Shadowdoom9 (Andi)'s Reviews

If there is something that is hard for me to admit, but I still feel the need, it is this: Until now, I couldn't really get what's appealing about one of the most famous metal bands in the world, Metallica. Their debut has made me realize the band's earlier strength! Kill 'Em All (originally titled Metal Up Your A** until their record label manager suggested changing the album title and cover art) combines the more speedy and punky elements of Motorhead, Iron Maiden, and Judas Priest into the ultimate start of thrash!

Kill 'Em All sounds as if they covered the heaviest tracks from different early heavy metal bands and increased the tempo and added more heaviness to the riffs, solos, and vocals, thereby updating the classic formula. Of course, these are all original songs, and very unique ones too.

Already putting the thrash sound in place is the fun opener "Hit the Lights". However, "The Four Horsemen" is a better standout, sounding tighter than Megadeth. Apparently, that band Megadeth has their own version called "Mechanix", for their own debut album two years later. Megadeth's founding frontman Dave Mustaine was originally the lead guitarist for Metallica before he was fired for his abusive behavior and replaced by Kirk Hammett. The band took the "Mechanix" composition Mustaine wrote and rewrote it into the 7-minute riff monster that it became. So Megadeth's version is a re-recording of the original written by Mustaine. "Motorbreath" has more of the potential for the band to kick-start thrash metal, though the phrase "thrash metal" wasn't coined until next year when the late Kerrang! journalist Malcolm Dome was describing an Anthrax song.

Another highlight is worth partying to, "Jump in the Fire", having more of a hard rock groove. The chorus is so unforgettable, you'll be singing it in the shower out loud for the neighbors to hear. The instrumental "(Anesthesia) – Pulling Teeth" has the best performance here from bassist Cliff Burton (who sadly lost his life 3 years later when, while touring for Master of Puppets, he fell from the band's bus that tipped over and crushed him. RIP). He performs impressive bass soloing for that track. "Whiplash" has more powerful riffing. The excellent verses have clear contrast with the catchy choruses. As a result, that song is quite memorable, and nothing's a waste of time.

"Phantom Lord" bursts through greatness, especially in the innovative drumming. Same with "No Remorse" which, as the title implies, is remorseless. Things get more mid-paced in "Seek & Destroy" while staying destructive. "Metal Militia" can surely bring joy to both longtime and new fans, and the bass can heard quite clearly, compared to what people keep mentioning about the band's 4th album ...And Justice for All.

With all that said, I don't think there's much I can say to criticize, except maybe the bass-driven instrumental can be more of a bonus track, no disrespect to Burton. Kill 'Em All is perhaps the first full-on thrash metal album, so listen before you judge, and...well, have fun!

Favorites: "The Four Horsemen", "Jump in the Fire", "Whiplash", "Phantom Lord", "Metal Militia"

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"

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

The timing for me to review another Slipknot album couldn't have been better. A few days before this review, backstage at the final concert for Ozzy Osbourne and Black Sabbath, Slipknot turntablist Sid Wilson became engaged with Ozzy's daughter Kelly. Congrats to them! Although this engagement might confuse some people, since they've already been dating since 2022 and have a son together.

I think just found my new favorite nu metal album. There are so amazing songs that sound as fresh as they did 24 years prior. These 9 members perform in great synergy, especially in the rhythm section, not just from Wilson but also two percussionists, as well as drummer Joey Jordison and bassist Paul Gray. RIP the latter two...

Intro "(515)" is confusing, just shouting the word "death" over and over. Then "People = Sh*t" blasts off in brutal heaviness. "Disasterpiece" is also good, sounding more thrashy. Though not as extreme as "My Plague" which would end up in the soundtrack of the Resident Evil film. Then everything continues to get heavier in "Everything Ends", which again speeds up at thrash-esque levels.

"The Heretic Anthem" is also good, sounding quite deathly for a nu metal song. However, the lyrics take a dip in quality. The refrain where Corey Taylor yells "If you're 555, then I'm 666" is just silly and doesn't make much of a lyrical impact. "Gently" is another track that's good but isn't really a highlight. It was re-recorded from their 1996 demo album Mate Feed Kill Repeat. "Left Behind" is one of my favorites here. It's a prime example of nu metal with a more rock-ish tone while unleashing their usual rage in everything. "The Shape" is in good shape. So is "I Am Hated" which I would never hate.

"Skin Ticket" is another track that I can probably do without. However, "New Abortion" is another solid standout. "Metabolic" isn't bad but doesn't offer anything special. Unlike one of the longest and most experimental tracks in alt-/nu metal, the 15-minute closing title epic. It is the band's longest track to not have a title track, and an incredible journey for those who are patient and never restless. The Japanese edition bonus track is a live rendition of the 1999 debut's "Liberate" which is OK but doesn't add much.

All in all, Iowa is an excellent nu metal offering that shows Slipknot at their best. If you're one of those people who hate nu metal to the bone, a lot of what this album has to offer would convince you that there's still goodness in the genre. Just pure in-your-face extreme nu metal!

Favorites: "People = Sh*t", "My Plague", "Everything Ends", "Left Behind", "I Am Hated", "New Abortion", "Iowa"

The most popular era of KMFDM began with their album Nihil and would carry on to their next album Xtort. At this point, they were really rising as the industrial rock pioneers they've been known to be. They also introduced some aspects to industrial music that were barely used in industrial back then such as fast punk-ish tempos. They would pave the way for other popular German industrial rock/metal bands such as Rammstein.

The songs in Xtort are as great as the ones in Nihil. It's a nice variety with some songs I find superb and others I find OK. And that's interesting because I usually prefer my industrial metal to have more of the metal...

"Power" begins with what sounds like a phone call before the instrumentation slowly builds up. It's an excellent start to this album and would make a great show starter. I enjoy the chorus that sounds like if they collaborated with the Muses from Disney's Hercules. "Apathy" has too much mud in the sound, though it gets clearer when they slow down. "Rules" has enjoyable vocals. Male/female vocal combos are not common in industrial metal, and that's something I enjoy in one of The Sphere's later bands, Mechina.

"Craze" has good vocals, but the instrumentation falls into the same muddy trap. "Dogma" starts off with strange alien synths before Nicole Blackman provides spoken vocals. In all honesty, that song might remind some more of Devo. "Inane" is INSANE!!! Sascha Konietzko performs his usual vocal distortion alongside rising chords, singing about the band themselves and their greatness. The country-ish guitars are also quite fun. Fantastic highlight! Next up, "Blame" has a nice midtempo intro of hardcore guitar melodies. The instrumentation stands out as well, even going far as to using brass horns!

"Son of a Gun" has more of that male vocal distortion. It's also used in the chorus while harmonized by the female singing. They really explore a lot in the synth department. "Ikons" continues the vocal distortion with some machine FX. "Wrath" is a strong way out. Everything's in great balance including the vocals and production. I enjoy the lyrics and synth breaks. Then it all ends with the last bit of strange synth noises. Finally, "Fairy" is an unusual hidden track with just piano and an eerie voice reading a fairytale.

For any KMFDM listeners out there, you don't wanna miss out on this great example of this sound. You can listen to the album while taking a night drive in your car. Beats and heaviness can sound quite good together....

Favorites: "Power", "Rules", "Inane", "Blame", "Wrath"

Waidelotte... That's a name I haven't heard before, but then again, aren't there many other bands with unusual names? Apparently, this band is named after a Prussian priestess with duties of prayers, blessings and fortune. Anyone with historical knowledge would know that Prussia was a German state with a Baltic tribe until it was abolished as a result of World War II. It is not to be confused with Russia, the country currently at war with Ukraine.

Waidelotte was formed in Ukraine in 2023, when the war was (and still is) raging. Members of the band have come from more notable bands, with vocalist Andrii Pechatkin from White Ward and bassist Oleksii "Zlatoyar" Kobel from Soen. The only other member is guitarist Mykhailo Bogaichuk, so I'm guessing the drums are programmed. Conceptually, Celestial Shrine takes you through death and despair in inner struggles to battle. This album is described as melodic/pagan black metal, though I can also witness the melodeath/progressive metal of Obscura, maybe even Ne Obliviscaris. The vocals and bass give that away in the extreme instrumentation blended with folklore.

"Descending" is a soft folk-ish intro not too far off from Opeth's interludes. As for the first actual song, "The Era of Stagnant Gods", it's not often you hear flute after extreme fury, but it works out well. The slow ending sounds so atmospheric. Hurdy-gurdy comes up in "Todestrieb", which itself is a melodic pounder. The usage of folk instruments and occasional female singing give it a bit of an Eluveitie vibe.

"Opulent Mirage" is a more progressive highlight, mixing the mid-2000s eras of Enslaved, Leprous, and Opeth. "The Mortality Archway" basically takes the extreme side of Kayo Dot and adds in the thrashy complexity of Believer and some Eastern European instrumentation. "Ascending" is one more folk interlude with Neurosis-like ambience.

Things get more fun in "Lightkeeper". Then the title track tones down the fun for some melancholic sorrow. It makes great use of their native instruments like the bandura, performed by Vlad Vakolyuk. That aspect is in superb balance with heavy riffing. This should've been the end of this offering, but the band felt like adding a little something to make a full album... "Dissolving" is an 8-minute dark ambient track featuring Solar Kollapse. It's so odd and boring, and the album would've been perfect without it.

The half-hour of power that makes up the rest of Celestial Shrine is an effective album of Slavic-infused progressive melodic black/death. It's a unique combo that really hits it right. The horrors of this ongoing war didn't stop this Ukranian band from unleashing their creative talents. They should really be commended for their perseverance....

Favorites: "The Era of Stagnant Gods", "Opulent Mirage", "The Mortality Archway", "Celestial Shrine"

It's tough when a promising band is marred with its founder's horrid allegations. But you know me as the kind of person who separate art from artist most of the time. If you enjoy something that's good or even awesome despite a problematic member, don't be shamed into not liking it. With that said, it's as good as The Breathing Process's debut but not as awesome as that band's next two albums. The symphonic blackened deathcore sound is combined with the tech-djent polyrhythms of Meshuggah.

Ovid's Withering also seems to have cranked up the keyboards in an attempt to sound epic. It's fine but a little too pompous, like slightly too reliant of the orchestration of Septicflesh. Still it's in good flow with the guitar harmonies, riffs, melodies, crushing breakdowns, and drumming machinery...

The dark djenty wonders commence in "Panikon Deima", in which the soloing appears to takes some hints from Periphery. Adding to the symphonic extreme-core is the guitar technicality and growled vocals, even power metal-esque fantasy lyrics. Next track "Oedipus Complex" has more of the symphonic black metal influences to remind some of Dimmu Borgir including some orchestration and higher shrieks. Final track "The Omen of Lycaon" is the most deathcore-fueled of all, particularly in the vocals.

I wouldn't say there's much originality in The Cloud Gatherer, but Ovid's Withering have made a well-produced EP. The aggression is never lowered by the keyboard atmosphere, though the latter could've been less overpowering. This, and those allegations, makes me hesitant to explore further. Nonetheless, enjoy these symphonies of aggression...

