Shadowdoom9 (Andi)'s Reviews

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Favorites (only one I like): "Autumn"

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The brand-new All That Remains album Antifragile can be kind of considered their own Linkin Park From Zero. They've tragically lost a longtime member and it took around 7 years for a new album to be finished and released with a new member who can shine in the spotlight while respectfully maintaining the fallen member's legacy. Something different about that is, All That Remains stayed active and recruited the new member almost right away.

The long silence before this album was for several reasons. Not just the passing of guitarist Oli Herbert, but also COVID and a tough search for a new record label before deciding to go independent. I'm not kidding about new guy Jason Richardson shining well, his unique technicality from All Shall Perish, Born of Osiris, and Chelsea Grin, fits perfectly well with All That Remains' melodic sound. We also have the return of bassist Matt Deis (who performed in This Darkened Heart) and the relentless drumming of Anthony Barone (A Night in Texas, Beneath the Massacre, Shadow of Intent). With that, Antifragile is a path to a new era, one of perfect glory last achieved in the late 2000s!

As the first track "Divine" blasts open the gates, f*** yeah, All That Remains are back! This perfect comeback single is basically This Darkened Heart (especially with Matt Deis rejoining) gone Killswitch Engage. This surely does justice to the legacy of Oli Herbert. "Kerosene" lights things up with relentless bass/drum machinery rolling right through. It is a fire that can never be put out. Anyone who is up for All That Remains' less metalcore but still heavy tracks should check out "No Tomorrow". Again, Jason Richardson has done his job well in paying tribute to the late great Oli Herbert. "The Piper" is a more technical highlight, displaying his talents that help take the band to the next level. There's a lot more complexity than before while balancing it out with the usual hooks. Wonderful!

The title track hits hard, like "face-punch-bleeding" hard. It's quite strong and relatable for battling through life's struggles and rising against it all. "Forever Cold" is the single that has gotten me the most pumped up. I'll tell you ONE MORE TIME, Jason Richardson has done well in maintaining the legacy of the late Oli Herbert. "Poison It" pushes forward the technical boundaries yet again, throwing back to the heavier tracks from what I consider the band's heavier era (The Fall of Ideals, Overcome, For We Are Many, maybe more towards the latter two for the D-flat tuning).

Another superb comeback single is "Let You Go". Then we have "Cut Their Tongues Out", full of unbreakable roof-tearing thrashy metalcore chaos. Finally, "Blood & Stone" is the epic emotional closing track. The piano intro and outro are performed by none other than Jordan Rudess of Dream Theater. And in between is a metalcore extravaganza of heavy riffs and whimsical DragonForce-like leads. Philip Labonte lets out perhaps his most dynamic vocals to date. The perfect way to close this masterpiece!

I can't ever deny that Antifragile is the strongest and most passionate All That Remains album in 15 years. The legacy is staying solid with grand defiance in every move each member makes. Oli Herbert would be so proud. And thus an exciting new chapter for the band begins!

Favorites: "Divine", "The Piper", "Forever Cold", "Let You Go", "Blood & Stone"

As much as I love Mechina more than the average metalhead now, sometimes the enjoyment has its limits. A few of their earliest albums (besides the debut); Conqueror, Empyrean, and Xenon are all good but have some fault in the development of their symphonic cyber metal sound fully established in Acheron and Progenitor. When Mel Rose started taking over on most of the vocals, the quality started dropping back to that of their earlier 2010s material. However, loss of quality doesn't mean total defeat. As of this review, their new album Bellum Interruptum will be released next month, and we'll see if new and longtime Mechina fans will be happy again after this album Cenotaph...

When I make these listening/reviewing sessions, I let these tales of space warfare enter my mind as the music shoots through my ears while I type away on my computer. The symphonic cyber metal still sounds fresh the way they did it in 2023 like they've done in 2013. I have mentioned Mel Rose doing most of the vocals in the band's 2020s albums so far, but in Cenotaph, pretty much all the vocals are sung by her along with David Holch's clean singing in the background, melding both voices together once again. The most divisive point among the fanbase is, none of Holch's growls appear at all. Not even any growls from Anna Hel who guest appeared in the previous two albums. So pretty much every song is just heavy yet melodic clean-sung tunes that was only seldom used in Progenitor and As Embers Turn to Dust.

"Petrichor" isn't really a useful intro, though it works story-wise. The first actual song "For All to See" blasts off in aggression mixed with melody, filled with programmed drums of steel. And we have some great power in the title track highlight.

"Starlifter" is OK, but the softer ambient parts might've been taken from Cave In's softer works and Rosetta then sped up. "The Grand Hunt" is a slightly better piece of epic cyber metal. If this banger was ever performed live (they haven't since their earlier years), expect a slamming battle in the crowd. The glorious vocals and kick-A rhythms hit the spot, despite those bombastic symphonics again. The wrathful "Spasms of Human Tragedy" throws back to the heavier instrumentation from their mid-2010s material.

The instrumental "Broken Matter Manipulation" is full of straight-on riffing fury by Tiberi. Not many people like this track from what I've heard, but I do. Nothing but pure grand djenty industrial metal! I suppose it could've been better if they added some vocals throughout, specifically Holch's growls, but just as it is, it rules. "The Haruspex Sunrise" is where I start to lose interest in the album towards the end, not having much memorable variety when the vocals are all clean. The worst of it all is "Andara's Will" that shows the band experimenting with major-key brightness. That just makes the robotic vocals more annoying, and this sh*tter fits better in a Cynic/Devin Townsend album.

If their new album Bellum Interruptum has more of their earlier heaviness and brings back the growls on a regular basis, maybe even promote Anna Hel to a full-time member and add in a couple more well-known guests, all that can make it more enjoyable for fans and might just finally propel the band into the success of its more popular peers. But if it ends up being clean-vocal dominated like Cenotaph, I don't know what to say. Still I just hope what they have next will change everything....

Favorites: "For All to See", "Cenotaph", "The Grand Hunt", "Broken Matter Manipulation"

Almost every year, a new chapter is added to an intergalactic sci-fi journey. Many things still have the same glory while some just break a bit of the quality apart. When a new year dawns, so does the next Mechina album...

With album #10 Venator, the band expands on what's been going on in Siege. The clean singing by Mel Rose and David Holch practically mix together as one, with harmonic melodies, plus a couple tracks in the end bringing back Holch's growls. Tiberi has prioritized his heavy guitarwork slightly more, pushing them forward in the mix over some of the orchestration. And instead of most tracks being over 8 minutes, the tracks here are mostly under that length, with only the first two tracks going over instead of under.

Opening the album with some blockbuster grandeur, "Suffer" begins the journey you end up drifting into. The other long opening epic "Praise Hydrus" has effective riffing worth praising, but despite its 8-minute length, it feels like it should've been a little longer with more added. "Sacrifice Zone" has more intense variation in its shorter length.

"Totemic" is a guitar-less synth ballad in an almost similar vein to "Ode to the Forgotten Few" with vocals alternating between Rose and guest Necole Wright over this atmospheric astral plane. Greater impact is added to the title track, flowing smoothly through heaviness and melody.

The intro riff of "Aphelion" is quite great, though the rest seems a little incomplete, considering its relatively short length of 4 minutes. "The Embers of Old Earth" begins the final two-track leg that has what you've all been yearning for, David Holch's growls and all-out crushing riffing. Closing track "When Virtue Meets Steel" is an aggressive way to head out than can pulverize those earlier melodic tracks, complete with blasts and more growls, most of them coming from guest vocalist Anna Hel. So brutally awesome!

Venator is a slight step down from Siege, but there's still a lot to love here. With djent-ish symphonic cyber metal that can be considered the birthchild of Fear Factory and Nightwish, Mechina fans can really get something out of this album. Though it's better enjoy it while they still can before their next album, the cleaner Cenotaph....

Favorites: "Suffer", "Venator", "The Embers of Old Earth", "When Virtue Meets Steel"

Two years and 10 months was the longest Mechina had gone without releasing an album (not including their 2005 debut The Assembly of Tyrants or its semi re-recording EP Tyrannical Resurrection). Part of the reason for the gap is their 6-album remastering boxset Compendium. After completing this album in 2019, they thought "Why wait until New Year's Day to release this album when all of our fans are anticipating it?" So on November 1 that year, album #8 has touched down, Telesterion!

Once again we have another excellent album by these epic cyber metal masters. Telesterion has an almost similar aspect to DragonForce; 8 tracks with an average 7 and a half minutes in length, totaling up to an hour. Only the experienced can appreciate the lengthiness and find nothing bad in these songs at all. Or at least the actual songs...

The first track is an FX intro, "The Etimasia", and it goes on for... 6 MINUTES?!?!?! D*mn, that's long! Solid, though would've been much better if it was reduced to a fraction of its length, which would've made this album perfect. "Realm Breaker" is the first real song. The guitars actually sound less heavy and more melodic, which isn't bad at all but could use more oomph. Coming in at higher punches is "The Allodynia Lance" which is more symphonic, yet the heavy riffing and growls hit hard.

"Tyrannos" is the second track I've heard from this band, 7 months after "The Horizon Effect", and the first I've heard with David Holch's growls as the main vocal point. That epic-sounding piece of cinematic classical cyber metal has helped seal the deal with my interest in this sound. The lyrics are delivered well too, "CHILDREN OF EMPYREAN, DESCENDANTS OF ACHERON". Next track "Gene Heresy" is a grand over 10-minute epic that should touch the hearts of earlier fans anyone who loves long tracks. It might just surpass "Anagenesis" as one of the greatest epics Mechina has ever done!

We also have some rare soloing in the title track, nicely done by Dean Arnold, who has also performed in "Planetfall". I seem to think this album is Progenitor 2.0, but bear with me, it's still different, as proven in these final two tracks... "The Archivarius Chaos Ritual" is another one of the best tracks in this new era, with grand symphonics in the instrumentation. For the final track "Homeworld Salient", imagine a blend of Scale the Summit, Tyrant of Death, and Epica.

