Shadowdoom9 (Andi)'s Reviews

I just realized my long-lasting digging for older industrial metal and metalcore albums from the 90s will soon reach its end. I've pretty much tackled almost every essential 90s release from those two genres! Another album to tackle in the industrial metal part of my list is this one from the side-project of a couple extreme Horde bands. Meathook Seed is an Obituary/Napalm Death side-project than turned out to be pretty great in the debut album Embedded. It takes on an aggressive industrial death metal sound, in which some of the elements would be re-used by Napalm Death next year, even having a bit of Napalm Death's grind. There's barely any relation in sound to Obituary, showing how adventurous that side of the project can be. Performing in a style from the main bands is a risky fire-player, but ultimately it works out quite well.

Embedded has some grace in their deathly industrial metal assault, adding in the repetitive yet amazing sound of Ministry and Godflesh and twisting in with deathly heaviness, alongside memorable riffs to keep you hooked. Mitch Harris has the guitar fury of Napalm Death that actually works better for me in this album. Donald Tardy drums through pummeling destruction, but he gets paired with a drum machine in some tracks, which is OK since he just obliterates it! Trevor Peres' vocals are killer, ranging from growling to shouting, though I prefer the former.

The crushing opener "Famine Sector" is, without a doubt, one of the best songs of this industrial death metal blend! I don't have much to describe its greatness. "A Furred Grave" has the best of Peres' vocal alternation. They continue to roll in "My Infinity", though a bit monotonous. "Day of Conceiving" viciously punches through in sludgy grind.

"Cling to an Image" is the second-best song of the album (behind its opener), in which dynamic beats intertwine with the complex guitar. "A Wilted Remnant" is a bit more electronic, though this is the industrial/noise kind of electronic sound, nowhere near as trance-y as bands like The Browning. The most talented Harris has been in this offering is "Forgive", where he breaks down the structural walls to let his riffs run wild in different directions without any tiring guitar solo.

"Focal Point Blur" has more power in the beats and riffs to get you buckled up for the ride. It can be bumpy for the inexperienced listeners, but once you get more experience, you can be able to cope and understand. Let it immerse you or not! The title instrumental gets on my nerves, but it's still decent. "Visible Shallow Self" is one more metal track with the electronics displayed that are far closer to the industrial of Fear Factory than the trance of Iwrestledabearonce. "Sea of Tranquility" is just 14 minutes of full-on industrial, complete with ambient loops, simple drums, and noisy feedbacks. Is that where the name of that website Sea of Tranquility came from? Probably...

Meathook Seed themselves have even manned the production for the album, and it's at a Colin Richardson kind of professional level. The rich sound lets you hear all the guitars, drums, and electronics there are, despite the layers of the latter sounding a bit buried. It's given this industrial death metal album the right atmospheric vibe. Works well for a run through an old abandoned factory in a mutant zombie apocalypse. Bummer the lineup that made something this pleasantly deathly wasn't meant to last....

Favorites: "Famine Sector", "A Furred Grave", "Cling to an Image", "Forgive", "Focal Point Blur", "Visible Shallow Self"

3 bands, Godflesh, Ministry, and KMFDM, started in the early 80s, but did not start metalizing their electronic/industrial sound until the late 80s (Godflesh and Ministry) and mid-90s (KMFDM). In between, Pitchshifter was formed in the same year as the release of Godflesh's Streetcleaner, as one of the first bands to fully start as industrial metal, with their 1991 album Industrial! Don't think of this band as a Godflesh rip-off though. They've worn their influences on a sleeve, rather than an entire suit.

One thing to make sure Pitchshifter isn't simply copying Godflesh is, they're closer to thrash-ish territory. The Godflesh-like sludge and the Killing Joke-like punk is blended with other sounds for something unique...

"Landfill" is a prime example of using Godflesh's industrial metal formula. They just repeat the same riff throughout, and even the lyrics are minimal. It's just "Hate, I hate, hate, I hate you motherf***er, drown, bleed, I wish you could." They even mix in a few samples with slow guitars/drums. Despite the repetition, I enjoy that one. Fear Factory made their own cover of that song over two decades later. Truly brutal in the bleak yet pleasant rhythm is "Brutal Cancroid".

"Gravid Rage" is another highlight of industrial metal machinery with convincing growls by Mark Clayden. Oh yeah, Mark is the bassist of the band, but he also performed vocals in this album. His brother J.S. would take over on vocals from their Submit EP onwards, though he's done additional vocals in their debut. Next song "New Flesh" continues the downtuned guitar riffing, alongside vocal samples talking about murder and prison. "Catharsis" is another standout, in which black metal-ish guitar tremolos plays over doomy sludge, maintaining the industrial mix.

"Skin Grip" has some of Pantera's forceful groove, but it's still a pummeling crusher like in Fear Factory's debut album next year. "Inflammator" has some riffing that nicely give you the feeling of a crash test dummy in a test car slamming into a wall, without actually experience it of course. "Eye" is an ominous ending for the album, with the usual unique crushing riffs that can let industrial metal fans see eye-to-eye.

Any Godflesh fan can enjoy this debut album from Pitchshifter. While they have a slightly better sound in their next album Desensitized, Industrial shows how influenced and influential they've been. They started out pretty great, but they would have a more solidified sound a couple years later....

Favorites: "Landfill", "Gravid Rage", "Catharsis", "Skin Grip"

In the first half of the 2000s, metalcore was on the rise in the hardcore punk part of the rock spectrum, whereas the extreme metal part condemned it as mediocre. Bands at the time like Between the Buried and Me, Burnt by the Sun, and The Red Chord sound so original to the more hardcore ears, yet the originality is invisible to metal purists. This band, Premonitions of War had just been signed to popular hardcore label Victory after releasing an EP via Goodfellow records. That EP, The True Face of Panic was a massive boost in maturity compared to the disaster that was their debut EP. And I think there's more maturity to come in their sole full album...

Sounding like an attempt to revive Coalesce's sound during that band's hiatus, Premonitions of War had leveled up their quality slightly more in Left in Kowloon. With the album at the hands of Victory, the more extreme hardcore fans can really dig into the action. It's really short at just 26 minutes, following the hardcore trait of studio albums as short as EPs. Their intentions was short sweet songwriting, and they've achieved that goal!

"Mother Night Revisited" opens with an explosion of the aforementioned The Red Chord/Burnt by the Sun influences, sounding punishing yet inspiring. "Layover" is a short slaying track. The one-minute "Night Soil" is an impressive short achievement. In the incredible "Stolen Breath", There are precise changes in the tempo and rhythm.

One track "One Constant Volume" is a bit funny when it comes to the title and the Cookie Monster-esque death growls. Then we have the longest track of the album, the 5-minute highlight "Black Den", taking the brutal sludge of the first two Isis albums. After that is another 5-minute track, "Cables Hum Overhead". However, that's just a noise track that broke the flow from the previous song. I feel up to skipping that sh*t! "Citizen" has a bit of the progressive that Northlane would have later, to add to the deathly mathcore sound Premonitions of War is known for.

Showing a bit of the sludge of Mastodon at that time is "The Octopus" (interesting foreshadowing of Mastodon's "Octopus Has No Friends"). "Covered in Blood" has some slower experimentation while obviously not as experimental as Dog Fashion Disco. "Capsule Hotel" shows how much different a Revolution band can be compared to, say, Enter Shikari. And finally, we have the stoner-ish "Dim Light District".

I would find more enjoyment in Left in Kowloon if not for the band's the attempt to extend the album's short length with a noise track that lowers its f***ing memorability. Nonetheless, Premonitions of War had set up the greatness of the genre that was in the first two EPs, especially the first. Well done, PoW! Please come back soon.....

Favorites: "Mother Night Revisited", "Night Soil", "Stolen Breath", "Black Den", "Citizen", "Covered in Blood"

Everyone's gotta have past trauma sometime in their life. Even I had these kinds of painful experiences in the past. Sometimes you gotta battle those harrowing struggles or just accept them. You might get to move on, but if you're unable to do so, there are better ways in life than just taking the devastating but painless way out. Black Veil Brides' melodic metalcore debut will motivate you by detailing the somber sorrow while giving it optimistic light. It's the greatest the band has even been!

The story of frontman Andy Biersack is a clear example of these problems and how to overcome them. When he was a kid, he started taking on punk aesthetics since his father was in a punk band. This happened before the emo scene took off, and bands from the then-rising scene of nu metal had their own looks. Andy's "emo" look made him a victim to bullying complete with insults and slurs. Luckily, he lived on, and now that he's in a band that can dress up as they did in high school, with the audience members in the same attire, he is no longer alone. He never regretted all that was bad, and it all gave him the strength and inspiration to be where he is today.

"The Outcasts (Call to Arms)" is a 30-second intro spoken by Andy's grandfather Urban Flanders, introducing the band and the purpose of the album to the listener. The title track crashes in with catchy leads and Andy's pleasant vocals. His cleans had yet to improve in quality, but that doesn't stop the perfect glory of this album. My favorite parts of the track are the breakdown and soloing with enjoyable energy. Plus we have some wonderful motivation atmosphere overall. Awesome start to this offering! "Beautiful Remains" is a little softer while still having the metalcore heaviness. The drums and vocals are well-crafted. The gang-led pre-chorus flows smoothly to one of the most beautiful choruses of the album. "Children Surrender" has cleaner melodies to remind me of old-school Trivium.

"Perfect Weapon" is a superb track with catchy guitarwork in the chorus and bridge. The metaphorical lyrics fit perfectly for anyone in the most dire situations. "Knives and Pens" has similar riffing to that Avenged Sevenfold song "Unholy Confessions", and that actually beats that one! This is what got me interested in this band, despite dumping those metalcore roots in subsequent albums. SO AWESOME!!! "The Mortician’s Daughter" takes a break from the metalcore action for an acoustic ballad. Soft violins and piano cover the song in serenity. "All Your Hate" picks the pace back up, as each section stands out as its own.

Picking it up further is "Heaven's Calling" with wild drumming and power metal-ish guitar melodies. The guitars have less focus in "Never Give In", but it allows the somber atmosphere and percussion to shine. The motivational lyrics you can be addicted to as much as the mighty instrumentation. Slowing down slightly with melodic guitars is "Sweet Blasphemy" which is a little cliche while still good. One more ballad "Carolyn" has some sweet guitar soloing mixed in with acoustics to bring light to darkness.

Sometimes you can find positivity within tragedy and trouble, and it shows you that you can't give up on the precious gift of life. You can't stay silent when harsh mysteries haunt you in this world. So overcome your struggles and look for as much help as you can. And this grand masterpiece of motivation can help be your savior!

Favorites: "We Stitch These Wounds", "Beautiful Remains", "Perfect Weapon", "Knives and Pens", "All Your Hate", "Never Give In"

I was planning on ending my Black Veil Brides album reviewing journey on The Phantom Tomorrow without doing any of the EPs. But then I remembered The Mourning EP and how amazing it is. In this EP, the alt-metal path the band has been taking ends up cutting into classic heavy metal with, thankfully, none of the glam sh*t of Set the World on Fire. Now this is the closest they've gone to the perfect glory of their metalcore debut!

