Shadowdoom9 (Andi)'s Reviews

Two thrashy death metal albums into their career, Dutch band Pestilence decided to test out conjuring a more melodic-ish technical spell in their sound with their 3rd album Testimony of the Ancients. The aggravated atonality of hatred in the genre is expanded by some experimentation. Besides the more technical guitars and bass, the drums are close to Slayer's style, fast while far from blast beats, and there are extreme vocals, slightly surpassing Obituary and Death.

Notably, the album has an interesting structure of full songs that are each followed by a short instrumental, something Cynic would similarly do 3 decades later in Ascension Codes. Both track categories have a horror element, probably more of that than most of the other early 90s tech-death albums I've reviewed. Obscure riffs play amongst atmospheric power chords and dramatic synths, with some experimental groove to remind some of Morbid Angel. The eerie interludes have the most of the horror feeling, whether it's the Psycho-ish strings, screams over dissonant keyboards, or church ambiance. I won't talk about the interludes, though they don't detract the album's perfection.

You can hear the horror right away in the aptly titled "The Secrecies of Horror". The high-level melodic soloing are what highlight "Twisted Truth" with a dreamy solo that would hint their stylistic follow-up Spheres. The atmospheric flow in the interludes would continue on after that shining aggression. "Lost Souls" clearly shows vocalist Patrick Mameli having the bravery to growl through a straight fast deadly-for-your-neck headbanger.

"Land of Tears" is the best example of explosive metal soloing genius as a complementary contrast between melody and death metal. The Morbid Angel-like grooves appear most notably in "Prophetic Revelations".

"Testimony" adds a different good shade of sound. "Presence of the Dead" explores more explicit horror lyrical themes than before in the album. The most progressive leads, as progressive as Dream Theater, come in "Stigmatized". There's even Maiden-inspired guitar melody appearing twice. Then after one more melodic interlude that sounds a little uplifting and would fit better in a melodic progressive metal album, Dream Theater or otherwise, the horror is over.

All in all, Pestilence had made a tech-death work of art in Testimony of the Ancients. Just the album cover and title alone is enough to intimidate and convince you. There's a perfect balance between ritual-sounding and ravaging, alternating between full songs and interludes. Any fan of the genre can identify any of these tracks in a blink of an eye!

Favorites: "Twisted Truth", "Lost Souls", "Land of Tears", "Stigmatized"

Atheist is a special band to appear in the early 90s. Together with Cynic, they shook the harsh death metal world by jazzing it up with jazz elements. And what an amazing perfect product this band has created!

Atheist had their own unique writing going on. Bassist Roger Patterson wrote the bass lines for the guitars to be structured upon for a different unconventional interplay. Sadly, he's gone, after a vehicular accident. RIP... Helping out the band is the massive delivery of Tony Choy. We also have the mighty guitar skills of Rand Burkey and Kelly Shaefer, the latter providing clean yet aggressive vocals reminiscent of the later Death albums. And who would forget Steve Flynn's perfectly pattern-less drumming variety?

"Mother Man" is an impressive starting point to hear all that drumming talent. Aside from the percussion, jazzy bass kicks off the action before loading up a lot of metal riffing fury in their arsenal. The title track is the best here, that's how awesome this album is! The rhythmic twists will blow your mind.

"Your Life's Retribution" has the technicality that Death would have in Human, in a more memorable light. The intro to "Enthralled in Essence" might throw some listeners off-guard, but what matters is the epic melody and desperate speed to immediately put you back on track. Another amazing highlight is "An Incarnation's Dream", starting with a serene acoustic intro before more complex heaviness.

"The Formative Years" unleashes more of the technicality without being too excessive, rather just naturally playing out their elements naturally, for the catchiness this album needs. More occasions for the sound to shine occur in "Brains". Kelly Shaefer is the brains behind the melody, shredding fierce leads and performing comprehensible growls, sounding the most excellent there. The closing "And the Psychic Saw" is the heaviest way to end the record. After all that jazz from earlier on in the album, it was time to end with the thrashy tech-death from their debut.

This band has clearly established the jazzy progressive tech-death that was first hinted in Piece of Time and fully formed in Unquestionable Presence. One of the most influential classics in the progressive/death metal realms!

Favorites: "Mother Man", "Unquestionable Presence", "Enthralled in Essence", "An Incarnation's Dream", "Brains"

Continuing my death metal rediscovery review journey, I've come to the remaining band of the tech-death trio, a band in the same level of grand technicality as the later Death and the early Cynic. Let's leap back in time to Atheist's Piece of Time, probably THE first tech-death album, recorded two years before the other two 1990 albums.

I remember checking out a few songs from this band a few years ago but dismissed it because I wasn't into the more thrashy-sounding tech-death at that time. This has happened before, all those countless times I've tried to grasp a band's magic that was beyond my reach of comfort. Now that I'm rediscovering tech-death when I can surely handle it, I knew I can't turn back, though I would still avoid the more brutal bands like Suffocation and Cannibal Corpse. Atheist have made quite the unique difference!

The title opener starts ominous before blasting into godly thrash chaos, showing all the album's got to offer including random turns through awesome guitars, along with grand bass by Roger Patterson (who died in a crash while touring with the band, RIP). "Unholy War" is very much a hint at what to expect from death metal in the 90s, including fast chaos and the shrieking growls of Kelly Shaefer. "Room With a View" is a great favorite of mine. There are lyrics of political corruption that was once uncommon in death metal but would be used by bands of the genre more frequently.

Also standing out is "On They Slay", with a fitting title because of the Slayer-like tendencies. "Beyond" is quite killer, but Shaefer's unique growls end up sounding a bit weak in his attempt for a technical-sounding mix of Megadeth and Obituary. More of the dazzling guitar technicality comes in "I Deny".

Another highlight "Why Bother?" is a great headbanger, with a nice amount of vocals hissing through with scientific vocabulary. There's a little more of the cheesy death metal gore in the ironically titled "Life" which brings the lyrics a small step down in enjoyment, but the music is still miles beyond conventionality. Finally, "No Truth" is the best representation of the band's sound, summarizing all they've had throughout the album.

Piece of Time is so great, with barely anything going wrong. It is very well the tech-death catalyst, though the albums Death would make after this release would be the more common "go-to" location for reference. Bands like Arsis and Martyr would make technical material that wouldn't be possible without this album. Highly recommended!

Favorites: "Piece of Time", "Room With a View", "On They Slay", "Why Bother?", "No Truth"

Atrocity is known as one of the most chameleon-esque German metal bands, going through different genres such as folky gothic metal, industrial, and even a bit of hardcore groove. They originally started with a tech-death sound, with their debut Hallucinations being one of the most unique albums of the genre, mature with astonishing talent!

Like I said before, 1990 was an early year of experimentation in death metal. Atheist hinted at the progressive direction they would take while standing by their pure thrashy death metal sound in Piece of Time, released earlier that year. Then a year later, Death added slightly more melodic and progressive elements to their sound in Human. And of course, we have the jazzy prog-death of Cynic's 1993 album Focus. Atrocity's Hallucinations deserves attention for their underrated part in the early tech-death league.

"Deep in Your Subconscious" kicks off the album with the usual death metal to expect, but what's unexpected is the lyrical concept. It's a big difference from the sci-fi-twisted Satanism and gore of Nocturnus' The Key. Here we explore the story of a girl who suffered from abuse in childhood and would later descend into drug addiction. In the next song, "Life is a Long and Silent River", you can hear that they're a band with unexpected traits, more than that of Atheist, Death, or Cynic. They're not combining genres the way those other bands would, but rather they make interesting ideas out of standard tech-death. It's just metal riffing all around in different songs, such as "Fatal Step".

The title track continues that deathly sense. The intro to "Defeated Intellect" is one of those interesting moments fun as f*** when you can handle the fire. "Abyss of Addiction" has more of the weird riff ideas that work well throughout these 3 and a half minutes. Weird while having memorable strength!

The amazing chorus of "Hold Out (to the End)" is what make that song one of the strongest highlights here. The lyrics would absolutely make you growl along, "HOLD OUT...TO THE END! RESIST...AND LIVE!!!" If you think keyboards should've been here like in The Key, they appear in the closing "Last Temptation". While the atmospheric organ tone only comes on in a storm of changing rhythms and virtuoso leads, they fit well for (SPOILER ALERT) the funeral of the girl who died from a suicidal drug overdose.

My first time hearing Atrocity, and while different from their sound now, with their tech-death sound only carrying on for one more album, Todessehnsucht, Hallucinations is an essential album for all death metal listeners. I barely have any complaints, and the album is great enough for 4.5 stars. The heavier metalheads should love this!

Favorites: "Deep in Your Subconscious", "Life is a Long and Silent River", "Hallucinations", "Hold Out (to the End)"

1990 was another special early year for death metal when 3 bands expanded the boundaries of death metal to include more technical experimentation, sometimes reaching a progressive level, thus creating the subgenre technical death metal! Nocturnus is one of those bands.

I'm never really a super-fan of old-school death metal, given the Satanism and violent gore that occurs in the lyrics. Nocturnus added a bit of those lyrical themes mixed with a sci-fi concept, and even more surprising to the death metal community is the addition of keyboard atmosphere unusual at that time. They've also added more technicality to the sound as a bridge between Morbid Angel and what Death would have next. Nocturnus made a progressive twist in death metal, and d*mn it, there'll be more!

Starting the album perfectly is "Lake of Fire", with a nice beautiful keyboard intro that reminds of the intro of Edge of Sanity's debut, before unleashing furious tech-death chaos. The background keys in "Standing In Blood" are a nice touch there too. "Visions From Beyond The Grave" is another violent assault from the guitar, bass, and drums.

One shining highlight is "Neolithic", particularly the keyboard passage 3 minutes in that sounds almost like the X-Files theme. Seriously, that might've really inspired the theme of that sci-fi mystery show that came out 3 years after this album! More of that bass and drum assault appears in "Undead Journey". Next track "B.C./A.D. (Before Christ, After Death)" once again starts with a nice keyboard into before breaking the peace with massive thrashy deathly riffing. Let me say right here that "Andromeda Strain" is pure proto-melodeath B.C. (Before Carcass). The intro has one of the greatest evil yet melodic riffs in death metal.

"Droid Sector" has excellent riffs and sick soloing. Blasting through yet again is "Destroying The Manger" which highlights the controversial concept of a cyborg tasked with traveling back in time to kill Jesus Christ and create his own evil empire, like some blasphemous Terminator sh*t. "Empire of the Sands" is the perfect closing track, with f***ing beautiful keyboard atmosphere before the dark fury of awesome death metal riff wrath.

The Key is an amazing KEY to the tech-death sound these legends would help create. If it's out of print, it's probably because of that sci-fi-meets-anti-Christian concept that would not go over well with the public nowadays, and that's why it's a few points short of perfection. Still it's an easy album to look up for listening, and the music is worth it!

Favorites: "Lake of Fire", "Neolithic", "B.C./A.D. (Before Christ, After Death)", "Andromeda Strain", "Empire of the Sands"

After making two timeless additions to traditional Swedish death metal, Entombed was ready to try a new approach while keeping their roots. Their 3rd album marked the beginning of a new inspiring era, an era that would later be unappealing when two more albums take the band farther away from their death metal roots. Wolverine Blues, together with Carcass' Heartwork, marked a big historical turn for their label Earache in 1993, attracting new fans with a somewhat more melodic sound. While Carcass invented the melodic death metal genre with barely any prior experimentation, Entombed added pieces of hard rock, hardcore, and Pantera-like groove metal for something more groovy with slight hints of melody, death 'n' roll. Desultory also experimented with that subgenre, but Entombed succeeded in making that potential new hybrid.

With a title like Wolverine Blues, was there any relation with the wise invincible Wolverine from Marvel Comics? Yes there was! Even though the band were against anything to do with Wolverine, Earache went behind their backs to make a deal with Marvel for mainstream promotion. That's part of how this album became a successful leap for this band, label, and much of extreme metal. I can understand other aspects of their success. Lars Göran Petrov (RIP), who was absent for their second album Clandestine, returned and stayed with the band until their first breakup. The tone maintains their earlier dark atmosphere while slamming through rock-infused compositions.

Feedback rising and a sample from Hellraiser, "I am the way" (one of a few audio samples removed for later editions due to copyright issues), begin the opener "Eyemaster". A searing groove chugs along to show you what to expect in the subgenre before an unforgettable riffing force. It's stunning how no one had this idea before Entombed did and that's what makes them a prominent part of death metal history. Another good track, "Rotten Soil" pummels with thundering fists of fury, taking a minute to switch from the groove in the verses to amazing riffing before a breakdown of war. Phenomenal punk rhythms appear while not forgetting their usual death metal. The title track was originally in an earlier EP with audio samples in the place of vocals. The one-minute mark turns the opposite way, from riffing to a bluesy groove.