Favorites: All 3, but my true favorite is "Panikon Deima"

This ongoing symphonic deathcore journey of mine has led me to many epic has led me to several masterpieces of epicness and brutality. The more I discover, the more I understand the style's greatness. The Breathing Process has a couple awesome releases that I wish I had discovered earlier instead of recently. They've gone through many changes in lineup and location since forming in the early 2000s. At the time of Samsara's release, they had 7 members including 3 guitarists. As with their previous album Odyssey (un)Dead, Samsara has their usual blend of symphonic deathcore and blackened melodeath. Two glorious releases separated long apart, like Romeo and Juliet!

After being signed by some record labels for their first couple albums, Samsara was released independently in 2018, on my country's independence day, August 31. Lots of independence! The album includes a limited edition digipak for digital purchase. For this album, the band didn't just record themselves performing, they've also done all the mixing and engineering. The end result is an epic organic experience.

Just like how their first two albums opened, "Et Hoc Est Infernum" is an ambient intro with sorrowful orchestration and piano. The actual opening song "The Traveler" is a long heavy start to this dark adventure. Blackened tremolos, deathly riffs, and rapid blasts assimilate into an extreme combo. You can also hear some smooth guitar melodies and keyboard atmosphere. More of those symphonics appear in "Into the Night", one of my favorite tracks here. The guitar melodies and breakdown brutality are so delightful. "Supervoid" is more brutal than anything they've done before, delivering the breakdowns and growls of deathcore faster than light or a black hole.

In contrast, another highlight "The Conscious Observer" starts off melodic. However, the guitars and growls are still around, perfectly balanced with the melody. I also love the midsection guitar soloing that's a nice pleasant break from the blackened chaos. "Servile" opens up a heavier dimension of deathcore, more in the brutal side as opposed to the symphonic blackened side. The latter sound continues to strike in "Dethroned".

"The Nothing" has more of the band's earlier symphonic black metal insanity, keeping you engaged all the way up to its outro. Next is the more mellow "Sungrazer", and even then, it still has merciless heaviness and speed. The blackened blasts sounds so kick-A, and if anyone has barely heard that in earlier albums beforehand, they would think the drummer is more machine than man. The bass grooves flow well with the riffing by the talented guitar trio. The astonishing heaviness and synergy is what any metalhead can wish for. "Absolute Truth" has more memorable progressive structure. If Make Them Suffer continued their earlier epic blackened deathcore phase, this is that!

With all this epic brutal fury at hand, Samsara is a 10-track beast that I'm glad to discover and add to my symphonic deathcore recommendations list. There are many melodic moments, as much as the brutal ones, creating something crushing and emotional. The Breathing Process have proven themselves to be a brilliant band that should be for anyone into both symphonic deathcore and melodeath. Don't sleep on it, spread the word!

Favorites: "The Traveler", "Into the Night", "The Conscious Observer", "Sungrazer", "Absolute Truth"

With their second album Odyssey (un)Dead, The Breathing Process add more complex talent to their anthems, with different tempo variations. And HOLY F***, what a memorable leap compared to their debut! There's more emotion without losing any brutality, the thing I once feared but enjoy a lot now.

No matter how beautiful Odyssey (un)Dead can be sometimes, The Breathing Process seems lost and almost unheard of in the metal world. It's sad because their technical madness is quite underrated. No metalhead should miss out on this symphonic deathcore/melodeath chaos of machine gun blast beats, ravaging rhythms, and even background symphonic keys to give the intensity some atmosphere. This album has all that and then some!

"Hours" is a prophetic intro, and I say that because of the spoken sample, "Me, I service the machinery of death so that people can eat. If that makes me evil, then so be it." Then the instrumentation rises into dark pounding fire. The band's original sound already reaches its height in the speedy "Grimoire". They unleash their complex skills in not just the guitars and vocals, but also the keys, bass, and drums, in a prime example of their sound. And there's more of this wild ride in the next track... "Leveler" has some of the best keys here, sounding epic and spacey. That kind of makes the monkey jungle outro a bit unfitting, though I digress. "Vultures" introduces a new aspect to their sound, female singing. Beauty within the heavy beast! Still there are different twists and turns as the song goes on, until the sweet chords and grooves fade into melancholic piano and bass. Epicness supreme! The intergalactic blaze of "Pantheon Unraveling" really burns up. Smooth bass grooves hit alongside raging blasts, guitars, and synths. This shows that something graceful can come out deadly as well.

One interlude to tone down the intense chaos is "Starless Eternal". This short track can have a bit of progressiveness and allow you to imagine a starless darkness conjured by the keys and drums, building things up before the next song... The title track has some d*mn brutal talent. The progressiveness shines within the blend of heaviness and emotion. Already sounding original in the brief mechanical intro, "Metamorphosis" is also filled with absolule g****mn fire. Anthemic rage pours from the chords, vocals, and icy keys, making perhaps the most powerful highlight of the album! "Hordes" has more complex brutality, especially in the chaotic final third.

"The Living Forest (Part I)" has searing blasts and haunting keys, closer to the earlier symphonic black metal darkness, though there's also a technical breakdown. "Wind Ritual" is the intermission before the second part, basically female clean-led blackened death-doom. "The Opaque Forest (Part II)" rips things apart while whispers, growls, and singing fills the vocal air. "Decaying (Form)" caps it all by summarizing everything in its first half, alternating between soft and blasting sections. And what a tearful outro!

The 6 members of The Breathing Process came together to work on this epic underrated creation. Odyssey (un)Dead might just be my favorite album for these earliest days of symphonic deathcore, and I would certainly be up for more of this band. If you wanna hear epic deathcore's true beginning besides Winds of Plague, let's f***ing go!

Favorites: "Grimoire", "Vultures", "Odyssey (un)Dead", "Metamorphosis", "The Living Forest (Part I)", "The Opaque Forest (Part II)", "Decaying (Form)"

My symphonic deathcore expedition has led me to what might just be the earliest band of that sound besides Winds of Plague, The Breathing Process. This American band from Connecticut has practically invented the idea of a symphonic deathcore/melodeath blend while also throwing in some Scandivanian-style melodic black metal. It's a mix of epic and extreme that barely any other band had attempted before...

Having just come across their debut In Waking Divinity, I have to admit, it's not as glorious as the later more popular bands of the league. However, it's slightly better than other humble beginning attempts at a niche subgenre. I also admit that the band name is a little goofy, but not bad enough to qualify for the "sh*ttiest band name" thread.

The album's intro "The Hunter" is an ambient yet heavy start with some samples. A bit pointless, yet I approve. The title track impresses me with heavy guitars, skilled drums, and killer vocals. While the symphonics are more oddly placed compared to the later bands of the league, I enjoy the more metallic headbanging sections. Great start, though keep that in mind before the remaining full songs of the album follow the same formula. "Lament Configuration" is a melancholic piano lament. "Blessed, Be Thine Martyr" basically continues the melodic deathcore sound of Bring Me the Horizon's debut Count Your Blessings and blends it with the symphonic black metal of Abigail Williams around that time. "Pandora's Rebirth" has more unique identity. I love the chorus in which the vocals appear over background synths, reminding me of Bleeding Through.

Not much happens in the 24 seconds that make up "Oceans". However, "The Harvesting" attacks like a symphonic Despised Icon. Melodic and technical riffing are more balanced in "Prey" which isn't amazing but I approve of this stylistic blend.

"Legion's Prayer" is one more piano interlude. The winning highlight has to be "Dear Antigone" with lots of vicious headbanging moments. "Somnium" has more interesting progressiveness. It starts doomy with spoken vocals, slowly building up before a final climax. A bonus track in some editions, "Inferno" is an earlier track from the I Am Legion demo, and I love the clean chorus here. If they had more of that in the actual album, I would rate it higher.

I think the title track and those 3 full songs at the end are what you need if you're checking out this band and album for the first time. While a couple tracks in the middle and the interludes are average, In Waking Divinity is still a good start to the then-unpopular symphonic deathcore trend. Not to be missed out, but it's fine if it is....

Favorites: "In Waking Divinity", "Pandora's Rebirth", "The Harvesting", "Dear Antigone", "Somnium", "Inferno"

HOW?!? How did I not discover this awesome modern metal band earlier?! Remember what I thought of Becoming the Archetype's debut Terminate Damnation? Hope for the Dying's most recent album Legacy basically continues the progressive melodeath/metalcore sound of that album but with more symphonic/neo-classical elements. Many people who enjoy this band have started off with Dissimulation or Aletheia, but my first encounter with Legacy makes me wants to check them out for the first time soon.

While there are some similarities to Terminate Damnation in terms of the sound, flow, and track lengths, there's only one interlude that is the intro. That's OK, because the rest of the album stands out as is. Before we get to that, I'd just like to point out the album cover. It may not be by Dan Seagrave, but it still has that epic Game of Thrones vibe.

So "Aurora" is a nice orchestral intro that lasts for a minute. "Setting Sun" fits greatly with its title, setting the album's tone in stone. The haunting keys shine greatly alongside the heavy guitars. The best place for progressive diversity is "Flame Forged", one of my favorite tracks here. Then we have the relentless "Narcissus" that continues its blend of heaviness and melody from beginning to end.

However, its abrupt transition into "Nemesis" is a bit jarring. My perfect 5-star rating still stands as that next track brushes aside that misstep with heavy dissonance. Lyrics like "I was a slave to my own demons" and deathly growls by Becoming the Archetype frontman Jason Wisdom makes that track another standout. I also love the guest gutarwork by Elisha Mullins (The Burial, Miss May I, War of Ages) including the Van Halen-esque divebomb at the end. "Trenches" is another fantastic dish of heaviness and symphonics that stays speedy until its slower ending section. "Wretched Curse" lets you rest in a slower tempo for the first couple minutes then speeds back up again.

After the previous track's brief soft moment, "Wander No More" has searing guitars to rip you apart. My ultimate favorite track of the album is the 9-minute title epic that really packs some punches. A smooth two-minute bridge comes in midway through before some blazing soloing out of nowhere. Then it ends with soft strings. The last bit of triumph comes in "Adamantine" which is an excellent summary of this glorious literal hour. And finally some soft piano to end it all.

As brilliant as Terminate Damnation is, Legacy is another huge deal of modern epicness. Every layer is absorbed through your ears into the brain, and you'll be able to experience this unique creativity in no time. You can expect headbanging metal sections, soft orchestral bridges, and different time signature changes. Just like Terminate Damnation, this offering is a standout in the Christian metal scene that can please both Christians and non-Christians. If I thought Mechina's Progenitor was the best album of 2016, that award might just be passed over to this album. There's still hope for Hope for the Dying to come back with something fresh to maintain their legacy!

Favorites: "Flame Forged", "Nemesis", "Trenches", "Legacy", "Adamantine"

As my symphonic deathcore expedition continues, I've just encountered this band from metal's motherland Finland, Assemble the Chariots. With their storytelling symphonic melodic death metal/core sound, they're like a more conceptual Shadow of Intent and Lorna Shore. I think of all the releases of this genre I've explored so far, this might truly be the most saga-filled one yet!