The Mechina saga continues in Telesterion, picking up where their previous album As Embers Turn to Dust left off. You can enjoy the music along with the lyrics that detail the story. It's so catchy, epic, and not too repetitive. It's worth hearing more of this band's unique underrated greatness!

Favorites: "The Allodynia Lance", "Tyrannos", "Gene Hersey", "The Archivarius Chaos Ritual"

Mechina can easily be compared to DragonForce and Two Steps From Hell. The former for their long songs, the latter for their cinematic symphonics, and both each having track after track sounding similar, and yet all this really intrigues me! All that's missing is the speedy soloing of DragonForce. Whether or not epic symphonic cyber metal is your thing, it's something that's gonna take an eternity for me to get tired of.

The band's discography in the second half of the 2010s is where the band make best use of their potential. The massive storyline, orchestral epicness, and metal heaviness put together by Joe Tiberi and vocalists David Holch and Mel Rose (the latter now a full-time member) make up another well-made journey, As Embers Turn to Dust.

The namesake album for the band's saga begins with "Godspeed, Vanguards" which really shows what the band is about, as sci-fi sounds lead into orchestration, djenty riffing, and blasts all over. The production is quite solid, though it can't top the perfection of the previous two albums. The composition is sealed together in great synergy. And it all keeps coming in "Creation Level Event". Same with "Impact Proxy" charging through with strength and impact.

Interestingly, "Aetherion Rain" calms things down in beauty and atmosphere as a gentle interlude before the next track... The memorable "The Synesthesia Signal" is the best standout for the more melodic side of Mechina, with serene vocals by Mel Rose. Absolutely stunning! Later albums would have her taking on more of the spotlight... Well, a little too much of the spotlight. Just like the previous album, the greatest symphonic highlight is followed by the greatest cyber one with the dark "Unearthing the Daedalian Ancient" having a heavier, more epic take on the old-school technicality of Alchemist, Dark Angel, and Pestilence. Another strong climatic composition!

Next track "The Tellurian Pathos" is filled with solid emotional melodies in something so heavy and melancholic at the same time. This album would've been perfect if the two interludes in the final leg were shorter, with the first "Thus Always to Tyrants" being a little too long for a piano interlude, just a few seconds longer than the next track... "Division Through Distance" perfectly matches riffing with orchestration and the last bit of Mel Rose's singing. The title outro is a more natural instrumental, but still overlong.

Albums like this are best experienced when you know the full story, but As Embers Turn to Dust is quite enjoyable either way. It really takes some time to get used to the band to like their material. Anyone who's new to the band or experienced with them shouldn't miss out on this album. Enjoy this epic sci-fi tale of darkness and light!

Favorites: "Godspeed, Vanguards", "Impact Proxy", "The Synesthesia Signal", "Unearthing the Daedalian Ancient", "Division Through Distance"

It took me a couple years since I first heard a song by Mechina to fully dive into its world. I thought Acheron was a strong album with a couple poor tracks. But this one, Progenitor is a perfect masterpiece that actually opened my ears wider and I was able to forgive Acheron for its mistakes and find that one perfect too. Progenitor makes different choices for their approach, and as a result, it is a true epic extreme cyber metal offering!

Here, the band brings back David Holch's clean singing, and then-session member Mel Rose sings throughout two tracks in the middle of the album that are both heavy. She would be promoted to a full-time member starting with their next album.

The ambient intro "Mass Locked" has that sci-fi film vibe, to get you geared up before the tech-death-ish symphonic cyber metal crashes in. The sound is best exemplified is "Ashes of Old Earth", blasting you through epicness and heaviness. "Starscape" takes the clean singing by Holch further, along with some cool background female chanting, while the growls are still around.

We get into the sound deeper with "Cryoshock", the first of the two Mel Rose-led tracks. "The Horizon Effect" is the first ever song I've heard from Mechina, with such godly music with easy yet chilling lyrics, "I stand in shadows of monuments". This can almost be the cyber metal symphony of the universe! Imagine a more melodic female-led Fear Factory, and you're not too far off. Normally, Mechina was focused on the growls and cleans of David Holch at the time, but this cleaner female direction is cosmic. The final minute is a different haunting piano outro that works as an interlude before something big...

"Anagenesis" is one h*ll of a cyber metal epic. The intro reminds me of Apocalyptica with its melancholic violins and cello, then the usual symphonic cyber metal goes on like a more orchestral blend of Alchemist and Northlane. Absolute futuristic glory! A rare aspect for Mechina is guitar solos, and "Planetfall" has that towards the end, performed by Dean Arnold. The song itself is an aggressive highlight. The title track finale unleashes it all before ending in atmospheric peace.

While not having a lot of the earlier experimentation, Progenitor is an intense climatic adventure and I wouldn't change a thing. With compositions of epicness, heaviness, and atmosphere, the cover artwork is a grand hint at all that. Anyone wanting something heavy and deep at the same time, I recommend this paragon of perfection to you!

Favorites: "Ashes of Old Earth", "The Horizon Effect", "Anagenesis", "Planetfall"

After checking out Shokran's debut album Supreme Truth, I felt like skipping ahead 10 years into their new album Duat. It's time to find out how this album by Egyptian-themed Russian djenty progressive metalcore stands as a contender for the Revolution Gallery Awards for 2024...

Like many other bands I've listened to, Shokran has a blend of heaviness and melody that I can easily appreciate. Mesmerizing melodies are in great interplay with djenty heaviness. Dmitry Demyanenko is a true master of that guitarwork. The impact is enhanced by the clear production, giving the riffing more power. The vocals by returning member Sergey Raev can please any modern metalhead with his vocal antics.

"Khonsu: The Traveler from Thebes" has his cool vocals in best display. While his harsh vocals rule, I also love his cleans. The song itself is definitely worth repeat listens. Including some f***ing killer soloing! Another amazing album standout is "Set: The Shark in the Womb" with killer heaviness. There are some lower growls in "Thoth: The Silent Witness". Then "Amon-Ra: The Battle for Tomorrow" really battles it out as you can hear some bits of Born of Osiris and Wage War, mostly the former having left a deep influential mark for this band.

"Maat: The Feather Against the Heart" is another absolute favorite with lots of heaviness and variation. We also have the catchy clean chorus in "Horus: The Never Changing War". Then "Osiris: Your Death Is Just a Beginning" balances the Born of Osiris influences with Tesseract. "Isis: Caught in the Knot" is just filled with awesome fire.

"Anubis: Can’t Escape the Hound" is almost like a djenty take on the metalcore/post-hardcore of The Word Alive and Escape the Fate. The vocals reach great heights in the climax of "Tefnut: The Greatest Drought". The modern power in the melody can almost compete with Bad Omens. It stands out with its catchy chorus and more of those Egyptian vibes. I can almost give "Hathor: Drunken With Blood" the ultra-heavy crown. But it's the crushing "Imhotep: The Falcon of Gold" that takes the throne.

Duat shall never disappoint for the most part. All these strong riffs and leads make an essential part of this modern metalcore album. Just brush aside the barely-there variety and you can go on a metal carpet ride....

Favorites: "Khonsu: The Traveler from Thebes", "Set: The Shark in the Womb", "Maat: The Feather Against the Heart", "Isis: Caught in the Knot", "Tefnut: The Greatest Drought", "Imhotep: The Falcon of Gold"

Travelling from the world's largest country covering the northernmost part of Asia and a bit of Europe on the west side, all the way down to the Middle East and Egypt, Shokran can add in some oriental grooves to their djenty progressive metalcore. Following The Sixth Sense EP, the band got to work on their debut Supreme Truth. And its cool modern cover art seems to give away its release in 2014, NOT 2004.

Supreme Truth is a 15-track journey that's both heavy and mesmerizing. Most of the tracks have an average 3-minute length, which may seem mainstream but all their talent is nicely crammed so while they're all short, you'll get a lot out of them. Expect the unexpected...

The opening "Interlude" already gives you a head-start through the technical speed of the guitars, as the orchestral/neoclassical melodies zoom through in this inhuman rampage. Impressive! "Pray the Martyr" unleashes the growls and screams from the vocalist that fit greatly with the sonic melodies, before clean singing appears too. Low growls also spread through one of my favorite tracks "Ghost Ruins". The riffing and vocals are awesome there. "Memories" has a highly melodic chorus that's not too bad though different from what the band usually does. "Charon" has some of the best vocal diversity in the album. The growls, screams, and cleans all battle it out in more of the fast heaviness that modern metalheads will never get tired of.

"Collapses" is also nice in the vocals. "Original Sin" has more progressive originality. As does "Crotalus" which actually has some Eternal Tears of Sorrow-like synths. Another djenty favorite is "The Right to Sorrow", with its heavy riffing and soloing going well with the Egyptian atmosphere. "In Theatre of Illusions" is stronger but tiring at this point.

I absolutely love the title track, getting me hypnotized by the riffs and growls sounding like Whitechapel while mixed with stunning melodies. "Sands of Time" has the most development, lasting 4 minutes in length, a minute longer than most of the other tracks. The structure is also different! "Punishment" starts with an Arabic prayer. As a Muslim, I'm quite familiar with that aspect. The bad-a** "Dark Desert" is another great favorite. "The New Battalions" ends it all on a catchy note.

It's not everyday you witness a band that can blend oriental melodies and technical speed together, but it's quite a promising mix. This extreme hypnotic band is overlooked in a world of bands replayed on popular demand. I say the one thing tough about this album is the structure in these short songs. While you get a lot out of them, they really could've had slightly more consistency so they don't sound too similar. If there's one more band of oriental-ish technicality, that would be Born of Osiris. As remarkable as that band is, I can almost say the same about Shokran's debut Supreme Truth, filled with music and vocals from another dimension....

