Shadowdoom9 (Andi)'s Reviews

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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"

Long ago, Underoath were once an underground dark extreme progressive metalcore band, then they simplified their sound to just post-hardcore with a couple albums making their return to a more mainstream while still heavy and cathartic metalcore. After that lengthy part of their career, the band went on hiatus for a few years before welcoming themselves back with an album of unwelcome stylistic changes, 2018's Erase Me. They regained their heavy crown with their newest modern album Voyeurist!

Underoath continues to evolve in progressive development, while being mindful of their past sounds. Despite some sparked debate about that, the band knows how to push the envelope in a healthy kind of way. Voyeurist is an intriguing album worth constant listening.

"Damned Excuses" kick-starts the raw metalcore right there with furious energy. After that heavy groove impact, "Hallelujah" has more refined melody. The visceral vocals edge on emotion. The guitars help with the reverbed atmosphere. "I’m Pretty Sure I’m Out of Luck and Have No Friends" begins with an unanswered 9-1-1 call over an atmospheric post-rock intro. There isn't any building of pace until the heaviness shines in literally the last minute, as the band's rules continue to be rewritten. Also rewriting the band's rules is the stunning "Cycle" in which the heavy heat wastes no time. There's heavy riffing, thunderous drumming, breakdown impact, and even a scream-rapping bridge by Ghostemane, all that to mash your eardrums like potatoes. RESET THE CYCLE!!!

"Thorn" is another melodic return to the post-hardcore basics of bands like Circa Survive and I See Stars in flowing emotion. It's a special delicate song to make a nice break from the heavier metalcore anthems. "(No Oasis)" is an ethereal interlude/ballad as part of the band's inspirational search. It's basically haunting dark jazz with gentle drums and singing from Gillespie. This kind of organic vibe would leave you determined for the rest. "Take a Breath" is another unique standout, bashing through one of the most unique songs by the band. "We’re All Gonna Die" follows a similar path. "Numb" kicks up the electronic course with adorned background synths.

The closing finale "Pneumonia" shall have its own paragraph. It is the band's first 7-minute epic since the one at the end of Define the Great Line (still not as long as any of the songs from Cries of the Past). Basically it's brooding drone/post-metal that really emphasizes the first part of the post-hardcore name. Things start to build up to a final phenomenal climax. All in just that last minute, you hear more energy exploding than a supernova before it's all over. It's Underoath's "Nighttime Disguise"!

Voyeurist is not the most perfect Underoath album, but it has the most ambitious diversity. You can never underestimate how much this defines the band's brand-new era, once again keep their reign as one of the most prolific modern metalcore/post-hardcore bands. Some flaws aside, this work of art deserves the greatest appreciation!

Favorites: "Damned Excuses", "Cycle", "Thorn", "Take a Breath", "Pneumonia"

Before this album, They’re Only Chasing Safety was Underoath's black sheep sh*t for the metalheads who wanted to hear their heavier material. They would gradually redeem their heaviness, album by album, before reaching the explosive perfection of Ø (Disambiguation), a different dark chapter. They've really unleashed the fury that their metalcore sound should've had, and it's the only album without key member Aaron Gillespie, which might explain some. It was long thought to be their final form due to their breakup, but then they've reunited. However, while their comeback album was a bittersweet return, it's more emphasized on the bitter...

Erase Me really let down metalheads' hopes. You might blame Gillespie and his teen-boy-like clean voice, but I don't think it's totally his fault. His vocals and drumming have improved since the past, and he still has his talent from Lost in the Sound of Separation. Underoath was trying to catch up with the metal scene at the time, but ultimately chose to turn their back on the scene. Their blazing dissonant metalcore of crushing riff passion was thrown away for a more drastic and worse changing of times. Whatever happened to their post-hardcore ideas? Y'know, their balances of screams and cleans, and harmonies and rhythms, all in a metallic cauldron. They're pushed aside for hardcore-less alternative rock with the poppy remnants of They’re Only Chasing Safety resurrected.

If you see any songs missing from my track-to-track analysis, it's because they're pretty bad. I definitely didn't wanna have to start badly with mild choruses of "Rapture". The first good track here, "On My Teeth" adds near-heavy riffing into the atmosphere, along with the band's first ever swearing (they dumped their Christian beliefs during their reformation). "Wake Me" is not something for you metal listeners to like. "Bloodlust" is catchy, but they've barely put any effort there.