Although their full-length debut Unyielding Night was released a year before this review, 2024, they've actually released a series of EPs dating back 15 years prior. With their sign-in to Seek & Strike records, it was time to unleash their epic storytelling deathcore to the world.

"Aquilegia in Peril" begins it all with that cinematic blend of symphonics and narration. Then "Departure" launches into metallic blasts that blend with the epic orchestration. The riffing and harsh vocals add to this intriguing mix. "Admorean Monolith" has some powerful bass groove alongside highly diverse metal aggression. "As Was Seen by Augurers" fires away with drumming impact. The screams and growls alternate with great unpredictability. "Shimmering, Pulsing Glow" is another string/narration interlude.

The ominous melancholy is decimated by the furious "Evermark". Absolutely brutal growls and intense riffing there! Introducing "Reavers March" is the usual savage battle between metal and orchestra. I love the impressive shredding! "Ephemeral Stream" is a different story, with soft piano and cleans by Milma Laitinen for something calm while still dark. "Emancipation" blasts forward again like a machine gun (no Kelly). As we have more of the demonic harsh vocals, we also have some operatic cleans by Nitte Valo (Dreamtale, ex-Battle Beast). "Keepers of the Stars" is a catchy headbanging highlight with kick-A drums and leads. "Empress" has more screaming chaos.

"Last Line of Defence" is one more interlude, to get you geared up for the final battle of this story. Warhorns begin the war in "Galactic Order", getting you excited with the theatrical orchestration, crushing metal, and charging vocals. "Equinox" is the grand ending epic where the ultimate climax occurs. The final bit of energy is used wisely, all the way up to the glorious end. That's the kind of closing epic that I enjoy!

Unyielding Night is probably the most ambitious and conceptual album in all of symphonic deathcore. Many different layers can be found in the deathly fury, the symphonic orchestra, and a voyage of a concept. You gotta appreciate the time it took for this to be made. The long wait was worth it. Here's to the next part of the Ephemeral Trilogy!

Favorites: "Departure", "Admorean Monolith", "Evermark", "Reavers March", "Emancipation", "Keepers of the Stars", "Equinox"

From Seattle, Botch was known for contributing to their development of the noise-powered mathcore genre in the late 90s. The band would release two albums before splitting up in 2002, though they would reform two decades later for a new single and reunion tour. Botch shared their hybrid sound with fellow mathcore pioneers Converge and The Dillinger Escape Plan, and would plant the seed for later bands like Norma Jean and Every Time I Die. During Botch's 20-year split, the members would go on in different bands like Minus the Bear, These Arms are Snakes, Roy, Russian Circles, and Sumac.

This unique ambitious sound can take on a variety of different influences such as Helmet and Black Sabbath, putting them together into their own. You can hear it clearly in The Unifying Themes of Sex, Death and Religion, a compilation of demo EPs released before their two albums. It spawned an extended re-release in 2002, entitled Unifying Themes Redux, with more previously unreleased tracks. Whichever release you get, expect some complex high-energy hardcore chaos...

The frantic "God vs. Science" showcases the metallic chords of guitarist Dave Knudson. "Third Part in a Tragedy" has some of those hardcore jumps that Norma Jean would later have. Then slowly they turn, step by step, "Inch by Inch"... Some slight industrial from Nine Inch Nails is added to the metallic hardcore that can be heard in Eighteen Visions. They've actually covered "O Fortuna" by Carl Orff, turning an opera song into a mathcore track. A little too much of a joke, but I can accept it. Then we slam into "Closure", which is from a various artists compilation. A true trail of noise and destruction!

"Contraction" adds a little more melody to the hardcore, though not as much as The Plot in You would in the 2010s. Then on "Ebb", Knudson paints his guitar notes on the bass grooves of Brian Cook and the screamed vocals of Dave Verellen. "Stupid Me" is kinda stupid in the cliche chanting. The drama is lost by sounding laughable. "In Spite of This" is the 5-minute epic with killer riffing. They never need to go Meshuggah levels of djenty to sound this heavy.

I suppose I can one day check out the extended Unifying Themes Redux, but as much fun as I had with the original, hearing a lot of this for 70 minutes might be wearying. Still you can witness how well Botch can do their music, giving you a great complex time....

Favorites: "God vs. Science", "Third Part in a Tragedy", "Closure", "Ebb", "In Spite of This"

From surreal performance art YouTuber to experimental popstar to metal screamer, Poppy, born Moriah Rose Pereira, has revolutionized both the internet and music scene. However, I've barely encountered any of her work, only knowing her collaborations with her highly acclaimed collaborations with Bad Omens and Knocked Loose. So now it's time for me to dive into her diverse world...

Her 3rd album I Disagree marked her transition from electropop into experimental alt-metal. The album's themes are empowerment and destroying the destroyer. It's clear that a lesson to learn is to disagree with life's conventionalities that can drag you down.

"Concrete" shows Poppy reinventing the pop metal wheel, by combining anime-style electropop with metal shredding. Two different worlds collide as catchy hooks battle against brutal breakdowns. At one point, an audience chants her name which then leads to a pop rock bridge and the last of the metal shredding. Truly an energetic banger! Then the title track shows more of her creativity. The chorus is quite playful as Poppy sings like an angel, telling us to "let it all burn down, burn it to the ground". After which, her devil side strikes back against her manipulative ex-collaborator Titanic Sinclair, "I disagree with the way you continue to pressure me". She can burn away her abusive past and walk away without batting an eye. "Bloodmoney" takes on some electro-industrial, leaning into a bit of hardcore dubstep.

The electronic side continues on in "Anything Like Me", which also drifts into cacophonic metal and continues the directly empowering lyrics, "sorry for what I’ve become, because I'm becoming someone." Then "Fill the Crown" encourages liberty for all, "you can be anyone you want to be, you can be free". The edition of this album I'm reviewing includes a bonus cover of "All the Things She Said" by t.A.T.u., and interestingly enough, this is one of my favorite tracks here, fitting in the "metalizing covers" category by adding in dark alt-/industrial metal drama while staying true to the original. If that isn't Poppy's most emotional moment, I don't know what is! After that, "Nothing is Need" dives into dreamy soft pop, like something Ariana Grande would make. There's not much metal there, unless you count some lead guitar melodies. As a heavier listener, I find that one bland, though not a total disaster.

Poppy can let her ideas run loose in "Sit/Stay" with lyrics against having to obey like an animal. She wants to show that she is an independent individual and motivates us to have that same feeling of freedom. Then we have the explosive "Bite Your Teeth" with its straight-on metallic energy. "Sick of the Sun" is one of the more ethereal tracks here. 6-minute closing epic "Don't Go Outside" has a soft acoustic intro, and... I know this album fits well as an alt-metal release, but this track is the closest to that genre, maybe even the post-grunge style my brother likes. The music and lyrics revisit many of the earlier tracks, most notably the title track, "Let it all burn down, we'll be safe and sound".

I Disagree is a fine example of the experimental creativity Poppy has, expanding the boundaries of modern music. Although it's too poppy (no pun intended, maybe) for me to listen to on a regular basis, she deserves some great appreciation from fans. And we will disagree with the haters....

Favorites: "Concrete", "I Disagree", "Anything Like Me", "All the Things She Said", "Bite Your Teeth", "Don't Go Outside"

I think now's a good time for me to fill you in on a brief history of Fear of Domination. The Finnish "shock" industrial melodeath band was formed in 2006 by vocalist Saku Solin, bassist Lauri Ojanen, and guitarist Jan-Erik Kari. These 3 original members would carry on with the band while the other two, guitarist/keyboardist Marko Salmikangas and drummer Jaakko Arteli would leave early on. It was Lauri who came up with the band name, stemming from one of the first (and best) songs they've written, similarly to how the more popular Finnish metal band Nightwish got their name. Since then, many lineup changes would occur, most notably the addition of female vocalist Sara Strömmer, originally a live member but has since joined the band full-time, performing co-lead vocals alongside Saku.

VI: Revelation is the second album with Sara and would end up being their last with her. On the same month as its release, December 2021, she started taking time off for maternity leave and ultimately left the band to focus on family life. That's too bad because I consider her one of the most energetic female vocalist modern rock/metal besides Linkin Park's new lead vocalist Emily Armstrong. At least we can still hear her cleans and screams for one more album. As for the music, while it still has that heavy energy they always have, their sound is no longer industrial melodeath. It's more like trance-metalcore in a similar vein to Amaranthe...

"Exitus" is where the band makes their entrance by tearing things apart with the usual electro-trance beats and heavy/melodic blend with a massive chorus. Now that's the starting track I wish the previous two albums had! "Dive Into I" has energetic groove. And don't forget the catchy melodic chorus! "Inner Lies" starts with the sample that begins Strapping Young Lad's "Home Nucleonics" ("The beat starts here"). The song is a shredtastic highlight with more of those heavy verses and melodic chorus.

"Formless Ones" has soft melancholy without sacrificing the heaviness. "Rust" has heavier strength in the riffs and vocals, along with more of those dance-y beats. The chorus would certainly be suitable for a dance party, while the music continues to have that wall-smashing power. "Manifest" punches through in the music and vocals.

"Amongst Gods" has more straight rhythms. Massive chords enhance the melodic chorus, alongside the synths and vocals. "Home" is still heavy in the guitars and vocals but they experiment with unusual aspects like film-score orchestra and rapping. "The Greatest Harmony" has good heavy groove. The sing-along chorus adds to the variation. "They All Want Me to Die" is so heavy and trance-y in the instrumentation, fitting well with the vocals including a bit of choir singing at the end. The perfect ending storm!

I'm aware that experimental industrial-ish trance-metalcore isn't for everyone. So it's best to take small steps with other bands before getting here. And in the end, you'll have a f***ing whale of a time. Rock on and party on....

Favorites: "Exitus", "Inner Lies", "Rust", "Amongst Gods", "They All Want Me to Die"

Fear of Domination's 5th album Metanoia marked another different era for the band. Anyone with prominent knowledge of this band would know that keyboardist Niina Telén has sung occasional background vocals in their first two albums. Then she was replaced by Lasse Raelahti while Helena Haaparanta performed guest vocals in their next two albums and was a live member. And now enter Sara Strömmer! With her strong powerful voice, the band decided to add her to the full-time lineup.

As for the music itself, this is still the same industrial-ish melodeath as before. And I don't mind because I dig this kind of music. So what we have in Metanoia is another solid offering, albeit with a new kick-A co-lead vocalist.

Starting track "Dance with the Devil" starts off similarly to the previous album Atlas, as it's not the strongest way to begin. Nonetheless, we're introduced to Sara's shouts that would make you stick around for the rest of the album. Next track "Obsession" greatly pushes the music and vocals forward, with both vocalists having their time to shine. I enjoy the clean and harsh vocals as well as the otherworldly soloing. A true highlight! "Face of Pain" comes up next, and it follows up the previous track very well. The energy is kept up in this aggressive highlight. From the intro onwards, a layered melody appears in different forms to implant itself into your mind. Riffs, electronics, and beats flow with the vocals to make such a coherent standout. "Sick and Beautiful" has more that powerful energy.

