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

Skrew, the band led by Adam Grossman, took a decade off from their career, reforming in 2009 and having a new album released 5 years later. The temporary split-up was due to lack of label support as a result of poor attention for this album Angel Seed XXIII. And I can understand that...

There are some things in this album that have skrewed with fans (pun somewhat intended). The earlier guitar attack is reduced, adding a bit more industrial in the industrial metal. And while the earlier riffing is still around, it has slowed down from the earlier thrash. It sounds a little closer to groove metal or, dare I say, nu metal. So there aren't as many sharps as there are dulls in the guitarwork.

Opening the album is the bumpy groove track "Open Up". Then we have the dark sludgy "Sea Man". It rolls through reminding some of Soulstorm, with nothing monotonous compared to some of the other tracks. Things get more dynamic in the loud "Seventh Eye".

It leads to the next track "King of the Hole" which tries to make some harmonic aggression but ends up becoming a poor Pantera rip-off. The band's ravaging side is toned down for the industrial ballad "Porcelain". Balancing things out again by galloping through dynamics is "Kosmo's Seed". Then we have more of the slow sludge in "Sputnik", great for a motorcycle ride in the night.

The KMFDM EDM usage in "Angel Suck" is a little too much. I'm annoyed by the machinery used in "Horsey (Man)" in their attempt to sound like Godflesh. "Slip" is a slip into an acoustic sound that sounds too f***ing dull for me. After some silence and a couple outtakes, "Helter Skelter" begins. A kick-A industrial metal cover of a Beatles classic!

Angel Seed XXIII was, similarly to a Metallica song from the same year that uses the same drop D-flat tuning as the majority of this album, a BAD SEED for many listeners. After the band's decade-long split, they would return 5 years after reforming with Universal Immolation, an album that shows a more deathly sound while maintaining the industrial roots. But for now, Angel Seed XXIII is a bittersweet taste of their industrial metal sound gone less thrashy. A decent album, yet not a total winner....

Favorites: "Sea Man", "Seventh Eye", "Kosmo's Seed", "Sputnik", "Helter Skelter"

It's strange how sometimes even the weirdest, most vulgar industrial metal releases end up being so intriguing to me. I guess since I was able to explore Genitorturers' discography and the Nine Inch Nails EP that was made one of the most obscene short films in the 90s, I have no trouble checking out Bile's second album Teknowh*re.

Bile has known how to go all extreme and experimental with their brand of industrial metal. As with Nine Inch Nails, they are brave enough to stand up against the man and push the boundaries of industrial rock/metal, musically and lyrically. Bile can put all their strength and talent into the meat of the guitars, creating a simple formula that might make some question whether or not it's unique, but they add in some kinks to make a fresher style...

The "Intro is just a hodgepodge of noise and audio samples, as are many instrumental industrial metal tracks. It's actually quite mesmerizing! The title track bursts in with noise-ridden guitars, drums, and vocals, all done by Krztoff as he shouts the title. A great starter attack! "Weather Control" is more experimental with synth distortion. It has that KMFDM vibe suitable for dance-clubs. We have a nice structure in "No One I Call Friend", sounding raw, fresh, and emotional in this sonic soundscape. "Habitual Sphere" really brings on the catchiness, combining dance beats with thrashy guitars. When it pauses for Krztoff's verses, it builds back up and continues rolling.

"Compound Pressure" is one of my favorite songs in this album, and it happens to be the one with the filthiest lyrics ("I got a big fat c*ck and shot her face, swallowed my spunk with no disgrace", "I'm the lowest motherf***er now that is true, but I f***ed your woman to get back at you"). The crushing mid-paced guitars and drums booming through make it a true highlight. It's the Lindemann "Golden Shower" of this album! "Interstate Hate Song" cranks up the metal with the thrashy riffing and percussion, and even a bit of soloing. The vocal distortion might remind some of Skinny Puppy though. "Green Day" is not a tribute to that famous pop punk band, instead just being a short minute-long interlude-ish track with lyrics relating to drug usage, "Help me take my medicine, so the pain will go away, I'm all f***ed up on valium, I can't move my lips to say..." "No I Don't Know" has more of heavy riffing, intense shouts, and pummeling drums, in a way similar to some Fear Factory song remixes.

"Suckers" is another actual interlude, having some static noise and soft choral vocals. "Lowest Form" is just filled with fuzzy industrial feedback while having some metal melody and vocals. Then we have the ambitious highlight 17-minute 4-part suite "You Can't Love This". "Pt. 1" has some repeated somewhat indecipherable audio samples, though I recognize the line "I don't f*** sl*ts, I j*rk off on ’em." "Pt. 2" has the band's usual mid-paced sound with thick guitars and bass. "Pt. 3" is a dark ambient piece that you can find from Burzum or the DOOM soundtrack. "Pt. 4" has the last bit of distorted chaos with a repeated yell of "I hate you, you f***ing c*nt!" "Solitude is Bliss" is a 10-minute track of industrial sounds leading into metal complexity and slight lyrics. That can very well put Bile in the same industrial metal league as Ministry and Killing Joke.

I would enjoy this more if a few tracks weren't too industrial and/or vulgar, but Teknowh*re is still a solid album. I would recommend it to anyone who's up for something industrial and, at the same time, metal as f***....

Favorites: "Teknowh*re", "No One I Call Friend", "Habitual Sphere", "Compound Pressure", "Interstate Hate Song", "No I Don't Know", "You Can't Love This" (Pt. 2 and Pt. 4)

Christian metal is quite common yet a bit of an oddball in some metal genres. Daren "Klank" Diolosa and his Circle of Dust touring bandmate Klayton were part of the Christian music industry, though Klayton left the industry behind and Klank's views were on the extreme side...

Debates on his Christianity aside, Klank has impressed listeners with his debut Still Suffering. If Christian death metal was something once considered an oxymoron, Christian industrial metal was something barely heard of besides early Circle of Dust. There are more metallic guitars than there are techno beats, so why this isn't in Metal Archives is beyond me. It's a great heavy sound.

"Time" is the perfect start to treat you with what to expect in the album. "Downside" is also amazing, though it can't beat the previous song's reign. "Burning" is quite dark and heavy for a song by a Christian band, but it's another fist-pumper.

"Scarified" starts off heavy in the guitars and drum programming. If you strain your neck headbanging along, it's all worth it. What makes it a highlight is the amount of audio samples that are common in this album and other industrial metal releases. "Deceived" is slower with emotion ("The world will be a better place without you"). "Animosity" is another gem with its blend of metal and techno. Any fan of this kind of sound should love that. "Fall" is worth singing/shouting along to, "SEE! ME!! FALL!!!" It continues this heavy/catchy blend, never letting me down.

"Disease" can almost be an early example of proto-cyber metal, with its more computer-techno sound and cool vocal effects. "Leave" is not a track you would ever want to leave early. "Woodensoul" is a solid ending track with a bit of softness here and there. Well, it doesn't end the album entirely. After that, we have a vocal outtake that sounds kinda weird going from whispering to screaming.

What I enjoy in industrial metal is when lots of guitars are used, not just the techno side. I'm glad to hear more of this album after only hearing song from it a few year prior in one of the Sphere playlists. Cool Christian industrial metal for any listener, whether you're Christian or not....

Favorites: "Time", "Downside", "Scarified", "Animosity", "Disease"

I believe to have reviewed this EP a couple years back and wasn't into it that much. But now that my taste in industrial metal is expanding further and further, I enjoy it much more now! At this point, I'm already familiar with dozens of Sphere bands and I like a few songs by White Zombie and KMFDM. And now here I am, making a better revisit of this collaborative EP between those two bands...

KMFDM contributed some remixes of two singles from White Zombie's La Sexorcisto: Devil Music Volume One. The remixes are included in this EP along with their original album versions. This is probably the earliest KMFDM has gone metal and the earliest White Zombie has gone industrial.

From that first riff, you know it's the original version of "Thunder Kiss '65". Great track, though the mixing is a bit cold. The "Swinging Lovers Mix" is different from the original version's metallic sound, including the intro and outro. Throughout the song, synths appear more than the guitars just come out as more of an afterthought. Next up, "The Remix That Wouldn't Die Mix" is longer and has more creativity, which makes me prefer it over the previous remix.

The next original track "Black Sunshine" is so spooky while still sounding cold in the mix. However, the "Indestructible 'Sock It To Me' Psycho-Head Mix" totally beats the original by throwing in raw aggression in the guitars and vocals. In the middle of the track, the drums switch to a dance beat before going back to groove-ish double kicks.

All in all, Nightcrawlers is a great EP that might be good for dance club parties with friends. Maybe a little weird for that, but just as long as everyone's OK. The remixes really depart from the originals with the "Thunder Kiss '65" remixes sounding more suitable for the club and the "Black Sunshine" remix actually being heavier and edgier. Cheesy while still the good kind of cheese. Worth it for any Rob Zombie fan to add to their collection....

Favorites: "Thunder Kiss '65" (original), "Thunder Kiss '65" (The Remix That Wouldn't Die Mix), "Black Sunshine" (Indestructible "Sock It to Me" Psycho-Head Mix)

The Valley and Kin were a different stylistic affair from the deathcore sound Whitechapel is known for. That's actually what I like about some deathcore bands, when they make their sound more than just that genre. Of course, I also enjoy their more brutal earlier albums that I wouldn't have the leeway to listen to like 10 years ago. The quality for that sound ended up dropping in the mid-2010s. But now they're back in their earlier form, cranking up their speed and heaviness in new album Hymns in Dissonance.

There's nothing but ferocious brutality and the occasional thrashy chaos and groove breakdowns, and maybe a few cooldowns. It even sounds massive with the guitar trio performing in superb synergy. Get ready for a pulverizing experience like no other!