Another song "Sink With You" barely goes anywhere. Enough with those poor aspects, let's skip to "Hold Your Breath", one of the very few good tracks here, sounding much better than all those other weak tracks. You'll never expect me to like "No Frame" that is a complete waste of time, especially in the last 30 seconds. I'm really not sure what the band was thinking with all these songs with barely any vision. At this point, I'm giving up on this analysis, which is convenient because the album's last and the one with the lowest b*lls for the band is "I Gave Up". Yep, that's what I'm doing.

Really, I'm not sure which direction Underoath wanted to take. Like I said, they've lost their Christianity, and while that's a big step to change their identity, I think they've really changed that, and then some. Erase Me is more of an alternative rock album with barely any traces of post-hardcore, let alone metalcore. Good production, just ineffective writing. Those heavy influences and Chamberlain's vocal development seemed abandoned, but their next recent album would show what they could do to make amends....

Favorites (only songs I like from this album): "On My Teeth", "Hold Your Breath"

It wasn't until over 4 years ago when I started growing up to metalcore. I was discovering metal way more than the rest of my family, bands like Trivium and Bullet for My Valentine, and I probably would've also gotten into one of my brother's favorite bands Avenged Sevenfold if they didn't dump their metalcore roots. All these bands were discovered via music videos on TV a few years before I started listening to metalcore, and another band from there is Underoath, whose video I'll tell you about later.

Well, back then, my taste in power metal bands such as Blind Guardian was still dominant, along with progressive metal which I still enjoy to this day with bands like Opeth, and maybe one day I can even get into listen to Amorphis. I no longer enjoy those power metal bands as much as I used to, and that was my great chance to switch to the metalcore of Trivium and Underoath. The latter's 5th album, Define the Great Line, is a good example of the splendor of post-hardcore/metalcore (YES, metalcore! I made a Hall entry to get this album into the genre). There is criticism for being far more hardcore than their early albums, and while that's kind of true, it should be worth some time.

Yeah, the post-hardcore issues from their previous album are still around, especially in the first 5 songs, so f*** that. The interlude "Sálmarnir" itself is pointless for a different reason, this being monotonous minimalism for under 3 minutes. That should not exist at all! "Returning Empty Handed" is where they really return to hardcore metal riffing, now more in common with the metalcore scene than the extreme underground. However, "Casting Such a Thin Shadow" in less sincere and more unnecessarily draggy.

"Moving for the Sake of Motion" is probably the biggest highlight of the album, with sick riffing and atmosphere to enjoy! Spencer Chamberlain grieves over his relatable faults. "Writing on the Walls" is the second-best of the album. That's the music video I found on TV a few years before getting interested in this band, and it still rules! The vocals are really delivered well. "Everyone Looks So Good from Here" doesn't look too good, but a decent banger before the finale. "To Whom It May Concern" is a much better 7-minute epic, where atmosphere twists from heavy to smooth for an emotional atmosphere to enjoy, summing up the lyrical themes greatly for a new hope.

I don't think Define the Great Line would be a must-have for metalheads like myself, but at the same time, some songs might be good for the hardcore/metalcore within me. It's great that they brought back the metal, but some of the riffs aren't that attention-grabbing. Well, at least some positive moments still show the band's greatness....

Favorites (only songs I like from this album): "Returning Empty Handed", "Moving for the Sake of Motion", "Writing on the Walls", "To Whom It May Concern"

There are some people who say that Underoath is better off with Dallas Taylor in the band, about 3 years before this album. However, with their 4th album They're Only Chasing Safety, they've cooled down into a whole different style, gaining popularity in the airwaves, thanks and no thanks to their new unclean vocalist Spencer Chamberlain.

I have a lot of room to breathe, but probably not for soft sh*t like this. They've wimped out into screamo in 2004. No f***ing metal at all! At least in their previous album The Changing of Times, they continued their earlier metal influences, but here, it's ALMOST NOTHING, THOSE B****RDS!!! Anyway, let me just tone down my directed anger and come to a conclusive summary of what they are: pop-punk-screamo. That's it.

