Shadowdoom9 (Andi)'s Reviews

Mnemic has touched the hearts of many modern metalheads, even after their split. The remaining founding member, guitarist Mircea Gabriel Eftemie was a master of polyrhythms, and his clear riffing and melodies that stay together with the mechanical bass and drums are what kept the band in place until things changed. He caused progressiveness from the guitar to switch out of what you hear from Opeth into a hint at a new djenty chapter...

Their debut Mechanical Spin Phenomena is a solid start of the band's futuristic industrial/groove metal journey, though it wouldn't be perfected until The Audio Injected Soul. This storm of modern sounds is something that has changed part of the course of metal in the early 2000s.

"Liquid" represents their melodic side in the chorus after a verse of guitar aggression. "Blood Stained" is a heavy tight mind-blower, often changing tempo. However, the band loses some focus in "Ghost", sounding a bit dull after that opening duo peak. "Db'xx'd" is the band's longest song at exactly 8 minutes, and has mechanical Meshuggah riff power and keyboards, all leading up to a cool ambient outro.

"Tattoos" has a bit of a Mushroomhead vibe while staying industrial. "The Naked And The Dead" is another golden highlight to make even the most serious metalhead smile. "Closed Eyes" takes a distorted drift into melody.

The title track is another highlight of progressive-ish industrial groove metal that would help bands like Sybreed and Divine Heresy find their direction and let bands of other genres like Animals as Leaders borrow their progressiveness. The chaotic electro-metal talent of Strapping Young Lad can definitely be heard. Another one of my favorites is "Zero Gravity", one more spacey 8-minute track with a slow blend of metal riffs and keyboard blasts. There's also a bonus remix of "Blood Stained" by Rhys Fulber.

After his time with Mnemic, vocalist Michael Bøgballe would keep exploring the band's sound in a more djenty level with Scamp. But this album from Mnemic has an almost entirely good metallic mix of brutal industrial attacks and melodic synth depths. If you're up for that, then crank up the volume....

Favorites: "Liquid", "Db'xx'd", "The Naked And The Dead", "Mechanical Spin Phenomenon", "Zero Gravity"

Seeing a review for this album appear in this site made me wonder, "I've reviewed all of my metal milestone bands, but can I review the metal albums of a rock band that would eventually shape my taste into 'true' metal, beyond this nu metal sh*t?" Answer: I CAN!! Linkin Park is probably the most successful 21st century rock band, yet metal fans call them "sellouts for kids". Some say they've expanded on the nu metal atrocity started by Korn and Limp Bizkit, others say they're a boy band with guitars. It's sad to see all this hate towards a super successful band. I might not enjoy this band as much as the metal bands I listen to now, but I won't take them for granted, that's for sure.

Linkin Park released their debut album Hybrid Theory (taken from their earlier band name) in October 2000, just a few months shy of what people think is technically the start of a new millennium (2001), and the technical new millennium started in a bang for this band. Excellent reviews and gigantic sales skyrocketed, hence making this a genuine well-sold platinum album. There may not be a big improvement in the popular music industry but Linkin Park's debut would remain one of the best-selling albums of nu metal and all time. Yep, there are 12 heavy industrial-infused nu metal tracks in this album produced by Don Gilmore. In fact, would you call nu metal "metal"?? It's cleaner and less edgy (in the music anyway)! Well whatever you want them to be called, Linkin Park have their best skills of heavy metal guitars, hip-hop rapping, and pop hooks.

It starts with...the rap rock hit "Papercut", where the rapping verses by Mike Shinoda make a great blend with the melodic vocal chorus by Chester Bennington (RIP). "One Step Closer" is their breakthrough single worth checking out for both metalheads and radio listeners. The riffing is both heavy and kid-friendly, the latter adjective maybe not the killer screaming bridge ("SHUT UP WHEN I'M TALKING TO YOU! SHUT UP!!"). This is metal for Sesame Street-level beginners and that song is probably the heaviest one allowed in karaoke (I know because I've been there). The low-toned loops in "With You" are performed by the Dust Brothers in a rap metal track where its gravitation center strikes your jaw off. "Points of Authority" sounds as if Bennington and Shinoda are each reading their own poetry written in a lyric sheet, acting as a lyrical exchange. That song is kinda killer though.

The emotional hit "Crawling" is where icy synths and bass crawl through the intro before getting mudded out by the guitar heaviness and Bennington's cries. The more industrial fans might compare the song to Nine Inch Nails. The lyrical subject matter deals with Bennington's teenage years of torture and meth addiction, and he's so upset about it that he needs help from the crowd when performing the song live. More of the band's skyrocketing hooks appear in "Runaway", where the primitive tune's melodies can probably get the song into alternative radio. The fairly appalling "By Myself" is a weak track that is a real example of nu metal's bad side. The hip-hop smash-hit "In the End" has piano performed prominently by Mike Shinoda as he raps along. I don't know if that's what made that song the most popular of the album, but it is what it is.

"A Place for My Head" continues the poetic lyrical exchange between Bennington and Shinoda. This is again used in "Forgotten" but more apparent with the vocal battle between the two vocalists in the pre-chorus. That song is probably another real example of nu metal tainting the second word of the genre's name. The two and a half minute experimental jungle track "Cure for The Itch" is probably the weakest point of the album, but it's where turntablist Joe Hahn really shines. The perfect formula of the singles continue once more in the closing song "Pushing Me Away", which I still like since first listening 9 years ago. Oh how I wish that was a single...

What remains of this review is the conclusion, and that is this; Linkin Park's debut album is excellent, at least compared to what the heavier metalheads think. Surprisingly, the songs I like are perfect choices for all 4 singles and two promo singles, all that's missing is that final song. The only weak songs are the remaining 5. Seems as if my like for Linkin Park before switching to real metal has infected my mind. Sure it's mainstream, but I couldn't skip to where I am today without this band, right?! Thanks a ton, LP....

Favorites: "One Step Closer", "Points of Authority", "Crawling", "Runaway", "In the End", "Pushing Me Away"

Celtic Frost was one of the most diversely stylistic metal bands to start in the 80s. First was their black/death-influencing thrasher To Mega Therion, then they released the avant-garde Into the Pandemonium, followed by the glam-infected Cold Lake. They released a gothic-influenced thrash album Vanity/Nemesis before splitting up, and later reformed for one more extreme doom album Monotheist. Since I'm listening to Mega Therion to settle a DIS vs DAT debate, let's get right into the review!

Heading right to the point, To Mega Therion (The Great Beast) is actually one of the best 80s metal albums I've heard. I'm still not very tolerant to albums that old nor that obscenely extreme, but I can see why people consider this the most fascinating Celtic Frost album. However, there are some things to argue about...

The pompous intro "Innocence and Wrath" starts the album with a doom-ish march with background brass, specifically french horns. Perhaps that part of the inspiration for Therion, the band who got their name from this album. Then kicks off the sinister fast pace of "The Usurper". That song and its aforementioned intro very well beat other openings of albums like Into the Pandemonium. Next track "Jewel Throne" has chord patterns to reflect the balance of primal composition against riffs of thrash energy and muscular drum groove intensity. I'm sure there are many other great thrash examples throughout the decades that followed, but a true thrashy metalhead would bang their head and swing their fists to those interestingly brutal riffs. I'm not even a fan old-school dark thrash metal and I'm already doing that!

With a song title like "Dawn of Megiddo", you know how well Celtic Frost would attack. The song itself once again has the strange french horns. "Eternal Summer" continues the chord balance between primal and despair. "Circle of the Tyrants" pumps you up with apocalyptic heaviness. "(Beyond the) North Winds" needs a little time for you to really see its full potential as mid-tempo-ish piece that's absolutely underrated compared to Metallica. The upbeat ghost-like guitar leads in the bridge give the song its special scent that would inspire later extreme metal bands.

"Fainted Eyes" is an aggressive piece of heavy shock that works as a black metal prototype song, once again having its apocalyptic heaviness. "Tears in a Prophet's Dream" is an extravagant yet incomprehensible sound collage that wouldn't blow any minds. Finally we come to the gigantic closer "Necromantical Screams" complete with horns, timpani, and female vocals without neglecting the morbid heavy black thrash. OK, that has to be what inspired Therion!

Was this review convincing enough for anyone who hasn't listened to this 1985 classic to do so? Either way, you definitely don't wanna miss out on its highlights (see below) for their best extreme delivery. This important album needs more attention! Sadly, Celtic Frost would never reach the brilliance of this album ever again.... AAAARRRGGH!!!!

Favorites: "The Usurper", "Jewel Throne", "(Beyond the) North Winds", "Necromantical Screams"

A few people might think Vektor is a Voivod ripoff, but...BOY WERE THEY WRONG!! They just don't see how much of a difference this band makes! First off, the instruments really work well together with precise drumming, tight riffing, and bass with more than one note per bar. The instrumentation is really cool, but what's really amazing is the vocals by David DiSanto. Forget about his domestic violence present for a while and check out his vocal range that's beyond belief. His vocals are in the same kind of level as Destruction's Schmier, but his high soaring screams are near-impossible! I bet he does what Michael Jackson used to do, grabs his own b*lls hard.

The guitars are so unique and really stick out in this album. One unique thing that marks a different approach is the F-tuning (a half-step higher than standard E tuning). I think more bands should start tuning their guitars up to F or F# 6-string, or even C or C# 7-string. When they play a riff that sounds familiar (other than the higher tuning), suddenly a different never-before-heard riff smashes into your face, while keeping constantly high quality. What's also pleasant is, the solos are magically placed in fields where you would never expect. But in the parts where you do expect a solo, they are short and end up coming out anti-climatic. However, the guitarists are really skilled, and despite those solo setbacks, they can master them as super well as DragonForce.

The title opener is probably the best track of the album. They really balance the thrash and progressive styles perfectly without having to copy anything. "This song won't write itself," rushy people say, but it's as if that song did! "Oblivion" is another great song, but it gets a little dull. It's late-Emperor-esque intro is actually the "Spiral Galaxy" intro from their demo Demolition. After that, it's on to the actual old-school speed metal intro before the Destruction-like shrieking comes in. Also, the end is a bit rushy, another good reason why I prefer its Demolition version. "Destroying the Cosmos" is another song that was re-recorded from the Demolition demo, and while I like this one better than the demo version, it doesn't quite reach the standards of the other songs besides "Oblivion". However, that solo-riff combo throughout literally the last minute is one of the most epic song endings I've ever heard! Great strength in an otherwise "meh" song!

"Forests of Legend" is an absolute highlight and the first of three 10+ minute epics. It begins with an eerie acoustic intro that sounds like the progressive thrash "Bard's Song (In the Forest)", before the heaviness begins building up before crashing safely into early-Megadeth-style speedy thrash. After that, it's back to the eerie acoustic section before another glorious outro! "Hunger for Violence" is a Voivod-like composition, opening with strange symmetric chords before heading into Theory in Practice-like violent heaviness. "Deoxyribonucleic Acid" which is what "DNA" stands for, opens with a speedy version of an Iron Maiden riff before its scientific thrash ascension.

"Asteroid" is less technical and more rock-ish in the first few minutes, and while not quite reaching the climax, an incredible charge thunders in with solid bass, sounding like when Lemmy's bands Hawkwind and Motorhead collide and travel into the future. The second 10+ minute epic "Dark Nebula" is probably the least superior of the epic trio, but it's still great. It shows a bit more of a Pink Floyd influence than Voivod while keeping the technical thrash virtuosos. "Accelerating Universe" is the 13 minute true diverse crowning highlight, initially starting with Metallica hammering thrash, it gets more epic and heavier throughout, even developing an amazing psychedelic atmosphere in the halfway point, before building back up into a heavy speedy ending.

Black Future is an almost flawless work of progressive thrash metal art, despite a couple weak points. But those weak points are really tiny flaws and they don't bring down this 5-star rating. With this album, Vektor has reached for the progressive thrash metal stars!

Favorites: Black Future, Forests of Legend, Hunger for Violence, Accelerating Universe

Gojira is strongly iconic for their unique metal style. They can let out their ecological thoughts through deathly progressive metal. Their excellent music that most metalheads love have helped build the stairway between the underground and the mainstream surface. That's something that can lead to close to universal fame!

After blowing away people's minds with From Mars to Sirius, fans had to wait until 2008 for the album The Way of All Flesh to arrive. Since then, there have been 4 or 5-year gaps between albums, with the first album to end that gap being this album, L'Enfant Sauvage (The Wild Child). It's definitely worth revisiting in the present, because then I can bring this 2012 album back to discussion and see if it still appeals to me as it did before my break from this band's material starts a couple years ago.