Ominous melody starts "Prisoner 666" before firing up in reckless chaos. But it's the title track that really stands out amongst the rest. The chorus name-drops several of their earlier songs, and the breakdowns sound almost as djenty as Meshuggah while staying brutal. Their roots really are back! After "Diabolical Slumber" begins soft and eerie, it straight away blasts through as usual. Another brutal yet memorable is the crushing "A Visceral Retch".

"Ex Inferis" is an unnecessary interlude, but not too bothersome. "Hate Cult Ritual" is another memorable track to get the crowd moshing. "The Abysmal Gospel" is much more intense. Anyone complaining about modern deathcore not having the right kind of brutality, wake up and hear that "gospel"!

"Bedlam" is another heavy Meshuggah-ish track in the riffing. Then we get to the epic climax of the album, beginning with "Mammoth God" which has cleaner melody while staying ultra-heavy. "Nothing is Coming for Any of Us" has strong atmosphere to go with the brutality. The mixing rules as the drums, bass, and guitars drop down like falling bricks, allowing you to hear the riff-wrath deathcore fans really want.

Hymns in Dissonance isn't entirely perfect due to that odd interlude, but the album has potential to be a deathcore classic for generations to come. It just might make my top 10 albums of 2025 so far. Whitechapel are back to their old savage ways!

Favorites: "Hymns in Dissonance", "A Visceral Retch", "Hate Cult Ritual", "The Abysmal Gospel", "Nothing is Coming for Any of Us"

Taking a few-year break from Neurotech was the right call for Wulf. Since then, the 2020s is shaping up to be a bright decade for Neurotech so far. Pretty much every release in this era is amazing. Sure they can't beat the perfect glory of Infra Versus Ultra and Stigma, but it makes up for the project's past mistakes and the somewhat downward turn for Mechina in their 2023 album Cenotaph.

D*mn, the new album Memory Eternal rules! Alongside the usual orchestration and electronics, this might be just be the most metal Neurotech has gone in ages, including dark dissonance and even some blackened blasts and growls, the latter Wulf had not done in over 10 years.

The orchestration and choirs that open with "Credo" are what you might hear in a futuristic sci-fi film soundtrack. And it's blended with well-executed synths and vocals. "The Ark of Cain" shows that Wulf is never afraid to diversify his sound, as synths flow beside the vocals. For those expecting more of the trance-y side, "In Stasis" has that. Great song, though more suitable for a dance-club.

The more djenty "Echoes of the Fall" combines downtuned heaviness with electronics without ever having to go light. Well, except for the more acoustic parts, but they can flow through your body with a similar epic progressive vibe to the Symphonies series of albums. While it all sounds nice and spacey, you don't ever wanna miss out on the last minute in which the instrumentation goes hyperspeed. "Descent" is the only track that I would consider a bit disorienting in the rhythms. "Invictus" is another grand favorite of mine, with hyper-cyber sections reminding me of Devin Townsend, maybe even Strapping Young Lad.

"Walls We Created" is another dance track. The synths and pianos engage in an EDM-ish duel. The metal riffs and beats spectate while the atmospheric strings commentate and assist when needed. The title track is a progressive cyber metal monument. Pretty much everything Neurotech fans love is in in this 8-minute epic. A much better one than the title track of Solace!

Memory Eternal shows that the Neurotech fans know and love is still around. Whether or not you enjoy the first listen, every subsequent one would be a treat worth replaying. With a f***ing amazing album like this, the memory shall remain eternal!

Favorites: "The Ark of Cain", "Echoes of the Fall", "Invictus", "Memory Eternal"

The true return of Neurotech from Wulf's 4-year hiatus from the project came with this excellent album Solace. It's a nice improvement from In Remission and The Catalyst, and can certainly beat Evasive by far. Most of the albums besides those 3 are high-quality releases, and that 4-year break was mandatory to reach that glory again.

Wulf still has what Neurotech really is! Y'know, the usual futuristic cyber/industrial metal, pounding through atmosphere, electronics, and riffs that all sound so unique. Well, other than the mundane verse-chorus structure with the former sounding soft and the latter sounding heavy. Wulf's vocals are more improved than ever, further departing from his early growls, and adding in some digital effects. Often the vocalist gets all the spotlight, but Wulf doesn't have to worry about that because everything's done by him.

We're already getting something promising and enjoyable as the strong "Koma" wakes the project up from its coma. It is followed by the powerful anthem "Light Betides", one of the best tracks by this new improved Neurotech. "Waking Silence" has some melody from power metal bands like Unleash the Archers, while mostly electronic.

Bridging the heaviness a bit is the electronic ballad "In Ashen Fields", which is a beautiful highlight. "In Raging Reclaim" is the only track here I would consider slightly weak, though it's OK and nicely leads to the next track. The heavy "Alias" can really sum up the more metallic parts of Neurotech's career. I can almost say the same thing about "Defy Our Oath", having some of the symphonic progressiveness of Xerath.

Adding a bit of the more symphonic progressive is "Stop the Bleeding", almost like Eternal Tears of Sorrow gone electronic. "A Moment Lost" has beautiful vocals to make another highlight. The title finale I don't enjoy as much as most of the other tracks, but it's slightly better than "In Raging Reclaim". It's a good 8-minute cyber metal epic that listeners would have on repeat. It's almost close to uplifting rock trance! The starting guitar and bass is insanely cool! Some parts might be anti-climatic, but once it builds into the crescendo at over the 5-minute mark, the climax is filled with aggressive divinity. Some cyber metal listeners might be reminded of SyBreed.

Neurotech fans should definitely listen to this excellent Solace. It might take some time to get used to this band, like what I've been through, and in the end, you're ready to transcend through this musical dream. You can rock it out or relax, sometimes at the same time. The world of Neurotech isn't going away anytime soon. There's still some hope in the future of metal!

Favorites: "Koma", "Light Betides", "In Ashen Fields", "Alias", "A Moment Lost"

Neurotech reformed in 2020 and had a new album ready for release the next year. Before that, Wulf released an EP of unused demos from the first part of his career. No second paragraph, let's get right on it!

"Hope is Better than a Memory" is a good start. "Trust to Display" is definitely worth loving. "Cut the Cord" is a fun cyber metal tune that you might just want more of. "Ectogenesis" can make an instant classic, and it's from the epic Stigma era! I think the catch melody was reused in "The Ophidian Symphony" sometime after the recording. "Coda" is the one odd track out. Maybe it should've been released as a separate single instead of right after another instrumental track in this EP. It's still good though.

It's quite great hearing what Wulf made within the 10-year initial part of his Neurotech career that didn't see the light of day until this EP's release. It's a solid transcending blast before his true comeback in Solace....

Favorites: "Trust to Display", "Cut the Cord", "Ectogenesis"

In 2017, Mechina and Neurotech each released an album that would mark their last one before taking a couple years off. Well, Mechina would work on remastering 6 of their albums for their Compendium boxset, while Neurotech was having a firm temporary disbandment, with Wulf starting his own electronic project NeuroWulf. So here's what was originally Neurotech's final album, The Catalyst.

I say it's great for what was back then a swansong album. We have the usual electro-industrial/cyber metal from the past few years, summarizing them all nicely and working out a little better than In Remission...

There's atmospheric density in the intro "Act I - Enter" to start taking you through imagination beyond reality. The title track soars through with its anthemic instrumentation and chorus. Same with "Our Burial Ground" that's like a better outtake from In Remission. And again in "Sleepwalkers Lifeline" with spooky synths to go with the beats and vocals, not too far off from the Stigma era.

"Act II - Adapt" is a strange interlude. "The Flame of Faith" has the most of the album's heaviness, though it's played too safe and doesn't shine so well. "Epitaph" is a bit too soft for a heavier metal listener like me. "At a Standstill" perfectly makes up for what's missing in this act with its killer 4-minute summary of the project's journey.

"Act III - "Surrender" is also kinda weird. "The Seductive Void" is another strong track showing what Wulf has in store. "Reconcile" is nice and catchy in the chorus and the female singing by someone named Tamy. "Thoughts Become Air" is the stunning ending to the initial finale of Neurotech's discography. Fans of the project back then were likely satisfied with this track to close the curtain.

The Catalyst is a great album of melody and energy. The only slight bumps come in most of the second act that loses some slight steam. Wulf needed to leave his project behind for a few years, and it was a good decision, considering how much of a comeback he would make when he later returned....

Favorites: "The Catalyst", "Our Burial Ground", "Sleepwalkers Lifeline", "At a Standstill", "The Seductive Void", "Thoughts Become Air"

From 2013 to 2016, Neurotech decided to do it like Mechina and make an epic symphonic cyber metal journey to be released on a special holiday, except each "journey" is a symphony on Christmas day. Blending classical with cyber/industrial metal is what those two bands have done before, and Neurotech packs it all for something stunning.

What can you expect from these Symphonies? Generally what classical symphonies from a couple centuries ago would sound like in the modern future. These compositions are all the 4 longest tracks Wulf has done to date, ranging from over 13 to nearly 19 minutes. And in each one, you get to move through this emotional whirlwind of different styles and sections, in a cinematic adventure of adventures!

The first symphony "The Elysian Symphony" is so beautiful, you just gotta hear it to believe it. "The Halcyon Symphony" can take your soul through a galactic adventure. Wulf knows how to master the art of symphonies as greatly as Hans Zimmer, and possibly also Mozart and Bach, while blending the orchestral arrangements with his usual cyber metal. It's impressive how well your creativity can take you when composing such a piece. This should really be more popular, seriously! The speaker frequency would be greatly enhanced with its intricacy and drama. F***ing outstanding!