My favorite track here is the super-groove-crusher "Demon". The vocals are some of Petrov's most memorable, as if he's a preaching town crier announcing incoming evil. I was almost convinced enough to find something to fight off that evil. The thrashy rhythms and lead are brilliant there. Death 'n' roll has not gotten a better establishing point than that! "Contempt" weaves through solid melody and breaks down into hard rock, moving in the same tempo as the previous two tracks, sounding evil in the melody intervals. "Full of Hell" has the most rock in this album, with memorable hooks grunge bands wish they could've had earlier.

More of the grunge madness can be heard in "Blood Song". I'm genuinely surprised this song has never appeared in at least one episode of True Blood, particularly in a hillbilly vampire scene. Plus, the lyrics can range from funny to frightening, so it definitely would've worked well for that show. Punk thunders through again, with leads that guide you through a killing trail. "Hollowman" is not bad, but it's weaker than the rest and definitely not a favorite. This is more like Hillbilly Blues at this point, especially the bridge harmony midway through. The verse riff in "Heavens Die" is a soul-burner, but the punk rhythm sounds too basic and doesn't level up the psychotic lead that follows. Absent in the Marvel edition, "Out of Hand" is far less memorable. And don't ask me about their poor cover of "State of Emergency" by Stiff Little Fingers.

Wolverine Blues is a turning point in Swedish death metal history. It is the bridge between their sense of creativity from their first two standard death metal albums and the switch to deathless mediocrity in the two albums after this one. Slightly flawed especially towards the end, but a better offering of death metal. It was time for the small influences the band hinted earlier to fully see the light of day and the core of their writing, one part of death metal refreshing into different subgenres in 1993. Entombed continue their innovation that would build up a higher following. Unfortunately, they were so motivated that they would later fall into the deathless rock 'n' roll Hellhole....

Favorites: "Eyemaster", "Rotten Soil", "Demon", "Full of Hell", "Blood Song"

A band's swansong album is not the easiest to grasp when you're thinking about which direction they would have gone. Chuck Schuldiner had the idea of going progressive in both his main band Death and the side project he would've focused on, Control Denied. As a result, Death's last album was the most progressive that band has been, and the sole release from Control Denied was Schuldiner's only attempt at a full-on progressive metal album. Tragically, a brain tumor would end his life and both projects. RIP...

A good amount of Death's fanbase were appalled about the band going more progressive than before, condemning it as a talentless dump of heavy flaws. I'm certainly not part of that fanbase, but I know that this band continued their impressive evolution of technical writing as a helping force of progressive death metal, despite having already reached their memorable height in Symbolic. The Sound of Perseverance is where they really persevered at making their most ambitious work yet, aware of how divisive of a reaction they would cause. As a progressive metal fan myself, it's great hearing those twists and turns. There's no denying what Schuldiner achieved in Death's finale.

"Scavenger of Human Sorrow" is the right place to start with temporary drummer Richard Christy peaking at every minute from the beginning onwards with his massive drum skills. I say temporary because he only appeared in this album along with the rest of the lineup besides Schuldiner. The other two members are Scott Clendenin, who plays cold deep bass, thick to the core and as different as possible from the riffing, with thoughtful effort on his performance; and Shannon Hamm, playing great guitar rhythm, essential for a tight contrast with Schuldiner's leads. "Bite the Pain" is the heaviest song here. The verse riff chugs through alongside catchy yet disjointed vocals, along with the most sections I've heard in a single chorus (4). "Spirit Crusher" is a notable highlight with riffing mixing brutality and melody, the latter appearing more in the chorus.

My favorite here is "Story to Tell", in perfect inspired flow, especially in the powerful guitar tone. Bite that pain, complainers! Another one of the best is "Flesh and the Power it Holds", a legendary 8-minute epic filled with mesmerizing instrumentation, unforgettable soloing and brilliant lyrics. The soft electric interlude "Voice of the Soul" is also neat.

Also special is "To Forgive is to Suffer" with some of the most brilliant technical drumming. More riffing comes in "A Moment of Clarity" for catchy intricacy. If there's one thing that sets me off, it's their cover of "Painkiller" by Judas Priest. We all know Judas Priest and Angra are better at performing that song. Schuldiner's attempt at playing at Priest's live tuning of E-flat and singing as high and clean as Rob Halford is something to laugh at. Nonetheless, the rest of the band performed it greatly.

Yeah, the vocals here have received the most criticism out of this album, sounding more whiny than growling in a few of the more melodic songs especially that Priest cover. They do sound unfitting, but the rest of the time, they're enjoyable. Remember, some of the people complaining are fans of Death's earlier 80s death metal era. Vocal speed-bumps aside, the songs are all chilling in the riffing and insane drumming. A killer way to go out in a bang before the band is put to sleep, and so is Schuldiner eternally. He knew an encore was called for after a break following Symbolic. Whether you enjoy the death metal era or this progressive era, this is for you to witness the final Death.....

Favorites: "Scavenger of Human Sorrow", "Spirit Crusher", "Story to Tell", "Flesh and the Power it Holds", "To Forgive is to Suffer"

Heartwork is probably the album where Carcass was the most dedicated. They began demoing this album as early as during their tour for the less melodic Necroticism, even playing their new songs on tour. Much of the recording time was wasted finding the right guitar tone and the right ideas from their producer Colin Richardson. Things were going down to Hell for the people working on the album. With all that trouble going on, Carcass was still determined to get things right in order to reach higher lengths. In the end, they've made an offering that the world would recognize as a game-changing classic to this day!

I would never disagree with this album's melodic death metal legend status, but to be honest, it's not the most melodic melodeath album I've heard. The Maiden-like melodic harmonies that really make the genre, but that's a small step Carcass was missing here. The melodic harmonies in this album is mostly in just passages and solos, the latter not sounding as perfect as in Gothenburg bands. Mike Amott performed them slightly better in Arch Enemy that would've crystallized Bill Steer's standard riffing and groove.

The album's bleak emotion appears from the start with "Buried Dreams". Then things speed up with "Carnal Forge", beginning with harmony-powered intro riffing. Probably the closest this album has been to their earlier violent gore lyrics that would've traumatized people who aren't ready (like I would've been if I checked it out like 5 years ago). Swedish melodeath band Carnal Forge would get their name from that track. "No Love Lost" is certainly not easy-listening for most people, but it perfectly fits the more precise and mature direction the band has taken. The fast title track has really shaped up the melodeath genre as what we now know.

"Embodiment" has a mid-tempo groove and other aspects that would inspire a newer generation of deathcore created by Embodyment (I wonder if that track is where that band got their name). "This Mortal Coil" is straight on melodeath to kick things up high. "Arbeit Macht Fleisch" (Work Makes Meat) takes on a greater amount of harmonies that would inspire the last two Death albums.

There's a baffling breakdown in "Blind Bleeding the Blind" that would confuse people into thinking this is Coroner's Grin. The somewhat disappointing "Doctrinal Expletives" doesn't taint the album's greatness when some slight redemption is on the way. "Death Certificate" touches on dehumanization of life in a melodic yet blazing ending bang.

Heartwork is the album that gave later death metal bands the idea to add more melody than brutality, and it's quite an impressive achievement of a lifetime for this band. Where there any other bands before Carcass and the Gothenburg crew that started adding melody to an extreme genre with extreme lyrics? I think not! However, At the Gates who would make an album two years later that would inspire melodic metalcore bands to rise. In the meantime, enjoy the original melodeath work!

Favorites: "No Love Lost", "Heartwork", "This Mortal Coil", "Arbeit Macht Fleisch", "Death Certificate"

Eighteen Visions split up in 2007 then reformed 10 years later for their 7th album titled XVIII, the roman numeral for 18. Founding vocalist James Hart managed to reunite with guitarist Keith Barney and drummer Trevor Friedrich for the album. Then they toured with guitarist/bassist Josh James as a replacement for Ken Floyd and Mick Morris, the latter of whom passed away in 2013. The band actually used bass tracks recorded by Morris when performing live, to respect his memory. They didn't have another full-time bassist until just a year before this review, when Dan Smith joined in along with drummer Matt Horwitz replacing Friedrich.

Anyway, before the band's split, they were at the top of their metalcore game in the early 2000s. Then in the mid-2000s, they made a dreaded less heavy turn into mainstream hard rock. But now we're heading into the band's comeback album that's more extreme than anything they've done before. In saying that, some things about XVIII prevent the album from reaching the greatness of their early 2000s material...

Opening the album is the two-minute "Crucified", which does what the opening track of Obsession has done, setting the tone for the album. This time we have colossal metal riffing and the vocals of James Hart that are more vicious than in the earlier days of the band. There's more consistency to come in the album, but keep that in mind before they sneak in a bit of their mid-2000s hard rock. We have more of the heavy pattern in "The Disease, The Decline, and Wasted Time" with total rage in the verses, calling the lyrical target a "f***ing leech" with a "f***ing disease" and a life that's a "f***ing waste of time". He sounds so p*ssed off in metalcore disharmony, as the riffs and chords rise in the chorus and breakdown stomping through. The structure in "Underneath the Gun" goes from rock-out verses to a metallic breakdown. Its music video was inspired by the John Carpenter film They Live, even having an audio sample from the movie in the song's intro. The heaviness and usage of film samples definitely throws back to the destructive Until the Ink Runs Out, albeit with more melody. "Live Again" seems to tribute to Morris, though the song is a bit harrowing.

The furious "Laid to Waste in the Sh*t of Man" has their earlier Throwdown-ish hardcore, as the stellar riffing and drum kicks continue to rage on. "Oath" is a two-minute lookback at straight edge hardcore, made heavier thanks to the production work of Mick Kenney (Anaal Nathrakh, Make Them Die Slowly). "Spit" is longer but not interesting.

"Picture Perfect" is a total fail, with the Marilyn Manson-infused music and lyrics making me cringe. "Fake Leather Jacket" turns things around as another highlight, and the strongest one here too. There are more of the vengeful screams by Hart, "LIAR!!!! SADIST!!! CORPORATE!!! RAPIST!!!" The heavy verses and anthemic choruses are the best of what the album has in store. "For This I Sacrifice" has more dynamic diversity, as the crushing screams alternate with melodic singing.

See, this is what Eighteen Visions needs to sound like in the heavier tracks, like Vision of Disorder on steroids. They would then pay tribute to that band and other rock/metal bands in their cover album 1996. Luckily they didn't cover a song by Velvet Revolver, because when 18V goes that stylistic route in a few songs in XVIII, it didn't go so well....

Favorites: "Crucified", "The Disease, The Decline, and Wasted Time", "Underneath the Gun", "Laid to Waste in the Sh*t of Man", "Fake Leather Jacket"

Anytime you hear a different song with basically the same formula with not much variation, it is often quite problematic, though a few bands like DragonForce do it quite well. For the 2006 self-titled album Eighteen Visions, it's pretty bad. The album's not as bad what most longtime fans think of it, but it's definitely worse than Obsession and even Yesterday is Time Killed. The dark emo-core fashion the band has taken on aesthetically is quite cool, though as cliche as the music...

The goal for this album seems to be to make fist-pumping anthems, and that's out of the question when their sound is soften to just hard/alt-rock. This drop from heaviness seems to mirror what Rise Against did with their own album that year, and probably a much deeper drop too.

"Our Darkest Days" already kinda proves that as a slow soft march. Interestingly, it's a perfect anthemic start with ambient leads making way for layered gang vocals, "We must escape our darkest days". And when the verse marches through, it's much different from the poor formula later on in the album. That definitely sets my mood well! "Victim" is the fist-pumping anthem the album was supposed to be going for. It's a strong heavy banger with hardcore energy to surpass AFI. Truly the strongest piece here!

Unfortunately, after those two highlights, that's where the quality drops, and the remaining songs are so awful that I'm not up to mentioning here. Except for "Coma" with its heavy riffing. That and the catchy gang vocals save it from becoming another weak sh*tter.

Eighteen Visions' early 2000s albums are so amazing and heavy. The sudden turn-away from all that killer glory has surprised many fans, some in a good way, some in a bad way. For me, it's the latter. The song structures don't have much original variation, with only the gang vocals and small increase of heaviness in the songs mentioned above getting their money's worth. If they weren't so focused on 80s rock, despite the cool aesthetic image, they would've had a less lame end of their initial career....