Screeching in is the explosive "Explosia", having a bit of the heavier groove/tech-death guitar, mixed with the progressive the band is known for. Interesting leads and rhythms plague the title track, which still reigns as one of my favorite Gojira songs, due to a music video I was watching on TV long ago. Then we have the first of a couple formulaic tracks, "The Axe". That one should get the axe for its poor attempt at executing a more melodic groove-oriented The Faceless kind of sound. More effective singing and roaring come around in "Liquid Fire".

The interlude "The Wild Healer" is a mellow break from the action. "Planned Obsolescence" has more complex aggression, but the ambient outro is just way too long to like. "Mouth of Kala" seems lacking of original ideas, but I still like it a little. Excellent variation in "The Gift of Guilt" makes the song's 6-minute length well-filled.

"Pain is a Master" is another song that could've used a bit of improvement. "Born in Winter" is an epic underrated track from this band. They can journey through soft spoken verses before launching into the usual dramatic heaviness, all in just 4 minutes! Closing track "The Fall" sounds kinda diminished in the vocals by frontman Joe Duplantier, which is too bad because he's the elemental force powering up the band.

As with my Mastodon revisit, a few songs in this Gojira album don't strike my metal heart as they did years ago, but that doesn't decrease the album's greatness. L'Enfant Sauvage has much to offer in its songs. The hammering madness just isn't the same as it should've been back in those days....

Favorites: "Explosia", "L'Enfant Sauvage", "Liquid Fire", "The Gift of Guilt", "Born in Winter"

Once again, I'm surprised by how much interest I'm losing in the more popular progressive metal bands like Mastodon. It's just... I don't know, they just seem a bit overpraised with their huge expanding fanbase. But they do have these constant surprises that keep them unique and unpredictable. This progressive quartet from Atlanta, Georgia, has made sure none of their albums or songs are the same as one another. For this album, the band has firmly placed themselves in the atmospheric progressive realm they've always transcended through, discarding their earlier Crowbar-esque sludge roots. Checking this album out again after missing out on it for almost a couple years made me realized that while many songs are still awesome, only a couple of them I would rate lower.

As I've said, the band switched from a progressive sludge band to an atmospheric progressive metal/rock one in this release. Actually, maybe the "rock" part is too much of a face-slap, because it is mostly metal. For some reason, guitarist Brent Hinds once said Mastodon was more of an art rock band than metal, which is a band self-description as wrong as Lemmy insisting on deeming his band Motorhead just rock and roll. Anyway, sure there are some soft progressive rock moments in this Mastodon, but they still have a lot of heaviness. The f***ing big riffing of Hinds and Bill Kelliher, the talented drumming of Brann Dailor, and the distorted bass of Troy Sanders proves it all...

Vocals are performed by all members except Kelliher, albeit not altogether, with opener "Oblivion" being the only track with all 3 vocalists singing. The song shows ambitious elevation in emotion. Next track "Divinations" is a straight hard-hitter, as opposed to the rest of the album's atmospheric side. Great metal bliss in those riffs, though a bit uneasy at times. The amazing "Quintessence" has slower, less direct guitar that allows you to relax and explore further. Then when the heaviness comes, it's more balanced.

There's lots of progressive imagination in the Opeth-sized epic "The Czar". Throughout those 4 movements and 11 minutes, the band can control their emotional structure to allow a stable climax that can end the track shining greater than the end of their earlier 4-minute track. "Ghost of Karelia" has mighty bass thunder.

The title track has a bit of the sludgy doom of Neurosis, whose recently fired vocalist/guitarist Scott Kelly appears here. The song and the album title tribute to Brann's one-year-younger sister Skye who took her own life at age 14. However, that song I struggle with nowadays. "The Last Baron" is another epic with the structural strength of Opeth, though slightly less focused with some steam lost halfway through. The steam is regained in time for a jazzy yet metal finale to make the song another highlight.

With all that I had to say about this album upon my recent revisit, Crack the Skye is a cohesive journey as Mastodon's progressive side takes the place of most of their earlier sludge. The different moods nicely test out their ambitious style when creating this fine album, though a couple songs should've had more concentration for higher quality. It's more thorough and later rounds of listening like this that has made me find some oddities more quickly. Despite that, I've regained a bit of interest in Mastodon. It just goes to show that greater different listens make you find a few things hard to enjoy, while everything else deserves great praise....

Favorites: "Oblivion", "Quintessence", "The Czar", "The Last Baron"

Mikael Åkerfeldt is known as a true hero in progressive rock/metal. He and his band Opeth have stunned the world with their sound at least 25 years after Tony Iommi and Black Sabbath had done the same with their pioneered heavy metal sound. He has lead the band through a journey made by his creations of haunting riffs and melodies through great largely arranged compositions. Like many progressive bands, Opeth never hesitates to push themselves beyond their boundaries. If people think of Tony Iommi as an Iron Man, Mike is a kick-A Man of Steel!

2010 was the year that marked Opeth's 20th anniversary. I'm still stunned by how my appeal for progressive metal is drifting away. I mean, one month I was rocking out to the heaviness of Opeth, and the next month, I'm like "Opeth who?" I'm f***ing losing my Infinite touch! However, after a positive revisiting experience with Between the Buried and Me's Colors Live, I thought it would be a good time to redeem myself, by reviewing this album with a similar idea to that BTBAM live album. Opeth's 20th anniversary tour shows the band performing 5 special concerts, this one in the Royal Albert Hall, London, being documented in this mighty live release. They play their entire "Blackwater Park" to celebrate that breakthrough album from 2001, then after an intermission, their second set consists of 8 more songs, one from each Opeth album at that time.

Beginning the Blackwater Park set with heaviness crashing in is "The Leper Affinity". Then "Bleak" takes the deathly heaviness further alongside the progressive complexity. Deathly riffs and growling are in perfect equal contrast with clean melodies and singing. The rhythms and textures help keep the atmosphere in place. It shows a difference from an earlier album like Morningrise, having a more complete structure in under 10 minutes without combining a few songs into one. "Harvest" is a soft pleasant break from the dark deathliness of those first two tracks. Next song "The Drapery Falls" I still haven't forgotten as a melodic and heavy deathly progressive metal classic epic!

Things get a bit stretchy in "Dirge for November". That's too bad, because I used to think of that song as an impressive one, but listening to it now, the two-minute outro sounds anticlimactic and far-fetched. Those two minutes might just be a small spark of eliminating part of my Infinite interest. "The Funeral Portrait" strikes again with some decent deathly chaos. Despite a bit of repetition, that can be brushed aside by how dynamic the track is! "Patterns in the Ivy" is a great melodic moody interlude. The epic title finale, "Blackwater Park" continues the complex structure, adding in some of the later rhythm atmosphere. All I'm gonna note is how majestic the ending is, when the band unleash all their power before hitting the brakes in a bang.

After the intermission, the band re-enter the stage with their second set, beginning with "Forest of October" that has melodies of beauty and sorrow from one of the band's most memorable earlier compositions. The song is quite d*mn long at 13 minutes, but what makes those long epics superb is, there are some different emotions in different sections, all ranging from aggressive brutality to acoustic melancholy. One of my favorite Opeth songs and perhaps my second favorite in this release (behind "The Drapery Falls")! Heading into the Morningrise album, "Advent" kicks things off with swift riffing that then leads straight from dissonant to elegant. As usual, the blend of cleans and growls add to the progressive instrumentation and structure. And there's more progressiveness abound as the moods continue to twist. The riffing is never super repetitive, but each time they appear allows to relive the scene in a pleasant tone. An explosion into heaviness that begins "April Ethereal" can sound as beautiful as it is dark. You can already hear where the evolution the band took from the first two albums while having the usual brutal growls and riffs mixed with the melancholic cleans and acoustics that many of the songs in the band's metal albums have. "The Moor" opened what was my favorite Opeth album besides Blackwater Park, Still Life, perfectly with a two-minute intro. This live rendition starts with the section right after that, when some brief acoustics are blasted away by the electric guitar density. The riffing from that epic is some of the best I've ever heard from this band.

"Wreath" is one of the greatest examples of Opeth's aggressive side. It sounds like a lost outtake from Orchid, with more flow in riffing and movements. The haunting song "Hope Leaves" is one of the saddest I've heard to not be doom metal. "Harlequin Forest" provides strong imagery. The music sounds great from the start, but it has the same repetition problem "Dirge for November" has. The execution in "The Lotus Eater" is a bit awkward, thus ending this mostly awesome show somewhat poorly in my opinion.

Any Opeth fan should own this, especially if they want to hear some amazing highlights from the band's metal era including the entire Blackwater Park album. Almost every song is in top-notch quality and still strong within me, so I don't have to feel like a d*ck in the progressive metal community. This live album is an essential taste of Opeth!

Favorites: "Bleak", "The Drapery Falls", "The Funeral Portrait", "Blackwater Park", "Forest of October", "Advent", "The Moor", "Wreath"

Before this band's switch into industrial rock/metal, Killing Joke started their 45-year tenure as an intense addition to the post-punk scene in the 80s. The band has pleased numerous fans of the scene with their earlier releases, despite a downward turn with the trance-pop Outside the Gate. But that's just part of their broad appeal, right from the start with their first single "Wardance". As much as their 80s era gained lots attention, so did their 2003 album which brought the band back from the shadows. Of course, we can't forget about the two albums in between, Pandemonium and Democracy, and you wouldn't believe how well the songs in the former album turned out...

The release of Pandemonium marked the end of a 4-year gap since the previous album Extremities, Dirt and Various Repressed Emotions, and it has a heavier mood. The members seem to add in some elements of their side-projects, with the electronics that bassist Youth explored, and vocalist Jaz Coleman's trip to the Middle East (music, not the region, although he recorded his vocals in Egypt). So there's a more ambient/world tone added alongside their new industrial rock/metal direction.

The title opener is a heavy song that needs more attention, maybe more than their earlier rock hits. "Exorcism" is another astounding heavy tune. Jaz Coleman encourages listeners to "Let it out, let it rise, let it-" (literally coughs and wheezes, f***ing amusing). The theme of exorcism can be associated with Babylonian religion. The catchy "Millennium" allowed Killing Joke a rare chance to hit the airwaves in the U.S. The epic highlight "Communion" has more of the Egyptian vibe than before to add more uniqueness to the album's style, as Kevin Walker's chords are in perfect blend with the percussion and violin.

"Black Moon" begins the more brooding second half, in which some of the earlier momentum is lost. There's a bit of redemption in "Labyrinth", but that's not enough. The more poppy "Jana" is too much of just a simple rock song that doesn't really fit the earlier heavy vibe.

Then we return to the heavier chaos for real with "Whiteout". That's the kind of energy I needed to make sure the second half doesn't bore me to death. However, I can't say the same thing about "Pleasures of the Flesh" which is just dull and doesn't please me at all. "Mathematics of Chaos" takes you into a metallic trance, as the wizardry of the instrumentation is in clear production, thanks to Youth.

After Pandemonium, the band made their next album Democracy and then go on a 7-year hiatus before their 2003 album that features the legendary Dave Grohl on drums. I wouldn't say Pandemonium is highly essential, nor is it a waste of time, but it's another chapter in the band's evolution, and their post-punk-focused days are long gone....

Favorites: "Pandemonium", "Exorcism", "Communion", "Whiteout", "Mathematics of Chaos"

Now this is the album I need to revisit this band that I've distanced from their music for a couple years! Colors Live is a Between the Buried and Me live album in which they perform the entirety of what was once a favorite masterpiece of mine, Colors, followed by some songs from their first 3 albums voted by fans in a special online poll.

When I was still enjoying this band, their 2002 self-titled debut was a solid start that showed their metalcore side at their rawest. The Silent Circus began to display their more progressive tendencies. Then Alaska was a perfect phenomenon of progressive metalcore innovation. This is only surpassed by a few points by the stunning diamond gem that was Colors, in which their experimental deathly progressive metalcore sound is in full prodigious force throughout basically a 64-minute epic split into 8 tracks.

The live rendition of that colorful journey begins as it should, with the smooth piano and clean singing of "Foam Born (A) The Backtrack". Then the drums crash in and the guitars follow as uplifting spiraling synths enter the picture. Then it makes a dark twist into melodic death/black metal, almost like Dissection/Emperor possessed their minds for 30 seconds. The crushing deathly heaviness is maintained as it segues into "(B) The Decade of Statues" as their finest hour kicks off for real in the speed. An atmospheric Middle-Eastern guitar melody opens "Informal Gluttony". With that and the deathly fire that comes after, you might almost be reminded of the band Nile. There's an epic chorus later on before ending on tribal drumming. The gigantic 11-minute marathon epic "Sun of Nothing" has some moments to highlight, such as a nice Beatles-like melody, a weird piano section, and a beautiful climax that looks back at Pink Floyd's "Dark Side" that rises up until the band stampede through from that track into another, and it's another epic that can be considered the centerpiece of Colors...