I'll just talk about a few songs, starting with "Young And Aspiring", which is actually pretty good and heavy, introducing Spencer Chamberlain's screams. There brief electronic elements, and finally a breakdown to transition to the next song. "A Boy Brushed Red Living in Black and White" have made attempts for both singers' vocals to soar, but they don't reach that kind of desire and end up out of range. Let's fast forward a few tracks to the more interesting "It's Dangerous Business Walking Out Your Front Door" keeping up the electronic elements and slight heaviness, even at just mid-paced punky clouds with no metal fire.

"Down, Set, Go" tries to keep up the earlier vocal soaring technique, but it's just cringe-inducing with the vocals sounding auto-tuned. The guitars also seem to have artificial tunings, more than just drop D. Thank greatness synths are used sparsely and not as overly done as more popular bands back then. Let's skip ahead to the final track "Some Will Seek Forgiveness, Others Escape", which starts slightly out of place with the somber opening after the energy of earlier tracks, but the rest is nice.

With all that said, I wasn't too bored with this album. It's just that a few tracks stick with me while most others don't. As a metalhead, I'm unfamiliar with listening to full albums of pop-punk-screamo that barely have interesting songwriting. Anyway, they would get heavier in most subsequent albums, you'll see....

Favorites (only songs I like from this album): "Young And Aspiring", "It's Dangerous Business Walking Out Your Front Door", "Some Will Seek Forgiveness, Others Escape"

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"

Ever since joining The Gateway, my tolerance for alt-metal has been revived and is currently expanding with a target of being wider than it was 10 years ago. With that said, I think this band is the right boost...

Karnivool is now currently known as an Australian avant-prog rock band, but two decades before this review, they were known as an alt/nu metal outfit that released a couple EPs and received numerous awards nationwide. Wanting to take on the rest of the world, they recorded an album with the sound as the EPs but in a more progressive turn. Themata was released in 2005 in their homeland before releasing it in the US and UK two years later. Get ready for some noisy greatness from down under!

The atmospheric opening track "C.O.T.E." packs some polished punches with riff crunch and frontman Ian Kenny's subdued vocals. Ethereal melodic streams flow with edgy guitar. The band is mature enough to handle the tight production and go complex without having to go high in speed. The title track follows up from that warmup to kick things up a notch. There's more complexity in a quicker pace, as intrinsic melodies level up the multilayered majesty. Already you're hearing the band's hints of prog-rock. The strong twists keep turning in "Shutterspeed", punching you in the gut with heavy guitar force. The spine-chilling pace is suitable for the outstanding guitar work. "Fear of the Sky" adds odd time signatures for the heavy guitar in the same vein as late 90s Incubus and A Perfect Circle at that time. These guys never f*** up this sound, unlike other such albums that end up being a blur. Karnivool have their multi-flavor identity to keep your attention span high.

"Roquefort" shows how confident the band to try a funky approach and expand boundaries without going beyond anyone's comfort zone. "L1FEL1KE" was recorded a few years earlier, probably during the Persona EP sessions, as you can hear from Linkin Park-like nu metal approach. The blistering progressive instrumental "Scarabs" flows right out of that previous track, though it makes an obvious difference. "Sewn and Silent" is a light acoustic ballad that allows you take a breath without any weak filler.

The heaviness builds up again with the slower highlight "Mauseum". I found that song and someone's orchestral version a few years ago. "Synops" continues that heaviness once again. The 20-second "Omitted for Clarity" is just a silent joke. "Change (Part 1)" ends the album on a cliffhanger to be resolved at the end of the next album.

I'm glad to have finally given this album a listen, and I have a feeling that each subsequent listen will be better than the last. With an amazing sound like that, no wonder they picked up so many awards in Australia and had many prominent live sets before they even thought of making a full album. Themata has a huge rock/metal combo of guitars and melodies in multiple layers. Get this album from a more magical land than Oz!

Favorites: "Themata", "Shutterspeed", "Fear of the Sky", "L1FEL1KE", "Mauseum", "Synops"

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"

Disguise is perhaps known as Motionless in White's full entryway intro industrial-tinged alternative/nu metal. However, I still believe the band's usual industrial metalcore mayhem is still around in the majority of the album's songs. That's kind of the issue with some RYM users. They don't know that what the band usually has is disguised within this alt-nu metal flesh.