Favorites (only songs I like): "Our Darkest Days", "Victim", "Coma"

Obsession is one of those "love it or hate it" kind of albums. You love it if you started your Eighteen Visions journey with this album, you hate it if you're a fan of the band's more metalcore material. As someone who aware of both the alt-metal of this album and the metalcore of their previous albums, I consider Obsession a fairly decent album. Not so strong, but better than Yesterday is Time Killed by some slight points.

The songs in Obsession are quite short, going for the radio-friendly track lengths of under 4 minutes. Also radio-friendly is the song structures that can sound repetitive. So do those tracks work out well? Let's give them a spin...

We have the strong title opener, as James Hart yells "obsession, desire, depression" repeatedly, leading into a crushing breakdown. Killer start, though I wish it was longer. Unlike "I Let Go" which has some unwanted Stone Temple Pilots-like clean singing. "Crushed" is a crushing standout. "This Time" is pretty great, though again I want to get that STP-ish singing out of my head. No disrespect to Scott Weiland, RIP...

Then we have "Tower of Snakes" with everything any 18V fan can ask for. Halfway through is one of the best headbanging breakdowns you can find from this band. After that is the happy-sappy "I Should Tell You" that would fit much better on the radio than a metal album. "Waiting for the Heavens" is another standout with effective vocals.

"Lost in a Dream" is more mellow with lots of clean singing, but it's still nicely heavy. "Bleed by Yourself" rocks out hard. "A Long Way Home" attempts to blend the band's earlier hardcore with more of those d*mn STP-infused vocals, with actually greater results than earlier tracks. Closing the album is the soft melodic piano ballad "Said and Done", which is fine but don't expect me to listen to that sh*t a lot.

Regardless of this less heavy sound and mundane verse-chorus structure, Obsession has some good moments. The album would, just like Vanity, be re-recorded for its 20th anniversary (excluding "Said and Done", whew!). Here's to hoping and not hoping for a re-recording of their 2006 self-titled album. Review for that one coming up shortly....

Favorites: "Obsession", "Crushed", "Tower of Snakes", "Waiting for the Heavens", "A Long Way Home"

The heavy greatness of Eighteen Visions was shining the most in the albums Until the Ink Runs Out and The Best of Eighteen Visions. Their debut Yesterday is Time Killed is heavy too, but dragged down by its poor production. However, Vanity is where things really start to change...

This Orange County band have a lot of the brutal chaos of metalcore in the riffs, screams, and breakdowns, to get the hardcore crowd moshing. While all that is still around, there are some interesting twists. The riffing is more melodic than before and clean singing has become more prominent. And those new aspects happen every 30 seconds or so. It's not as awesome as the previous two albums, yet greatly unique. Guitarist Brandan Schieppati left the band after this and is fully committed to Bleeding Through.

The great title opener pretty much lets you know all that's going on in the album. The metallic riffing drives through as James Hart performs not just screaming but also singing. Despite opening a new dimension in the band's sound, the latter vocal style is not as strong as the former. Neither are the lyrics. That's OK because the heavier sections like the great breakdown makes that track the powerful standout it is. "Fashion Show" has lyrics detailing a break-up and shows some resilience instead of just going all-out emo. "She thought that she could break my heart, I'm not the one that's been held down, because you're the one that's letting me go." Great drumming and riffing, and don't forget another killer breakdown! "One Hell of a Prize Fighter" is one h*ll of a brutal track. It's quite battle-ready, as you can hear from the lyrics of a fight. "Well, here's your misery, bite down and grind your teeth away." The backing growls are performed by Howard Jones, shortly before he joined Killswitch Engage. After all that heaviness is some of the best clean singing here. For "I Don't Mind", I DO mind the Godsmack-like clean verses and lyrics The breakdown really makes up for that though.

"The Notes of My Reflection" is an acoustic instrumental with a drum loop before seguing into the next track. "A Short Walk Down a Long Hallway" is the best track here for me. The singing, soloing, riffing, and lyrics all reach their very peak. "Disgust, disgrace, you'll slap that look right off of my face, I'll play God, I'll play dead, You'll be the one to shoot me in the head." I also love the screaming by Corey Darst from The Pretty Weapons who was a live vocalist for Zao at the time. "The Critic" is the heaviest of the bunch. There's more of the crushing guitar and lyrics criticizing critics. "Cuz what you see is what you think is loud, so start eating the sh*t we're gonna feed you now." And we have another great breakdown too. "Gorgeous" is not gorgeous at all. It's a f***ing cheesy love ballad, and I hate the lyrics and singing there. "You Broke Like Glass" has lyrics tackling the straight edge scene, which doesn't make sense when there's the g****mn Godsmack-like singing and riffing.

"In the Closet" has some great riffing. The lyrics of religion are the absolute best on the album. "God gave you wings to fly, so fly the f*** away." And here's yet another sick breakdown. I still can't believe that is as short as that d*mn "Gorgeous" ballad. "Sonic Death Monkey" lyrically takes on the sins of porn. Some more of the best riffing and drumming comes in. The soft singing section drifts smoothly into a hard screaming breakdown. Another interlude, "There is Always" is just the Manchurian Candidate theme song sampled in its original form. They didn't even credit the composer David Amram! I'm surprised they got away with that. "Love in Autumn" is just a clean rock ballad with solely clean singing, then the electric guitar comes in for the solo. Good, but not how I wanna end things. Neither is the subsequent 7-minute silence and hidden phone call.

Before I conclude this review, I actually wanna talk about something I didn't know until around the time I started my Eighteen Visions reviewing marathon. Two years before this review, the band re-recorded Vanity for its 20th anniversary. Apparently it's much heavier, with the tuning lowered from drop B to drop A, and the ballads weren't included (thank goodness!). I should check it out sometime. They also re-recorded Obsession recently for its 20th anniversary. Will they re-record their 6th self-titled album in 2026? I both hope so and hope not! Either way, Vanity is certainly not Obsession. This is the usual heavy metalcore of 18V with nice touches of melody. Sweet and enjoyable....

Favorites: "Vanity", "One Hell of a Prize Fighter", "A Short Walk Down a Long Hallway", "The Critic", "In the Closet", "Sonic Death Monkey"

Having made a massive leap from the poor Yesterday is Time Killed to the mighty Until the Ink Runs Out, Eighteen Visions decided to revamp the material before their breakthrough album. Their initial plan was first conceived after their debut was released to re-release that album and the EP Lifeless in a single disc. Ultimately, they re-recorded what they thought are the best songs from those out-of-print releases and the entire No Time to Love EP.

Whew, I'm glad I made that above description so anyone unfamiliar with the band wouldn't think this is either a compilation of songs or an original album. The re-recordings actually give the songs more strength than the originals, helped out by much better production. Only one new song appears, and that's the first track of the album. The reason the band gave it the album title The Best of was in case they don't make it big, but that's where they are now, probably big enough to make an actual compilation. This amazing album shall be worth getting in touch with the band's roots from their first 5 years of activity.

"Motionless and White" is the one new song to begin the album. It's so interesting how one of my favorite metalcore bands Motionless in White is named after this song from another one of my favorite bands. Not just any band, but one versatile enough to inspired a new legion of the genre! This song is not really the best from this band though, and that's a shame because it sit rights between the crushing heaviness of Until the Ink Runs Out and the serene melody of Vanity. Now it's time to revisit those metalcore memories in "Russian Roulette with a Trigger Happy Manic Depressive" (often shortened to just "Russian Roulette"), packing some powerful punches. You would've expected the melodic clean singing of that new song, though SPOILER: there's none. Nothing but screamed vocals and the occasion spoken passage, something to remind some of Poison the Well. "The Psychotic Thought" sounds a lot more psychotic in the re-recording than the original, having a bit of the heavy side of Miss May I. "An Old Wyoming Song" leans more into a bit of the mathy metalcore Vein.fm would have a couple decades later.

"Slipping Through the Hands of God" serves as a kick-A intersection between the hardcore of Strife, a bit of the melody of The Ghost Inside, and some slight experimentation of Code Orange. "Diana Gone Wrong" strikes hard with technical breakdowns. As does the brutal "Raping, Laughing, Tasting, Temptation".

"Five 'O Six A.M. Three/Fifteen" has the ravaging devastation of Zao and guitarist Brandan Schieppati's other band Bleeding Through, maybe even Bring Me the Horizon's debut Count Your Blessings in the more deathly moments. "Life's Blood" almost stirs up the deathly technicality of Atheist. One of the best songs to showcase James Hart's screamed vocals in "Isola in the Rain". Finally, "Dead Rose" is the band's heaviest way out and my favorite here. Even those most unfamiliar with the band would love it.

The original releases are no longer in print, but thanks to the internet, you can track them down in the blink of an eye. On the other hand, The Best of Eighteen Visions has beaten those releases by far with these re-recorded tracks. This is my second-favorite 18V album behind Until the Ink Runs Out, and it would've been perfect if not for that first song which, while still heavy as f***, leans too much into the Vanity/Obsession era. Where would fans of the band and genre be without this "Best of" offering? Still it's not for the most casual listener, so anyone new might wanna start small with a few songs. Then if you're up for more, enjoy the ride!

Favorites: "Russian Roulette with a Trigger Happy Manic Depressive", "Slipping Through the Hands of God", "Five 'O Six A.M. Three/Fifteen", "Isola in the Rain", "Dead Rose"

Now this is the album where Eighteen Visions really unleash their sound, a year after the humble slump that is their debut Yesterday is Time Killed. Until the Ink Runs Out confirms the band's earlier identity and status as heroes of metalcore, popularizing the occasional usage of clean vocals and keyboards in the genre and starting the "fashioncore" scene. Truly a historical turn in this genre that blends metal and hardcore!

Until the Ink Runs Out is much different from their later albums in their initial era like Vanity and Obsession. While there are slight hints of the more melodic sound of those albums, here it's full-on metalcore heaviness at its best. One other band going the same route at the same time was Poison the Well, their metalcore/hardcore album being The Opposite of December. When I first heard a song from this Eighteen Visions album 3 years ago in one of the Revolution playlists, I was hooked by its killer passion. Until the Ink Runs Out is also the first of 5 of the band's releases under the infamous Trustkill Records. With so much addictive emotion, no 18V fan would want to miss this.

Right from the intro, "She Looks Good in Velvet" attacks with their beastly sound, again different from Vanity and Obsession. Lots of heavy technicality and the deathly growling of vocalist James Hart (though he would focus on higher screaming in later albums). Not only do his vocals rule, but the lyrics in this album are some of the best he's written. It's a lot more poetic, emotional, and creative than their softer material. Beginning with a Back to the Future audio sample, "She's a Movie Produced Masterpiece" is the song from that playlist that made me up for this band, making me wish I had listened to more metalcore in my teen years. In the second half, there's an unreal groove along with the most epic pick-up line possible, "BLONDE BOMBSHELL BLUE-EYED BEAUTY, YOU ROCK MY F***ING WORLD!!!!!" The heaviness of this masterpiece of a song would have you laughing maniacally. The co-vocals by Brandan Schieppati (Bleeding Through) are also great. Even Throwdown would be thrown down by this. "Champagne and Sleeping Pills" both begin and end with a sample from the movie The Shining, adding a pleasantly disturbing vibe to another blend of heaviness and melody.

"Who the F*** Killed John Lennon?" also ends with a creepy outro. The outro is a dark ambient interlude titled "Elevator Music". More like elevator music in a horror movie! Next track "The Nothing" combines hatred and depression in both the music and lyrics. "Wine 'Em, Dine 'Em, Sixty-Nine 'Em" is a daredevil standout with sludge-ish guitar.

"That Ain't Elvis Playing Piano" is one of the heaviest songs ever made by the band. Fantastic! More of this interesting guitar riffing comes in "Revolutionizing the Sound of Music". Lastly we have the two-part epic finale, "Prelude to an Epic/Flowers for Ingrid" The first part is an epic intro that sounds like the intro for one of the songs by Brandan Schieppati's main band Bleeding Through, especially in the background keyboards. Then the second part has the band's usual metalcore.

All in all, Until the Ink Runs Out is the strongest album by these Orange County-based trailblazers. It's a better offering than Vanity and certainly one h*ll of a better album than Yesterday is Time Killed. The ultimate heaviness of Eighteen Visions can be found right here. It's just pure metalcore energy from beginning to end to please the hardcore masses. For any 18V newcomers, if you're up for heavy chaos, start with this album. If you're up for melodic beauty, start with Vanity. Just know that the album might not be everyone's cup of tea. An awesome album from an amazing band. Until the Ink Runs Out is truly where the band's greatness begins!