The Mourning came out just a year after The Phantom Tomorrow. Both that album and this EP were written in the band's darkest times, with the 2019 departure of longtime bassist Ashley Purdy, followed shortly by COVID. Produced by Erik Ron, best known for his work with Godsmack and Bush, The Mourning is truly a heartful piece to behold.

Kicking things off is "Devil", that clearly shows the band taking out their COVID-fueled frustration to make something heavy. Up next is "Savior II", the sequel track to one of the only enjoyable tracks in Set the World on Fire. Even then, I love this sequel track much more, and I've never heard anything else from this band as beautiful as that. Then we have the powerful "The Revival". After that, "Better Angels" closes the EP with the band staying true to what they are.

I sense a lot of pride this band here. Even with just 4 tracks, what more can you ask for?! Perhaps this EP and Bleeders can be great early hints at an upcoming album. I also hope they would bring back some of the metalcore from their debut as well. If this really is the start of a brand-new promising era, bring it on!

Favorites: "Savior II", "Better Angels"

It's strange how whenever For the Fallen Dreams reach the perfect top for one or a few albums, the next one loses its steam and would have to build itself back up again. Although their new self-titled album isn't the worst they've done (that entitlement goes to Wasted Youth), the drop in quality is more understandable, show the band as a more alt-metalcore band than metalcore. Still around half of the album is worth it...

For the Fallen Dreams has been active for over 20 years, often hit by lineup changes, while founding guitarist Jim Hocking does what it takes to keep his band alive. The band's new album is their first in 5 years and with a new label, Arising Empire. As good as this album is, it doesn't stand a chance against most of their earlier discography.

It's clear how determined the band is, straight from the opener "Re-Animate". The massive chorus will hook you up from the get-go, as dramatic energy flows. "What If?" takes on rapid drumming, while adding interesting variety with rapping verses. "Last One Out" turns the aggression up to full gear. Yet within the heaviness is the melodic emotion to put everything in splendid balance.

"Without You" has more heartful effect. The riffs and leads make something so crushing yet sentimental. "Testify" is filled with moshing aggression. Intricate drums lead to a massive breakdown. "Searching..." has too much of a familiar formula. Impressive but not really amazing. "Suprapersonal" has more faithful tones and stealthy chaos.

"No Heaven" cranks things up in headbanging power. You also get to hear some fist-pumping soloing. "Sulfate" has ravaging grooves to tear you apart. With momentum in the heavy/melodic contrast kept steady, another highlight has been scored. The metalcore sound is given an industrial treatment in "Lavender" as drama and violence collide. "Chemicals" closes the album with the last bit of their fire and fury here.

For the Fallen Dreams has made some more of their good solid tunes in this self-titled offering of passion despite more derailment than most of their other releases. Some songs could've used more elevation for something different. Still they know how to ride the modern metalcore tides....

Favorites: "Re-Animate", "Last One Out", "Testify", "No Heaven", "Sulfate"

20 years ago, people were thinking of hardcore as a "dead" genre, but I found some releases that show how mighty the genre was (and still is) back then. One example is Animosity's debut, a short yet strong assault of thrashy deathgrind/hardcore! Not as chaotic as The Red Chord, but quite vicious in the hardcore riffing.

Shut It Down is perhaps one of the most brutal extreme metal albums that I really enjoy. That's helped out by the caustic guitar, not the over-prominent snare. While not too devastating and definitely not melodic, metalcore riffing gets morphed into deathly monsters. The growls are too harsh for emocore kids, while the screams are too shrill for death metal fans. However, it's all balanced out, so people can mosh and stomp around during shows. The deathly hardcore grind will blow you away!

The 45-second "Intro" builds up the metal strength smoothly. Then the nearly 3-minute long "Grey Skies" unleashes the might of their deathcore groove from the two different coasts, even having some Undying-like melody. There aren't any acoustic ballads in this album, unlike albums from other hardcore bands, just brutal deathly weight. "Instilling the Affliction" has the brutal deathcore of Make Them Suffer, but with obviously no symphonics at all. "Saved" has the most deathly breakdown of the album in the second half, and d*mn it's cool! That proves that some deathcore breakdowns can be worth enjoying.

"24 More" has some metalcore riffing to remind me of Living Sacrifice. "Leashes" has some more deathly music unleashed. "Fake Blood" continues their deathgrind/core sound while almost being as mathy as Car Bomb.

"Anti-Kingdom" sounds like the kind of song to give you more excessive caffeine than coffee. "Terminal Existence" is absolute death metal punisher. Surely you can't find anything more deathly from this band than in that song. "Life Advocate" is the final track, and one more to be 3 minutes long, having some of the deathcore of Despised Icon and early Upon a Burning Body.

Any of you open-minded extreme metalheads out there should get this album. You can hear how brutal this band can be, and they were only in their high school teens. One other deathly band that started that young was Decapitated, and you might think of Animosity like a more hardcore take on that band. Young and wild!

Favorites: "Grey Skies", "Saved", "Fake Blood", "Terminal Existence", "Life Advocate"

I f***ing hated the 2000 self-titled debut EP by this band Premonitions of War. It was just deathgrind-infused deathcore f***ed up much more than Damaged and Deformity's Misanthrope EP, enough for me to put it down with a rare one-star rating. That made me hesitant in reviewing another one of their releases...until I decided to check out their second EP. And let me tell you, it's not too great, but a much better improvement that sh*tty debut EP!

Premonitions of War really stepped up their game of math/deathgrind/hardcore. It is a relentless pummeling assault, one that has worked out better than that Mouthbreather EP for me. And so this war begins...

The opening title track fights through this fury, with a quick break in the middle. "Correspondences" has some of the most metal blast-beats I've heard from a metal/hardcore band. The deathgrind sound has some abstract chords, opening a wide tunnel with devastating chaos at its end. "The Best Day Ever" is not really the best here.

"Abomination" is close to a doomy sludge track, though maintaining the usual chaotic hardcore and electronic experimentation. "Hanging Man" continues the mechanical contrast between chords and riffs, ending with industrial beats. "A Minor Correction" is a brief one-minute deathgrind track that has only made a minor impact. The 6-minute closer "I'd Settle for Sleep" makes a bleak ending after scorching growls.

What a wonderfully brutal EP this is, though a small bit of the weakness of the debut EP still remains. The True Face of Panic might just make up for checking out their sole album Left in Kowloon. When I check that one out a few days from now, maybe it would have some massive hardcore destruction....

Favorites: "The True Face of Panic", "Correspondences", "Abomination"

Well sh*t! Once again I've fallen into the trap of expecting The Dillinger Escape Plan, only to stumble upon 7 tracks of far too brutal math/grindcore each with an average length of one f***ing minute, some of which sound like they can be seizure-inducing. The two tracks that I can stand are "Sex Coward" and "Born Dead", the latter having Daughters-like early 2000s mathcore I prefer. I shall get my mathcore elsewhere rather than taking it to some grinding experimentation sh*t....

Favorites (only ones I can stand): "Sex Coward", "Born Dead"

Enslaved is another band I really need to revisit! In Times is known as one of the greatest albums from the band's 2010s era, and was a masterpiece for me when I was still listening to them. But in the past year or so, I've only listened to a couple songs from the band when suggesting some songs for the Infinite playlists. With this nice revisit, let's see what I still think of this album...

I can still hear some greatness from this band. They've never stopped recording and touring yet, and the amazing quality shows. With this album In Times, the band keep up their fearless ascension of their classic progressive black metal sound through the modern age.

"Thurisaz Dreaming" immediately attacks with some black metal blasting, then the dynamic assault calms down for some clean singing. With this mid-tempo groove and melody, you can't go wrong with considering that song a blend of the band's earlier black metal and Dream Theater-like progressive metal. A perfect example of that mix with more progressive emphasis is "Building With Fire" which has proven the power of that sound from as early as Isa.

"One Thousand Years of Rain" roars through the extremeness of black metal while in a progressive mix with hard rock, similarly to that Stone Healer album. A personal highlight for me, "Nauthir Bleeding" has the best of the clean vocals by keyboardist Herbrand Larsen, who would end up leaving the band a year after this album.

The nearly 11-minute title epic continues the line between the complex melody of progressive metal and the violent extremeness of black metal. You can headbang through the leads and riffs in sync with the screams of Grutle Kjellson, and the rest during the ambient breaks. Kicking off "Daylight" is some unusual chord delivery, and the rest of the song pretty much discards much of the band's black metal roots, other than the vocals, for their progressive progression.

There are those purists out there who need to know that just because a band switches from extreme to progressive, doesn't mean they become softer. The progressiveness is blended together with their black metal roots. A beautiful and beastly offering like In Times needs some attention!

Favorites: "Building With Fire", "Nauthir Bleeding", "In Times"

The black metal that I often prefer is the more melodic/progressive kind, which includes clean singing and no focus on the satanic references the genre is notorious for. That's one of the metal genres I've been shooting for in the last few years (except for a break from that genre for nearly a year). Stone Healer might just be what I need to boost my motivation, with their album Conquistador!

It's very cool how they can connect extreme metal to more accessible pieces of post-metal and folk rock. The result? A solid progressive black metal album with cohesive variation. There may be some wounds here, but they're nicely healed.

"One Whisper" starts acoustic before adding in distortion. Then there's a melodic verse with background cowbell. After the accessible calm comes the shredding black metal storm with vocal intensity. An excellent blend of dynamic and extreme! Next up, "Whence Shall I" has some brutal black metal tones. The drumming and melody often brings things close post-metal at times, which deserves some great praise.

11-minute epic "Surrender" can stun you with its mix of metal aggression and rock melody. The distorted texture is sometimes put aside for an acoustic passage, like the one 4 minutes into the song. The somber melody breaks up the intense action. Then it smoothly evolves back into some more thick metal sections. The instrumentation reaches its ending climax with a bit of Vektor-like thrash. The jazzy guitar of 90s-era Atheist starts "Torrent of Flame" peacefully. Despite laying back, it only lasts for a short while before some strange catchy riffing and more of the progressive black metal sound.

"Until My Will Is Gone" also starts clean in the guitar and vocals, followed by more of the metal fury. Then we have short interlude "Twenty Two". And finally, the closing "Into the Spoke of Night", a fantastic intense finale for this offering. Hell breaks loose in the riffing, in a progressive balance with the band's more melodic side. Talk about a kick-A closing summary of their progressive black metal!

Conquistador shows the band's sharp progressive mix of black metal and elements of melodic rock. Most of the songs naturally evolve with different surprises, and they can be carved into the extreme progressive metal stone....

Favorites: "One Whisper", "Surrender", "Torrent of Flame", "Into the Spoke of Night"

Modern metalcore seems to have discard the hardcore side of the genre, but bringing it back is the perfect triumph of For the Fallen Dreams' 6th album, aptly titled Six! You'll definitely want to stay awake for this d*mn glorious offering. This band founded in Michigan by guitarist Jim Hocking, has had almost as many lineup changes as Canadian thrash band Annihilator since forming in 2003. Their first two albums, Changes and Relentless are two of the best metalcore albums I've heard, though their quality would fall out of line in the poor Wasted Youth. They've toured and borrowed parts of their sound from bands like A Day To Remember, The Ghost Inside, and Norma Jean.