"The Ophidian Symphony" is the longest of them all, at nearly 19 minutes, with many different acts woven together for one of the best epics done by Neurotech or any other artist. The final and brand-new symphony "The Veneration Symphony" fits quite well for a sci-fi film soundtrack of when you're playing a video game. Multitaskers can have all the glory by listening and watching/playing.

Symphonies is for any symphonic/cyber metal fan and those who want a cooler, more epic soundtrack to films. With not many people finding the skillful talent within Wulf, the world's not ready for that much greatness, but they should be!

Favorites: "The Halcyon Symphony", "The Ophidian Symphony"

In 2014 and 2015, Neurotech released two of the best albums in cyber metal, Infra Versus Ultra and Stigma. There were also two symphonies each released on Christmas Day, "The Halcyon Symphony" and "The Ophidian Symphony". Evasive was a misstep into electronic instrumentals. In 2016, an album was released that would mix together all the different sounds, before one that would compile all the symphonies so far. This one, In Remission, is the 6th full album released on June 6, 2016. Ha-ha, devilish...

Although many Neurotech releases are either memorable masterpieces or dwindling duds, In Remission is somewhat in-between. Nonetheless, this is one of Wulf's most diverse releases, taking a lot of what those 2014/2015 releases have to make dynamic electronic metal anthems.

"Retrieve" starts the album the same way Stigma does, exploding into cinematic strings while Wulf sings in clean drama. Everything builds up and starts sounding like your friendly neighborhood Neurotech track until it stops and leads to the next track. An excellent beginning! Shining well is "As Will Ascends" that again expands from soft ambience to loud electronica/metal. A bit predictable, but still h*ll of a highlight.

Next song "Divided Bliss" is a bit tiring in the synths and drum programming. The trance-y centerpiece "The Lost Hope" sounds like Evasive but more epic and in the same metallic vibe as "Uplift". The bass and synths drive through and never lose any momentum. Awesome!

Next track "Reprogram" is shorter and more ambient, having nice bliss yet is better off ignored. "Evolving Equations" tries to add in some of the symphonic progressiveness of Ayreon to their usual sound, but it's far off from the equation. The final track "Alleviate" is a nearly 9-minute epic of electronic enchantment. Though as much as I enjoy that one, "The Lost Hope" is still the best track of the album.

In Remission may not have the perfect strength of the two previous Neurotech metal albums, but it summarizes them all well along with everything else from those years. A few challenging things aside, this is a solid Neurotech release for the fans....

Favorites: "Retrieve", "As Will Ascends", "The Lost Hope", "Alleviate"

If you enjoy Stigma's ambient electronic instrumental finale epic "To Theta State" like I do, and when you first listened to its when it was released 10 years before this review, you were thinking, "Wow, I wish for more of that sound from Neurotech." Well, be careful what you wish for...

Evasive shows Neurotech taking out of all the guitars, leaving behind just electronica and ambience more suitable for a sci-fi film soundtrack. Maybe not even that, since some tracks sound way too relaxed and don't have much emotion. I suppose I enjoy a couple tracks, one of them being "I Desensitize". The other track, "Uplift" is the closest we have to intense heaviness, actually being the only industrial metal track here in terms of vibe. But the rest is just a sh*tty film score. Not even Transhuman came down that low....

Favorites: "I Desensitize", "Uplift"

What the Stigma?! This 2015 Neurotech masterpiece proves how much the world needs to hear this project, just like the previous album Infra Versus Ultra! Stigma continues its streak releasing one or two albums per year, a faster pace than Mechina's "one album per year on New Year's Day" approach. Often it takes time to build up strength and talent before making another album, but Wulf shows that he still has his charm after a short amount of time. The evolution continues greatly and naturally.

You need to have time to memorize all the different pieces of an album to let it flow through you with its mesmerizing atmosphere. That's a good advantage to build up my interest slowly, one song at a time, in the past 3 years. With its symphonic-ish cyber metal sound, there are many layers that stabilize its strength, within the guitars, drums, vocals (cleaner than before), electronics, and orchestrations. Yeah, the orchestrations almost reach the cinematic level of Mechina, hinting at what you would hear from Hans Zimmer and Two Steps From Hell, and it's what adds to this stylistic diversity.

The title intro already proves that with its sonic blend of symphonic ambience and electronic rhythms. The metal power kicks off in "Fear the Fear" as guitars, drums, and electronics collide in an energetic composition. The electronics head up further in "Of Adversity" that should be able to please fans of dance elements in metal without having to go Neue Deutsche Härte.

"Build to Last" has more futuristic trance with even a bit of dubstep. "A Graceful Light" is indeed a graceful highlight, sounding so unique in the atmosphere and emotion. Your soul can make a pleasant transcendence from your body to the astral plane.

"Brighten" can really brighten my mood a bit. Industrial/cyber metal is never highly boring, and you can have fun with tracks like this. If they ever make a film based on Cyberpunk 2077, or the next John Wick or Matrix film, you bet this song would be part of the soundtrack! It's quite well done! However, it sounds like a little too much like Depeche Mode, while not reducing the album's perfection in any way. "Through Hardships" is quite an epic standout to start the last leg of this album. You can marvel through all the hardships you wanna overcome! Amazing, huh?! Quite an astonishing motivational message. "You're not alone." "Things will get better." Finally, "To Theta State" is the 11-minute epic, an ambient electronic instrumental that marks a perfect mini-journey of darkness and hope. I can't believe how perfect a non-metal track like that can be!

Wulf should be proud of his work in Stigma and other albums, and where his journey has lead him so far. While it's not a sequel to Infra Versus Ultra, it's as perfect as that, striking through different dimensions. I'm just glad those two albums have the variation that was missing in Antagonist. Stigma for anyone and everyone who loves music!

Favorites: "Fear the Fear", "A Graceful Light", "Through Hardships", "To Theta State"

I thought of Neurotech's debut album Antagonist as a good but rough start to Wulf's career, impressing me with what has made cyber metal so great and underrated while, at the same time, lacking some variation. I decided to check out the actual start of the Neurotech discography, the Transhuman EP, to see if there's any hope in this early part of his career. Unfortunately, it's the same problems as in Antagonist. This has caused many songs to be decent but nowhere near highlight territory.

Two of the only tracks I would consider actual highlights are the title track and its 2014 re-recording in the re-release. Both versions represent what early Neurotech is all about. Same with "Down the Drain". The other tracks though are tame and don't have much of that catchy spark those highlights have. Down the f***ing drain they go....

Favorites (only true highlights): "Transhuman" (including 2014 version), "Down the Drain"

Illidiance started off with a symphonic black metal sound bled from their previous incarnation S.C.A.R.D., with the debut Insane Mytheries to Demise. Their next album Nexaeon started a different cyber/industrial metal route while their blackened roots were still around. Damage Theory and the Deformity EP are the releases where Illidiance have just become purely cyber metal. Nothing extreme, just dance-y cyber greatness. Most of the singles released in the years since then hinted at a new album to come...

2019's The Iconoclast continues this electro-industrial/cyber metal sound as tales of a bleak future are narrated in song. Not even the Terminator would stand a chance. Electronic keyboards, heavy riffing, and melodic/harsh vocals help guide you through these lyrics in a mainstream-ish sound that surprisingly isn't commercially popular.

6 of the songs are in Russian, but for this review, we'll just go for the English counterparts, starting with "Defying Gravity". Obviously it's not a Wicked cover (thank goodness!), though it's quite diverse with everything from progressive/djenty bands like Mnemic, Periphery, and Chaos Divine, to modern/melodic bands like Mnemic and Of Mice & Men. Now that's wicked! "Modern Iconoclast" is the first single from the album, coming out as early as late 2016. It's a solid track, but it falls into the same trap Deformity faced by relying too much on the grooves in their cyber metal sound. "When There is a Thunder" I like slightly more, thundering through while toning down for the softer verses. "Heaven Denies" has an intriguing combo of the heavier metalcore-ish sound of Invent Animate and Neaera, and the melody of D'espairsRay and Black Veil Brides.

"Last Dawn" isn't too mind-blowing, but it shines well, sounding like it would have no trouble fitting in Damage Theory. "Fuel for My Hate" is another pre-release single to really fuel things up. "Horizons of Days" has some of the progressiveness of The Faceless and The Human Abstract while maintaining the simplistic structure.

"Out of Coverage" continues to impress me with this cyber sound. "My Divergence" is quite diverse, though it's mostly the djentcore instrumentation of Born of Osiris that reigns amongst it all. "The Afterglow" gives this album a final glow with metalcore-ish bits from Crossfaith (including the electronic elements), In Hearts Wake, and the highly influenced Soilwork. A strong ending!

Since this album, the band released a live album and an acoustic album Oceanborn. A couple more singles would also pop up. Will they make another album? No idea, but I hope it will return to the brilliance of Nexaeon and Damage Theory. But for now, enjoy this Modern Iconoclast of cyber metal....

Favorites: "Defying Gravity", "Heaven Denies", "Fuel for My Hate", "Out of Coverage", "The Afterglow"

I wasn't planning on reviewing Illidiance's EPs, but I decided to just go with this one, Deformity. After loving this one at first, the interest ended up dropping pretty fast. It's a continuation of the band's groove-ish industrial/cyber metal sound that began with Damage Theory, yet it sounds a bit, well, deformed. It's clear here that they were trying so hard to modernize their sound, and it ends up falling apart a bit. Even their Shade Empire-ish symphonic black metal past wasn't that faulty...