Favorites: "She Looks Good in Velvet", "She's a Movie Produced Masterpiece", "Wine 'Em, Dine 'Em, Sixty-Nine 'Em", "That Ain't Elvis Playing Piano", "Prelude to an Epic/Flowers for Ingrid"

The late 90s marked the entryway of Eighteen Visions after changing their name from Macabre. Their sound back then was vicious death metal-influenced metalcore, almost heading into early deathcore, rather than their more hardcore-oriented subsequent works. It's quite moshable, I guess. However, it suffers a similar issue to that Damnation A.D. debut, with its lo-fi production detracting the greatness a lot of the songs would've had. And one or two audio samples go on for so long, I'm surprised they weren't sued.

One song I think is worth mentioning and qualifying as a highlight is that 7-minute instrumental epic, but there are two "what the f***!?" kinds of problems; 1. It's untitled. 2. It's split into 8 tracks. I really don't get why they've done that, honestly. Yesterday is Time Killed is a decent album, but I would like and mention it more if those flaws were fixed....

Favorites (only one worth mentioning that would be better without its problems): The 7-minute untitled epic

The heaviest grind-ish deathcore was in the minds of many Embodyment fans when they placed this EP into their stereos around the time of its release. Imagine the surprise and disappointment they would feel after finding out that all the extreme heaviness is gone. Embodyment really changed their style to accommodate a new lineup, which included vocalist Sean Corbay with cleaner singing. The Narrow Scope of Things dumped all of their deathcore roots for a hardcore-esque alt-metal sound. Embodyment is actually as good at melody and atmosphere as they were in brutality, and this new aspect worked out successfully, though it could never beat the deathcore material...

Like I said, there's actual clean singing in the album. For a band that used to be deathcore, this was a first! Corbay has mixed a few of the growls McCaddon was performing, with shouting and singing. The guitar duo has one different person, but they still play a perfect part in clever effects and amazing riffs. We even have a d*mn powerful rhythm section. The prominent bass sounds malicious despite this more melodic sound, and the relevant pummeling of the drums remain sedate.

"Winter Kiss" starts the melodic emotion right away, with Corbay's heartful lyrics alongside the dynamic guitar duo of Andrew Godwin and Jason Lindquist. "Pendulum" is more aggressive, with bass Derrick Wadsworth's dominating work and the instrumentation and vocals sounding close to emocore. "One Less Addiction" is more melodic and adds diversity to the album, yet the heaviness is still around at times. Occasionally we have Korn-like harmony in "Greedy Hands", and that can be a small issue when you're going for less of the overwhelming mainstream.

There's more sporadic structure in "Confessions". Then we have the hardcore headbanger "Assembly Line Humans". Despite being called "Prelude", it's not actually a prelude to another song, but it has hard groove tendencies. "Killing the Me in Me" also brings back a bit of the killer downtuned heaviness.

For "Critical Error", I don't have a lot to say here with sounding too critical, but it's still pretty good. Continuing the misleading titles, "Ballad" is nowhere close to a ballad, unless you're talking about the mid-tempo pace. They should saved that title for the acoustic reprise of "One Less Addiction". Beautiful but not really the strongest. "The Aftermath of Closure" is the band's 6-minute closer (probably their longest song) that seems repetitive in the simple power chords. They probably could've closed it better...

Other than the need for slight improvements in the last few songs, The Narrow Scope of Things is greater than I thought. They successful made a stunning new change of sound that other bands could get shunned for doing. Sadly, their heaviness would die out for two more rock albums. Still this a good plain rock/metal music for anyone!

Favorites: "Winter Kiss", "Pendulum", "One Less Addiction", "Assembly Line Humans", "Prelude", "Killing the Me in Me"

Welcome to the proper start of deathcore! While this is the one genre many people, especially extreme metalheads, hated the most, you don't wanna miss out on the real gems. Some of the best are the ones who pioneered the genre, and bands like Eighteen Visions and Prayer for Cleansing helped out in the genre's development. Before this album, deathcore barely existed. Some death metal bands like Suffocation and Obituary would remain key influences to that destructive future, and Damaged and Deformity tested out hardcore elements in their own attempt at creating the genre. However, one band that really kickstarted deathcore is Embodyment!

Something interesting is the band's Christian background that was highly unusual in death metal at that time. Whether you're fan of Christian metal or death metal/core, Embrace The Eternal is a must-listen, containing influences from Suffocation, Morbid Angel, and for the idea of Christian death metal, Mortification. Kris McCaddon has done great primal vocal work, and would've made the band more popular and staying in their deathcore sound if he didn't leave the band.

"20 Tongues" starts with an excerpt of a speech from a preacher, starting with a chant of "Hallelujah!", then the deathcore action begins alongside McCaddon's snarls. "Breed" showcases lyrics of Christian struggles through beliefs ("Falling to my knees a servant unto Christ in this world of disease"). "Swine" swings through like a pendulum.

For "Blinded", if you combine the metalcore of Converge at that time with the Christian death metal of Mortification, that killer track would be it. One song re-recorded from an earlier demo is "Religious Infamy" with brutal growls from Bruce Fitzhugh of Living Sacrifice. "Strength" is definitely a strong highlight. "Golgotha" is another song re-recorded from a demo. It really stays true to the deathcore sound this album has spawned, and is one of the best here.

"Carnival Chair" is as sinister as a creepy carnival clown, in a good way. The ultimate climax is in "Embrace" where, at a 3-minute mark, a mid-paced melodic yet dissonant riff plays that alone would be the big bang for bands like Suicide Silence, Whitechapel, and maybe even Knocked Loose. Then it all ends with the ominous outro "Rm 144".

Embrace the Eternal is a far more interesting start of deathcore than those two 1997 albums I've reviewed. Unfortunately, their 3 subsequent albums embraced a melodic alt-metal/rock sound, getting softer album after album until they split after the 4th. Members of the original lineup would later start a short-lived project, The Famine. Anyway, it's this album that would fully pioneer deathcore and set the stage for bands like Despised Icon and Suicide Silence. An underrated gem for a new deathly beginning!

Favorites: "20 Tongues", "Blinded", "Strength", "Golgotha", "Embrace"

Beginning as a progressive death metal band, Synergy was Extol's twist into a more thrashy sound that surprised their listeners. Then came another progression in sound... The Blueprint Dives is a superb album, but not for those who prefer their earlier deathly era. Simply this album is for those who like something more melodic and technical. I guess you can say it's a blueprint to a different sound evolution, more melodic while staying complex! How progressive is that?!

I really love the lyrics here. They're Christian, though I'm not, but it's a pleasant break from all the irreligious satanic sh*t that other extreme bands have. Extol can stand by their religious ground and that's something even a not-so-religious metalhead can appreciate. Those lyrics just sound so real, fitting with the melodies. Yep, there's a lot of melody in this album that shines so beautifully. Still there are times when vocals can get emotional in sadness and rage, which is what I prefer in progressive metal nowadays; melodic while a bit of extreme here and there.

What's not to love about "Gloriana"? It's a perfectly beautiful opener! "Soul Deprived" shows some of the most speedy intensity from a Christian band since Soul Embraced. Next track, the longer "In Reversal" decreases the harsh vocals for more of the cleans. Then "Pearl" has the clean vocals completely take over. Add a female vocalist and that would be Evanescence at that time.

In the middle of the intense "From the Every Day Mountain Top" is a soft acoustic guitar break. "Another Adam's Escape" lacks the spark the other songs have, but it doesn't cut down the album's solid perfection. The somber "The Things I Found" is my favorite track here. It starts almost dark, but the chorus is so emotional in the lyrics. Awesome!

Next track "Lost in Dismay" is another calm break. "Essence" is slightly weak but doesn't affect the rest of the album. The album is approaching its dark end with the somber "Void". The album closes with the highlight "The Death Sedative", reaching the most depressive point of the album, creating a darker atmosphere closer to post-metal. Of course, the US edition bonus track "Riding for a Fall" is also beautiful and intense.

If anyone wants to hear clean vocals from Extol, The Blueprint Dives is the best place for them. There's much more of them than any of the band's earlier material, and it's as perfect as the equally great screaming. Any metalhead as open-minded as I am, dive in!

Favorites: "Gloriana", "Soul Deprived", "Pearl", "The Things I Found", "Void", "The Death Sedative"

Hardcore is not an easy genre to describe significantly when the identity and impact is limited. That's where Code Orange come in to shake things up without the need to compromise! They can bravely let out their opinion in the metalcore realms, including avoiding the "obnoxiously-behaving" metalcore/deathcore scene of bands like Asking Alexandria (whom I also like), along with fully showing their move into the more open adulthood by removing "Kids" from their band name. After releasing their first two albums via Deathwish Records, they switched to the more well-known Roadrunner, with a brand-new colliding force on the way in the album Forever!

You can certainly consider Forever a hardcore/metalcore record with all that brutal intensity and passionate aggression that mark their usual conventions. However, they accentuate beyond those conventions for a different diverse thrill ride. If you think the first listen is fun, you certainly find joy when listening further. You'll never get tired of highly numerous twists and turns in this metalcore mayhem.

The title track starts that spectacular gauntlet, opening with a furious fistful of riffing. You can't ignore all that confidence, especially when the declaration of "CODE ORANGE IS FOREVER!!!" and the brutal breakdown that follows. "Kill the Creator" continues that savage frantic sound, with a half-minute of stomping groove and a 6-second industrial noise interruption that shows how experimental the band can be. Abrupt while not too random to make sure you don't expect the unexpected. The breakdowns and riffs get juggled through with energy and power within the weight. "Real" opens in the horror of Nine Inch Nails-like riffing, later leading to another pre-moshing cry of "THIS IS REAL NOW, MOTHERF***ER!" The closest surprise here is "Bleeding in the Blur", sounding like a potential radio single while still being a dark rulebreaker.

The electronic-esque "The Mud" is aptly titled in the dirty heaviness. There's more that heavy weight in "The New Reality". The riffing in "Spy" swings hard, especially the nu metal-ish intro. There's a sweet mix in "Ugly" of 90s Alice in Chains-like alt-rock/metal, European death metal, and goth-pop, all colliding together, with help from Reba Meyers and her clean vocal arsenal.

"No One is Untouchable" has the pure violence to make sure no one forgets their brutal roots. Through further downward spiraling territory, "Hurt Goes On" is full-on industrial dance with a slight bit of the hardcore. Then "dream2" ends things on a soft eerie note, but rather abruptly. That part doesn't matter though...

So this record is quite short at only 35 minutes. Most albums made this short and even shorter are from grindcore bands like Nails. However, unlike those bands who tear things apart in a frenzy, Code Orange makes sure everything transcends smoothly, the way tech-death band Martyr would; abstract while causing pain only to the weak. You can very well turn into a werewolf and the next thing you remember would be how sharp your teeth were and how much blood from others has covered your body. Code Orange has pleased metalheads with a simplistic yet stylistic sound that would steamroll right through in Forever. Code Orange is FOREVER!

Favorites: "Forever", "Real", "Bleeding in the Blur", "The New Reality", "Ugly", "No One is Untouchable"

I'm glad to find a recent favorite band in Code Orange. Not only did their recent material help me find more interest in industrial metal, but their earlier albums are one spark that helped open my metalcore ears to more hardcore than melodic. Here's one album, I Am King!

Now that Code Orange was ready to face the world after their debut, they wanted to show that they're more than the hardcore kids they were earlier. That's one reason to drop the word "Kids" from their moniker. Having just reached age 20 on average, they decided to shake things up for their second album in an attempt to please the world they would soon travel. With their headbanging mix of hardcore, metal, rock, and a bit of drone, I Am King would stand out among other albums as a unique record.

The title track starts with opening and closing walls of distorted sound before the volume and power increase for their usual hardcore/metalcore. Following that is the intense "Slowburn", a menacing yet artful hybrid. "Dreams In Inertia" stands out as the bridge between the next two tracks that would be in contrast with one another... "Unclean Spirit" perfectly proves that point with evil grindcore torment that the more experienced listeners, like myself, would find this an easy breeze-through. "Alone in a Room" is the yang to the previous track's yin, here sounding more sludgy as part of keeping the intense spirit.

The more ambient-ish "My World" is another album highlight! Heaviness is still obvious in "Starve", but it actually sounds closer to dream-pop in the soft parts. Then it gets intense again in "Your Body Is Ready", sound as furious as The Locust.