This modern heavy metalcore band continues their path to achieve their goal of the most unique style they can do. They've done a lot of touring, and in between shows, they use the time to write material for their next album. Disguise opens up something different while staying within fan's expectations...

The album's title opener begins with a jack-in-the-box melody, then pop goes Chris Motionless yelling "GET UP! GET UP!" The guitar and drums kick in with the band's signature sound. The catchy chorus with Chris' cleans is easy to listen to. The harder breakdowns builds up with an excellent breakdown. Chris has a lot of vocal emotion. "Headache" starts with clean riffing and Chris' singing. It's a little too repetitive when the pre-chorus has Chris growling "SHUT UP! SHUT UP! SHUT UP! SHUT UP!" Linkin Park did that much better in the bridge of a certain hit of theirs. "</c0de>" has nice electronics. There's more influence from Linkin Park's heavier tunes. Softer, while still heavy.

"Thoughts & Prayers" has higher tempo, tighter riffing, and harsher screaming, right from the headbanging intro. The irreligious references are crystal clear here, heavily detailing crucifixion in the dark. The instrumentation is quite great, as the guitar and drums form something incredible and fast after the breakdown. "Legacy" is a slow ballad with very little screaming. It's quite listenable, though it would be better if they snuck in a guitar solo in the bridge. "Undead Ahead 2: The Tale of the Midnight Ride" is my favorite song here. As if this song being a sequel to an earlier one wasn't the tip-off, it stands out with a lot of the band's earlier metalcore heaviness and a catchy chorus. The instrumentation is so strong, as is Chris' deep screaming. Just be careful when driving while listening to this song, especially in the heavy breakdown. "Holding on to Smoke" is another slow song, about Chris daily life struggles that he's managed to overcome.

"Another Life" continues the album's easy slow side, hitting me with wonderful beauty and great lyrics that could shed me to tears. Fascinating! "Broadcasting from Beyond the Grave: Death Inc" begins with a radio sample, "Good evening. You're listening to Broadcasting from Beyond the Grave. Tonight's chilling episode: Death Incorporated." Kicking in is some electronic Marilyn Manson influences, but the structure is a bit sloppy and repetitive. "Brand New Numb" starts with an outtake of trying to sneak in an acoustic riff ("I'm trying to f***ing record this." "Sorry."), then the actual electric riff in the most poppy radio-friendly song here that's actually very well-written. "Catharsis" is slow and catchy, sounding closer Bring Me the Horizon at that time.

Motionless in White made another great addition to their discography! Well...not as great as the surrounding albums, but the different styles mixed around work well for listeners with great taste. Disguise is once again so different while staying familiar....

Favorites: "Disguise",  "Thoughts & Prayers", "Undead Ahead 2: The Tale of the Midnight Ride", "Another Life", "Brand New Numb"

Any of the more serious, heavier metalheads may consider Sepultura's Machine Messiah as THE metal album of 2017. That's an interesting opinion, but I'm not quite aware of Sepultura. There are other metal albums that I think have potential as the best of 2017, one of them being this album from a band I know more of, Motionless in White.

From the album cover alone, Graveyard Shift looks promising to be an amazing hard-hitting album (at least that's what I think), and I was right! There's more of this sonic captivating sound of the band to please my ears. Another thing to note is, one of the songs here features Korn's Jonathan Davis. Adding him in was a genius move, and his guest appearance never disappoints, despite me never having the interest in exploring his main band.

"Rats" already has the album's right tone, insane modern metal to make your ears bleed in pleasure. One of the best album-starters, and one of the most well-mastered in metal! "Queen for Queen" has intense rhythm, like a heavier darker Linkin Park. "Necessary Evil" is that song featuring Jonathan Davis, and Korn fans will get a great kick out of that masterpiece of a song. "Soft" is anything but soft. It's a more hardcore song, especially in the vocals that reach death growling, sounding closer to Slipknot. This song is worth headbanging to at loud volume.