The 13-minute epic "Ants of the Sky" has wonderful aspects of blues groove and organ, with some hard rock/thrash added in, as the soloing ranges from jazz to Queen-esque to country. Soon it leads to an epic slow bridge that then quiets down for a bit of clean soloing. And then another country-like moment, this time with banjo-like guitars and a background bar fight (WHAT?!), before ending with an uplifting neoclassical outro similar to Pachelbel's Canon. It then leads to "Prequel to the Sequel", continuing the sweet twists. One moment they play some aggressive soloing, and the next... We have a moment of wacky polka/cabaret. The rising/brutal section after that originally had Fear Before vocalist Adam Fisher screaming his own verse and then a growling/screaming showdown with BTBAM vocalist Tommy Rogers. The live version shows Rogers doing it all himself, before another uplifting clean outro. Bassist Dan Briggs's shining instrumental "Viridian" plays as all is relaxed a bit before the towering finale... The legendary 14-minute "White Walls" pretty much summarizes all that is central to the album's sound. All I'm gonna note is how majestic the ending is, when the band unleash all their power before collapsing and concluding it all with the last bit of piano, just like in the beginning.

However, the entire live experience ain't over yet, as after an intermission, the band strike again with their earlier material, beginning with "Mordecai", perhaps the highlight of this second half. It starts with brutal tech-death that can remind some of Suffocation and Misery Index, followed by a 5-second Zappa-like transition into relentless mathcore ala The Dillinger Escape Plan, and a bit of melodeath/groove. The distorted heaviness fades away, and taking its place is a soft bridge of clean guitar, falsetto singing, and beautiful keyboards. This can be almost consider a progressive metalcore ballad, especially when Rogers' emotional singing rises and guitarist Paul Waggoner performs splendorous soloing. That stylistic switch from brutality and beauty has left me speechless since first listen. I love it! "Shevanel Cut a Flip" is the 9-minute closer of the first BTBAM album, and it starts with some of the most extreme chaos the band has had, only interrupted by another brief jazzy riff over another background bar fight (seriously WHAT?!?), before some more heaviness and bass. But the real change comes 3 and a half minutes in, when it all switches to quiet softness, as if you suddenly end up from darkness to light. The clean vocals and harmonies were sung by ex-drummer Will Goodyear in the original album, sung by Waggoner and Rogers in this live version. Also in the original is that quiet ending extended for 3 minutes before a white-noise fadeout. It's actually good that they didn't include that extended ending, as I would probably get bored to death if I hear the soft drumming and riffing for that long. "Backwards Marathon" continues the band's chaotic side with groove and speed, before a switch into a jazzy ethereal bridge that almost reminds me of Dream Theater's "Trial of Tears" ("It's raining...").

"Ad a dglgmut" is another epic track with a powerful climax. It first bursts in blast-beat/riffing fury, as the times change through wild cacophony, while Tommy screams "SCREAM LOUD! LOUD!! LOUD!!! LOUD!!!!" Then everything changes into an uplifting mellow bridge with more of his pleasant singing, "It all makes sense, we're capable of beauty, through sounds which make one cringe, the dogs only hear us now". Next track "Aspirations" showed the band making unexpected twists even in those earlier days. They start off with melodic metalcore riffing that then turn into crushing rhythm. The guitar becomes more melodic, as the bass shines again. Then the cool metalcore riffing returns, and a delightful twist is Tommy performing some high falsetto for a brief verse. Again, the softer clean singing was originally by Will Goodyear in the original debut. "Selkies: The Endless Obsession" concludes the entire set on a grand note. It begins with groovy keyboards, before some more of the annihilating deathly madness. Soon we get to a dreamy bridge of clean singing, bluesy soloing, and soft piano. And finally, they end it all with a few-minute climax of glorious neoclassical soloing that is as much of a moment fans have been looking for as graduation day for college students. What a treat to wrap things up! As the live video ends and the credits roll, the outro for Alaska, "Laser Speed" plays, as a sweet jazzy elevator music interlude.

Colors Live is a monstrous live experience like none other from this modern progressive metal fivesome BTBAM. I really need to get back in touch with the music of this band and Opeth if I want to maintain my Infinite street cred. This is an excellent live journey you just gotta hear to believe!

Favorites: "Informal Gluttony", "Sun of Nothing", "Ants of the Sky", "White Walls", "Mordecai", "Aspirations", "Selkies: The Endless Obsession"

Having kept a distance away from Tiamat for over a couple years, I decided it was time to get back in touch with this band's material, starting with their live EP The Sleeping Beauty. The show was recorded 30 years before this review in Israel, the one country I'm forbidden from entering. The recording is raw with no overdubs or mixing, resulting in lo-fi production that still sounds nice and clear.

The EP is overlooked and underrated, and fans of the band's earlier material should give it a listen. The 5 songs are from the albums The Astral Sleep and Clouds. Maybe someday I can check out the band's live rendition of the Wildhoney album, but for now, let's look back at those good ol' death-doom days...

Opening the show is Clouds' first track "In a Dream", starting with crushing slowness before speeding up in the riffing and soloing. Some nice synth-keys segue into "Ancient Entity" from The Astral Sleep, which is quite awesome and straight. Midway through is a cool breakdown.

The title track of this release, "The Sleeping Beauty" continues the eerie slowness of Clouds. A nice atmosphere is added from the leads. "Mountain of Doom" reigns as the best highlight here. The cool intro leads to killer riffing. There's even a speedy solo later on in the song. "Angels Far Beyond" is a solid finale for the show, with great riffing in the middle. Afterwards, there are two minutes of silence before a mysterious synth outro that sounds like it can be the intro for My Dying Bride's "The Cry of Mankind".

The Sleeping Beauty: Live in Israel is a great recommendation for fans of early Tiamat. It's definitely worth picking up for those fans. As much as I like this release though, there are other bands to look out for with that kind of beauty....

Favorites (one per album): "The Sleeping Beauty", "Mountain of Doom"

When progressive metal was first starting off in the 80s, it was more melodic than in subsequent decades. Those were the times when the two founding bands of the genre, Queensryche and Fates Warning were associated with classic heavy metal, though Dream Theater would then sever those ties with their pure melodic progressive metal sound. In between was an album from a band that would mix the genre with another Guardians genre, one that would've appealed to me more 10 years ago... Power metal.

You know how happy power metal sounds in their riffs, leads, and choruses to sing along to, but back then, bands of that style had a darker direction. Fates Warning at that time added some heavy riffing and lyrics of death and religion to their power-ish progressive metal. Adramelch does the same here. Not as heavy, but quite dark...

"Fearful Visions" begins ominously with mysterious keys and choir that have a bit of a gothic vibe. Then the progressive/power metal action kicks off, and Vittorio Ballerio starts singing. While not hitting the highs as powerfully as Queensryche's Geoff Tate, his accented desperation fits well with the song's theme of a desolated city of peasants. It's a great opening track to let you know what to expect in the album, high-level riffing leading up to a climatic ending. Seriously, I love the riffing that takes me through the Black Death without actually experiencing the deadly plague. There's more of this divine music in "Zephirus". The title track shines very well in the progressiveness, while not drifting too far off from the power metal side.

"Lamento" is kind of a bland acoustic interlude. Despite its blandness, there is a medieval atmosphere that actually sounds promising and can work well as a soundtrack to a Dungeons and Dragons fantasy game, but it just fades out. So yeah, quite anticlimactic. This is made up for by "Decay (Saver Comes)" with solid wailing vocals, especially in the ending over a gloomy melody as it fades out more appropriately, a bit like the end of Fates Warning's The Spectre Within. The interesting "Was Called Empire" is full-on power metal with some speedy Iron Maiden-infused riffing and vocal glory.

"Eyes of Alabaster" once again shows that when it comes to progressiveness, there's a major difference between the 80s power metal of this band and the modern technical-thrash of Vektor. Here we have the finale "Dreams of a Jester" that summarizes the great aspects of the album and ending it all in a way that never ceases to amaze me. That would certainly make me up for more of this progressive power metal sound if I didn't p*ssy out of there.

All in all, Irae Melanox shall appeal to fans of power metal who would like to hear the US and European styles blended together with early progressive metal. Not quite the perfect spark for a heavier metalhead like me, but there's a charm of uniqueness within....

Favorites: "Fearful Visions", "Irae Melanox", "Was Called Empire", "Dreams of a Jester"

Dragoncorpse... The name of this band would make you think of a blend of the speedy power metal of DragonForce and the brutal death metal of Cannibal Corpse. And you would be two-thirds right there! This is, for real, power metal and deathcore mixed together, a combo barely anyone has ever thought could, let alone should, be possible. But since Shadow of Intent, Lorna Shore, and Mental Cruelty have already projected their own respective brands of epic deathcore, well... Why the f*** not?!

Hailing from two separate continents, North America and Australia, Dragoncorpse released an EP that fans have been waiting for hearing the singles released the previous year. Those singles are included in the EP along with two new songs and 4 cheesy spoken-word interludes, the latter keeping the release away from perfect greatness.

Opening the EP is one of the two new songs, "Sunlover", featuring Jacob Wallace, formerly of Brojob. There's a decent balance between vocalist Mardy Leith's operatic singing and Wallace's crushing growling. The power metal sections are quite upbeat that make a cool yet struggling contrast with the heavier deathcore breakdowns. Despite that issue, it's still quite stellar, helped out by the epic chorus.

Next up is my favorite here, "Blood and Stone". The fast relentless power metal/deathcore blend continues, complete with a brutal chant of "Blood in, blood out". The following full song, "Terror Eternal" continues that combo, this time with some soloing by Dragonland guitarist Jesse Lindskog.

Then "From the Sky" has that sound yet again. This time with a superb catchy chorus that makes this song another stellar highlight. Finally, "Undying" is a special song. It features incredible vocals from two winners of a contest to guest appear in a song by the band, Jens Thommek and Stefan Gorski Prins. There is some more of Mardy's catchy vocals, along with Kris Chayer proving himself to be a true guitar wizard.

All in all, The Drakketh Saga is a solid EP for fans of power metal and deathcore who are curious to hear what those two genres sound like together. Give this offering some good listening and witness two separate worlds collide....

Favorites: "Blood and Stone", "From the Sky", "Undying"

Trail of Tears is a Norwegian band known for their original extreme gothic metal sound. They were also known for some turbulence in the lineup, facing many different changes. Just before the release of their previous album Existentia, all the members except founding harsh vocalist Ronny Thorsen left the band. The fate of the band was left uncertain until a few months later when several new members joined in, along with female vocalist Cathrine Paulsen, who was in their 2002 album A New Dimension of Might. You might know a few of the other vocalists from other bands; Helena Iren Michaelsen in Sahara Dust (pre-Epica), Kjetil Nordhus (male vocalist) in Green Carnation, and Emmanuelle Zoldan and Ailyn in Sirenia. But the quick-paced operatic vocals of Paulsen are an essential part of one of the finest extreme gothic metal albums around!

Trail of Tears was known as one of the earlier developing bands of Norwegian gothic metal alongside The Sins of Thy Beloved and Tristania. Unlike the former that split up after two albums and the latter that took on a less extreme sound, Trail of Tears started mixing the genre with melodic death metal in the second half of the 2000s, with death growls provided as usual by Thorsen. However, there's more female singing than death growling that causes this band to be like a darker Epica. With all that said, the band is up to exploring different directions for something so special and unique.

I love opener "The Feverish Alliance" with exemplifies this gothic/symphonic death metal sound, complete with choirs. "Once Kissed by the Serpent (Twice Bitten by Truth)" has more of this symphonic direction of destruction. The female vocals appear a little more that seem to overpower the death growls/screams that appear in the verses. Switching to softer gears is the title track, especially in ethereal sections of female vocals and violin. It really shows the many twists Paulsen can pull without having to come up for air. You can say the same thing about Thorsen's dark growling intensity that fit well with the guitars and drums. Now that's true Norwegian extreme gothic metal! "Triumphant Gleam" has some epic symphonics that might've planted the seed for Lorna Shore's symphonic aspect.

More of the melodic/harsh blend can be found "In the Valley of Ashes". Then "A Storm at Will" appears right in the middle of the album as a Nightwish-esque ballad. Paulsen's delightful vocals shine over symphonic and background choirs. Although I've lost interest in the ethereal symphonic metal of Nightwish, this song makes a classic highlight with its spiritual lyrics, "Leave your broken dreams, alone in despair, stay in that place, and I will be here". After that, "Take Aim. Reclaim. Prevail" has strong symphonics and vocals from both Paulsen and Thorsen with dark lyrics. "The Desperation Corridors" reminds me of Amaranthe if there were symphonics instead of electronics.

