Shadowdoom9 (Andi)'s Reviews

You know what, I really need to get into more industrial-tinged melodeath. The music made by Cypecore is so good, that I want more of it from different bands. Fear of Domination, perhaps? Anyway, if Identity was a small step up, The Alliance is a big leap that has never let me down. More common listening for me coming my way!

This is the final album with Tobias Derer (drums), Evan K (guitars), and Chris Heckel (bass) before Chris' death. RIP... What a shame, because they're all so talented, and Tobias is such a captivating drummer. Lots of technical rhythms and blasts striking through with no flash, all substance. His drumming is a solid fit to the riffing of Evan K. and Nils Lesser, having an industrial vibe that is also heard in the occasional background synths.

The "Intro" aspect may have been overdone, but it's so short and doesn't affect much. The title track blasts off as an intense battle-ready banger full of djent-ish riffing. The melodic "Dissatisfactory" has a more gloomy flow. It's filled with lengthy complexity that makes it memorable. So is "Dreamsmasher", also having cleanliness from Dagoba.

We also have the diverse "Aeons" with its haunting siren-like guitar leads. "Reject the Stream" rips through with nothing wrong. 7-minute epic "Remembrance" that shows the band at their most atmospheric and progressive. The best one here! "The Voice of Conviction" has some melody from metalcore bands like Unearth and Killswitch Engage.

"Leviathan" is another one of the best tracks in the album, having more melodic guitarwork with some background keys. Vocalist Dominic Christoph sounds fantastic going from harsh to whispers to shouted singing. Everyone's talent shines the best in this heavy/melodic blend. "Values of Death" is like the opposite of their earlier track "Values of Life". After that, "The Gift of Failure" never fails, having some melodeath from Mercenary and early Shadows Fall. The "Outro" is OK, not affecting the album's perfection.

All in all, The Alliance is a perfect balance of the band's past and future, similarly to how A Wake in Providence's Eternity turned out for that band. All before each band's 2024 album takes a more too-pompous-to-enjoy-all route. I shall be giving The Alliance more spins in the future. Despite their unfortunate losses, Cypecore shall not fall!

Favorites: "The Alliance", "Dissatisfactory", "Aeons", "Remembrance", "Leviathan", "The Gift of Failure"

Sometimes the most wonderful and spectacular bands end up being so underrated. I can say that about Cypecore and any band that's either cyber metal of symphonic deathcore (of course, Lorna Shore is too popular to be underrated). This German futuristic melodeath/groove metal band continues their journey with album #3 Identity!

It's easy to describe this band as a more modernized industrial-ish take on Gothenburg melodeath, but they can be more than that. They can expand the boundaries of their sound to add some fresh uniqueness. At the time of recording this album, guitarist Nils Lesser and drummer Tobias Derer were part of symphonic metal band Beyond the Black. After Identity and that band's second album Lost in Forever came out, Lesser and Derer left Beyond the Black and focused on their main band.

The ominous "Intro" begins the album. Then "Saint of Zion" impresses me with its guitar/keyboard fury to get me hooked. "Where the World Makes Sense" is another powerful anthem. "My Confession" is more melodic, throwing back to classic Fear Factory.

Heads will roll in "Hollow Peace", and you can never turn away from it. The title track attacks with the usual blend of melody and heaviness. "Drive" continues the crushing sound while having some driving speed. The clean-sung "A New Dawn" is one of the best tracks I've heard from this band and the groove/melodeath realms.

"The Abyss" is the only track in this album I would consider weak here without bringing the rating down. The same can almost be said about "The Void" which is a little more rock-ish. The "Outro" goes on for too long and is a little unnecessary. Fortunately, saving the album from losing its 4.5-star rating is the popular bonus track "The Hills Have Eyes". If this was in the standard edition as a regular track, and the previous 3 tracks weren't included, this offering would've been 100% perfect.

Odd tracks aside, Identity shows Cypecore unleashing amazing hits that tear down the walls of conventionality. They stand out amongst the sea of Gothenburg copycats. Nils Lesser is still committed to Cypecore and keeping the band alive, and maybe their future will be more successful!

Favorites: "Saint of Zion", "Where the World Makes Sense", "My Confession", "Identity", "A New Dawn", "The Hills Have Eyes"

The passing of two members from the band's original lineup has the concept of this album Take the Consequence to be given a bleaker effect. This is the story of how the world may end in the hands of humanity, with no hope for a bright future...

Cypecore have a lot of mechanical atmosphere in their sound. Their blend of melodeath, groove metal, and industrial elements makes them come out as a stylistic offspring of Dethklok and Fear Factory. It is their vision to warn us about this dark future via music of rage and emotion. It's a cold feeling with barely any warmth. With that said, Take the Consequence lets us endure the darkness within the brightness of our homes.

The "Intro" is a little long for one but it is enough to get you hooked. The first actual song "Values of Life" is what I like for all this heavy aggression and some electronic experimentation in literally the last minute. "The Lie of Redemption" is slower but has beautiful melodic soloing. Then the verses start and the riffing is sh*tloads of heavy, heavier than even Fear Factory! H*LL YES!!! And this was 15 years after Demanufacture! Maybe this year (as of this review), a heavier industrial/groove metal band might take the throne. Anyway, the mosh-worthy chorus once again makes that song a great highlight. We have some Dark Tranquillity-like melodeath in "The Balance".