Favorites: "Interlude", "Ghost Ruins", "Charon", "Original Sin", "The Right to Sorrow", "Supreme Truth", "Sands of Time", "Dark Desert"

It's been ages since I've last listened to an album by Arch Enemy, the last new one I've heard being Will to Power. I've still heard a few songs by the band, but never thought about a full return to their material. After hearing some singles from their new album Deceivers, I took some time to decide whether to give this band another chance. And with their upcoming album Blood Dynasty coming out two months after this review, if I want to listen to Deceivers while it's still fresh, it's now or never...

As with many melodeath bands, Arch Enemy is the kind of band that aims for melody and aggression blended together in great balance. They still haven't dropped their melodic side in the guitar leads and keyboard ether. Vocalist Alissa White-Gluz decided to add more clean vocals than ever, reminiscent of her former band The Agonist.

The diverse opening track "Handshake with Hell" has those cleans in best display. The creativity shines greatly from the epic intro to the energetic rest of the song. ''Deceiver, Deceiver'' (Is it a title track when the name is repeated twice in the title?) blasts through heavy Swedish melodeath, the way At the Gates and In Flames kickstarted it in the mid-90s. "In the Eye of the Storm" is a midtempo anthem, like a march into the war. "The Watcher" is a total thrasher.

Things slow down for the sweet highlight "Poisoned Arrow". Then "Sunset over the Empire" starts with audible bass making way for the harsh vocals and riff melodies. There are even some strings and choirs that almost make this a symphonic death metal track. "House of Mirrors" has some amazing Dark Tranquillity-esque melodeath.

"Spreading Black Wings" has some lyrics that aren't totally bad, but they could've been better written, "Do not fear to tread the left-hand path, I am here spreading black wings". The interlude "Morning Star" is a nice break with some guitar talent. Keyboard melancholy covers "One Last Time" while staying heavy in the instrumentation. The closing track "Exile From Earth" is almost as epic as the opener, with the vocals, soloing, and background atmosphere, reaching great dark heights.

I can witness the greatness the band still has after Will to Power. Alongside the melodic guitarwork, the clean vocals and symphonics add a sweet touch. Deceivers shall give them some new fans, though the earlier ones might be thrown off. I look forward to their new album Blood Dynasty and finding out if it works for their 30-year milestone....

Favorites: "Handshake with Hell", "In the Eye of the Storm", "Poisoned Arrow", "Sunset over the Empire", "House of Mirrors", "Exile From Earth"

5 years after my first review for Within Temptation's second album Mother Earth, which I wrote over 5 more years after my first listen, I decided it was time for review attempt #2. Part of the reason for this second attempt was one of my outside-world friends sharing a song from this album. Unfortunately, I don't find this album as perfect as it was 10 years before this new review, mostly because I've grown out of this full-on symphonic metal sound, with other flaws I've just noticed that I'll detail later on...

Mother Earth marked a change from the D-tuned gothic death-doom of Enter. Only the serene vocals of Sharon den Adel remain, with none of the growled vocals by guitarist Robert Westerholt. The music is faster and slightly tuned down to D-flat, and the lyrics are more fantasy-related. And it took two years for this to be the band's breakthrough.

The two popular singles are still some of my favorite Within Temptation songs today, beginning with the epic dreamy opening title track. The other popular single "Ice Queen" is quite catchy, though the title track has a little more magic. Then the album starts to calm down with the pleasant rare-for-me-to-enjoy ballad "Our Farewell". Then we have the equally slow (in a more doomy way) folk-ish highlight "Caged". Both the vocals by Sharon den Adel and the instrumentation are quite diverse. The peaceful calmness are at the right dose here, before it all ends up crashing down later... "The Promise" still reigns at the band's longest song to date at exactly 8 minutes. I used to love that epic, but what do I think of it now? Well, as nice as the strings/guitar harmonies are, the vocals sound too high for my maturing ears and make the song sound longer than it really is.

"Never Ending Story" bores me as a non-metal acoustic folk composition. I prefer the song by Limahl and its cover by Dragonland. I'm quite baffled by this long orchestral intro for "Deceiver of Fools", not sounding like the rest of the song. They should've just embedded it to the previous track. The song itself is a nice symphonic march to break free from the earlier gothic ballad-ish tracks. Again the problem is those d*mn cat-meowing-esque high vocals that don't have as much variation as the highlights. I'm not sure what the point of this ominous next "Intro" track was. I don't even know why that has its own track but the previous song's intro doesn't. It segues to "Dark Wings" which has a little more of the ridiculously high vocals, but that issue is actually brushed aside by some of the best guitarwork here, including a guitar solo by Ayreon mastermind Arjen Lucassen. "In Perfect Harmony" is the worst track saved for last. It's really more of a happy-sappy Disney/Enya track than anything and it made me almost fall asleep.

For this review, I'd like to go through some of the bonus tracks, mostly off the 2022 expanded edition, starting with "World of Make Believe". It's more orchestral with barely any metal, but it's actually one of the best of the bonus tracks. Nothing terrible at all! "Restless" is a single version of a song from the doomy debut Enter. It's still a precious song, but it's the single edit that fades out early, and it's a little unfitting for this album, bonus track or not. "Bittersweet" is that track my outside-world friend shared when he was grieving over his friend ignoring him. As beautiful as it is, it's too Enya-esque for my liking. Sorry, friend... "Jane Doe" was recorded in the Mother Earth sessions but was originally only a bonus track on their next album The Silent Force. Robert Westerholt's growls make a comeback, adding to the song's dark vibe. You know what, scr*w the title track, "Jane Doe" has taken its reign as one of the best songs by Within Temptation.

Mother Earth is suitable for if you're just chilling at your home and looking at a forest on an Autumn night. At least, that's what the album would've been without some of the upbeat highlights like the two opening singles. The way the album has been set up I still recognize as unique in this blend of orchestrations and guitars. But this album would be less boring if a quarter of "The Promise" was trimmed off, "Never Ending Story" and the two-minute intro of "Deceiver of Fools" were replaced with "World of Make Believe", the "Intro" of "Dark Wings" wasn't separated, and "In Perfect Harmony" was replaced with "Jane Doe". Those changes would make this album a better blessing for the Earth....

Favorites: "Mother Earth", "Ice Queen", "Our Farewell", "Caged", "Dark Wings", "World of Make Believe", "Jane Doe"

I've been hearing a lot about the hate and controversy towards Metallica's 2003 album St. Anger, and I finally decided to give it a shot. And I'm probably one of the many people thinking, "THIS is the band that made Master of Puppets?!?" Yes, it's as awful as many say it is, but there are still some parts I enjoy about it. Though we're gonna start by pointing out all the mistakes the band made for this album. For one thing, the band distanced themselves further away from their thrash roots and even the hard rock/heavy metal of Load/Reload. Now it's generally just alt-/nu metal that takes some groove metal/metalcore from some of my favorite bands and botches it up hard. Heavy verses and catchy choruses are a cool blend but end sounding more suitable for alt-music radio than in line with the band's 80s/90s thrash/heavy metal peers.

It ends up being quite strange hearing the occasional guitar and blasts of yore when most of what's going on is closer in sound to Drowning Pool. The guitars would've been a lot more interesting if there were any solos. Now I've heard a lot of solo-less metal music over the years, but when the songs drag on for a long time without variety... C'MON MAN! And of course, we can't forget about the SNARE. The only other band who had a oil-can snare drum that I'm aware of is Cold as Life, based on one of their songs that I heard in a Revolution playlist. There's also no bass at all. And the vocals by James Hetfield make me cringe when trying to doing some nu metal shouting.

The first third of this 75-minute album is the part that's not all bad, as we have the raging anger of the title track. Plus, "Some Kind of Monster" is a monstrous 8-minute epic that should be re-recorded with the improved production the band would have later, guitar soloing, audible bass, and none of the G****MN SNARE. When the worst offender "Invisible Kid" comes in, that's when everything sounds too similar and makes the remainder of the album a f***ing migraine-inducing mess.

So yeah, St. Anger is bad, though only two of the first 4 songs are good enough to score some points. While there's nothing wrong with experimentation, it doesn't often pay off as it should, and it has tainted the history of metal. You can't win it all from this band....

Favorites (only songs I like): "St. Anger", "Some Kind of Monster"

Why do some of the most loyal members of a band end up being the ones passing away so soon? WHY?!? Bassist Chris Heckel was one of the founding members who stayed with the band until he lost his life to leukemia in 2018. Vocalist Attila Erdélyi was also a founding member, but he left the band in 2016 then died in 2022. I've just discovered this band today as of this review, and his vocals are some of the most distinctive I've heard in the genre. RIP those two fallen members...

The highly underrated cyber metal subgenre is worth good listens on the move, like in a car, train, or plane, when you imagine a more technological future in the outdoor landscape. Cypecore, by name, sounds like a blend of that subgenre and metalcore, but actually those two are more secondary. Melodeath/groove metal reign here!

Not all of it are those genres though, as the "Intro" has an ominous trip-hop-ish vibe that sounds like one of those interludes are the second-to-last track of a Linkin Park album. "Everdying" blasts off with the core-ish melodeath of Dark Tranquillity and Sonic Syndicate. If you're a melodeath fan who enjoys this blend of heaviness and melody, you're gonna enjoy a lot of this album, along with Attila's vocals. Next up, "Mission" continues the crushing glory. The drumming sounds so organic, pounding through alongside the melodic guitar and growling vocals. "...And Death Was Nothing To Him" has more of that awesome writing as heavy verses collide with the melodic chorus. That's the kind of aspect the band can borrow from Dark Tranquillity and other melodeath bands without ripping them off.

That sound continues on in "Final Hour". Same with "Signs", channeling the spirit of Gothenburg metal. Heading into the title track, the heaviness is toned down for beautiful melancholy. Still the chorus is worth screaming along to, with the opportunity to growl from the darkest vocal depths of Hell. The band's core-ish melodeath/groove shines well as being independent allows the band to have a lot of creativity. "Something Inside" turns up the groove, not too far off from Lamb of God. Maybe closer to that downtuned Lamb of God cover project, Drop God. That shows how greatly the NWOAHM can spread into Germany and other European countries.

