Shadowdoom9 (Andi)'s Forum Replies

Update due to Vinny's vote:

Metalcore - 1

Non-metal - 3

So now that there are 3 votes for Nintendocore to be non-metal as opposed to the one vote for the subgenre to be related to metalcore, what's next, Daniel? Shall we keep going until we get a greater amount of votes, or shall we close the Nintendocore experiment, prevent any more Nintendocore bands from being added to the site, and move on to my trancecore/trance-metal experiment?

A video I made to kind of advertise that video for anyone who hasn't heard of Agoraphobic News:

High quality progressive death/thrash from Leeds, England. For fans of Vektor, Voivod & Gorguts.

Sure is! But even though there are definitely death metal/Gorguts influences, I'm not quite too sure that their entire album sound is like that. Incoming judgement submission...

Ben, please add these non-metal releases in the middle of metal band's discographies to bridge the gap:

Eluveitie - Evocation I - The Arcane Dominion

Eluveitie - Evocation II - Pantheon

Machinae Supremacy - Jets 'n' Guns 2 (Original Game Soundtrack) (it IS metal, but I'd like that one added in as well please)

Theatre of Tragedy - Musique

Theatre of Tragedy - Assembly

Underoath - They're Only Chasing Safety

Underoath - Define the Great Line

I'm not sure if Ben could add Wardruna to the site, Vinny. Sure they're associated with metal because two of the members came from black metallers Gorgoroth, and a lot of metalheads enjoy this group, but Wardruna have always been ambient Nordic folk. And by the logic of tying their folk elements in with the North, a non-metal group like Two Steps From Hell could end up in The Guardians with its epic classical/choral sound. Sorry, Vinny, no Wardruna here... Hey that reminds me, have you all noticed that the cover art for their album Runaljod – Yggdrasil looks so similar to that of Woods of Ypres' The Green Album? It's a red symbol in a green leafy background! Here take a look:

Also thanks so much for starting this thread, Vinny! We can use this to request adding non-metal releases in the middle of metal band's discographies to bridge the gap. I'll start in the next post, since this one is getting a little too long...

Brilliantly brooding Florida heavy metal from the late 80's. For fans of Queensrÿche, Fates Warning & Savatage.

Indeed! The lyrics can be a bit cheesy sometimes, but seems like we both don't mind...

Early 2000's Swedish power metal for fans of Helloween, Gamma Ray & Blind Guardian.

Pure prog-ish Swedish power metal that can once again help re-ignite my earlier epic metal spark!

Going back to this topic, I'm glad to be in a metal community website (Metal Academy of course) where everyone respects each other's metal lifestyle preferences, unlike in this Pearls Before Swine comic parody (might offend those who are fully deaf):

Going back to this topic, here's a little something based on a Pearls Before Swine comic, when I realized the acronym DSBM sounds similar to a different inappropriate one:

I've already told you my hearing status in an earlier thread, but it bears repeating (and self-copying):

It is sad when your hearing is damaged and can't fully function anymore, but my hearing is actually still very good. Since my days of youth, not to brag but I'm pretty smart at figuring out the proper volume when listening to metal. I still can't stand things that are much louder than my computer at full maximum blast, like thunder which I'm still a bit scared of (don't laugh). Wearing earplugs when there's thunder and cleaning them every couple weeks is what prevents my ears from being deafened or infected. I'm really protective of my hearing and make sure they never get damaged because even though it's possible to listen to metal with damaged hearing, I fear that I might go deaf and never be able to enjoy metal again. Whenever I go out during the virus, not only do I wear a face mask but also big industrial earphones because I think ears are important to protect from the virus too.* Lol! Anyway, I've also had happy moments when listening to metal as an underage teenager, but those were my earlier epic melodic metal days and they're now long gone, though you guys helped me bring a bit of power metal back to my life. My current routine for my home days is filled with metal and a bit of writing. All of my metal is in my computer and a spare hard drive in case it breaks. My computer time is limited but sometimes I go a little overboard. I can't pay full attention when absorbing albums except in special occasions and when I have to, like when I'm writing reviews, so I just take what I think are the greatest hits from each album and just somehow be able to absorb them while playing Minecraft.

*(Hey people, ears are part of your face, they need protection too, if you don't want them to be infected! And while you're at it, please start calling the virus COVID-20, don't let the first year that did nothing take all the blame!!)

I included the unrelated Minecraft part as a reminder of a small Minecraft-related post I plan on doing soon. You may guess if you'd like, but what I write is what you'll get...

Here's my suggestion for the June Gateway playlist:

Disturbed - "Stricken" (from Ten Thousand Fists, 2005)

Chunky Swedish heavy metal for fans of Judas Priest, Manowar & Atlantean Kodex.

I love that one! Though its slowness doesn't stand out as well as the fast-paced songs in the album...