Losing some impact is "Plague". However, "Moment of Impact" brings back the impact. While it's slower, it has dark melody in the guitarwork, balanced out with the usual heavy rhythms. That oughta get the listener hooked! The vocals are a little strange, like there's the usual shouting but there are also some rap-ish whispers in the verses. Still quite cool all the same. "Coma Vigil" would've also been great, but d*mn those f***ing keyboard effects in the first half. Not all of that song is a total loss though. The final two minutes are almost entirely instrumental while making great use of the guitarwork, especially in the tasteful soloing to end it all. "Sick Sad Little World" makes me remember the band's skillful talents and pulls off impressive turns in tempo.

It segues to the awesome "Torn Apart" with some of the best vocals and lyrics ever shouted by the late Azge. "Feel the Ground (Devastated)" is more devastating, sounding almost as djenty as Born of Osiris in the riffing. The epic "And the Sun Will Never Rise Again" has some of the groove of Nevermore and Dave Padden-era Annihilator while sneaking some industrial elements of later Motionless in White and Celldweller. The long "Outro" isn't all that necessary. Neither is the odd hidden country track.

It's sad that Attila "Azge" Erdélyi would leave the band after this album and never return, especially since he would later pass away along with bassist Chris Heckel. Still, Azge's vocals help out with the album's variety. A couple tracks could've been better, while not affecting this great album. And this band would later reach greater heights....

Favorites: "Values of Life", "The Lie of Redemption", "Moment of Impact", "Sick Sad Little World", "Torn Apart", "And the Sun Will Never Rise Again"

In the late 2010s, A Wake in Providence released a couple amazing brutal deathcore albums, the first of which with the legendary Will Ramos of Lorna Shore. And a year before this review, 2024, the band released their new album I Write to You My Darling Decay, which I thought was a good symphonic blackened deathcore album though a bit too pompous. Their 3rd album Eternity is the perfect balance between those two sounds! And it came out a week after Lorna Shore's masterpiece Pain Remains.

This incredible release is A Wake in Providence's first one released via Unique Leader Records. It continues to impress me in the epic side of the deathcore realms which stands half a galaxy apart from the brutal side.

"An Odyssey Through the River (Overture)" continues the aspect of melodic intros, this time adding in clean singing by D'Andre Tyre, making this almost sound like later Katatonia. That is until the heavy instrumentation and growls smash through the second half mercilessly. "The Horror ov the Old Gods" doesn't light up one bit, maintaining furious drums and vocals with occasional sharp turns in tempo. "We Are Eternity" is filled with symphonic black metal-ish deathcore chaos. The riffing and breakdowns pound to the f***ing max. "Siamo Legati Dal Terrore" has more of that punishing speed in the blasts. The different vocal styles fit well for the rapid energy and occasional slower stomps. The structure is quite complex without going all-out progressive.

"The Hunt ov the Wraith (First Movement)" starts a trilogy of movements that I call the "Eternity Suite". The chorus is so powerful and melodic in all this dark drama, with searing guitar leads. Next up is "The Book ov the Eldritch (Second Movement)" in which ominous orchestrations lead into brutal destruction the blasts and growls. "The Court ov the Trinity (Final Movement)" very well summarizes this trilogy with lots of exciting moments. In all honesty, this trilogy really should be performed in a live setting in its entirety. No separating the tracks!

"Weep into the Abyss, for It Hears You Not..." is another interlude, this one allowing you to hear just small piano so calm before the final storm. "Vicious Attenuation" is for those who can be fully prepared for a 5-minute final ride with barely any stopping until the end. The technical instrumentation appearing front and center is something you can't ignore, and it's all worth ending this perfect offering.

A Wake in Providence has shown the world how much they stand out amongst the deathcore scene, with Eternity sealing that deal. The songs are nicely long and creative. Although Will Ramos is currently with Lorna Shore instead of this band, both bands have made a masterpiece that month, so everybody wins. A potential classic for eternity!

Favorites: "We Are Eternity", "Siamo Legati Dal Terrore", "The Hunt ov the Wraith (First Movement)", "The Court ov the Trinity (Final Movement)", "Vicious Attenuation"

Whenever you see the word "Blvck", spelled with a "v" instead of an "a", you know they're about to take a more blackened direction with their sound. Similarly to Mental Cruelty at that time, A Wake in Providence was still in their heavier, more brutal era, only this time, they're starting to hint at their later epic blackened deathcore style to come...

A Wake in Providence continue to rise in the American deathcore scene, and with this album The Blvck Sun || The Blood Moon, they're starting to make their move out of their earlier downtempo-ish deathcore sound for something a little different. The aggression has a subtle dash of symphonic black metal. While it's often considered their debut record, I believe that status should go over to Insidious Part II. Anyway, get ready for some slamming riff-fury and atmospheric anthems!

"I, Adversary" is another ominous instrumental intro. It starts soft and atmospheric then rises into deathcore heaviness with the first ever vocals from current member Adam Mercer. It segues to "Sworn Adherent" with more of the brutal percussion. "The Impure" continues the impure deathcore sound with some technicality from Pestilence.

"A Cataclysmic Eternal" levels up the metal intensity. "Oblivion" is a sludgy anthem that includes blazing drumming. What makes it more of a highlight is the occasional clean singing by guitarist D'Andre Tyre as well as guest vocals by Mark Poida (ex-Aversions Crown). More crushing breakdowns appear in the brutal "A Laube de L’enfer". And even more so in "The Blvck Sun". The drumming is simplistic while staying brutal. Mercer is a beyond talented vocalist, and his growls and screams are in great display there.