See, if this ends up being The Kovenant's sound in the unreleased Aria Galactica, I would be confused as h*ll. Illidiance's mainstream side is a little too mainstream, when they're expected to have their Fear Factory/Scar Symmetry sound with the clean/harsh vocal mix done by the Shkurin brothers.

The opening title track is an awesome start, exemplifying their true sound. "Boiling Point" is another highlight with all that made Damage Theory perfect. "Urbanized" brings forward the band's Fear Factory influences and some 8-bit synths of Enter Shikari, but comes out unbalanced. "Let It Bleed" is one more track I enjoy, with what Neurotech was having at the time. The pointless ballad "Moments of the Fall" sounds too hollow with its synth-focused approach and is easily the worst track they've ever done.

Just tracks 1, 2, and 4 would be fine for Deformity. The other two are too unbalanced and are better off left in the dust. They knew what they were doing with this short EP, things just needed to be better executed. They would make up for those errors with another full album later that decade....

Favorites: "Deformity", "Boiling Point", "Let It Bleed"

As with the debut Insane Mytheries to Demise, Illidiance's second album Nexaeon was initially recorded as an independent demo before being given a more professional release two years later. This is where they're starting to become an industrial/cyber metal band. However, some of their earlier symphonic black metal roots still remain. Continuing the Kovenant comparison, this album and Damage Theory can be considered similar in evolution to Animatronic and SETI, respectively. This blackened industrial metal sound is somewhat similar to early Shade Empire, while Scar Symmetry-ish moments in the deathly riffing and not too over-the-top clean singing. Honestly, if they had discarded most of the remaining symphonic black metal elements and sent it straight to a record label, the band would had some commercial success.

I still enjoy listening to Nexaeon as it is. I mean, what in the band's discography can more unique than this blackened industrial metal sound with keyboards often taking the spotlight. Keyboardist Nemesis has some great energy when playing those synths. The riffing speed is so urgent, and it comes in deathly levels of heaviness while staying melodic. Though all that would be replaced with more catchy dance-y cyber metal tunes in Damage Theory, which is a perfect album by the way. Nexaeon would still shine in spacey atmosphere and extreme power.

The title opener crashes in right away with strength in the chorus over an orchestral backdrop. Nicely done! "Bleed for Deliverance" is an earlier heavier track, originally part of the Withering Razors EP that was recorded and released between the recording and release of the debut. "A Cold Day in Hell" has some of the melody of Parkway Drive and the symphonics of Winds of Plague, while replacing all the "core" elements with the usual blackened industrial metal.

"Chaoticon Nomads" has the blend of chaos and beauty that has shaped up Eternal Tears of Sorrow. "Paranormal Activity" adds in some of the industrial experimentation from late 90s Voivod, like a blackened version of that.

"In Thousands Gales I Dwell" is like a modernized futuristic version of mid-90s Amorphis. I like that! One more full song "Countdown to Annihilation" balances out the extreme symphonics of Emperor with the more complex industrial/cyber metal in a way that I enjoy. An annihilating highlight! Following that final standout is the outro "Spiral Galaxy NGC1309" filled with nothing with smooth ambience, unlike the shred-fest interludes in the debut.

The takeaway of this album is to expect different more intriguing things. Nexaeon has all that by letting loose with the structure and riffing. The guitar tone isn't overpowering in the production and not too raw either. It's at a right amount to make sure there's enough of this extreme futuristic sound without ever having too much of a black metal vibe. This is basically what Shade Empire would sound like if they had more of the industrial elements of their debut Sinthetic in the forefront. Nexaeon is an album between two worlds, for both symphonic black metal and cyber metal fans who like one thing but not the other. Or, of course, both!

Favorites: "Nexaeon", "A Cold Day in Hell", "In Thousands Gales I Dwell", "Countdown to Annihilation"

If you had just discovered Illidiance via their Damage Theory album or their later material and didn't know they started off as a symphonic black metal band, well, to quote that owl alien Kh'ymm from Star Wars: Skeleton Crew, "You wouldn't believe me if I told you." The evolution from symphonic black metal to cyber metal is similar to The Kovenant. You can consider Illidiance's debut their own Nexus Polaris. Insane Mytheries to Demise was recorded two years prior as a demo when the band was named S.C.A.R.D., but after that, bassist X-tillArise left the band and took the rights to that name with him. The album is actually a solid start, though having a couple missteps...

The guitars are typical for a band performing a Dark Funeral-esque melodic black metal style, ranging from crushing riffs to flaming tremolos to epic melodies. Frontman Tommy Syrex (back then known as Diamantum) performs harsh screams that can outshine even Dani Filth, though they have some uneven effects. His cleans bring the vocal range closer to Ensiferum than Soilwork.

The intro "Dimmysterium" gets everything set up in mystical atmosphere and neoclassical shredding, starting off pretty great. Then "Rebellion" blasts forward with the symphonic black metal Samael last had in part of their EP Rebellion later restored in Above. "Nocturnal Strains" has the guitar melodies of early Eternal Tears of Sorrow.

"Armageddon Conquest" is a earlier track that had its origins in one of S.C.A.R.D. demos (which I would consider the band's own In Times Before the Light). The song itself has the blend of extreme and symphonic that Xerath would later have. After all that fast fire, we head to the slow "Melancholy of a Dying World". Melancholic melodies from the synths crawl, only speeding up during the final minute sounding similar to old-school Underoath. "Into Everlasting Night" throws in some atmosphere from early In the Woods, sounding much different from the band's later Soilwork-infused material.

"...And Twilight Falls" is a shorter highlight. The guitar leads and pianos once again build up its strength. I really love the last full track "Burning Wings", especially those synths that shine the most in the end. I can enjoy the symphonic darkness without it going too pompous. "Above the Old Kingdom" ends the album the way it began with beautiful leads, albeit fading into ominous synths.

An early yet timeless classic for Illidiance, Insane Mytheries to Demise is worth enjoying for any symphonic black metal fan before the band's move to cyber/industrial metal later. Keyboards aren't overboard. The riffing is lovely. The vocals are an odd flaw, but if you can get past that, you have a strong unique demo-turned-album in your hands....

Favorites: "Rebellion", "Melancholy of a Dying World", "...And Twilight Falls", "Burning Wings"

A band's sophomore album is sometimes a home-run or a foul. Some fans want more improvement, while others don't want drastic experimentation. Since their debut Edge of the Obscure was released 6 years before this album, they must've really been trying to find that right balance.

Among the Amorphous continues the tech-death-infused melodic cyber metal sound of their debut, this time it's more progressive. The conceptual tale from the debut is still going, here in a different world. The artwork and music videos greatly capture that concept. If you're up for some apocalyptic future kaiju battles that is kinda like Godzilla vs. Kong gone Star Wars, or weird assemblies of those monsters, you don't wanna miss this saga!

The opening track "Spiral into Existence" sets the dark tone as synths and vocals spike through the metal instrumentation. "Deceptive Signal" is a true highlight, underrated otherworldly djenty cyber metal for those who want similar music to Mnemic. The brutal verses go well with the epic chorus. Another battle-ready standout is "Sins of the Mechanical". Although Sybreed, Mnemic, and Raunchy haven't released an actual album in years, The Interbeing has made up for that and gotten fans of those earlier bands f***ing mind-blown. There's even some atmospheric meat here! "Borderline Human" has more of the industrial or Circle of Dust and the hardcore progressiveness of Erra.

"Purge the Deviant" has heavy riffing and a slightly longer track length than any of the band's other tracks, both perfect for a sci-fi battle. "Cellular Synergy" is an atmospheric interlude with female spoken vocals. "Enigmatic Circuits" has some electronic melody that can also be found in The Word Alive.

Then we have the impressive "Pinnacle of the Strain". The great screaming vocals fit the song well in amazing goodness. Truly this is Meshuggah-inspired cyber metal! With the album nearing its end, we have the industrial "Sum of Singularity", borrowing some drums and synths from Crossfaith. It has definitely foreshadowed the sound of their next album Icon of the Hopeless, and a great way to end this one. Well, after the apocalyptic title outro.

When I write my own books, I see it as a labor of love; taking a couple or so years to complete a book but it is all worth it. That must be what The Interbeing was going for when they worked on Among the Amorphous in a slow steady pace. And it's worth keeping fans around, old and new!

Favorites: "Deceptive Signal", "Sins of the Mechanical", "Purge the Deviant", "Pinnacle of the Strain", "Sum of Singularity"

As we all know, Northern Europe has pretty much the biggest amount of metal bands in any subregion. Denmark doesn't have any many popular metal bands as in Norway, Sweden, and Finland, but I enjoy some notable bands from the country including Mercenary and Mnemic. What if you can combine the sounds of those two bands to make tech-ish melodeath/cyber metal? Enter the Interbeing, whose killer talent is highly displayed in their perfect debut Edge of the Obscure!

You can also hear from this band some aspects from neighboring country Sweden, with the djenty riffing of Meshuggah and the catchy melodies of Soilwork. And how about some industrial synths all the way from America made fresh by Fear Factory?

Let's get it all started with the atmospheric intro "Elusive Atmosphere", building up in slight techno. Then the powerful "Pulse Within the Paradox" hits with b*lls-out rhythms to begin this rollercoaster ride. "Tongue of the Soiled" sounds a bit mangled at first and I was going to drop the album's rating a half-star down from perfection, but the kick-A groove decimates that mess into oblivion. I also enjoy the cleans that add to the cyber melody. "Face Deletion" is one of the f***ing best songs from this band. Enough said!

"Fields of Grey" is another awesome track, with more of the band's Mnemic/Fear Factory influences. "Shadow Drift" may be challenging to some, but the djenty pace is all worth it. The mind-blowing "Swallowing White Light" peaks high with more of those Fear Factory vocals.