After a 4-year gap, the band consisting of Chad Ruhlig (vocals), Jim Hocking (guitars), Brandon Stastny (bass), and Navid Naghdi (drums) have gone back up to the top while standing by their new direction. There are 10 songs here that will get you pumped up and feeling strong, one of which is actually how I discovered this band, which we'll talk about it once we get there.

The explosive first track/single "Stone" is worth singing and screaming along to, especially in that massive chorus with layers of power from their heavy metalcore/hardcore sound. It is a true blessing to remind us about what metalcore used to be and revive the earlier scene. Stomping in is "The Undertow" with sonic synths to fit in with the pummeling heaviness, in a similar vein to the mid-2010s Bring Me the Horizon and The Word Alive. Moving along is "Unstoppable", which I find more motivational and catchier than that Sia "anthem". Headbanging verses and anthemic choruses will make you feel invincible.

Another stomper, "Forever" can turn a hellish nightmare into a heavenly dream with the bass and synths enhancing sludgy breakdowns. A mix of dark, ethereal, and heavy, all in one! Soaring through is "Burning Season" in the chorus that alight an upbeat yet melancholic flame. "Two Graves" has more sonic atmosphere, as the verses stampede into serene choruses that drift into different dimensions.

"Ten Years" is the song that caused to be interested in this band, via one of my earlier Revolution playlists. Holy f***ing h*ll, I love this furious fire! My brother has listened to a few songs from this band around the time of this album's release, but somehow I never got around there until that playlist. Exploding into some more of the catchy melody is "Hypnosis". Also blasting in is "Void" with a catchy chorus for the live crowd to sing along to, "Some days you feeling like running away". Then we have one final metal storm in "The Storm", having explosive fury that then calms down with gentle piano in the end.

The 2010s was really when metalcore was having far more emphasis on metal than hardcore, but don't get me wrong, I love that kind of metalcore too. Thanks to For the Fallen Dreams, the hardcore side of metalcore that was lost after the early 2000s is in the process of restoration. The modern atmospherics of Bring Me the Horizon and The Word Alive fit perfectly with the b*lls-out hardcore of early Eighteen Visions like a glove. Altogether some killer heaviness not to be skipped!

Favorites: "Stone", "Unstoppable", "Forever", "Ten Years", "The Storm"

For the Fallen Dreams still have heaviness in their hearts. It was about time they made a great return to roots. They learned from their mistakes and were ready to show their true talent to those who missed it...

The Michigan metalcore warriors made it big with their glorious debut Changes. They continued the perfection in Relentless, with a different vocalist to replaced the talented Chad Ruhlig, Dylan Richter who could also scream well. Back Burner was also amazing, but lacked the perfect spark of the first two albums. Then Wasted Youth was a total decrease in quality that left fans wondering "What the h*ll just happened?!" With Ruhlig back on board in Heavy Hearts, you know there's gonna be a return to true form.

Kicking things off hard is "Emerald Blue" with Chad's destructive voice booming back in with a growl of "FIGHT FOR YOUR LIFE!!!" A great start! "Choke" has similar vibes to Vision of Disorder and Bury Tomorrow, and the band can do it all well without choking. "Lights" continues the anthemic metalcore vibe of Bring Me the Horizon at that time.

The Color Morale vocalist Garret Rapp appears in "Dream Eater", performing cleans that sound a bit odd but don't affect too much there. They should've saved the cleans for guitarist Jim Hocking, who started doing clean singing after Richter's departure. 5th track "Bombay" is a total attention seeker in a great way. The blend of heaviness and melody throws back to Changes, albeit in a lower tuning. Perhaps their best song since the late 2000s! However, the lyrical quality seems to drop a bit, so it's still far from the perfect glory of that era. Hocking's stellar are some of the best to accompany Chad's vocals. "Mimic" has the brutality of Upon a Burning Body at that time.

"Endless" deserves more attention as Ruhlig's vocals and Navid Naghdi's drumming make a solid combination. Hocking can perform great clean singing while doing his usual technical guitar melody. Bassist Brandon Stastny doesn't shine much though. Also worth mentioning is the upbeat "Amnesia", having solid lyrics, guitar melodies, and drums. "Unfinished Business" has a similar groove to Every Time I Die. Closing track "Smelling Salt" has a great clean passage by Landon Tewers of The Plot in You.

For the Fallen Dreams managed to ascend back up to the Michigan metalcore throne. Although it can't reach the glory of their first 3 albums, it is a strong return to what they had in those albums and a promising sign of what they've become....

Favorites: "Emerald Blue", "Choke", "Bombay", "Endless", "Amnesia"

Wow... I never thought a metalcore band that was at the top of their game in the first 3 albums would drop down in quality like this. They would've had the potential to keep up their fantastic style of adding melody to the heaviness and metallic hardcore, but Wasted Youth had really disappointed their fans, having gone too far from what they're known for, overdosing on melody and clean singing. I'm sure those fans have migrated to listening to The Ghost Inside where their ex-drummer Andrew Tkaczyk is at now...

Back Burner had a much better balance clean singing and melody with brutal growls and heaviness. Wasted Youth went too deep into the former side. After producing Back Burner, Tom Denney decided to give the band a different writing path that includes emo-sounding choruses which are more suitable in his former band A Day To Remember. They make emo choruses, For the Fallen Dreams make heavy breakdowns. Denney took advantage of the production by making the guitars and harsh vocals sound muddy, while the cleans get more clarity. Now those cleans by Dylan Richter sound forced and lack their earlier power. No wonder Tkaczyk prefers to stay with The Ghost Inside!

Opener "Hollow" sounds promising with the band's heaviest riffing at the time. The melodic chorus and the brutal breakdown are in a better contrast here. Richter's clean in "Resolvent Feelings" sound like they been run through autotune. "Please Don't Hurt" is where Dylan Richter attempts to add a punk edge to his cleans but ends up sounding whiny and turning that song into a draggy disaster. The heavier riffing comes back on in "Until It Runs Out" that can make you feel the moshing adrenaline.

"Sober" is a decently catchy song. "Living a Lie" sounds like it's written the way A Day of Remember had back in their first two albums, and it works quite well. The poppy hooks in the beginning of "Always About You" sound great here and make that track another highlight. "Moving Forward" doesn't really move forward at all, attempting to mix A Day to Remember with As I Lay Dying but ultimately falling flat on the face. Then we have the album's heaviest entry "Your Funeral", yet the guitars and vocals sound too bland and not reaching the heights of their earlier albums.

"When Push Comes to Shove" has some nice surprises that end up spoiled by those d*mn vocals. Interestingly, "No One to Blame" makes a solid highlight despite heading closer to easycore. It has a catchy chorus of gang vocals, and the screams sound more decent. Listening to the short two-minute "Waking Up Alone", I'm appalled by how tone-deaf Richter is even the softest moments. "Pretending" closes this ill-fated album quite heavily, including a powerful breakdown to remind me of what they were.

There's not much that sounded right for this band in their incoherent weakest link, Wasted Youth. But don't worry, For the Fallen Dreams will become better again when the professional writing skills of their former drummer make a comeback in the next round....

Favorites (only songs I really like): "Hollow", "Until It Runs Out", "Living a Lie", "Always About You", "No One to Blame", "Pretending"

Founding drummer Andrew Tkaczyk had been in For the Fallen Dreams throughout the first 8 years of the band's activity. He left the band in early 2011 shortly before the recording of this album Back Burner and joined The Ghost Inside. When Chad Ruhlig returned a couple years later, so would Tkaczyk, albeit in the songwriting department. Another couple years later, Tkaczyk lost his leg in a tour bus crash involving The Ghost Inside, but he's still going strong in his current band.

Despite Tkaczyk's departure from For the Fallen Dreams, the band still have plenty in store in Back Burner! You can't ignore the pounding anthems they've made in this 2011 album to make you join in on the ride.

"Say What You Will" kicks things off with more of the band's heavy metalcore/hardcore determination. The production by Tom Denney, former founding guitarist of A Day to Remember, strikes with gigantic depths. It has helped with the band's much-needed epic tone. "Deep Down Inside" keeps up the idea of spicing up the mundane verse-chorus structure with destructive breakdowns. You'll certainly be hooked by "Complicate the Situation" with your veins pumped up. The live crowd will certainly be fueled up by the riffing, anthemic chorus, and a brutal breakdown to shake the arena. "Only Unopened Arms" shows the band's evolved writing that they put out with all their heart, without having to resort to the usual crushing metal breakdown.

"My Anthem-Like Symphony" continues the idea of adding in an anthemic chorus and heavy breakdown. Crying out for hardcore speed is "The Big Empty" in which the chorus is quite catchy, yet the lyrics are a bit less mature. "Bottom Feeders" is the most unexpected track of the album. It's a soft ballad to act as an intermission for the album. It's actually a good song worth a few listens. "Don't Give Up, Don't Give In" blends fast beats with melody similarly to The Ghost Inside, and it's a massive anthem to burn things up around here. They'll never give up or in!

"The Human Collective" has some solid modern metalcore a bit like Bring Me the Horizon at that time. Ditto with "Let Go" that is basically one of Asking Alexandria's breakdowns at that time turned into a full song. "Yellow" welcomes in the mainstream melodic metalcore of early Atreyu, enhanced by the cleans of Lower Than Atlantis' Mike Duce, while staying in the heavy realm. "Fist Fight" ends the album as a heavy mosh-monster. Let the bodies hit the f***ing floor!

In just less than a year, I'm already a big fan of For the Fallen Dreams. Though in Back Burner, it seems like they're losing a bit of the originality of Changes. Despite that, their amazing blend of heaviness and melody continues. With massive hooks, riffs, and breakdowns, this album might just convert you fully to the metalcore lifestyle!

Favorites: "Say What You Will", "Complicate the Situation", "My Anthem-Like Symphony", "Don't Give Up, Don't Give In", "Yellow", "Fist Fight"

Having not started listening to For the Fallen Dreams until last year, I knew I couldn't miss out on the incredible music this band creates. They've already proven their achieved potential in their debut Changes. It was clear from that album that they still had a lot of strength and talent, proven in their continuation of perfection, Relentless!

As awesome as Changes is, shortly after its release there was a change of vocalists. Chad Ruhlig stepped away from the mic for 5 years, and during then, Dylan Richter took over. You might not notice that immediately from the growls, until you hear something that wasn't used in their debut, clean singing. The heavier fans might be turned away, but for me, they give this album a better melodic edge.

"The Call Out" is a soft intro to invite you into another metalcore journey. Abstract guitar segues into "Perceptions", filled with heavy aggression. The heaviness would then fade down to let the melody shine. With that interesting blend in the drums, guitars, and vocals, you can definitely hear what other bands have like Parkway Drive, Misery Signals, and even Emmure in the breakdowns. "A Plethora of" has more of the clean vocals, in nice contrast to the heaviness. Same thing with "Nightmares", but the chorus has someone else doing the cleans, that someone being A Day to Remember vocalist Jeremy McKinnon. I was already a fan of that band and his guest appearance in an August Burns Red song, so that's a great treat. Both Jeremy and Dylan's clean vocals help make the album's sound more complete there.

