is no exception.

You Win Again Gravity – Dreadbound (2024)

4/5. Let's end this playlist with some promising creativity. And f***ing h*ll, there's a lot of it! The best part is, when there's two more minutes left, a ripping solo to make this tune stay unique. It's really great and not highly disappointing. We need a f***ing lot more solos in modern progressive metal, we really do....

Here are my thoughts on some tracks:

40 Below Summer – 5 Of A Kind (2006)

4/5. Any nu metal fans out there wanting to rock out to songs like this, be my guest. It's pretty great, but I sense better kinds of this music elsewhere.

Alesti, Anxxiety – Dissipate (2021)

4.5/5. I probably would never have heard of Alesti if not for my brother listening to a couple of his tracks. Quite a wild song to love!

Bad Omens – Dethrone (2019)

5/5. Surprising you hard is the heaviest track of its original album. In contrast to the album's clean soft tracks, that one has Emmure-like moshing moments to make it clear that Bad Omens can be considered metal.

Breaking Benjamin – Awaken (2024)

4.5/5. Epic new single by another hard rock/alt-metal/post-grunge band that my brother enjoys, from the upcoming Breaking Benjamin album coming out next year.

Godsmack – 1000hp (2014)

4/5. The title opener of Godsmack's 6th album 1000hp is an anthem of their journey so far, taking us back to the year of their formation, 1995. Listen to that aggressive guitarwork and argue with me about whether or not that's metal, because I might win that debate. The loudness and powerful vocals shall pack some heavy face-punches. "TURN THAT SH*T UP LOUDER!!!"

Lansdowne – Conquer Them All (2023)

4.5/5. I'm quite thankful to my brother for helping me start my metal path and conquer practically all the different lands of metal, though this song and band we didn't encounter until around last year.

Linkin Park – Heavy Is the Crown (2024)

4/5. The main theme song for this year's League of Legends World Championship greatly throws back to "Faint" in the pace and instrumentation, along with "Given Up" in the massive 16-second scream in the bridge, "THIS IS WHAT YOU ASKED FOOOOOOOORRRRRR!!!!!!"

Moron Police – Who’s That Chicken? (2012)

3.5/5. Interesting blend of comedy, punky metal, and radio-friendliness.

Nothing More, David Draiman – Angel Song (2024)

4/5. Nothing More is almost like a blend of Disturbed, Godsmack, and Fall Out Boy. The emotional lyrics and guest vocals by Disturbed's David Draiman really hit the spot.

Starset – Brave New World (2024)

4.5/5. Starset wasn't kidding about wanting to make their sound more cinematic. Good work, guys!