"Farewell to Sanity" is another one of my favorite songs here, beginning like a funeral dirge before switching to the usual heaviness and vocal alternations. Shining high is the instrumentation, especially the guitars over the percussion. And there's more of the harsh lyrics. Then "Dead End Gaze" has the kind of metal the heavier fans find listenable. Closing with another favorite, "Faith Comes Knocking" has amazing symphonics and eerie wickedness. There's also a great bonus track, "Onward March the Merciless".

Ronny Thorsen and co. have a masterpiece that I'm glad to have revisited after a few years. This is true extreme gothic metal! The dark lyrics and deathly growls are in perfect blend with the epic music and operatic female vocals, all in grand value. Bloodstained Endurance really deserves profuse attention!

Favorites: "The Feverish Alliance", "Bloodstained Endurance", "Triumphant Gleam", "A Storm at Will", "Farewell to Sanity", "Faith Comes Knocking"

I can find brilliance in many places. Some filled with upbeat energy, others filled with downbeat despair. Doom metal/death-doom has developed in several countries like Sweden, the UK, and the US. Fans of the genre can handle the sadness and mortality detailed in the songs. Death-doom is considered quite unique for mixing the wickedness of the former genre with the melancholy of the latter. One of those bands was Katatonia at that time, but I gave up on listening to that band and much of The Fallen genres because I had enough of the depressiveness. I might just make a comeback though, with the spin-off band of Jonas Renkse and Fred Norrman, October Tide!

This album can be considered by many to be a bridge between the first two Katatonia albums, though the album was released two years after it was recorded, with Brave Murder Day released in the middle year. With this October Tide album encounter, the perfection of those heavy guitars and atmospheric keyboards from those Katatonia albums re-entered my mind, along with the more deathly elements. Renkse performs his final growled vocals before health issues restricted him to only clean singing in subsequent Katatonia albums. With those vocals perfectly fitting the melodic atmosphere, it made me regret my move away from the earlier albums of his main band. The guitars sound heavy while staying spacey and aren't as meandering as Opeth, which is why that band became another one I lost interest in just recently (SAD).

Opening the album is the grand "12 Days of Rain" with perhaps one of the strongest slow doomy riffs ever. The verses have a similar vibe to early 90s Paradise Lost, with Renkse's vocals unleashed. Keeping that stage set is "Ephemeral".

Same with "All Painted Cold" which has some Sabbath/Maiden-like mid-tempo heavy metal in the opening riffing before slowing down as expected in this album. You can almost think of this like In Flames at the time, but slower. When "Sightless" appears, you can imagine 80s Queensryche blended together with Edge of Sanity, sounding graceful in this sea of brutal somberness.

There's more of the slow decay in "Losing Tomorrow". It is more of a short ambient gothic rock track with a bit of Renkse's clean singing that would replace his growls as his main vocal style in subsequent albums. That song is this album's "Day"! Then "Blue Gallery" takes on a faster pace, though it's not without its lyrics of suicidal lamentations. "Infinite Submission" will keep you aware in attention as the melodies play while Renkse performs his last ever growls before they crumble away. With beautiful ambience, you might think there should be something like an ambient score. One final riff ends the album, sounding huge yet with a simple chord that carries you to the finish line.

Rain Without End is one of the best early Swedish death-doom albums I've heard in a long time. Anyone looking for melodic doom metal with deathly riffs and growls have come to the right place. Sweden is a country with one of the most diverse metal scenes around, with lots of different sounds like the melodic black/death of Dissection. The earliest releases of some genres are ones that really embrace them and prove to be prime examples of their respective scenes. This brand of death-doom is the right kind of doom I need, never as droning as funeral doom and never as old-school as traditional doom. So come one come all to the bleak Swedish death-doom realms. Rain Without End shall be your starting point!

Favorites: "12 Days of Rain", "All Painted Cold", "Sightless", "Infinite Submission"

The tough thing about checking out some demo EPs from bands, including splits, is that you end up thinking "What the f*** happened there?!" and then you realized, "Oh this is just a demo" while irritated about a band you love sounding this sh*tty. In saying that, Parkway Drive would definitely improve in a short matter of time and start making killer albums that cement them as one of my favorite metalcore bands.

The only track that closely matches their later better quality is "Hollow Man", which would be re-vamped in their 3rd album Deep Blue with more anger and improved production. A couple other tracks, each from one of two other bands in the split, Think Straight and Shoot to Kill, are also quite solid. Think Straight's "Make a Move" is a full-on blast of melodic death metal/metalcore that I can definitely rock out to as much as Parkway Drive's material. Shoot to Kill's "D.J.C." is the 5-minute closing epic of the entire EP, and there's even a bit of influence that I can hear from This Day Forward at that time.

But other than those 3 tracks, this split EP has only as much quality as the only images of its cover that can be found on the internet. Nonetheless, I'm glad to let out my thoughts about the EP here on this site, so thanks Ben for adding it. All I'm gonna say is, Parkway Drive's official discography is so much f***ing better....

Favorites (only one song per band): "Hollow Man", "Make a Move", "D.J.C."

Despite being a fan of an industrial metal and enjoying a few Ministry albums, I still prefer the genre when it's more experimental or, in some cases, cyber. With that said, I've realized that I have not yet took on what is considered one of the most essential albums in all of industrial metal, Ministry's Psalm 69. It is the final piece of the band's first industrial metal trilogy puzzle, so let's get right on it!

Psalm 69 is a step up from both of the band's previous two albums. It carries on the industrial metal direction that the duo of The Land of Rape and Honey and The Mind is a Terrible Thing to Taste kick-started. The thrashy instrumentation in Psalm 69 is something to enjoy, though it wouldn't make its comeback until Houses of the Molé which is one other great album but not as full-form as this one. The album, officially titled ΚΕΦΑΛΗΞΘ, is pretty d*mn excellent. Following the band's successful live album In Case You Didn't Feel like Showing Up, Al Jourgensen was determined to make an album so explosive yet appealing to the mainstream.

Opening things up in madness is "N.W.O." It starts with a sample of a siren alarm over the first riff, and the band set up the stage. "Just One Fix" is a pretty great song, especially during that hard-hitting breakdown over the 3-minute mark. It really can be worth "driving down the highway at night". However, there might be something missing, I don't know. Vocalist Al Jourgensen can do sinister laughing. This industrial rock/metal tune can also work well for fighting a zombie apocalypse, or at least that's what it sounds like. The f***ing world needs to be fixed, doesn't it? Also it reminds me of Rammstein's "Du Hast". Co-written by Chris Connelly, "TV II" shreds through pure anger. And holy f***, those are some blazing black metal-level blast-beats there!

"Hero" hops along with some thrashy riffing and D-beat drums. While not really the best here, this is one that can get you headbanging or at least head-nodding. Still this track is quite fun and it has a great midsection solo. The crazy highlight "Jesus Built My Hotrod" I'm already familiar with via the Lamb of God/Burn the Priest cover. The song has an interesting narrative and fun lyrics, sung by the Butthole Surfers' Gibby Haynes. Another favorite here, "Scarecrow" is an 8-minute slow industrial metal epic with samples from the 1973 film of the same title. There are some harmonic guitars and a bit of a gothic-ish vibe. A pleasant slow trip through hell-fueled harmonies.

The title track has the best of the band's heavy side. However, what kills the song's highlight status are those f***ing opening samples! As much as I find the background choir epic, the repeated sample of a child saying "I think that my heart has been touched by Christ" is quite annoying, going on for the first minute and a half. But at least the mind-blowing moshpit-inducing drumming makes up for that. And of course, samples are still a nice essential touch in industrial metal. "Corrosion" is much more of a plain industrial song with a dance-y beat. It's not weak at all, sounding quite interesting as a different track towards the end of the album. "Grace" is the perfect ending here. While the more industrial sound is still on, samples of "armageddon, doomsday, apocalypse" can be heard before some crushing harmonies to wrap things up.

The band started falling off a bit in creativity a few years after this album was released, when Jourgensen was arrested for drug possession and subsequently moved away from drugs and alcohol for some time. However, their later material would still please some fans while not reaching the f***ing heights of the first industrial metal trilogy. A few might argue about the EBM Twitch or even the synthpop With Sympathy being the band's breakthrough in the commercial perspective, but Psalm 69 is considered by many to stand as the true pinnacle of the Ministry's tenure. H*ll, there is more sludgy heaviness than there is pretty melody, and that was the band's right move!

Favorites: "Just One Fix", "TV II", "Jesus Built My Hotrod", "Scarecrow", "Grace"

Power metal was my favorite genre when I was a young teen. I even liked the more cheesy and uplifting kind. But of course, my taste changed into heavier and more serious modern metal genres. I had a couple-year attempt in reviving my interest in power metal that ultimately fell apart. Nonetheless, I'm sometimes up to making an occasional revisit to one of the power metal bands I used to like, and one cool band honoring the uplifting kind is Freedom Call!

Released around the band's 25th anniversary, The M.E.T.A.L. Fest is a live CD/Blu-ray recording of two live shows from the prior year, the first one at the titular Metalfest in the Czech Republic and the second one at Regensburg’s Eventhall in Germany. Get ready for a smooth ride of 14 speedy anthems with happy melody and magical choruses...

But before this live presentation, we have a brand-new studio track from the band in honor of the festival, the title track of this release! It's quite smooth with infectious vocal delivery from frontman Chris Bay. And I'm not ashamed to admit that this is the ultimate highlight of the entire album! The main live part of the release begins with an "Intro" to get you pumped up as the crowd chants "M! E! T-A-L!" Then comes the strong opener of the show, "Union of the Strong". Fast bass and drums and melodic guitars speed along in catchy verses and anthemic choruses. As you listen to the song, you can already the band rising to the top of glory. Great hooks and high-level guitars makes the song one of the best of the band. There's some more true glory in "Tears of Babylon", with galloping background melody from background horns like a medieval fanfare. The memorability of the album Eternity can be heard even before we can hear songs from that album. "Spirit of Daedalus'' has some excellent power metal that isn't too far off from earlier legends like Gamma Ray and Edguy, even adding some heavier guitar riffing to the melodic music. "Sail Away" has more of the band's signature sound within the same mid-tempo marching tempo as "Tears of Babylon", while having effective guitar melody and background choir.

Get ready for some action-packed adventure in what's pretty much this release's epic "Metal Invasion", that can be as kick-A as the epics from the band's first two albums. There's lots of speedy riffing and drums that start after a massive choral intro, a glorious Blind Guardian-like combination! The title track of Freedom Call's latest studio album M.E.T.A.L. honors this classic melodic side of heavy metal with lyrics centered around the genre, the way HammerFall would do it. With such addictive honesty in these lyrics, you know how much power metal joy you're getting. This German band can make a somewhat Christian power metal anthem with ''111 - The Number of the Angels''. You'll be happy to hear such optimistic melody, as the rhythms and vocals keep you in attention. "Ace of the Unicorn" is a strange as sh*t title, and the same can be said for the song itself that sounds way too sweet compared to the other songs in both the studio album and its live release, especially in the chorus. The immortal "theme song" for the band, "Freedom Call" makes up for that a lot as a brilliant power metal anthem, beginning with a rising alternating melody between the guitars and the audience.

The heavy yet uplifting power metal tune "Power & Glory" has perky bagpipe that once again makes the song too happy and worth skipping. The glorious next track "Metal is for Everyone" has most of the more melodic metal genres formed into one. There's a bit of crushing riffing, but the catchy chorus shines among it all. "Warriors" shows Chris Bay's melody in both the vocals and guitars with not much technical. It is an upbeat rock-on track plays out quite as well as Edguy and Stratovarius along with the catchier hits from the band's first two albums. Now "Far Away" I have mixed feelings for. It throws back to the positivity of Crystal Empire, a little too much with the overwhelming bagpipes, but some sections are still well-done. One final standout "Land of Light" can be considered the "Final Countdown" for this band, with the mid-tempo mix of horns and guitar and the fact that it's the band's signature song. Then the "Outro" ends the adventure, with a reprise to the "Intro" and the opening melody of "Spirit of Daedalus''.

Freedom Call can make anyone smile with their happy good-mood power metal sound, whether in a small concert or big festival. Although this live release is a pretty great throwback to when I enjoyed power metal so much, I think replacing a few happy-joy-joy songs with ones from Stairway to Fairyland and The Circle of Life is all I wish for....