"Untouchable" is another perfect industrial metal song. The incredible rhythm hits you hard, while being a more melodic song. "Not My Type: Dead as F*** 2" has my type of alternative/industrial/metalcore, heading towards Rob Zombie-like territory, p*ssing off neighbors if you turn it up high. "The Ladder" is not really a song I can get used to. It's thrashier with more of the growling vocals of metalcore, but it sounds out of place in this album. This might work better in their debut album Creatures, maybe? "Voices" is an incredible track, sounding a bit like earlier Linkin Park, specifically their hit "Somewhere I Belong", without ripping off. Motionless in White is quite an exceptional band with their technique of similar but not too similar.

"LOUD (F*** It)" is another fun track, though sounding too much like Limp Bizkit. "570" once again has the heavier vocals and faster riffing, though relaxes slightly in some parts. All in all, another song I enjoy! "Hourglass" continues the industrial nu metal experience from earlier in the album. "Eternally Yours" is the perfect compelling finale with alt-metalcore fire before calming down for a final outro to pleasantly end this album.

Graveyard Shift is another sonic achievement from this band. The dynamic really work with the volume. Maybe improve a couple of the songs to make it perfect, but the rest of this offering is amazing as it is!

Favorites: "Rats", "Necessary Evil", "Untouchable", "Voices", "570", "Eternally Yours"

The dark journey of Motionless in White continues on, and once I complete this review, I'll already be midway through what they've had so far. I think you can consider Reincarnate the transition album between the two surrounding eras; the gothic-infused metalcore side and the alternative/industrial metal side.

The band really toured a lot in a way to end that first era that concluded with their second album Infamous. After some time off following that tour, the Motionless crew started working on an album that would continue the industrial metalcore sound and expand it further. This is...Reincarnate! With 13 tracks (not including an acoustic bonus track) and 4 guest vocalists, they focused slightly less on the earlier metalcore brutality, in favor of their new industrial direction. Get ready for some loud modern metal!

"Death March" sounds off some futuristic battle horns, then the drums, guitars, and synths start marching. After chanting the song title, Chris Motionless performs some vocals that sound close to rapping, that and the dark lyrics and melodic chorus bring the band's sound closer to Limp Bizkit. The title track and first single has some deep synths and metalcore riffing that begin when Chris shouts "GET UP!". What really makes this song accessible within the extremeness is the melodic Breaking Benjamin-like chorus, all piecing together a simply great structure. "Puppets 3 (The Grand Finale)" concludes the "Puppets" trilogy spanning those first 3 albums. The accessibility is decimated with more extreme bass, drums, synths, and vocals. Cradle of Filth’s Dani Filth comes in with his haunting signature growls and howls. The chorus has melodic synths and more of Chris' clean vocals. Without too much force, "Unstoppable" brings back some of the Marilyn Manson/Nine Inch Nails-like industrial rock/metal, though Chris' vocals sounds more punk alongside the growls. "Everybody Sells Cocaine" starts with a heavy yet electronic intro before verses that reference drugs. The chorus has the upbeat energy that Architects would later have in their recent alt-industrial metal era.

"Contemptress" has higher-level riffing and guest vocals from In This Moment's Maria Brink. I would consider that song one of the more mainstream ones here. "Break the Cycle" fits well in the middle of the album, with metalcore riffs interplaying with nightclub-like synths. Of course, you wouldn't expect Chris' furious growls in a nightclub. The synths and vocals remind me a lot of trance-metalcore bands like The Browning and Crossfaith. "Generation Lost" gets you all set for more electronic and drums, before some rock-on riffing. He continues the semi-rapping before his usual screaming fury in an epic chorus. "Dark Passenger" reminds me of a certain hit from Linkin Park's 2000 debut when a piano riff plays behind some synths in the intro. Though the vocals are more fierce than what Chester Bennington (RIP) could do. At this point, the formula is starting to get repetitive, but it's good when the band does it well. "Wasp" is the band's longest track at 7 minutes, though it has more hip-hop groove, replacing all the earlier brutal fury with beats and synths. Some of the smooth vocals are performed by Dessa Poljak of Silencio. An interest NIN-esque industrial highlight!