"December Everyday" is another interesting track. The intro sounds close to Misery Signals and gets you hooked up, then the music continues to evolve from there. The vocals fit well in unpredictable variation, despite mostly being brutal growls throughout that song. It even leads to an atmospheric solo. "Defiance" continues the focus on brutal growling. "Smoke Signals" continues the perfect blend of heaviness and melody in the riffing. "In Sincerity" can be considered a polar opposite to the previous 3 tracks, having just clean vocals and melodic harmonies in the instrumentation. A sweet mind-blowing highlight!

"Before I Regret" has catchy heavy riffing. The drumming technique has more to do with As I Lay Dying than Between the Buried and Me, filling with interesting groove without going all-out technical. "Two Twenty Two" has a brutal intro closer in common to The Acacia Strain. The riffing builds up and breaks down in a h*ll of a monstrous breakdown. "Resurface the End" rolls with gigantic punches. "The Pain Loss" ends things with nice clean passages.

All in all, Relentless is another masterpiece by this incredible band. It actually isn't entirely perfect because it lacks a small part of the charm of Changes, so the percentage rating is a little over 95%. Nonetheless, if you're a metalcore fan like I am, this is something to love at first listen!

Favorites: "Perceptions", "Nightmares", "December Everyday", "Smoke Signals", "In Sincerity", "Two Twenty Two"

Metalcore does not get as much respect as it deserves, especially not from metal purists out there. One of the more underrated bands of the genre is For the Fallen Dreams. Their debut Changes is one of my favorite metalcore debut albums, with many of the songs have a perfectly equal blend of melodies, riffs, and breakdowns. If masterpieces like this are getting little attention nowadays, changes shall be made!

This perfect balance is what makes this band so unique. The breakdowns are made beyond imagination and they would make you get on your knees and beg for more. You'll find a lot of this awesomeness if you give the album a go.

"Brothers In Arms" references soldiers in distress at war, "Where were you, when I needed you?!" Next song "New Beginnings" has amazing riffing and a total mindf*** of an awesome breakdown midway through. The tempo slows down for the breakdown going deeper than the Mariana Trench (not to be confused with that August Burns Red song), perfected by the guitars not touching down immediately. "Hopeless" has an amazing riff verse surrounding the one-minute mark, and the ending breakdown also rules.

"Last Dying Breath" has an epic final third that adds positivity to the earlier violent lyrics, "My last dying breath, I'll bleed for you, my last dying breath, I'll die for you!" The first of two 2-minute interludes, "This World Around Us" actually has a small lyrical verse, and those few lines are quite great. "Never Again" is quite strong in the music and lyrics. The final third of that song is interesting as it starts an amazing bridge riff that leads into a brutal breakdown that's slightly forced but still punishing as f***. The title track is the second interlude, this one being an instrumental. That shows how beautiful the band can make their music without having to rely on lyrics.

"Vengeance" is perhaps the most aggressive track here, and I especially love the final 30 seconds, when a growl of "STEP OFF!!!" kicks off a pulverizing breakdown. "Falling Down" has more lyrical maturity. "Through the Looking Glass" is an awesome 6-minute epic. The one-minute intro is beautiful, but not as much as the final two minutes of epic glory, concluding the song and the album with synthesized strings that fade into a solitary snare drum, as the war ends and the surviving soldiers march home...

I could probably write a novel about the war depicted in the album that can be used as its soundtrack. This band and album was missing in my life until last year, and I would love to continue listening to Changes any time. A true masterpiece in my ongoing metalcore quest!

Favorites: "New Beginnings", "Last Dying Breath", "Never Again", "Vengeance", "Through the Looking Glass"

The alt-metal side of Black Veil Brides is now at a greater level than before! Still not reaching the metalcore perfection of their debut, but getting closer. They decided to make another concept album in The Phantom Tomorrow, similar to Wretched and Divine and Vale but following a different story from that of The Wild Ones. So it seems the Black Veil Brides conceptual universe is expanding...

Ever since they dropped from their fantastic emo-metalcore to lame hard rock/glam metal, they were slowly climbing back up in maturity, and The Phantom Tomorrow was the best they've gone in 10 years. And they didn't go all-out experimental, they just stood by their sound, making the concept all about the story and lyrics.

The orchestral title intro sets the stage as dramatic melodies begin to appear. Then it's onwards to "Scarlet Cross", a rock-on track of melodic energy from the riffs and chorus. That shall get the crowd pumped in live shows. "Born Again" makes dynamic jumps back and forth from dramatic to anthemic. The blend of heaviness and melody is what keeps the quality high up. Heading into mid-paced hard rock is "Blackbird" with interesting lyrics, "Just look into the sky and you’ll be become the blackbird."

"Spectres" is another orchestral interlude, with some electronics added in. It segues to "Torch" which is a heavy track that almost, just almost, comes out as a power ballad. Some of the best aspects of the album come in with a melodic string-filled chorus and catchy lyrics. "The Wicked One" has the usual heavy riffing and drumming that leads into a mighty commanding chorus, "When the truth becomes your demon, how can you just keep believing?" The headbanging "Shadows Rise" is darker, heavier, and more progressive, as their 5+ minute tracks seems to be. The strings and riffs greatly catch up with the tempo changes. A compelling addition to the album's second half!

"Fields of Bone" returns to what makes the first two full songs so great; riffs, rhythms, and vocals that are all perfect for the live crowd. Then "Crimson Skies" is a heavy rocker while making room for melodic vocals and soloing. "Kill the Hero" slows down the heaviness for a dramatic march. The terrific closing track "Fall Eternal" is just like the title track of Vale, a slow ballad to end it all smoothly, while adding some adjustments to make things more interesting.

In the end, Black Veil Brides has truly showed what they're capable of when going the alt-metal direction. If you'd like to explore Black Veil Brides beyond their metalcore debut, The Phantom Tomorrow is the right place to start. Someone who isn't a BVB fan today would then become one tomorrow....

Favorites: "Scarlet Cross", "Born Again", "Torch", "Shadows Rise", "Fields of Bone", "Fall Eternal"

The Wild Ones' story wasn't just in Wretched and Divine. Black Veil Brides had the idea of expanding the concept with a prequel album. The band certainly had fun making this album, but it would eventually be their last with longtime bassist Ashley Purdy. Although both parts of the concept are good, I give Vale slightly more pointage than Wretched and Divine, having more maturity...

Vale was released on January 12, 2018. I remember that date very well as when I initially severed ties with more epic melodic metal genres for heavier ones like metalcore, though I wasn't into Black Veil Brides until recently. The band's debut is still lightyears ahead into perfection, but Vale is more enjoyable than any of the albums in between.

"Incipiens Ad Finem" is just the spoken intro. Luckily, they don't have any more of those interludes in this album. And now, "The Last One"... More like the chosen one, as it's perfectly chosen as the opening song. "Wake Up" isn't as perfect as the previous track, but it still impresses me with its anthemic vibe and great soloing. "When They Call My Name" is a bit mediocre, while not entirely bad.

"The Outsider" is an excellent single, the perfect first teaser of the album back in late 2016. Everything's in great balance there! "Dead Man Walking (Overture II)" is the longest song by the band, and probably the best one too. An awesome epic! "Our Destiny" is a little closer to filler territory. "The King of Pain" is slightly more enjoyable.

"My Vow" is more upbeat and fresh. This is the kind of energy I expect this band and similar bands. "Ballad of the Lonely Hearts" isn't all that great, and it doesn't sound like too much of a ballad. "Throw the First Stone" I can accept a little more. "Vale (This Is Where It Ends)" is where the album really ends on a somber note. This power ballad is a grand way to complete the Story of the Wild Ones.

As the alt-metal era of Black Veil Brides goes on, they gradually get better and better. However, they're still far away from the metalcore glory of their debut. That said, if you'd like to hear the band's mid-2010s sound in a more mature fashion, Vale has it all....

Favorites: "The Last One", "Wake Up", "The Outsider", "Dead Man Walking (Overture II)", "My Vow", "Vale (This Is Where It Ends)"

The hard rock/alt-metal side of Black Veil Brides continues in their 4th album IV. Only this time, they decided to go back to some of the different aspects of Set the World on Fire by restoring a bit of the glam elements and sticking with individual songs instead of a concept album. If not for the more alt-metal direction, this would've been Set the World on Fire 2.0, and I wouldn't want that now, would I?

2014 was when the classic thrash scene was slowly rising back up with new albums by Exodus and Overkill. It was many years before I became interested in the band and alt-metal/metalcore, so I missed out on the hype. Oh, and the album is produced by Bob Rock, known for his work with Metallica, Mötley Crüe, Bon Jovi, Aerosmith, etc.

"Heart of Fire" is a great start with riffing and soloing that's both heavy and catchy. Level it up further is the amazing "Faithless", one of the best songs by the band. "Devil in the Mirror" is where the weak side of the album starts coming in, not really impressing me much. "Goodbye Agony" is a depressive power ballad that I love. It can be considered the "Lost It All" of this album!

"World of Sacrifice" has more of the earlier heavy greatness. "Last Rites" just has the generic glam of Set the World on Fire. "Stolen Omen" is much less interesting, and not even the metalcore growling can help this sh*tter.

"Walk Away" is another amazing ballad. I love the soloing, and many sections make great use of the 6-minute runtime. "Drag Me to the Grave" is a huge disappointment, perhaps the worst song the band has ever done. Not even Set the World on Fire has stooped that f***ing low! "The Shattered God" has more decent heaviness. Same with "Crown of Thorns", though not really the best ending track. I would rate this album a star higher if the killer bonus track "Sons of Night" was part of the standard album.

IV is pretty decent, but their attempt at mixing the sounds of Set the World on Fire and Wretched and Divine has resulted in an album in which almost all the greatness is in the first half. If we could replace "Devil in the Mirror" with "Sons of Night" and remove everything after track 5 except "Walk Away", this would've been a kick-A EP right there....

Favorites (only songs I really enjoy): "Heart of Fire", "Faithless", "Goodbye Agony", "World of Sacrifice", "Walk Away", "Sons of Night"

Not much about Black Veil Brides can reach the greatness of their metalcore debut We Stitch These Wounds. The quality tries to climbs back up but falls down again. Their 2013 album Wretched and Divine: The Story of the Wild Ones gets the band up to a good level, heading into hard rock/alt-metal and being a concept album. It's not often a band that isn't progressive/power metal can make a concept album of cinematic proportions, but I'm all for it...

Wretched and Divine certainly makes up for the d*mn glam of Set the World on Fire. The concept is quite good, and the cinematic part comes from the symphonics and spoken word interludes, the latter of which doesn't really do the album much favors.

"Exordium" is the spoken intro. It leads to the excellent "I Am Bulletproof", starting the album with one of the best here. "New Years Day" is nicely done. "F.E.A.R. Transmission 1: Stay Close" isn't too bad for a spoken interlude, adding in some nice dramatic violins. The title track could've had some improvement, but I still like it. Now, "We Don't Belong", that's a song I truly enjoy.

"F.E.A.R. Transmission 2: Trust" is another unwanted transmission interlude. "Devil's Choir" doesn't impress me much either. "Resurrect the Sun" is a true step up and one of the best here. "Overture" is the only enjoyable interlude, as symphonic as it should be. "Shadows Die" I also like. "Abeyance" is the worst and most unnecessary interlude here.