This metal party is put on hold in "Shame". Its slow melancholy shows a new side of Fear of Domination listeners didn't hear before. "Lie" takes us back to the band's usual sound. It's enjoyable but doesn't stand out as much as the rest of the album. It's not a filler track, though it is close. I originally didn't think "We Dominate" like I wasn't sure if listening to this more would be suitable for me. However, when I gave this another spin for the sake of this review, I actually like it a lot more! The energy that somehow sailed over my mind in my first listen can really get the live crowd. And the motivational lyrics fit well for when I successfully convinced myself to give it a second chance. Perfect!

"The Last Call" follows as another strong standout. The great vocals and catchy chorus will be embedded in your mind. "Mindshifter" also has a catchy chorus and cool keys. Smooth melodies are in great contrast with the heavy riffing. I'm not sure about that ending though. The finale "Ruin" is the absolute best highlight here! It's one of the most experimental tracks by the band, starting off doomy before exploding into a ballad when some Apocalyptica-like cellos and jazzy magic. So different yet a perfect way out!

Metanoia continues the killer talents of Fear of Domination. Almost every track is a spectacular one suitable for both a metal concert and a dance-club. So put this record on and get ready to both dance and rock!

Favorites: "Obsession", "Face of Pain", "We Dominate", "The Last Call", "Ruin"

You can barely find any disappointment from Fear of Domination and their industrial melodeath sound. Heavy riffs and dance-y synths are what you can expect from this hybrid of genres. The keyboards might take some time to get used to, just like it did for me albeit quickly. The "shocking" aesthetics also show that the band is not afraid to have some fun in the serious realms in metal. What else can ask you for from this cool band?!

Actually I would ask for a little more of their earlier industrial side since some of it is dropped off for a dark-ish atmosphere that wasn't entirely present in Distorted Delusions. That's been used greatly in a few songs in that album, and now it's used more in Atlas. Though a few songs ignore that and give the album a back and forth vibe.

"Misery" is an interesting intro that reminds me of some of Avatar's softer moments. Then "Divided" starts, and while that one's still great, it's not how I want the album to begin. Saku Solin shouts out his vocals in a rap-ish tone with an occasional "Suck it! Suck it!". But I like the melodic chorus with subtle choir. That's the Fear of Domination I remember from Create.Control.Exterminate! Then we have the energetic "Primordial" with its headbanging beat. The synth helps give the metal instrumentation more life. Those keys shine in the spotlight while the guitars are comfortable in the backstage, relaxing in the verses then unleashing all its power in the chorus. Majestic! "Colossus" continues the industrial machinery with dark thrash-ish rhythms. Riffs and synths make a punishing interplay.

For "El Toro", I love the soloing that's a rarity for this album. However, the keys have a bit of wasted potential. "Carnival Apocalypse" is more apocalyptic-sounding. Although it's mostly melodic, there's some heaviness that almost comes out as a cyber/industrial Fleshgod Apocalypse. We also have some vocal variety in "Messiah".

"Adrenaline" sounds more mainstream, but it actually makes the album's ultimate highlight. Metallic riffing and galactic keys shine brighter than the sun. Perhaps one of the most memorable anthemic tracks they've ever done! But then it leads to the title track that doesn't have the same action. The final track "Final Transmission" hits hard and has some background female-sung beauty. It came close to being the ultimate highlight before the aforementioned "Adrenaline" took the throne.

There are very few flaws here and they're so small that they're overshadowed by the enjoyable majority of the album. Lots of intense action that blends heaviness and melody. Fear of Domination continues to impress me and should really catch on with the rest of the world!

Favorites: "Primordial", "Colossus", "Carnival Apocalypse", "Adrenaline", "Final Transmission"

Cynic's Focus is known by many as a progressive tech-death classic, and I had that same thought when I was listening to that album 5 years before this review. Although I enjoyed this album a lot back then, I seem to have distanced from it not too long after. As I grow older (age 26 right now to be exact), I'm really losing touch with the more jazz-infused prog-metal, though my break from death metal was another reason why I fell out of love with this album.

As I revisit Cynic's 1993 debut, I can still hear its amazing uniqueness! Many of the members have started out in death metal bands, appearing in at least one album by Death, Master, and Monstrosity. Cynic had the idea of blending death metal with jazzy prog, which has also been done by Atheist back then. The best moments of Focus come in their more spacey moments as opposed to when they just go all-out tech-death. A lot of the power comes from the rhythm section, with the mystical bass of Sean Malone and the dexterous drumming of Sean Reinert (RIP the two Seans).

The album starts with the fantastic opening track "Veil of Maya" which would inspire the name of death/metalcore band Veil of Maya. It's still one of my favorite tracks of the album. Next up, "Celestial Voyage" is a more ambitious track. Deathly riffing and jazz sections sound so great together! "The Eagle Nature" is a more deathly track, having come from one of the demos. Still it's interesting hearing Paul Masvidal's vocoded cleans in contrast with the death growls of Tony Teegarden.

"Sentiment" might just be the best track of the album, maybe one of the best of prog-metal! The best part of it all is the ethereal midsection bridge. The beginning of "I'm But a Wave to..." starts strong, though I feel like the metal riffing kicking in was an abrupt switch after that dreamy drift.

"Uroboric Forms" is another more deathly track from the demos, which is cool but rather different from the rest of the album. Next up, "Textures" is an instrumental that djenty prog-metal band Textures would name themselves after. Lots of Watchtower-infused jazzy brilliance! "How Could I?" is still a great track but the strangest one here, attempting to get all thrashy in the chorus with less than desirable results.

See, 5 years before this review, I loved everything about this album and found the more metallic songs catchy. But now, their attempts at sounding metal in a couple tracks are a bit iffy and that's why a half-star is knocked from my 5-star rating. Still it's quite a classic, with most of the first half still as perfect as ever. Just turn it on and.... FOCUS!

Favorites: "Veil of Maya", "Celestial Voyage", "Sentiment", "Textures"

This year is filled with surprises, and a couple of them involve two of the most profilic bands of cyber metal. Mechina's new album Bellum Interruptum brought back common usage of harsh vocals by a new vocalist. As for Neurotech, their 13th album Exo Escapism might just be their best one in 10 years, since Infra Versus Ultra and Stigma!

Mechina and Neurotech have both each made over a dozen releases in just barely two decades. I've heard of both of those bands for the past couple years but wasn't totally hooked until just a few months before this review. It's a mystery how this kind of music compels me, but I'm grateful to discover it and really think this should catch on with the rest of the world. Wulf continues manning his Slovenia futuristic cyber/industrial metal one-man band with this 10-song masterpiece.

"Exo" is the piano-led introductory track to get you hooked right away. "Cast into Shadow" carries the electro-metal torch with serene vocals. It's absolutely out of this world! "The Mark of the Beast" pounds like a beast. There's darker melody while having some electronic light.

"A Trial by Fire" crashes in with electro-djent influences. The more melodic side has nice vocalist beauty and a touch of Katatonia-like ether. "Saints from Sinners" is probably the most 80s-sounding song here. You can tell from the catchy keyboards that give older listeners a nostalgic feeling. "New Source Code" is filled with dark heavy rhythms. Though within the cold rage is warm melody. "Radiant Violence" is another one of the best, fitting in the name with a heavy structure and vocal variation.

"Ice Cold" is delicate, with soft melody over a pulsing rhythm. "The Withering" never withers within the vocals, guitar, electronics, and catchy chorus. "Escapism" is one of the most beautiful album endings I've heard. Warm synths battle against cold riffs once more, as the soft vocals give you hope. It's practically "Ultra Us" 2.0!

Indeed there's still hope in a world where genre hybrids are too restrained and tasteless music ends up being excessively popular. Exo Escapism has the perfect blend of heaviness and melody with Neurotech's hybrid sound. Crushing electronics and riffs are mixed together with celestial vocals and ambience. Calm verses are connected to storming choruses. Dynamics, emotion, power... This glorious offering has it all. It's every electro-metal hybrid fan's dream. Come with me and escape!

Favorites: "Cast Into Shadow", "A Trial by Fire", "New Source Code", "Radiant Violence", "Escapism"

There are so many questions I ended up needing to ask just before writing this review. Did vocalist Devin Duarte really get outed as abusive, as a reason for leaving the band? How the f*** did I not notice this earlier? And how can the best bands of epic deathcore end up with a sh*tty member, usually a vocalist? This is ridiculous as h*ll. And since death metal/core is often about violent lyrics, it's not long until people start taking those lyrics more seriously and make the genre much less popular because of that. I mean, I try to distance myself from high-level violence and gore, but that doesn't mean the whole world should just because some innocent bands condone it when they don't. Also this album Hunger, the last one with Devin Duarte, was released on the same day as albums by bands whose lead vocalist's career is marred by controversy; As I Lay Dying and Linkin Park. However, I still enjoy those albums. And I find some greatness in this Worm Shepherd album too. I can still separate art from artist in most cases.

So this album Hunger continues Worm Shepherd's epic deathcore sound with more deathly elements than in previous releases. It has some aspects from Lorna Shore's albums such as the emotion of Pain Remains, the darkness of And I Return to Nothingness, and the drama of Immortal, both in the music and kinda in the behind-the-scenes. Abuse allegations aside, Duarte still sounds as strong as ever with his vocal variety.

"The Anguished Throne" can be considered a symphony of destruction, and I don't mean that Megadeth song. Strings and piano float around alongside Duarte's wonderous cleans. The heavy instrumentation then goes absolutely insane with the return of his brutal vocal filth. Hope you're all hungry for some more symphonic blackened deathcore on the house! The shorter title track launches into djenty rhythms in the riffing and drumming, as well as vicious vocals. The crazy brief soloing also makes this song f***ing perfect. Next track "He Who Breathes Fire" has Duarte breathing out brutal fire. Orchestra and metal continues their powerful blend, and the feral screaming just annihilates.

"The Whistles in the Cold" starts with chilling orchestra that leads to more of the impressive fast instrumentation and vocals. The track is as cold as the title suggests, especially in the furious riffing. "Of Ruin and Banishment" has the most of the heavier side of deathcore, with nothing but pure loud chaos. There's also some spacey riffing and blazing drumming, performed by session members Harry Tadayon and Nahuel Lozano, respectively. And HOLY F***ING SH*T, the vocals are absolutely wild, practically rivaling with Lorna Shore's Will Ramos. "Six" is a soft orchestral interlude, a nice break from the chaos. Then "Illuminate Oblivion" has dark instrumentation and emotional cleans singing lyrical poetry. It's not long until the metal returns with the usual crushing chords, drums, and screams, all the way up to the brutal haunting end.

"A Harrowing Dawn" has that "harrowing" vibe in the piano and orchestra, like the aftermath of war, but that doesn't last a full minute before more of the heavy firepower from the riffs, drums, and vocals. Chaos continues to rise from the abyss until an interesting acoustic outro. "The Waters of Lethe" has more deathly vengeance to balance out with the Two Steps From Hell-like choir and symphonics. The screamed vocals stand on the line between the orchestral waters and metal flames. "And at the End of Fear, Silentium" is one of the best track titles I've seen in all of metal. The track itself is one of the most glorious tracks I've heard in symphonic blackened deathcore. Chaos and triumph reign all over. The soloing is some of the best I've heard from last year, probably greater than even DragonForce's solos! Evilness and grief continues to last until the end, with a final epic orchestral melodeath march rising into some blackened blasts and screams once more, and finally resting in mournful piano. Man, what an ending!