December 2024

1. Blue Stahli - "Obsidian" from Obsidian (2021) [submitted by Shadowdoom9 (Andi)]

2. Celldweller - "The Last Firstborn" from Celldweller (2003) [submitted by Shadowdoom9 (Andi)]

3. Psyclon Nine - "Crown of the Worm" from Icon of the Adversary (2017)

4. Dawn of Ashes - "Poisoning the Steps of Babel" from Anathema (2013)

5. Red Queen - "Naked" from Star Blood (2016)

6. Marilyn Manson - "In the Shadow of the Valley of Death" from Holy Wood (2000)

7. OOMPH! - "Es ist nichts, wie es scheint" from Richter und Henker (2023)

8. Rammstein - "Angst" from Zeit (2022)

9. Static-X - "Cold" from Machine (2001)

10. Meathook Seed - "Cling to an Image" from Embedded (1993)

11. Fear Factory – "Scumgrief (Deep Dub Trauma Mix)" from Fear is the Mindkiller E.P. (1993) [submitted by Daniel]

12. Red Harvest - "Beyond the End" from Sick Transit Gloria Mundi (2002) [submitted by Shadowdoom9 (Andi)]

13. The CNK - "Total Eclipse of Dead Europa" from L'hymne à la joie (2007)

14. Dodheimsgard - "Foe X Foe" from Supervillain Outcast (2007)

15. In This Moment - "Mother" from Mother (2020) [submitted by Shadowdoom9 (Andi)]

16. PAIN - "On and On" from Rebirth (1999) [submitted by Shadowdoom9 (Andi)]

17. Luminous Vault - "Earth Daemon" from Animate the Emptiness (2022)

18. Neurotech - "We are the Last" from Antagonist (2011)

19. Mechina - "Elephtheria" from Empyrean (2013)

20. Turmion Katilot - "Verta Sataa" from Perstechnique (2011) [submitted by Shadowdoom9 (Andi)]

21. Deathstars - "Trinity Fields" from Termination Bliss (2006)

22. Black Magnet - "Hegemon" from Hallucination Scene (2020)

23. Unheilig - "Schneller, höher, weiter" from Astronaut (2006)

24. Samsas Traum - "Es tut uns leid" from Poesie: Friedrichs Geschichte (2015)

25. Ministry - "Cult of Suffering" from HOPIUMFORTHEMASSES (2024)

26. Sybreed - "System Debaser" from Slave Design (20th Anniversary Edition) (2024)

December 2024

1. Merauder – "Time Ends" from Master Killer (1995) [submitted by Daniel]

2. Structures - "The Worst of Both Worlds" from Life Through a Window (2014) [submitted by Shadowdoom9 (Andi)]

3. Becoming the Archetype - "The Time Bender" from I Am (2012)

4. Lorna Shore - "White Noise" from Psalms (2015)

5. Slaughter to Prevail - "Zavali Ebalo" from Kostolom (2021)

6. As I Lay Dying - "We are the Dead (feat. Alex Terrible, Tom Barber)" from We are the Dead (2024)

7. Wage War - "Stitch" from Deadweight (2017) [submitted by Shadowdoom9 (Andi)]

8. Ice Nine Kills - "So This is My Future" from Safe is Just a Shadow (2010)

9. Thrown - "Guilt" from EXCESSIVE GUILT (2024)

10. Jeris Johnson - "Siren Song" from Dragonborn (2024)

11. Oh, Sleeper - "The Siren's Song" from When I Am God (2007) [submitted by Shadowdoom9 (Andi)]

12. Atreyu - "Right Side of the Bed" The Curse (2004)

13. Haste the Day - "One Life to Live" from Burning Bridges (2004) [submitted by Shadowdoom9 (Andi)]

14. Aviana - "Overcome" from Corporation (2022)

15. Alleviate - "Broken" from DMNS (2024)

16. Out of Vision - "Disintegrate" from Deceiving Lights (2024)

17. Jinjer - "Kafka" from Kafka (2024) [submitted by Shadowdoom9 (Andi)]

18. Silent Planet - "Dreamwalker" from SUPERBLOOM (2023)

19. Imminence - "Surrender" from Heaven in Hiding (2021)

20. Monasteries - "Final Note 2 You" from Ominous (2023)

21. Brand of Sacrifice, Will Ramos - "Lifeblood" from Lifeblood (2021)

22. Converge - "Plagues" from No Heroes (2006)

23. Botch - "Swimming the Channel vs. Driving the Chunnel" from We are the Romans (1999)

24. The Chariot - "Then Came to Kill" from The Fiancée (2007)

25. Bullet for My Valentine - "All These Things I Hate (Revolve Around Me)" from The Poison (2005)

26. Dead by April - "Lost" from Incomparable (2011) [submitted by Shadowdoom9 (Andi)]

27. Bleed from Within - "Alive" from Era (2018)

28. Norma Jean - "IV. The Nexus" from Polar Similar (2016)

29. Eighteen Visions - "Dead Rose" from The Best of (2001) [submitted by Shadowdoom9 (Andi)]

Here's my review summary:

Atheist is a special band to appear in the early 90s. Together with Cynic, they shook the harsh death metal world by jazzing it up with jazz elements. And what an amazing perfect product this band has created! Atheist had their own unique writing going on. Bassist Roger Patterson wrote the bass lines for the guitars to be structured upon for a different unconventional interplay. Sadly, he's gone, after a vehicular accident. RIP... Helping out the band is the massive delivery of Tony Choy. We also have the mighty guitar skills of Rand Burkey and Kelly Shaefer, the latter providing clean yet aggressive vocals reminiscent of the later Death albums. And who would forget Steve Flynn's perfectly pattern-less drumming variety? The band have a lot of metal riffing fury in their arsenal to go with the jazzy bass. The rhythmic twists will blow your mind alongside the epic melody and desperate speed. This band has clearly established the jazzy progressive tech-death that was first hinted in Piece of Time and fully formed in Unquestionable Presence. One of the most influential classics in the progressive/death metal realms!