"Days Are Numbered" is another well-done highlight, featuring The Used vocalist Bert McCracken. "Done for You" is the weakest non-interlude song here. "Nobody's Hero" is another good track. "Lost It All" is a depressive power ballad that I love. "F.E.A.R. Transmission 3: As War Fades" has more intense strings. "In the End" is the most amazing song in the album. It was written in memory of Andy Biersack's grandfather who guest appeared in the debut. "F.E.A.R.: Final Transmission" ends it all decently.

The Ultimate Edition of Wretched and Divine comes with 3 bonus tracks which I don't wanna talk about as they return to the previous album's glam sound, apart from the heavy "Victory Call" that I like. The main album has a pretty good concept, songs, and guitarwork. Would've been greater if not for those sh*tty interludes....

Favorites: "I Am Bulletproof", "We Don't Belong", "Resurrect the Sun", "Overture", "Days Are Numbered", "Lost It All", "In the End", "Victory Call"

If you have gained the motivation from Black Veil Brides' debut to overcome the b****rds dragging you down and keep living, then that's a job well done for that album. Sadly, their next album has taken a quick 180. While the lyrics are still motivational, the majority of it ends up coming out as cheesy. And instead of thinking, "What an inspiring offering!", you would instead think "What the f***?!?"

The band's entryway into Universal Republic traded their emo-metalcore sound for attempting to revive 80s hard rock/glam metal which part of what made a lot go wrong. At least Andy Biersack has improved his singing, with a Metallica-like rough edge...

I can only accept the 5-track run of tracks 3 to 7, starting with "Fallen Angels", which shows the better side of motivation to take seriously, like Skid Row but better! "We scream! We shout! We are the fallen angels! "Love Isn’t Always Fair" should definitely appeal to fans of both rock and metal. "God Bless You" has a more punky motive, which is all right despite being a little trite. Same with "Rebel Love Song". Then we have "Savior", which starts as a symphonic love ballad, but right at the last minute, the heaviness makes its comeback, and we get to hear the only instance of metalcore shrieks in the entire album. Love that song, though I still prefer its sequel track in The Mourning EP.

And the rest of the album is just too glam for my liking. Though I still like the E-flat/drop D-flat riffing and DragonForce-fueled shredding. But all I'm gonna say is.... KISS called, they want their 80s glam metal sound and makeup back!

Favorites (only songs I like): "Fallen Angels", "Love Isn’t Always Fair", "Savior"

It's no surprise that the more hardcore fans of hardcore/metalcore know a bit of Strongarm. With powerful songs and Christian lyrics, the band helped developed the Christian hardcore/metalcore scene. Their debut Atonement marks a decent heavy start...

The music is on top, though the production is a bit amateur and thin, which causes a decrease in quality stamina. That's too bad because when the band performs, it's as if the instruments were a gift to the members from God. Ex-vocalist Jason Bergerren has some inspiring roaring vocals like he was blessed with such a voice. However, as furious as his vocals sound, they sometimes come out as plain and lose some lyrical clarity. Nonetheless, he's got intense talent.

"Division" protests against blind ignorance that spawns hate. "Trials" opens up on Christian struggles, "Again and again I struggle with myself, my shortcomings. My strength, my soul, so weary of this. I have to face the pain of my fault. Within these tests, these trials, the marks I miss." The purpose and strength isn't revealed until the end.

Because of the flawed production, there are some songs I don't like that I won't mention, but "Stand Together" is one of my favorites here, saving the album's grace with a message of never giving up on grace. "Count the Cost" motivates Christians to overcome the burdens of who they are. This can stick to me long despite me not being a Christian. After those songs about inner struggles, "Innocence Lost" takes on the despair of abortion while turning it around with hope, "a life of regret, still grace abounds". That's a good example of setting awareness to abortion rights. "Strengthened in Faith" is a moving finale with a perfect reminder of strength and power.

The lyrics in Atonement are pretty much the standout aspect of the album. They're very well-thought in the Christian realms. Any Christian listener can realize their strength to prevail, given to them by the Lord. Recommended for Christians and hardcore fans! Though it would be much better if they improved on the sound production....

Favorites: "Trials", "Stand Together", "Count the Cost", "Strengthened in Faith"

August Burns Red has one of the most solid discographies to come from a metalcore band. They've made great albums in their career, including the perfect Constellations. I've always wondered if there would ever be another August Burns Red that as much of a masterpiece as Constellations. Well I shall wonder no more with their new offering Death Below! And how is it as awesome it is?...

The album is a much further throwback with their fast pacing in songs that I can consider total bangers. Plus a few songs each have a guest appearance from a vocalist or guitarist of another well-known metalcore band, and that's often a grand treat. With that, you're gonna find the most exciting dynamics from August Burns Red in a long time!

The haunting spoken intro "Premonition" sets you up for the chaos that would soon come... "The Cleansing" clearly shows the band's relentless heaviness from their earlier days with drummer Matt Greiner firing away with blast-beat machinery. That's one of two nearly 8-minute epics in this album that are the band's longest, not including the closing epic of their 2005 debut, and it's full of stylistic transcendence. Landing in the first guest is "Ancestry" with Killswitch Engage vocalist Jesse Leach, whose cleans greatly complement the growling of Jake Luhrs. The song displays the album's main lyrical theme of struggle and resilience during the pandemic. "Tightrope" includes a wicked heavy guitar solo from Jason Richardson (of All That Remains, formerly of All Shall Perish, Born of Osiris, and Chelsea Grin).

"Fool’s Gold in the Bear Trap" starts as soft as a bunny in the first half, then switches as heavy as a bear in the second half. Bringing back memories of Messenger with the new album's first single, "Backfire" showcases the killer wonders of this album that you can't help but look back at in future generations. "Revival" is a brutal crusher similar to their earlier era. Also winning back some fans is innovative guitar work by JB Brubaker. "Sevink" is another interlude, this one being a instrumental break, sounding beautiful before the brutality bursts back in the next song...

"Dark Divide" puts the guitars at center, unleashing the band's rage at their heaviest. "Deadbolt", while staying brutal, has some classic metal-like sections to shout along to through dark loss. From the intro up, "The Abyss" (with Erra's JT Cavey) increases in intensity. Then it ends with the second 8-minute epic, "Reckoning". I know you metalcore fans wanna hear Underoath vocalist Spencer Chamberlain unleashing his vocals as furious as early Bring Me the Horizon. Those make the best moments of this album!

All in all, Death Below can show you how to overcome the dark struggles of this decade and look into the light, through heaviness and despair. August Burns Red's 10th album can very well be their greatest, most ambitious work yet!

Favorites: "The Cleansing", "Ancestry", "Backfire", "Revival", "Dark Divide", "Reckoning"

One of the most popular extreme progressive metal bands to come from Australia, the band who was hiding in the unknown in the 2000s propelled into fame with 3 albums in the 2010s. They've taken on a progressive frenzy of extreme metal genres and classical/Latin influences including symphonic violin. They still have their perfect magic in their next album Exul. Though I would subtract a few percentage points from perfection is due to less of the eccentric fun. However, their cohesive focus is still intact. So while it's slightly behind the perfect 2010s trio of gems, Ne Obliviscaris is continuing their journey as the masters of Aussie progressive metal!

4 out of 5 dentists- I mean, members of the band from all 3 of their previous albums have returned for this one. The odd one out, drummer Daniel Presland left a year before its release, but long after recording his parts. Though he had been with the band since their unknown years of the 2000s (except for a break in 2012), the pandemic, which also halted this album's recording and release, and his commitments with his new band Black Lava, were two reasons for his departure. The other difference in lineup is, they have a new bassist Martino Garattoni, who's been with the band since Urn's release. They all really create something phenomenal! According to harsh vocalist Xen, the music is darker while maintaining the usual abstract lyrics, a journey through destructing and despair.

Opening with guitar riff/rhythm fire, the 12-minute "Equus" shows the band staying as glorious as ever! The song and its video is dedicated to the victims of the 2019/2020 Australia wildfires that affected many people and animals there.

The two-part polar-opposite 17-minute epic "Misericorde" begins with "As the Flesh Falls", filled with tech-death fury and progressive metal glory! "Anatomy of Quiescence" is a mournful classic track, sounding beautiful while staying unpredictable. There are barely any vocals there, and that kinda makes things sound longer than should be. Still all this exceptional chemistry is what makes that part stand out.

"Suspyre" doesn't have the diverse surprises I was expecting in a 10-minute track, or in a Ne Obliviscaris song, but it still rules. "Graal" is mighty impressive, with the soloing by Benjamin Baret really blowing your mind. What's more impressive is, violinist/clean vocalist Tim Charles let his daughter guess appear on violin during the last few minutes. The outro finale "Anhedonia" is the perfect ending to this trip. Here we have a morose blend of piano, symphonics, and Charles' vocal chanting. A disturbing yet peaceful ending after all that progressive heaviness.

Exul is, while not as 100% perfect as their 2010s gems, probably both the bleakest and most beautiful offering they've ever done, combining brutal with somber. It can be quite an adventure for any listener, so you have to really be up for those texture-filled arrangements. In wild effortless triumph, Exul can surely make sure that the band's shining legacy continues on!

Favorites: "Equus", "Misericorde" (both parts), "Graal"

One man, one guitar, 3 other guys to back him up with their own instruments... This is Vinnie Moore, known as one of the heroes of metal guitar shredding besides Yngwie Malmsteen! Anyone who keeps comparing the former is a direct rip-off of the latter should stop f***ing around and pay closer attention to his debut.

Mind's Eye has some superb shredding throughout the album. Just because Vinnie Moore came after Malmsteen is no reason for this man to be deemed a clone to that key developer of neoclassical metal. This album is much more than that! Mind's Eye has emotional aggression, and it's more progressive, with the neoclassical side being saved for more of just the soloing technique without being the main genre. The progressiveness is helped out by the spacey keys of Tony MacAlpine.

"In Control" starts the album heavy in the riffing just before the catchy leads enter the picture. After two minutes, MacAlpine performs astonishing synth soloing, having the complex velocity of the leads that return shortly after. "Daydream" comes in as one of Moore's most well-known tracks. It's more mid-paced, while the listener can marvel through his melodic leads. Over 3 minutes on, there's more spacey synth soloing from MacAlpine, sounding so f***ing mesmerizing, you'll be hypnotized within the first few seconds. Heading on into "Saved by a Miracle", acoustic guitar opens the track before some great leads, followed by aggressive drum soloing by Tommy Aldridge!

"Hero Without Honor" is an honorable standout, a 7-minute epic that showcases the best of both the progressive (in the keyboards and complexity) and neo-classical (in the soloing and some melodies) worlds. "Lifeforce" almost reminds me a bit of DragonForce's leads and solos. Same with "N.N.Y.", though with some slight weakness.

The title track really displays Moore's pioneered mix of progressive/neoclassical metal, similar to how Rorschach invented metalcore and Meshuggah invented djent, though obviously in a different genre. "Shadows Of Yesterday" can be considered the album's power ballad. "The Journey" is a recommendable end of this amazing journey. I think I hear some of the song's progressiveness and melody in later bands like Persefone. No wonder that band had the idea to cover a song by neoclassical metal duo Cacophony.