The band takes things to more ethereal tranquility in "The Finite Infinite" while balancing out with the album's usual brutality without sounding too forced. "Discipuli Autem Tenebris" has more of that balance, as the riffing from guitar duo Jordan Felion and D'Andre Tyre and the pummeling percussion of Anthony Dipietro make another strong standout. Guest appearing in "The Blood Moon" is CJ McMahon (ex-Thy Art is Murder). The 6-minute finale "Behold Thy King" perfectly channels their inner Tom Barber-era Lorna Shore, leading up to an eerie ending to this ultra-heavy experience.

Ok, the comparisons between this band and Lorna Shore have been done to death, but you can't deny the sound A Wake in Providence have in The Blvck Sun || The Blood Moon. There are some differences as much as there are similarities. The band has gotten a bit stronger and would reach their highest peak in Eternity. Still, this 2019 offering is another aggressive soundtrack to a journey through Hell, and it shall help deathcore shine brighter and darker than the Blvck Sun!

Favorites: "The Impure", "Oblivion", "The Blvck Sun", "The Finite Infinite", "Discipuli Autem Tenebris", "Behold Thy King"

It was a little tough deciding where to start my review journey through the rest of A Wake in Providence's material, but ultimately I decided to start with Insidious Phase II. It's a re-recording of their 2015 Insidious EP, extended to a full-ish album. And it has the one and only future Lorna Shore vocalist Will Ramos!

The lethal heaviness can crush your skull and ooze through your ears and brain. It expands the boundaries of this deathly genre that is deathcore. Complex and heavy as h*ll with all its punishing aggression. A Wake in Providence know how to go technical, brutal, and atmospheric all at once. This dark offering fits right in with its name, something as insidious and bleak as Death himself.

The atmospheric intro "Doom" begins it all on an eerie note that would have listeners on the edge of their seats. Then the straight searing "Seeker" kicks off with the vocal dynamics of Will Ramos, hopping through different vocal styles so seamlessly. "Black Mass" is a 6-minute epic with great drumming flow from Anthony Dipietro. I enjoy the alternation between Ramos' growls and the screams of Dickie Allen (Infant Annihilator, later Nekrogoblikon). Nothing ever sounds weak there! Ramos has that monstrous intensity that would continue to stun listeners 5 years later in his time with Lorna Shore. Absolutely insane!

"Euthanasia" has more of Dipietro's brutal drumming in synergy with guitar duo D'Andre Tyre and Jordan Felion to pulverize your head and the music oozes into your brain. The guitarwork really grinds up then slows down in an almost doomy pace (Doomcore?!). The instrumentalists all make a crushing invincible force, with their work striking like a spine-breaking jackhammer. The title track continues the speedy riffing in conjunction with brutal breakdowns to get listeners hooked, alongside the guest vocals by Bryan Long of Dealey Plaza. We have some more eeriness in "Bane", as the band strikes as another standout in the deathcore scene. They never have to go mainstream to sound so good. Wait, did Ramos just do a Knocked Loose-style "ARF ARF" towards the end?!? D*mn, he can do anything with his vocals!

Insidious Phase II includes two tracks that weren't in the original Insidious EP, starting with new song "Ov Hell" featuring Spite's Darius Tehrani. Not the best track, but it doesn't affect the album's rating. On the other hand, "Psycho", an earlier previously non-album single, stands out greatly with guest vocals by Shadow of Intent vocalist Ben Duerr, and that wouldn't be the only time he appeared in A Wake in Providence track.

There's no escape from the darkness and destruction of this offering within your brain. Insidious Phase II has some of the heaviest deathcore that doesn't cease until the end. And it's quite amazing hearing Will Ramos before Lorna Shore. The beast awakens!

Favorites: "Black Mass", "Euthanasia", "Bane", "Psycho"

It's sad when a grand discovery comes with tragedy. A month ago as of this review, vocalist/keyboardist Sindre Nedland passed away from cancer. I had just encountered his vocals for the first time that are just out of this world. RIP...

Solemn is the latest offering in the 20-year career of Norwegian blackened progressive death metal band In Vain, and it's a monolith of triumph! The compositional writing is so unique and diverse. Besides the now-gone-from-the-band vocal duo of Sindre Nedland and Andreas Frigstad, guitarist Johnar Håland shines with his epic guitarwork. And the other half of the band also have the talent to help make this powerful masterpiece.

"Shadows Flap Their Black Wings" bursts in with riffing energy and deathly growls in the verses. Then the chorus drifts through clean melody in the guitar leads and singing. "To the Gallows" has extreme aggression in the music and vocals, while the cleans are still around to balance out the strength. A melodic calm surrounding the heavy storm! Then "Season of Unrest" has some slow bass in the verses while marching into both heaviness and melody. With deathly darkness comes melodic light, again proven in the music and lyrics. I love the beautiful bridge that comes with saxophone similar to the Norwegian Shining.

"At the Going Down of the Sun" is long, strong, and symphonic, once again including a melodic chorus in this otherwise dark heavy structure. "Where the Winds Meet" is where the two sides greatly battle it all out. The wall between the two sides is penetrated by the aggression from one side and the melody from the other, before the wall breaks down in a towering chorus. "Beyond the Pale" has more of the heaviness and growls before the fantastic guitar melodies and clean vocals soar through the skies.

"Blood Makes the Grass Grow" is the only track that's under 6 minutes and continues to blend the extreme and clean sides well. "Eternal Waves" has more melody rising from the dark ashes, moving things along in the chorus and bridge. "Watch for Me on the Mountain" is a strong clean swansong for the blissful harmonies of Sindre. Again, RIP...