5/5

Recommended tracks: "Mother Man", "Unquestionable Presence", "Enthralled in Essence", "An Incarnation's Dream", "Brains"

For fans of: Cynic's Focus, 90s-era Death, Sadist

Here's my review summary:

For over a decade, I've considered myself to be a metal nerd. Not to brag, but I know a lot about the different metal bands and genres I've listened to all these years. Even when I seem to distance myself from a genre or at least bands from a genre and have done it for a few years, I can still remember many of my experiences with those bands' material. One of those artists is Devin Townsend. With his new album PowerNerd, he once again explores different genres while standing by his prog/alt-metal. Some tracks are filled with anthemic and joyful rock, while a couple others are soft and spacey. Devin Townsend fans are once again reminded of what a progressive metal superhero he is. While I have my own metal heroes, I don't mind revisiting this musical genius once in a while and checking out amazing offerings like this one. Creativity can be anyone's superpower, but he isn't just anyone!

4.5/5

Recommended tracks: "PowerNerd", "Knuckledragger", "Ubelia", "Jainism", "Glacier", "Goodbye"

For fans of: the 2009 albums of Devin Townsend Project, Strapping Young Lad, Nothing More

Here's my submission for the January Guardians playlist:

Nightwish - "Ghost Love Score" (from Once, 2004)

Although Novembre's 1994 debut suffers from poor production and execution, this track isn't all that bad, in fact having some of the best moments of this ill-fated album:

I've given this album some listening and a review in an attempt to revisit this band whose material I've only spent time with briefly, and well, that was a good reason why the time I've spent was brief. Poor production and execution aside, I agree that there's never really any doom, let alone death-doom, in this release. The expansive complex aspects of progressive metal reign alongside what I hear is the melodic and upbeat while still dark and melancholic atmosphere of gothic metal, a blend that they would explore further in Arte Novecento while eliminating the black metal elements that cover the debut. I'll make an additional judgement submission shortly, but for now I'll vote YES for this one.

Also since this album has already been added to The Infinite, could you please remove this Hall entry that I submitted earlier: https://metal.academy/hall/502 Thanks, Daniel.

I've just extended my list to a top 10, moving the Job for a Cowboy and ERRA albums up slightly:

1. Madder Mortem - Old Eyes, New Heart

2. Job for a Cowboy - Moon Healer

3. SUMAC - The Healer

4. SUMAC - The Keeper's Tongue

5. ERRA - Cure

6. Northlane - Mirror's Edge

7. Within the Ruins - Phenomena II

8. Opeth - The Last Will and Testament

9. VOLA - Friend of a Phantom

10. Persefone - Lingua Ignota: Part I

On the topic of page-loading speeds, I've noticed that the Metal Academy homepage sometimes has difficulty loading, while every other page in the site is still OK. Does anyone else have that issue or is it just me? If it is a general issue, it might have something to do with any websites that are featured in the page like X (Twitter). What do you all think?

We really should consider an "Are you sure you wanna delete this post?" prompt at some point.

Yes please, Daniel! Maybe also an "Are you sure you wanna delete this review?" prompt because I don't wanna lose one of my reviews and the hard work I put on it with a simple accidental click on the red button.

Welcome back to the realms of deathly heaviness, Opeth!

Gothic melodeath with touches of the Norwegian black metal scene and Dark Tranquillity's The Gallery:

The original demo version, ruling as much as the one that appears in the debut album:

My journey through Trail of Tears' discography didn't completely end 4 months ago. I've just breezed through their demos that includes this heavenly highlight:

I was planning on just sharing my thoughts on Trail of Tears' 1997 demo When Silence Cries, but then I finally found their rare 1996 demo from when they were originally called Natt, so let's check them both of them out...