Vinnie Moore's debut is quite solid throughout. Even though it's not really one of the most unique albums I've heard, most of the songs have interesting freshness in every bite. If you're up for a progressive mix of neoclassical solos and spacey synths, this album shall enter your mind!

Favorites: "Daydream", "Hero Without Honor", "Lifeforce", "Mind's Eye", "The Journey"

It's amazing how when a band ends up missing earlier recording/release deadlines due to issues like the pandemic, the result is still wonderful. Although some other bands like Trivium record an album right after releasing the previous one, Kamelot took the time to strengthen their songs into perfection, barely having any rush. With that, the wait was definitely worth it with their first album in 5 years, The Awakening, released on March 17!

I guess you can consider this album Kamelot's reawakening. As amazing as this is, I find some slight disappointment that knocks a half-star off the otherwise perfect score that would've made it the band's best release since Ghost Opera. See, the minor issue is, the band has modernized their symphonic metal sound in two of the albums from the era of current vocalist Tommy Karevik such as Haven and The Shadow Theory, as they try to reinvent the genre's wheel. While there's a slight bit of that in The Awakening, the rest of what they have now is a return to their earlier majestic melodies and emotions. They've awakened after 5 years of silence and brought back their roots!

The "Overture" is the instrumental intro that serves as an epic setup for the symphonic power metal action to come... The grand "Great Divide" kicks it off and rides like a cinematic rollercoaster. Kamelot is indeed back! Heartful single "Eventide" has restored the joy and confidence I've had for this band that has allowed me to still follow their power metal along with DragonForce. The anthemic "One More Flag in the Ground" pulls you straight through power metal, though I must admit, my thoughts there are mixed. "Opus of the Night (Ghost Requiem)" has reminded me of the band that got me into the symphonic metal part of my epic metal taste 10 years ago. The guitar harmonies and orchestra make a fantastic combo. The song itself is like a sequel to the title track of Ghost Opera! Tina Guo performs beautiful cello soloing. An unbelievable single!

"Midsummer’s Eve" is a beautiful atmospheric Celtic ballad. A warm addition to that track is some more of the cello/violin by Tina Guo. "Bloodmoon" works well in the storytelling lyrics, though a bit faulty. Then there's the emotional yet heavy "Nightsky". That's followed by a progressive favorite, "The Looking Glass".

A true world-building anthem "New Babylon" shows you the Kamelot you know to love. The guest contributions by Simone Simons (Epica) and Melissa Bonny (Ad Infinitum) add in stellar dynamic. Wow, that's like "Sacrimony" all over again! Another piano ballad, "Willow" has the delicate passion of Nightwish's ballads, but it's a bit forgettable. "My Pantheon (Forevermore)" has the most impressive guitar and drums in killer balance with the earlier softness. The outro "Ephemera" is a pleasant orchestral finale.

With all that said, The Awakening marks a full comeback for the signature elements of Kamelot, with the best moments worth praising. However, it would've been perfect if a couple tracks didn't sound too recycled in the chorus and melodies. That was the small problem I've had with most power metal bands recently, which is why my revisits to the genre ultimate didn't pay off. Cliche tropes aside, The Awakening proves that Kamelot is a respectable band with all their wonderful grace. They're still on top of the game when it comes to European power metal to America. I'm glad this reawakening worked out so well!

Favorites: "The Great Divide", "Eventide", "Opus of the Night (Ghost Requiem)", "The Looking Glass", "New Babylon", "My Pantheon (Forevermore)"

Isn't it sometimes strange to start your journey through a band's discography with their uncommon debut, unless you intend to go chronologically? Yes or no, I can find some mature drama here. ...And Life If Very Long is an unforgettable burst of pounding energy in the riffs, rhythms, and vocals! There's also a bit of light mathcore experimentation in the time signature changes and breakdowns, along with slow melody that was once considered unusual for deathcore. The music sticks to your mind with powerful aggression. Thick production and nihilistic writing shows what the fans love along with diverse rhythms. It's the start of their ambitious evolution!

You can still find something worth appreciating in the over two decades since this album's release. Truly you can keep up the headbanging and stomping around. The lineup is different from their later albums, and only frontman Vincent Bennett remains from the original lineup, so basically the instrumentation from this album would never be the same as in subsequent releases. While this album never received the impact of attention it needs, there is a lot to expect from metal/deathcore.

"Cable Ready Techno Sl*t" has a bit of a Mushroomhead-like groove, while staying in their usual deathly metalcore sound. Definitely a highlight, though what stands out for me is the audio sample of what the force spirit of Obi-Wan Kenobi describes Darth Vader in Return of the Jedi, "He's more machine now than man." I'm a Star Wars fan, what can I say? The title interlude consists of another audio sample, this one from Norman Stansfield in Leon the Professional, "I take no pleasure in taking a life if it's from a person who doesn't care about it." The melodic outro of "Roadhead Road" is a fun way to end this song of hardcore/deathcore music and vocals.

"The Widowmaker" has more of what to expect from the album, though the entire first half is instrumental. "All She Wrote" was re-recorded from a demo that was put out shortly before this album, and the guitars in the intro verse remind me a bit of The Number Twelve Looks Like You. "Why is a Raven Like a Writing Desk?" punches through with some groove, though the chaotic mid-section has some riffing that's slightly out of place, while not detracting the album's perfection.

"Killing on Empty" slows things down with a breakdown, where the vocals have more energy and the tone has aggressive variation. Despite being uncommon, it really shines with rage. "Noah Will Be Your Grave" crushes you painlessly with full-on grooves rolling like a speeding train. "Doppleganger" without a doubt serves as an intersection between several of the hardcore/metal genres from earlier and later bands; the hardcore of Strife, the metalcore/melodic metalcore of August Burns Red and Parkway Drive, the deathcore of Chelsea Grin, and the melodeath of Avatar. Fantastic! The finale "Sloth Loves Chunk" is well-performed. A bit bizarre while having the aforementioned powerful aggression. It's not as diverse and epic as the previous track, but it still works as a great ending to this mighty offering.

Serving up some kick-A metal/deathcore, ...And Life is Very Long has admirable greatness to make the album stand out strong despite its lack of attention. With the production and sound varying from atonal heaviness to melodic softness, The Acacia Strain had already shown what's needed in any hardcore fan's life!

Favorites: "Cable Ready Techno Sl*t", "Roadhead Road", "All She Wrote", "Killing on Empty", "Doppleganger"

Sometimes I think about metal bands that are more popular but have yet to suit my interest and wonder, "Why the f*** am I overlooking a band that's so famous in one of my favorite metal genres?" I've listened to one other album and a few other songs from Killswitch Engage, but they did not hit the point of perfect enjoyment for me. It was hard for me to find the appeal of this band...until now!

This was before Killswitch Engage started taking on a cleaner modern approach in which the whiny choruses in some songs may be the reason why they don't hit me hard. The debut's sound apparently continues that of bassist Mike D'Antonio's previous band Overcast. There is very unique structure compared to the generic sh*t of what I heard.

Like the movie Michelle Yeoh won the Best Actress award for shortly before this review, everything everywhere all at once kicks through in "Temple from the Within". Without an intro, the instrumentation hits you non-stop. A great mid-paced start to this perfect experience! A good thrashy track, "Vide Infra" has more spoken/shouted cleans to fit with the screams. The brutal blasts of "Irreversal" level up the intensity, defining the sound to expect in the album.

"Rusted Embrace" has some awesome vocals here. "Prelude" is quite g****mn good for an instrumental. It's too bad not a lot of the more serious metalheads give the earlier material like that track more appreciation. It segues to "Soilborn" which is really solid.

Next track "Numb Sickened Eyes" is a killer track worth listening to. However, its ending a bit annoying and I feel the need to skip it. Still it doesn't affect the album's perfect score that's still staying steady. "In the Unblind" has more effective mixing. The powerful screaming, guitar soloing, and drumming is a great reminder of the album's strength. The outro track "One Last Sunset" ends the album smoothly, though they probably could've added some clean singing. Still a nice exit...

Although not everyone would ever enjoy this band's debut, I consider it a fantastic experience. Several years after a previous album review attempt, I finally found what makes the band one of the best of the genre, despite its difference from their later material. This is true melodic metalcore fans of the genre should enjoy. Greatly recommended!

Favorites: "Temple from the Within", "Irreversal", "Rusted Embrace", "Soilborn", "In the Unblind"

Metal's entryway into the hardcore in the 90s was often sadly forgotten. From the beginning to the end of that decade, metalcore bands back then failed to make global impact, only leaving behind templates for recent bands to use. I'm glad to be following this scene despite being 20 years too late. Spread the Disease's debut We Bleed from Many Wounds is an interesting emphasis on the metal in metalcore. Though it's not without a few hardcore screamo tricks that a few of the more metallic bands use...

I would certainly consider this album early metal/deathcore, but it's not enough. There are plenty of black/death metal structures and background keyboards without being pinned into both genres. The vocals are filled with gravelly hellfire to the likes of other bands in the extreme metal/hardcore category. Spread the Disease's riffing style is different though. While a few riffs sound punky, the rest of them show a lot of their Slayer influence. Most of the hardcore association actually comes from the band being signed to Eulogy Recordings, run by Morning Again's John Wylie. I'm guessing he must've given Spread the Disease the idea of a few hardcore riffs added to their metal.

"Quarantine" would've fit well for me 4 months before this review when I was in COVID quarantine, and it has the early deathcore sound later used by Despised Icon. "In Progress We Swallow" has some parts that remind me of the more early hardcore side of Candiria and Sikth, while unleashing the usual deathly metalcore. Midway through "Her Severed Head" is some Possessed/Slayer-like riffing, alongside occasional tremolos. The breakdowns hit hard without ever ruining everything.

"Shatter the Bolt" is a true 7-minute epic highlight. It has a bit of the melodic part of the sound planting a seed for Unearth and Trivium. Starting "Hymn for the Unheard" is some black metal riffing. "Origin" has a more technical deathcore sound that would spawn deathly bands like Origin and more hardcore bands like Born of Osiris.

Things get quieter in "Ephemerae" in the middle of its chaos. I really like this balancing contrast. "A Love Song" brings in some melodic metalcore/deathcore riffing that would be like a instrumental mix of Memphis May Fire and Chelsea Grin over a decade before those bands began their careers. "Common Grounds" is one last look towards the metalcore/deathcore sound that's much different from that of Attila.

We Bleed From Many Wounds is a pretty good debut for this band. A nice appealing way to add extreme into metallic hardcore in the late 90s ahead of time, though you might get a little sick of it in repeated listens. Sadly, this band remains deep in the forgotten hardcore/metal limbo. They distanced themselves from the plaguing trends of bands going as hardcore as Rorschach and Deadguy or as metallic as Slayer and At the Gates. They only take a bit of the energy of those bands enough to solidify their unique dark metal/hardcore sound. It's an interesting spawn point for the genre deathcore, and much better structured than their second and final album the following year....

Favorites: "In Progress We Swallow", "Shatter the Bolt", "Origin", "A Love Song"

From the ashes of his previous band White Zombie, this ghoulish metal man formerly known as Rob Straker began to rise with his own solo career in 1998. Rob Zombie started going solo, but why? Mostly because the course has run and each member moved into their own direction...