It's then followed by the album's shortest track, the sharp-worded "Dead as F***", having some eerie samples in the beginning, as the energy comes along with the synth-vocal-beat variety and lyrical storytelling. A classic for an industrial metal nightclub! "Final Dictvm", while not exactly one of their best songs, fits well for the electronics that form The Sphere, and the music has nothing worth b***hing about, especially with Swedish musician Tim Skold (Shotgun Messiah, KMFDM, Marilyn Manson) performing effective vocals. The final track of the standard edition, "Carry the Torch" opens with an acoustic intro as feedback ascends, all leading up to a short epic guitar solo and marching drumming. The earlier metalcore brutality returns, but not without a melodic chorus. The digital edition has a bonus acoustic version of the previous album's "Sinematic", an extra calm-down after all of the album's extreme heaviness. The vocals sounds more serene, despite not being as high-ranging as the original.

Sure, many songs follow the same old hardcore formula, but it's kept interesting with different electronics and tempos that make Reincarnate the forever fresh album it is. Motionless in White is certainly not one of those bands who repeat everything in every d*mn song. It's barely accessible, highly powerful industrial metalcore at its finest!

Favorites: "Reincarnate", "Puppets 3 (The Grand Finale)", "Contemptress", "Generation Lost", "Wasp", "Dead as F***", "Carry the Torch"

Since their 2010 debut Creatures, Motionless in White has been known as one of the most impressive bands. Their name has been carved in stone thanks to the intense power and imagery of their songs and live performances. They even gained more fans in their audience after a Warped Tour performance. With their rising success, the band has made their sophomore comeback with their 2012 album Infamous!

Back then, Motionless in White still had their famous gothic metalcore sound. What's different is, they started reshaping their sound by adding different influences that would foreshadow their alternative/industrial metal future.

"Black Damask (The Fog)" starts with soft somber piano, then when you least expect it, it switches to an intense head-ripping assault of vocals, guitars, and drums. The chorus is where the expected clean vocals come in greater range than in their debut. The perfect stage-setter! Then the lead single "Devil’s Night" marks the first hint at the different aspects to come, including industrial synths and deeper growling vocals. Chris Motionless' killer vocal abilities also include the usual clean vocals in the chorus alongside guitar melodies. The lyrics motivate you to stand up against those in life ordering you around and not get taken down by them, all in emotional intensity. "A-M-E-R-I-C-A" expands the band's sound yet again. This is more like the gothic industrial metal of Gothminister, especially the deeper cleans in the verses. Michael Vampire of Vampires Everywhere! sings together with Chris in a sing-along gang chorus, one of the best of the genre! That song can definitely reach the hard rock/metal charts. America, F*** YEAH!!!! Next up, "Burning at Both Ends" is filled with dynamic metal, while also greatly melodic.

"The Divine Intervention" sounds close to what Marilyn Manson has done in Antichrist Superstar. A much different style from their earlier metalcore, complete with Chris' vocal range expanding. "Puppets 2 (The Rain)" starts off sounding a bit like brutal death metal. The chorus is sung by Soilwork's Björn Strid alongside the bellowing of Chris. It's clear how much intense passion can be found in these lyrics of storytelling vision. "Sinematic" is the darkest song here, but of course, dark doesn't always mean heavy. Emotional melody from the keyboards, guitars, and vocals, certainly make the atmosphere more cinematic. Chris continues to expanding his clean vocal range, a nice break from the earlier growling. "If It’s Dead, We'll Kill It" is one of the most intense tracks on the album. After a brief look into melodic black metal with the dark synths and vocal shrieks, the guitars and growls of metalcore return, and then another clean chorus. Bleeding Through vocalist Brandan Schieppati steps in with some intense vocals.

"Synthetic Love" has beautiful Orgy-esque industrial nu metal. The synths and large chorus make that song another standout gem. "Hatef***" is another track that sounds much closer to Fear Factory than Hatebreed. "Underdog" stands out as one of the best songs here, almost surpassing that "Puppets" track. There's guitar aggression, synth atmosphere, and vocal aggression throughout. This is a beautiful driving anthem, it's so great! The title track closes the standard edition in a mind-blowing bang. However, I would recommend getting the deluxe edition that includes "Sick From the Melt", a heavy goth industrial metal track that features Eighteen Visions drummer/Combichrist percussionist Trevor Friedrich on vocals. "Fatal" is also pretty good. Then finally, there are 4 remix tracks of the songs "A-M-E-R-I-C-A", "Underdog", and "Sinematic".