Favorites (one per album including new studio track): "The M.E.T.A.L. Fest", "Union of the Strong", "Tears of Babylon", "Metal Invasion", "M.E.T.A.L.", "Freedom Call", "Power & Glory", "Metal is for Everyone", "Far Away"

Well I decided to give some listening and a review to Unbroken's debut Ritual, and it's just not meant for my ears. It sounds too much like they tried to combine the hardcore of Strife at the time with the thrash of Anthrax and the in-between of Suicidal Tendencies, with less metal emphasis, in more of a thrashy hardcore mix than metalcore, close to Neurosis' first two albums. "Zero Hour" is a decent metallic standout, but that's pretty much it. I like their second album Life Love Regret far more than this hardcore sh*t....

Favorites (only one I decently like): "Zero Hour"

Legend is a perfectly fitting title for this EP, as it marked a unique start to an epic underrated blend of genres that wasn't as popular as it is recently. Imagine adding Dimmu Borgir/Emperor-style melodic/symphonic black metal together with metal/deathcore for a perfect pleasantly surprising cauldron, and you get this Abigail Williams EP. Pretty much the first ever true release of that stylistic combo, if you don't count that Winds of Plague demo album A Cold Day in Hell!

Metal elitists had put the EP down for adding hardcore elements into Dark Funeral-like black metal, but it's clear that this band was thinking, "Scr*w the a**es, let's please the masses!" Keyboardist Ashley Ellyllon can play melodies as beautiful as herself, a solid addition to the band's sound. Not one flaw I can ever find in this satisfying production. This blackened death/metalcore mix is perfect, especially in the vocals. Hardcore breakdowns can make this EP remind some of The Faceless gone Behemoth. Effective melodic riffing plays over those breakdowns for something catchy. Can't we all get along with this talented band's material instead of dissing them due to some breakdowns?

"From a Buried Heart" has some slow guitar sections, but speed is everything, especially since it's never as excessively fast as, say, grindcore. "Like Carrion Birds" has more speed, starting off with cool arpeggios.

"The Conqueror Wyrm" may be the EP's slowest track, but it's my favorite here, having heavier bridges and a beautiful chorus. This is true emotional modern symphonic black metalcore. Nothing wrong with adding hardcore heaviness for the sake of trying something new, right? Heavier metal fans won't be highly p*ssed by "Watchtower", the most black metal song in the EP. Another favorite, "Procession of the Aeons" has intense speed, as guitar melodies shine over blast beat insanity. Everything's well-placed there!

Let me just that this release is, in one word, beautiful. This is a pioneering example of melodic/symphonic black/death/metalcore. It's so emotional, it's perfect for any mood. The EP has a solid tracklisting of four 4-minute tracks and one nearly 6-minute epic, no interludes to break the flow. You can't criticize a modern legend!

Favorites: "The Conqueror Wyrm", "Watchtower", "Procession of the Aeons"

As I continue to test out my strength in The Pit, I decided to check out another Testament album, their latest one, at least until their next album that will possibly continue the 4-year intervals between releases. The quality is still in a decent strong level as in the other Testament album I've review, The Formation of Damnation. There are quite some good things to enjoy in album #13, Titans of Creation...

Adding to the "13" superstition, the album was released during the dark terrors of COVID, and in the weeks surrounding the album's release, vocalist Chuck Billy and bassist Steve Di Giorgio were both tested positive for the virus. Fortunately, they recovered. And the positive reception this 12-track album claimed is a good light in the darkness.

Opening up "Children of the Next Level" is what to expect in this awesome song and the rest of the album, thrash aggression with some melody. Kicking up the heavy drums is "WWIII". What's also interesting in that song in the main riff. "Dream Deceiver" has a catchy chorus. Moving forward, "Night of the Witch" displays a bit of rhythm guitarist Eric Peterson's Ihsahn-like screamed vocals that he adopted from his other band Dragonlord.

Opening the next composition "City of Angels" is some prominent thick bass that thrashes along with the rhythm guitar. Then we get ahead to "Ishtar’s Gate", which has an Egyptian-like vibe in the music. Next tune "Symptoms" has some cool riffing melody in the intro, which then leads to heavier patterns. While they're worth moshing along to, they're a little too predictable and at fault. "False Prophet" is where is the earlier glory of this album seems to be fading out. The heaviness is still around, but at that point, it's getting more predictable and listeners would want something to really spice it up.

"The Healers" returns to the death/thrash glory that has swept the American nation in the late 80s, even having unexpected tremolos. "Code of Hammurabi" with more of the prominent bass playing a riff that is then played by the guitars, lead straight into typical thrash. The album's last full song, "Curse of Osiris" is filled with the pure heaviness of thrash that shall ignite speedy mosh-pits. You can't forget the black metal-ish parts with more of Peterson's vocals. "Catacombs" is an OK sign-off outro.

In the chaos of a deadly disease, Titans of Creation proves that no matter how old the members are, they're as strong as they were when they were young. For 4 decades, one of the most well-known American thrash bands besides the Big 4 continue their roots and reinvent themselves with more of the heavy riff complexity from the guitar duo of Eric Peterson and Alex Skolnick. The drumming by Gene Hoglan has more progressive diversity. Listeners might argue that this album is twice as long as a thrash release should be, with only the singles being good. I still find good unique work in a few other songs, not just the singles, though some improvement could've been in order....

Favorites: "Children of the Next Level", "WWIII", "Night of the Witch", "City of Angels", "The Healers", "Curse of Osiris"

There was one song from this album that I discovered via a YouTube ad that made me up to checking out this band's material, which we'll get to later in the review. I decided to check out their debut album Vastaus before getting to this album. It was decently good, but there were a few odd aspects, to me anyway, one of them being Finnish lyrics. After that, I knew I would have to go their second album that includes the main reason for my discovery of this band. It was only A MATTER OF TIME...

Alase is a Finnish post-/progressive metal band. They blend different styles in atmospheric melody, even beyond what's conventional in metal. A Matter of Time is a pretty good 9-song journey, and the English lyrics make things more understandable.

First song "Understanding the Waves" starts in soft light before the heavy darkness. The music and vocals seem to connect differently from one another. "Clear Sky is Not a Curse" has slow atmosphere despite its short length. The clean leads in the middle have good weight. There are nice harmonic vocals, but again, it's not music-connected. "Fate's Intervention" is heavier with harsh vocals, almost like they're blending Katatonia's recent material with Brave Murder Day. They shine against those parallel cleans.

"Unburden" has better consistency, but it seems like any excitement is out of reach. The atmosphere really could've had a greater approach. However, "Life Ahead" has a nice developing charm. "The Source" is the song that made me up to checking out this band. Atmospheric bass and vocals lead to a well-done blend of heavy and ethereal.

"Out of Place" takes on a darker tone. Sadly, the direction is, like the title suggests, out of place. Some sections can be a bit confusing. "Feeling Free" is short with consistent melody. Despite being a soft ballad, it's quite favorable. "Ajan Kysymys" is a heavier closing track. It's basically the album's title track as it's the title in Finnish. Bass, leads, and vocals are all in a nice blend. It's a very cohesive song and my second favorite here behind "The Source".

All in all, A Matter of Time is good but in need of some improvement. This atmospheric progressive metal sound is quite nice. While the vocals have diverse variety, they should've connected better with the music. No matter the band's intentions, anyone should experience this ethereal melody....

Favorites: "Fate's Intervention", "The Source", "Feeling Free", "Ajan Kysymys"

Alase is a practically unknown yet underrated band. They had released a string of singles with drummer Janne Kusmin before he left to continue his focus on Kalmah. Taking his place was Toni Paananen, and then the time came for the band to make their debut album...

This band is quite atmospheric, the same kind of atmosphere you would find in The Ocean and 21st century Katatonia. Alase cooked up a cauldron in Vastaus (Answer) that isn't about disharmonic cacophony, but instead, smooth post-progressive metal atmosphere. The vocals that alternate between clean and harsh perform mostly Finnish lyrics, which doesn't let me enjoy the album as much as I should, but it still comes out decently well.

The title track is a short slow intro. "Näkyvä" (Visible) is the first full song, and it has dark melancholy mixed with dreamy air to make a unique blend. "Binary Stars" is the only song in the album to have English lyrics. With that and its blend of beauty and heaviness, it's a well-done highlight.

The ethereal "Osa Minua" (Part of Me) is not something to dance to in a party. It's worth listening to while floating in your stream of consciousness. A mentionable track to start the second side is "Vaienneet" (Silenced). It's a soft intermission of beautiful atmosphere. It offers all that you need, but there's not much to say about it.

Harsh vocals can be heard greatly in "Vapaaksi Merkitty" (Marked as Free) (why am I visualizing a mermaid kid cat?) push things along like a tidal wave. That's probably the heaviest song in the album! What I enjoy is "Riisuttu" (Stripped) which, despite its title, builds up slowly high, approaching the album's climax. "Haukka" (Hawk) ends the album with a solid blend of the ethereal space of Hawkwind and the metal serenity of 2000s Amorphis.

Vastaus starts the band off in a somewhat good level, but I feel there could've been a lot more improvement, along with more English lyrics. The band would achieve that potential with another release to follow....

Favorites: "Binary Stars", "Vaienneet", "Riisuttu", "Haukka"

If you thought Chapter I was bizarre and disturbing, let me tell you, there's more of that in Chapter II. Electronic rhythms come in to guide you through a surreal yet pleasant nightmare. This unique motive of adding true crime lyrics to gothic-ish industrial rock/metal I have more leeway towards than I would have when I was younger.

"Jim Jones" is based on the Jonestown Massacre, a mass murder-suicide in which approximately 909 people died, a 3rd of that amount being children, and most of them drank Flavor Aid cyanide. Jim Jones was the cult leader, and he shot himself in the head. The song is darker than even the more extreme metal genres, and yet I'm intrigued. Just remember, life is too precious to be laid down.

"Tyler Hadley" is one of the most disturbing songs I heard in industrial metal, and metal in general. An industrial metal gone trap song about a teen who bludgeoned his parents to death with a hammer, hid the bodies in the closet, and threw a party, then he was arrested the next day and sentenced to life in prison. The song is pretty great though. "You should feel lucky, why don't you feel lucky?" Finally, the emotional "Katherine Knight" has a bit of a Lady Gaga-like pop vibe. It's based on a woman who murdered her husband and was intending to make herself and her children cannibals to that man. So crazy, yet the song mesmerizes me.

Innovative melody is twisted with the darkest real-life stories to ever occur, thanks to Skynd and the ongoing industrial party they've been having. It's an amazing experience that's filled with horror while quite inspiring!

Favorites: "Jim Jones", "Katherine Knight"

This here is gonna be a two-part review as I explore one of the darkest non-extreme metal bands I've heard in my life, the first part being their first EP. Skynd is known for basing their songs on true crime, including notable real-life deaths and murders. The creepiness may not be for the faint of heart, but it works well for the experienced...

"Elisa Lam" is based on a college student whose body was mysteriously found in a cistern at the Cecil Hotel. It's a little too deranged for me to love, but still quite solid. "Gary Heidnik" is based on a murderer who brutally tortured and/or killed several women and hid them in a chamber under his basement. The song features Jonathan Davis of Korn, and has more of an electro-industrial sound with a bit of pop and trap. With that said, I like it!

The clever "Richard Ramirez" is my favorite of this EP. Skynd herself sings more naturally here, and it's quite fantastic, though I'm OK with the strange effects. Richard Ramirez was another serial killer, known as the Night Stalker.

So far the music is so disturbing, and while I do enjoy it, I can understand why other people don't. To be continued in Chapter II....

Favorites: "Gary Heidnik", "Richard Ramirez"

Lard's final release before a 20-year hiatus is, similarly to The Power of Lard, a 3-track EP with each track having a different style. They're a few outtakes from their two full-length albums. Is this EP worth closing the initial part of the career? Well...

The 7-minute title track is, in a word, HILARIOUS. Let me tell you, this is the band's attempt to parody the cheesy classic 70s rock of Aerosmith and AC/DC. The lyrics are quite ridiculous, especially the chorus that keeps declaring that this kind of sound must die. Biafra seems to do a good job impersonating Axl Rose of Guns n' Roses. You never usually hear something both headbanging and hilarious at the same time, and people say only Spinal Tap could do something like that. It's definitely a break from the punky attitude of bands like Dead Kennedys (Jello Biafra's former band). It's just so d*mn funny. I'm not sure what I was thinking adding that song to the next Sphere playlist.

The next track "Volcanus 2000 (We Wipe the World)" has the band's usual industrial rock/metal first introduced in the 1988 Ministry album, tackling those who want to imitate Nine Inch Nails. There are some people who think this kind of sound is stinky garbage, but if you get more to the sound like I am, you might some decent enjoyment. "Ballad of Marshall Ledbetter" stomps with the industrial metal sound once more.

So we have one track parodying 70s rock, and two industrial rock/metal songs. All I can say is, Lard could've had a much better way than this EP to sign off.....