Solemn is an epic progressive journey to help tear down the walls of conventionality. Deathly riffs and beautiful melodies make an intense blend of power and thunder. The fire and fury is brightened by melody and harmony and clean choruses soar through. Growls and cleans battle each other then make peace for coexistence. For anyone wanting a gem that's both ethereal and brutal at the same time, this is your Solemn hour!

Favorites: "To the Gallows", "Season of Unrest", "Where the Winds Meet", "Beyond the Pale", "Watch for Me on the Mountain"

It's strange how sometimes even the weirdest, most vulgar industrial metal releases end up being so intriguing to me. I guess since I was able to explore Genitorturers' discography and the Nine Inch Nails EP that was made one of the most obscene short films in the 90s, I have no trouble checking out Bile's second album Teknowh*re.

Bile has known how to go all extreme and experimental with their brand of industrial metal. As with Nine Inch Nails, they are brave enough to stand up against the man and push the boundaries of industrial rock/metal, musically and lyrically. Bile can put all their strength and talent into the meat of the guitars, creating a simple formula that might make some question whether or not it's unique, but they add in some kinks to make a fresher style...

The "Intro is just a hodgepodge of noise and audio samples, as are many instrumental industrial metal tracks. It's actually quite mesmerizing! The title track bursts in with noise-ridden guitars, drums, and vocals, all done by Krztoff as he shouts the title. A great starter attack! "Weather Control" is more experimental with synth distortion. It has that KMFDM vibe suitable for dance-clubs. We have a nice structure in "No One I Call Friend", sounding raw, fresh, and emotional in this sonic soundscape. "Habitual Sphere" really brings on the catchiness, combining dance beats with thrashy guitars. When it pauses for Krztoff's verses, it builds back up and continues rolling.

"Compound Pressure" is one of my favorite songs in this album, and it happens to be the one with the filthiest lyrics ("I got a big fat c*ck and shot her face, swallowed my spunk with no disgrace", "I'm the lowest motherf***er now that is true, but I f***ed your woman to get back at you"). The crushing mid-paced guitars and drums booming through make it a true highlight. It's the Lindemann "Golden Shower" of this album! "Interstate Hate Song" cranks up the metal with the thrashy riffing and percussion, and even a bit of soloing. The vocal distortion might remind some of Skinny Puppy though. "Green Day" is not a tribute to that famous pop punk band, instead just being a short minute-long interlude-ish track with lyrics relating to drug usage, "Help me take my medicine, so the pain will go away, I'm all f***ed up on valium, I can't move my lips to say..." "No I Don't Know" has more of heavy riffing, intense shouts, and pummeling drums, in a way similar to some Fear Factory song remixes.

"Suckers" is another actual interlude, having some static noise and soft choral vocals. "Lowest Form" is just filled with fuzzy industrial feedback while having some metal melody and vocals. Then we have the ambitious highlight 17-minute 4-part suite "You Can't Love This". "Pt. 1" has some repeated somewhat indecipherable audio samples, though I recognize the line "I don't f*** sl*ts, I j*rk off on ’em." "Pt. 2" has the band's usual mid-paced sound with thick guitars and bass. "Pt. 3" is a dark ambient piece that you can find from Burzum or the DOOM soundtrack. "Pt. 4" has the last bit of distorted chaos with a repeated yell of "I hate you, you f***ing c*nt!" "Solitude is Bliss" is a 10-minute track of industrial sounds leading into metal complexity and slight lyrics. That can very well put Bile in the same industrial metal league as Ministry and Killing Joke.

I would enjoy this more if a few tracks weren't too industrial and/or vulgar, but Teknowh*re is still a solid album. I would recommend it to anyone who's up for something industrial and, at the same time, metal as f***....

Favorites: "Teknowh*re", "No One I Call Friend", "Habitual Sphere", "Compound Pressure", "Interstate Hate Song", "No I Don't Know", "You Can't Love This" (Pt. 2 and Pt. 4)

Christian metal is quite common yet a bit of an oddball in some metal genres. Daren "Klank" Diolosa and his Circle of Dust touring bandmate Klayton were part of the Christian music industry, though Klayton left the industry behind and Klank's views were on the extreme side...

Debates on his Christianity aside, Klank has impressed listeners with his debut Still Suffering. If Christian death metal was something once considered an oxymoron, Christian industrial metal was something barely heard of besides early Circle of Dust. There are more metallic guitars than there are techno beats, so why this isn't in Metal Archives is beyond me. It's a great heavy sound.

"Time" is the perfect start to treat you with what to expect in the album. "Downside" is also amazing, though it can't beat the previous song's reign. "Burning" is quite dark and heavy for a song by a Christian band, but it's another fist-pumper.

"Scarified" starts off heavy in the guitars and drum programming. If you strain your neck headbanging along, it's all worth it. What makes it a highlight is the amount of audio samples that are common in this album and other industrial metal releases. "Deceived" is slower with emotion ("The world will be a better place without you"). "Animosity" is another gem with its blend of metal and techno. Any fan of this kind of sound should love that. "Fall" is worth singing/shouting along to, "SEE! ME!! FALL!!!" It continues this heavy/catchy blend, never letting me down.

"Disease" can almost be an early example of proto-cyber metal, with its more computer-techno sound and cool vocal effects. "Leave" is not a track you would ever want to leave early. "Woodensoul" is a solid ending track with a bit of softness here and there. Well, it doesn't end the album entirely. After that, we have a vocal outtake that sounds kinda weird going from whispering to screaming.

What I enjoy in industrial metal is when lots of guitars are used, not just the techno side. I'm glad to hear more of this album after only hearing song from it a few year prior in one of the Sphere playlists. Cool Christian industrial metal for any listener, whether you're Christian or not....