Hellbilly Deluxe is often considered a continuation to White Zombie's sound evolution that varied album by album, from noise rock to heavy metal then groove metal and finally industrial metal. Zombie had already proved right from the band's split that he's a solo guy, when he was banned from one of Korn's tours. While there's no chance that White Zombie will ever continue, Rob Zombie would become one of the most recognizable musicians in industrial metal!

The ominous intro "Call of the Zombie" has Zombie's future wife Sheri Moon reading a disturbing nursery rhyme, "Away ran the children to hide in their beds, for fear that the devil would chop off their heads". Then you can shout along to the highlight "Superbeast" and its gang-infused chorus. I saw the music video for that song quite long ago. And you can get pumped up with the single "Dragula", which I know because of a remix appearing in the Matrix, and Motionless in White's cover. That would work well for a teen to blast this song while driving their parent's car in a Halloween joyride. The title of "Living Dead Girl" is hard to take seriously despite the venomous music.

"Perversion 99" is a creepy exotic interlude, almost like a continuation of the last song of White Zombie's final album. "Demonoid Phenomenon" prevails in dark anarchy. "Spookshow Baby" is a little too spooky for me. Though not as disappointing as "How to Make a Monster", which sounds good yet hiding too deep in the low mix.

The disappointment is made up for by the punishing highlight "Meet the Creeper". Next up, "The Ballad of Resurrection Joe and Rosa W***e" sounds a bit ridiculous in both the song and the title, and who would argue with me there? "What Lurks on Channel X" is another disappointment. Same with "Return of the Phantom Stranger" which sounds too close to Marilyn Manson territory. The closing track "The Beginning of the End" is a bizarre industrial noise outro.

Zombie conjured a d*mn entertaining industrial metal spell with Hellbilly Deluxe. Pretty much most of the more well known half of the amount of songs are hard-hitting classics, with the lesser known side being disappointing and worth ignoring. Rob Zombie's solo debut has burnt his name onto the industrial metal shrine of fame....

Favorites: "Superbeast", "Dragula", "Demonoid Phenomenon", "Meet the Creeper"

As with Dead World, I was determined to complete my review journey through this band Lard. The band would go on hiatus in 2000 to focus on other projects, though there have been a few reunion shows. The core members Jello Biafra (Dead Kennedys) and Al Jourgensen (Ministry) recently announced plans to record via email contact. So another album in the future might be possible, we'll see...

Pure Chewing Satisfaction shows the band taking a look at the dark side of America, sounding apocalyptic without the music being too bleak or extreme. Jello gives the songs unique lyrics with strange phrases you wouldn't find in other bands.

Fans of Dead Kennedys and Ministry will be lucky to hear the catchiness of "War Pimp Renaissance". However, "I Wanna Be a Drug-Sniffing Dog" is a true classic that I would rate slightly higher than the first track. Just don't sing it out loud if you don't want your parents worried. Those unique phrases appear in "Moths", an eerie tune mentioning Al Jolson and Kool-Aid, despite the lyrics centered around trying to get a job.

"Generation Execute" has fascinating heavy riffing alongside the creepy yet fun signature vocals of Jello Biafra. Apparently, the riffing was reused from what was scrapped in the Ministry Psalm 69 sessions. Give me more, all day all night! "Faith, Hope and Treachery" looks back at baby boomers and relationship failures.

"Peeling Back the Foreskin of Liberty" is catchy in the riffing, yet repetitive in the beats. While the lyrics reek of political anarchy, it ain't serious, with lyrics mentioning Jews and Hillary Clinton. Still it's quite fun with a simple structure. "Mangoat" is filled with madness, with lyrics written by Jourgensen about someone who's half-man half-goat and shaves people. Biafra shines greatly with his vocals there! "Sidewinder" has lyrics told in the perspective of a snake after environmental catastrophe.

The sound of Lard is developed from what Ministry has, which includes real/fake drums and menacing guitar machinery. Pure Chewing Satisfaction is kind of in the middle, between the quality of their other two major releases, while still pleasing Biafra fans. The abstract lyrics dive through the industrial rock/metal light....

Favorites: "War Pimp Renaissance", "I Wanna Be a Drug-Sniffing Dog", "Generation Execute", "Mangoat"

1996 was around the year when heavy metal was completing its 5-years descent away from popularity. There are bands that experimented with was all the rage back then, just repeated the same sound without variation, or just outright split up. Dead World did not want to repeat their sound, but they had their own experimentation going on before splitting up a few years later. John Canady's project even switched from the big record labels to smaller labels...

For this album, Thanatos Descends, there has ended up being two different styles, the earlier deathly industrial metal and ambient noise. The ambient "Thanatos" tracks were recorded two years before the metal tracks, during the Dead World era in 1993, in collaboration with David E. Williams. That is quite a difference!

I would say this is a similar format to Spread the Disease's Sheer Force of Inertia, but of course, the heavier tracks, rather than being black/death metal/hardcore, are the dark industrial metal of Fear Factory at that time, and great highlights too, including the hammering "Warhammer". When I refer to songs like "The Scourge" as deathly industrial metal, I don't mean Pestilence gone industrial, but rather industrial metal with a deathly vibe. The other two are really good, but don't reach the greatness of the first two.

Also similarly to Spread the Disease, John Canady's project ended after this album, dissolving in 1999. The Dead World project is dead, but not before this great yet unorthodox way to end. And with all this talk about Spread the Disease, I have one more album from that band to get through after two more albums from industrial metal bands.....

Favorites: "Warhammer", "The Scourge"

Broken, the only Nine Inch Nails release accepted into this site besides this EP, is a pretty good industrial rock/metal EP for fans of the genre and the band. Now I'm heading to this other EP where most of those tracks are given the remix treatment...

And it's an intense process too! Those creations are recreated and twisted into darker doom. NIN founder Trent Reznor collaborated with other expert remixers such as JG Thirlwell, Butch Vig, and the two members of Coil Peter Christopherson and John Balance (RIP both). The tracks that are guitar-focused became more industrial-focused. The beats and drums are added to the front of this sinister mix while doing the powerful original compositions justice.

"Gave Up" remix is a great example since the guitar riff blasts are still around despite the industrial parts. The 9-minute remix of "Wish", the most well-known single of Broken, is given a minute-and-a-half long drum beat intro that crescendos into the dominating main riff. "Happiness in Slavery" remix has a new touch, though still not so great.

There are 3 more remixes, starting with "Throw This Away", combining "Suck" and "Last". Now why combine the worst track of that EP with a good one? Or at least that's what I feared until I gave it a listen and it comes out decent. Another remix for "Wish", "Fist F***" has samples of Timothy Leary. I actually love it better than the first remix! Unlike the second "Happiness in Slavery" remix "Screaming Slave", which has samples of Bob Flanagan's torture in the Broken film, and is far more electronic than what I like.

Though not as vicious as the Broken EP, Fixed can nonetheless impress fans of industrial remixes and Nine Inch Nails fans who are up for hearing their songs remixed. I think it would be slightly better if they remixed the awesome "Physical"....

Favorites: "Gave Up", "Wish", "Fist F***"

Just one week after In Flames released their new album Foregone, another Swedish melodeath-gone-alt-metal band Avatar released a new album. However, instead of making almost a full return to their melodeath roots, they kept their experimental groove-ish alt-metal sound going. It's slightly better than Foregone, but here there's more pleasant weirdness, and the heavy-melodic ratio is slightly more balanced...

Avatar is not as super popular as the second movie in the film franchise Avatar, yet they can tour and support bands, as active as they could during the virus. They already heading into album #9, Dance Devil Dance! Is the music fitting for their circus-like aesthetics?

Stomping right in is the opening title track with a thunderous country-like march. Though the riffing is repetitive, the song is redeemed by the solid Judas Priest-like chorus where vocalist Johannes Eckerstrom really shines. Perhaps my favorite since the title track of Hail the Apocalypse! "Chimp Mosh Pit" is much heavier. The two guitarists battle it out with their shredding towards the end. The more frantic "Valley Of Disease" has the heavier growls of Eckerstrom. The synths spice things up before the climax.

Anyone discovering Avatar for the first time will be confused by "On the Beach", especially when the style changes in the pre-chorus. There are bands like Avatar that like to switch genres in some songs. Then the relentless "Do You Feel in Control?" takes control. "Gotta Wanna Riot" is quite jarring. The switch from Soil to Soilwork to surf music will make you be like "What the f*** is this piece of sh*t?!" The more poppy "The Dirt I’m Buried in" has better catchy groove. There's fantastic soloing in the bridge. Heaviness stomps back in with "Clouds Dipped in Chrome". Eckerstrom's crazy vocal range from screaming to singing is what makes him such a unique metal vocalist.

"Hazmat Suit" can definitely get the crowd running when performed live. It would certainly make a moshing vortex that can almost turn into a black hole. Nick Cave-like soft blues takes over in "Train", riding slow and steady in the verses before a chaotic derailing in the bridge. Powerful closing track "Violence No Matter What" features vocals from Halestorm's hard rock siren of a vocalist Lzzy Hale. With her vocals, it adds epicness to this anthem that kicks a**.

Dance Devil Dance has what Avatar like to do best, all in a mix of heavy and weird. They know what people love and they add different ideas into their cauldron. Only a few tracks are floppers, but the rest make a pretty smooth album from these hard-at-work experimental groove-ish alt-metal stars....

Favorites: "Dance Devil Dance", "Chimp Mosh Pit", "Do You Feel in Control?", "The Dirt I’m Buried in", "Hazmat Suit", "Violence No Matter What"

In Flames followers wanted the band to return to their earlier melodic death metal sound, and they've finally done it in their 14th album Foregone! Part of the motivation might have been from The Halo Effect, a new band formed by former members of In Flames to revive the old-school melodeath. I was looking forward to returning to listening to In Flames after a couple-year break, especially since my brother likes one of the album's singles. However, the album is a bit disappointing...

Now don't get me wrong. There's actually some positive light in this offering. After all, this marks the band's return to melodeath form that was strong in the late 90s. The band currently led by guitarist Björn Gelotte and vocalist and Anders Fridén still have a bit of sweetness in the music, and not the good type, more like a mushy love poem. The poppy metalcore part of the recent sound is no longer fully around, and when it does appear, it's in a more interesting balance with the heaviness. It's quite strong and sensible, but again, too sweet for a melodeath album.

"The Beginning of All Things That Will End" is a two-minute folk-ish acoustic intro that's nicely sentimental. The action kicks off with the single "State of Slow Decay", which pleasantly surprised fans with heavy riffing, drumming energy, and metal soloing, bringing back the glory of the band's earlier era and At the Gates. This is straight on metal heaviness that's entirely different from their previous album I the Mask. And that's the single my brother likes from this album. Absolutely strong and promising! "Meet Your Maker" is another excellent metal track. "Bleeding Out" works out quite well in the chorus. There are two title tracks that tricked me into thinking it was two-part suite when it ain't, starting with "Foregone, Pt. 1" which is the best throwback to the Jesper Strömblad era of melodeath fury with a memorable chorus. Though I wish it was longer...

