Shadowdoom9 (Andi)'s Forum Replies

Great song choice, Daniel! True Swedish melodeath from one of the originators of that genre.

I finally became interested in Vektor. F-tuned shrieking progressive thrash metal! Vektor's album Black Future now has 13 votes in the hall of judgement. 2 more until voting is complete! Please vote right now if you haven't already, so the hall can choose its fate.

Proper groove metal at its best, with the most METAL acoustic intro you would ever hear.

Children of Bodom is another melodeath band that I haven't listened to for so long. This song is from their earlier epic black/death days. If Alexi Laiho can no longer legally use the "Children of Bodom" name, why not revert back to the original name, Inearthed? Just askin'... RIP COB classic lineup

I already did my review on its album page, but I'll just write a small summary here.

Images and Words was my favorite progressive metal album in my earlier epic metal taste. It is absolutely perfect with never any failure to deliver. The impeccable music of this album shines far more than most of the other Dream Theater albums. It has everything including emotional vocals that range from mid to high, powerful guitar with amazing soloing, top-notch bass lines, awesome drum power, and epic keyboard synths. The songs range from beautiful balladry to progressive madness. Almost no subsequent work from Dream Theater or any other band can knock this album off its throne. You can never overthrow these Images and Words. This album shall keep its awesome reign!

An essential part of my earlier epic folk metal taste, mainly because my brother, who is usually a rock fan, was listening to this band at the time. Too bad not a lot of us here can get along well with this Celtic melodeath style...

This song is from Blind Guardian's old thrashy speed metal era, and they made it more majestic with their newer epic metal sound live. One of the rare instances where live sounds better than studio! But I'm still showing you the original (remastered). That circus organ intro though, what's up with that!?

I did it! I listened to Blind Guardian's Live album, and it was awesome, except... I'm sorry, Bard fans, but I actually think "The Bard's Song (In the Forest)" is overrated. I mean, I still like it, but only when it's part of the 2-part "The Bard's Song" suite. I consider "In the Forest" the acoustic part and "The Hobbit" the heavier part. And as a heavier metalhead who's tired of acoustic ballads from metal bands being more popular than their other songs (Def Leppard, Extreme), it seriously p*ssed me off when they did NOT play "The Hobbit" part of "The Bard's Song", and instead those last 4 minutes is just crowd cheer! I hope my opinion doesn't get me back-turned by some Blind Guardian fans.

My brother is, like I said before, a fan of hard rock and alternative metal, and one of the bands he listens to is Lacuna Coil. I also started listening to this band a few years ago after finding out that band's female vocalist Cristina Scabbia was in The Theory of Everything by progressive rock/metal project Ayreon, and that's what made me interested in Lacuna Coil, and for the first time, gothic metal. Here's one of the songs from their alt-metal present:

Apparently, this is a nod to Lord's older songs, but this sounds a lot like a nod to old school power metal in general, from like 25 years ago. Hail the Lord!

Thanks Daniel!

I already did my review on its album page, but I'll just write a small summary here.

The moment this album started playing, it's as if I am being welcomed back into my earlier power metal taste. Lord still has their original power metal sound, but each of these 10 songs really do feel like a welcome back to the power metal bands I used to enjoy. Many songs have tempo ranging from mid to fast, killer guitar shredding, and fantasy lyrics. There are even some symphonic background keyboards in a few songs. Some songs are chill, others are chaotic. Once again, this album shows how much Lord is influenced while staying original and is an awesome comeback tour through the sounds of many power metal bands I used to listen to during my epic metal taste a few years ago. Praise the Lord!

I already did my review on its album page, but I'll just write a small summary here.

This album can be considered the transition point between the death-doom style of Clouds and the progressive psychedelia of the band's next album A Deeper Kind of Slumber, while keeping their signature gothic metal. The lyrics deal with occult, nature, and acid. Some songs have strong guitar work that is sometimes, edgier growling together with clean singing, and outstanding drumming. A few highlights I enjoy include; "Whatever That Hurts" which starts strong but tones down to the calm without losing its punch, "Gaia" a mesmerizing song with powerful keyboards and phenomenal lyrics, and the 8-minute finale "A Pocket Size Sun" which is probably the most melodic and most progressive song of the album. The song segues are so perfect that it sounds like a story with a different topic each chapter. Wildhoney is strongly recommended for gothic/doom metal listeners and progressive fans, and shall remain a gothic metal classic for many ages to come!