Favorites: "Time", "Downside", "Scarified", "Animosity", "Disease"

I believe to have reviewed this EP a couple years back and wasn't into it that much. But now that my taste in industrial metal is expanding further and further, I enjoy it much more now! At this point, I'm already familiar with dozens of Sphere bands and I like a few songs by White Zombie and KMFDM. And now here I am, making a better revisit of this collaborative EP between those two bands...

KMFDM contributed some remixes of two singles from White Zombie's La Sexorcisto: Devil Music Volume One. The remixes are included in this EP along with their original album versions. This is probably the earliest KMFDM has gone metal and the earliest White Zombie has gone industrial.

From that first riff, you know it's the original version of "Thunder Kiss '65". Great track, though the mixing is a bit cold. The "Swinging Lovers Mix" is different from the original version's metallic sound, including the intro and outro. Throughout the song, synths appear more than the guitars just come out as more of an afterthought. Next up, "The Remix That Wouldn't Die Mix" is longer and has more creativity, which makes me prefer it over the previous remix.

The next original track "Black Sunshine" is so spooky while still sounding cold in the mix. However, the "Indestructible 'Sock It To Me' Psycho-Head Mix" totally beats the original by throwing in raw aggression in the guitars and vocals. In the middle of the track, the drums switch to a dance beat before going back to groove-ish double kicks.

All in all, Nightcrawlers is a great EP that might be good for dance club parties with friends. Maybe a little weird for that, but just as long as everyone's OK. The remixes really depart from the originals with the "Thunder Kiss '65" remixes sounding more suitable for the club and the "Black Sunshine" remix actually being heavier and edgier. Cheesy while still the good kind of cheese. Worth it for any Rob Zombie fan to add to their collection....

Favorites: "Thunder Kiss '65" (original), "Thunder Kiss '65" (The Remix That Wouldn't Die Mix), "Black Sunshine" (Indestructible "Sock It to Me" Psycho-Head Mix)

The Valley and Kin were a different stylistic affair from the deathcore sound Whitechapel is known for. That's actually what I like about some deathcore bands, when they make their sound more than just that genre. Of course, I also enjoy their more brutal earlier albums that I wouldn't have the leeway to listen to like 10 years ago. The quality for that sound ended up dropping in the mid-2010s. But now they're back in their earlier form, cranking up their speed and heaviness in new album Hymns in Dissonance.

There's nothing but ferocious brutality and the occasional thrashy chaos and groove breakdowns, and maybe a few cooldowns. It even sounds massive with the guitar trio performing in superb synergy. Get ready for a pulverizing experience like no other!

Ominous melody starts "Prisoner 666" before firing up in reckless chaos. But it's the title track that really stands out amongst the rest. The chorus name-drops several of their earlier songs, and the breakdowns sound almost as djenty as Meshuggah while staying brutal. Their roots really are back! After "Diabolical Slumber" begins soft and eerie, it straight away blasts through as usual. Another brutal yet memorable is the crushing "A Visceral Retch".

"Ex Inferis" is an unnecessary interlude, but not too bothersome. "Hate Cult Ritual" is another memorable track to get the crowd moshing. "The Abysmal Gospel" is much more intense. Anyone complaining about modern deathcore not having the right kind of brutality, wake up and hear that "gospel"!

"Bedlam" is another heavy Meshuggah-ish track in the riffing. Then we get to the epic climax of the album, beginning with "Mammoth God" which has cleaner melody while staying ultra-heavy. "Nothing is Coming for Any of Us" has strong atmosphere to go with the brutality. The mixing rules as the drums, bass, and guitars drop down like falling bricks, allowing you to hear the riff-wrath deathcore fans really want.

Hymns in Dissonance isn't entirely perfect due to that odd interlude, but the album has potential to be a deathcore classic for generations to come. It just might make my top 10 albums of 2025 so far. Whitechapel are back to their old savage ways!

Favorites: "Hymns in Dissonance", "A Visceral Retch", "Hate Cult Ritual", "The Abysmal Gospel", "Nothing is Coming for Any of Us"

A band's sophomore album is sometimes a home-run or a foul. Some fans want more improvement, while others don't want drastic experimentation. Since their debut Edge of the Obscure was released 6 years before this album, they must've really been trying to find that right balance.

Among the Amorphous continues the tech-death-infused melodic cyber metal sound of their debut, this time it's more progressive. The conceptual tale from the debut is still going, here in a different world. The artwork and music videos greatly capture that concept. If you're up for some apocalyptic future kaiju battles that is kinda like Godzilla vs. Kong gone Star Wars, or weird assemblies of those monsters, you don't wanna miss this saga!

The opening track "Spiral into Existence" sets the dark tone as synths and vocals spike through the metal instrumentation. "Deceptive Signal" is a true highlight, underrated otherworldly djenty cyber metal for those who want similar music to Mnemic. The brutal verses go well with the epic chorus. Another battle-ready standout is "Sins of the Mechanical". Although Sybreed, Mnemic, and Raunchy haven't released an actual album in years, The Interbeing has made up for that and gotten fans of those earlier bands f***ing mind-blown. There's even some atmospheric meat here! "Borderline Human" has more of the industrial or Circle of Dust and the hardcore progressiveness of Erra.

"Purge the Deviant" has heavy riffing and a slightly longer track length than any of the band's other tracks, both perfect for a sci-fi battle. "Cellular Synergy" is an atmospheric interlude with female spoken vocals. "Enigmatic Circuits" has some electronic melody that can also be found in The Word Alive.