Some spoken female vocals can be heard "In the Transcendence" which is a groove-filled (mostly) instrumental. "Celestial Flames" has more of that heavy brilliance. The bridge and chorus has djenty groove worth headbanging to if you're a fan of Periphery and Meshuggah. "Rhesus Artificial" is one more technical highlight without having to go all-out Periphery crazy. The instrumentation is once again well-composed. Atmospheric keyboards and guitars echo through the outro "Ledge of Oblivion".

The remixes are a bit odd, and this review is based on the standard edition without them. Edge of the Obscure shows that the band can wear their influences like a battle jacket. Something that sounds amongst the best really should've made it big!

Favorites: "Pulse Within the Paradox", "Face Deletion", "Fields of Grey", "Swallowing White Light", "Celestial Flames", "Rhesus Artificial"

I have mentioned wanting to check out the new Dark Tranquillity album Endtime Signals, and here we go! And just like I predicted, the results are as great as they are in Lacuna Coil's Sleepless Empire, with a solid 4 stars. However, the other Dark Tranquillity album I've revisited, Damage Done, really beats Lacuna Coil's Karmacode by a mile. If Black Anima is the Lacuna Coil album I've missed out on when I severed ties with the more melodic bands from my past, Moment is what I've missed out on from Dark Tranquillity. A lot has happened to the band's lineup in the time I was away. Long story short, founding guitarists Niklas Sundin and Martin Henriksson, and founding drummer Anders Jivarp are out, leaving only longtime members vocalist Mikael Stanne and keyboardist Martin Brandstrom to keep the band going with new members.

Fortunately, the new lineup that includes guitarists Johan Reinholdz (Skyfire) and Peter Lyse Karmark, bassist Christian Jansson, and drummer Joakim Strandberg Nilsson (ex-In Mourning) can really brings back some of the band's earlier roots. It's like a 25th anniversary throwback to the electronic-infused gothic-ish melodeath sound of Projector and Haven. Besides that, it seems like there are also some fresh industrial/progressive elements within layers, electronics, and guitar chords. The band knows make things unique and interesting in the 13th album, marking a better return to form than In Flames' Foregone.

The melodic "Shivers and Voids" is a solid opening track to remind you all of the band Dark Tranquillity fans have known. "Unforgivable" continues the throwback, exploding with aggressive speed while staying melodic. An epic standout! Breaking the pace a bit while staying true to what they are is "Neuronal Fire". Then "Not Nothing" really slows down for beautiful yet crushing darkness.

"Drowned Out Voices" charges through empowering riffing and background synths. However, the vocals indeed sound a bit drowned out. Then we have a gothic ballad in "One of Us is Gone". It is dedicated to late ex-guitarist Fredrik Johansson. RIP... The speed goes back up in "The Last Imagination". And further up in "Enforced Perspective".

The slow "Our Disconnect" is the perfect track to exemplify what this album is going for, darkness and dread for the endtimes. "Wayward Eyes" drifts through catchy keyboard hooks, again throwing back to Projector and Haven, maybe a bit of Damage Done. "A Bleaker Sun" is the most filler-ish track, and I hate to say this but it almost sounds like an AI-generated Dark Tranquillity song. "False Reflection" is slightly better, though it's too ballad-esque compared to the previous ballad.

I consider Endtime Signals a solid return to form for the band, staying melancholic, creative, and living up to the name. Not all the tracks work perfectly, particularly the last two, but the melodeath fire still burns to light up my darkened heart....

Favorites: "Shivers and Voids", "Unforgivable", "Not Nothing", "One of Us is Gone", "Our Disconnect", "Wayward Eyes"

After my poor revisiting experience with Karmacode, I decided to skip ahead nearly two decades through their discography into their new album Sleepless Empire. Ever since my move away from the more melodic metal bands 7 years ago, I hadn't listened much to this band at all, apart from several Gateway playlist submissions. The latest two albums I've heard from this band were Broken Crown Halo and Delirium, two albums that my brother enjoys for their alt-metal sound. I've almost completely missed out on Black Anima, which I've heard has a more metalcore tinge, and Comalies XX, a 20th anniversary re-recording of their breakthrough album. Well if I wanna hear female-fronted modern metalcore-ish alt-metal, In This Moment is currently my go-to band. But let's see if Lacuna Coil would become that again with their new album...

Now this is a great blast to the past! Sleepless Empire shows the band returning to their gothic metal roots while leaving their modern alt-metal path intact. It's almost like this was an unreleased album from 2004, literally a bridge between Comalies and Karmacode, finally seeing the light of day with a modern revamp. Honestly, I might just be up to finally checking out Black Anima and Comalies XX later on, maybe even Within Temptation's two new albums that I've also missed out on mostly. Not all of Sleepless Empire is exciting though, since a couple tracks/singles are a little weak for me. Still there are many songs that really brought back my memories from 10 years ago.

The "bridge between Comalies and Karmacode" theory sounds about right in "The Siege" with its memorable riffing, though the metalcore-ish growls of Andrea Ferro are different for sure. But then we get to the poor-quality "Oxygen", which sounds closer what they have Delirium but ends up being quite a letdown. The growls by Andrea Ferro sounding similar to Matt Heafy of Trivium are actually quite killer and don't make the song a total loss. Despite continuing that poor riffing in "Scarecrow", it is brushed aside by the electro-dance pace that can almost work as "Closer 2.0". We hear more of the vocal balance between Cristina and Andrea in "Gravity", which is pretty good, although the verses by Andrea could've had better execution.

"I Wish You Were Dead" is a single that got me pumped up for the album, and it's a true highlight, perhaps my favorite here! Again it connects the bridge between Comalies and Karmacode, maybe even a more dramatic take on a song from Shallow Life. It's a little short, being under 3 minutes. Maybe a guitar solo before the final chorus would make it better, but I still enjoy it as-is. An absolute must-listen! "Hosting the Shadow" really shows the band firing through, another great highlight! And even more so by the vicious growls of Lamb of God's Randy Blythe. You also gotta hear the massive soloing that comes up "In Nomine Patris" that makes an otherwise good song awesome.

I can almost consider the title track an actual blend of the 2020s eras of Memphis May Fire and October Tide with female cleans. "Sleep Paralysis" once again has amazing soloing that you wouldn't expect from a modern band. Pretty much all the band's albums can be heard stylistically throughout these 5 minutes. "In the Mean Time" is great but not all that special, except for the guest vocals by Ash Costello to break up the repetition. Ending track "Never Dawn" is the first ever single for the album, originally recorded two years prior for Zombicide: White Death, and giving me a feeling of hope for what this album would have later. The gothic strength of Comalies and the groove-metalcore-ish sound of Delirium actually become one! It might be disappointing for old-school fans, but it's much stronger than a big chunk of Karmacode.

Sleepless Empire is an enjoyable comeback for the band, with some memorable hits. It's a much better blending of old and new sounds that In Flames' Foregone, and hey, maybe I can check out Dark Tranquillity's new album Endtime Signals and see if I can find a similar result. I can never regain the perfect glory I experienced when I was a teen who was into the more melodic stuff, but those highlights are some of the band's best songs in years. I'm still torn between whether or not I should finally listen to Black Anima and Comalies XX, as it's another case of love it or hate it amongst the fans. Nonetheless, Sleeping Empire has much better songs to offer than Karmacode, and it has reminded me of how much I once enjoyed Comalies and their mid 2010s albums. And while I scored big in the metalcore realm with last year's new releases by ERRA and Make Them Suffer, I can still look back at this gothic/alt-metal band still going on for 3 decades. Lacuna Coil have returned with a true blessing....

Favorites: "The Siege", "I Wish You Were Dead", "Hosting the Shadow", "In Nomine Patris", "Sleep Paralysis", "Never Dawn"

It's not unusual for something you loved 10 years earlier to end up being abysmal to your ears today. After all, that happened to me when I revisited DragonForce's cover of "Ring of Fire". So what do I think of Lacuna Coil's switch from gothic metal to alt-metal that I was given a chance to revisit after all these years? Well, I still love some songs here, but for everything else, [insert metalcore BLEGH of disgust here]. And this was the band whose success came from their previous album Comalies.

See, I like alt-metal enough to be worthy of my time in the Gateway clan. However, it's hard for me to get used to the more mainstream albums. Maybe the reason I liked Karmacode more in my teens was because of how melodic it is. Well, there are good surprises here in the same amount as the bad ones...

Talking about only the tracks I like or find OK, "Fragile" is a catchy start. As in every Lacuna Coil album, there are the raging shouts of Andrea Ferro and the calm singing of Cristina Scabbia. However, here those vocals are used more equally. "Our Truth" is close to a f***ing incredible highlight! Even though I moved away from this band during my departure from gothic metal, after listening and reviewing a couple Evanescence albums, they might be some hope in returning to Lacuna Coil in the future. Maybe if I check out a different album later. "Within Me" is a great song for post-breakup woes of loneliness, bringing back good memories of when I used to listen to this band full-time.

We hear some earlier chanting by Cristina in "You Create", which would've been a highlight if it wasn't an interlude. "What I See" is another track I enjoy with more of Cristina's magical vocals. Ferro's vocals sound a little off here, but they don't break that track's glory. "Closer" is an amazing song that actually has some Europop vibes that might've influenced Amaranthe. Years since my last full listen of this song, and it remains immortal in my memory. I enjoy the bad-a** bass intro and outro, though the guitars are still worth bringing in. These lyrics hit me like a train in this awesome song, especially when the first chorus starts at the one-minute mark. This might be tied with Disturbed's "Stricken" as two historical modern alt-metal songs for me, and they still have that energy in subsequent decades. Guitar Hero players know that song for sure...