"Foregone Pt. 2", on the other hand, is far too sweet, though not as weak as their previous two albums. That sh*tty composition has nothing to do with the first title track! And look, another stinker, "Pure Light of Mind"! The next track "The Great Deceiver" is pretty great, adding true heavy strength to the melody. "In the Dark" is a big shining moment for their new rhythm guitarist Chris Broderick, formerly of Jag Panzer, Megadeth, and Nevermore, as he adds technical color to the soloing.

"A Dialogue in B Flat Minor" continues the sound of Sounds of a Playground Fading as a heavier sequel. "Cynosure" is quite bad though, I'm not sure what they were thinking there. The deeper growling vocals work well in the "End the Transmission", better than the rest of the album. Unfortunately, the clean singing sounds sh*ttier than the rest of the album there. And why is "Become One" only a bonus track? That's probably the best non-single song, with the great riffing and soloing of melodeath, along with a catchy chorus. For that amazing song to be left out in many editions is a total bummer.

A band making almost a full return to their roots after a couple decades is rare, but that happened with the new In Flames album Foregone. While some songs still show the band at their worst, there's a good amount of positive surprises. They can show how capable they are in their melodeath return, despite the overpowering mainstream....

Favorites: "State of Slow Decay", "Meet Your Maker", "Foregone, Pt. 1", "The Great Deceiver", "In the Dark", "Become One" (bonus track)

I've heard about this band Dog Fashion Disco, having listened to a couple songs from them, and even tried listening to and reviewing one of their albums but I couldn't finish due to its experimental wackiness. I've never heard their 2003 album before this review, so I felt up to giving it some listening and a review to see if the band really is worth adding to my metal arsenal, as part of the Infinite review draft...

And let me tell you, they've really done their job well in this album, Committed to a Bright Future! It shows the band's talent at a nice pace, and it has given me the motivation to continue exploring this band instead of just giving up after part of it.

"Love Song for a Witch" opens as a fast pounder, creeping in with keyboards. The guitars and drums go almost as fast as thrash! "Rapist Eyes" is good, but d*mn these lyrics are so odd, not saying that odd is bad or anything. There's also great jazzy bass. "Dr. Piranha" continues the fast speed and cool keyboards, with a circus-like vibe. Vocalist Todd Smith really nails the bridge here. "Fetus on the Beat" was re-recorded from an earlier album The Embryo's in Bloom, having cool atmosphere.

"Worm in a Dog's Heart" starts with carnival-like keyboards with some cool bass bounce. The chorus sounds as progressive as Voivod's Nothingface, while the verses are weird in a good way. "Plastic Surgeons" is quite cool, though the xylophone soloing sounds odd in some places. Still great enough to keep the album's perfection! "Pogo the Clown" was re-recorded from another earlier album Experiments in Alchemy, a jazzy track graphically describing the murders committed by John Wayne Gacy. In saying that, the track is so amazing and versatile, with great bass! "Castaway" is a song I love so much, no words can describe it.

"Nude in the Wilderness" is a great track with a progressive bridge. Mike Patton would be proud. "The Acid Memoirs" would make Frank Zappa proud. It's so diverse! Though the bizarre lyrics are a bit bad, yet still not detracting the album's perfect score. "Deja Vu" is another jazzy re-recording from Experiments in Alchemy, this time with some atmospheric saxophone, cooling down for those who like John Zorn. Now, "Magical Band of Fools"... Is that funk?!? D*mn, the bass is so catchy, and so is some more sax!

The album has a couple hidden tracks ("Scores for Porn" and a cover of the theme for the musical/film "Grease"), but they don't hit as much as the awesome main release. Committed to a Bright Future can pretty much be one of my top 10 releases in alternative/avant-garde metal. Any fan of rock or metal should look into this bright future!

Favorites: "Love Song for a Witch", "Dr. Piranha", "Worm in a Dog's Heart", "Pogo the Clown", "Castaway", "Magical Band of Fools"

I just realized another thrash band I haven't reviewed an album from yet, Testament. And reviewing this album The Formation of Damnation is a good leap from Slayer's Repentless since drummer Paul Bostaph stepped in to play drums for this Testament album at a time when Dave Lombardo (who also recently rejoined Testament) continued his time with Slayer. I also remember guitarist Alex Skolnick performing with Savatage and Trans-Siberian Orchestra.

Testament is known as one of the SECONDARY Big 4 of thrash, alongside Exodus, Overkill and Death Angel. As famous as this band is, there's some truth that needs to be known. The greater fans of thrash stay with this band's music for their debut The Legacy, and I can kind of understand why. The quality here in this album, The Formation of Damnation, varies in lukewarm ways. Some songs are brilliant, others are just uninspired. It's a bit frustrating when one half of the album is great and the other is more average. But hey, it's not as sucky as what occurred in Slayer's Repentless...

The intro "For the Glory of..." starts the album with pompous guitar energy similar to that of Repentless. "More than Meets the Eye" crashes in with headbanging guitars. It's more mid-paced compared to the faster side of thrash, but it has strong melody and a catchy chorus. Fans of the band's debut will love this! The thrash isn't too infernal and instead more mature while sounding a bit menacing. Great start! "The Evil Has Landed" has a similar sound but slightly darker, especially in the lyrics, which deal with the most catastrophic day in the US, 9/11. The title track sets aside the earlier midtempo, replacing it with fast harsh aggression. It's a brilliant highlight if you're like me and wanna spice things up with speed.

Such a shame that "Dangers of the Faithless" lose the skill the band had in that earlier part of the album. "The Persecuted Won't Forget" is an exciting thrash storm, though as it goes on, it becomes much less exciting. The better "Henchmen Ride" drives through with slight speed in the bass and drums, and what makes the song memorable is the smashing chorus. It really makes up for the two previous tracks while still not regaining their earlier skill. "Killing Season" has longer guitar soloing, but it just lacks anything memorable and comes out as pretty much aimless.

"Afterlife" is more melodic while staying in heavy aggression. While a couple of the other songs in the album attempt that mix and fail, it sounds much more original in this one. It's cool and straight with being a total face-basher. "F.E.A.R." (False Evidence Appearing Real) doesn't fall flat on its face, just driving through with a bit of gloom in the pre-chorus. Not as triumphant as the first few tracks, but a solid highlight. "Leave Me Forever" is pretty much a ridiculous stinker, especially in the floppy verses.

All in all, The Formation of Damnation has a few soulless tracks while the rest is really good. The flawless highlights are certainly worth listening to, especially for thrash fans. Yet a few poor tracks leave me ending another encore to my Ultimate Pit Test with a slight foul taste in my metal mouth....

Favorites: "More than Meets the Eye", "The Formation of Damnation", "Henchmen Ride", "Afterlife", "F.E.A.R." (False Evidence Appearing Real)

As I've said before, Breaking Benjamin is one of the first rock/metal bands I had slight interest in over a decade before this review when my brother was (and still is) listening to this band and other bands. I mentioned that their debut Saturate had a post-grunge/hard rock sound, but I think this was only based on a few tracks I still remembered. With this album now fully in my mind after thorough listening, I've realized that it's a little more than just those two genres...

This was back when the nu metal scene was still on top, and Breaking Benjamin was part of it. However, they sound heavier than the songs from nu metal bands that are played on the radio, while their choruses are still worth singing along to.

"Wish I May" starts heavy before a Linkin Park-like singalong chorus. "Medicate" is similar, but closer to a grunge vibe. "Polyamorous" is the album's first single. It shows vocalist Benjamin Burnley having his ability to sing and perform background screams. A catchy tune that I still remember throughout all these years! "Skin" is more radio-friendly, once again mixing heavy and catchy in the choruses.

Modernizing the Bush sound of post-grunge is "Natural Life". However, the best song here for me is "Next to Nothing", despite sounding softer, which deserves as much fame as those 3 singles. I should also note that two of those singles ("Medicate" and "Polyamorous") were originally in the band's 2001 self-titled EP, and another one of the songs from the EP is "Water". This one starts with an experimental intro that almost made me think this would lead to an Atheist-like track, but it leads to this band's usual sound that's like a heavier Matchbox 20. Another song from the EP, "Home" is a heavier track I still remember and enjoy, with lyrics based on the Wizard of Oz.

"Phase" is a little more stripped down while still shining in heaviness, with a bit of tribal percussion. "No Games" has more of the mainstream Lifehouse/Calling side. That's the kind of style I want when balanced with the heavier stuff. "Sugarcoat" has more of that heavy potential. "Shallow Bay" is the last song to be re-recorded from their EP and the best of the heavier songs, which I still remember today. "Forever" is a soft hidden track ballad that's OK, but kind of an afterthought.

Saturate is a pretty good start to Breaking Benjamin's active career (active despite their hiatus throughout the first half of the 2010s). They have a great amount of songs with potential, though some of them miss that mark. This is worth picking up for the highlights and playing it loud and proud....

Favorites: "Wish I May", "Polyamorous", "Next to Nothing", "Home", "Phase", "Shallow Bay"

I decided to, after listening to and reviewing Hell Awaits, jump ahead from 1985 to 2015, sort of like Marty, Jennifer, and Doc in Back to the Future Part II. So here I am reviewing their final album Repentless, which is also their only album without founding guitarist Jeff Hanneman after his untimely passing two years earlier. Also absent was their mighty drummer Dave Lombardo. Does this album work without them? Eh, not so much...

Jeff Hanneman was known for his creative thrash songwriting. He knew how to add in spooky experimentation to the band's songs, while the band's other founding guitarist Kerry King wrote the typical upbeat tracks. With King in full control of most of the songwriting in this album, you might think this would be full-on fast thrash.

You might certainly think that with the first few tracks offering a promising start, beginning with the intro "Delusions of Savior", which I think is actually a better title for this album than that of the next track. The actual title track really sums up humanity in a nutshell. Bad-a** thrash right here! "Take Control" has just what longtime fans expect from this genre, fast riffing and aggressive soloing. Then the songs after that is just low-tuned mid-tempo groove metal, unfitting for what I expect from this band.

However, one song "When the Stillness Comes" is a pleasant surprise. King tries to add in the earlier scariness, which isn't too bad. Fantastic riffing appears in the last minute. There really should've been more after that, like enough to extend the song by a couple more minutes, but no, it's just an abrupt anti-climatic ending. So sad... Fortunately, there's more speed in "Implode", which was oddly released over a year earlier. "Piano Wire", the only song in the album to be posthumously written by Hanneman, is different from the other mid-tempo tracks, but it's still stuck in the middle.

"Atrocity Vendor" is also thrashy yet uninspired. The album's true highlight for me is "You Against You", having the mighty side of thrash sounding as fresh and f***ing p*ssed they can be. "Pride in Prejudice" ends the album (and the band's discography) blandly with one more groove song, though slightly more interesting than the others.

Some songs in Repentless are quite enjoyable. Guitarist Gary Holt does some great soloing work as if he has learned from Hanneman himself. Drummer Paul Bostaph is also good, while not the same as Lombardo. King performs some of the greatest riffing in thrash. Tom Araya continues his experienced aggression in the vocals and bass. And while Repentless is not how I thought they would end it all, I recognize the earlier Hell Awaits as a classic essential enough for my potential in The Pit. So long, Slayer.....

Favorites: "Repentless", "Take Control", "Implode", "You Against You"