Then we have the impressive "Pinnacle of the Strain". The great screaming vocals fit the song well in amazing goodness. Truly this is Meshuggah-inspired cyber metal! With the album nearing its end, we have the industrial "Sum of Singularity", borrowing some drums and synths from Crossfaith. It has definitely foreshadowed the sound of their next album Icon of the Hopeless, and a great way to end this one. Well, after the apocalyptic title outro.

When I write my own books, I see it as a labor of love; taking a couple or so years to complete a book but it is all worth it. That must be what The Interbeing was going for when they worked on Among the Amorphous in a slow steady pace. And it's worth keeping fans around, old and new!

Favorites: "Deceptive Signal", "Sins of the Mechanical", "Purge the Deviant", "Pinnacle of the Strain", "Sum of Singularity"

As we all know, Northern Europe has pretty much the biggest amount of metal bands in any subregion. Denmark doesn't have as many popular metal bands as in Norway, Sweden, and Finland, but I enjoy some notable bands from the country including Mercenary and Mnemic. What if you can combine the sounds of those two bands to make tech-ish melodeath/cyber metal? Enter the Interbeing, whose killer talent is highly displayed in their perfect debut Edge of the Obscure!

You can also hear from this band some aspects from neighboring country Sweden, with the djenty riffing of Meshuggah and the catchy melodies of Soilwork. And how about some industrial synths all the way from America made fresh by Fear Factory?

Let's get it all started with the atmospheric intro "Elusive Atmosphere", building up in slight techno. Then the powerful "Pulse Within the Paradox" hits with b*lls-out rhythms to begin this rollercoaster ride. "Tongue of the Soiled" sounds a bit mangled at first and I was going to drop the album's rating a half-star down from perfection, but the kick-A groove decimates that mess into oblivion. I also enjoy the cleans that add to the cyber melody. "Face Deletion" is one of the f***ing best songs from this band. Enough said!

"Fields of Grey" is another awesome track, with more of the band's Mnemic/Fear Factory influences. "Shadow Drift" may be challenging to some, but the djenty pace is all worth it. The mind-blowing "Swallowing White Light" peaks high with more of those Fear Factory vocals.

Some spoken female vocals can be heard "In the Transcendence" which is a groove-filled (mostly) instrumental. "Celestial Flames" has more of that heavy brilliance. The bridge and chorus has djenty groove worth headbanging to if you're a fan of Periphery and Meshuggah. "Rhesus Artificial" is one more technical highlight without having to go all-out Periphery crazy. The instrumentation is once again well-composed. Atmospheric keyboards and guitars echo through the outro "Ledge of Oblivion".

The remixes are a bit odd, and this review is based on the standard edition without them. Edge of the Obscure shows that the band can wear their influences like a battle jacket. Something that sounds amongst the best really should've made it big!

Favorites: "Pulse Within the Paradox", "Face Deletion", "Fields of Grey", "Swallowing White Light", "Celestial Flames", "Rhesus Artificial"

I have mentioned wanting to check out the new Dark Tranquillity album Endtime Signals, and here we go! And just like I predicted, the results are as great as they are in Lacuna Coil's Sleepless Empire, with a solid 4 stars. However, the other Dark Tranquillity album I've revisited, Damage Done, really beats Lacuna Coil's Karmacode by a mile. If Black Anima is the Lacuna Coil album I've missed out on when I severed ties with the more melodic bands from my past, Moment is what I've missed out on from Dark Tranquillity. A lot has happened to the band's lineup in the time I was away. Long story short, founding guitarists Niklas Sundin and Martin Henriksson, and founding drummer Anders Jivarp are out, leaving only longtime members vocalist Mikael Stanne and keyboardist Martin Brandstrom to keep the band going with new members.

Fortunately, the new lineup that includes guitarists Johan Reinholdz (Skyfire) and Peter Lyse Karmark, bassist Christian Jansson, and drummer Joakim Strandberg Nilsson (ex-In Mourning) can really brings back some of the band's earlier roots. It's like a 25th anniversary throwback to the electronic-infused gothic-ish melodeath sound of Projector and Haven. Besides that, it seems like there are also some fresh industrial/progressive elements within layers, electronics, and guitar chords. The band knows make things unique and interesting in the 13th album, marking a better return to form than In Flames' Foregone.

The melodic "Shivers and Voids" is a solid opening track to remind you all of the band Dark Tranquillity fans have known. "Unforgivable" continues the throwback, exploding with aggressive speed while staying melodic. An epic standout! Breaking the pace a bit while staying true to what they are is "Neuronal Fire". Then "Not Nothing" really slows down for beautiful yet crushing darkness.

"Drowned Out Voices" charges through empowering riffing and background synths. However, the vocals indeed sound a bit drowned out. Then we have a gothic ballad in "One of Us is Gone". It is dedicated to late ex-guitarist Fredrik Johansson. RIP... The speed goes back up in "The Last Imagination". And further up in "Enforced Perspective".

The slow "Our Disconnect" is the perfect track to exemplify what this album is going for, darkness and dread for the endtimes. "Wayward Eyes" drifts through catchy keyboard hooks, again throwing back to Projector and Haven, maybe a bit of Damage Done. "A Bleaker Sun" is the most filler-ish track, and I hate to say this but it almost sounds like an AI-generated Dark Tranquillity song. "False Reflection" is slightly better, though it's too ballad-esque compared to the previous ballad.

I consider Endtime Signals a solid return to form for the band, staying melancholic, creative, and living up to the name. Not all the tracks work perfectly, particularly the last two, but the melodeath fire still burns to light up my darkened heart....