The rest of the tracklisting is just weak and forgettable. It's tough when the music doesn't hit me as well as it once did. And don't ask me that Depeche Mode cover that I now find f***ed up (I prefer It Dies Today's cover). I'm glad I still enjoy a few songs in the album, preventing it from becoming as awful as Metallica's St. Anger. I heard Lacuna Coil has made somewhat of a return to their gothic roots in their new album Sleepless Empire. I should check it out and hope for the better....

Favorites (only true highlights): "Our Truth", "Within Me", "What I See", "Closer"

Sorrow was the first taste of the atmospheric female-fronted progressive doom pioneered by The 3rd and the Mortal. Today I revisit the album that really sealed the deal with their sound, Tears Laid in Earth.

I can still recognize most of the greatness in this offering! As melodic guitars and haunting atmosphere transcend, guiding them through is the angelic vocals sung by Kari Rueslatten. Thanks to her, the idea of female vocals in metal would spread like wildfire, convincing The Gathering, After Forever, and many other symphonic/gothic metal bands to tag along for the ride. There's no denying how much of a game-changing mesmerizing vocalist Rueslatten is.

"Vandring" is the intro consisting of just her voice. Then the music begins with "Why So Lonely?" It stands out in peaceful melancholy from the riffing and singing. As of writing this review, I had a short amount of sleep due to having to wake up early (fasting month), and listening to this song, I can almost hallucinate a hot angelic goddess from the heavens singing to me, "Will you be mine till the end of time?" We have another excellent highlight in "Atupoema" with its audible bass. "Death-Hymn" is a heavier track in both the music and the lyrics of darkness and despair ("I never thought I would feel this way", "Prepare your soul for the journey through the woods of evil").

There are more ambient synths in "Shaman", performed by Rueslatten herself. The instrumental "Trial of Past" has clean guitars that make another melodic highlight. Even the drumming can get heavy despite being simplistic. What causes the quality to drop a little, away from perfection, is the two-minute "Lengsel", which is fine but a little pointless. "Salva Me" is more gothic in a similar vein to Gothminister, specifically the tracks featuring Nell Sigland of Theatre of Tragedy.

The least creative song title ever "Song" is actually one of the most creative tracks in the album, starting atmospheric before becoming more intense at the climax. I also like the dark sorrow of "In Mist Shrouded". And finally, "Oceana", still reigning as the longest and greatest T3ATM song. Not even the closing track of Sorrow can surpass it. The band created a monstrous complex 19-minute epic can put Fates Warning's epics to shame. You can rarely find vocals and clean guitars as haunting as in the beginning. And as it goes on, you can find yourself swimming in an oceanic realm, with the guitar effects singing a unworldly whale-song. And the rest is perfect history!

All in all, Tears Laid in Earth is what I can still consider an atmospheric female-fronted progressive doom near-masterpiece. The two-minute tracks may prevent this album from being totally perfect, but a lot of the best and almost the first songs of this style are all in here, including that unbeatable 19-minute epic. The divine vocals of Kari Rueslatten can really make my day. Amazing album for anyone wanting all things beautiful without any of that radio pop sh*t!

Favorites: "Why So Lonely?", "Atupoema", "Death-Hymn", "Trial of Past", "Song", "Oceana"

It has been a few years since I last heard of this band. People seem to compare The 3rd and the Mortal to The Gathering, and I can understand why. Almost as if they were following the footsteps of T3ATM. Their 1994 releases Sorrow and Tears Laid in Earth are what saved The Gathering from becoming gothic doom with R.E.M. vocals by hiring vocalist Anneke van Giersbergen for Mandylion and the next 5 albums, all of which seem to have a similar stylistic direction to T3ATM's subsequent releases.

If there is one album I consider the beginning of female-fronted progressive doom, this EP is that! One moment the guitars and drums sound clean and dreamy, and the next they sound heavy and intense. The vocals of Kari Rueslåtten sound beautiful, though in the softer folk sections, you might almost think of Enya.

"Grevinnens Bønn" (The Countess' Prayer) greatly exemplifies this doomy sound. I often get my bleak darkness from deathcore bands like Carnifex, but I can get it from this release without ever having to go extreme or brutal. The medieval folk side comes from the title ballad/interlude. "Ring of Fire" (no it's not a Johnny Cash cover) brings back some doom, getting close to death-doom in the instrumentation. "Silently I Surrender" is a more progressive while still doomy 8-minute epic.

All in all, Sorrow should be worth your time if you wanna hear progressive doom that would pave the way for a league of female-fronted gothic doom bands. I can chill out to this EP and listen to it as much as I like!

Favorites: "Grevinnens Bønn", "Silently I Surrender"

As with many other metalcore/melodic metalcore bands having been active in the past 25 years, Bleeding Through continues to stay true to their sound. They expand their horizons on the fast brutal side to make a heavy offering out of their aptly titled 9th album Nine!

It seems like they haven't lost much of their steam after really slowing their pace between albums. Nine is their first album in 7 years, a slightly longer gap than between The Great Fire and Love Will Kill All. They were still active before Nine though, releasing an EP titled Rage in 2022. And they have more of that rage in their ninth album, one of their most furious releases to date. Even that meme-worthy (two paths) cover art is filled with darkness and fire.

"Gallows" starts with a sample of Saruman (Christopher Lee) from Lord of the Rings saying "We have only to remove those who oppose us" then blasts off with the unique drumming fire and screaming fury that's what make this band so unique. "Our Brand is Chaos" has their usual chaotic brand of metalcore that made it big in This is Love, This is Murderous, throwing in their earlier blackened aspects and visceral lyrics. "Dead but So Alive" erupts into thrashy chaos, evolving into blazing soloing and the vocals of Brandan Schieppati and keyboardist Marta Demmel together in the chorus that makes an epic standout imprinted in your mind.

Next song "Hail Destruction" rips through face-tearing destruction until the 3-minute mark when everything halts then slowly makes its way back up for the searing soloing of guitar duo John Arnold and Brandon Richter. With all that, it almost comes close as the ultimate highlight for me. "Lost in Isolation" has more harmonic soloing crashing in, here courtesy of Doc Coyle from God Forbid and Bad Wolves. Other things to note are the ravaging drums and riffing, along more of the chorus dueling between Brandan and Marta. All of that surpass the previous track as the ultimate highlight of melody and intensity! The album has an intermission, with the slow piano/soprano vocal interlude "Last Breath". Then "Path of Our Disease" might just be the most "blackened Hatebreed" song I've heard since Underoath's first two albums.

"I Am Resistance" continues that speedy fury alongside the raging vocals of Comeback Kid vocalist Andrew Neufeld. Another special standout! Then "Emery" has more emotion while staying intense. The chorus throws back to their only full-on ballad "Line in the Sand" (The Truth). "War Time" is a violent banger with background vocals by Brian Fair (Shadows Fall), and the lyrics fire away as well. "Unholy Armada" has the last of the violent storm then ends with harmonic soloing as darkness gives way to light.

In a time when bands get more melodic for the sake of commercial success, Bleeding Through fight back against the trend by keeping their raw and vicious sound intact. Let's hope the band can continue making one album per year or two just like in their earlier days. We need more of the raging darkness!

Favorites: "Dead but So Alive", "Hail Destruction", "Lost in Isolation", "I Am Resistance", "War Time"

2023 was quite a year for the return of early underground melodic metalcore/deathcore bands. Prayer for Cleansing and Undying reformed a couple shows (no word on if any new albums are on the horizon), and Dawn of Orion (raise your glass!) and Plague Thy Child (lower your glass...) have each re-released pretty much all their earlier material in one album. Dawn of Orion's album A Celestial Ballad contains all 3 of their releases plus a few unreleased tracks.

Now I'd like to talk about the demos for a brief moment. 1997's Twilight Eternal is more death metal-oriented, and it might remind some more of Deicide than Morning Again. Sweet roughness! 1998's On Broken Wings blends those two bands' sounds for something nice, but its more polished production falls flat. So it's not that great...

Anyone who has read my review For the Lust of Prophecies Undone already knows what I think of its songs, but I'll say them again here; "As the Bloodred Moon Rises" greatly exemplifies that riffing, filled with true early melodic deathcore. This is the kind of darkness not even In Flames and Soilwork have dived into, having starting to go their own mainstream route in the early 2000s. "A Widow's Covenant" has a bit of technicality added to their riffing, hinting at what The Faceless and Betraying the Martyrs would have a decade later. "Creation's End" sounds like what may be the creation of the deathcore we know from bands like Carnifex and Whitechapel, and the melodeath of Disarmonia Mundi. "The Passing of Idols" starts off with a bit of thrash/groove before having more of the deathly sound.

The instrumental "To Hunt the Ethereal Sun" is the song vocalist Myke C-Town uses in his YouTube video outros, specifically that ethereal acoustic intro. The blend of acoustic/electric guitar reminds me a bit of Kalmah, though all that's missing is the symphonic keys and neoclassical shredding. The release ends with two re-recorded songs from their Twilight Eternal demo, which we will talk about once we get there, starting with "Thy Divine". The other one, "The Ancient Promise" can certainly start a moshpit at the beginning with its hardcore riffing and breakdown.

The 3 unreleased tracks must've been from an unknown unreleased demo or the recording sessions of their debut, starting with a different edition of the title track of the demo "Twilight Eternal" which hints at the melodeath sound later found in Insomnium. "The Liar's Broken Rhyme" has the best of the early metalcore of Morning Again and the melodic metalcore of Atreyu, Killswitch Engage, and Trivium in the vein of those bands' early material. "For Every Crack, a Hollow Smile" is a bit hollow, but it's still good.