"Thinners of the Herd" sounds quite thin in the instrumentation, but they can still break through with their hardcore attack. "Bind You" sounds more metal, but in a way that would metalize a band like At the Drive-In. The moody ending track "Mercy", closes the album mercilessly, though it sounds more repetitive than the impressive rest of the album. Still nothing to complain about...

Other than that slightly poor closer, the 28 minutes before it are absolutely pummeling and breathtaking. I'm telling you, in this league of band trying to bring back the heaviness of the earlier hardcore and metalcore and then some, Code Orange is king!

Favorites: "Dreams In Inertia", "Unclean Spirit", "Alone in a Room", "My World", "Your Body Is Ready", "Bind You"

Turning 18 allows you access to voting, guns, and X-rated porn, as you're ready to leave your adolescent years behind and enter the real responsibilities of adulthood (though turning 21 is like an extension pack). 18 is also the age where, even though there's no minimum age in starting a band, many bands were getting a head-start in making the best music out there, young with nothing to lose! This band was one of them...

It would make sense for Code Orange to originally have the original name Code Orange Kids, since they were high school kids at that time. Back then, they were reviving the metallic hardcore sound that was around at the time the members were born. Love is Love // Return to Dust puts them in the climbing heights they deserved!

"Flowermouth (The Leech)" opens with a scream, literally screaming, as the instrumentation rises. Then "Around My Neck // On My Head" is short and straight compared to most of the album, and it's probably this album's weakness. "Sleep (I've Been Slipping)" is short as well, but its slower pace reminds me of Cult of Luna's debut. There's some harmonic cleans in "Liars // Trudge" during the second half, while its first half is a strong extreme part of the album.

After that intense race, it's necessary for "Colors (Into Nothing)" to break things up, with Adam McIlwee of Tigers Jaw performing cleans. Producer Kurt Ballou (guitarist of Converge) definitely influenced the band in "Nothing (The Rat)". The more hardcore fans would love "Roots Are Certain // Sky is Empty", but it's a little awkward in placement.

"Choices (Love is Love)" shows the band building up harsh chaotic noise, all let loose at the end. "Calm // Breathe" is the calm intermission in the middle of this title track suite. Texture harmonies would keep you relax as noise builds up again before the deafening chaos returns in the closing track... "Bloom (Return to Dust)" crushes you with anger and frustration. And speaking of frustration, that's how I felt about the abrupt cut-off at the end, but it's a sign for me to turn off the tormenting greatness and wake up.

I'm not an expert at the more hardcore side of metalcore, which I've been slowly developing my knowledge for lately. Nonetheless, Code Orange has set up quite a challenge for their younger peers to write more than just breakdowns in their heavy sounds. Love is Love // Return to Dust is where this band thought of great elements to break traditions for something new. They've shown that hardcore is more than just a culture with this underrated heavy apocalyptic style. It's quite a captivating line between sludge from Old Man Gloom at that time and what can set off a pit, but what matters is the savage terror of old-school metallic hardcore, redefined!

Favorites: "Sleep (I've Been Slipping)", "Liars // Trudge", "Nothing (The Rat)", "Choices (Love is Love)", "Bloom (Return to Dust)"

"Meshuggah record an album with such complex time signatures they get trapped inside the music. The album is never released for fear of opening a black hole." This was one of Andrew O'Neill's future predictions in the History of Heavy Metal book I've reviewed. Well it seems like their record label has the guts to release such an album, so if any of you thought the band were trapped within their music and it would cause the end of the galaxy as we know it, prepare to be relieved while hearing what to expect!

Normally, it would take Meshuggah 3 or 4 years to release an album, but Immutable was finally released after a long 6 years, with the virus causing some delays. Meshuggah have returned with their signature djent sound while evolving into new territory. Immutable is a long 67-minute ride through their usual djent tones in farther ground!

Staccato riffing opens "Broken Cog" sounding mathy and almost industrial. The guitar leads heading into a melodic angel while keeping the djent record straight is performed by the wild duo of Mårten Hagström and Fredrik Thordendal, while vocalist Jens Kidman sounds restrained yet sinister. "The Abysmal Eye" blasts into your face h*lla killer sh*t right here! You could reassemble the music and lyrics and it would still be legit Meshuggah. Definitely some heavy fire they still have since Koloss, maybe even Nothing. I just love this groove-ish djent style that Tomas Haake plays loud in his drumming. I seriously like it! This wakes me up way more than coffee and tea. The ending riff pulls off some sick heavy burn. I recommend this song to djent fans all around! "Light the Shortening Fuse" is another hail of a killer song! At two and a half minutes is a cleaner part that's the best here. I'm sure Jinjer has done the same in one of their songs. After that energetic trio, "Phantoms" is just two notes alternating in the first half. WHY?!? It lacks any built tension! The mundane verse-chorus structure in a mid-paced tempo doesn't help. The slow "Ligature Marks" has unstable weight but has a promising climax.

"God He Sees in Mirrors" adds variation to the tempo, shredding through killer bass riffing, guitar harmonics, and more of the wild polyrhythms in the drumming. Some of the most aggressive extreme progressive metal this year! The nearly 10-minute instrumental "They Move Below" mixes slow gothic melody with monstrous riffing, something to come to the minds of early Killing Joke listeners. "Kaleidoscope" has that heavy-a** djent riffing Meshuggah invented in Nothing. The guitar and bass circle around Haake's swinging drum groove. Then we have a shorter instrumental, "Black Cathedral". If we could add blast-beat drumming behind the metal guitar, that would've been awesome.

"I Am That Thirst" provides melodic leads over catchy death metal-ish rhythm. "The Faultless" progresses through a dissonant angle in the guitar as Haake's drumming thunders through again. "Armies of the Preposterous" is the last full song of the album, and the heaviest too, closer to deathly progressive metal. "Past Tense" is the album's instrumental closer. The guitar has harmonic melody throughout without any earth-shattering climax, but it sounds as if horror lurks beneath, waiting for more to come...

In the end, Immutable maintains Meshuggah's djent essence despite a couple setbacks in its first half. The band's comfort zone continues to shine with hellishly obliterating downtuned metal while relentlessly pushing through the boundaries for more discoveries awaiting....

Favorites: "The Abysmal Eye", "Light the Shortening Fuse", "God He Sees in Mirrors", "Kaleidoscope", "The Faultless", "Armies of the Preposterous"

OK, it was actually this album The Death of Me that got me interested in Polaris, via a couple awesome songs that I included in my earlier Revolution playlists. Those songs made me excited to hear the rest of the album and this band's material, and I'm extremely glad to have done it. This album might just be the best of 2020!

The Mortal Coil is a mind-blowing breakthrough for Polaris after their two EPs, and the perfection is maintained in The Death of Me which already solidifies their reign in the Australian metalcore scene. The sophomore full-length release from this band offers more prog-ish darkness and maturity. They continue to expand their boundaries as they continue their saga without losing steam.

Opening track "Pray for Rain" starts melodic, but frontman's Jamie Hails' screams rise as the intricate instrumentation builds up. Then finally, they drop the divebomb, exploding into their usual technical metalcore sound, and adding to the brilliant mix is the clean singing of bassist/vocalist Jake Steinhauser. Such a well-structured standout that I almost feel like stopping the album right there because how much the song is worth repeating. Fortunately, I'm still going, and we have the ultra-heavy "Hypermania". The vocals are all just screams from both Steinhauser and Hails. With lots of heavy groove, that song is indeed so hyper and manic! "Masochist" is a a f***ing phenomenal song to share, with metallic hardcore vibes from Bring Me the Horizon, Periphery, and Loathe. This underrated sh*t might just be one of my favorite metalcore songs!

That song and "Landmine" are the two songs from my earlier Revolution playlists that got me into listening to this band, the latter being another one of the best songs here! First track from this band I listened to and that really made me pay more attention to them. That insane breakdown really crushes and revives my soul. This band's heaviness shall wipe out the fluffiness of the mainstream. This band can combine some of the nu metal of Stray From the Path and Slipknot with the metalcore of Architects and The Devil Wears Prada. Or just be Make Them Suffer without female singing and with Northlane-like riffing. "Vagabond" hints at a different direction the band would have later, adding a bit of mainstream nu metal while standing by their usual technicality. This might actually reach some radios if the killer harsher side doesn't keep ripping through. Moving things along is "Creatures of Habit", another true show-stopper with more of the brilliant riffing and drumming, the latter well-executed by Daniel Furnari. An incredible blend of light and heavy is utilized so smoothly. Steinhauser and Hails both perform cleans and screams to double up the vocal intensity, made even more ultimate by a bit spoken vocals. I'm also astonished by the versatile guitars performed by Rick Schneider and Ryan Siew, the latter I wish I could've heard more of if not for his passing. RIP

"Above My Head" is another song with some pretty timeless greatness. A light clean songs follows that is "Martyr (Waves)". It starts with some beautiful cleans and melodies to fit the atmospheric soundscape, though there's still a bit of the screamed vocals. This is worth introducing any non-metal friends to the genre. Crashing through again is the deep "All of This is Fleeting". Twisting things up well is an ultra-heavy breakdown after those frantic verses and dramatic chorus. Finally, the metalcore power of "The Descent" hits you like a bullet-train. F***ING INCREDIBLE!!! It's moments like the last third of the track that makes you wonder why this band isn't so highly popular.

I believe The Death of Me can certainly hit metalcore fans in waves of excitement. Polaris continue breaking down the walls and one of the best-growing metalcore bands out there. For their incredible talent shaking the world, I am proud of those guys!

Favorites: "Pray for Rain", "Masochist", "Landmine", "Creatures of Habit", "The Descent"

The passing of Polaris lead guitarist Ryan Siew was the tragic loss of a young talented lad, and I wanted to make sure the legacy of his work carries on. So it's time for me to look back at his amazing work, leading up to the band's latest album and his final one that is the October Revolution feature release. RIP Ryan Siew...

Going back to their debut, The Mortal Coil is their first full-length album after two EPs, Dichotomy and The Guilt & The Grief. This Sydney-based band can really shine in the Australian metalcore scene along with Northlane, In Hearts Wake, and The Amity Affliction, although they have more in common with Northlane's sound with their technical metalcore style. The Mortal Coil has opened up a new dimension! One that covers the hardcore side of While She Sleeps and the technicality of Periphery.

Kicking off the album is "Lucid", a solid tech-metalcore single with a sweet balanced blend of breakdowns and solos. Next track "The Remedy" is less technical, more focused on hooks of pride. That one's a highlight for its superb contrast between bassist Jake Steinhauser's clean singing and frontman Jamie Hails' unclean shouts. "Relapse" starts with Periphery-like intro riffing and carries on in a good pace. Brilliant standout "Consume" is pure technical metalcore throughout the song. It's an incredible highlight with the best of Ryan's guitar leads. He and rhythm guitarist Rick Schneider put their work out in sharp delivery that barely any other band could.

Next track "Frailty" is another essential track for metalcore fans, especially in the riffing and breakdowns. Jake Steinhauser makes his own attempt at unclean vocals alongside his usual cleans. With lots of intense energy, many Polaris fans would love to hear the band perform this live. "In Somnus Veritas" can be considered the album's intermission, a short slow track that shows the band's atmospheric side. "Dusk to Day" has Jamie Hails performing his own clean singing, but his growls are still around.

"Casualty" brings back the earlier heaviness. It's another masterpiece of a song that blasts away those preceding two slow tracks. While there's a lot of that tech-metalcore sound going on, they haven't stopped performing the more atmospheric sections. "The Slow Decay" has more standard metalcore. It first started off as a filler track for me at first listen, but has grown on me since. Following this is "Crooked Path", taking on more of their earlier heaviness as another smashing tech-metalcore hit with a clean chorus to sing along to. "Sonder" is a more experimental progressive closing track. It builds up gradually to a massive climax that makes you want to listen to the album again.

The Mortal Coil is a killer start of the band's album trio. Polaris has really been shaping up the Australian metalcore scene. And this incredible glory hasn't stopped there, as their later albums continue to display their destined greatness!

Favorites: "The Remedy", "Consume", "Frailty", "Casualty", "Crooked Path", "Sonder"

The Ghost Inside was at the top of their game with their successful album Dear Youth and its supporting tour, but there comes a time when rising heroes fall. November 2015 was the month when the tour bus the band was riding in crashed into a tractor trailer in Texas. The drivers of both vehicles were killed, and the band members were severely injured and hospitalized. Drummer Andrew Tkaczyk ended up losing a leg, and that's awful, considering his talented drumming skills in this band and his former band For the Fallen Dreams. Luckily, just like Dep Leppard drummer Rick Allen, he can still have his drumming talent despite missing a limb. Fast forward to 2020, and these metalcore heroes have given us another masterpiece of 11 motivational anthems! And what better day to review it than on the 4th anniversary of the album's release, June 5?