Favorites: all tracks, though the title track isn't too well-fitting

Symphonic blackened deathcore has been something I've been up to exploring more of since bands like Lorna Shore and early Make Them Suffer. Before then, and especially before discovering Lorna Shore, I wasn't that much of a fan of deathcore, let alone that epic style of the genre. But now here I am, taking on an album that kicks up the style up a notch, cranking up the Cradle of Filth/Dimmu Borgir-like symphonic black metal part of the sound for a late-2000s Abigail Williams-style blend...

What I found out about this band Mental Cruelty was, in their earlier material from the late 2010s, they were more of a brutal slam deathcore band, as opposed to this decade when they started having their symphonic black/deathcore sound. The vocals are quite excellent, unlike what people think of other deathcore bands' vocalists. The vocals are actually from a new member, Lukas Nicolai, replacing original vocalist Lucca Schmerler who had the CJ McCreery effect of falling from grace due to abuse allegations. While some longtime fans might be not be used to Lukas, his vocals have that diverse power ranging from shrieks to growls that you can find from any other epic deathcore band.

"Midtvinter" is an epic orchestral intro with a similar vibe to the beginning of Make Them Suffer's debut Neverbloom. Then "Obsessis a Daemonio" blasts off, and some might think it's like Dimmu Borgir on steroids. At over the 3 and a half minute mark, Lukas attempts some clean power metal-like singing like some of the male guest vocalists of Avantasia. In full prominence is the brutal technical soloing in "Forgotten Kings". However, "Pest" shows a bit of weakness in the vocals, as Lukas tries to sound like Will Ramos but can't reach Will's impressive strength. Lukas' other kinds of vocals work quite well, but just not in that motive. Despite that, the orchestral melodies and choir imitate Lorna Shore more properly, and that's something I can support alongside the brutal heaviness.

The slower "Nordlys" has more of a melodeath vibe, almost like they twisted Amorphis' "My Kantele" into the usual symphonic black/deathcore. "Mortal Shells" takes the more brutal elements which, blending together with the melody, make such a unique sound, though Lukas' vocals sound more uneven. Still the instrumentation sounds so evilly ravaging, complete with crushing drums and other diverse aspects. The band take their experimentation further in the one and a half minute title track, basically just Lord of the Rings-inspired atmospheric folk in the music and lyrics, and fitting well for its title that's German for "Twilight".

Insomnium-like riffing and soloing bursts in with "Symphony of a Dying Star". The power metal-like clean vocals appear again in the two and a half minute mark. There is straightforward classic black metal in "The Arrogance of Agony". The 7 and a half minute finale "A Tale of Salt and Light" is EPIC!!!! Think of it like the earlier albums of both Make Them Suffer and Betraying the Martyrs having the epic progressive instrumentation of In the Woods (including that band's black metal debut) and Seventh Wonder.

All in all, despite a bit of fault in the vocals, and being heavily reliant on black metal at times, Zwielicht is filled with powerful diversity that any fan of symphonic blackened deathcore should enjoy. Notable change in line-up aside, Mental Cruelty is still evolving with their sound without ever being repetitive....

Favorites: "Obsessis a Daemonio", "Forgotten Kings", "Nordlys", "Symphony of a Dying Star", "A Tale of Salt and Light"

Holy sh*t, I did not expect Sick Puppies to appear on this site! Then again, I shouldn't be too surprised. They do have some alternative metal going on in their sound, and I reviewed an album by another nu metal gone alternative rock band, Lostprophets. Anyway, I've seen the name of this band Sick Puppies floating around in different sites and thought it's about time to welcome myself to the world of this band's material...

The band entered the scene with their first EP Dog's Breakfast, two years before their debut album was produced and released. The album sounds promising despite the inexperienced vocals, poor production, and the goofy cover art of the band members naked in cloning tubes.

The title track already unleashes the album's nu metal style as the band attacks corporations that rule the world in the lyrics. Sadly, the song doesn't hold up high due to its weak dissonance. One of the singles "Rock Kids" is better though, despite some edgier lyrics rapped by Shim Moore's vocals that seem to have puberty after-effect. "Duck Bite" is OK, but not notable. "Every Day" is a great single. Nice intro, nice chorus!

Then we switch a folky ballad in "Time Will Pass". Shim's vocals shine here, but the song itself is a bit boring. The true standout here is the anthemic "Nothing Really Matters". The tone is more progressive with rhythms to keep you interested, as the fast verses and slow choruses make a great balance. Next up, "Open the Door" starts with an odd knock-knock joke: "Knock knock." "Who's there?" "Maks." "Maks who?" "MAKES NO DIFFERENCE, OPEN THE DOOR!" The instrumentation is really good, along with the vocal distortion. "Holding Out" sounds awful in the verses, but the chorus is beautiful. "Something Different" is pretty cool with nice variation.

"Do You Know" has some soft folky verses, but the choruses have some great explosive rock. "Me Much Plenty" seems to drop in quality, almost more like a demo than a full-fledged track. What should've been the closing track, "The Way" is a beautiful acoustic ballad, despite the inexperienced vocals. A radio edit of "Rock Kids" appears, but all they did was shorten the track which is not much to change there. "Spanky & Speedy" is a forgettable hidden track, simply just short lame comedic punk.

All in all, Welcome to the Real World is a pretty good official start to the band's career. The band would hit higher levels of fame with their next album Dressed Up as Life, but the nu metal sound of their debut should please some fans of the genre. A whole new world awaited this trio of Rock Kids....

Favorites: "Rock Kids", "Every Day", "Nothing Really Matters", "Open the Door", "Something Different", "Do You Know", "The Way"

Seeing a review for this album appear on this site made me remember this band that has split up and been "cancelled" due to crimes committed by one of the band's founding members. In my younger times when I was following my brother's alt-rock/metal footsteps in music before switching to "real" metal, one of those bands was Lostprophets. I listened to a few songs; one that my brother likes, one in which I've seen its music video on TV, and one more on my own. I thought that band was OK. However, just a few months after I first listened to that band, their lead singer Ian Watkins was arrested for various sexual offenses against children and even an animal! F***ing sick (as in disgusting), right?!? A year later, that band split up, and Watkins was sentenced to nearly 3 decades in prison.

That wasn't the end of the story though. The music industry wanted nothing to do with the band anymore, and people were destroying album copies in attempt to cease the band's existence. The remaining members formed a new band No Devotion, with Thursday vocalist Geoff Rickly. With all that said, Lostprophets had pretty much become the Dark Lord of the rock/metal realms. However, they were quite popular in the days before sh*t went down. Out of the ashes of Fleshbind and Public Disturbance, Lostprophets made their debut The Fake Sound of Progress that was released in 2000 via Visible Noise, with a more successful re-release via Columbia Records the following year.

The album begins with an "Obscure Intro". Then the single "Shinobi vs. Dragon Ninja" is a prime example of the album's nu metal, along with videogame references in the title. The 6-minute title track actually has some similarities to Opeth with its calm groove and somewhat progressive structure, while the nu metal sound stays intact. Then the first of 4 noise interludes appear. "Five Is a Four Letter Word" is more effective despite not being a single. Also effective is the vocals in "...And She Told Me to Leave", along with post-ish guitar chords that can remind listeners more of the emo-rock of Sunny Day Real Estate than the metal of In Flames that seems to take on some influence for the album, and other modern metal releases.

The second noise interlude follows, having some DJ scratching. That also occurs at the end of "Kobrakai". The song itself has some screamed vocals that fit together with the singing. "The Handsome Life of Swing" is basically hardcore metal that's diversified by some jazz sections. The third interlude comes on, sounding nice and soft. "A Thousand Apologies" (yeah that's what Ian Watkins should be writing) has some more nu metal reminiscent of Demon Hunter's debut. "Still Laughing" (but that's what Ian Watkins would be doing if he still has some evilness) has some hardcore-ish hard rock that Eighteen Visions would adopt for their mid-2000s material.

Then we have the 4th and last interlude that's like the "Cure for the Itch" of this album. "For Sure" has more melody that for sure sounds like it has bled into metalcore bands like Killswitch Engage and Underoath. "Awkward" is indeed a little too awkward for what I like and comes out as more of a throwaway track. Honestly, I thought "Ode to Summer" was gonna be just an outro, but it turned out be to be one more track with some nu metal reminiscent of Demon Hunter's debut. A solid ending!

I wouldn't say The Fake Sound of Progress is a super awesome album, but it has certainly never failed. Lostprophets have shown some potential in their debut. Whether or not you wanna avoid this band like a plague because of the vocalist's horrid actions, this album should catch on in the nu metal community. The sound of progress is real....

Favorites: "Shinobi vs. Dragon Ninja", "The Fake Sound of Progress", "Five Is a Four Letter Word", "The Handsome Life of Swing", "A Thousand Apologies", "Still Laughing", "For Sure", "Ode to Summer"

Wanting to keep testing the progressive black metal waters in Infinite feature releases with bands like Xanthochroid, Enslaved, and Dødheimsgard, I decided to check out this month's feature release in last year's Tómarúm album. Although I haven't hit a full point of interest in the progressive black metal sound, there's quite a lot to enjoy here!

This young duo from Atlanta, Georgia first started off with a one-track demo and a two-track EP. Soon after the latter, Prosthetic Records came in to add this band to their expanding lineup of bands. Tómarúm made their debut full-length album Ash In Realms Of Stone Icons that is filled with hot talented extreme progressive metal, which is quite impressive for these two young lads Kyle Walburn and Brandon Iacovella (born 3 months before my brother and me, respectively).

"Introspection I" is off to an easy start in the first 45 seconds with acoustic intricacy. Then heating things up is the powerful bass and drum blasts to get you prepared for an extreme complex journey. "Condemned to a Life of Grief" keeps up the energy in the drums that stab through the unravelling atmosphere. The vocals don't appear for a long while, but it's OK as long as you can be able to fully grasp the metal instrumentation and background orchestration in different forms. Adding to the joyful experience is such masterful shredding from the guitar duo.

"In This Empty Space" is another long blast through ominous melody, and the vocals ranging from banshee-like screams to demonic growls. The technicality is so impressive throughout this progressive track. Darkness and light are twisted around and make sure you're in for the journey rather than the destination. "Introspection II" lets you breathe for a while with calm subtle orchestration and piano. There will be more sinister chaos to come... "Where No Warmth is Found" continues the intense assault from the frantic drumming and speedy riffing. The vocals once again reign in spine-chilling fury. There's even a guest clean vocal performance by Marissa Godinez that really fits well with the vibe, despite only appearing for a brief section.

"As Black Forms From Grey" begins with doomy melancholy that doesn't last too long before the extremeness comes back on. This is pure relentless chaos with suffocating density to please the more extreme metalheads. "Awake Into Eternal Slumber" reminds of the opening epic of Wintersun's The Forest Seasons, having almost the same title, 15-minute track length, and a similar melodic progressive extreme metal sound. A savage assault of pulverizing drums and evil riffing bursts through, along with the vicious vocals. The immense emotion will make sure this long track length won't ever be draggy. There's enough diversity in that track to summarize this entire album!

How in the world do you define such a unique diverse sound? Tómarúm is so impressive, and it's quite astonishing to hear what this young two-man band can do. Ash in Realms of Stone Icons can expand beyond their limits and keep listeners on their seats for some extensive progressive epics, as metal instrumentation is blended with background orchestration. The creativity is really what set this band apart from others of this style, and is greatly worth giving this release a spin!

Favorites: "In This Empty Space", "As Black Forms From Grey", "Awake Into Eternal Slumber"

I've seen this band Sleep Token getting mentioned a lot lately in different sites. With their new album being this month's Gateway feature release, I thought it would be the right time to find out what the hype is about. And let me tell you, this is one of the best albums to combine pop and metal in my life!

Having just come back from headlining a tour in Australia, Sleep Token started getting ready for an immense comeback that is Take Me Back to Eden! Pretty much half of their album was released as 6 singles one by one in the 5 months leading up to its release. Apparently, this album concludes a trilogy that began with their first two albums. Mixing heartful melodies and reflective lyrics with metal guitars, Take Me Back to Eden breaks the boundaries of heavy music and pays off with graceful strides.

A true blessing was unleashed with first single "Chokehold", as the beautiful synths and vocals welcome you to Eden. What's incredible is the ethereal atmosphere that you just gotta hear! The next day, listeners get to hear "The Summoning", with heavier breakdowns leading up to a soulful bass/vocals ending. The song is highly popular on Spotify, and I can understand why. Next single "Granite" has some energy though in an R&B/trap direction. The lyrics have frontman Vessel standing up for himself, which fits well for the album's tone. "Aqua Regia" continues to descend from the dynamics with just a minimalistic instrument lineup of bass, drums, and piano, as Vessel continues rising with his vocals that are like Imagine Dragons but better.