Now we come to the On Broken Wings EP, and "Sown Into Flames" exemplifies the early metalcore of Converge blended with melodeath that would take true from in Neaera. You want heaviness in the title track? The midway breakdown has it all. "For Dying Eyes" continues the mix of melodeath/deathcore before As Blood Runs Black made it cool.

I mentioned how rough yet killer the Twilight Eternal demo is, but now it's become a battle of which track is better, with the title track starting with an unneeded audio sample from the horror film The Prophecy. Now "Thy Divine" I like better than in the debut album, with the thrashy intro riffing sounding nice and raw. "The Ancient Promise" is slightly less that its debut album counterpart but I still like it. Then "Gates of Emptiness" ends it all with the best metalcore riffing and growls of the entire compilation.

So of all of these tracks in A Celestial Ballad, most of the songs from sections 1, 2, and 4 are pretty great. Most of section 3 (On Broken Wings) are decent but could've been better in the production. If anyone wants early metalcore and death metal fused together in a way that really hits the spot, there you go....

Favorites: "As the Bloodred Moon Rises", "Creation's End", "To Hunt the Ethereal Sun", "The Ancient Promise" (1999), "Twilight Eternal" (previously unreleased), "The Liar's Broken Rhyme", "Sown Into Flames", "Thy Divine" (1997), "Gates of Emptiness"

A day after my Undying review marathon, I stumbled upon a song by Stormlord. I've actually first heard of this symphonic black metal band from Rome, Italy, nearly 10 years ago, but never gotten around in checking out because I was young and not ready to explore those dark blackened realms. Once I pressed play earlier today... HOLY SH*T, it has almost the same vibe as Undying! I'm talking about D-flat tuned epic heavy guitar melodies with occasional symphonic synths. Of course, both bands are worlds apart in terms of genre. Undying is melodic metalcore. Stormlord is symphonic black metal with power metal influences to go with both the epicness and the rawness.

What makes Stormlord stand out in the symphonic black metal pack is the lyrics centered around Italian mythology, and it fits well for when the music alternates between melodic and thrashy. At the Gates of Utopia is the band's second album and their first with the locally popular Scarlet Records after a decade in the underground. I'm just amazed by the greatness this band has with their power metal-infused sound!

Opening track "Under the Samnites' Spears" is that song I've mentioned above. After an epic keyboard march covering the first minute, the second minute has that melodic riffing that made me think of Undying. But when it slows down and the shrieked vocals come in, that's when Stormlord fans can recognize the band they know. Basically, an epic black metal structure of fast guitars and drums occasionally slowing down for a gloomy section. Even people like me who aren't into black metal that much can enjoy this power and glory. Starting off "I Am Legend" is some fast thrashy sections that then slow down for the usual bombastic sound. The power continues to rise in "Xanadu (A Vision in a Dream)" with some dramatic choir and male operatic singing. Still we have great speed in the guitars, bass, and drums, in conjunction with the epic atmosphere.

"And Winter Was" levels up the blast beats typically found in black metal while having some mid-tempo darkness. The title interlude is where the keyboards shine well sounding both dreadful and dreamy. Then we have the violent "The Curse of Medusa", in which the drums and vocals go brutal while still sounding epic.

"The Burning Hope" once again starts with mighty thrashy riffing then slows the tempo down. At this point, the more pompous side has already been done to death, but at least they still have that thrashy riffing later on in the song. "A Sight Inwards" has more melancholic melodies alongside those cool thrashy guitars. Here is where I get a little tired of the operatic singing, though it's manageable. Lastly, "The Secrets of the Earth" has the album's last chance of blending together epicness, gloom, and brutality, and the end result is the perfect ending to such an offering.

As amazing as At the Gates of Utopia is, I still don't feel up to switching back to the on side of my on-off relationship with black metal. Nonetheless, this is the best I've heard from symphonic black metal in a long while, particularly in some highly memorable tracks including the title intermission. As for a couple tracks, they rule too but could've had less forced ideas. With all that said, power metal-ish symphonic black metal might just be worth it for any metal listener!

Favorites: "Under the Samnites' Spears", "Xanadu (A Vision in a Dream)", "At the Gates of Utopia", "The Curse of Medusa", "The Secrets of the Earth"

Of course the moment Undying reach the highest peak in their sound ends up being their swansong release. I'm not too worried since they've reformed two decades after this album At History's End. Plus there are other metalcore bands that I enjoy, so you won't see my interest in the genre fading out anytime soon.

Metalcore bands like Undying have really touched the hearts of people who were around my age (mid-20s) or younger back then. As always, Undying provide their melodic metalcore sound that was only in the early stages of popularity. There are some things different in At History's End compared to the previous album. More direct melodies, more hardcore riffs, and more poetic lyrics, the latter recited by female vocalist Logan White, replacing Timothy Roy. It's the best you're gonna get from this band!

"Reckoning" has the best of many bands past and future, including late 90s Cave In, The Ghost Inside, Killswitch Engage, and Omnium Gatherum. A brilliant start to this offering! Taking their anger out on the perils of humanity is "Lament". Then "Teratisms" starts slow before having a more thrashy sound to remind me of Sylosis' demo EPs.

"By Turns" sounds like it could've given 36 Crazyfists the idea to go metal/hardcore next year. Logan White's views against a society of injustice to women covers "As Above". You gotta admire her lyrical spirit!

There is one interlude in this album, "Arrangement for Invisible Voices", filled with nothing but piano and strings, which made me a little bored just like the interludes in the previous album. Without it, At History's End would've been perfect. "For the Dying" once again sounds like the spawning point for later bands from the hardcore of Architects and The Ghost Inside to the melodeath of As Blood Runs Black and Sylosis. Final highlight "The Age of Grace" pumps you up with the intensity of Morning Again.

At History's End really should've had as much love and recognition as the more mainstream bands out there. Still it's fine staying underground. Now that the band has reformed recently, they now have time to create a new part of their melodic metalcore evolution and maybe hit that perfect 5-star mark. Their history shall be ongoing!

Favorites: "Reckoning", "As Above", "For the Dying", "The Age of Grace"

One year after the original demo release of Undying's EP This Day All Gods Die came their debut full-length The Whispered Lies of Angels. Again I hadn't gotten around to listening to this band the first time I've heard of them. Not enough hooks? Maybe... But now I hear that it's great enough to get me hooked! For the most part, anyway.

It's interesting how some of the most influential bands besides the popular ones are the bands that split up after less than 10 years, and it took the talk of the early melodic metalcore town to get this band recognized. Similar to other bands like Darkest Hour, Undying take the road of adding At the Gates-ish riffing. However, more often than not, things slow down close to the doomy melancholy of My Dying Bride. With all that said, they still have the hardcore rage, with more melodic leads and breakdowns than solos.

A much better opening song than in the EP, "Echoes" has the guitar, vocals, and drums roll through in melodic passion. Fantastic start! However, "Tears Seven Times Salt" is an odd unnecessary interlude. Fortunately, "The Company of Storms" brushes that aside with some deathly melodic metalcore not too far off from Upon a Burning Body's demo years. Things get a little underwhelming in "Fallen Grace" in which, despite its short 3-minute length, the melodic near-end bridge of the track goes on for a little too long. The rest of the song before then is still good though.

"The Coming Dark Age" is OK, but here they just rely a little too much on melody, jostling its balance with the heavy side a bit. "Born Again" has more of the hardcore sound later mastered by early Architects and the melody later mastered by Black Veil Brides. Same with "A Desert in the Heart" having a bit of the ambience of Silent Planet.

"Formal Absences of Precious Things" is another useless flow-killing interlude. "Of Masks and Martyrs" is one more original song, have some of the melody later that Betraying the Martyrs would later have, while not going the epic deathcore route of course. The beautiful hidden cover of "The Cry of Mankind" by My Dying Bride is a solid ending to this offering. This is as close to doom metalcore as we're ever going to get, and I didn't even have to increase the playback speed to 2x!

The Whispered Lies of Angels came from an era when melodic metalcore was not yet the norm. I can hear how much it affected the scene greatly. Not much wrong except for a couple odd interludes and a little too much melody in a couple songs. At least that will be fixed one album later....

Favorites: "Echoes", "The Company of Storms", "Born Again", "Of Masks and Martyrs", "The Cry of Mankind"

Undying is a band that I've come across a few times in the past several years yet hadn't gotten around in actually checking them out. Why? I have no idea. Let's fix that... Melodic metalcore had its start in the late 90s when bands in the American hardcore listened to Gothenburg melodeath and decided to add elements of that to their sound. Darkest Hour may have their reign, but Undying is a more underrated example, and their D-flat tuned heavy and melodic sound would carry over to Prayer for Cleansing, a band that includes former members Tommy Rogers and Paul Waggoner who would go on to form the more popular and progressive Between the Buried and Me.

Their first release, the EP This Day All Gods Die was recorded in 1998 and released as a demo, though it would get an official CD release in 2001. The idea of blending hardcore with melodeath was new and unheard of when the EP first came out in the underground. Gothenburg fans would certainly be pleased about their favorite metal style spreading into America. The hardcore side gives it that grit you don't often hear in In Flames. Strong rage and sweet melody are just what the doctor ordered.

The chilling synth "Intro" is almost like a continuation of the hidden outro in Children of Bodom's Something Wild, almost as if this is an alternate timeline where that band continued that album's D-flat tuned blackened melodeath sound and mixed it with metalcore. The title track seals that deal, but it doesn't impress me that much. There's not much variation in the drumming compared to the other songs. "Lay This Life Down" is filled with melodic darkness while battling it out with the hardcore rage. That's the kind of rage the more popular melodeath bands wish they had!