Then "The Origin of Hate" proves the band's talents with the speedy verses, melodic chorus, and heartful soloing. You can also hear some slight industrial here and there. Also memorable is "Control Yourself" with its cool catchiness. The last full song "Distraction" balances everything smoothly without anything distracting. Finally, an "Outro" appears, sounding similar to the intro, bringing this 12-track (10-song) album to full circle.

Cypecore should be appreciated for their great sound and production. Albums like Innocent should really catch on to a greater population. There's not much bad about this killer album, really. But the intro and outro are both necessary and not....

Favorites: "Everdying", "Mission", "...And Death Was Nothing To Him", "Innocent", "The Origin of Hate", "Control Yourself"

Well, time for me to make another attempt in exploring the war history-themed power metal of Sabaton. The Art of War is Sabaton's 4th album, and the last of an interrupted 4-year streak of albums, although their 3rd album Metalizer was recorded 5 years before its release. It is their 2008 album that has sealed the band's sound main lyrical theme. Aside the usual war lyrics, the music can pack some punches with its riffing, keys, and the unusual-for-power-metal baritone vocals of Joakim Broden.

The album is, as you can guess, based on the Chinese military book written by Sun Tzu. The spoken quotations are taken from an audiobook version read by a female narrator. To be honest though, hearing this album now makes me think the narrator is one of those cheap AI voices, long before that became a thing. That and my withering appeal for power metal makes my rating for this album a little lower than it would've been 10 years ago... But hey, the mid-paced marches and rapid speeders are still interesting, like a nice bridge between Black Sabbath and DragonForce. The fresh vocal melodies are also welcome!

Let's skip the useless "Sun Tzu Says" intro and head to the main attraction... "Ghost Division" is a h*ll of a kick-A opening track, getting the motor running with heavy riffing and dramatic keys. They've used this track as their opening song for almost every concert, unlike most other bands that start with the first track of their newest album, and they made the right choice there. The title track is a slower pounder with catchy keyboards. But then we have the pompous "40:1". It's one of my outside world friend's favorite Sabaton songs, but it's not really for me. Still it's good with its fast speed. The more progressive "Unbreakable" is one of the best songs I've heard by Sabaton, and I still think that today. It's the band's own Black Sabbath "Heaven and Hell"!

"The Nature of Warfare" is another f***ing useless spoken interlude, and the strange keyboards don't help. It segues to another mid-tempo track "Cliffs of Gallipoli" which is quite fun with its bouncy piano and simple chorus. "Talvisota" really speeds up a bit. "Panzerkampf" sounds too much in the chorus though I don't mind the folk-ish approach.

We then end up in the only full song I consider weak as f***, "Union (Slopes of St. Benedict)". It sounds like a heavily butchered cover of DragonForce's "Cry Thunder", 4 years before that far better DragonForce track. "The Price of a Mile" is one more strong mighty mid-tempo march, detailing war's horrors without glorifying it. Anthemic chorus and emotional soloing there! "Firestorm" unleashes the last bit of vicious speed. "A Secret" is a pointless outro, and the "illegal download detected" ending really threw me off.

Honestly, I would've thought The Art of War was the power metal hit album I thought it was 10 years ago, if not for those d*mn quotations, that "Union" sh*tter, and a couple tracks needing slight improvement. Still, most of the full songs here are some of Sabaton's greatest hits, and that should give you your money's worth....

Favorites: "Ghost Division", "Unbreakable", "Cliffs of Gallipoli", "Talvisota", "The Price of a Mile", "Firestorm"

I remember reviewing one of The Old Dead Tree's albums for The Fallen Gothic Metal Modern Era clan challenge almost 5 years before this review. I've forgotten all about that band since falling out of The Fallen a couple years later. That is, until the band's new comeback album appeared in the Metal Academy 2024 Awards Gateway Gallery thread. So now's a good time to give this band another chance, and see if its cover artwork will head home with its award.

Second Thoughts is the band's first full album after a long 17-year gap, as a result of a 10-year hiatus, apart from a couple reunion shows. And it sounds like their dark progressive/alt-metal melancholy can still practically reign in triumph! Their haunting legacy isn't withering any time soon.

First off, "Unpredictable" is a soaring composition of life's struggles. Vocalist Manuel Munoz and the rest of his team give the heavy instrumentation lots of emotion. "Don’t Waste Your Time" is a nice blend of dark and light. "The Lightest Straw" takes you through the depths of existence in the lyrics, as the music gets more dynamic. Manuel's vocal power allow you to experience the melancholy while finding the hopeful side of things. There are a couple trilogy suites in the album, one of them being "The Secret", starting with the short acoustic "Better Off Dead". The second part "Within a Second Thought" continues this story of regret and loss. "Luke" finishes this dark mini-saga with the most haunting and heaviest they have to offer. This emotional lyrical theme is not often heard in progressive tempo-changing arrangements like that one.

Another standout comes in "Story of My Life", which is more accessible while staying strong and anthemic in the lyrics. That shall get the live crowd moving! Then comes the other trilogy, "The Hunt", beginning with another song of clean melancholy, "Fresh Start". The second part, "I Wish I Could" is a highlight that's both hopeful and hopeless. It charges through in emotion and heaviness while having some grand atmosphere for a complex structure. The dramatic concluding part, "The Trap" has modern melody to please many of its listeners.

"Solastalgia" stands out in layers of rage and despair, despite being more of a power ballad. "OK" packs some killer heavy punches, as almost a polar opposite to the smooth wonders of the previous track. "The Worst is Yet to Come" is not as much of a classic as the similarly-titled song by, Still Remains, but it's a decent end to this personal journey, promising a more steady evolution for the band to come...

Creating and listening to music is a good way to let out your grief, as exemplified in Second Thoughts. This dark alt-metal sound is better executed than Swallow the Sun's attempt in their new album Shining, although that one's not as bad as people say it is. With this magical ride, The Old Dead Tree is far from dead!

Favorites: "Unpredictable", "The Lightest Straw", "Luke", "Story of My Life", "I Wish I Could", "Solastalgia", "OK"

Taking its name from a Who Framed Roger Rabbit-inspired live-action/animated film from 1992, the second album by Chat Pile, Cool World takes through our world's reality of violence and decay. I say the music is cool while the world itself is not. Their noise-ridden sludge/alt-metal sound is something worth listening to, remembering the toxicity of different places while staying safely in your home...

Since 2019, the band consisting of vocalist Raygun Busch, guitarist Luther Manhole, bassist Stin, and drummer Cap'n Ron have taken on a journey full of songs ranging from minimalistic to anthemic. In Cool World, you can hear the noise-ridden sludge/alt-metal in full force with elements of goth and industrial within these grooves.

Opening track "I Am Dog Now" has a brief ambient intro before the crushing riff rolls through as Busch yells the track's title, "I AM DOG NOW!" (I prefer to be a cat, I'm a cat person). There are some Today is the Vibes around here. Busch imagines himself to be an uncaged animal yet having "nowhere to go at all". Then "Shame" shines more interestingly with soft grunge melancholy, as Busch sings "And the world was quaking open, with all our fathers smiling". The bridge contradicts that motive with brutal death growls. Beating through "Frownland" is some groovy industrial bass. "Funny Man" has similar lyrical themes to the previous tracks with lyrics like "the blood of my sons is just a new beginning". It gets close to nu/groove metal territory, maybe even a bit of rap metal, while obviously not going the Limp Bizkit route. "Not evеryone gets to hide."

"Camcorder" sounds a bit out of line and stretchy in this attempt at a 6-minute epic. At least I can give the earth-breaking outro some good points. After that, "Tape" is more gothic-ish in the clean singing while the shouts are never compromised. "The New World" is the track that has everything to expect in an album like this one; beauty and brutality, sounding both accessible and not, all in its f***ing glory. The lyrics are so intriguing despite its bleak darkness, "I couldn't take on the weight of existence, I couldn't watch them execute my friends".

"Masc" heads back into the earlier catchiness. "Milk of Human Kindness" allows you to walk this world that would make you feel confident while losing hope at the same time, and apparently, Busch "screamed about it all night". The last bit of killer destruction appears in "No Way Out", reaching a climatic height as Busch's let out his final cries of "NO ESCAPE! NO WAY OUT!!!"

In a world that was once made for us to live but now has taken a backwards turn in that objective, Chat Pile's shall have listeners' ears opened to its sound and the horrors of the world while turning away from it. Goodbye, cruel world, and hello, Cool World....

Favorites: "I Am Dog Now", "Shame", "Funny Man", "The New World", "No Way Out"

Since 1999, the Project Hate MCMXCIX (formed in my birth year and having its roman numerals in their name) is known for their Swedish death metal sound spiced up with industrial/symphonic elements that have been prominent since the mid-2000s. The project founded by guitarist/bassist Lord K Philipson and vocalist Jörgen Sandström had recently abandoned the more typical song lengths for an aspect that has covered their 2010s albums and beyond; 6 tracks with an average 13 minutes each, almost hitting the 80-minute CD limit. Death Ritual Covenant is a more industrial example of that technique...

Basically their symphonic-infused death metal sound, similar to 2000s Septicflesh, is given a more progressive and industrial treatment. Adding in bits of flamenco and EDM shows that experimental alt-metal bands like Dog Fashion Disco and Twelve Foot Ninja aren't the only bands who can do that. The deathly grandeur is strong within the mechanical riffing and bass by Philipson and the harsh growls by Sandström.

The opening title track provides a great example of that brutal riffing, with the main melody sticking around at the right times from start to finish. Storming on is "The Eating of the Impure Young", a 15-minute death metal epic, apart from adding in some strange dubstep in the middle. Strange but quite welcome!