Another brutal sick song from the masters of groove metal Lamb of God:

Merry Christmas, metalheads! Last year I put together two of August Burns Red's Christmas metalcore songs into a 5-minute medley. Check it out!

After watching Star Wars Episode IX, I decided to show you an actual medley of Star Wars soundtracks by Persefone. They know the way of the Metal Force!

A powerful track in the latest offering from one of the originators of melodeath, At the Gates! Of course, this album can never knock Slaughter of the Soul off its throne.

Request to add some albums for existing bands:

Brothers of Metal - Emblas Saga (2019)
Human Fortress - Reign of Gold (2019)
Epica - The Classical Conspiracy (2009)

And please also add:

Epica - Retrospect (2013)

Sure, Daniel! I have an Instagram account but it was set it up by my mom for other stuff. I can ask my mom if I can use my account to "do some social media posts", but really I'm following the Metal Academy Instagram page and sharing my Metal Academy YouTube video there. I won't her tell her those real reasons because she can't stand metal and I'm afraid she might be like, "EUYUGH!! METAL?!? That's not what this Instagram account is for, son, give it back!" Sorry, mother, but I have to channel my inner rebel and make this white lie to help this website grow. Hopefully my plan will work...

As for the Metal Archives, I actually used to have an account there before joining the Metal Academy. But then I realize how strict as hail Metal Archives can be about adding reviews and what's considered metal or not. For example, they don't accept djent even though it's a direct descendant of progressive metal, and they don't accept metalcore genres unless the band is "more metal than core". The latter example is understandable, but the selection isn't; Bullet for My Valentine really do sound "more metal than core" in The Poison and, especially, Scream Aim Fire; and Avenged Sevenfold and Between the Buried and Me both used to be metalcore before each going off in their own metal directions. That's a good reason why I prefer to stay in the Metal Academy, where I can find any band/release that is considered metal as a Rate Your Music primary genre. You can't just decline a metal album just because it's "not metal enough" even though it IS considered metal!

My top 5 best of 2019 (don't have enough for a top 10):

#5: In Flames - I, the Mask

#4: Oh Sleeper - Bloodied/Unbowed

#3: Betraying the Martyrs - Rapture

#2: Born of Osiris - The Simulation

#1: DragonForce - Extreme Power Metal (from my small epic metal comeback)

Some of you might already notice that I've contributed to the Modern Thrash Metal challenge by re-posting my This Godless Endeavor review. I might try another thrash album from that list soon. Here's a crazy good song from this album:

I'm not in the Guardians, but here's something from my earlier epic metal era, a nice classic from the masters of symphonic power metal:

Killer modern groove metal with elements of melodeath and thrash. Even though the band was banned from performing live in my home country, I still think they're not too bad in terms of controversy, so..."SEE WHO GIVES A F***!!"

Arch Enemy? I haven't heard that name in years... Maybe someday I'll try listening to some more of this band again. Female-fronted melodeath at its best!

I'm not in the North, but I miss my earlier epic folk metal taste, when I used to listen to the more epic stuff like this:

Cool lists, Daniel! Please do the same thing for 1987, 1988, and 1989, if you have a lot of thrash metal favorites from those years.

Didn't think I would forget about my favorite band Trivium, did you? Another one of my favorite Trivium songs other than "In Waves":

I'm not in the Pit, but Nevermore knew very well how to blend together power, groove, and thrash metal in their first album, before their subsequent progressive metal albums.

A song from one of the greatest and most influential progressive death metal albums ever! And it inspired the name of one of my favorite progressive deathcore bands.

Another example of early Tiamat when they were still death-doom, but here they're more death than doom with a black metal vibe.

Excellent, thanks Ben!

Day 2 (The Daily Sh*t)

Utter screaming ridiculousness. The band must've been drunk as hail when they made this:

Day 2 (The Daily Sh*t)

This is too much of a psychedelic metal ballad-like track that doesn't help the original controversial album production by Kelly Gray. The lyrics, melodies, and atmosphere are still good, but the style and production is what makes it a real flip-off.