Shadowdoom9 (Andi)'s Forum Replies

I love both of those tracks, and I was actually thinking of adding in that Make Them Suffer track before you suggested it, so I accept them both, Saxy.

Vocalist David Holch also has a creditable crack at reproducing Burton C. Bell's growling bark as the main vocal, but where he comes unstuck is with the complementary clean vocals which, in all honesty, sound terrible, as if he can't carry a tune at all. They are so bad that I can't believe no one advised the band to re-record them or get a guest in to help out.

The Tyrannical Resurrection EP recorded two years later has half the amount of songs in the debut re-recorded, but as much as I enjoy The Assembly of Tyrants, I agree that the band should re-record the album entirely (except for the "Clash" remix) with their later vocalist Mel Rose singing the cleans. That can be like a special 20th anniversary thing later this year, which I guess depends on if they get at least a smidge more success out of their new album Bellum Interruptum to be released two months from now.

Cool list, Rex! Though if I make my own list in this thread, it would all just be metal, and I wouldn't have to write my top 20 when it's already in the "top 20 releases" feature.

The crushing closing track of the new Shokran album takes the ultra-heavy throne:

This highlight stands out with its catchy chorus and more of those Egyptian vibes, along with the vocals reaching great heights in the climax:

Today I've just listened to two great albums of Egyptian-style djenty progressive metalcore by Russian band Shokran, their new album being a contender for the Revolution Gallery Awards for 2024:

Rating for both albums: 4/5

By the way, the release year for Shokran's Supreme Truth is actually 2014, though its release page in the site says it's 2004. Could you please fix that, Ben? Thanks. https://metal.academy/releases/26479

This progressive highlight has the most development, lasting 4 minutes in length, a minute longer than most of each of the other tracks in the album:

The title track of Shokran's debut hypnotizes me with the riffs and growls sounding like Whitechapel while mixed with stunning melodies:

A djenty metalcore track featuring Monuments' last vocalist Andy Cizek:

An epic diverse opening track to this Arch Enemy album, with Alissa White-Gluz's vocals shining the best as her clean singing is on full display:

The worst saved for last, this is really more of a happy-sappy Disney/Enya track than anything and it made me almost fall asleep:

Although the title track of Within Temptation's Mother Earth is still some of my favorite Within Temptation songs today, this track is a diverse folk-ish highlight in the instrumentation and vocals:

But the only track that can surpass it all in this album and possibly the band is this dark B-side that would end up as a bonus track on their next album The Silent Force:

1. Black Sabbath "The Illusion of Power"

2. Anthrax "Toast to the Extras"

3. Megadeth "Wanderlust"

4. Helloween "Heavy Metal Hamsters"

5. Scorpions "Still Loving You"

6. Judas Priest "Parental Guidance"

7. Slayer "Threshold"

8. Iron Maiden "Nodding Donkey Blues"

I actually like that Annihilator track, it's quite fun for a chess-themed speedy heavy metal song. Now the track I've replaced it with might come out as a surprise to you all. I'm sorry, world, but it's the Scorpions ballad many people know, right at the tail end of their metal era. I find it so unnecessary and unfitting, and it's the unfortunate sign of their softer era to come. Sonata Arctica performed that song much better when they covered it as an upbeat power metal tune.

Fantastic choice, Daniel! The power metal-ish melodeath of Skyfire is a grand treat for any fan of Children of Bodom, Norther, and early Eternal Tears of Sorrow.

Great choice, Kosie! That's one of my personal highlights of that Corrections House album with its dark heavy sound and lyrics of poetic rage.

This song from Phineas and Ferb is relatable for when I want to prove that I can do things on my own and be myself without relying on who or what others falsely think I am. The song itself reminds me of Halestorm and The Pretty Reckless with its upbeat hard rock sound and the tough-gal vocals of Vanessa Doofenshmirtz (Olivia Olson):

I've just listened to that Deathless track on my phone while taking a small walk across town (in a soft decent volume so I wouldn't disturb the peace). Pretty cool experimental sludgy industrial metal vibes there, ala Godflesh/Skrew. Good one, Daniel!

https://metal.academy/forum/25/thread/1689

Killswitch Engage is another great melodic metalcore band for me, so somewhere around the melodic metalcore section (tracks 1-5) would be good.

Nice one, Zach, another solid track that I enjoy and accept! The tough lyrics and hip-hop beat sound quite odd in the band's attempt to discard their death metal roots, yet it brings me great delight. Guilty pleasure for me much!?

You're doing it right, Zach. I love that In This Moment song, another great track to please the alt-metal crowd.

Sorry Zach, but I wouldn't count on a glam metal clan here. It's more of a hard rock genre despite having "metal" in its name.

I approve of that early hardcore/metalcore track, Daniel! Though it would've been better without that one-minute intro ("CAN YOU HEAR ME!?!").