All in all, Hunger is the symphonic blackened deathcore album fans of the genre need when they're tired of Lorna Shore. Worm Shepherd has once again done an amazing job blending orchestra and metal together. And again, despite all this drama surrounding Devin Duarte and his subsequent departure, his vocals still impress me. This is for anyone up for epic loud bangers. And by the end of listening, you'll be hungry for more forevermore!

Favorites: "Hunger", "The Whistles in the Cold", "Of Ruin and Banishment", "Illuminate Oblivion", "And at the End of Fear, Silentium"

Worm Shepherd had their way of triumph with their second album Ritual Hymns, but this epic deathcore band from Massachusetts would end up losing half its lineup. Only two founding members remain, Devin Duarte on vocals and Tre Purdue on guitars, both determined to continue their blend of orchestral beauty and metallic brutality.

This epic blackened deathcore style has been popularized in this decade by Lorna Shore. It's a brilliant mix because I can get the symphonic black metal elements of Cradle of Filth and Dimmu Borgir without going heavily satanic and it shows that deathcore doesn't have to be entirely brutal. And here we are at Worm Shepherd's EP The Sleeping Sun! The guitars and orchestration appearing together are so mesmerizing, and while Leo McClain is out, temporary replacement Alex Nourse nails the drumming precision.

The opening epic "The Frozen Lake, Pt. II (The Ruined)" is the sequel to the debut's "The Frozen Lake". It starts off with slow doomy deathcore then speeds up gradually, save for a couple breakdowns and soft breaks. And there's more of their slam side in "The Broken Earth" while having some symphonic magic. "The Tortured Path" is just straight-up downtempo deathcore demolition. The best place for atmosphere and melody is the highlight "The Dying Heavens", all the while having blackened brutality. Purdue's guitar talents reach high levels of strength there. "The Parting Sea" throws in some melodeath from Be'lakor and Disarmonia Mundi albeit in a slower crushing pace.

Worm Shepherd continues their symphonic blackened deathcore in their very own And I Return to Nothingness, although it can't beat the glory of that Lorna Shore EP and Ritual Hymns. Worm Shepherd would continue with a different lineup for live shows and next album Hunger. Still, two heads are better than one as the two main members can easily pull off both the blackened and downtempo sides of deathcore well. So get ready for a half-hour haunting rage under the sleeping sun and the blood moon!

Favorites: "The Frozen Lake, Pt. II (The Ruined)", "The Broken Earth", "The Dying Heavens"

Let's be honest, Worm Shepherd was formed with the intention of following Lorna Shore's stylistic footsteps. I know I said that about a lot of epic blackened deathcore bands, but this band might be the real deal. There's just so much you can find that isn't already heard before in a Lorna Shore album, and they formed on January 31, 2020, the exact day Lorna Shore's Immortal was released. It's clear how much of an impact Worm Shepherd has gotten from Lorna Shore, though they still hold their own ground...

Worm Shepherd was formed in Massachusetts and released their debut In the Wake ov Sol independently just less than a year after forming. Then they were signed to Unique Leader Records who re-released their 9-track album with a newly recorded 10th track.

"Accursed" kicks things off in clean acoustic ambience which makes a majestic transition into the band's symphonic blackened deathcore sound with tremolo riffing, blasts, and beastly vocals. Drummer Leo McClain was only 17 at the time and he's quite a professional behind the kit. And I also enjoy the guest vocals by Alex Koehler (ex-Chelsea Grin). A true epic blackened deathcore standout! The title track is darker in the music and more varied in the vocals. Neo-classical chords drift through the brutal filth. The breakdown brings the chaos to full circle. "Ragnarok" is the 7 and a half minute epic that is oddly placed early in the album instead of the end. A symphonic intro leads into more technical chaos. The breakdown is absolutely destructive with no melody in sight.

"Wretchedness Upon the Gates" starts off with loud face-blasting deathcore. Midway through, background xylophone leads to another brutal breakdown. Also there are some guest vocals by David Simonich of Signs of the Swarm. "The Emptiness Between Stars" starts off smooth and ambient then unleashes the slower downtempo deathcore before ending with the same ambience as before. Darkness rises from the void! "The Frozen Lake" also starts soft, with some piano and spoken vocals. Then the screams and growls appear alongside the precise guitars and drums that reach its darkest point at the midsection.

"Aether" is the first of two short 3-minute tracks filled with nothing but rage and hate. Some harmony appears from the guitars that are mostly dissonant. "Loathe" is the other short 3-minute track that continues to rage with heavy drumming and relentless vocals. Thick guitar speed leads to a slow powerful breakdown. Closing the original album is "The Crimson Moon Unwithered" in which choral vocals are annihilated by the usual wicked growls as the usual blackened deathcore sound strikes. The guest vocals by A Wake in Providence's Adam Mercer are really cool. As of this review, he just left that band, and Worm Shepherd vocalist Devin Duarte also quit. It would be awesome if they switch bands. Anyway, as much as that track has a lot to end upon, it's nothing compared to the haunting bonus track. "Chasm Dweller" is an epic blend of crushing riffing and melodic melancholy, even lightening up a bit for some cleans. An epic blackened deathcore highlight of chaos and sorrow. Really should've been in the original album!

It's great hearing how well symphonics can go with blackened deathcore. And I'm still impressed by their young drummer Leo McClaim and his masterful skills. In the Wake ov Sol is a really solid start to their sound perfected in subsequent releases. If you're not into this sound, this well-constructed offering should convince you to give it a try....

Favorites: "Accursed", "Ragnarok", "The Emptiness Between Stars", "Loathe", "Chasm Dweller"

I first gave this Drown in Sulphur album some listening and a review shortly after its release over a year ago but drifted out of it shortly after because I wasn't ready for a lot of the new wave of epic deathcore, apart from Lorna Shore. Upon revisiting this Italian deathcore band, like d*mn, I was mind-blown by the high-quality production that my ears somehow missed some of in the first listen. This can convince any metalhead dismissive of deathcore to give it a try!

Dark Secrets of the Soul is where the band is finally joining the symphonic black deathcore league of Mental Cruelty and Lorna Shore. You can find all the melodies, blasts, and breakdowns you can ask for, even some throwbacks to their 2010s downtempo deathcore era, all in well-crafted epicness and brutality.

For the intro "Adveniat Regnum Tuum"... I don't know what the f*** that was, but I won't let that affect the rest of the album's perfection. I still love the first actual song, "Eclipse of the Sun of Eden". A crushing modern blackened riff commences in this track with spectacular growling vocals. "Buried by Snow and Hail" levels up the orchestral elements in the usual brutal speed of deathcore.

As always, "Unholy Light" has pulverzing modern deathcore breakdowns. "Lotus" is the closest thing we have to an actual deathcore ballad, plus the inclusion of cleans and melodic guitar soloing. The acoustics are a bit like mid-90s In Flames. Beautiful! The emotional title track rages on with orchestral ambience alongside killer riffs and growls.

"Say My Name" is not a Destiny's Child cover, thank greatness. It satisfies me as another perfect heavy banger. "Vampire Communion" is the atmospheric interlude to get you ready for the finale. See, that's the interlude we need instead of whatever the f*** that earlier intro is. Final track "Shadow of the Dark Throne" sums up everything this album has in the usual symphonic blackened deathcore triumph and drama. A true spine-chilling ending for only the bravest and/or darkest souls.

Drown in Sulphur's second album is a true masterpiece of darkness and beauty. I recommend taking a break from the likes of Mental Cruelty and Lorna Shore for a while and checking out this underrated band and album. The reign of epic deathcore continues!

Favorites: "Eclipse of the Sun of Eden", "Buried by Snow and Hail", "Lotus", "Say My Name", "Shadow of the Dark Throne"

My ongoing quest for epic deathcore has led me to different bands of that style. Drown in Sulphur is another one of those bands, and one of the more blackened. It's strange how despite those extreme metal elements, the Metal Archives still consider it "too deathcore" for inclusion.

Formed in Milan, Italy, the band released a couple EPs before drummer Domenico Tamilia fired all his bandmates and they went on to form Defamed. Domenico continued his band with a different lineup and started taking on a more mature and varied sound, beginning with their debut full-length album Sulphur Cvlt! Their earlier downtempo deathcore is now fragments of a new blackened deathcore sound, adding in some progressive sludge almost reminiscent of early Mastodon into their compositions.

There's no need for me to describe the first 5 tracks when they all follow that killer formula; "Essence", "Descendent Sunrise", "Blessed End", "Vivant Tenebrae", and "The Crawling Chaos". All of these rule, but the best tracks are when the deathcore and black metal influences truly collide, such as "As Above So Below". As well as "The Sleeping Abomination" which is the best song here. The lyrics strike with their dark universal concept. The title track has more of the blackened deathcore blasts, riffs, and screams, hinting at the symphonic direction of Lorna Shore. "Everything Has Been Read" travels back and forth from Egyptian melodies to a bit of the Finnish melodeath of Norther.

An album of 9 songs with each one have an averge 4-minute length may be a mundane aspect, but that's brushed aside when they all have lots of variety. While the idea of breakdowns in deathcore is getting old, this band can make sure those breakdowns are as impactful as they were in the genre's peak era. Blackened deathcore is a hybrid of genres which, despite not intriguing me 10 years before this review, intrigues me now. Consider me a member of the epic deathcore cvlt!

Favorites: "Essence", "Vivant Tenebrae", "As Above So Below", "The Sleeping Abomination", "Sulphur Cvlt"

Clearly the symphonic blackened deathcore well has not yet run dry. Just a year after Drown in Sulphur released their second album Dark Secrets of the Soul, they follow it up with a masterpiece of Vengeance! In between the releases of the two albums, the band left Scarlet Records, hence the independent release of Vengeance. Some of the most creative bands are the unsigned ones like Mechina and Shadow of Intent, so I sense great development for Drown in Sulphur in their new offering.

I checked out Dark Secrets of the Soul when it was first released, but I wasn't heavily into epic deathcore at the time apart from Lorna Shore. Drown in Sulphur really lives up to their new album's name. No emotional ballads, just ultra-heavy deathcore bangers with melody from the riffing and background orchestral synths.

"Underworld" is an ominous intro with narration. Then we have the memorable "Faithless", one of my favorite tracks in the entire album. It strikes from practically everywhere, and you'll want more of that epic deathcore action. The title track is quite vengeful, proving that The Revolution clan has more than just the melody of For the Fallen Dreams and Trivium. You can hear some soloing in "Seed of Hate" to please any metalhead, even the purists.

Next song "Silence" is another well-developed standout, striking with more of those epic melodies and a perfectly brutal breakdown. Crossing over into melodic metalcore territory is "Scarlet Rain", having more of that soloing and even some glistening clean singing. I enjoy when bands break through the deathcore boundaries to show that the genre isn't just brutal all the time. Yet another favorite! Then "Veil of Deception" starts off with some acoustic-ish guitar that's almost like Amorphis' "My Kantele" then blasts off into more of Lorna Shore's brand of epic deathcore with some slight technicality from Coroner.