Infamous marks the beginning of Motionless in White's brand-new direction. The band has impressed their audience in greater levels. With more mature writing and diverse sound, they broke down more walls than they had before. Their bloodthirsty music and lyrics were written in great effort. Chris Motionless and the gang may not win back longtime fans from this album onwards, but it was worth making a masterpiece to bring in new fans. Still there is the need for longtime fans to keep listening so many times in order to get used to that different sound. This gem shall definitely be heard by fans of modern metal!

Favorites: "Black Damask (The Fog)", "A-M-E-R-I-C-A", "Puppets 2 (The Rain)", "If It’s Dead, We'll Kill It", "Synthetic Love", "Underdog", "Sick From the Melt" (bonus track)

Motionless in White released their debut album after 6 years and 2 EPs since their formation. Hailing from Pennsylvania, this band really pushed the boundaries of metalcore into a higher enjoyable level. Their original sound became more theatrical, and listeners are ready to bring on the horror-themed metalcore of Creatures that bands like Ice Nine Kills can't do without!

You can also consider this metalcore album "gothic screamo" if you will, as the screamed vocals are more harmonized to fit well with killer riffing and memorable choruses. Creatures is probably the most serious the band had ever been in their career, determined to break down the limiting walls.

"Immaculate Misconception" kicks things off with a dark heavy raging breakdown. It's pretty much a darker American take on Asking Alexandria, and I mean that as a compliment. Next up, "We Only Come Out at Night" continues the dark sinister sound, and the different synths sound really cool. They can do those synths far better than Marilyn Manson. "London in Terror" has mind-blowing vocal combos, beginning light than growing heavier. I'm telling you, those synths are on a more powerful level than Marilyn Manson! "Abigail" starts heavy before the vocal combos come in. They're quite strong, though they overpower the song's maturity. They have really leveled up their attitude there! The title track is another step, despite the lack of originality, other than fan contributions to the lyrics.

"Cobwebs" has a more hardcore sound. Same with ".Com Pt. II" (short for "Schitzophrenicannibalisticsexfest.com" and a sequel to that song from an earlier EP), which isn't dark but instead still easy to listen to. The horror attitude of the album is still on display though. "Count Choculitis" marches along with exciting riffing. That track can change like a chameleon, starting heavy and sinister before ending soft and mellow, like when a horror film ends peacefully. The soft mellowness isn't actually reached until the delicate ballad "City Lights", the true odd one out in the album.

The horror-themed "Snow" trilogy starts with the vicious "Puppets (The First Snow)". The second "Snow", "Undead Ahead" grabs your neck and turns into a bobblehead, nodding wildly to the song. That will surely please the crowd. "Scissorhands (The Last Snow)" ends the trilogy and the album with a recap of the horror themes. You'll definitely wanna get the deluxe edition that has the bonus track "Dragula", an awesome cover of the Rob Zombie classic, and what got me into Motionless in White.

Creatures show this horror-themed metalcore band thinking outside the box. Not many bands can deliver the best they can offer this early in their careers. Motionless in White have shown us what has made them stand out from much of the metalcore crowd!

Favorites: "Immaculate Misconception", "We Only Come Out at Night", "Abigail", "Count Choculitis", "Undead Ahead", "Scissorhands (The Last Snow)", "Dragula" (bonus track)

The earlier Motionless in White can almost be considered My Chemical Romance gone Atreyu. Their all-black fashion is mixed with their screamed songs about heartbreak. They never really deserve to be sh*t on honestly. Motionless in White has really stood out in a scene where bands care more about cash and popularity than keeping their fanbase. Though despite their hard work and touring, their EP The Whorror was a low sinker despite a couple excellent tracks. Still they were hellbent to carry on...

Their second EP When Love Met Destruction was first independently released as an album that was only sold in touring festivals. After gaining some fans who want to see the album released to the world, it finally happened! ...Sort of. 6 of the tracks were re-recorded for the more well-known horror-themed metal/hardcore EP.