Favorites: "Shivers and Voids", "Unforgivable", "Not Nothing", "One of Us is Gone", "Our Disconnect", "Wayward Eyes"

It is with Architects' new album The Sky, the Earth & All Between that their earlier metalcore roots are in a stand-off against their recent alt-metal sound. I'm just glad they didn't lose most of their metal like they did in the dreaded Here and Now...

If I were to rank this album with the rest of their 2020s era so far, I say it's as good as For Those Who Wish to Exist, maybe a few points higher, and better than The Classic Symptoms of a Broken Spirit. Still those 3 albums can't beat the great Holy Hell and the glorious mid-2010s era before that. Producing the album is Jordan Fish who had just departed from Bring Me the Horizon. His production skills give this offering more meat to bite down on.

Opening track "Elegy" is an epic track to kick things off, with their alt-metalcore sound going soft to hyperfast in no time flat. "Whiplash" is another f***ing ground-breaking banger to make sure the band isn't dead. "Blackhole"is another f***ing h*ll of a headbanging single with some of the greatest vocal intensity from Sam Carter. Adding to the perfection is the drumming by Dan Searle. That shall get the live crowd going! But then everything changes with "Everything Ends". It's a poppish song that lowers some of the quality. Nonetheless, the guitar melodies have great variety, sounding dark and uplifting at the same time.

"Brain Dead" cranks the metalcore speed back up with pit-inducing riff storms. Electronicore duo House of Protection steps in with vocal fury to make things more intense. And there's more to explore in the tracks that aren't previously released as singles... "Evil Eyes" concludes the second half of the album with the band's typical blend of aggressive verses and serene choruses, all the way up to its ending throwdown. "Landmines" has a sonic duel between synths and drums. Nothing is overused, and the mighty chorus rules along with the vocal distortion in the verses. "Judgement Day" features Amira Elfeky in this more industrial track. Her vocals work out nicely behind Carter for a perfect chorus. That shall boost up the album quality a bit!

"Broken Mirror" is a more brooding song. Carter sings nice and soft before rising into his usual screams. It's so emotional and almost a power ballad that you're bound to get your lighters up. Just remember to turn them off before the heavy bridge so you don't set the place on fire while headbanging and moshing. "Curse" is another banger that apparently is in the soundtrack of WWE 2025. So f***ing underrated, with choruses that sound like the choruses they're meant to be. Plus a bit of Bring Me the Horizon vibes here and there. "Seeing Red" is the first single, released as early as late 2023, proving that the band hasn't lost any of their earlier heaviness in this awesome highlight. Lots of raw rage from beginning to end with gang vocals by the Choir Noir. Ending it all is "Chandelier" (not a Sia cover) that once again starts calm and peaceful before rising up in climatic heights. Some screamed vocals and guitars remind you that the band is still what they're known for, and it all ends as you look forward to more.

The Sky, the Earth & All Between, I would put in the highest part of the 3.5 star tier, and consider it the album metalcore fans wanted after Holy Hell. New aspects are brought to the band's usual sound in album #11. They might just reach have more live opportunities come up. A good offering for anyone who likes it loud and soft and all between...

Favorites: "Elegy", "Whiplash", "Blackhole", "Evil Eyes", "Judgement Day", "Seeing Red"

After my poor revisiting experience with Karmacode, I decided to skip ahead nearly two decades through their discography into their new album Sleepless Empire. Ever since my move away from the more melodic metal bands 7 years ago, I hadn't listened much to this band at all, apart from several Gateway playlist submissions. The latest two albums I've heard from this band were Broken Crown Halo and Delirium, two albums that my brother enjoys for their alt-metal sound. I've almost completely missed out on Black Anima, which I've heard has a more metalcore tinge, and Comalies XX, a 20th anniversary re-recording of their breakthrough album. Well if I wanna hear female-fronted modern metalcore-ish alt-metal, In This Moment is currently my go-to band. But let's see if Lacuna Coil would become that again with their new album...

Now this is a great blast to the past! Sleepless Empire shows the band returning to their gothic metal roots while leaving their modern alt-metal path intact. It's almost like this was an unreleased album from 2004, literally a bridge between Comalies and Karmacode, finally seeing the light of day with a modern revamp. Honestly, I might just be up to finally checking out Black Anima and Comalies XX later on, maybe even Within Temptation's two new albums that I've also missed out on mostly. Not all of Sleepless Empire is exciting though, since a couple tracks/singles are a little weak for me. Still there are many songs that really brought back my memories from 10 years ago.

The "bridge between Comalies and Karmacode" theory sounds about right in "The Siege" with its memorable riffing, though the metalcore-ish growls of Andrea Ferro are different for sure. But then we get to the poor-quality "Oxygen", which sounds closer what they have Delirium but ends up being quite a letdown. The growls by Andrea Ferro sounding similar to Matt Heafy of Trivium are actually quite killer and don't make the song a total loss. Despite continuing that poor riffing in "Scarecrow", it is brushed aside by the electro-dance pace that can almost work as "Closer 2.0". We hear more of the vocal balance between Cristina and Andrea in "Gravity", which is pretty good, although the verses by Andrea could've had better execution.

"I Wish You Were Dead" is a single that got me pumped up for the album, and it's a true highlight, perhaps my favorite here! Again it connects the bridge between Comalies and Karmacode, maybe even a more dramatic take on a song from Shallow Life. It's a little short, being under 3 minutes. Maybe a guitar solo before the final chorus would make it better, but I still enjoy it as-is. An absolute must-listen! "Hosting the Shadow" really shows the band firing through, another great highlight! And even more so by the vicious growls of Lamb of God's Randy Blythe. You also gotta hear the massive soloing that comes up "In Nomine Patris" that makes an otherwise good song awesome.