"Legions" seems to take on the dramatic deathcore of Whitechapel and Winds of Plague but without much of the "core". There are also some guest vocals by Darkane vocalist Lawrence Mackrory. Deathly power shines in "Through Fire There is Cleansing" with more of Philipson's guitar weaponry. Johan Hegg of Amon Amarth also guest appears in this track, along with track 2 and this next track...

"Inferno" is shorter than the other tracks in the album, with a length of 10 and a half minutes ago. It's like the progressive death metal of the first two Extol albums with pieces of Amaranthe and Dir En Grey. "Solemn" is the epic finale, having the melancholic melodeath of Omnium Gatherum while still covered in electro-industrial beauty.

Making an album filled with long epics can be risky, especially when they had to add so many ideas and make sure the 80-minute CD limit isn't surpassed. However, it has mostly paid off, as the charm is never lost. Death Ritual Covenant is a solid album up for an adventure of adventures. It might get a little tiring, but you just gotta appreciate this band's determination to explore with barely any limits....

Favorites: "The Eating of the Impure Young", "Through Fire There is Cleansing", "Solemn"

Throughout last year (as of this review), I've been slowly getting deep into the world of Mechina. The band is so interesting and unique with their epic symphonic cyber metal sound and a massive saga that can almost rival Star Wars and the Marvel Cinematic Universe. I've already gone through their first 5 albums and a few songs from their later ones. I decided to skip ahead into one of those later albums for a better chance at finding some improvement after their "great but could've gone better" albums 2-5. And album #9, Siege is a journey of sci-fi space majesty! While those other albums focus mainly on futuristic vibes and progressive structures, atmosphere reigns in Siege and rules strongly. It is blended with technical aggression for a better balanced experience. The songs transcend well as they fade from one to another more smoothly, with sound effects added at appropriate times. The characters and story and paint a clearer picture and prove that the cool artwork and lyrics aren't just for show.

Any Mechina fan can grasp this astonishing storyline, yet it really depends to the music to bring it to life with its emotional and chaos. The extreme side lies in the technical drum programming and djenty guitar riffing. The way those instruments really hit hard should really be brought into more of those sci-fi movie battle scenes, not to replace the orchestral score but to blend it all together. That's where the beautiful melodic side of the music comes in, when electronic synths and orchestrations add triumph to the brutal destruction. It makes the human/machine wars sound as they are meant to be. And of course, the story is narrated by male/female vocals which, unlike the previous albums, are almost entirely clean. I think this album would've had the perfect 5-star rating if David Holch contributed his earlier growls in the heavier tracks.

The slow eerie 3-minute intro "King Breeder" creeps in. Then "The Worst in Us" slowly builds up in atmospheric march and finally touches down in a climatic metal storm. Mel Rose sounds so beautiful with her serene singing. That's the epic energy I can expect from this band. "Shock Doctrine" is a short straight track though it has a huge bridge.

"Purity Storm" has more dynamic emotion. The violins sound quite beautiful within this metallic march. The blend of melodic and heavy shall make you crave for more. But it's the title track that has most of the heaviness and epicness in one track. And as it turns out, there ARE harsh vocals, coming from guest vocalist Anna Hel. She actually sounds more aggressive than David Holch! If David ends up quitting harsh vocals full-time, Anna can take his place.

"Claw at the Dirt" once again brings forward the symphonics of Eternal Tears of Sorrow while replacing that band's growls with more of the female singing and futuristic sounds. "Blood Feud Erotica" has the most of the technicality and speed in the drumming, right from the intense beginning. "Freedom Foregone" is the 11 and a half minute final epic, the band's longest song to be part of an album and not released as a separate single. Tragedy and triumph collide with each other, alongside more of the heavy instrumentation and emotional singing. Then after the final chorus, the last bit of clean guitar and violin melancholy close this chapter of the Mechina saga.

It takes some experience to be able to listen to all this emotion and chaos, and in the end, you might just get your reward. Siege is filled with unique almost-perfect majesty, and it has brought me closer in my quest to get myself fully committed to this extreme sci-fi realm. Anyone up for that shall get in on the action with this superb offering!

Favorites: "The Worst in Us", "Purity Storm", "Siege", "Freedom Foregone"

As the thrash metal scene was making its way into Denmark, Artillery was the band making the genre big over there. Whereas on the heavier end of the thrash spectrum, Invocator take on the technical thrash sound of Coroner, Dark Angel, and Sadus with speed and brutality. And you might know a couple of the band members from their later careers; Per M. Jensen as a former drummer of The Haunted and vocalist/bassist Jacob Hansen as one of the most prolific record producers in metal!

The heavy side of the band comes from the speed/death metal elements, and in their debut Excursion Demise, many tracks are a fast blizzard with some slight mid-tempo groove. With all that in mind, Invocator knew how to add variety to their speed so that their listeners can breathe.

The opening title track is the greatest place to start with fantastic riffing. The perfect beginning highlight! The eerie acoustic instrumental "To a Twisted Recess of Mind" follows with some nice bass, as a much needed break within the intensity. It makes way for the furious "Forsaken Ones". Then "The Persistence from Memorial Chasm" is another banger in which speed and heaviness continue to persist.

While maintaining some of their hyperspeed, the more complex "Absurd Temptation" starts off slow, again showing their diverse structure. I wouldn't consider "Schismatic Injective Therapy" a total failure, because of its brilliant heavy speedy sections here and there, yet it's a bit draggy and could've been trimmed down. I mean, I like long songs, but there should be more dynamics than just solo noodling. And I know how that kind of thing is done, just listen to DragonForce. The soloing should've been more melodic rather than just fiddling with the notes, and it should balance out with the riffing. Shining better is "Occurrence Concealed" with great audible bass by Hansen.

I love the speedy riffing in "Beyond Insufferable Dormancy" that makes this track another sweet highlight. "Inner Contrarieties" is shorter but adding more progressiveness to their rapid technical thrash, similar to Meshuggah's debut Contradictions Collapse from that year. The CD edition comes with a bonus track, "Alterations". It is perhaps one of the fastest tracks in technical thrash, pretty much catching up with the frenzy of early Atheist and Believer. I feel sorry for those who have the vinyl version without that track.

All in all, Excursion Demise is a solid debut by this Danish band for all thrash fans. It probably could've been perfect if the two long tracks in the middle could have some slight improvement. Still this is top-notch tech-thrash before its 90s near-extinction and something an extreme metal fan should never miss out on!

Favorites: "Excursion Demise", "The Persistence from Memorial Chasm", "Occurrence Concealed", "Beyond Insufferable Dormancy", "Alterations"

Before their 2024 album, A Wake in Providence was known as the band Will Ramos was in before joining Lorna Shore. Both bands toured with each other when Will was still with the former. They both released an album in October 2022, and it's obvious which one shook the world. A Wake in Providence thought they would try to up their game with something more epic and operatic.

Well I wouldn't say A Wake in Providence is that competitive, yet it really seems like these symphonic blackened deathcore Staten Islanders are trying to level themselves up in their 14-year career. The band consisting of vocalist Adam Mercer, guitarists D’Andre Tyre (also doing clean vocals and orchestrations) and Jorden Felion, and drummer Jesse Mcenneny thought they would make a more bombastic follow-up to 2022's Eternity for greater success. And yes, there's a lot of the fire and fury of Lorna Shore and Chelsea Grin, but is it as perfect as Pain Remains? Let's find out...

"The Maddening" begins with epic cinematic orchestra that then bursts open the deathcore gates, as Adam's demonic growls greatly contrast with D'Andre's cleans, just like how the brutal guitars collide with those orchestrations. "Mournful Benediction" keeps up the perfect balance this band has between melody and heaviness. Drum blasts, symphonic keys, and a guest vocal appearance by Shadow of Intent's Ben Duerr make the song guaranteed to be an eternal epic deathcore hit. "Agony, My Familiar" is a spooky piano/strings interlude. It segues to the head-ripping "Agonofinis", another blackened deathcore storm as the crushing riffs and blasting drums continue shooting through the ears of all who's listening.

"And Through the Fog She Spoke" will stun you through more of this epic clean/harsh structure. "In Whispers" makes the deathcore much more grim than it already is, once again mastering the orchestrations and drums. Then we have an epic deathcore hymn in the title track, perfect fitting Adam's vicious growls together with the overall sound.

As compelling as "The Unbound", unfortunately it ends up sounding a bit generic and pompous, already leaving me head-scratching by the end of it. The vicious "Pareidolia" again has insane drumming and vocals, though at this point, they've gotten a little stale. It's not until the final track "I, The Mournful", when the blend of brutality and melody reaches its much needed climax. Demonic vocals, guitars, bass, and drums connect with orchestrations and clean/soprano vocals for practically "In a Sea of Fire 2.0"!

Deathcore combined with symphonic black metal elements is something that certainly won't be dying out too soon. I Write To You, My Darling Decay shows A Wake in Providence sounding extreme and metallic while at the same time sounding melodic and orchestral. It's all good, though I think it would be a lot better if they could've dialed back some of the pompous orchestrations in a few songs and give a couple tracks towards the end greater improvement. Nonetheless, deathcore is becoming darker and more demented, and metal instrumentation isn't the only thing needed for that evolution....

Favorites: "The Maddening", "Mournful Benediction", "And Through the Fog She Spoke", "I Write To You, My Darling Decay", "I, The Mournful"

From Kent, England, Graphic Nature is another addition to the rising nu metalcore scene. Since releasing their first album A Mind Waiting to Die in 2023, they've become a main attraction in the more popular rock/metal festivals. They've also had Cancer Bats and Vended by their side in their tours!

17 months is around the same time difference between the births of me and my older brother. It's also how long it took after the debut's release for the band to unleash their second album to the world, Who Are You When No One Is Watching? The album is so emotional, with lyrics of showing one's true self. This concept stemmed from around the debut's release when vocalist Harvey Freeman was randomly assaulted during a train ride, and the PTSD Freeman has subsequently suffered.