Speeding things up is the incredible "Absentia", only slowing down at the end for one of the darkest breakdowns of the year. Perhaps my favorite here! Next up, "Morningstar" combines deathcore brutality with some dark melody from Insomnium and even Powerwolf. "Inferno" has another one of the most intense breakdowns to end this haunting highlight and, of course, this album.

Vengeance is one of the heaviest, most vengeful albums I've heard so far this year. I don't know if it will be surpassed by Lorna Shore upcoming album, but we'll see. Greatly recommended to all fans of deathcore, specifically fans of the epic kind!

Favorites: "Faithless", "Silence", "Scarlet Rain", "Absentia", "Inferno"

Dutch project Shylmagoghnar (a made-up word with a secret meaning) has their own atmospheric black/melodic death metal sound with some progressive elements, like a more extreme In Vain. Ambient guitar melodies echo through the heavy winds. The sound is so emotional and beautiful, making a big impact from a distant underground for metalheads to hear and appreciate!

What makes this album stand out in melodic black/death realms is how clear the production, unlike those muddy older albums of the genre. I probably would've considered this perfect, if not for a couple songs being a little too draggy.

Interestingly, the opening 9-minute instrumental "I am the Abyss" is not one of those songs. Everything shines in beautiful melancholy! And while the rest of the album isn't progressive enough for The Infinite, that highlight alone certainly is. Flipping into the extreme side is the title track with glorious atmosphere from the guitar riffing. The unique creativity of then-vocalist Skirge covers "Edin in Ashes" (are you sure they spelled the first word with an "I" instead of the second "E"?).

The album lessens the speed a bit for the slower "This World Shall Fall". Same thing with "Squandered Paradise" which is about nature being broken down by "the glorious mankind". I enjoy the vocals that give the song its Dark Tranquillity/In Vain vibe. "Eternal Forest" is pretty cool, but feels kinda hollow without any vocals.

"The Cosmic Tide" is another long instrumental that takes on the epic melodeath sound later used by bands like Allegaeon and Shadow of Intent. "A New Dawn" has some of the best vocal-work by Skirge. His emotion in his growls and screams help out the song's modern epicness. A true atmospheric black/melodeath highlight! I don't have much to say about "The Sun No Longer" which is just an ambient synth outro.

Folk-ish atmospheric black metal can go so well with prog-ish melodeath, as Emergence has proven. It takes a full listen without breaks to give it total appreciation. It's quite a beautiful and brutal dream!

Favorites: "I am the Abyss", "Emergence", "Squandered Paradise", "The Cosmic Tide", "A New Dawn"

The Russian cyber/industrial metal scene has spawned a few cool bands like Illidiance. A more lesser-known band, Conflиct practically revives the groove-fueled industrial metal of mid-90s Fear Factory. I'm familiar with the vocals of Anna Hel from her guest appearances with Mechina, so let's find out if she has that strength in this album....

Conflиct has diverse maturity in their songwriting. The blend of industrial and groove is quite fresh and is different from how other bands do it. I enjoy Anna Hel's growls here, filled with emotion and passion. However, her cleans rely a little too much on autotune and almost come out as unnatural. I'm glad her contributions with Mechina involve just her growls. The riffing is often djenty, though they sometimes soften in the background to let the vocals shine.

"Circular Transition" displays that sound right away. The catchy heavy-melodic blend is similar to other bands like Amaranthe and Raintime. Anna Hel can perform her deep barks and softer singing quite well here. The djenty riffing doesn't cease in "Low Frequency Addicted". Then "Impulse Control Disorder" continues the brutality while having melodic sections that are like a more futuristic Trail of Tears. Next track "Mechanism of Life" is a true winning highlight. It sounds nicely like a sequel to the title track of Mechina's "The Assembly of Tyrants", along with having a Xerath-esque blend of symphonics and groove elements. I also love the anthemic chorus.

"Rebuild the Parasite" is another killer banger. Ambient electronic interlude "Lost Signal" is quite fascinating. It's a nice under 3-minute dystopian audio experience. "Red Line" has catchy melody alongside the industrial heaviness of late Red Harvest. "Half Man, Half Machine" has more of the djenty machinery. Keep in mind though that there's more of the industrial side of the sound to balance things out.

"Infinite Travel" is more deathly than the rest, similar to both Obscura and Omnium Gatherum, though there's still the usual melodic chorus. "The Elements of a New Era" is a perfect exploration through the more progressive side of the industrial/groove metal sound, and the vocals are better here. "Invisible Thread" has the most of the band's Fear Factory influences, maybe even Voivod, along with some deathly ideas from Becoming the Archetype and early Bleed from Within. The 14-minute ambient "Transformation" never really does much, but it's still good at some points. Some editions have a bonus track that is a wicked cover of the unreleased Fear Factory track "Ammunition".

It's actually quite cool how much of a master Anna Hel is at covering Fear Factory songs. She has also covered "New Breed" and "Zero Signal", the latter with The Last Bear Ender. Anyway, Conflиct have their cinematic djent-ish industrial groove metal sound going on that intrigues me. For those wanting more of the heavier side of Sybreed but with a female vocalist, I would recommend this offering. And I'm up to hearing more of Anna Hel's vocals. Well, mostly her growls....

Favorites: "Circular Transition", "Mechanism of Life", "Rebuild the Parasite", "Half Man, Half Machine", "The Elements of a New Era", "Invisible Thread"

Sonic Violence made a near-perfect industrial metal classic in their 1990 album Jagd. Then their second, and so far final, album Transfixion, released two years later, was a drop to electro-industrial. I'm sure many industrial metal fans were thinking, "What the f***ing h*ll just happened!?"

There are still a few good points to note about Transfixion. While there isn't any metal or guitars, they can maintain the heavy bleakness of Jagd with their other instruments. Here we have more of the monolithic drumming, massive bass, melodic synths, and mechanical vocals. Of all these, I think I like the vocals the most, as well as some of the lyrics. They sound simple yet professionally written...

We start off with the mesmerizing "Asphyxia", which starts off strong at first, but as those 10 minutes go by, it gradually becomes weak and monotonous. The samples and synths are just too off-putting. Attempts at experimentation like some brief trumpet to start "Mind Field" end up killing the momentum. One track I really like is "Factory" with some of the best lyrics, "On your knees, you must pray, confess your sins, confess your lies". Those robotic vocals appear after the intro filled with windy synths, bass riffing, and a background movie sample. The sludgy crushing groove I can tolerate. This goes on before ending with different synths and samples.

I can't stand the sample that kicks off "Torment", though the punky riffing it leads to is d*mn fascinating. I also don't get why the robotic vocals had to sound so goofy. See, this is one of those tracks that's half-enjoyable half-atrocious. And while the synths still don't sound appealing, at least we still have the mechanical beats. A more confusing track is "J.F.R.O.", this one having a cool beat yet instead of metal guitars that would make this sound like Godflesh, more of those f***ing techno synths ruin it all. One track that works well is "Drill" with synths and choirs flowing well in synergy. The synths may get repetitive towards the end, but the rest is as good as it gets. "Malice" is just hard to take seriously, right from the intro. "Catalepsy (remix)" has some industrial experimentation not too far off from Voivod's Phobos, but it's not that great either.

I don't know how to sum up Transfixion further. This blend of mechanical bass and unwanted synths only has some strength in a couple tracks. I would love this more if there were actual metal guitars throughout, less emphasis on synths, and none of those sh*tty samples. I would recommend this to electro-industrial fans and no one else.....

Favorites (only two songs I like): "Factory", "Drill"

I've made this discovery and review shortly after doing the same with Cryptopsy's The Unspoken King. Humanity's Last Breath are professionals at brutal tech-deathcore and can execute it better than Cryptopsy could in their flopped-down 2008 album. Humanity's Last Breath's Ashen is one of the darkest heaviest albums of modern metal!

The amount of downtuned riffing and time-signature unorthodoxy can bring Meshuggah and Ion Dissonance to the minds of many listeners. This complex chaos also has the doomy atmosphere of downtempo deathcore and some melody dragged out into haunting levels. If this is what this whole "thall" thing is about, consider me hooked! Lots of violent experimentation make this a true apocalyptic gem.

From the intro, "Blood Spilled" would have you think the band has joined the epic deathcore league led by Lorna Shore and Shadow of Intent. But instead of symphonics, we have the out-of-this-world trench-deep-tuned guitar riffing of Buster Odeholm and Calle Thomér with its ambient crawl. The chorus of "Linger" stomps through, memorable with its blend of brutality and accessibility. Melody and dissonance stab through each other as if they're fencing without those protective suits alongside the rhythms and beats. Complexity makes its leap in "Lifeless, Deathless". While the vocals are always welcome, it can pulverize as an instrumental just as well. The drumming by Klas Blomgren never overtakes the guitarwork. "Withering" also has great flow in the drums and guitars, all leading to a breakdown so simple and ravaging at the same time.

"Instill" has some background choir in great harmony with the tremolos and blasts borrowed from black metal. So much beauty and brutality without having to rely so much on polyrhythms. Then there's more of the intense soundscape of "Labyrinthian" with its grim yet crushing attack. The Meshuggah influences are plain to hear within the destruction of djent and its Stewie Griffin-like brother thall. Chugging like a thall train is "Catastrophize", having some catastrophically memorable downtempo deathcore, from the beat to the breakdown. "Death Spiral" kicks through noise and melody, even inching towards Gojira-like territory of heavy prog-death that isn't highly melodic.

The band continues their breakneck cutthroat action in "Shell". The riffing explodes into hellfire, as different sounds cover sludgy mosh-worthy breakdowns. All in fascinating rhythms! Next track "Passage" has more devastating leads and riffs, leading into another doomy bridge. I have no problem with the synth interlude "Burden", the calm before the final storm... "Bearer" is truly one of the heaviest most apocalyptic tracks of djenty deathcore. A massive f***ing sh*tload of brutality that will take a long time to get over.

Ashen can certainly get Humanity's Last Breath recognized as a band that can make anything dark and brutal. From the cover art to the music including the riffing. It is a soundtrack to the destruction of the universe, all in djenty downtempo deathcore chaos and grace!

Favorites: "Linger", "Lifeless, Deathless", "Instill", "Catastrophize", "Shell", "Bearer"

Having mentioned Cryptopsy in a thread a day before this review, I decided to check out one of that band's albums. And in one of the oddest moves I've made in this site, the deathcore devil made me choose their own "St. Anger" album. If I was into brutal tech-death, I would've picked one of their first two albums (Blasphemy Made Flesh or None So Vile), but alas, I wimped out. But despite how sh*tty The Unspoken King is, my rating is only a half-star less than Morbid Angel's Illud Divinum Insanus...