Intense metalcore from Liverpool-based alternative metalcore outfit Loathe. For fans of 36 Crazyfists, early Issues & the last couple of Northlane albums.

I checked out this track, and let me tell you, IT'S F***ING KILLER!! They have their own unique alt-metalcore style going on throughout the song, but the intro is a blast of Enslaved-like black metal, and the song ends with Deftones-ish soft ambience. I still look forward to giving the rest of this album a listen!

I plan on doing a review for this EP soon, and it would be the only Horde album review I would ever keep, you might understand why. RIP Alexi Laiho...

Instrumental progressive metal (that I feel like writing good lyrics for) for fans of Dream Theater, Dream Theater, and MORE Dream Theater!!

I was unsure about sharing the metalcore bands I've found last week because of one of the bands being a subject in our Nintendocore metal/non-metal experiment, but now it's in the site. Thanks Ben! So here they are, a few metalcore bands with electronic elements:

Here are my suggestions for June's Revolution playlist:

Amaranthe - "Amaranthine" (3:30) from Amaranthe (2011)

Born of Osiris - "Now Arise" (3:52) from A Higher Place (2009)

Bullet for My Valentine - "The End" (6:48) from The Poison (2005)

Converge - "Shingles" (4:13) from Petitioning the Empty Sky (1996)

Crossfaith - "Catastrophe" (3:32) from Ex Machina (2018)

The Dillinger Escape Plan - "Fix Your Face" (2:41) from Ire Works (2007)

Loathe - "Heavy Is the Head That Falls with the Weight of a Thousand Thoughts" (4:18) from I Let It In and It Took Everything (2020)

Total length: 28:54

Here are my suggestions for June's Infinite playlist:

Enslaved - "Clouds" (6:09) from Vertebrae (2008)

Haken - "The Mind's Eye" (4:04) from Visions (2011)

Mastodon - "Once More 'Round the Sun" (2:58) from Once More 'Round the Sun (2014)

Ne Obliviscaris - "Pyrrhic" (9:50) from Citadel (2014)

Neurosis - "Crawl Back In" (6:52) from A Sun That Never Sets (2001)

Total length: 29:53

Here are my suggestions for June's Guardians playlist:

Angra - "Nothing to Say" (6:22) from Holy Land (1996)

Edenbridge - "Evermore" (3:48) from The Grand Design (2006)

Epica - "Storm the Sorrow" (5:12) from Requiem for the Indifferent (2012)

MaYaN - "Bite the Bullet" (5:19) from Quarterpast (2011)

Nevermore - "What Tomorrow Knows" (5:11) from Nevermore (1995)

Riot - "Thundersteel" (3:49) from Thundersteel (1988)

Total length: 29:41

Here are my suggestions for June's Fallen playlist:

Cult of Luna - "Leave Me Here" (7:15) from Salvation (2004)

KYPCK - "2017" (5:14) from Зеро (2016)

My Dying Bride - "It Will Come" (4:27) from Like Gods of the Sun (1996)

Officium Triste - "Roses on My Grave" (6:35) from The Pathway (2001)

Total length: 23:31

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

The Fallen: Dolorian - Dolorian (2001) - 5/5

The Gateway: Loathe - I Let It In and It Took Everything (2020) - 5/5

The Guardians: Grand Magus - Hammer of the North (2010) - 4/5

The Infinite: Dream Theater - Train of Thought (2003) - 4.5/5

The Revolution: Born of Osiris - The Discovery (2011) - 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 Guardians is great but could've been slightly better. My feature release submission for The Infinite was one of my first ever times listening to an album from that clan and are responsible for how my metal interest is today, and I would recommend it to any heavier progressive metal fan. The other feature releases I've reviewed deserve a perfect 5 stars! Thanks for these amazing feature releases, everyone! Looking forward to more of this activity, though it appears I'm currently on break during the June feature release submission period...

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

1. Fallen playlist - 4.5/5 (number of songs commented: 6)

2. Gateway playlist - 4/5 (number of songs commended: 4)

3. Guardians playlist - 4.5/5 (number of songs commented: 13)

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

5. Revolution playlist - 4.5/5 (number of songs commented: 10)

Another rewarding playlist month for me, this time my playlist ratings for all my 4 clans are each an average total of 4.5 stars. The amount of tracks in the Gateway playlist (by average) aren't as excellent as the rest, but still a great month! My submissions for next month's playlists coming soon...

It's true that the gothic sound is strong for the most part, but this is different from the gothic metal heard from bands like Theatre of Tragedy, Type O Negative, and Paradise Lost who have songs that are either doom metal with ethereal light added to the dark atmosphere or just metalized gothic rock. Dolorian has added a gothic sound that overwhelms their earlier doom, removing their blackened beginnings and making the overall sound more ambient with small bits of industrial, thereby creating a darker (pleasantly) depressing experience that most of the gothic/doom bands I've listened too. I think running one Hall entry before another is a smart move, because if any other member has the same opinion as mine, an entry with both changes would be voted nothing but NO, which is kinda why we agreed on the recent one-change policy for Hall submissions. So let's see how the Gothic Metal entry goes when it's in the Hall...