The original album version is more solid though, so let's start with the mighty title opener. The chorus was reused for the title track of their real debut album Creatures as their only own lyrics used in that song, as the rest are fan contributions. "To Keep From Getting Burned" has a dissonant synth breakdown, leading to the chorus that has lots of power and lyrics of love and loss, "It's hard to keep from getting burned when love is like fire", though not as strong as the background shouting of former guitarist/vocalist TJ Bell. Chris Motionless' vocals sound a bit nasal, but they still soar. "Ghost in the Mirror" has an earlier and more frequently used chorus. It's a good way to ease up on the tiring growls. The final breakdown has well-done gang vocals and the synths performed by Josh Balz. Those synths keep the song in shape and are never repetitive.

"Destroying Everything" is another great song leading up to an epic outro showing the best of Chris' earlier vocal ability. "'Whatever You Do... Don't Push the Red Button" has great melody in the chorus. Re-recorded from the Whorror EP, "She Never Made It to the Emergency Room" is more serious, and the best song here. A moving story gets you hooked along with the chorus and strong instrumentation. "Billy in 4-C Never Saw It Coming" is more ridiculous in the title, but it flows well, with an intense breakdown.

Later re-recorded for Creatures, "We Only Come Out at Night" continues the dark sinister sound, and the different synths sound really cool. They can do those synths better than Marilyn Manson. Also appearing in Creatures is the delicate ballad "City Lights", though under the name "Bananamontana", the true odd one out in the album. "The Seventh Circle" is just shameful filler. The second re-recording from their first EP, "Apocolips" is another more serious song with a tragic story in the lyrics. The dark lyrical subject is well-written with straight driving instrumentation.

If I were to give the EP version a percentage rating, it would be 56%. The album version I would give 70% for the inclusion of two re-recordings and one demo. Motionless in White gained some potential here, with a few redeeming aspects. Still those two earlier releases are my least favorites of one of the best bands of the scene....

Favorites: "To Keep From Getting Burned", "Destroying Everything", "She Never Made It to the Emergency Room", "We Only Come Out at Night", "Apocolips"

I've had fun listening to reviewing the Motionless in White albums. The band really had one of the strongest discographies from the 2010s up. I was more focused on reviewing those albums up to the new one that is this month's Gateway feature release, and did not think about reviewing their EPs. But now it's time to check out their earliest releases. Sadly, they don't have as much potential as the full albums...

This Pennsylvanian metalcore band started with a sound that a lot more emo/post-hardcore, while foreshadowing the horror-themed gothic metalcore they would be known for. The Whorror is an EP with that kind of sound, clearly not as well-developed as their debut.

The title intro is a short instrumental that sounds like a gloomy horror movie soundtrack, fitting for the band's future. And "Just When You Thought We Couldn't Get Any More Emo, We Go and Pull a Stunt Like This"! Yep, that's the long-a** name of that song, fitting well for what the band was doing there. This is self-empowering metalcore with the punky rage of high screams and spoken passages. The tone is set for a harsh humorous rampage. Basically a punky emo-metalcore song that is worth playing at a fun party.

Changing gears in the next song, "She Never Made It to the Emergency Room" is more serious, and the best song here. A moving story gets you hooked along with the chorus and strong instrumentation. The smaller sidetracked "We Put the Fun in Funeral" continues the serious approach, though I'm concerned about compositional style and lyrics. The semi-interlude "Black" is just punky filler with mostly spoken word rising into screaming angst while the instrumentation is blasting through. Pretty much all of their songs are better that poor sh*tter.

"Apocolips" is another more serious song with a tragic story in the lyrics. The dark lyrical subject is well-written with straight driving instrumentation. Closing the EP is "Schitzophrenicannibalisticsexfest.com" that displays the band's later horror-themed gothic metalcore with barely subtle lyrical content. Put together well while not having the same effect as those two highlights that would later be re-recorded in their new EP When Love Met Destruction.

I say this EP is a decent start to the band's career with strong potential in a few songs. The other songs in the EP though are immature and take away a lot of its greatness. A strong band can start a bit weak in the beginning, but it is what it is....

Favorites: "Just When You Thought We Couldn't Get Any More Emo, We Go and Pull a Stunt Like This", "She Never Made It to the Emergency Room", "Apocolips"

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"