Besides infecting their brutal tech-death with proto-symphonic deathcore (the latter I still enjoy), there are a couple things that have set fans off. First, the widely praised Lord Worm was replaced by Matt McGachy. I'm sorry but his vocals are f***ing horrid. As much as I like the high screaming that can also be heard in deathcore bands that I enjoy, his sounds strained are on the verge of collapsing. He also sings clean vocals which are fine but I can understand why longtime fans hate it. Though they're not as out of place as that other thing, the use of keyboards that I'm OK with anywhere but here. Winds of Plague had done it better with their debut album that year.

The short opening blitz "Worship Your Demons" has some nice riffing not too far off from Job for a Cowboy. However, their attempt at mixing brutality and dissonance ends up falling flat on its face. "The Headsmen" is pretty solid, one of only a couple songs I like here. "Silence the Tyrants" finally adds in some melody and keys which Winds of Plague and Fleshgod Apocalypse would build upon with their albums next year. However, those are better off in those bands, NOT HERE. "Bemoan the Martyr" has more brutal-sounding melody, though it's all ruined by the d*mn cleans and keys. "Leach" continues that sh*tshow despite starting off thrashy. The worst of it all has to be "The Plagued" which sounds like a badly-designed attempt at a tech-death Korn, probably worse.

Then we have a greater trio, starting with the not-so-far-out "Resurgence of an Empire". Next track "Anoint the Dead" is a far better blend of brutality and dissonance, tearing down the walls the way technical deathcore is meant to. "Contemplate Regicide" is less reliant on electronics. The less said about the final two tracks though, the better.

See, I would've loved The Unspoken King a whole lot more if it was made by a band who's professional at playing deathcore, rather than a longtime brutal tech-death band. Alongside that, there really could've been a better vocalist or the idea of using keyboards more subtly. You can't change anyone's minds about this being Cryptopsy's worst album. If the band was thinking "Everybody else is doing it, so why can't we?" (just like the title of The Cranberries' debut), this bullsh*t is why....

Favorites (only two I even slightly like): "The Headsmen", "Anoint the Dead"

One of the albums that marked a defining landmark in industrial metal is Godflesh's Streetcleaner. The torch would be shared with other different bands of this genre and era. While they don't the reach the same glory as Streetcleaner, the debut album by Sonic Violence comes close. The band releases two albums, including this one, and 3 EPs before disappearing for nearly 3 decades. Jagd is a bleak heavy continuation of Godflesh's sound in Streetcleaner, albeit by a much lesser-known band.

Guitars are the key, and so are the d*mn destructive drums! They're often slow and sludgy with not much speed. All just repetitive yet mighty rhythms. The guitars are pretty much rhythmic all the way through. There aren't any harmonics that are as slashing as the cover art (see what I mean!?). Those riff chords have an apocalyptic vibe and perfectly fit well with the bass and drums. As a result, the tone is filled with menacing power. Honestly, I love old-school industrial metal when it has that mechanical rage going on, unlike the more dance-y sh*t from some bands. You can't give the machine any impact to make it stop. The impact that happens is what the machine gives you.

A peaceful synth intro in "Saturation" plays before the bleak industrial riffing crashes in and crushes anything its path. Another track "Crystalization" has wild punky speed to spice things up a bit. "Blasphemer" continues that style sounding more active. However, I question its position in the tracklisting. The fast and slow songs should alternate between one another rather one category back to back and the other the same. Maybe if they fixed that problem, they would've been more popular than they've already been.

Next track "Tortured (Dub)" is quite an effective one. It starts with a sample of Mozart's "Dies Irae". Then we have devastating on-off guitar riffing in mechanical greatness. You can also hear some lovely synths later on. The harsh vocals fit greatly with the lyrics. Next track "Adrenalin" has a slow steady pace. "Ritual" is a loud puncher with simple yet intriguing lyrics, "For devotion, read mental abuse, to bind together, the love prostitutes". Next track "Symptom" is short and less varied, but it doesn't need to have a lot to sound awesome, especially in the final climax.

The final 3 tracks originally came from the Sacrifice to Strength EP recorded the previous year, starting with "Force". Sometimes you don't have to go as thrashy as God Forbid or The Haunted to sound metal, you can just things slow. "Manic" has some of the mechanical industrial metal Fear Factory would have a few years later. "Glory" shines with its industrial metal glory.

Sonic Violence has created an album of bleak heaviness that isn't as perfect as Streetcleaner but still amazing. This is for anyone into Godflesh and old-school industrial metal. Jagd might just be my favorite industrial metal album from 1990 or earlier that isn't Godflesh. A true recommendation!

Favorites: "Saturation", "Tortured (Dub)", "Ritual", "Symptom", "Glory"

I'm no stranger to instrumental progressive metal. I've listened to bands and artists like Liquid Tension Experiment, Animals as Leaders, Plini, and Ring of Saturn's 2022 self-titled album. The question is, what is the earliest progressive metal band to be solely instrumental? This might be debatable, but Kong might just be the king! Actually they mix the genre with industrial metal, though that's beside the point.

Their 1990 debut Mute Poet Vocalizer came out at a time when instrumental progressive metal was barely a thing, much less progressive industrial metal. While the album became d*mn elusive after all its copies were bought, well, thank greatness for YouTube and Spotify! Anyway, barely anything disappoints me in this offering.

"Hok" is a great start, with everything set up by the groovy audible bass by Mark Drillich. "Fair" has a fairly mellow pace. It's another great track, but nothing too special worth noting. "P.R.O.K.O.V." has cool riffing by guitar duo Aldo Sprenger and Dirk de Vries. While some might consider the circus audio sample odd, it helps make that track one of my favorites here. "7/8" is all about the 7/8 time signature.

"200 Max" takes things to more quadrophonic levels, making it another unique highlight. "Cramp" is the longest track but also the weakest. It's still good though, and the album's rating isn't affected. "Quiet!" is so unique with different layers, exemplifying the band's progressive side.

"2:14" is another progressive instrumental that sounds good but not the best. "Cows" is another true highlight. There's barely anything anyone in metal had ever tried before from the strange guitar to the effective keyboards and great bass. An intense instrumental that should be remembered! The CD edition has two bonus track, starting with "Base", slow while gradually heavy. "Hop" really hops around for an ending track, with some fun drumming by Rob Smits.

Mute Poet Vocalizer might just be an early pioneering album of both instrumental progressive metal and progressive industrial metal. It's so unique and sounds fresh for an early 90s albums. Go get it, Infinite/Sphere members!

Favorites: "Hok", "P.R.O.K.O.V.", "200 Max", "Quiet!", "Cows", "Hop"

Graphic Nature was formed in 2018 to add another aggressive modern dimension to the ever-expanding UK metal scene. They began releasing singles in 2019, and the singles they've made when compiled in two short EPs. It wasn't until 2022 when they started performing shows with other well-known bands (the wait partly due to the pandemic) and recording a full-length album, A Mind Waiting to Die.

The album's release date was pushed from late 2022 to early 2023 to avoid competition with Slipknot's album The End So Far. Still there were several singles from Graphic Nature's album released in advance. And once the full album dropped, it was time for listeners to enjoy the full experience...

The intro "404" welcomes you to this brave new world. "Sour" punches through with heavy drumming, riffing, and Harvey Freeman's frantic vocals, pounding you down like a thousand baseball bats. The F-bomb is dropped as the breakdown explodes from drum 'n' bass to brutal djentcore fury. Next up is one of the singles, "Into the Dark", which is a bit disjointed but has an ultraviolent breakdown. Strange didgeridoo aside, "Killing Floor" is a total ravager, with not much techno from the rest of the album.

Listeners won't object to "Sleepless" with its heavy music and lyrics of anguish, "I'm dying to leave this Hell". It's not meant for easy listening, instead for tearing things apart. Furthermore, "White Noise" has relentless guitars that fit well with the lyrical narrative, "Just give me some space to hide, somewhere else that isn’t my mind". Then we have a breakdown full of hardcore hellfire than can get the live crowd moshing. Another interlude "90" is short but might not age well for my metal mind. Second single "Bad Blood" fires away in hyper rage. The heavy guitars and slight turntables are not for the faint of heart. After that, things get a bit draggy in "Twisted Fear".

"Headstone" also seems to lose some steam. Next track "Deathwish" is another solid aggressive piece, though a bit of the high quality has fallen. Next up, "A Twin" is an emotional electronic interlude-ish track with spoken vocals and atmospheric keyboards. It reminds of how Linkin Park's first two albums each have a penultimate track like that. Closing track "The Downpour" strikes with brutality and emotion, "I lost it because I trusted you". The best saved for last that shall leave listeners wanting more!

A Mind Waiting to Die is a relentless start to Graphic Nature's nu metalcore adventure. Everything's so heartful and intense at the same time. The heavy aggression is only for those who are prepared and experienced, both of which I already am....

Favorites: "Sour", "Killing Floor", "Sleepless", "White Noise", "Bad Blood", "The Downpour"

In over a decade of me listening to metal, I had not heard a single song or album by Brainstorm. Not even my first few years of metal, when heavy/power metal was my main target. That's rather surprising, isn't it? After all, they've released 14 albums in 3 decades and are part of the German power metal league alongside Masterplan and Blind Guardian. The lyrical themes seem to center around Native Americans, and a couple tracks each guest star one of the two vocalists of Leaves' Eyes. Sounds cool in theory...

However, I'm not getting much greatness from this offering. The vocals by Andy B. Franck sound a bit strained, the riffing is generic, and the drums sound like they just wrapped paper over some opened food cans and called it a day. Maybe I would've loved this a lot more 10 years ago when I was a not-so-firm power metal-loving teen.

The "Intro" (embedded to the next track in some editions) has some nice synths and a western vibe, which sounds like a promising start. Then the generic action begins in the first full song "Beyond Enemy Lines" (actually its second single), becoming instantly forgettable. It just doesn't have the memorability of other power metal bands I still enjoy and remember. The soloing doesn't pack that much of a punch, but it's one thing I can remember until the end. Having better rhythm is the next track and first single "Garuda (Eater of Snakes)", sounding quite exotic in the hooks. Despite some slight monotony, it still stands out as well! Unlike a few tracks we'll skip here. More of those native elements appear in "The Shepherd Girl (Gitavoginda)", although the bland commercial writing ruins the beauty of the music.

The song that features Leaves' Eyes clean vocalist Elina Siirala, "Your Soul That Lingers in Me", is actually a great improvement. Her impressive vocals blow away most of those tough issues. Awesome! But on the other hand, Leaves' Eyes keyboardist/harsh vocalist Alex Krull's guest spot in "From Hell" has made me cringe. His vocal contrast with Franck is far too much of a stretch. And the guitar solo is barely memorable. All of that make an epic f***ing fail. An unnecessary throwback to 15 years ago when I was still into radio pop sh*t is in the riffing melody of "Crawling". Franck's vocals don't help much there either. I'm just relieved the album is about to end.

If you're more experienced and appreciative of power metal than I've ever been, you might enjoy Plague of Rats way more than I do. I only consider this an impressive achievement based on the fact that it's their 14th album. Only two of the 10 tracks (11 including the intro) are memorable standouts, while the rest are either bland or bad. And I'm not even gonna check out that Rick Springfield cover in the Digipak edition. I prefer to get my English-sung German metal elsewhere. Good day, sirs....