Interestingly, right on that release date is another twist. Apparently, the band's African-American bus driver (before the crash that took his life) was called the N-word behind his back by bassist Jim Riley, overheard by Rashod Jackson of Bracewar waiting 5 years until the self-titled album's release date to call him out. Fearing that this allegation of racism could threaten the band's comeback, they fired Riley. He had since admitted it and apologized profusely, and the band, feeling regretful, re-hired him for their European tour once COVID restrictions lightened up. No matter the drama, the band still stand their ground in triumph as they explore more personal depths.

Jonathan Vigil screams his declaration of the band's return in the intro "1333" ("T.G.I.!!! From the ashes brought back to life!"). Then we blast right into the charging "Still Alive". That song and "The Outcast" have gang vocals shining alongside the drum grooves of Tkaczyk and the moshing leads and riffs of the guitar duo. "Pressure Point" hits hard as one of the strongest heavy compositions here.

"Overexposure" has more of the band's earlier fury, much better executed than in the first few albums. Keep that in mind before the more melodic brawl of "Make or Break". Then we have more sonic atmosphere in the ballad-ish "Unseen", a bit like the slower August Burns Red songs with some touches of post-black metal instrumentation.

"One Choice" has some mid-tempo metallic hardcore to make you raise your fist up high. "Phoenix Rise" is the most metaphorical standout here, perfect for both that near-fatal crash and the life, death, and rebirth of a phoenix. You can hear it well in the massive pre-chorus, "I'm more than my mistakes, what more can one man take and still survive? Face forward into the night." Those lyrics end up revisiting in a soft haunting bridge that then rises into another hopeful chorus, "Thrown into the fire, like the Phoenix reborn, I rise. The new dawn burns brighter, so face forward into the night." Then "Begin Again" has that anthemic writing again, thanks to producer Jeremy McKinnon (A Day to Remember) who also produced the band's previous two albums. "Aftermath" is a solid closing highlight. Some might be reminded of Stick to Your Guns at some points. The last minute and a half hit hard. I'm glad the band is still going strong, especially Tkaczyk and his impressive drumming skills.

Lots of stylistic variation help give the band more strength in their metalcore/hardcore and prove their resilience after a disastrous setback. It's clear that the band will continue fighting the war within, and it's a war they're winning in true victory!

Favorites: "The Outcast", "Pressure Point", "Unseen", "Phoenix Rise", "Begin Again", "Aftermath"

As time goes by and The Ghost Inside look back at what they've done and how to improve from there, they know how to stabilize the history of their screaming metalcore sound and Dear Youth is the perfect next chapter. They have reflective moments to add to the emotional energy of the songs in this album that are all true anthems. They learned from the past and paved their path to victory in what might just be their best work yet!

You can sing and scream along to these inspiring riff-tastic tunes as Dear Youth shows the band tearing down the walls of modern metalcore. With all this rage, emotion, and motivation, they're already at the top of the mountain mentioned in my review for their previous album.

"Avalanche" has some of the most blazing fire in modern metalcore, already showing that Dear Youth is a solid step up from Get What You Give, and the band would stay in that path for their self-titled comeback album. "Move Me" continues the scream-along lyrics with a more philosophical theme. The melodic yet drilling riffing of "Out of Control" fits well with more of those inspirational lyrics for the defiant hardcore kids. Pounding through the crowd is "With the Wolves", another big invincible anthem.

"Mercy" is an intense highlight that pays homage to Metallica's "For Whom the Bell Tolls" in both the atmospheric bell intro and Vigil's subsequent bellow of "FOR WHOM THE BELL TOLLS!!!" Then "Phoenix Flame" takes the atmospheric direction much further as the band's first ever slow string-filled metalcore ballad. Still we have defiant lines like "It’s a long fall from the top, can you stand it?" The somewhat title track "Dear Youth (Day 52)" is a mega mood-fitting song for me to love, with some similarities to Crystal Lake, especially the vocals. From the 2-and-a-half-minute-mark onward is an epic breakdown until the ending fade.

We have a guest appearance by Jason Butler (Letlive, Fever 333) in "Wide Eyed" with fantastic rapping/singing that are pulled off as smoothly as Vigil's shouts. "Your prying hands can’t lift that chip off your shoulder." Following this is the gang vocal-infused "My Endnote" with groove-ish riff punches. "The Other Half" once again has a unique mix of heaviness and ambience. Finale "Blank Pages" brilliantly summarizes the album with a reprise of the opening lyrics of the first track.

What an absolutely astonishing album this is! Everything turned out well in Dear Youth when adding variation that was missing from previous albums. It marked an exciting new chapter that was sadly halted the following year by a horrific tour bus crash that threatened the band's lives and career. Even then, they stand strong with all their might!

Favorites: "Avalanche", "With the Wolves", "Mercy", "Dear Youth (Day 52)", "Wide Eyed", "Blank Pages"

You can't always get what you want, but when you give people what they want, chances are you might get something you want too. The Ghost Inside has given their fans what to expect from them and gained high amounts of praise as a reward. Get What You Give continues the band's natural ascent to the metalcore skies...

The mountain in the cover art seems like a metaphor for how high the band can climb as they try to reach the top of the world. But they were kind of at the bottom in their debut Fury and the Fallen Ones. Then they added more promising variation in Returners. With this album, Get What You Give, you can witness the band climb up further and motivate people even more while getting more motivation from those people.

Starting the album a bit oddly is "This Is What I Know About Sacrifice". Rather than starting with a melodic intro, this one is just a long breakdown verse. It segues to the kick-A crusher "Outlive" in which Jonathan Vigil's vicious yells travel alongside the riffing and drumming. Oh yeah, this album marks the entrance of their current drummer Andrew Tkaczyk, who had just left For the Fallen Dreams. His intense drumming talent really stands out in that track and the more melodic ones later on in the album. "Engine 45" falls into that category as the kind of song you need for any crisis you struggle with. This band needs a lot more fame and glory. Let us have the bravery to choose our actions, break these chains, and keep swinging! The satisfying blend of melody and heaviness in the riffing doesn't slip from "Slip Away".

"The Great Unknown" is another hard-hitter with driving instrumentation. Only the strong will survive! "Dark Horse" has awesome cleans and the best chorus here. To be honest, that's what was missing from the band's first two albums that could've made them as successful as this one. Those cleans have improved the formula with more variation. Although I enjoy many metalcore albums with only unclean vocals. You gotta thank producer Jeremy McKinnon (frontman of A Day to Remember) for giving The Ghost Inside that cleaner aspect. Not to mention more melodic guitarwork in "White Light". And more of that in "Thirty Three", though a bit tiring at this point.

Andrew "The Goose" Neufeld, vocalist of Comeback Kid, guest stars in "Face Value", and his vocals alternating with Vigil's make a killer combo, leading into a massive ending breakdown, one of the greatest from the album, probably from the band. "Deceiver" also has brutal heaviness to please me. It's so raw and breakdown-hungry, in contrast to the more melodic tracks. Ending the album in an epic bang is "Test the Limits" that has some of the most melodic riffing in this earlier era, especially in the final minute.

Now those are songs you'll want to hear live! The breakdowns are in good places and will barely turn any metalcore fans away as much as outsiders. Great production and great talent from the members, especially the mighty Andrew Tkaczyk. Get What You Give is another level up for The Ghost Inside on the modern metalcore mountain....

Favorites: "Outlive", "Engine 45", "Dark Horse", "Face Value", "Test the Limits"

There's what sounded like a rough start for The Ghost Inside with Fury and the Fallen Ones. Their debut is fine but mostly mediocre, with only 3 highlights and two stinkers. If you were in my shoes, you would probably be hoping for a brighter side of things in their next album Returners, and there is! Though not in about a third of the album that ends up as draggy as the debut. It's only in the other tracks when the band starts proving themselves worthy in the metalcore/hardcore realms.

For first-time listeners, it may take a while for the album to build up to your liking. And I like Returners. However, the positioning of tracks could've been improved, if not the tracks themselves. And you'll know what I mean once you get into the action...

"Walk Away From the World" is a short melodic intro. Then the actual first song "Greater Distance" unleashes the aggression. It's all good until the generic breakdown midway through. Although I like breakdowns as much as the next metalcore fan, there's not much different variation, and it ends up breaking the momentum. As for "Between the Lines", I love the brilliant lyrics that make it the album's first highlight. "Where have the words gone?!" Then "Unspoken" has well-done gang vocals.

"Overlooked" is an overlooked track for a good reason, because of how f***ing forgettable it is. A lot of what they should've had in that song is in the next one "Chrono". I enjoy that one, along with "The Conflict". The latter is especially an anthemic highlight. "Downbeat" almost lives up to its title with its melancholic vibe, but it gets balanced out by the uplifting lyrics. That's actually a signature aspect for The Ghost Inside, specifically lead vocalist Jonathan Vigil. His positive writing can shine in the hardcore sound while being serious rather than humorous. If you're feeling down, that spectacular highlight can get you back up.

The one-minute title track is a short attack of p*ssed heaviness and speed, though it would've been better if it was longer. "Through the Cracks" continues that heavy path. The closing "Truth and Temper" starts a bit mediocre, but the lameness gets decimated as it gradually builds up to another perfect song. The riffing is so beautiful, as is the synth-infused ending. However, after over a minute of silence, there's a strange unnecessary sludgy hidden track that once again lowered the album's quality slightly.

So the issues from the band's debut are still around, only for a few songs. The rest of the album, mostly the second third, picks things up, and you end up not giving a d*mn about those few weak tracks. I recommend Returners to metalcore fans more than their debut. You might find some solid tracks in this sophomore album to return to....

Favorites: "Between the Lines", "Chrono", "The Conflict", "Downbeat", "Truth and Temper" (excluding hidden track)

The Ghost Inside is a metalcore/hardcore band formed by vocalist Jonathan Vigil, under the band's original name A Dying Dream before changing it to its current one before recording their debut album Fury and the Fallen Ones (that album title sounds like a punk band name). Now, I enjoy metalcore and its many conventional tools, like the different drum beats. The problem is sticking too much to those aspects without much variation, resulting in something a bit mediocre. Medio-core, lol...

For their debut, the band has so many breakdowns, only fitting in one verse and chorus per song. It's acceptable, I guess, but that's the kind of sh*t metalcore bands make when staring out, before rising into true legends in subsequent albums. You can't expect many bands to unleash something fresh and new right off the bat.

So, only talking about a few notable tracks here... "Provoke" opens the album on a promising note with impressive tough metallic hardcore. There's fast drumming and guitar in great balance with the breakdowns. The riffing sounds quite metal despite a more hardcore-focused sound. "Faith or Forgiveness" is a memorable highlight, still performed live to this day, including their comeback show over a decade later. "Shiner" breaks through the hardcore fire of Comeback Kid with a more metallic spin.

The rest of the tracklisting doesn't quite reach the heights of those 3 tracks, especially not the chief offenders, starting with "Inherent Youth", attempting to make some epic guitar and lyrical declarations, but only creating something half-baked. "Smoke and Signal Fires" is much worse, being just instrumental filler.

If you're planning on getting into the world of The Ghost Inside and metalcore, I would not recommend starting with Fury and the Fallen Ones. This 35-minute offering has some decent moments, but pretty much 60% of it is forgettable, and 15% of the remainder can be remembered for the wrong reasons. It's not the worst I've heard from metalcore. The debut just really needed some variation but never had it. There's not much to gain from most of it for a stubborn-a** metalcore explorer like me....

Favorites (only tracks I really like): "Provoke", "Faith or Forgiveness", "Shiner"

After reviewing the most well-known Evanescence album Fallen (well-known for both me and the world), I've decided to skip ahead to their recent album The Bitter Truth. After all, this band wouldn't have been there without this album reaching a sufficient amount of alternative metal votes (Thanks for adding them, Ben!). I also wouldn't have heard beyond this band's singles if it wasn't for my alt-rock/metal-loving brother. I'm glad to still have him around...

Especially since two of the band members have suffered family tragedy. Vocalist Amy Lee's brother Robby passed from epileptic complications (her second fallen sibling, 30 years after Bonnie), and guitarists Tim McCord's stepdaughter Alyssa died by suicide. Despite this dark agony, their new album let them let it out in shards of heavy hope.

"Artifact/The Turn" opens the album with ethereal electronic ambience with Lee's angelic singing before you get your soul sucked into the action of the next track... "Broken Pieces Shine" thunders in with the band's resurrected rock sound. One of the best anthems here to delight fans with guitar theatrics! Lee's vocal talent shines again in "The Game is Over". Though it would get lost later in the album. "Yeah Right" has too much of the melodic electropop from Goldfrapp. Will I really enjoy that song? Yeah right!

"Feeding The Dark" has some worthy harmonic vocals. "Wasted on You" perfect adds into Lee's vocal agility. "Better Without You" starts off with a soft synthesized music box before an industrial earthquake. "Use My Voice" was inspired by the Stanford sexual assault cases and trial, and is the ultimate anthem in fighting back against those atrocities of the world. What makes it even more of an anthem is the amount of female vocalists singing in the background; Sharon den Adel (Within Temptation), Taylor Momsen (The Pretty Reckless), Lzzy Hale (Halestorm), and Lindsey Sterling.

Mechanical drumming and riffing allows you to "Take Cover" for a song that would fit well in one of the Terminator movies, leading up to a climax of calamity. The beginning of "Far From Heaven" is like Within Temptation gone Tears for Fears, with the piano and soft operatic singing. "Part of Me" brings back the strength. Same with "Blind Belief", concluding the album with a lookback at the band's heavier origins.

Evanescence returned with the first original album in nearly a decade, The Bitter Truth, redeeming their earlier heaviness. And you can find a lot more in the deluxe edition box set. The Bitter Truth is out there....

Favorites: "Broken Pieces Shine", "The Game is Over", "Wasted on You", "Use My Voice", "Take Cover", "Blind Belief"

Evanescence returned after a 6-year hiatus...and THIS is the thanks fans got for waiting?! It is an unnecessary stripped-down remix album of their greatest and not-so-great hits! The rock/metal clothing has been stripped, leaving just naked orchestra and EDM synths. No drums or guitar of any kind!

The only tracks I even remotely like are the two new songs (not including interludes). "Hi-Lo" has amazing violin courtesy of dubstep violinist Lindsey Sterling, who would make an amazing vocal appearance in the next album. "Imperfection" adds a bit more of the EDM and hip-hop music into the mix. So in summary, those two tracks mark the decent separate edges of a horrendously orchestrated album.

Synthesis is awful for the most part, but a bit of quality is redeemed by Amy Lee's crystalline singing. While the classical elements sound cinematic, there's just too much of them here. Honestly, their greatest hits' remakes shouldn't sound too much like TSFH nor go the Linkin Park's "Recharged" route. Luckily the heaviness would reign again later....

Favorites (only songs I really like): "Hi-Lo", "Imperfection"

"Hello, hello, remember me? I'm everything you can't control." Uh, yeah, hello, Amy Lee. Listen, did you really have to move away from your heavier sound for success? You were practically in pop territory then! And the name of rock was being soiled by pop artists having a rock makeover without playing that genre, like Lady Gaga in the VMA's.

Evanescence's self-titled 3rd album was released around the time when my brother was listening to these kinds of bands and I, having had it with that radio pop sh*t, wanted to dive into the rock zone for the first time, which has lead to where I am over a decade later. While not reaching the heights they had with Fallen, their goth/alt-rock/metal has still been around. This album loses a good amount of heaviness for a bit of pop, but keeps the guitars, strings, and vocals to sweep the American radio nation.

The beginning of the album pleases me with "What You Want", riding through bulldozing heavy riffing. There's a bit of mystical influence from Within Temptation at that time in "Made of Stone", with some sarcastic lines like "Speak your mind, like I care." Next up, "The Change" adds beautiful piano and strings to the heavy riffing that keeps up the direct hard rock guitarwork. "My Heart Is Broken" starts with soft piano which then ascends into a fire-stomper of guitars and drums. Lee sings like a mighty siren to make the album slightly more interesting, though some later songs might make it less...

"The Other Side" starts the side were the quality goes downhill. Sure, the heavy riffing is cool, but the vocal rhythm is way off. This is Evanescence's "Lying From You" (sounds a bit like that song too). Guitars chainsaw their way through the piano-powered "Erase This", as the vocal drama stirs up another favorite from this album. "Lost In Paradise" is a romantic-sounding gorgeous ballad. Lee's vocals awaken as she sings her regrets and apology for losing contact with an earlier loved one. This could also be directed to the fans who had to go through torturous anticipation. "Sick" has some lazy melody, but there is a tight chorus of anthemic chanting.

"End Of The Dream" sounds like they're trying so hard to shove the orchestra out of the front stage, but it messes up the otherwise thick metal guitar. Sonic synth and beat soars through the excellent highlight "Oceans" with clear guitar hooks. Another attempt at prettiness goes off-rails in "Never Go Back" where the otherwise great guitar and bass gets f***ed up by clumsy piano. Closing track "Swimming Home" adds some gloomy harp played by Lee, but the rest of the instrumentation is so weak and odd.

Yeah, Evanescence's self-titled album does get battered quite a bit, but I know the band has the ability to resist the gateway into "Barbie Girl"-style dance-pop. They preferred to stay in the rock zone with this half-lively half-dreaded album and would carry the torch into later material, with the exception of an orchestral twist after another long gap....

Favorites: "What You Want", "Made of Stone", "My Heart Is Broken", "Erase This", "Lost In Paradise", "Oceans"

Amy Lee is a serene vocalist who has given "Southern Gothic" a whole new meaning. Instead of that "dark country" sh*t, she has added her goth piano/vocal dreams into an alt-metal band with slight industrial/hip-hop elements, for you to feel anywhere but home. Their platinum-hitting debut Fallen has pleased many rock fans, but the band had almost fallen apart themselves. Her songwriting partner/guitarist Ben Moody left, his replacement Terry Balsamo had a stroke, and there were management issues.

Nonetheless, then-24-year-old Lee and co. continued to rise and put the energy from the insanity into the slightly better The Open Door, in which the deeper emotion earns the band more global accessibility. The rock-bashers and piano ballads of their earlier singles are still around to show this band is far more than a Hot Topic antique...

"Sweet Sacrifice" is a heavy lamenting anthem showing how much a breakup can feel like freedom ("It's true we're all a little insane, but it's so clear now that I'm unchained"). The addictive addiction-themed "Call Me When You're Sober" is quite a highlight, a near-sequel to the previous album's superior single "Bring Me to Life". Next track "Weight of the World" seems to be about breaking out of a tormentor's spell, "If you love me then let go of me". There's a bit of a Queensryche influence in piano-powered "Lithium".

The experimental-ish "Cloud Nine" tells another tale of a girl breaking up with a dude. The scenario gets crazier in "Snow White Queen", when the dude resorts in predatory instincts, with the song sounding like Tori Amos gone hard rock (don't point out her cover of Slayer's "Raining Blood", that's not what that style is). Lee ends up breaking down emotionally in "Lacrymosa", or at least that's how it sounds, with her sobbing-like singing over grand piano and Lacrimosa-like orchestration. A bit of the gothic vibe from some of My Chemical Romance's ballads at that time bleeds into "Like You". She lets her vocals run loose a bit in "Lose Control".

The only track I have an issue with is "The Only One", in which the industrial background kind of messes up the piano/vocal foreground. "Your Star" is way more interesting, beginning with piano and lyrics calling out for the Lord Himself before evolving into a Seether-esque rocker. All that I'm waiting for throughout the album is "All That I'm Living For", where all the elements are combined into something beautiful. The soft "Good Enough" begins in hopeless darkness then progresses into a cathartic yet uplifting ballad.

Amy Lee is indeed a game-changing vocalist whose voice marks a unique milestone in alt-metal. You know how there are some film franchises that have a slightly better sequel to the first part that's still good? This is that! The Open Door is the better sequel for me....

Favorites: "Sweet Sacrifice", "Call Me When You're Sober", "Lithium", "Lacrymosa", "Your Star", "All That I'm Living For"

Evanescence is another one of those alt-rock/metal bands my brother listens to and I used to as well, this one with an innovative idea of gorgeous female vocals leveling up the emotion factor in the lyrics. After Metallica's reign of thrash metal and Pantera's reign of groove metal, nu metal became the late 90s/early 2000s rage with bands such as Korn, Limp Bizkit, and Linkin Park rising in success, much to the dismay of metal elitists. However, one band has really changed the game...

This band, Evanescence has added some fresh ideas that bring their style closer to nu metal but replaced almost all of the rapping with goth-rock/post-punk influences, adding diversity as interesting as when Faith No More pioneered funk metal and when Rage Against the Machine developed rap metal. Nu metal usually stirs up negative-to-mixed reception, but what makes Evanescence's debut Fallen slightly more interesting and tolerable is, no overused clichés! And just in time for the beginning of that genre's downfall, with this album adding a last bit of hope there.

I love the first track "Going Under"! While it lacks a bit of potential, it is made up for the strong heavy instrumentation and Amy Lee's massive singing. Pretty much everyone knows this next track, "Bring Me to Life", and how would they never? It's a very memorable standout, resembling Linkin Park's nu metal style, especially the background rap-ish shouts of Paul McCoy of 12 Stones that remind some of Mike Shinoda. Some might say it's about God, but Evanescence wanted to stay away from the Christian label. And if you watch the Daredevil film from that year, you know the source of its popularity boost. Gothic vocal harmonies appear in "Everybody's Fool". The song is basically about how celebrities keep sexualizing themselves for the sake of success, something that has bothered Amy Lee, especially when a little sister of her was badly influenced. An interesting lyrical message in another killer highlight. "My Immortal" is the second-most popular single from this album and its first symphonic ballad. Lee and her writing partner/ex-member Ben Moody wrote it based on a ghost scenario about a spirit who wouldn't leave until you wish it away. A beautiful somber lookback at lost loved ones.

"Haunted" is quite strange, twisted the ghost scenario into a horror story when the spirit (a male) traps a girl in a haunted mansion for a decade. "Tourniquet" sounds closer to post-grunge. It's the only song in the album to actually be Christian, having originally been written by then-touring drummer Rocky Gray for Christian death metallers Soul Embraced. The tourniquet in the story is God, and the narrator of the story pleads for the chance to repent the attempted sin of suicide, questioning Heaven and what's required to join there. NO, that song isn't about drug abuse, contrary to popular belief. "Imaginary" is a POWER ballad with symphonics that clearly detail an imaginary daydream land to escape from the tormenting reality. Another beautiful highlight! "Taking Over Me" has the nu metal/post-grunge sound my brother likes, though it doesn't have the important impact despite h*lla catchy lyrics, fitting the music as memories of Lee's fallen sister Bonnie consume her.

"Hello" explores that concept in darker emotional depths. Bonnie was another one of Amy's sisters, this one having passed away from an unknown severe disease at age 3. The lyrics describe the 5 stages of grief pretty well for that song's scenario. "My Last Breath" continues the post-grunge-like sound, and in a story written in memory of the 9/11 victims, a girl who was struck in the attack confesses to her crush her love for him before dying in his arms. "Whisper" adds creepy symphonics to the nu metal/post-grunge sound that made my brother like that song. The lyrics have some religious vibes warning you to resist evil and save yourself from danger. Later pressings include the single version of "My Immortal" as a bonus track where the band joins in a for a quick guitar solo and the final chorus. I love that version much better!

In the end, Fallen marks a game-changing album almost as good as Linkin Park's Meteora from the same year. If you're looking for alt/nu-metal/post-grunge with gothic tendencies replacing all of that rap-crap, this one's for you, but not for the metal purists. Here's to the Fallen (not the clan)....

Favorites: "Going Under", "Bring Me to Life", "Everybody's Fool", "Imaginary", "Hello", "My Immortal" (single version with band)

The most popular Andorran metal band is back with their first album in 5 years, Metanoia! It has been quite that long between new albums, but I think one of the least surprising reasons for that gap would be COVID. Then again, they've managed to re-record their debut Truth Inside the Shades in 2020. Anyway, things can be a bit bumpy when starting anew for this album, but it's still a spiritual journey to transcend through...

For this brand-new Persefone album, expect 10 songs (8 if you consider the final 3-part epic as one song) that are epic technical compositions, all with dynamics stories to tell. Some more of the epic extreme metal sound awaits!

Beginning the journey is the opening title intro. Dramatic piano plays while Einar Solberg (Leprous) adds intensity with his vocals that, along with the background strings, give the opener a Broadway kind of vibe. Then a synth transition leads to "Katabasis", the first real metal song of the album, hammering through riffs, bass, and drums in a flash. This eclectic mix of heavy darkness and melodic light sets the album's complex tone. "Architecture of the I" begins with bass/keyboard elegance before an aggressively speedy rollercoaster of emotion. The savageness never bores me at all with the dark vibe helped out by the hardcore screams of lead vocalist Marc Martins. The percussion often reaching hyperblast levels up the chaotic massacre.

"Leap of Faith" is a 5-minute interlude that doesn't really fit the scene so far but acts as a decent bridge. "Aware of Being Watched" is a stronger improvement, featuring serene chanting from Merethe Soltvedt from Two Steps From Hell. In fact, her vocals and the strings really add a TSFH kind of vibe. The first single, "Merkabah" is the right choice for all those pattern structures to decipher. The near-end breakdown is more straight than everything else. Keyboardist/clean vocalist sings a sincerely catchy chorus.

"Consciousness Pt. 3" is the 11-minute continuation of the "Consciousness" suite from Spiritual Migration, and the second half is one of the greatest moments of the album! Surpassed only by the 15-minute trilogy suite, "Anabasis"! "Pt. 1" begins with calm piano and synth effects. Then "Pt. 2" is the heavier storm, with the second half of that part being the strongest, complete with soloing by Steffen Kummerer and Angel Vivaldi, and more female vocals from Merethe Soltvedt. An epic collaboration! "Pt. 3" ends it all appropriately with beautiful piano and chanting vocals to end things peacefully. The cinematic vibe still shines before the curtain descends.

This innovative imagery from these Andorran metal masters is for those who are up for multiple rounds to gain full-on vision appreciation. I'm glad to finally have some intricate pleasure despite some parts of the interludes lowering down the quality. Fans of Leprous, Enslaved, and Opeth should get ready for this soul-guiding voyage!

Favorites: "Architecture of the I", "Aware of Being Watched", "Merkabah", "Consciousness Pt. 3", "Anabasis" (full suite)

Metal has gotten a bad rep for its association with Satanism that has gotten people thinking all metal is satanic, just from hearing that kind of theme in extreme genres like death/thrash/black metal. However, metalcore is highly different there, take some of that extremeness and mixing it with hardcore, with lyrics of revolution. Code Orange can be metalcore but it's a lot more. It's kind of a diverse mix of thrashcore, sludgecore, industrial metalcore, grunge-y screamo, and nu metalcore, all in a new powerful cauldron!

"[deeperthanbefore]" is a suitable electronic intro for how deep the band is gonna get in diversity. The climatic start of the action, "Swallowing the Rabbit Whole" is awesome! One funky section has an average one time change per second in 7 seconds! Toppling over slightly in the intricacy is "In Fear", but it's an anthemic tune. "You and You Alone" moves through the screaming metalcore madness alongside a withering chorus ("You play your part, you know your role") for teens to yell along to, rebelling against the electronic uprising with complex poetry. Frontwoman/guitarist Reba Meyers sings her beautiful jaded voice in "Who I Am" ("You’re marigold and I’m fluoride").

"Cold Metal Place" is what I describe this metallic hardcore chaos. "Sulfur Surrounding" would have your heart breaking out of your ribcage in emotional balladry. Also good and easy is "The Easy Way". Then "Erasure Scan" is the closest we have to Emmure with Erasure synths. There's more of the heavy angle in "Last Ones Left".

Anthemic choruses add balance to the intense "Autumn And Carbine". The hate-fueled "Back Inside the Glass" has the same kind of balance. "A Sliver" shows that Gojira is not the only band in the world that can mix melodic ambience with extreme heavy matter so easily. The title track sounds almost as poppy as Nine Inch Nails. Still it's quite a satisfying ending to this futuristic adventure.

Technical industrial metalcore has never reached that high amount of immediate brilliance before, thus further proving Code Orange's omnipresent contribution to the recent metalcore scene. They indeed carry a stylistic stash of diverse styles without a limit!

Favorites: "Swallowing the Rabbit Whole", "You and You Alone", "Cold Metal Place", "Sulfur Surrounding", "Last Ones Left", "Autumn And Carbine", "A Sliver"

A lot can happen in 13 years. New stories and trends can grow old, technology would upgrade and render earlier versions obsolete, and Middle-Eastern wars are still going on. People thought 10,000 Days was Tool's last album, but after 13 years (from 2006 to 2019, same as Disillusion's long gap between albums), Tool has made their return with the near-CD-limit 80-minute Fear Inoculum, reliving the band's dream much better than before!

Tool can be consider "The Thinker" of metal, pondering through the contradictions the band would have to go through. Now they're more refined with almost every track being an impressive over 10 minutes long.

The opening title track slowly builds layers of instrumentation and vocals before reaching its high point at 4 minutes with an impressive guitar solo. And they still continue from there! At 10 minutes, it surpasses David Bowie's "Blackstar" as the longest Billboard-hitting track. I bet they can handle the time signature-changing intensity well. Keeping up the same fashion is "Pneuma".

"Invincible" is where lead vocalist Maynard James Keenan really thinks about his personal business and probably about the band, "Long in tooth and soul, longing for another win, lurch into a fray, weapon out and belly in, warrior - struggling - to remain - consequential". "Descending" starts ambient before progressiveness descends into you again.

"Culling Voices" are what you hear sung in another progressive metal symphony. "Chocolate Chip Trip" is an experimental synth interlude with a bit of drumming, so it's Danny Carey's solo track. There are actually a few more interludes scattered around in the digital version. "7empest" is the band's longest track to date at nearly 16 minutes. Maynard James Keenan continues his vocal serenity while Danny Carey continues his complex rhythm. The guitars battle the vocals for loudness. So astonishing!

So how is Fear Inoculum like for the band compared to 13 years ago? Not a lot changed, other than a more progressive direction, so the future was not much to fear. The band was rising from the ashes to spread their message. Fear Inoculum is the kind of album that should be taken more seriously and appreciated!

Favorites: "Fear Inoculum", "Invincible", "7empest"

Atheist is one of the first ever technical death metal bands and one of the very few that could induce some tasteful interest. Their 3rd album Elements was their last album before they split up for over a decade and is more experimental than many other memorable death metal albums.

Those different things include more jazz than heaviness. Kelly Shaefer's vocals are not as death-growly as other death metal bands, leaning more towards thrash. The rhythm section is on fire with booming bass and blasting drums. Elements tear down the walls of death metal and let in elements (couldn't resist the pun) of other genres, alongside the unorthodox intricacy of time signature changes, riffs, and structures.

"Green" is an eccentric catchy composition to jam out at home. "Water" continues the catchiness. "Samba Briza" is where the jazz instrumentation really shine, break through the limits of death metal and adding something death metal fans thought wasn't possible. What a standout! The waltz-paced "Air" rises from jazzy guitar and cymbal into a riff blizzard. Shaefer's impressive shrieking strike the music down into the snow. Rather than being catchy, the windy music catches the feeling and drags through the breeze. After a bit more fury comes some more commanding jazz.

Self-indulgent progression doesn't work for the rest of the interludes, starting with "Displacement". The semi-thrashy "Animal" adds a more deliberate state of tempo while in a dreamy flow of vocal echoes, harmonies, and bass, a decadent turn through Coroner's progressive thrash. "Mineral" begins mechanically drilling into mathy chaos that they might return with in their comeback album Jupiter. But this was 1993, the year when death metal was adding gothic beauty, think My Dying Bride and Edge of Sanity, whereas Atheist's angelic riffs and bass add their own sexy near-perfection. Searing like the element, "Fire" is probably the best song here, tossing jazz embers into metal-fused inferno, the way that element represents.

"Fractal Point" is another one of the fractured interludes. There's atmosphere added to the relentless "Earth". The last interlude "See You Again" is something I wish to never hear again, like a couple pop songs with that title. However, the title track makes fascinating use of the last 6 minutes. All of the elements, both literal and metaphorical, are combined to summarize their sound entirely.

Elements is an underrated forgotten part of the 90s death metal scene. I've lost appreciation for all of death metal nearly a year before this review, but anyone enjoys original technical death metal should give this a listen to blow their mind!

Favorites: "Samba Briza", "Air", "Animal", "Mineral", "Fire", "Elements"

And now here we are at the second part of these two albums I consider one. You might disagree with me on what I think there, but I'll take the criticism. Hell Songs, released 3 years after the first part/album Canada songs, has more singing while keeping the screaming. This is the better album compared to Canada Songs. Hell Songs continues the experimental mathematical hardcore in a more melodic light. I hope for more of that kind of experimentation in future bands that are still chaotic.

The sun shines with droning guitars and thick drums in "Daughters Spelled Wrong". Then "Fiery" is pretty much Satan's way to get down and dance. It ends wonderfully with a naked acapella line, "this is how you go burning there as quiet as a mouse". Next song "Recorded Inside a Pyramid" does sound like what the title suggests, but it's still great.

"X-Ray" is more extreme and shorter at under one minute, just like some of the songs from their debut. The highlight "Feisty Snake Woman" has a Papier-Mache statue that crumbles down when scissors cut through, causing complete chaos. "Providence by Gaslight" continues the chaos but ends with strings and horns. "Love is a disgusting thing", according to the chant in the hyper "Hyperventilationsystem" that would keep you away from sleeping.

"Crotch Buffet" crouches down, hides, then attacks, repeating that cycle throughout that song. The long 6-minute "Cheers Pricks" has one of the most catchy bass loops I've heard. "The F*** Whisperer" ends the album in both a bang and a whimper, the whimper part being the sudden fadeout after all that action.

Man, the extremeness pumps me up good. Some people may be deterred, but I ain't! With this album, I've connected the tie between me and the music from this band, which would be distant unreachable for some people. Any music listeners should give this album a listen and make it public for the masses to hear. If people aren't satisfied, then scr*w what they think! I'll follow the opinions about people who like this music as much as I do. My feelings shall be justified for this erratic offering of mathematical chaos!

Favorites: "Fiery", "X-Ray", "Feisty Snake Woman", "Hyperventilationsystem", "Cheers Pricks"

I challenged myself to dive into the two metal albums from grind/mathcore band Daughters, and because of the highly short length of both albums, especially the debut, they almost seem like one album split in two. So that's what I'm gonna do with this review, make one split into two, one half per each album, just like what I did with Between the Buried and Me's Automata albums (before those reviews got deleted when I moved away from that band). People have talked about Daughters when they first entered the grindcore scene, and that was because of the usual traits. There are only 10 songs, ranging from 30 seconds to two minutes, in a total of 11 minutes, same length as a cartoon episode segment. Like much of grind-mathcore, there's mind-blowing drumming, high screechy vocals, short songs, time/tempo changes, and unique guitar talent.

Actually, the guitar talent is unusual to grindcore, without listening to without ever being standard. The guitarists can tap their fingers on glass and then scratch it hard and loud. Such an interesting sound! Nothing overpowers anything too painfully, and that's good because grindcore is a b***h to listen to in other bands. This is something I didn't ever think would be possible in grindcore, actual listenable guitar. As usual, I'm going to do my one-by-one track analysis because of how good the songs are, and if you thought I would bore you by talking so long about them, you would be wrong! It's gonna be a speed-run, just like this album. OK, ready, set, F***ING GO!!!

"Fur Beach" is a h*lla fast track. So is "Jones From Indiana". Then "I Slept with the Daughters and All I Got Was This Lousy Song Written About Me" is not a lousy song at all, and I didn't have to sleep with this band. "And Then The C.H.U.D.S. Came" to kick my a**.

"Mike Morowitz, the Fantasy F***" is a f***ing suitable break from the melodic fantasy metal I needed to a break from. "Nurse, Would You Please Prep The Patient For Sexual Doctor" is a song I'm already prepped for, thanks to my 4 years of listening to mathcore (that started with The Dillinger Escape Plan). "I Don't Give a Sh*t About Wood, I'm Not a Chemist", well, I don't give a sh*t what people think of this music, this works for me.

"Pants, Meet Sh*t" is kind of a sh*tty mess, but the next two songs would make up for that. "D*mn Those Blood Suckers And Their Good Qualities" has d*mn good quality. Finally, "The Ghost with the Most" has the most of their sound and is easily the best of the album.

This is mind-blowing grind-mathcore that I recommend to fans of the style. You won't regret these 11 minutes! Of course, the next album is twice as long. To be continued....

Favorites: "Fur Beach", "I Slept with the Daughters and All I Got Was This Lousy Song Written About Me", "And Then The C.H.U.D.S. Came", "Nurse, Would You Please Prep The Patient For Sexual Doctor", "The Ghost with the Most"