"Fire of Life" digs deeper into adding variety. The blend of slow and fast sections scream Prayer for Cleansing, while the former has the same slow dread as My Dying Bride, whom the band would cover one of their songs in their next release. More of those melodies and tremolo are in "When the Heavens Shed Tears". Finally, "For Liberation" is a mighty battle between the 90s metal/hardcore of Vision of Disorder and Burst and the European melodeath that would later reach bands like Neaera and Omnium Gatherum.

This Day All Gods Die is not the best start for Undying, but still good. Their later releases would have a more complex melodic turn that would pave the way for the more popular American melodic metalcore bands. Heavy darkness has been given more melodic light....

Favorites: "Lay This Life Down", "Fire of Life", "For Liberation"

Another early deathcore album... And wow, what a boost in quality compared to that Plague Thy Child EP! Just like that band, Dawn of Orion was a practically unknown band from around 25 years ago that had no chance in making it big. At least one of the members ended up being more well-known, vocalist Myke 'C-Town' Jamison, having started his own YouTube channel and even used one of Dawn of Orion's songs as the outro for his videos. I'll tell you what song that is when we get there...

Dawn of Orion was an early deathcore/metalcore band, the way Plague Thy Child had done it two years later, but Dawn of Orion is the real deal here. There's a lot of deathly riffing blending heaviness and melody, inspired by At the Gates, and this was years before the rise of melodic metalcore.

First song "As the Bloodred Moon Rises" greatly exemplifies that riffing, filled with true early melodic deathcore. This is the kind of darkness not even In Flames and Soilwork have dived into, having starting to go their own mainstream route in the early 2000s. "A Widow's Covenant" has a bit of technicality added to their riffing, hinting at what The Faceless and Betraying the Martyrs would have a decade later. "Creation's End" sounds like what may be the creation of the deathcore we know from bands like Carnifex and Whitechapel, and the melodeath of Disarmonia Mundi. "The Passing of Idols" starts off with a bit of thrash/groove before having more of the deathly sound.

The instrumental "To Hunt the Ethereal Sun" is the song Myke C-Town uses in his video outros, specifically that ethereal acoustic intro. The blend of acoustic/electric guitar reminds me a bit of Kalmah, though all that's missing is the symphonic keys and neoclassical shredding. The release ends with two re-recorded songs from their Twilight Eternal demo, starting with "Thy Divine". The other one, "The Ancient Promise" can certainly start a moshpit at the beginning with its hardcore riffing and breakdown.

I wouldn't say For the Lust of Prophecies Undone is the best melodic deathcore album I've heard, but it's a solid offering of face-tearing aggression. It's lightyears better than that Plague Thy Child EP, and a great way to begin this dark deathly side of the metalcore scene. This band shall be commended for this fascinating discovery....

Favorites: "As the Bloodred Moon Rises", "Creation's End", "To Hunt the Ethereal Sun", "The Ancient Promise"

Today I decided to explore another very example of deathcore. Plague Thy Child was a short-lived band whose only well-known release was a split album with metalcore band The Common Man. Plague Thy Child's 2001 EP has been given a 2023 official re-release that includes a 2000 demo.

The sound is basically early deathcore/metalcore, with deathly riffing, blackened screams, and hardcore breakdowns, almost like what Embodyment would've had if they didn't abandon their deathcore sound at the time. In theory, that all sounds cool, but sadly it's f***ed up by the demo production that makes most of it a mess. Despite that, "Autumn" combines that brutal sound with dark melodies, sounding quite beautiful. Everything else though is too bland or unclear. An actual re-recording of this sh*t is in order....

Favorites (only one I like): "Autumn"

Here I am checking out another Neurotech album, and once again I find something killer enough to almost reach perfection! I would've thought this smooth cyber/industrial metal sound was weird a few years ago, before I realized its true potential. Now it's something so fresh and unique that's hard to find in any other band or style.

Ave Neptune continues restoring the many aspects of Neurotech's material from 10 years prior, with heavy riffing and drumming mixed together with club-friendly electronics and cinematic strings, all narrated by great clean vocals. And it's not just keyboards that make things fresh. New stuff has been added including the occasional acoustic bridge and even extreme blast beats. I still haven't made my way through the entire Neurotech discography, but if I can be impressed by albums like this one, count me in!

"The Coming Storms" is the opener that can almost go as progressive as Extol in just 4 minutes, from the soft first-half buildup to the climatic electro-metal second half. The single "Mundane Entropy" doesn't lose much speed. A potential future classic! "Never-Ending Maze" has some of the modern electronic extremeness of late Raintime.

Absolute highlight "The Serpent Bites" might just be one of my favorite tracks by this band, with excellent riffing and a catchy chorus. "Only Heartbeat" continues that Dead by April-esque mix of electronics and metal. "Repent in Need" is one of the heaviest songs Wulf has ever done, straight-up metal aggression with a heavenly midsection.

"Spiraling Down" is the only track in the album bad enough to keep it a half-star short from total perfection, but it's not horrible by any means. "Whirlwind" has some heavy melodies to remind me of the recent Soilwork. "Inner Quest" is a much shorter and softer highlight, while having the ambience of Voivod, strings of Persefone, and the electronics of The Browning. It greatly leads to the finale "The Years of the Flood", a little more obvious but still the perfect way to end it all.

All in all, Ave Neptune has been an amazing experience in the cyber realm of Neurotech, with some of my newfound favorite tracks by the band. I look forward to hearing more of the band's discography and finding out which albums can surpass this one. All hail Neurotech!

Favorites: "Mundane Entropy", "The Serpent Bites", "Repent in Need", "Inner Quest", "The Years of the Flood"

If their EP, Version 4.5: The Dark Chapter, can be considered the All That Remains "Forever Cold" EP of Cypecore, Make Me Real is their Antifragile. It is their comeback album after the passing of their founding bassist Chris Heckel. They chose not to replace him to respect his memory. And besides that EP, they have performed some live shows with a few other members making their exit and entrance. I'm still trying to get a little more used to the band's sound though...

Make Me Real is less deathly than their earlier works. Here we have more melodic choruses and stronger cleans for more of an industrial groove metal sound similar to Mnemic. Most of the new songs pack quite a punch, so if you're expecting some freshness in their new material, you've come to the right place.

Traditionally for Cypecore, the album starts with an "Intro", this one nice and short. "Neoteric Gods" kicks off the technical action hard. This is deathly djenty industrial/groove metal at its best! It impresses me with its background synths and its dark yet anthemic chorus. I love it, and I'm sure Cypecore fans would too. "Pinnacle of Creation" keeps up that strength as a more groove-ish standout. Synths pop up more in "Doomsday Parade".

I don't know why they chose a ballad as the album's title track. I mean it's not too bad, but lacks some strength. Next track "King of Rats" is worse. Too much electronic sh*t in that one. The more deathly groove highlights return with "Fragments".

Hammering in further is "I'll Be Back" (Terminator, is that you?), an industrial banger suitable for the dark reality of humanity. "Patient Zero" is the closest throwback to their earlier melodeath sound while adding in a nice amount of electronics for good measure. Traditionally for Cypecore, the album ends with an "Outro", but the issue is, it's a 3-minutes long, a little too long for an electronic instrumental.

I would've loved the album much more if not for the 3 tracks in the middle along with the outro being so long. Still, Make Me Real is quite good. It's a nice comeback 6 years after The Alliance, and I might just be up to checking out more of their earlier deathly material....

Favorites: "Neoteric Gods", "Pinnacle of Creation", "Fragments", "I'll Be Back", "Patient Zero"

Is time travel real? While it isn't in the era we are in, Cypecore knows how to create that illusion with their "2123 Tour". Honestly, one of the reasons I don't go to live shows is the fear of experiencing a future that seems so real yet coming home embarrassed that it isn't. And this is a band that have started nearly two decades ago...

Cypecore have released 5 albums that follow a futuristic sci-fi conceptual saga, a similar aspect to Mechina. A year before their new fifth album Make Me Real, the band hinted at their new direction with this EP, Version 4.5: The Dark Chapter. The "4.5" part is quite clever, since the band wanted to give their fans something new after a 5-year gap that may have been caused by the tragic loss of the unreplaceable bassist Chris Heckel. Consider this Cypecore's own All That Remains "Forever Cold" EP, if you will.

Blasting off is "Chosen Chaos" which is one of the coolest song titles ever chosen. The EP doesn't follow the usual "Intro"/"Outro" aspect, so it has only a short amount of time for you to actually prepare for the chaos. The blasts and guitarwork strike through with their might. The vocals help make the song sound like melodeath-ish metalcore gone Disturbed. "Rise" is a nice display of a cleaner, more industrial sound. The guitar and bass shine instead of the previous track's drum blasts. Slight points off for the electronic overdose, but it's still good. "Spirals" has great harmonies that fit well with the screamed vocals. I also love the cleans and the bridge in the second half.

"Liquid Fire" is a strange track that's still OK. It's more nu metal-ish with some rapped vocals, closer to Korn and Limp Bizkit. Nonetheless, the usual madness is still going on at full force. Then we have "Rise (Death Version)", a version of "Rise" in which the vocals are screamed and the drums blast through. The sound here, along with most of the other tracks, is closer to metalcore than melodeath, which I can greatly accept. I love this heavier version more!

All in all, this EP sounds quite cool in the highlights, and I think they should've kept just the heavier version of "Rise" instead of the clean version that's still good. Version 4.5: The Dark Chapter might not be their best work, yet it can get you geared up for their next album. Time travel may not be real, but this dark futuristic music is....

Favorites: "Chosen Chaos", "Spirals", "Rise (Death Version)"