Nice choice with that Taramis track, Daniel. Cool 80s progressive power metal right there!

Good choice, Daniel! That Spiderbait track sounds like a solid early alt-metal banger, though it makes a detour to jazzy funk in the verses.

1. Exumer "Possessed by Fire"

2. Anthrax "Caught in a Mosh"

3. Metallica "Whiplash"

4. Tyrus - "Bubonic Plague"

5. Megadeth "Holy Wars... The Punishment Due"

6. Exodus "Deathamphetamine"

7. Slayer "Raining Blood"

8. Destruction "Curse the Gods"

I love me some Voivod, but that track is just speedy heavy metal at best, and its original album is from the band's dive into classic heavy metal in the 2000s. I replaced it with this Destruction track that I listened to a couple years ago and still think it's a classic from a well-known thrash band. The aggressive riffing and drumming can easily cause listeners to headbang and air-guitar to this tune. The riffing will stay in your head due to all of its catchy fun. If you ever wanna play some of those impressive mind-blowing riffs on guitar for your friends to hear...why not? "Curse...the GODS!!!!"

I don't have anything for this thread, but NWOBHM is today's Wikipedia featured article. And on my birthday today! The timing couldn't have been better than this, although I don't listen to a lot of NWOBHM.

I know I said I didn't know if any of the novels I read capture the metal spirit, but they do now! I was reading this graphic novel adaptation of Star Wars - Revenge of the Sith:

While listening to all the industrial/cyber metal tracks I've shared in this page of the Sphere Track of the Day thread: https://metal.academy/forum/15/thread/193?page=9

Star Wars can really capture my cyber metal spirit. I guess the most suitable metal genre for Star Wars would be Mechina-style epic symphonic progressive cyber metal.

The worst offender of this f***ing migraine-inducing mess of an album:

One of only two tracks I like from the poor St. Anger album, this monstrous 8-minute epic should be re-recorded with the improved production the band would have later, guitar soloing, audible bass, and none of the G****MN SNARE:

1. Cannibal Corpse "A Skull Full of Maggots"

2. Neuropath "Incantations of Decrepit Nihilism"

3. Morbid Angel "Where the Slime Live"

4. Mortification "Terminate Damnation"

5. Cryptopsy "Phobophile"

6. Atrocity "Hold Out (to the End)"

7. Death "The Philosopher"

8. Carcass "Heartwork"

Don't get me wrong, I love that Atheist track. It's just that there a lot of Slayer-like thrash tendencies in that track that's still early tech-death but might seem odd in this list that's just pure 90s conventional/technical death metal. I replaced it with this Atrocity track that I've listened to a few years ago and still think it's one of the strongest highlights in old-school tech-death. The lyrics would absolutely make you growl along, "HOLD OUT...TO THE END! RESIST...AND LIVE!!!"

Ben, please add the Any Given Sin EP Forbidden. It's available on Apple Music and Spotify.

Pre-Popular Monster Falling in Reverse isn't really metal nor something I really like, but this kick-A first track of their debut is as metalcore as they could get back then, mixing it with their usual pop punk similarly to early A Day to Remember:

Ben, please add the new Cypecore album Make Me Real.

Speedy verses, melodic chorus, and heartful soloing cover this industrial-ish deathly groove highlight:

The awesome songwriting of heavy verses and melodic chorus is borrowed from Dark Tranquillity and other melodeath bands without ripping them off:

A couple cyber metal tracks I've stumbled upon include this grand 12-minute epic by Mechina that introduces female vocalist Mel Rose:

And Black Light Discipline's nice take on an Alan Walker hit:

I don't know if any of the novels I read capture the metal spirit, but some of my favorite books from children's chapter novel series are the ones that involve the main character and their friends in a rock/metal band. Those include Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Diper Overlode, Big Nate in the Zone, and Middle School: Born to Rock. Those books also help me out for when I'm currently writing a spin-off to my own book series, starring a metalhead and his little sister from the future who both end up in the 1980s (the golden age of classic heavy metal genres) and form their own metal band.

I agree about the unusual spacey psychedelics this album has and will vote YES for this Hall entry, Daniel. But I also hear a lot of progressiveness in the complexity and structure enough to make it qualify as progressive metal. So I'd like to submit an additional entry to have Anomalous Abstractigate Infinitessimus added to The Infinite as progressive metal while staying in The Horde and dissonant death metal.