The intro "Who Are You?" is quite exciting for something heavily distorted. "Locked In" kick-starts the action in massive impact, from both the music and vocals. "Blinded" has great heaviness, with some Spiritbox vibes. "Human" has more melodic synths, while blending it with heavy guitars, a balance already mastered by Sleep Token. "Something I'm Not" is a true highlight. It's more of a rap-ish nu metal track, though Freeman's rapping actually works quite greatly. That's the song with the most inspiration from the train trauma, with the lyrics rapped and screamed in emotional pain.

"Breathe" is more electronic, yet makes room for more of the ravaging nu metalcore. "Session24" is a pleasant interlude. It's basically TDEP's "Weekend Sex Change" given a BMTH/Enter Shikari twist. The hardcore heaviness shines the best in the short "N.F.A." Same with "Fractured", though it could've used some slight fixing.

"Low" is filled with heartful emotion, as Freeman lets out lyrics of his mental health to relate to those listening. Single "To the Grave" lacks some impact, but it still works here. "When No One is Watching" hits it high as the heavy metalcore sound is given a good taste of drums and bass. The final track "For You" perfectly summarizes all the band has given you in this album.

Who Are You When No One Is Watching? is another blessing for 2024 in the nu metal and metalcore realms. The amazing production and relatable lyrics should please many listeners. This shows that Graphic Nature can stand out in the nu metalcore crowd!

Favorites: "Locked In", "Blinded", "Something I'm Not", "N.F.A.", "When No One is Watching", "For You"

Neurotech had been built up slowly and steadily at that point. The releases Wulf made for the project are all good though starting off a bit rough in the debut Antagonist. It seemed like he had his own mission to achieve, which was to try to find the right balance for his sound, one that would truly show what his project is all about. And with his second album (3rd if including the Decipher Volumes), he's just about got it!

Infra Versus Ultra greatly defines Wulf's contribution to the futuristic industrial metal subgenre that is cyber metal. It is something so unique, so mesmerizing. Neurotech has perhaps pushed Mechina off the epic cyber metal throne, at least with what the two bands were doing at the time.

The album and its story begins "(Infra) I", a smooth galactic intro that slowly rises. The buildup leads to the kickoff, with "Atlas" hitting the stage hard. The guitarwork sounds like it has practically been taken from 90s Fear Factory. I was almost expecting Wulf to unleash his earlier growling vocals. What's different compared to Fear Factory is, Wulf prefers to make his style more melodic than mechanical. Although he has distance from his earlier growls, his cleans have multiple layers that are like angels transcending from the cyber heavens. No matter which vocal style he goes for, it lets him stand out amongst the cyber/industrial metal crowd. "The Longest Time" is a truly catchy hit. As is "Unleashing the Dead" which is another unique standout.

"The Art of Forgiveness" takes the Fear Factory influences further, this time from one of that band's longer ballads. Only one track has left me stumped, that one being "(Versus) You". That interlude isn't all that uplifting. In saying that, "Sacrifice" isn't much of a metal track either, but it mixes other sounds so beautifully.

Next track "Transcendental" indeed transcends through different dimensions as Wulf guides you through, "Let's go, let's hide away, for a while". Then "When the Night Falls" starts with dramatic symphonic synths that almost made me think it would lead to an Eternal Tears of Sorrow song, before having the usual Neurotech drift. The melancholic closing track "(Ultra) Us" has the perfect music and lyrics to end this cyber metal adventure.

What more can you ask for from Neurotech?! Metal anthems, melancholic ballads, electronic samples, catchy beats... Everything you want from this band! We're in a century where the music realms have much more than in the past, and any open-minded listener should listen to Infra Versus Ultra and add it to their playlist. The future is here!

Favorites: "Atlas", "Unleashing the Dead", "Sacrifice", "Transcendental", "(Ultra) Us"

Would you consider an album compiling 3 EPs with all-new tracks an extensive studio album? I sometimes would. This artistic man from Slovenia, Wulf had made a series of EPs for his project Neurotech throughout 2012 and early 2013, each of them titled Decipher. Vol. 1 came out in April 2012, followed by Vol. 2 in September. Vol 3. came out sometime in early 2013 though it wasn't released as widely as the first two volumes. And finally in June, all 3 EPs were put together as The Decipher Volumes.

I gotta say, it's a great improvement from Neurotech's good but problematic debut Antagonist, and brings it to the same level as Blue Screen Planet... on average. The direct harsh industrial/cyber metal is given more variation, and it's balanced out with songs of different styles, ranging from heavy to poppy to atmospheric. Adding to the diversity is the talented female singing by Tanja Ravljen (I almost wrote Tarja, but that's what happens when you've heard of Nightwish longer than Neurotech). The atmosphere shines the most in 3rd volume, finally sealing the deal on the variation industrial/cyber metal has to offer.

Each volume starts with a prelude, and the "Vol. 1 - Prelude" is a nice place to start. It segues to "The Cyber Waltz" which greatly picks up where Blue Screen Planet left off. It's a true cyber metal anthem, with everything you can ask for from the symphonics, synths, electronics, pianos, guitars, drums, beats, and vocals. The perfect memorable beginning of this spacey journey, and done much better than the heavier first part of Blue Screen Planet. Next, "Damage is Done" has the cyber metal aggression leftover from Antagonist. "Home" has smooth piano melancholy, with nice lyrical flow, "Where is the price to pay for the life you've thrown away? Could you believe it's gone?!" The more otherworldly "Below These Scars" is a more atmospheric highlight. The first ever exploration of clean singing fits greatly with the serious lyrics of pain and guilt.

"Vol. 2 - Prelude" is nice. But I don't see much of the point of splitting off part of the beginning of "Let the Healing Begin", which is already an intro, and an amazing one at that. Atmospheric synths and Tanja's serene singing take your breath away. She continues her vocals in the beginning of "The Race of Recovery", "Erase me, don't tell me, I'll take you far away from here". The song is the ultimate highlight of the second volume. The beat and synths may bring the sound closer to dance-pop, but who cares?! The vocal duet between Tanja and Wulf stands out here! It departs from the harshness of Antagonist while still having heavy riffing, allowing that masterpiece composition to dominate. We have some nice verses in "A Clouded Mind" with cool industrial beats. Lots of amazing synths and vocals to add more electro-industrial to the metal. "Is the Sunrise Coming" shows that industrial/cyber metal doesn't have to be as heavy as Fear Factory. Departing from Antagonist the most is "Unconditional", heading into early 2000s Theatre of Tragedy. The complex "This is the New Age" adds to the bridge from the first volume. "A Separate Way" is a magical conclusion to this part.

"Vol. 3 - Prelude" is cool but again should've been part of the actual intro... "Closure" is a nice calm before the storm. "No Turning Back" blasts off with amazing melodies, rhythms, and synths, for another soaring cyber/industrial metal experience. That one actually triumphs over "Triumph" which is starting to get predictable at this point when attempt to add background ambience behind guitar riffing. Then we have a different highlight "The Difference" which peaks as an adventure within an adventure. Everything's so mesmerizing in the beats, guitars, and vocals, and the synths and piano add to the gothic melancholy. "A New Tomorrow" leans a little too far into electropop, more fitting for a club hit. The ultimate highlight of this entire playlist is the 7-minute instrumental epic "Decipher". It's surprising because it's just the soft ethereal new age of Enigma and Vangelis. This atmospheric mini-journey is in a similar vein to the softer half of Blue Screen Planet. Beautiful and suitable for the end or near-end of a Sphere playlist.

The Decipher Volumes is for any metalhead who wants both atmospheric and heavy. The structures and production in these dynamic songs are pretty much what the Neurotech sound is all about. This project should really get more attention and bring honor to the industrial/cyber metal name....

Favorites: "The Cyber Waltz", "Below These Scars", "Let the Healing Begin", "The Race of Recovery", "A Clouded Mind", "This is the New Age", "A Separate Way", "No Turning Back", "The Difference", "Decipher"

My cyber metal journey is a bit of an odd one when it comes to exploring the most underrated bands in this genre that's also underrated. I've come across impressive blends of guitar, synths, and symphonics that make up the genre, but at the same time ended up encountering some near-failures. Neurotech's 2011 debut Antagonist has that strange phenomenon. Though in Wulf's defense, this was before he started adding more variation in the EPs that followed.

Thinking positively, I'd like to point out how otherworldly the synths are. I'm talking about the epic orchestral programming that has reminded me of what Mechina started doing in their second album Conqueror that year. However, just like Conqueror, not everything is good...

The title opener tries to combine Insomnium-esque mid-paced melodeath with string-infused EDM, but it doesn't come out as well as it should. We get a better deal of cyber orchestra in "Inject Me Now". That and "Nonexistent" have synth melodies taking you through the universe. If The Kovenant and Sybreed made their own cyber metal collab, that's what it would like. "Awaiting Deception" tries a little too hard to cram in the piano/strings of Fleshgod Apocalypse into that gothic cyber metal track.

"The Angst Zeit" has a greater sense of extreme, with more dramatic keys and black metal-ish growls to remind me of Shade Empire. Those vocals are well-delivered but can only please metalheads who have gotten used to Sybreed, variation and all. Still that doesn't mean the strength of Sybreed is present, when it' s more atmosphere-focused. "The Mannequin March" is unlike the other tracks that are all within the 4-minute length, this one being a short two and a half minutes. And it's just a weak failure. "A Hollow Impression" impresses me with the progressiveness of 90s Anacrusis, yet it sounds too hollow for a track from a debut album. First impressions are important, metalheads!

"Towards Tedious Nightmare" sounds too tedious in their attempt to add the electronics of Crossfaith and Sonic Syndicate into the mix. The better side of the album comes back with the best highlight, "We are the Last". The first 45 seconds have a sweet blend of epic orchestration and heavy riffing. "The Sky is Always Open" closes the album greatly to show that there's hope in the later part of Neurotech's career.