Natt (Norwegian for "Night") was the earliest incarnation of Trail of Tears, formed in 1994. They were much different from the Trail of Tears we know. There's barely, if at all, any of the orchestral synths that have marked an important aspect of their later sound. The harsh/female vocal ratio is closer to that of Free Fall Into Fear and Existentia, with the small amount of female singing coming from vocalist Ales Vik, not bad but can't surpass the later female vocalists. The sound itself can be considered melodic death-doom in a similar vein to Amorphis' Tales from the Thousand Lakes and 90s October Tide, rather than Trail of Tears' brand of epic extreme gothic metal. It's a decent demo, though I won't say many of the songs would be considered highlights. The ones I enjoy are in the B-side; "Once a Paradise" (later re-recorded as a bonus track for Trail of Tears' debut Disclosure in Red) and "Sadness". Nice demo, but not worth returning to....

Favorites: "Once a Paradise", "Sadness"

3/5

One year later, the band consisting of bassist Kjell Rune Hagen, guitarists Terje Heiseldal and Michael S. Krumins, and vocalist Ronny Thorsen had the name changed to Trail of Tears and recorded the demo When Silence Cries. I was actually able to find this demo easily when I first got fully interested in this band a year before this comment, that's how common it was compared to the Natt demo. Background synths became more prominently used, though they sound a little odd here. Helena Iren Michaelsen comes in with her operatic soprano that, like I said above, can surpass Ales Vik. The gothic/melodeath sound that is who they are is in full force, kinda like Katatonia's Brave Murder Day with a twist by Epica (Helena would later join that band when they were starting out as Sahara Dust). I love the songs here that are demo versions of some highlights from Disclosure in Red. If you've read my review for that album, you know what I think of those songs. A better beginning for this wonderous band....

Favorites: "Mournful Pigeon", "When Silence Cries"

3.5/5

Too tame and lame to exist outside that sh*tty-quality demo:

Linkin Park's earliest version of "Runaway" is the highlight of their Xero demo:

"From Zero, like, from...nothing?... Oh wait, your first band name was Xero!" Linkin Park's new vocalist Emily Armstrong has almost reminded all of us in the intro of the new album From Zero that the band started off as Xero. Today I decided to check out the band's earliest demo with their original name. Back then, 5 of the 6 members of the well-known lineup had first gotten together and recorded in a studio set up in Mike Shinoda's home bedroom in 1997. They had a different lead vocalist, Mark Wakefield. Quality is sh*tty but understandable considering it's a lo-fi demo. Wakefield's vocals are OK but sound too close to Korn and Limp Bizkit for me. The late great Chester Bennington could do it all better. Side A contains two tracks; "Rhinestone" (an early demo of "Forgotten") and "Reading My Eyes", both sounding far too tame and lame. Side B contains two tracks; "Fuse" and "Stick N' Move" (an early demo of "Runaway") that are better and my two favorite tracks of the demo. All in all, a decent demo, but not one to return to....

Favorites: "Fuse", "Stick N' Move"

3/5

The post had been set to Enable Admin Only, which is why you could add to it Daniel but others couldn't. You and I are the only ones that can enable that, so perhaps you clicked it accidentally (I haven't been to that thread in a long time). I've removed the Enable Admin Only option on the thread, so should be all good now.

Secondly, the thread loads really quickly for me (a couple of seconds per page). I can't see any issue, either on my PC or my phone.

Thanks, Ben. Glad that error is fixed now.

The thread also loads pretty quickly for me...at least on my computer. There are some times when I'm using the site on my Android phone, and threads with many large album cover images end up taking so long to load that the tab would crash, and my phone having a lot of lag doesn't really help. That's another reason why I'm thinking of reducing image sizes in future posts, for the Android users around here.

An epic extreme highlight in which technical deathcore practically combines with symphonic power metal guitarwork. If the clean vocals were higher and more operatic, this band would've beaten Dragoncorpse in that game.

The only Shadow of Intent song to qualify for this thread has the whiny clean singing to blame, sounding almost like that guy from The Gathering's Almost a Dance:

The opening track of this symphonic deathcore offering blends the genre with a more epic brutal take on the Finnish melodeath of Insomnium and Omnium Gatherum:

This sh*tty drop of quality with lack of variation is the only Sybreed track to qualify for this thread:

The 10-minute finale of Sybreed's last album marks the perfect farewell from this band, at least until their recent Slave Design remaster: