Shadowdoom9 (Andi)'s Reviews

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 are what really make the genre, but that's a small step Carcass was missing here. The melodic harmonies in this album are mostly in just passages and solos, the latter not sounding as perfect as in Gothenburg bands. Mike Amott played them a tad 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 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"

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"

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"

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"

Previously, on Cult of Luna's journey, they've released a perfect set of releases in the past few years. After a collaboration album Mariner (with Julie Christmas), they made a double album A Dawn to Fear, and then a single EP half that album's length (The Raging River). Would they continue their perfect streak here?

These Swedish post-sludge metal legends continue their unique 21st century road. Like I said, their previous 3 album's mark their perfect streak, with even The Raging River reaching an inspiring force for a 40-minute EP, after the massive 80-minute A Dawn to Fear. The Long Road North continues that streak and, according to vocalist/guitarist Johannes Persson, is the last part of this new era. Though I'm sure they would be more depending on the album's success, which I think is at a high point of likeliness.

Cult of Luna already knows how to open an album like this with "Cold Burn", a powerful track that moves forward through 10 minutes fast in a fun way. And by fun, I mean filled with dynamic crushing atmosphere, a crucial part of their post-metal to reward listeners! "The Silver Arc" continues the riff-rumble with some delicate subtlety. "Beyond I" is the first of 3 interludes here, with stunning vocals by Mariam Wallentin. Another thing making the album remarkable is, after every two tracks of crushing metal, a soft interlude comes along. Wallentin's haunting vocal melodies work well over keyboard textures.

The highlight "An Offering to the Wild" carries the strong atmosphere back into the sludgy heaviness, with additional instrumentation by Colin Stetson, best known for his film soundtracks including Hereditary. This cinematic composition expands into chaotic cacophony by the end of its 13-minute length. "Into the Night" is where the band evokes unforgiving nature in feared reverence. "Full Moon" extends the nature but this time in the cold desolation of the unknown. Quite an immersive element!

The quality stays strong in the title track, keeping up the album's dynamic journey. "Blood Upon Stone", is the apocalyptic climax as the two guitarists from the band Phoenix join in, Christian Mazzalai and Laurent Brancowitz. Then the listeners can relax for the "Beyond II" outro, again with Stenson, showing that the band's quest is again achieved.

The Long Road North continues the band's triumphant reign. This 70-minute album keeps you in attention, and it's a long road you feel like taking again and again. Cult of Luna continues their path with an album that has hopefully made sure that this is not the end of their road!

Favorites: "Cold Burn", "An Offering to the Wild", "Into the Night", "The Long Road North", "Blood Upon Stone"

Car Bomb, in my opinion, has made some of the most experimentally chaotic mathcore in the right way, and with their progressive/djent influences, it would be accurate to describe them as The Dillinger Escape Plan gone Meshuggah/Gojira. Mordial is their latest album and one of their best to showcase that sound in all its aggressive glory.

Mathcore and many other "core" genres you just can't take with a grain of salt. You have to let your ears embrace the assault that would leave you hungry for more of its golden violence. If you thought these mathcore Long Islanders have reached their pinnacle on Meta, Mordial successfully adds more of the crushing power and maintains their perfect streak. There's also a bit of Deftones-like alt-metal influences within the chaos.

Let's start with "Start"! This 45-second ambient synth intro could easily be the theme for the horror film. Any first-time mathcore listeners would get jump-scared anyway if not prepared for the 180-turn into intense chaos in "Fade Out". Yet there's that soft clean chorus to fit in with what's appealing to hardcore listeners these days. Still the metallic mathcore can warp faster than the DeLorean going 88mph. "Vague Skies" is an unforgiving sonic crusher. The breakdown in "Scattered Sprites" is more than just that, it's a total guitar meltdown before a dissonant yet melodic solo played on what remains of those guitars. "Dissect Yourself" is another perfect quantum-physical mathcore track that can shoot more powerful than planet-destroying laser beams! Think of this like Gaza, Gojira, and the more brutal Lamb of God all mixed in one cauldron.

"Xoxoy" continues the headbanging heaviness complete with another breakdown before a space-dreamy clean section in the middle. This record wouldn't be accessible without "Hela" is a basic mathy metalcore song that's isn't too bad. Good break from the unique heavy intensity while keeping a bit of it. "Blackened Battery" is also unforgiving with their time signature changes. This really displays their Metallica influences, with the title coming from two Metallica songs, and different sections paying tribute to "Blackened" in the most mathcore way possible. It's like cheese, crackers, and milk, a few separate things that make an awesome combination!

The title track starts a bit unusual with soft guitar that is almost a tribute to another classic thrash band Sepultura. Then it's back to the drum pounding business. There's even a clean break that has a bit of a dubstep vibe. The guitar breakdown sounds weird yet effective. The soloing would surely put Van Halen's "Eruption" to shame and futurize it. "Eyecide" displays wider influences including a black metal-like tremolo. The second-to-last and longest track of the album, "Antipatterns" ironically has its own pattern in the structure. It starts heavy again with a breakdown before building up and collapsing into a cinematic ending of operatic synth reverb. The heat begins to cool down... Until the finale, "Naked Fuse"! Even the chorus is heavy while not as chaotic as the rest. Once again it slowly builds up into a breakdown then gets heavier until a final buildup that abruptly ends with a brief heavy riff.

So this is another album that's intense, but is there anything different? Well, Car Bomb has leveled up a different sound in metal by adding a more chaotic sound for the guitars. You can barely even tell what's from the guitar sometimes. The confused first-time listeners would be wondering what the h*ll they went through, but it takes time and patience to fully grasp something that would surpass the bizarreness of Captain Beefheart's Magic Band from 50 years prior. It's certainly stronger than that! The tempo can slow down without ever going out of sync. Mordial is a 5-star head-twisting mathcore tornado, that's what it is!

Favorites: "Fade Out", "Scattered Sprites", "Dissect Yourself", "Blackened Battery", "Mordial", "Antipatterns"

One of the most remarkable bands from a brutal metal genre, Meta is one of the most exciting albums written by this band. The technical heaviness would surely please metalheads looking for that kind of aspect!

So, 2016 was the year when metal/hardcore bands like Norma Jean, TDEP, and Meshuggah were releasing new albums to please their respective fanbases, and it doesn't end there! Car Bomb, a band heavily influenced by and often compared to those other bands, would make their addition to that year with their third offering Meta. An awesome standout to this year for that metal/hardcore league!

Opening the album as heavy as some of TDEP and Meshuggah's albums, "From the Dust of This Planet" kickstarts the guitar onslaught morphed into colossal riffing as raw vocals thunder through. You can already hear the monolithic production within the buzzsaw guitars. There's also frantic drum pacing, and even some clean vocals for a couple choruses. "Secrets Within" continues the spiraling riffing with the different tempo changes placed neatly. Then it gets slow in the middle, stretching some of the guitar chords out while adding some complexity. Everything sounds perfect there in extreme heaviness as the bass cuts through the guitars. "Nonagon" is nothing too different.

The trippy "Gratitude" actually has a Deftones-like sound, where a verse drives through with clean vocals and jangly guitars, taking a sideways turn in direction. Then the next song "Constant Sleep" is more interesting. Complex patterns stretch long and soft before switching back to heavy and quick. With great dynamic depth, Car Bomb is already reaching unique territory with their sound. Up next, "The Oppressor" maintains the mathcore feel while heading back and forth to a ballad-like song. Joe Duplantier of Gojira makes another guest appearance, albeit with just clean vocals in those softer sections to set an excellent mood. Then near the end there's brutal immense sludge for a riff-powered climax. One of the most experimental tracks here! The relentless storm of "Black Blood" has wonderous insane chaos, especially that headbanger of a breakdown.

"Sets" starts sludgy in the beginning before some chaotic rhythm and a brief clean section. Before the latter is an ULTRA-BRUTAL bridge of growls by Suffocation’s Frank Mullen over some of the most intense rhythm Car Bomb or any other band has generated. It's so fascinating how perfectly suitable a death metal vocalist can sound in this style. "Cenotaph" is another wild ride. Same with "Lights Out", which has one of the most intense breakdowns since the heavier ones by Attila. The ending "Infinite Sun", summarizes all they've done. Cleans and screams collide as riffs blow your mind. In the middle is some Deftones-like rock before ending with the heaviest djent workout.

For 48 minutes, the band has made a brutal quest to level up their mathcore aura with an essential album to please fans of the genre. The riffing has heavy creativity and superb chemistry for the band members and their product. There's no denying how rewarding Meta is as one of the most consistent albums of the 2010s. Creative yet brutal, Car Bomb has made recent history with one of the most meta metal gems of 2016. Absolutely well-written mathcore for the daring!

Favorites: "From the Dust of This Planet", "Secrets Within", "Constant Sleep", "The Oppressor", "Sets", "Infinite Sun"

Mathcore Long Islanders Car Bomb unleash their complex dissonance that is often compared to other bands like TDEP, Meshuggah, and Converge. Here we are at their second album w^w^^w^w (Waveform), their first album since their 2007 debut Centralia!

At that point, the band was already mixing the time changes and polyrhythms of mathcore with avant-garde beats, rhythm, and speed. For this album, clean melody adds the more dynamic aspect. w^w^^w^w adds a whole different contrast to their mathcore game, between peaceful light and violent darkness. And technicality is already the band's main power for their mathematical speed.

"The Sentinel" shows the drumming action pummeling over complex riffing and bass strokes. Notably, "Auto-Named" is an under-minute grindcore track, with so many notes in that short amount of time, something no other rock band has dared to go. The articular "Finish It" showcases drastic fury alongside a couple comedic sounds of "WOO!!!" The chorus of "Lower the Blade" is where, while keeping the chaotic noise, the cleanliness of vocal melodies and guitar chords rises. Still it won't work for anyone who's not up for going that far into brutality.

"Garrucha" sounds so easy in the even-time patterns, yet emphasized by the grinding machinery of the percussion, crushing riffs that are already crushing. Joe Duplantier of Gojira guest-appears in "Third Revelation", and not only does he provide killer growls but also the forceful impact of drum machinery that sometimes gets slower. There are also some recursive patterns towards the end of..."Recursive Patterns"! Next up, "Spirit of Poison" also briefly used clean vocals without reducing the usual monstrosity.

"Magic Bullet" has something rare, a real acoustic section that would have a different vibe if heard out of context. Yet it opens a deeper rift to descend into the lower caverns of brutal mathcore. You might expect regular mathcore in "Crud", but in the second half of that track, it goes far beyond as odd time changes and divisions decimate all boundaries. "This Will Do The Job" shows what an amazing job the band can do at making odd tight rhythms listenable. The album ends with the occasionally clean "The Seconds" to relieve you from the album's chaotic nature.

Don't listen to any music major bragging about how a different genre that's nowhere near as heavy and brutal as this album is "super-complex". If you want complex rhythms worth repeating and blasting polyrhythms, get this album that would very well blast those elitists' faces off!

Favorites: "The Sentinel", "Garrucha", "Third Revelation", "Magic Bullet", "Crud", "This Will Do The Job"

The collaborative EP between The Dillinger Escape Plan and Mike Patton of Fantomas, Irony is a Dead Scene was one of the best mathcore EPs I've ever heard. But what do you get when kick the mathcore chaos up a notch? You get Car Bomb's debut Centralia!

Years before this album entered production, Neck band members Greg Kubacki and Michael Dafferner, and Spooge members Elliot Hoffman and Jon Modell decided to form a new noise-powered mathcore project. With respect for each other's styles, they've made a killer team. It wasn't until 2004 when they started recording a 3-track demo to send to labels. Once Relapse signed them in, the recording for Centralia was on...

Urgently, the drums roll in to open "Pieces of You", exploding into the discordant chaos that make up Car Bomb. Seriously, it's Irony is a Dead Scene on steroids! This is dark extreme mathcore that marks a killer break from the black metal/grindcore that extreme metal is often associated with. "Gum Under The Table" can surely blast gum off the wall as a pure attention-grabber. The under 30-second "Rid" is a brief blast through extreme math-grind. Things go as crazy as Fantomas in "Cellophane Stiletto". For "Best Intentions", you can't deny the jazzy breaks that appear frequently.

I think there's excellent chaos in "M6" as the tempo ranges all over the place, from slow sludge to sonic blasting. Rumbling through is "His Eyes", probably the most coherent track Car Bomb has to offer here. There are consistent hints at the band's later more experimental material in "Hypnotic Worm".

"Cielo Drive" is structured very strongly while staying close to the madness. This is demonstrated yet again the solid highlight "Solid Grey". Finally, "H5N1" ends this chaotic half-hour the way it started, bring it all to full circle, and marking quite a way to leave... That is, unless you get the groovy yet wild "Bra-c-ket" for one more glimpse of their sound for new listeners at that time before a 5-year gap between albums.

I can hear in a few small parts that Car Bomb isn't for everyone, with some slight struggle, but I can definitely stand it much more that most other people I know, and fans of Irony is a Dead Scene and avant-garde mathcore might also enjoy this work of artful chaos. You can't ignore this rewarding challenge of explosive aura....

Favorites: "Pieces of You", "Best Intentions", "M6", "His Eyes", "Cielo Drive", "Solid Grey"

There are several American tech-thrash bands who have released classics in the late 80s that are hailed as some of the greatest thrash records in the world. However, Aspid (Аспид) came a bit late into the game and missed their fame. On top of that, this band is from Russia and their record label from Latvia has only released 1000 vinyl copies for one of only two albums released by that label. With all that, Aspid was overlooked, and a few years later, they split up. However, they've reunited recently in the 2010s and a cult following followed, along with a remastered and digital version of this album, Кровоизлияние (Extravasation), finally giving the band attention after two decades!

The reason Aspid was considered late in the tech-thrash game is because at that time, the more popular tech-thrash bands were either changing their style drastically for commercial success or just splitting up. This Russian band wouldn't let the genre die though, they're bringing back the sound popularized by their heroes from the late 80s. Technicality is all around without getting too progressive and putting their energy on...well, energy. However, some progressiveness remains with the lengthy songs that extensive instrumental passages. But despite the heavy amount of instrumentation, the vocalist adds raw anger to the Russian lyrics to make them interesting. All of this conjures a coherent vibe in the gritty yet great production and even the memorable artwork with greater details the closer you look.

The two and a half minute "Intro" is one of the best to appear in a metal album with vocalist Vitaly Kholopov playing spooky horror synth, sounding like a sequel to the outro of Coroner's No More Color, setting the mood for the album... Then comes one of my favorite songs of the album, the menacing groove of the thrashy ''Он пришёл (Аспид)'' (It Came (Aspid)), killer way to kick things off! Literally starting in a high note is the monstrous ''К цели одной'' (Towards One Goal).

"Give Me (Play for a Ballet)" is a long slow song similar to sludge metal for the most part, yet another magnificent highlight with nothing boring! The fast thrash would return in the second half of that song. Drummer Vasily Shapovalov (who suffered a stroke and passed a few days later this year, RIP) does interesting percussion in "Эй, ты" (Hey, You), having the most lyrical and instrumental sections while only 4 minutes long. "Там, где ночь" (Where, the Night) alternates between fast and slow, with the fast parts including one of the most thrashy solos I've heard and even blast beats.

"Коматозное состояние" (Comatose State) is another good song with different groove. Closing the album is the brilliant title instrumental where the entire band can shine without vocals. That's what I call the Russian tech-thrash Crusade!

It's too bad this band never really got as much of a breakthrough as their western peers, not even after their recent reunion. This should really make some "greatest thrash metal albums" lists online and in magazines. Not really a reinvention, but a brave heavy attempt to redefine the once-forgotten genre of tech-thrash, though the fact that all the lyrics are in Russian brings the score down a half-star short of perfection. The internet can really bring to prominence a nearly unknown offering from 3 decades ago!

Favorites: "Он пришёл (Аспид)", "Дай мне (Пьеса для балета)", "Там, где ночь", "Кровоизлияние"

At some point, I need a reintroduction into listening to Cynic, and this seems promising! I've severed the connection as part of my death metal departure, though now it's softer while still interesting. After Sean Reinert and Malone sadly left this world, Paul Masvidal kept going with a new drummer and bassist. The show still goes on!

Ascension Codes continues the band's modern journey, but with different ideas. The prominent emphasis on jazz-rock remains the same since Kindly Bent to Free Us. However, instead of that album's light-hearted moods, Ascension Codes brings us back to the metal guitar work of Traced in Air, maybe even Focus in Paul Masvidal's riffs and solos. His vocals still never cease to amaze me, ranging from whispered to clean to vocoded. There are a couple harsh vocal sections by Max Phelps.

In a similar format to Pestilence's Testimony of the Ancients, half the tracks are interludes while the other half are full songs, but let's only focus on the latter. "The Winged Ones" has nice riff repetition. You further travel through the cosmos with "Elements and Their Inhabitants". Highlight "Mythical Serpents" greatly shows each member's skill.

I also really like "6th Dimensional Archetype", not much else to say there. One track, "DNA Activation Template" has almost nothing but spacey ambient for stellar ethereal ambience. Oh yeah, I forgot to mention that the keyboardist here is Dave Mackay, who along with drummer Matt Lynch, have been granted their respective positions left behind by the two fallen Seans. Mackay really shines in that track in both the synths and the bass. Then it ends with a cool reprise of "The Winged Ones". Next up, "Architects of Consciousness" is another great highlight that reminds of the more progressive parts of Persefone's "Consciousness" instrumentals, only softer and more spacey.

The one track I don't really like is "Aurora" that sounds like a Kindly Bent To Free Us outtake. It's decent, sure, but not as great as the rest. "In a Multiverse Where Atoms Sing" is a much more interesting banger. That song is legit progressive metal and Matt Lynch's drumming is absolutely tremendous! Sean Reinert would be proud. "Diamond Light Body" is the best track to end the album, impressing us with progressive rhythm and synthesized vocals as always. Then it's all over after the outro.

Now this is great! Cynic is still going on after the disappointment that was Kindly Bent to Free Us and the loss of the two Seans, beyond our expectations and staying as relevant as ever. Unlike other bands that go softer album after album, this band goes back to pleasing the heavier fans. Ascension Codes is a space-trip not to be missed!

Favorites: "Mythical Serpents", "6th Dimensional Archetype", "Architects of Consciousness", "In a Multiverse Where Atoms Sing", "Diamond Light Body"

In December 2017, the same month as the farewell concerts from The Dillinger Escape Plan and HIM, Textures also made their exit. The band had already made enough music for two albums; Phenotype and Genotype. While Phenotype was released in early 2016, the split-up sadly meant the cancellation of Genotype's release...

That huge disappointment aside, Phenotype was worth the 5-year wait fans had since the glorious Dualism. This ambitious progressive metal/djent band was determined to start this new era big. They're an unstoppable force of music complexity, crafting their material and shaping up an entire concept. And it sounds so complete that you might almost forget that this was meant to be a double album in the first place!

Once again, they open the gates on a hostile note in "Oceans Collide", having the rhythmic aggression of Meshuggah. Marvelous "New Horizons" continues the aggression while the clean atmosphere rises from the clean singing of Daniel De Jongh and the keys, already showing that the talented power of Dualism has never died out. We also have the powerful "Shaping a Single Grain of Sand". The song has lots of devilish rhythms, as well as different twists and turns to get you hooked. Things are definitely shaping up well, and you're up for more of this strength.

"Illuminate the Trail" toys with the industrial groove of Mnemic and a bit of the technical deathcore of Born of Osiris and Chelsea Grin, all through 7 wonderous minutes. "Meander" is a hypnotic tribal interlude. It segues to the heavy highlight "Erosion".

"The Fourth Prime" has more headbanging groove to surpass the heaviness of the previous track while blending it with melodic sections. "Zman" is a nice calm break before this album's grand conclusion... "Timeless" breaks out of that piano melancholy, raging in with the band's usual mix of heaviness and melody. This extraordinary finale allows to witness the band's talent one last time.

All in all, Phenotype isn't as perfectly revolutionary as the previous two albums, but it's a solid gem to show the band what they are. And... oh yeah, the band has just reformed after their 6-year split. I really hope they release their unreleased Genotype or, better yet, re-record it and make it better than it would've been. Please, Textures, we need you!

Favorites: "New Horizons", "Illuminate the Trail", "Erosion", "Timeless"

From their 2003 debut Polars onwards, Textures has pleased fans of mathy progressive metal/djent with their sound. Once considered a copy of the technical Meshuggah, they branched out into different territory such as the sludgy atmosphere of Neurosis. They've gone through a few vocalists over the years, and every one of them can easily switch between furious growls and melodic singing.

By album #4 Dualism, the band had two new members stepping in, vocalist Daniel De Jongh and keyboardist Uri Dijk. Anytime there are changes in a band's lineup, there's bound to be even a slight change in soundscape. Here we have more groove-ish rhythms and atmosphere that distance further away from the band's earlier technicality. I enjoy both technicality and atmosphere, but I understand if the earlier fans wanted to hear more of a heavy direction than a light one. The greater usage of melodic sections give Dualism more accessibility, and it follows up from Silhouettes as Textures' height of perfection!

Opening track "Arms of the Sea" is a heavy start to the album, though it feels a couple minutes too long for me. "Black Horses Stampede" has the sludgy riffing of 2000s Mastodon before the more progressive atmosphere rolls in. "Reaching Home" is one of the most awesome captivating songs without a chorus! This was a shining moment getting me interested in this band a few years back.

"Sanguine Draws the Oath" has more technical rhythms to throw back to Silhouettes. "Consonant Hemispheres" has some of the best vocals I've heard from Daniel de Jongh. His singing sounds so dreamy at the right moments, but he can rock out to the heavier sections before his vicious growling grabs you by the b*lls. "Burning the Midnight Oil" surprises me as a post-ish instrumental. It's quite nice and not too long, unlike the debut's closing instrumental. "Singularity" has the best of the more technical side of the band with some light moments. The metaphorical imagery of water can really be associated with the artwork and lyrics.

"Minor Earth, Major Skies" often comes out as a more progressive August Burns Red with some Red Harvest-infused atmosphere. "Stoic Resignation" is more brutal, almost like if Cave In continued the metalcore of their debut Until Your Heart Stops while still having their current atmospheric sound. The interlude "Foreclosure" is quite trippy with melodic vocals in the last minute. "Sketches from a Motionless Statue" switches between all the different styles they've gone through in this album.

All in all, Dualism shows the band is never letting go of their mathy roots while at the same time having catchier hooks. It's a complex adventure that even the more "alt" listeners can get into. Lots of fascinating potential!

Favorites: "Black Horses Stampede", "Reaching Home", "Consonant Hemispheres", "Singularity", "Minor Earth, Major Skies", "Sketches from a Motionless Statue"

Textures has some of the most mathy progressive metal/djent around. One can consider the band the Dutch Meshuggah. Their influences from that band were the most obvious in their debut Polars, though they've had their own new ideas going on, more apparent in Drawing Circles. In fact, Textures is definitely different from Meshuggah, cleaner with a bit of jazz here.

Silhouettes is an awesome album, a kick-A offering that can push Drawing Circles off its throne, with the heavy and melodic songs in perfect balance. The vocals are the best I've heard from any of the band's vocalists, nailing the Devin Townsend-like clean/scream contrast. And there's a lot more that makes this a solid mathematical masterpiece!

Kicking things off is "Old Days Born Anew" with the most of their earlier Meshuggah influences here. It starts similar to how that band's album that year ObZen started, with fast riffing and drumming. However, the clean singing breaks up the intensity with its sheer beauty. Not the best start, but it still works. "The Sun's Architect" has better madness with awesome drumming and riffing. With growling and singing fitting so well in the right places, nothing can get more beautiful than that. Except "Awake" which is my favorite song here, both hard-hitting and melodic. The clean vocals can very well be some of the best I've heard in my life. There are also seems to be some influence from the heavier side of Devin Townsend. I love this!

Next up, "Laments of an Icarus" has a snare march to begin the track and bleed into the rest of the song. The mathematical riffing and growls help the song's quality. There's another good track in "One Eye for a Thousand". As for "State of Disobedience", it's so glorious that you just gotta hear it to believe it.

Then we have "Storm Warning" is a true mathy djent storm. It's so intense with different time signatures, and Eric Kalsbeek can really keep up with them with his growls. His clean vocal beauty still shines as always, "We are the strangers of today". After that, "Messengers" is soft and atmospheric with no growls except for the middle section. "To Erase a Lifetime" closes this masterpiece album in all its beauty and glory.

It's a shame Eric Kalsbeek left two years after this album, though the vocalists in surrounding albums are incredible too. Silhouettes has some of the best music and vocals from the band, proving Textures' place as one of the greatest early djent bands besides Meshuggah!

Favorites: "The Sun's Architect", "Awake", "State of Disobedience", "Storm Warning", "To Erase a Lifetime"

Textures gained some fame early on with their debut Polars allowing them to win the "Most Promising Act" Essent Award. Though shortly after, ex-vocalist Pieter Verpaalen left. Their next vocalist Eric Kalsbeek stepped in for their second album, Drawing Circles!

What do progressive metal fans have in mind with what they refer to as progressive? It can be the wackiness of Dream Theater or the experimentation of Isis. Textures is never afraid to take things through unconventional ideas highly different from the mainstream. They don't repeat the same thing nor do they follow the mundane verse-chorus structure. There are so many twists that it's hard to count them all, and with Drawing Circles, you know that things only end when they want it to end.

We start off with a short driving buildup in "Drive" that introduces the vocal talent of Eric Kalsbeek. "Regenesis" blasts through with a bit of the progressive metalcore later shaped up by Northlane and the background ambience of Cult of Luna. "Denying Gravity" has killer shapeshifting between Fear Factory and Meshuggah.

"Illumination" takes a break from the Becoming the Archetype-esque extreme progressiveness to cool down in illuminating ether. Then thrashing around is "Stream of Consciousness". Then we have more ambient textures (ha ha) in "Upwards". And "Circular" has more of the Dream Theater circles.

"Millstone" is a little more, but the band's innovative skills never cease. "Touching the Absolute" has pretty much touched so many different places. Whether they're going as dramatic as Trail of Tears at that time, or as hardcore as Architects and Gaza (the band), they don't stray from what they are, and that's what makes Textures unique. "Surreal State of Enlightenment" is a beautiful outro to end this offering, far better than the long ambient track closing their debut.

When it comes to progressiveness, forget the rules! You just gotta appreciate what you can do and not stick to what's so popular nowadays. Wild experimentation is an essential thing for Textures, and Drawing Circles, like many of their albums, shall not be taken for granted!

Favorites: "Regenesis", "Denying Gravity", "Stream of Consciousness", "Upwards", "Touching the Absolute"

By the mid-2000s, djent was still starting off low-key. We have the originator, Meshuggah, and Sikth made their entrance with their djenty progressive metal sound. Named after an instrumental from Cynic's debut Focus, Textures was determined to give their music the many aspects and layers including djenty guitars. And it all starts with their debut Polars, their only album with talented ex-vocalist Pieter Verpaalen. RIP...

There's no underestimating the complexity of this music. As often done by Meshuggah and The Dillinger Escape Plan, heavy aggression and soft relaxation are covered in different grounds of sonic emotion.

The hardcore "Swandive" opens the album in extreme madness. The one track from the album released as a single, "Ostensibly Impregnable" is the perfect track I would give to anyone wanting to step in this textured world for the first time while starting small. It has everything including minimalistic riffing, clean vocal harmonies, and the deathly djent of Meshuggah. "Young Man" blasts through At the Gates-esque melodic riffing while having some of Devin Townsend's progressiveness.

The metallic instrumentation continues blasting through in "Transgression". Then "The Barrier" has more of that, harsher while in contrast with the mesmerizing melody. The extreme talent never lets down!

The interlude "Effluent" is rather so-so, but it serves as a nice intermission before the big centerpiece... The title track is the band's longest song, a true 18-minute epic with lots of innovative experimentation reaching its height, not to mention Pieter's vocal talent. "Heave" is just 15 minutes of droning ambience. This album would've been greater if they didn't include that here, or at the very least, shorten it to be as short as "Effluent".

Textures is a band for anyone wanting to explore the extreme edge of progressive metal/djent, and their debut Polars has all you can ask for from the band. It would've been as glorious as their subsequent albums if not for that final overlong ambient track....

Favorites: "Ostensibly Impregnable", "Young Man", "The Barrier", "Polars"

Guitar wizard from Australia Plini is back at it again with another beautiful prog-rock/metal journey for you to have a break from the grim reality of the virus. Impulse Voices has light spirit drifting in and out of heavy grounds and emotion. Any instrumental composition can be used for either imagination or meditation, but Plini can have music teleport between the two. Though it's not exactly background music, yet can stun your progressive metal heart!

He has proven himself a master before; take Handmade Cities and Sunhead for example, prolific experiences to revisit every now and then. Impulse Voices continues those experiences while enchanted with new texture ideas. You can immerse yourself in an unpredictable blend of ambient and heavy, all in playfully creative fashion.

Opening the album is "I’ll Tell You Someday" where masterful guitar melody has pleasant repetition. It's the album's first single, and the pace can shroud listeners in a warm embrace. "Papelillo" takes on lighter breeze while in a hefty balance. "Perfume" has strong dark electronics that would fit well on Stranger Things. While the rest of the album stays organic, that track's the most modern/electronic of the bunch.

"Last Call" definitely proves Plini's love for the guitar music of Joe Satriani and Eric Johnson in this jazzy track. Now don't try to calm yourself down too much as change is inevitable. There's nice cloudy synth for Dave Mackay who has recently joined Cynic. Another heavy highlight is the groove-filled title track. The highly significant "Pan" is the absolute pinnacle of the album. This is one of the most incredible songs I've heard, with a bad-a** mix of guitar heaviness and saxophone jazz. The last two minutes give me crying chills and the urge to become a symphony conductor. F***ing amazing, beyond good! The last minute has superb Dream Theater-like soloing.

Then there's the ballad-like track "Ona / 1154" that is practically another Joe Satriani tribute with Peanuts-like piano while standing by Plini's usual sound. There's never any rush, just a smooth journey. Finale "The Glass Bead Game" is a more impressive journey, his longest track at exactly 9 minutes! A gentle mix of guitar, harp, and piano guide you to your home run, much better than the previous album's ending.

Plini continues his emotional music progression with Impulse Voices. He sure knows how to think of inspiration when it strikes and allows him to create. The album has flavorful textures of life and this progressive voyager continues his wild unconventional path. Doesn't get any more beautiful than this. Over and out!

Favorites: "I’ll Tell You Someday", "Impulse Voices", "Pan", "The Glass Bead Game"

I've been enjoying progressive metal for nearly 8 years now, and nowadays I'm changing my focus from the melodic past to a heavier future. Despite my attempt to revisit said melodic past, it ultimately hasn't worked as greatly as I wanted it to be and I ended up moving away from a big chunk of melodic bands. That includes instrumental bands Animals as Leaders and Liquid Tension Experiment. However, one artist I don't plan on letting go any time soon is Australian guitarist Plini!

Reviving progressive rock/metal in a djent-ish yet melodic wave, Plini has unleashed a calming storm from his own bedroom. I wish I could do that! Handmade Cities marks his full-length debut after several EPs, displaying his astonishing writing ability.

"Electric Sunrise" opens the album with incredible strength, starting with a catchy rhythm before the guitars rise. The title track is a solid mix of funk, djent, and progressive rock with immaculate drum breakdowns. It's well-known for the guitar rhythm during its solo being plagiarized for that of the guitar solo in American pop singer Doja Cat's 2020 metal remix of "Say So". Despite the slight controversy, the original solo at the 3 and a half minute mark is so melodic.

Shortly after, "Inhale" starts slow and mystical before it gets heavier. Next track "Every Piece Matters" has me slightly worried that the sort of generic soloing and plodding rhythm would detract the album's perfection, but the funky fills make up for it, and so does the anthemic chanting towards the end, the closest this album has to vocals!

Relatively, "Pastures" is a necessary pause in the intensity of the earlier music. Then we have the splendid expansion of sound near the end "Here We Are Again", which works awesomely despite its short length. The closer "Cascade" can be considered the climax of the album. However, it's as scatterbrained as the cover art, so it's not really a satisfying way to end, though keeping the album's perfect score intact once again.

Does curiosity pay off when you hear Plini expanding his progressive comfort zone? Yes, while it's necessary to not sound too forced or stagnant in some places. But in the end, we have absolute true melodic instrumental prog-rock/metal! I would give this album just 96% with some slight fat needing trimming, but he's still at his very strongest!

Favorites: "Electric Sunrise", "Handmade Cities", "Pastures", "Here We Are Again"

Collaborative albums can cause quite some mixed reactions, but sometimes it makes a lot of sense and you see it as a dream come true that should've been done sooner but astonishing either way. After a few post-sludge bands like Neurosis and Cult of Luna have done their collaborative albums, it's Converge's turn on the 30th anniversary of their formation and the 20th anniversary of the game-changing Jane Doe. This is... Bloodmoon!

For this band's 10th studio album, they've joined forces with goth singer Chelsea Wolfe, along with her bandmate Ben Chisholm and former Converge member Stephen Brodsky (Cave In) for a 7-person team-up. The results? Something different than before...

The album's opening title track welcomes us to a haunting new world with clean vocals by Jacob Bannon, with Chelsea Wolfe joining in for her verses. A devastating riff knocks us straight into this realm, and would work well for live performances. "Viscera of Men" starts with a brief blast into Converge's chaotic past before slowing down again with more of Chelsea's vocals and the post-sludge drama. Her influence shines strongly in "Coil", a grand acoustic/orchestral rock single of heartbreak.

The spooky fun "Flower Moon" continues the grand experimentation of the album with all the creators in union, with Brodsky having some fun in his vocal performance and guitarist Kurt Ballou throwing around his guitar talents. The pummeling "Tongues Play Dead" allows Bannon to really shine in his vocals. The anguish-fueled "Lord of Liars" has some strain, but Ballou takes the strain out on his guitar with cool results. You can feel in "Failure Forever" the smoothness in Brodsky's vocals. A more bluesy-like tempo is used for "Scorpion's Sting", with stings a bit, but doesn't hurt.

The doomy "Daimon" once again executes the string/key ambience very well. "Crimson Stone" pulls off a lot without extra effort. Wolfe and Bannon sing together in an ethereal duet before a climatic grand finale (for the song anyway). The stunning goth-pop "Blood Dawn" marks an easy pleasant end to the journey, would make you wanna get your hands on Bloodmoon: II.

Yep, the title says Bloodmoon: I, so you know that a sequel might come in a year or a few. Anyway, this album's Converge expanding their comfort zone with the guidance of Wolfe and Brodsky through this gothic-ish avant-garde post-sludge darkness. A new era for this band is awaiting!

Favorites: "Blood Moon", "Coil", "Flower Moon", "Tongues Play Dead", "Daimon", "Crimson Stone"

There seemed to be a few cryptic hints about a new era for Bullet for My Valentine. Frontman Matt Tuck said that their upcoming album would an aggressive passionate beginning of "Bullet 2.0", and the album was later announced to be self-titled. And holy sh*t, this is accurate!

The new self-titled BFMV album marks a near-return to their earlier heaviness. BFMV has been part of my metalcore arsenal for 4 years, and their latest album at that time, Venom is a real headbanger with slight redemption of quality. Then in 2018, Gravity is a half-sh*tty nu metal backstabber. I thought if they released another album like that, I would start avoiding that band for good. Fast forward to the present with their self-titled album grabbing my attention by the b*lls. This is genuine heavy metalcore!

"Parasite" proves that right away after a minute of half of distorted brief radio samples of the band's greatest hits from practically every album. The song itself blasts through pure metal to have you fist-pumping and headbanging in no time. The riff in "Knives" will make you headbang so hard that your neck would be severed like a knife stab. I'm glad to still be living to write this review. Matt Tuck delivers lyrics of hatred and pain in vocals that could easily smash through concrete walls at command. That's quite what Robb Flynn of Machine Head had in The Blackening, but Matt does it slightly better.

After that one-two blast, "My Reverie" has slower groove, with the blend of clean vocals and growls being effective especially in the great dynamic chorus. The guitar solo can be thought of as a tribute to Dimebag, among other influences. "No Happy Ever After" cracks the sky of modern death metal influences while their land is still blessed with metalcore. During COVID lockdowns, production for the album was delayed several times before the band members agreed to record their parts separately from each other. The isolation really adds aggression to all the members' abilities, especially the soaring thrash leads from Padge. It would be interesting when the band actually play this song live and start a heavy moshpit. "Can’t Escape the Waves" brings back some of their earlier metalcore for longtime fans, while the ammo still sounds modern. Oh look, another song that gives the band something in common with Machine Head, a song titled "B****rds". However, unlike Machine Head's f***ing sh*tter, this is a real call-to-arms fight song of rebellion, perfectly nailing the semi-apocalyptic mood of their homeland of Wales. They really fire off one h*ll of a headbanger!

Changing the pace again, "Rainbow Veins" continues the monstrous groove, but with more clean singing than the unclean growls of the other songs. This rhythmic tune emphasizes on waves of sorrow in the aftermath of a revolution, containing a melancholic chorus followed by a destructive bridge. You feelin' it now? So after that slight ballad, there's more Hell to unleash with "Shatter", with rising feedback before the dark verses and fierce moshing chorus. "Paralysed" attacks with full-on Metallica/Slayer-esque thrash. "Death by a Thousand Cuts" ends the album on a heavy cliffhanger that would make you either demand the next album or just repeat this one again.

Like their older ancestors that are Sabbath, Priest, and Maiden, Bullet for My Valentine is not afraid to unearth unique sounds from the genre founded in the UK that is heavy metal. This band sure knows how to bring on their heavy artillery. Trivium has also done that with their new album the prior month, and if Bring Me the Horizon fully return to metalcore with their next Post Human release, that would make my day. Despite the quality not being same as earlier, BFMV deserves greatness for their killer comeback....

Favorites: "Parasite", "Knives", "No Happy Ever After", "B****rds", "Rainbow Veins" 

As I continue my ultimate Pit test, I thought I would review the remaining Demolition Hammer album to fill in the gap. I'm amazed about what an underrated album Time Bomb is! I mean, this is the album where they abandoned most of the deathly thrash from their first two albums for the groove metal that was taking over the reign, but it made me have a great feeling about the genre! I might just be looking forward to the groove metal part of the test...

Apparently, Time Bomb was to be a different project, but it was still released as Demolition Hammer. New fans might be up for it, while longtime fans may not. Drummer Vinny Daze (dead from globefish poisoning, RIP) and fast soloing wizard James Reilly are out. Drummer Alex Marquez comes in, and so does the Hammer's new groove.

The album begins with a 15-second intro audio sample from Prince Of The City where a couple guys plan to lock someone up, yelling "F*** him! F*** them! F*** you!... F*** YOU!!!" Then "Under the Table" sets up what to expect in the album; heavy yet simple riffing in the face. There are also some samples from the films Serpico and Scarface. Next song "Power Struggle" stands out as a 5-minute sludge-ish groove metal epic (all other songs are just 3 to 4 minutes long).

"Mindrot" is also slow in a way similar to a blend of Pantera and Obituary. The guitar soloing absence may lets many metalheads, but it gets things more to the point. That also can also be said for "Bread and Water". Then "Missing: 5/7/89" is effective despite the lack of thrash fury. However, the earlier sound returns for the outro of "Waste".

Rocking out hard in the guitars is "Unidentified", though the basic repetition in the structure doesn't do the song any favors. "Blowtorch" stands out in some deathly riffing to remind some of Malevolent Creation. I like their cover of Devo's "Mongoloid" (despite the title being a derogatory word for someone with Down syndrome), fitting well for this different sound. The title track is almost different from the rest of the album, as f***ing heavy and fast as the other Demolition Hammer albums in its second half.

Yeah, I know, Time Bomb is all different and repetitive, but guess what? It's almost as enjoyable as their Teutonic Big 4-inspired speedy thrash albums. Time Bomb would be better appreciated by fans of Pantera and Machine Head. The slower heaviness might turn off longtime fans. Let's hope for more of this band since their recent reformation!

Favorites: "Under the Table", "Power Struggle", "Mindrot", "Blowtorch", "Time Bomb"

Brutal deathrash. At least that's what bassist/vocalist Steve Reynolds describes his band. After reviewing the classic thrash era of the melodic Annihilator, it's off to the side of spectrum with the vicious Demolition Hammer. The brutality from Tortured Existence continues in their second album Epidemic of Violence. Relentless thrash to the max!

The boundaries of the extreme side of thrash are torn down, without having to go too full-on deathly. The instrumentation has more furious intensity than before. That doesn't mean this album is fastest though, there are a few crushing mid-tempo sections. The band knows how to alternate between fast and mid-tempo at such ease, and that contrast adds to the high levels of aggression that occur here.

"Skull Fracturing Nightmare" explodes into the thrash action right away before a menacing section one minute and 40 seconds in. Another one minute and 40 seconds later, a wicked thrashy instrumental bridge starts that includes some shredding soloing. One more solo that occurs ANOTHER one minute and 40 seconds later is so memorable. The instrumental passages put less focus on the rhythmic onslaught, in order for the listener to breathe. One and a half minutes into "Human Dissection" is insane fast thrash, suddenly shifting from the slower verse, adding some more unpredictable heaviness. The violent lyrics from the debut continue in "Pyroclastic Annihilation": "Catastrophic purge, tephra plague, flaming fragments inundate, combustive turbid brume, smothering, fumaroles permeate". The last 30 seconds rage in a ballistic burst.

"Envenomed" has more prominent vocal layers from Reynolds, especially one minute and 20 seconds in, with his vocals coming close to growling. That's probably one of the most vicious thrash songs I've heard, filled with hatred and rage! Not even Megadeth, Exodus, and Evildead can beat that amount of aggression. One minute and 20 seconds into "Carnivorous Obsession", the band once again bursts out of a slower intro into rapid extreme thrash in no time flat. "Orgy of Destruction" is a heavy one-minute interlude, similar to the end of Coroner's R.I.P, though ending with battle sound effects.

The vocal anger from Reynolds is quite important from the start of the title track. His vocals add to the extreme fury with sudden changes in the tempo. Though there is a catchy chorus. The band continues to pull off great surprises one minute and 20 seconds into "Omnivore", with subtle guitar reflection. The lyrical theme of predatory hunting can be seen as graphic in a juvenile way, but it adds gravity for the savage thrash to pulverize the targeted ground. Halfway through "Aborticide" has more reflective soloing.

This album, Epidemic of Violence is a true brutal way to close the classic thrash metal scene. I can already hear the greatness of thrash from some of the wildest the genre has to offer. It can be a struggle at first, but once you're fully ready, you're in for some merciless blood-spilling. Essential for fans of thrash metal and any other metal genre!

Favorites: "Skull Fracturing Nightmare", "Human Dissection", "Envenomed", "Epidemic of Violence", "Omnivore"

So what do you get when you blend southern metal and hardcore punk together into a heroic unique style of metalcore? Every Time I Die!! They've observed that timing is everything for the best results. Their radical album Radical was completed in early 2020... Then the virus of damnation attacked. COVID changed everything and prevented concerts from opening. The band waited until they could start touring to release the album, and after playing a couple shows recently, they decided that it was time...

In the human race's battle against the pandemic, Every Time I Die have observed the progress. And finally, the 5-year wait for a new album is over. The 16 songs waiting to be have been unleashed to pummel the world like a raging monster and wipe out the virus for good! OK, maybe not that last part.

A blast right back into their discography, "Dark Distance" will stun you into stone. The band has delivered a furious frenzy in higher heights of heaviness. I've heard that the band took quite a tribute to their previous albums in this one, with that track putting a Daughters-like spin into the sound of their previous couple albums and first couple albums. "Sly" continues the action from both the previous track and the previous album, with theatrical vocal experimentation inspired by Queen. An angry lookback musically at the previous decade, and lyrically at the world, "Planet Sh*t" throw their instrumentation around in outrage like Molotov cocktails. "Post-Boredom" is the catchiest song of the album and probably their most sing-along song similar to Taking Back Sunday, while maintaining their identity. "Colossal Wreck" has colossal intensity. "Desperate Pleasures" takes an approach closer to early mewithoutyou in the political songwriting to add to the hardcore sound as they point their middle finger to the disbelievers and destroyers, to show that the Hell we're in is real.

Up next, "All This and War" is my personal favorite of the album, a throwback to the early 2000s sound of Norma Jean, and I think that band's vocalist Josh Scogin guest appears in that song. Despite this album leaning more towards chaotic metalcore, that song is a midway monstrosity of nu-mathcore. "Thing With Feathers" shows that the band is more than what the title says, spreading their eagle wings into the unknown with guest vocals by Andy Hull from Manchester Orchestra (the band, not the orchestra), creating a daring venture into indie rock, before things get wilder later in the album. "Hostile Architecture" continues the hostile approach from the band's 2009-era approach in wonderful achievement. "AWOL" is basically if Glassjaw performed Converge's masterpiece album You Fail Me, an astounding mix to adore! "The Whip" continues their speed from a decade prior in wild metalcore inspired by early Zao.

Coming in at second place for the best song of the album is "White Void" that could give you the urge to rename this band The Damned Deftones of Shai Visions (try to guess which 4 bands I'm referring to) with each random component miraculously appearing. "Distress Rehearsal" adds some Metallica-like thrash together with the usual mathy metalcore breakdowns. "Sexsexsex" starts off like post-grunge before heading back to what they had in From Parts Unknown with Coalesce-ish mathcore. "People Verses" once again continues where Low Teens has left off, and while still being a rocking hardcore song, this could fit well as the soundtrack for a battle scene in Game of Thrones. "We Go Together" ends the album similarly to Between the Buried and Me's Automata pair of albums, a theatrical metal ending encouraging us to go together.

Many films in a franchise are released 5 years apart because of the long production process, but while Radical didn't take an ultra-long time to make, it's all about the timing, and with the anticipation paying off, there really should be a Best Metalcore Comeback Album award. The outraged monster shall continue its savage ravage and beyond!

Favorites: "Dark Distance", "Sly", "Post-Boredom", "All This and War", "Thing with Feathers", "AWOL", "White Void", "We Go Together"

I'm glad I got this album the other day, not just because of scarily awesome this is, but also because I can do this review of its most appropriate day... HALLOWEEN. So get ready for lots of tricks to go with this treat!

Sequels, whether to albums or films, are something to love or hate. As the tagline from Scream 2 would say about some of them, "Sequels suck." However, this one doesn't! The Silver Scream 2: Welcome to Horrorwood is the sequel to the band's most successful album, in response to fans' demands for more. I personally think they should've tackled a different horror topic like TV shows or video games, but it's still a superb sequel. So let me show you the ways through this horror-metalcore journey...

"Opening Night" is an introductory disclaimer by famous horror film actor Bill Moseley, explaining that the 13 tracks were what remains of what seems to be a more horrifying concept album from long ago that would've been about brutal killings, similar to The Texas Chainsaw Massacre. The title track, "Welcome to Horrorwood" begins similarly to Every Trick in the Book, with Spencer Charnas' vocals, piano, and strings (“ink fills the page, a classic killer completes the cast”). Then the quietness is broken by a guttural scream and furious drum pounding. The song isn't based on any horror films, but establishes what to expect in the album; film violence that sometimes bleeds into reality, all part of the album's main concept. So continuing the story from my Silver Scream review, you leave the theater and find yourself in a mysterious town known as Horrorwood, where violence from movies is real and you have to stay alive and not get killed. You successfully avoid the brutal madness and escape the town. "A Rash Decision" is based on the Cabin Fever franchise, and mixes the fast tempo, screams, and riffs of metalcore with the melodic experiments of electronica, horns and choir. Lots of contrasting layers! You find a cabin in the woods and camp out there, but then you find out that the previous owners were decomposed alive by a flesh-eating virus, so you take the time to consider fleeing. The experimentation continues in "Assault & Batteries", based on the Chucky series (Child's Play), where after a couple news broadcast samples, child singing adds to the incoming terror. While mostly referring to the first Chucky film, his bride is sometimes mentioned ("stitched back together it seems, by the evil bride of his dreams"), further expanding the concept to the rest of the franchise. You find a doll in an old abandoned shelf, but it comes to life and tries to murder you, but you outrun it and hide in a room with the door locked.

You already know what "The Shower Scene" is about! I was a little surprised that the band didn't reference Psycho, one of the most iconic 20th century horror films of all time in the first Silver Scream album, so I'm glad they haven't forgotten about it in this one. The frantic chaos of the first 3 songs is replaced with melody while keeping the usual horror-themed metalcore, evident in the catchy chorus and vocals. They've really done that film justice here, with the sound effects from the eponymous shower scene kept in, including the violin sting, knife sounds, and terrified screams. In that room, you find a bathroom and decide to shower in there to refresh yourself after feeling a bit filthy from your journey so far. However, a shadowy figure appears and tries to kill you, but you knock it out with the shower head and take its knife, then quickly dry yourself off, put your clothes back on and escape the cabin via a window. "Funeral Derangements" is a heavy fast one based on Pet Sematary, in fact basing the music and lyrics on the score and sounds of the movie, the latter coming from a truck horn and a laughing child. While running through the woods, you find a pet cemetery where animals rise from their graves as the undead. "Rainy Day" is based on the Resident Evil movie, which itself is based on the video game series and that makes me wonder if they should've saved it for a horror video game tribute album. The highly different gamer-industrial tones produce a vibe of video games and early 2000s action film soundtracks. After escaping the cemetery, you find a manhole and crawl down, but end up in a sewer filled with human zombies infected by the T-virus that can possess humans and animals. You fight off the zombies and climb up another manhole into the streets of a different town on a rainy day. "Hip to Be Scared" is based on American Psycho, and the first single of the album. They've really executed their sound like an execution! Great parts of the song include the sample of the original Huey Lewis song, and background vocals by Jacoby Shaddix of Papa Roach. You run into a banker who happens to be a serial killer preying on random innocent people. You incapacitate him and run off.

"Take Your Pick", based on My Bloody Valentine, features Cannibal Corpse vocalist Corpsegrinder in probably the most brutal heaviest song of the album, an outright mix of death metal and metalcore (equals deathcore). This collaboration would really hack your face with a pickaxe. You end up in a Valentine's Day festival which seems nice at first until a powerful serial killer in mining gear attacks. You hide under a booth and wait helplessly for the massacre to be over. The hellishly killer "The Box", based on the Hellraiser films, adds in melodic harmonies, especially in the emotional chorus, helped out by Brandon Saller (Atreyu), and guttural growls backed up by Ryan Kirby (Fit For A King), both guest vocalists adding to the metalcore greatness. Once you safely emerge from the booth and find yourself in the abandoned aftermath of the slaughter, you see a mystical puzzle box and accidentally use it to summon the deadly Cenobites. Fortunately, before they could have the chance to attack, you reverse the motions needed to open the box and send them back to whence they came. You throw the box away and wander off. "F.L.Y." focuses on melodies with Charnas singing alongside Senses Fail's Buddy Nielsen, while still having the kick-A guitars. Contrary to speculations, this wasn't based on The Silence of the Lambs which uses the motto "First Love Yourself", instead it's based on The Fly, which I guess makes more sense. After leaving the massacred Valentine's Day Festival, you find a laboratory but a fly monster crashes outta there and you outrun it. German growling starts the German-phrase-littered "Wurst Vacation" based on the porno-torture film Hostel. Those German phrases, along with strings and an electronic chorus, give the song a Rammstein vibe. You find a hotel, but out of nowhere, you are knocked out and sent to a torture chamber.

Vaudeville throwback "Ex Mortis", based on Evil Dead, continues the theatrical vibe from the previous album's epic finale. Horns and piano add to the song's groovy action. It also fits well with the madness of Army of Darkness. Once you wake up, you find yourself surrounded by demons and spirits, waiting to possess you. After fading out from the previous song, bees start buzzing while "Farewell II Flesh" begins, the longest INK song at 5 minutes since the debut's "Family Unites", based on Candyman, with soothing yet eerie piano as the story of the Candyman is introduced. After layers of dramatic atmosphere, more layers come in thanks to the other instruments that create metalcore riffing from the guitars. The leader of the spirits is the legendary Candyman who plans to kill you if you say his name repeatedly. You refuse to say his name and instead attack him and the spirits. You find a fireplace in the torture chamber and shove the Candyman, destroying him. The spirits freeze and graphically decompose. During the string bridge, you leave the chamber and find yourself in a different forest, with the chamber being just another cabin. Then when the last chorus comes in, an unseen entity attacks you from behind and possesses you. As it turns out, the entity is a spirit similar to the ones led by Candyman, but it's a different one summoned by the surviving villains of the scenarios from my reviews for the previous two albums; Dracula, Carrie, Killer Santa, and Pennywise. During the final growling outro, you come to and are possessed to become part of this league of evil horror. To be continued... (maybe?) Cue more bee noises to end the album and experience.

Nope, this sequel does not suck at all. The sequel movies I would compare this album to would be Terminator 2 and Aliens; as great as the first whether it's the subtlety or the action that you like. Hope you have a killer experience with The Silver Scream 2: Welcome To Horrorwood. I've done so, with an insane scenario to come along with it!

Favorites: "Welcome to Horrorwood", "A Rash Decision", "The Shower Scene", "Hip to Be Scared", "The Box", "F.L.Y.", "Farewell II Flesh"