It takes talent and creativity to make something wonderful. Wulf certainly has those skills in Antagonist. The production is so smooth and let the guitars and synths shine. The balance between the keys and chords create a mystical sound that anyone should find. On the other hand, it sounds a little too tame in some songs, like you can't listen to them without trying to find something else to do to pass the time. This kind of flaw is problematic when making an album filled with the industrial/symphonic combo that is cyber metal. Antagonist is still good, just needs to be better improved. Neurotech would start building its way up afterwards....

Favorites: "Inject Me Now", "Nonexistent", "The Angst Zeit", "We are the Last", "The Sky is Always Open"

I've seen the name Future Palace float around, especially when my brother was listening to one of their songs and I liked it enough to submit it to a Gateway playlist earlier this year (as of this review). Now I decided to check out and review one of their albums. I think I've gained the incentive after Saxy's review for their new album Distortion appeared on the site. Of course, the album I've chosen isn't that, but the one that starts with that song...

As the 2020s train rolls on, modern metal bands are not afraid to tear down the barrier between metal and mainstream even further. Future Palace has helped out with their metalcore-ish alt-metal style. With clear production and consistent sound, their second album Run is a lot of fun! (cheesy rhyme, I know)

"Paradise" is that song I've hinted at above. Nice glitch-ish effect to go with this female-led alt-metal/rock sound. Once we get into "Dead Inside", I thought it was going to lead into Trivium-esque melodic metalcore of last decade, but then I'm reminded that this is a different band with the charging vocals of Maria Lessing, placed together with the powerful guitarwork of Manuel Kohlert and drumming of Johannes Frenzel. The members have all done their part well and in-sync. "Flames" sounds catchy and exotic at the start before switching into strange electro-trap verses. Fortunately, the strong rock-on chorus makes sure this song is impossible to hate, especially when it gets heavier in the bridge. The heavy punky balance is exemplified further in "Locked". I suspect songs like that are a key influence to the heavier tracks in Linkin Park's From Zero.

Next track "Heads Up" has taken some ideas from the more recent releases of Bring Me the Horizon, plus some of the greatest vocal aggression from Maria. Then things slow down in "Sleep Tight" as Maria sings through a dark dream, allowing listeners a chance to unwind after all that heaviness. "Defeating Gravity" brings the heaviness back in a blend of catchy and vicious. "Roses" can sound so melancholic and malicious, sometimes at the same time. This dynamic track is one of, if not THE, best of the album. However, other songs may fight for that position...

Case in point, the following track "Wounds" has some rawness as the lyrics warn you about internal weak links of a relationship. "A World in Tears" puts forward the band's ideas into a dreamy state while jumping through another strong chorus. With "Loco Loco", the listener is pulled through between melody and heaviness. The finale "Fever" reminds you of how fun modern metal can be. Rather than going all-out heavy, a dance beat leads to upbeat instrumentation for a great catchy ending.

Run is filled with hooky energy that is bound to make you up for more rounds. No matter how much electronica/hip-hop is added to their rock/metal sound, even the classic metalheads can make their turn into the modern scene here. An answer to the question of what a heavier rapping-free take on Linkin Park's From Zero would sound like!

Favorites: "Dead Inside", "Flames", "Heads Up", "Roses", "A World in Tears", "Fever"

Anywhere in the darkest depths of the universe lies a massive vortex of terror and doom. Nothing close to it can escape, and it can even engulf light. It can pull things apart and stretch them thin until they break and scatter particles all around. And when it's all over, the dark void remains. If an offering of progressive death-doom can really work as a soundtrack to this bleak deadly phenomenon, this band knows how to do it right. Welcome...to the Black Hole District!

Two years after their previous album Kosmodrom, this Paris-based doom band, founded by guitarist Sylvain Bégot as a side-project to the defunct Anthemon, released a new album via Hammerheart Records. Black Hole District alternates between one-minute intros and EXACTLY 10-minute epics (a similar aspect to Neurotech's Symphonies II).

In atmospheric mist stands "They Wake Up at Dusk", a soothing intro. "Sentience Amidst the Lights" begins this dark heavy experience, guiding you with spoken vocals before descending into slow rhythms, melodic leads, and vocals ranging from growls to cleans. Next interlude "Elusive Whispers" has melancholic ambient keys. Adding some gentle touches is "To Wander the Labyrinth", then heavy riffs and rhythms touch down alongside the growling delivery, while balanced out with clean harmonies.

The energy is never lost, even when interlude "Suspicion" only consists of spoken vocals over ambience. "Unveiling the Illusion" unleashes guitar aggression in contrast with the string tranquility. Truly one of the greatest standouts here! Calming things down is interlude "Benefit or Hazard", though not without some anxiety-inducing suspense.

"On the Run to Nowhere" is filled with gothic harmony and interesting progressiveness for the more adventurous metalheads' pleasure. One more interlude "Moonfall" opens the entryway to the darkest part of the void. "Those Moments Lost in Time" is the perfect climax of slow doom, as growls and cleans battle it out once more. Sometimes it speeds up slightly while keeping the slow pace. And in the end, all fades away as you hear the spoken voice for the last time.

Black Hole District is for those who want to end the year in the darkest, most melancholic way possible. Sometimes, progressive death-doom can be so intriguing, and just like a black hole, it can grasp every soul it can find. Even the brightest soul!

Favorites: All 5, but the best of them are "Sentience Amidst the Lights", "Unveiling the Illusion", "Those Moments Lost in Time"

The 80s thrash tsunami occurred mostly in the US, the UK, and Germany, but one band from Brazil has propelled that country into the scene. Sepultura brought Brazilian thrash metal forward with albums Beneath the Remains and Arise. Though longtime thrash fans were turned off by their switch to groove metal in Chaos A.D. and the more Korn-ish nu metal of Roots. After that, frontman Max Cavalera quit the band, followed by his brother drummer Igor a decade later. The band has continued to stay active, all the way up to this year (as of my review), when they started a farewell tour that will last until 2026. I actually hadn't experienced an entire Sepultura album, not even during my ultimate Pit test a couple years earlier, until now. Although it's unusual to start with the band's possible final album before retiring, let's hear what they got in Quadra!

More often than not, when a thrash band tries to relive their 80s era of destruction and mayhem, it doesn't reach the same glory as that era. However, the thrash sound in this album has been given more modern depth, and whether or not you've only heard one of Max Cavalera's other projects like Nailbomb or Soulfly beforehand, you can't resist the tribal heaviness of this band now led by top-notch vocalist Derrick Green. Bassist Paulo Jr. and guitarist Andreas Kisser have kept the band going throughout their history, heating things up with the riffing and shredding. And we have the rocket-powered drumming of Eloy Casagrande, who didn't stick around for the farewell tour. Quadra is an album of 4 different 3-track sections that practically pay tribute to their different eras. I'll name them after 4 of the classical elements; the "Thrash Fire", the "Groove Earth", the "Progressive Water", and the "Melodic Air".

The "Thrash Fire" section kicks off with the blazing epic opening track "Isolation", where an orchestral march leads into high-speed chaos. "Means to an End" blasts through with the thrash/groove metal of The Haunted, though the verses remind me of the heavier tracks by Demon Hunter. "Last Time" is filled with relentless shredding.

The "Groove Earth" section starts with "Capital Environment" which can go progressive and deathly without going far into the stylistic territory of, say, Job for a Cowboy. More groove-ish riffing can be found in "Ali". That, along with marching beats and bellowed vocals, brushes aside the shredding leads without losing too much melody. Stomping in again with that groove is "Raging Void", with lots of mid-tempo rage and none of the nu metal tomfoolery.

The "Progressive Water" section begins with "Guardians of Earth", as orchestral/choral sounds rise just like in the opening tracks of the first two sections, evolving into an epic progressive groove/thrash fest. It's only surpassed by the progressive thrash instrumental "The Pentagram", one h*ll of a journey that can be considered the Quadra Crusade. "Autem" is once again as progressive as Waltari, though sometimes it has the more melodic yet deathly verses of Mercenary. The other two tracks in this section still reign in the progressive throne though.

The "Melodic Air" section is introduced with the acoustic title instrumental. The rest of this section has two melodic heavy metal/hard rock tracks that are so unlike the other 3 sections. "Agony of Defeat" is a soft while still heavy power ballad, like a metallic Led Zeppelin. Far From Alaska vocalist Emmily Barreto guest appears in the "Fear, Pain, Chaos, Suffering", though her vocals don't really sound powerful compared to Derrick Green. The song is a bit underwhelming, and I prefer the other track in that section.

Sepultura's career has made it up to album #15 with Quadra. Anyone who has enjoyed Sepultura since before their move out of thrash 30 years ago will find something to love, and those who came here for progressive energy and/or earthly groove will be in luck. This blend of thrash and groove is similar to Slayer's final album Repentless, only lightyears better and more progressive. I think Quadra can win back earlier Sepultura fans while also bring newcomers who have spent time with music from bands like Machine Head and Gojira. The possible final offering from these Brazilian thrash masters shall be worth it for any metalhead!

Favorites: "Isolation", "Means to an End", "Raging Void", "Guardians of Earth", "The Pentagram", "Agony of Defeat"

Holy sugar honey iced tea! System of a Down's Shavo Odadjian decided to go on a more metalcore route with his new band in which the title is an acronym for his first name, Seven Hours After ViOlet. He has formed a solid lineup that includes American Idol runner-up Alejandro Aranda and members of deathcore bands Left to Suffer and Winds of Plague to create a good album of alt-metalcore, released via Sumerian Records a couple months before this review.

Shavo still has what it takes in the nearly two decades after System of a Down's last duo of albums. His latest entrance into metalcore has given the scene more exciting light. A creative impact has marked this territory...

Kicking things off hard is the heavy "Paradise" in which fast rhythms and grooves stick together with some clean melodies. Then we have "Alive" which marks a wild melodic metalcore standout. After that one-two punch, "Sunrise" doesn't impress me so much when the heaviness and melody lack balance. At least the clean/harsh chorus keeps it interesting. Still it's not really a track to start with on a whim.