Some outstanding Finnish gothic metal for fans of MonumentuM, Katatonia & "Wildhoney"-era Tiamat.

An essential part of probably the pleasantly darkest doomy gothic metal journey I've ever encountered so far...

I did my review, here's its summary:

Wow... I didn't expect this to be so amazing! This album was quite a leap for doom metal 20 years before this review. Originally known as an ambient blackened death-doom kind of band, Dolorian kept up their unique doom inventory by reducing the blackness they apparently once had and adding a more gothic sound with ambient and industrial elements. Those new elements are more prominent in the shorter interludes with the lonely atmosphere of an empty wasteland. Their earlier material had screaming vocals for lyrics, but their self-titled album has almost none of those. They sound much closer to haunting whispers in this perfect blend. The keyboards have more background presence to fill the empty room of this music. There are both quiet and heavy guitars, the former to draw out your courage and the latter to drag you into a helpless Hell. Those bright tones and dark tones in the guitars really unite for sorrow to embrace the depression. I guess not everything is new for longtime fans hearing the band's usual somber emotion. However, the frustration is out and the depression is in to dig down to the deepest gray. Or you can think of it in a scenario where you're lost in a desolate world of colorless darkness and the only way back to the real world is through a dark forceful journey that could eventually get you to either the afterlife or back home. I'm not gonna spoil a long dreadfully grand experience in a short summary, my full review that can be found in the album's release page shall explain everything....

5/5

I did my review, here's its summary:

After the fallen Falling Into Infinity, Dream Theater shocked the progressive metal world with two different concept albums (minus the first half of the latter). This next album doesn't reach the "absolute best" status of those previous two, but it's the heaviest by the band and a return to non-conceptual writing with the best options. With clear heavy talent for a killer experience, it's time to board the Train of Thought! There's generally a good balance where you can feel the heaviness that isn't as common as most other DT albums along with the beauty of the progressive songs that are mostly over 10 minutes long (along with the 7-minute opener and a 3-minute interlude). Everything is well-crafted in the melody and technique for an album of long dark heavy progressiveness with nicely changing keyboard/guitar soloing, an intricate rhythm section, and vocals working surprisingly well for that heavy environment. One of those songs, "Endless Sacrifice" happened to be the song that introduced me to Dream Theater and progressive metal! When someone first told me about this band, I think that person said that one of their songs has the same riffing melody as one of Michael Jackson's songs. That song is, you guessed it, "Endless Sacrifice" and the Michael Jackson song that riffing melody sounds similar to is "Give in to Me". I enjoy that DT song, but it wasn't until I got interested in Ayreon that I started fully listening to Dream Theater, along with the many progressive metal bands that followed, though mostly extreme now compared to my more melodic past. Train of Thought is probably Dream Theater's best work to not be part of the more superior 5-star DT album gang. Any metalhead who is a DT fan or not would appreciate its heavy powerful brilliance. You might just enjoy this album that shows progressive metal at its heavy prime!

4.5/5

Recommended songs: "As I Am", "Endless Sacrifice", "Stream of Consciousness", "In the Name of God"

P.S. You really nailed the bands in the "For fans of" thing, Daniel! I probably would add the more progressive material of Nevermore, but your selection is excellent either way. Nicely done!

High quality progressive deathcore from Chicago. For fans of After The Burial, Veil Of Maya & Within The Ruins.

When it comes to guitar work (especially around the 30-second mark), Lee McKinney knows what to do!

I did my review, here's its summary:

Grand Magus are really great and had a consistent winning streak going on with most of their albums. It feels a little strange how amazing these Swedes can be at getting their material right for our excitement with barely any plaguing problems. They really nail their songs! I think it's their unique mix of classic heavy metal and doom metal. Many of their songs are either one of those genres, and while this might cause confusion to some listeners, it establishes the overall stylistic path they're going for; mostly slow heavy metal with powerful vocals, a nice break from the driving extreme aggression that can get the heavier metalheads beyond excited. The slow songs are counterbalanced with faster ones that can plunge the listener headfirst into a moshpit where you have to raise your fist while running with the current if you don't wanna get stampeded, and I actually think the fast heavy metal songs are better than the slow doom songs which, in this album, don't have as much impact as in their previous material. Either way, Hammer of the North is really enjoyable. Sure this band doesn't plan on reinventing their metal wheel, but it's often what people (including myself) like about this album, though there are a few of those doom clichés. Nothing too serious to expect, but I'm positive that this oldie-sounding metal sound is worth it....

4/5

My thought on one more track:

Steel Prophet – “Lucifer / The Devil Inside” (from “The God Machine”, 2019)

3.5/5. A nice powerful ending to this playlist, but doesn't reach my level of interest...