"Vore" sharply turns into blackgaze. Vessel takes on vicious screaming while drummer II blasts through with rapid drumming which, combined with intense guitar heaviness, adds beautiful ambient darkness that sounds so killer. "Ascensionism" ascends through 7 minutes of sonic emotion. Melancholic piano and delicate vocals start things off before an atmospheric buildup. Then we switch to that electronic trap beat as Vessel takes on autotuned rap-ish singing that I would rather hear from him instead of T-Pain. Just listen to that personality! Things get tense as another verse builds, and finally, a heavy breakdown occurs, a little more touching piano, and then ground-pounding finale. "Are You Really Okay?" is worth some praise as a sad yet uplifting ballad with clean guitar. The lyrics head down in esoteric depths as they warn you about mental health and the dangers of self-harm. "The Apparition" is similar with more of the harmonic vocals, clean guitars, serene synths, and programmed drums, before the djent comes again.

"DYWTYLM" may be a fan divider, but the sparse instrumentation is something great to love. "Rain" will have people clapping along in live shows, especially to the infectious chorus, "Rain down on me". The 8-minute title epic really nails the structure. In a garden of birds, Vessel sings in tranquility before lyrics of mental state are semi-rapped. The ending climax has Vessel screaming in pretty much the heaviest breakdown of the album. "Euclid" ends it all in bittersweet hope with the last of Vessel's vocals here. The album and trilogy may be over, but who knows what's next in the future of this band?

Take Me Back to Eden shows Sleep Token experimenting in beautiful greatness, and in the end, we have a lot of emotional complexity to explore that will have you wanting more once you try it. I was given a chance to check out the hype, and it was well worth the ride!

Favorites: "Chokehold", "The Summoning", "Vore", "Ascensionism", "DYWTYLM", "Take Me Back to Eden"

Anyone who thought the Firestorm EP was the beginning of the band's career would be surprised to find this EP from 1992 that has the metallic hardcore sound the band is known for, but not as much impact. This EP was re-released nationwide via Victory Records in the same year as the release of their debut album Destroy the Machines. While it's not as strong as their subsequent releases, All Out War has good ambition. The straight edge themes of war for animal rights having already started from the lyrics and cover art, attacking humanity's cruelty and greed. Karl Buechner and co. have their hardcore charm despite the drums and guitars sounding a bit wandering here.

The title opener stands against the sloppy production and comes close to surpassing "Firestorm" as the band's best classic track. "Ecocide" is another special track. There are stronger lyrics that won't go too well in a modern recording as it had when it came out 30 years before this review. What makes this really special is, it was re-recorded for their 3rd full album Breed the Killers.

The last two songs are not as spectacular as the first two, but nonetheless, the EP shows a solid start of the band's journey greatly improved by their mid-90s material. Although I wouldn't recommend All Out War to newcomers, unless they're going chronologically, the EP will interest fans of the band that have made straight edge history....

Favorites (only songs I really like): "All Out War", "Ecocide"

Those crushing Danish doomsters Saturnus seemed to have disappeared for a decade between this album and the last. Their comeback album can also mark my solid return to one of the most depressive genres around, doom metal, specifically death-doom. A couple years ago, I decided that I was not up for the slow sadness of this band and the Peaceville 3, but maybe this album has a glimmer of hope (ironic, right?) in my rediscovery of the genre. Saturnus has proven themselves to be the Danes' response to My Dying Bride and the early/mid-90s eras of Anathema and Paradise Lost with their first 4 albums, each with an average 5-years interval in between.

Fast forward through a decade of silence, an EP of Evinta-style remakes of earlier songs and demos of new ones were made, hinting at something big coming up... And finally came album #5, The Storm Within! As usual, vocalist Thomas A.G. Jensen and bassist Brian Hansen lead their emotional gothic death-doom group through the modern harshness of our world. Will they still carry the storm?

The title opener is one of two 11-minute epics, and it displays the band's haunting darkness from the start. Soft piano and acoustic melancholy make a sweet opening buildup in the first 3 minutes. Then the storm begins as the death growls and guitar heaviness pour down like massive rain. Jensen's cavernous vocals have strong potential, along with dramatic spoken passages. The slow pacing allows the guitar shines in stellar chords and heavy doom riffing. A massively effective opening piece! "Chasing Ghosts" is the second 11-minute epic here blends in bleak atmosphere with soft guitar air, almost like both the early and late eras of Anathema combined, together with traces of My Dying Bride's doomy sound. It's so monstrous yet beautiful, especially in the death growls and guitar that any of the darker metalheads can be up for. Just from those first two tracks alone, you're already getting a lot of dark doom and gloom!

Adding more of the northern European melodeath-doom into the mix, "The Calling" stands out with a more upbeat rock-like pace similar to the mid-90s albums of Katatonia and Amorphis. It's a nice change of pace after those slow epics, that's worth total replay value. The upbeat guitar shines like a warm sun over the cold world. The soft ode "Even Tide" has clean singing by Paul Kuhr of Novembers Doom. Perhaps the darkest song I've heard in a long time is "Closing the Circle".

Focused on mid-paced melody again is "Breathe New Life" that once again keeps things animated (not like a cartoon of course). It's shorter than all the other tracks at just 5 minutes in length, yet it seems to go downhill a bit. The final track "Truth" reaches a searing intense climax before a gentle ending.

Honestly, I've forgotten all about Saturnus until I found out about this album that I didn't expect would come but I'm glad it did. It's a very good accomplishment to continue this band's dark journey. The more depressive metalheads can dwell for eternity in the nice melodic bleakness. Doom metal fans should definitely get chase this great storm. I don't know if I'll be up for a sequel in the future (hopefully not too distant), but it's great to hear the Danish death-doom masters strike again....

Favorites: "The Storm Within", "Chasing Ghosts", "The Calling", "Closing the Circle"

Time for my next attempt at finding the appeal of crossover thrash. I find a couple genres like crossover thrash and grindcore easier to digest in small amounts like EPs. When those genres are focused on small abrasive songs, they work best when the tracks are the same amount as in a typical album of most other genres while keeping the track lengths, and sometimes even lower than that. That's why I barely had any trouble with the Corrosion of Conformity album I reviewed.

And now for this EP by modern crossover thrashers Municipal Waste! The Last Rager was released between the band's 6th and 7th albums. I was hoping to feel the hype thrash fans had over this release, but the first half turned out be a disappointment for me...

"Wave of Death" shows what I mean by playing the EXACT SAME RIFF in two minutes, spiced up only slightly by gang vocals including the title occasionally being shouted and a guitar that's just too abruptly short. Other than those two aspects, that song sounds more like one of those riff loop tracks than anything. Next up, "Car-Nivore (Street Meat)" has what fans of the band would expect, relentless yells and stampeding riffs. They're not totally bad, but I wished they could've interested more.

"Rum for Your Life" is far better! Here we have some wonderful riffing played fast with a bit of groove. There's great taste in the bass, drums, and vocals as well to remind fans of the band's earlier material and me of the heavier thrash bands I've encountered. The best song here! What's also great is the title finale. The first minute might remind some of the "O.D." crossover thrash bands (fans of the genre know what they are), and the raging combo continues on with great guitars. It actually sounds really unique here, almost as if the band were from 35 years prior to the EP and brought their sound to life in these modern times.

All in all, the first half of the EP comes out as disappointing, yet the second half clearly shows a better side of crossover thrash. This EP was a nice thing to keep Municipal Waste fans' spirits up while waiting in that 5-year gap between albums. A little more variety wouldn't hurt though....

Favorites: "Rum for Your Life", "The Last Rager"

Recently, Godflesh founder Justin Broadrick has been diagnosed with autism and PTSD. There are some people (such as myself, diagnosed with autism at age 2 instead of 52) who are a little surprised, while others, mostly long-time fans, had that suspicion for some time. His anxiety and shyness when it comes to live performances is one hint, having once gotten to the point where a panic attack caused the band to come to a halt for around a decade. But during that split and beyond, he created more projects. Then he reformed Godflesh with two more albums in the 2010s. And now it all leads up to the new album Purge! The title is already a giveaway about the modern updates provided to the concepts of their 1992 album Pure. Broadrick has worked together with Ben Green once again to let out some temporary relief...

Long-time fans and pretty much anyone familiar with the band's earlier material can definitely recognize the Pure sound, almost like these two albums can be connected! I'm sure some listeners can recognize some of the more classic tracks from the Pure album. Broadrick and Green's task at hand since the beginning is to unleash the robotic rhythms that have shaped up the genre they played their part in pioneering, industrial metal. Also looking back at the 80s/90s is the occasional hip-hop-ish groove that can ensure the album's variety without sounding too odd.

That rhythmic effect opens the album's first track and single "Nero", which is quite strong when mixed when the crushing vocals/guitar. The more abrasive "Land Lord" is a true standout for me, having some killer harmonic bends in the strings. "Army of Non" has the band's unabridged purity. It throws back to the glory days of Streetcleaner with the hammering and screeching guitars alongside the harsh vocals of Broadrick. The diversity in the heaviness adds to their bleak aura.

What's a bit droopy for me is "Lazarus Leper". However, the driving "Permission" is the opposite, in which noise-ridden electronic beats and dark chords, alongside the choir-like vocals sung by Broadrick.

The crawling "The Father" has an epic God/Slayer-sounding mix (I meant a mix of the bands GOD and Slayer) while in a Hymns-esque mainstream throwback. The crushing "Mythology of Self" marches with its slow drum pattern that blasts into your face with every hit. "You are the Judge, the Jury, and the Executioner" is the 8-minute epic, yet sounding simple in the beat and chord in a mesmerizing way.

The legacy of this band that has quite a 3 or 4-decade journey shows that as the two main members grow older, they can experiment with other music styles without giving a sh*t what the more critical critics think of their studio material, though live performances are a different story. Many of the band's albums are amazing with barely anything weak, but they don't reach the perfect glory of their late 80s releases. Purge is not an album that I would expect to have that past glory, while it comes close to being the best album of the new era!

Favorites: "Land Lord", "Army of Non", "The Father", "You are the Judge, the Jury, and the Executioner"

I was also late for the Dodheimsgard party. I've never heard of this band until just a couple weeks ago when I discovered their earlier masterpiece 666 International during my ongoing industrial metal exploration. And now I get to check out their latest album that is this month's Infinite feature release, as fantastic as their earlier pinnacle!

Since the aforementioned 666 International, these Norwegian progressive black/avant-garde metal masters have an 8-year interval between releases. I don't know if that's intentional, but the wait was worth it for longtime DHG fans with Black Medium Current! The band was formed in the 90s as part of Norway's black metal scene, then they took on a more progressive/avant-garde direction. Their determination to keep going has resulted in a successfully written album to give you the best of their recent times.

Starting things off is "Et Smelter" (A Melter) that, after a melancholic intro, blasts off into the fast riffing and drumming of black metal. With an epic blend of clean and harsh vocals, soft and heavy guitar, and some stellar synths, all this definitely makes this 10-minute epic worthwhile. "Tankespinnerens Smerte" (The Pain of the Mindspinner) takes on psychedelic emotion in softer sections. The alternation between slow riff and fast bass/drums is often used very well, especially towards the end. Next track "Interstellar Nexus" has nice catchy riffing, and the drums have a tribal effect, good for the relentless mood. Though it has a weird industrial section.

What I really like is "It Does Not Follow". It stands out as a prime example of psychedelic black metal with a bit of an alt-ish undertone. Next up is a melancholic piano interlude, "Voyager". Then "Halow" is has more of those grim vocals. Same with "Det Tomme Kalde Mørke" (The Empty Cold Darkness). That one begins with intense black metal tremolo, an interesting passage that sounds neo-classical-influenced.

"Abyss Perihelion Transit" is an 11-minute epic that is the most depressive part of the show, and as you approach the end, the sadness sounds so beautiful that you wanna come back for more. "Requiem Aeternum" (Eternal Rest) is a well-thought piano outro.

Dodheimsgard is a band I wish I could listen to more because of the different wonders I can find in the albums I've encountered. Black Medium Current is another grand magical experience from this band. The psychedelic synth moments are good for anyone up for DHG and any other progressive black/avant-garde metal band. My curious mind can certainly get the best rewards!

Favorites: "Et Smelter", "Tankespinnerens Smerte", "It Does Not Follow", "Det Tomme Kalde Mørke", "Abyss Perihelion Transit"

What's expected in one of those "post-" genres is the immense atmosphere. It helps you live through the enjoyment of such a journey. Cosmic Doom Ritual is a title that may sound simple yet promising in the dreamy atmosphere. It also sums up what you might find in this offering; the cosmic ambience of Darkspace, the sludgy doom of early Isis, and the post-metal ritual of Neurosis, all combined into a savory space-doomy post-sludge sound...