Now we really go hard in "Go!" which, f***ing h*ll, is so insane! Lots of speed and destruction from the music and vocals, with a fun anthemic chorus. Then "Float" floats by with forced melody that comes out a little too plain. But I love the short intense beast that is "Glink". Forget "Cry...", it's too much of a dramatic sh*tter.

Stomping through is the mesmerizing "Abandon". The grand "Radiance" can lure any listeners in, and you can't escape its grasp of power. As we reach the album's final leg, "Gloom" sounds compelling though doesn't reach its potential strength. Neither does the finale "Feel" while still having some power to engage listeners. Pretty much a decent ending for this cool offering.

Any fan of System of a Down would be curious enough to discover this band and album. It's a love it or hate it kind of album, but for me it's somewhere in the middle. I'll see you all later, perhaps after Violet....

Favorites: "Paradise", "Alive", "Go!", "Glink", "Radiance"

The talented Novembre know how to please their longtime listeners. Their 1994 debut Wish I Could Dream It Again suffered from poor production and execution and ended up out of print. One year after their 4th album Novembrine Waltz, the band decided to re-record their debut with a new name, Dreams d'Azur. Now this is a much better take on that album! One that has kept those earlier listeners in joy until the band's next album Materia 4 years later...

So what are the differences between this album and the original debut, apart from the more obvious facts? There's more unique atmosphere to let the different parts really shine, whether it's the extreme heaviness in the drums, guitars, and growls, or the smooth melody from the acoustics, keyboards, and cleans that are greatly improved compared to the debut. The structures greatly set up the bridge between extreme and melancholic. There's great flow with some slight choppiness. Beautiful dreamy lyrics cover all the songs, with one of them written in Italian.

Still reigning as one of my favorites is "The Dream of the Old Boats". Ambient keys and guitars roll into drums and vocals that become more climatic in every minute. Perfect! "Novembre" can be considered the band's theme song, not just in the name but also when it shows you all the band really has. The soft long part heads straight into extreme growling and drumming speed. "Nottetempo" sounds close to mid-90s The Gathering instrumentally. Then we have some black metal rage in "Let Me Hate".

Then we have the filthy yet gothic "Sirens in Filth" that gradually grows just like in some of the earlier tracks. I love "Swim Seagull in the Sky" in both the debut and this re-recording, though the version in the latter has more power. The two-minute ending still rules with all of its f***ing glory. "The Music" continues to shine after being revamped. Calm keyboards make way for upbeat riffing melodies and better-flowing clean singing. Soon the drums and guitars jackhammer through alongside growls in heavier parts. "Marea" is a 3-part 12-minute epic that actually combines two tracks originally in the debut. Calm acoustics aside, it's a vast improvement and another awesome track here!

"Old Lighthouse Tale" is fast and extreme while having slight doom. "The White Eyed" is another solid track to love. "Neanderthal Sands" has some slow sinister melody. And some people thought they could only get sinister vibes from fast deathly thrash bands like Demolition Hammer. "Christal" ends the album with soft gothic ambience, like you have just woken up from a dream.

Dreams d'Azur truly is a stronger revamp of Wish I Could Dream It Again, and you can practically all the different styles in the late 90s eras of Opeth and Katatonia. Any fan of those bands should add this album to their collection. The progressive/gothic/black metal dream is real....

Favorites: "The Dream of the Old Boats", "Novembre", "Swim Seagull in the Sky", "The Music", "Marea", "The White Eyed"

I've listened to Novembre for a couple months then turned away from this band. Their 1994 debut is probably why. Re-recorded in 2002 under the name Dreams D’Azur, Wish I Could Dream It Again was produced with prolific Edge of Sanity frontman Dan Swanö, and what do we get?... F***ing poor production and execution, that's what.

Now I have heard early Ulver before via one of their black metal albums a year before this review, so I know lo-fi production when I hear it. But this sh*t makes Nattens Madrigal sounds clean in comparison. While it has some nostalgic vibes, it sounds more like a dream than reality, and I don't mean it in a good way. The instrumentation not having enough emotion does not help with the low mix. The harsh vocals sound a little too breathless, but they aren't as bad as the g****mn awful singing.

Not everything has gone down to sh*t though, as we still have some killer tracks with a stable formula, starting with "The Dream of the Old Boats". 5 tracks later, "Swim Seagull in the Sky" starts with a keyboard intro that's more depressing than depressive, but when the guitars roll in, they actually sound more powerful than the monotone that has dragged through most of the other tracks, though the soloing still slightly annoys me. The two-minute ending is perhaps the best moment of this ill-fated album, with all of its f***ing glory. "The Music" is also filled with nice music.

So yeah, that's pretty much all the highlights there. Really. The heavier black metal sections sound too dirty, the cleaner parts are too weak, and... F*** the more acoustic tracks. The album is passible while not really worth returning to at all. If you're looking for other albums of progressive/gothic/black metal, there are way better ones out there. And this was the same band who would make what I thought was a masterpiece in Arte Novecento a couple years later....

Favorites (only ones I like): "The Dream of the Old Boats", "Swim Seagull in the Sky", "The Music"

A few years ago, I really loved Opeth. I understood the essential status of this band within the progressive metal scene. But my interest faded out when I thought they were never going to return to their heavier deathly roots after 4 albums of 70s folk-ish prog-rock. However, the future I predicted has changed when the first single of their new album The Last Will and Testament came out. The brutal heaviness and growls are back! Though there would still be some of the softness the band has had since Heritage...

In a way, this album can be considered the Linkin Park From Zero of Opeth. After a poor metal-less era, the band takes us through the ages. While the rock-ish sections pick up where In Cauda Venenum left off, the heavier compositions will make you remember Blackwater Park, and the balance is closer to that of Watershed.

The songs are shorter and untitled, just a heads-up as I start talking about the aforementioned first track and single "§1". It kicks things off in a bang as the heaviest the band has gone in over 15 years. There's also some spoken vocals by Mirjam, daughter of Mikael Åkerfeldt. Going further down into Opeth's deathly progressive roots "§2". Some background vocals can be heard by Joey Tempest, the lead vocalist of Europe. "§3" is also heavy while keeping some mystical moments from the previous 4 albums.

"§4" is my favorite track in this album. The riffs and rhythms flow together perfectly. Generally, the folk-prog of Heritage is given a darker heavier treatment complete with growls. Next song "§5" has more of the softer prog from their 2010s era while making space for the heavier parts for another well-balanced highlight.

"§6" is the song that is the most likely In Cauda Venenum outtake, as the vocals, bass, and drums return to that clean jazzy vibe for the most part. "§7" is the last part of the album's main concept, another dramatic journey through darkness and light, leading to a climatic ending with everyone singing Latin vocals before grand violins mark the conclusion. The finale "A Story Never Told" is the only track with an actual title, a beautiful ballad with harmonic vocals and soloing.

The Last Will and Testament is a true comeback for Opeth's metal roots, filled with brutal growls, heavy rhythms, and complex drumming by new member Waltteri Väyrynen. It's a great offering that, while still a little prog rock-ish, is what many metalheads have asked for. Lots more potential for me to resume listening to this band in the future....

Favorites: "§1", "§4", "§5", "§7"

In 2013, one year after this release came out, Sybreed vocalist Benjamin Nominet call it quits before they were supposed to tour with Soilwork. The band had to cancel the tour, and instead of trying to find a new vocalist, they gave up and disbanded. An unfortunate end to this leading band of industrial/cyber metal...

Sybreed was formed in 2003 in Switzerland, a country in Europe surrounded by other countries like Germany, France, and Italy, and sharing the same languages as those countries. This band blends industrial metal with elements of other styles including the groove metal of Devildriver, the djent of Meshuggah, and even a dash of black metal. Their 4th album God is an Automaton is one last trip through this experimental cyber dimension.

Drum roll please, literally, for "Posthuman Manifesto", with a slow buildup into a great riff groove. It is then twisted into the usual blend of drums, synths, and clean/unclean vocals. There's also a clean bridge to get you geared up for the clean final chorus. And if that first song doesn't refresh you enough, "No Wisdom Brings Solace" certainly will, starting with the usual groove-ish industrial metal. Electronics and distorted cleans soar through the verses. Any open-minded listener can appreciate this bridge between industrial and groove. The album starts really hitting highlight status in "The Line of Least Resistance". Holy f***, this cyber metal sound is just too good not to listen! "Red Nova Ignition" has more of that groove-ish industrial metal and the additional of electronics and singing. The riffs, blasts, and time signature changes rule in that one!

The well-composed title track includes colorful soloing. Guitar solos were rare for the band up to that point. The intro and the midsection of "Hightech Versus Lowlife" sound so brutal as part of the cyber/industrial metal greatness. "Downfall Inc." does not have the variation I expect from this band. It's quite a drop in quality compared to the previous track, and the weakest one they've ever done. Disposing of some of that weakness is the catchy mainstream-ish "Challenger", which is heavier while throwing in some keyboards, a balance mastered in Antares. Nominet's vocals sound the best here, with somber cleans going well with his raging growls. So unique!

"A Radiant Daybreak" starts with sludge-ish groove in the riffing and blazing drumming. The mix of heavy riffing and clean singing really adds to the originality. "Into the Blackest Light" is another heavy banger going f***ing hard especially in the midsection breakdown. The 10-minute finale "Destruction and Bliss" is the best track here. It starts djenty as heavy rhythms fill the atmosphere. The best part is the kick-A solo by Travis Montgomery of Threat Signal. The perfect farewell from Sybreed!

One other minor issue to note for this album is the lack of audible bass. Brushing that aside, this revolutionary band made their last attack. They've recently returned with a Slave Design remaster and a new track, but if they can make more than just that, and return to performing live, that's what the cyber metal realm really needs.....

Favorites: "The Line of Least Resistance", "Red Nova Ignition", "Hightech Versus Lowlife", "Challenger", "Into the Blackest Light", "Destruction and Bliss"