A violent highlight of reckless percussion and sci-fi horror lyrics:

A progressive dissonant highlight of "madness, disorientation and confusion", as stated in the first line:

Apocalyptica's Aquarela EP is probably the most metal Nat Geo-ish documentary soundtrack I've heard, like half the amount of songs in the EP qualify as symphonic metal, including this 7 and a half minute highlight that borders into extreme progressive metal enough to also qualify for The Infinite as a sole track:

A couple bands that can really push the limits of mathcore:

My renewed interest in melodic/symphonic/progressive death metal really shows as I discover more bands of that sound such as this Swedish melodeath band formed by ex-In Flames members including Dark Tranquillity vocalist Mikael Stanne:

This Roman Legion-themed Canadian symphonic death metal band that is a side project of Kataklysm:

And this progressive/technical death metal band from San Francisco:

Now that I've been given the duty of managing the feature release nomination list, following Daniel stepping down from that role and the roster along with Ben, here's the new updated list for February:

THE FALLEN: SONNY

THE GATEWAY: ANDI, Saxy

THE GUARDIANS: KARL, Xephyr

THE HORDE: VINNY, Sonny, Karl

THE INFINITE: SAXY, Andi, Xephyr

THE NORTH: KARL, Xephyr, Sonny

THE PIT: SONNY, Vinny

THE REVOLUTION: ANDI

THE SPHERE: ANDI

It seems like I'll be the only member submitting The Revolution and The Sphere feature releases, so any Revolution/Sphere members wanting to get in on the feature release action, please PM me or Ben. In the meantime, here's a little something for me to propose: If any of you who's not a Revolution/Sphere member has listened to a release from one of those clans that you highly feel should be featured, please PM me and I'll discuss privately with Ben. And remember to submit your feature release to Ben before the last day of the month. If you miss the deadline, you miss your slot. If anyone has comments about this, please let me know here or PM me. Let's hope the feature releases can stay alive!

Now that I'm in charge of compiling and updating The Revolution and The Sphere Metal Academy playlists, following Daniel stepping down from that role and other aspects, I'd like to note a few things. I'll still do the usual monthly schedule, so I can release new playlists on February, March, April, etc., because I enjoy making the playlists and have a lot of time in my hands, and I want to keep those playlists active in the uncommon chance of attracting new listeners of these genres. Though I might skip a month or a few if I end up busy in the outside world with a job or a college course like when I had that break a couple years ago. I'll also continue my monthly sneak peek submissions (half-hour max per clan) though only from bands/releases I've listened to in the prior month and/or I'm already highly familiar with. As always, contributions are welcome, but the one track per non-clan member rule still stands for the sake of the playlist's legitimacy, though if you send me two or 3 submissions that are all by bands I'm familiar with and enjoy, I can accept them all. While the recommended deadline is the 15th of each month, I'm flexible enough to allow one submission after that date. The maximum deadline is the second-to-last day of the month (clarified in the deadline list below), so I can have time in the last day of the month to finalize the playlist and get it ready for when a new month dawns. If anyone has comments about this, please let me know here or PM me. Let's hope the playlists can stay alive!

Deadlines for next few months' playlists after the February one:

March playlist: recommended - February 15, maximum - February 27

April playlist: recommended - March 15, maximum - March 30

May playlist: recommended - April 15, maximum - April 29

And so on...

Now that I'm in charge of compiling and updating The Revolution and The Sphere Metal Academy playlists, following Daniel stepping down from that role and other aspects, I'd like to note a few things. I'll still do the usual monthly schedule, so I can release new playlists on February, March, April, etc., because I enjoy making the playlists and have a lot of time in my hands, and I want to keep those playlists active in the uncommon chance of attracting new listeners of these genres. Though I might skip a month or a few if I end up busy in the outside world with a job or a college course like when I had that break a couple years ago. I'll also continue my monthly sneak peek submissions (half-hour max per clan) though only from bands/releases I've listened to in the prior month and/or I'm already highly familiar with. As always, contributions are welcome, but the one track per non-clan member rule still stands for the sake of the playlist's legitimacy, though if you send me two or 3 submissions that are all by bands I'm familiar with and enjoy, I can accept them all. While the recommended deadline is the 15th of each month, I'm flexible enough to allow one submission after that date. The maximum deadline is the second-to-last day of the month (clarified in the deadline list below), so I can have time in the last day of the month to finalize the playlist and get it ready for when a new month dawns. If anyone has comments about this, please let me know here or PM me. Let's hope the playlists can stay alive!

Deadlines for next few months' playlists after the February one:

March playlist: recommended - February 15, maximum - February 27

April playlist: recommended - March 15, maximum - March 30

May playlist: recommended - April 15, maximum - April 29

And so on...

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

What in the actual f***ing h*ll is going on here?!?! Is this drama ever going to end?! A recent case of animal abuse was perpetrated by Tim Lambesis towards his dog. I'm usually one to separate art from the artist, but that's just crossing the line and reminding me more about how bad his past misdeeds are. And I have a pet cat now whom my family and I treat with love and respect. My patience is getting close to its limit, and I have doubts about the future of his band.

I'm not up to getting rid of the feature releases and playlists entirely, since those have been fun and rewarding for me in the site. But I understand if you feel that's the way to go for the sake of yourself and anyone else, Vinny. I won't object.