Cosmic Doom Ritual is the debut album by Hexer (whose band name appears to be inspired by The Witcher franchise). The band has projected their sound through the conceptual tale of a giant sea creature devouring its prey. They can really make a story similar to a Mastodon or Ahab album with a cosmic twist.

The atmospheric opening track "Merkaba" has some light beauty before exploding into the post-sludge sound that has shaped the album. The loud doomy despair of Thou is in good alternation with the post-rock melancholy of Russian Circles, the latter appearing midway through. Subtle keys make a good counterweight for the guitar dissonance and synth pulse. It's a somewhat low point for the album, yet it has some destined potential in the cosmic doom influences.

Then we hear the expansion getting stronger in "Pearl Snake". A psychedelic blues vibe is injected into the guitar rhythms and leads, as the lightness is darkened by the death growls. The oriental melodies might remind some of Om. Clean acoustic melancholy is heard in lengthy sections as the percussive rumble and thick bass groove plays along. The rhythm loops over and over with no sign of a building crescendo. However, the rhythm continues to dwell, and the heavier strength eventually makes a comeback in steady form. The vocals definitely remind me of Godflesh and, to a lesser extent, Napalm Death.

"Black Lava Flow" starts off with demented dissonance from the atmospheric guitar. This droning experimentation might make you think of The Body, while having some crust-infused vocals. Halfway through, we experience more of the cosmic psychedelia and the last of the heavy sludge until it ends just before the last minute. The atmospheric steam seems to have been lost, and therefore does not reach the earlier intensity.

3 tracks, each with an average length of 12 minutes, will give you good cosmic doomy post-sludge to enjoy. The melody has created an interesting soundscape. However, the tedious production, especially in the last track, is why I don't find it as awesome as the doomy metalheads would. Still the immense atmosphere has kept the band growing....

Favorites (the strongest one): "Pearl Snake"

My brother is a fan of alt-rock/metal punchers Breaking Benjamin, and recently he discovered a band from Atlanta similar to that one, Poynte. This band only released one album to date, Discreet Enemy, and it's packed with heavy tunes of incredible power and emotional passion!

Consisting of vocalist Kenny Hathorne, guitarists Matt Bryant and Jake O’Donnell, bassist Ben Greener, and drummer Josh Fulcher, Poynte has shown how proud they are in their music and lyrics, performing with such care and emotion. They've also accomplished a lot in the live playing field, from winning a Battle of the Bands to touring with other rock/metal bands, including other bands my brother has tried at least one song from, Shinedown and Papa Roach.

The title intro starts with soft orchestra and a strange code being spoken. Can you find the message? I won't! Then it explodes into "Take Control", a strong headbanger that motivates you to does what the song says, TAKE CONTROL. "Picture Frames" takes a more melancholic direction. Everything is wrong and you need to move on with your life away from the lies. The single "Hold On" is my brother's favorite song of the album, and I can definitely hear why. It's a heavy rock anthem of dreams that you just gotta hold on. Any rock fan shouldn't miss out on such a song!

"Aberration" alternates between melodic and heavy effortlessly. "Erase Me" is another favorite of mine here. The vocals might reminds some of Trapt, while Hathorne sings of love and its betrayals. "Nursery Crimes" has a title that makes you think of parent-child separation, but that lyrical theme escalates faster than that, in which the parents just murder the child. Such a spine-chiller, and that searing guitar solo almost fits well for the horrid torture and killing. Then there's the heavy hitter "Coping".

"What Will It Take" is also greatly pleasant. One more slow song is "The Villain", with nice melody and background female singing. This song is my brother's favorite in the soft side, though for him, it can't beat "Hold On" from the heavy side earlier. Track #11 "Last Embrace" takes on a heavier sound closer to the metalcore I like. The album ends with a Jason Derulo cover, "In My Head", and HOLY H*LL, I enjoy this a lot! My brother and I used to like the original when we were still into radio pop hits before developing our own rock/metal interests, and now I get to hear this remade into a rock/metal cover, the way it's meant to be done. Thumbs up to the roof!

Poynte made a nicely strong album in their short-lived career. The infectious songs will get you headbanging in no time. Although it doesn't touch my heart as much as the more perfect albums, I recommend this solid offering to any fan of rock and metal....

Favorites: "Take Control", "Hold On", "Erase Me", "Nursery Crimes", "The Villain", "In My Head"

For the past couple years, I've stumbled upon a few tracks by this band Shadow of Intent to add to the monthly Revolution playlists. Although I enjoy deathcore mostly when it's mixed with progressive or symphonic elements, this band doesn't have as much of a kick as Lorna Shore. That's a little odd because Shadow of Intent has some maturity in their symphonic deathcore. With that said, there's some great stuff in their new album Elegy!

Elegy shows what Shadow of Intent are made of. It's packed with enough symphonics from the orchestration and keyboards to have the Fleshgod Apocalypse symphonic death metal part of the sound, and helping out with that is the man responsible for that band's orchestral aspects, Francesco Ferrini. The melodeath comes from the guitars.

The opening track "Farewell" starts the album like Lorna Shore would, with a one-minute epic orchestral mood-setting intro, before the heaviness storms in triumph. While the deathcore sound might not attract those not used to the sound, it's balanced out with the soft melodic parts, and that's easy to recommend. The melodeath guitar work appears in "Saurian King". The ending of "The Coming Fire" is one of the most memorable parts of the album. It's "Gravesinger 2.0" (yes, I've listened to that song as part of the playlists)! It segues into the equally memorable intro of the song "Of Fury" that continues the symphonic melodeath/deathcore sound. There's sonic maturity within the deathcore that's still around, especially in the vocals. "Intensified Genocide" is one of the most intense songs here, with fast heavy energy.

You might wanna check out "Life of Exile" for some clean vocals that appear alongside the usual growls and screams. "Where Millions Have Come to Die" has more dynamic brutality. The variation makes sure there's unneeded repetition. "From Ruin...We Rise" has more of those varying vocals. This vocal maturity is suitable for the album's earlier concept of inhumane genocide. The powerful cinematic deathcore of that track is set aside for something more groove-laden in "Blood in the Sands of Time". Is that a symphonic deathcore at groove metal? Likely so!

If there's one thing to drag the album out of perfection's reach, it's the 5-minute instrumental "Reconquest". It sounds like there should've been vocals in the first 4 minutes, though the last minute has cool guitar. A small weakness that the band would then recover from... The 13-minute 3-part title suite is the album's true climax, starting with the short clean "Adapt", continuing with the rising "Devise", and ending with the powerful 6-minute "Overcome". Epic, though not as glorious as Lorna Shore's Pain Remains suite.

Elegy is a mature offering from Shadow of Intent in the music and lyrics. The symphonic deathcore bounds continue to expand! It's not as memorable as Lorna Shore, but still worth great listening. Top-notch orchestration is uncommon in deathcore, but I'm determined to continue my journey of discovery....

Favorites: "Farewell", "The Coming Fire", "Of Fury", "Where Millions Have Come to Die", "From Ruin...We Rise", "Elegy" (full suite)

In 2014, Wayne Static passed away from a severe multiple drug/alcohol reaction. Then over a year later, his wife, adult film star Tera Wray committed suicide. The remaining band members thought about reviving the band in a way of tribute for the band's founder, and so that's what they done. They recovered some of Wayne's unused vocal takes for an album series title Project Regeneration. They also embarked on a 20th anniversary tour for their debut Wisconsin Death Trip, a beast that I shall talk about now!

Wayne Static, along with bassist Tony Campos, guitarist Koichi Fukuka, and drummer Ken Jay have made pretty good industrial/nu metal straight outta California. What's interesting is the album title, coming from the 1973 Michael Lesy book, though it reminds me of the USA state I used to live in when I was little.

"Push It" shows Wayne's industrial nu metal sound that shall live on. Sounds like something my brother would've listened to over 10 years ago, but he didn't, he was listening to other similar bands. The song was used in some video game/film soundtracks in 1999 and the 2000s. "I'm With Stupid" has great lyrics to like. "HE'S A LOSER!!!" Taking on the mental health of the late frontman, "Bled for Days" was used for ex-Seether drummer Nick Oshiro's audition after Ken Jay left. The programmed drumming shows the band's noise-powered industrial metal tendencies, while being easily performed with actual drums. Static's vocal range is impressive, ranging from shouts to cleans without difficulty. The band has more tricks up their sleeve in "Love Dump" with atmospheric synths. You can kinda consider this rave metal! The riffing and drums keep things heavy.

In high gear is the fast aggression of "I Am" with nu metal-ish lyrics rap-growled by Static ("Put a gun in my mouth and threaten to shoot"). A programmed industrial intro starts "Otsegolation" with the vocals being drawn out alongside some fine guitar groove. "Stem" starts with an audio sample from the 1990 gory horror film Begotten, then synths appear in this bluesy hard rock tune. Static's shouted vocals make sure that this song isn't an oddball in the album. The drums and synths are all around, a little more than the guitar in fact. Stepping in again is "Sweat of the Bud" for the metal aspect while having more of the programmed drums and vocals from earlier.

With lyrics that are just repeated while worth singing along to, "Fix" seems too obvious in referencing drugs. The title track summarizes the album in smooth flow. The lyrics are mostly repeated, but there is the trance-y industrial vibe in the music. However, it's highly different from Fear Factory. "Don’t you sing dong ding dong!" The monolithic "The Trance is the Motion" has better vocals, including those growls. The synth-fueled "December" closes the album in a hypnotic industrial noise rock instrumental.

In the end, we get to have a nice lookback at the first work of the band Wayne Static is mostly known for. And hey, I just realized that this album is a recent Gateway feature release that I missed. Gotta catch up! RIP Wayne....

Favorites: "Push It", "Bled for Days", "I Am", "Sweat of the Bud", "Wisconsin Death Trip", "The Trance is the Motion"

Another "666" album??? AND it's black metal!?!? I must've been really pushing my luck with my religious morality limits! However, what makes this offering one of my newfound favorites is how they don't go strictly black metal (unlike their first two albums) and instead mix it with experimental industrial metal that has shocked listeners with its magic. It's a similar result to when Celtic Frost's Into the Pandemonium came out in 1987, adding experimentation to that band's extreme thrash.

So for Dodheimsgard's 3rd album 666 International, it's all done by fate. The band knew it was time to spice up their black metal that was already going mainstream, and here they added industrial elements to their sound, though more techno-sounding rather than Ministry-esque. Not many other black metal bands have tried that kind of equal mix until about a decade later. 666 International can still be a shocking black metal album without being firmly placed in that genre, and that can be quite innovative. As much as Darkthrone established the Norwegian black metal scene with the early 90s albums, it's albums like this DHG album that deserve great appreciation!

"Shiva Interfere" is weird, but still quite solid. It starts off sounding like Depeche Mode gone metal in the verses. Then the midsection is a bit nauseating for metalheads not as open-minded as I am. Towards the end is when you realize that the song is never a waste of time and has closed greatly. "Ion Storm" is a grand display of what the album is about; an industrial beat and shouting that leads into black metal riffing. Industrial black metal really takes time to sink in, and it succeeds a little better than the first track. With unorthodox percussion and keyboards, that's perhaps one of the album's best compositions, all in an impressive avant-garde arrangement. "Carpet Bombing" is a beautiful jazz piano interlude that I love, though it would bore me if the band made an entire album like that.

The title of the 10-minute epic "Regno Potiri" is Latin for "Seizing the Kingdom". It's an impressive extreme trip through complex synths and technical riffs. The journey continues through darkness invading light. "Final Conquest" is like a bridge between The Kovenant's black metal and cyber-industrial metal eras, while having some Burst-esque progressive ambience. "Logic" continues the Candiria-like motive of adding a brief jazz piano interlude as a break from the heavier sound.

"Sonar Bliss" blasts through with the band's earlier black metal, though there's a brief break of prototypical cyber-industrial metal that Deathstars would later have. "Magic" is one more interlude which once again does something similar to what The Dillinger Escape Plan would do, interrupt their heavy sound with soft jazz piano. "Completion" ends the album with one more blend of black metal and industrial experimentation. My only complaint is when a Machine Head-ish riff appears that sounds out of place. Despite that, this is a brilliant closing track for that amazing journey!

Although the review I've written looks normal, I tried to emphasize the perfection in the album and its influences. You can think of 666 International as Thorns with small drops of late-80s Voivod, along with techno rhythms and occasional piano interludes, mixing the calm with the storm. One other black metal band that would make the rare experimental motive is Emperor with their progressive Prometheus album two years later. DHG's 666 International has helped a couple metal genres with their survival!

Favorites: "Ion Storm", "Regno Potiri", "Final Conquest", "Sonar Bliss", "Completion"