Favorites (only true standouts): "Garuda (Eater of Snakes)", "Your Soul That Lingers in Me"

Neue Deutsche Härte has always been a hit-and-miss for me, with more misses than hits. Stahlhammer is one of those bands in that league that sound so weird and dirty, and not in the way I like. To be honest, Wiener Blut is pretty much a f***ing joke of an album, heavy relying on humor with not much of the destructive seriousness metal should have. You might understand it more if you can translate the German into English. And the length is sh*tloads long, with 17 tracks in over an hour!

"Bruderkrieg", the first full song, isn't too bad, having massive guitar fury. There are two covers, starting with the horrid "Boom Boom-Shake the Room", one of the most sh*tty covers I've heard. On the other hand, their cover of MC Hammer's "Can't Touch This" is the total opposite, being the best track here fitting in the "metalizing covers" category.

I don't have much else to say, other than very well the worst album in this troublesome subgenre of NDH. Let's f***ing boogie.... NOT!

Favorites (only tracks I even slightly like): "Bruderkrieg", "Can't Touch This"

Fear of Domination have, well, dominated in their industrial melodeath sound with their first two albums. Anyone who has followed them that early would know what to expect in their 3rd album Distorted Delusions. A couple things are different here, but not for the whole better...

For one thing, keyboardist Niina Telen is out of the band. Her synths were really driving the band through with their style, and her background cleans gave some songs a touch of depth. She was replaced by Lasse Raelahti who can do solid synth-work, but it kinds of lower the quality with its strange effects. There are barely any female vocals in the album, and when there are, they're sung by a guest vocalist, Helena Haaparanta.

"PaperDoll" starts the album almost like a continuation of the more modernized melodeath sound Raintime had in their last album Psychromatic. "Wicked World" has the drop C riffing of God Forbid while staying firmly in their industrial melodeath. Kicking off "Violence Disciple" is some strange glitchy effects in Saku Solin's screaming. This might throw off some fans who prefer to hear his vocals in smooth production. "Parasite" again shows that industrial metal doesn't have to be like what Godflesh and Circle of Dust have. It's all about melody and drama in that ballad-ish highlight.

"Deus Ex Machina" mixes synths and metal as greatly as Crossfaith. The somewhat bad "Organ Grinder" is too weird for my liking, though some great moments there make it OK. But then we have a gem in "II". And another one in "Legion", my favorite track here. Guitar/keyboard melodies reach an intense height, and the ending climax is EPIC.

"Needle" doesn't stand out as much as the previous two, but I enjoy the guest vocals by Helena Haaparanta. "Dead Space" is another powerful highlight, and another one of my favorites here. "The Great Dictator" is like a more futuristic take on the power metal-infused melodeath of Gyze and Kalmah, though it ends up sounding a bit pompous. For the bonus Kuroshio remix of "Legion"... Why did they have to f*** up the best tracks of each album with sh*tty remixes?! This one is the worst!

Distorted Delusions is still great, yet some things make it a step down from their previous albums. Maybe later on, I might check out their remaining 3 albums so far and see if they have the first two albums' greatness. No matter the missteps this band might have, there's nothing to fear....

Favorites: "PaperDoll", "Parasite", "Deus Ex Machina", "II", "Legion", "Dead Space"

Throughout the past decade or so of me listening to melodeath, I've realized that the bands I enjoyed or still enjoy are the ones that use keyboards without coming out as overused or pompous. Those bands include Dark Tranquillity, Starkill, and many others. As I continue my search for more bands with that sound, Fear of Domination has come up, adding more electronic synths than some of those other bands. The idea of blending extreme with electronic has already existed in bands like Shade Empire and The Kovenant that started off as melodic/symphonic black metal. Keyboard-fueled industrial melodeath is such a majestic mix!

The drop-C riffing that has modernized European melodeath was first taken on by Children of Bodom in the second half of the 2000s. Imagine that but with keyboard usage boosted up. After this album, keyboardist Niina Telen left the band. That's too bad because besides her mystical keys, her serene background cleans fit well together with the growls of vocalist Saku Solin (who would later join Turmion Katilot). His vocals sound so natural and not strained, unlike In Flames at that time.

"New World" greatly exemplifies this vocal contrast, while the music itself combines melodeath with Argyle Park-esque trance-y synths. More of Solin and Telen's vocals come together in "Pandemonium", perhaps my favorite track here. The song has some Norther vibes in both the music and vocals. Solin adds more depth and accent to his growls, and the end result is another unique blend of extreme and melodic. "Modify" has more experimental synths, almost like the synths Crown the Empire would later use. "Destroy & Dominate" brings on some thrash in the instrumentation sounding close to Annihilator.

While there's nothing bad at all in this offering, "Coma" is a bit draggy while staying energetic. The clean singing by Telen can be heard the most in the ballad-ish highlight "We Will Fall Apart". Then "So Far So Good (All for Nothing)" has a more metalcore-ish vibe from Norma Jean and Of Mice & Men at that time while standing by their usual sound.

The greatness increases towards the end of the album with the bleak standout "Tool of God". The next track "Control Within" is another epic composition. Your brain will never forget this steaming hot plate of industrial melodeath that would taste good for generations. The bonus Proteus remix of "Pandemonium" is better than the remix that ends the debut Call of Schizophrenia, but it's still a f***ing remix.

Create Control Exterminate is one of the best offerings of industrial melodeath. Don't get confused about the "industrial" part though, there's a lot more here to do with Fear Factory than Godflesh. The album is a h*ll of a ripper, for anyone wanting something heavy and at the same time electronic and cinematic!

Favorites: "New World", "Pandemonium", "We Will Fall Apart", "Tool of God", "Control Within"

The more I discover the more melodic cyber/industrial metal bands out there, the more intrigued I've become. There seems to be great impact in electro-industrial keyboards blended with metallic guitars/drums. Fear of Domination has that mix in their industrial melodeath sound that's like Sonic Syndicate if they doubled the amount of synths. That kind of style really speaks to me!

Their debut Call of Schizophrenia is a heavy album, but it's not just heavy in the guitars but also in the keyboards. I enjoy this synth-metal attack and I'm up to checking it out in their next couple albums as well. For now, let's dive into this one...

It starts off clean but heavy in what can be the band's own theme song, "Fear of Domination". You can hear some background cleans by keyboardist Niina Telen. Awesome start! "Mistake in Evolution" speeds things up, though the background keyboards are a little oddly placed. Still, everything else fits like a puzzle, with the keys being the odd piece out. "Clown Industry" has the melodeath of Dethklok while adding in the electro-trance elements The Browning would later have.

"Synthetic Paradise" loses a couple points while the 5-star rating is still intact. The rapid punisher "Punish Y.S." really speeds up as rapid riff-tastic highlight. With some great production in the riffs blended with synths, Norther would probably wish they had more of that. "Intact Girl" is an OK track.

"Perfect World" is perhaps the most Deathstars-sounding track here. Then we have the ambitious title track speeding through heavy verses and a melodic chorus with more of Telen's background cleans. All in perfect synergy! The best song in the melodeath side is "Theatre". The keyboards are more subtle, allowing the guitars and drums to shine. I just wish that song was a little longer. The "Fear of Domination" remix by MC Raaka Pee is fine, though I prefer the original.

Industrial melodeath may not be for everyone, but it's what makes Fear of Domination such a unique band and something I would never get tired of. Pretty much all songs are enjoyable. Recommended for anyone who likes synths in metal!

Favorites: "Fear of Domination", "Clown Industry", "Punish Y.S.", "Call of Schizophrenia", "Theatre"

The Place After This One can be considered Underoath's very own Classic Symptoms of a Broken Spirit. It's their 10th album and the one where they take on more of an alt-/industrial metal sound. This is where the band adds in more electronic experimentation than before, taking some cues from bands such as The Prodigy and early 2010s Linkin Park, signifying a new future for the band.

Don't worry, longtime Underoath fans! You can still hear some of the melodic catchiness of They're Only Chasing Safety and Define the Great Line, along with the anthemic metalcore of their subsequent albums. All in solid bangers, though there are a couple disappointing tracks...

Kicking off the action right away is "Generation No Surrender" which attacks with lead vocalist Spencer Chamberlain's frantic screams. It's practically like their late 2000s era on steroids, especially in the riff-wrath. Everything sounds so fresh and natural, staying true to what you remember them to be. "Devil" comes up next with electro-industrial synths by longtime keyboardist Chris Dudley, almost heading into trancecore territory with his synths and the guitarwork. Drummer Aaron Gillespie sings his wonderful cleans to remind you about the band's fresh unique sound. The chaos doesn't end there, as "Loss" blends hardcore screams with melodic cleans, alongside fast drumming speed. After those 3 tracks, "Survivor's Guilt" keeps up the anthemic streak, more melodic in the chorus while going wild in the verses.

Another trance-y track "All the Love is Gone" has more experimentation on their plate. The vocals rise slowly in intensity in the first verse, letting out all this energy in the chorus. It all leads up to a fist-pumping breakdown in the bridge. The more formulaic "And Then There Was Nothing" still has something, with nothing but guitar/vocal aggression. However, I feel like it could've extended with some melodic sections to make it a more balanced killer banger. Really pulling my leg is "Teeth" which really shows something different. It grabs my attention but in a bad way. Choppy glitch-hop just isn't my thing. Fortunately, the boost of heaviness at the end saves that track from being a total sh*tter. What can really get the live crowd dancing and headbanging is "Shame", a big highlight with cinematic electronics. The riffs and vocals will make you jump along to the beat. The synths and guitars are in such a sweet blend.

The blazing "Spinning in Place" is like a better more electronic take on one of the weaker songs from Define the Great Line. The rapid pace isn't that bad, but seems kinda like rushed towards the end, another short track that should've been extended for better closure. One of the band's most industrial highlights yet, "Vultures" is a killer track that can really punch its way to Hell and back. The ethereal leads grab my attention as much as the heavy chorus, "How’s it feel now that you circle with the Vultures?!" The chorus isn't the only massive hooker here. We also have the dark heavy bridge featuring Troy Sanders of Mastodon and his gritty singing. Truly a "take no sh*t" kind of highlight. Next, "Cannibal" continues switching between heavy and melodic. The vocals in the chorus are quite huge, though the drop into a soft bridge kinda breaks the flow. Still I love that harmonic vocal power, "CANNIBAL!!!!" Final track "Outsider" marks the grand end of the journey. Aaron Gillespie sings solo in this track, and that helps it being an easy track to end with. The perfect way out, with more to expect in the future!

The Place After This One is a strong transition from the past to the future for the most part. While a few odd tracks may bring this album down to almost average status, Underoath still have their boundary-pushing passion in album #10. The keyboards really take the frontstage without losing much of the riff variation. The screams and cleans are in great balance, adding cool effects without damaging the vibe. If two or 3 songs from the middle of the album were slightly improved though, the quality would be much larger. With such powerful compositions, Underoath has never ceased to amaze the world. We don't know what will come next after this, but I can't wait....

Favorites: "Generation No Surrender", "Survivor's Guilt", "All the Love is Gone", "Shame", "Vultures", "Outsider"