I can almost consider the title track an actual blend of the 2020s eras of Memphis May Fire and October Tide with female cleans. "Sleep Paralysis" once again has amazing soloing that you wouldn't expect from a modern band. Pretty much all the band's albums can be heard stylistically throughout these 5 minutes. "In the Mean Time" is great but not all that special, except for the guest vocals by Ash Costello to break up the repetition. Ending track "Never Dawn" is the first ever single for the album, originally recorded two years prior for Zombicide: White Death, and giving me a feeling of hope for what this album would have later. The gothic strength of Comalies and the groove-metalcore-ish sound of Delirium actually become one! It might be disappointing for old-school fans, but it's much stronger than a big chunk of Karmacode.

Sleepless Empire is an enjoyable comeback for the band, with some memorable hits. It's a much better blending of old and new sounds that In Flames' Foregone, and hey, maybe I can check out Dark Tranquillity's new album Endtime Signals and see if I can find a similar result. I can never regain the perfect glory I experienced when I was a teen who was into the more melodic stuff, but those highlights are some of the band's best songs in years. I'm still torn between whether or not I should finally listen to Black Anima and Comalies XX, as it's another case of love it or hate it amongst the fans. Nonetheless, Sleeping Empire has much better songs to offer than Karmacode, and it has reminded me of how much I once enjoyed Comalies and their mid 2010s albums. And while I scored big in the metalcore realm with last year's new releases by ERRA and Make Them Suffer, I can still look back at this gothic/alt-metal band still going on for 3 decades. Lacuna Coil have returned with a true blessing....

Favorites: "The Siege", "I Wish You Were Dead", "Hosting the Shadow", "In Nomine Patris", "Sleep Paralysis", "Never Dawn"

It's not unusual for something you loved 10 years earlier to end up being abysmal to your ears today. After all, that happened to me when I revisited DragonForce's cover of "Ring of Fire". So what do I think of Lacuna Coil's switch from gothic metal to alt-metal that I was given a chance to revisit after all these years? Well, I still love some songs here, but for everything else, [insert metalcore BLEGH of disgust here]. And this was the band whose success came from their previous album Comalies.

See, I like alt-metal enough to be worthy of my time in the Gateway clan. However, it's hard for me to get used to the more mainstream albums. Maybe the reason I liked Karmacode more in my teens was because of how melodic it is. Well, there are good surprises here in the same amount as the bad ones...

Talking about only the tracks I like or find OK, "Fragile" is a catchy start. As in every Lacuna Coil album, there are the raging shouts of Andrea Ferro and the calm singing of Cristina Scabbia. However, here those vocals are used more equally. "Our Truth" is close to a f***ing incredible highlight! Even though I moved away from this band during my departure from gothic metal, after listening and reviewing a couple Evanescence albums, they might be some hope in returning to Lacuna Coil in the future. Maybe if I check out a different album later. "Within Me" is a great song for post-breakup woes of loneliness, bringing back good memories of when I used to listen to this band full-time.

We hear some earlier chanting by Cristina in "You Create", which would've been a highlight if it wasn't an interlude. "What I See" is another track I enjoy with more of Cristina's magical vocals. Ferro's vocals sound a little off here, but they don't break that track's glory. "Closer" is an amazing song that actually has some Europop vibes that might've influenced Amaranthe. Years since my last full listen of this song, and it remains immortal in my memory. I enjoy the bad-a** bass intro and outro, though the guitars are still worth bringing in. These lyrics hit me like a train in this awesome song, especially when the first chorus starts at the one-minute mark. This might be tied with Disturbed's "Stricken" as two historical modern alt-metal songs for me, and they still have that energy in subsequent decades. Guitar Hero players know that song for sure...

The rest of the tracklisting is just weak and forgettable. It's tough when the music doesn't hit me as well as it once did. And don't ask me that Depeche Mode cover that I now find f***ed up (I prefer It Dies Today's cover). I'm glad I still enjoy a few songs in the album, preventing it from becoming as awful as Metallica's St. Anger. I heard Lacuna Coil has made somewhat of a return to their gothic roots in their new album Sleepless Empire. I should check it out and hope for the better....

Favorites (only true highlights): "Our Truth", "Within Me", "What I See", "Closer"

Sorrow was the first taste of the atmospheric female-fronted progressive doom pioneered by The 3rd and the Mortal. Today I revisit the album that really sealed the deal with their sound, Tears Laid in Earth.

I can still recognize most of the greatness in this offering! As melodic guitars and haunting atmosphere transcend, guiding them through is the angelic vocals sung by Kari Rueslatten. Thanks to her, the idea of female vocals in metal would spread like wildfire, convincing The Gathering, After Forever, and many other symphonic/gothic metal bands to tag along for the ride. There's no denying how much of a game-changing mesmerizing vocalist Rueslatten is.

"Vandring" is the intro consisting of just her voice. Then the music begins with "Why So Lonely?" It stands out in peaceful melancholy from the riffing and singing. As of writing this review, I had a short amount of sleep due to having to wake up early (fasting month), and listening to this song, I can almost hallucinate a hot angelic goddess from the heavens singing to me, "Will you be mine till the end of time?" We have another excellent highlight in "Atupoema" with its audible bass. "Death-Hymn" is a heavier track in both the music and the lyrics of darkness and despair ("I never thought I would feel this way", "Prepare your soul for the journey through the woods of evil").

There are more ambient synths in "Shaman", performed by Rueslatten herself. The instrumental "Trial of Past" has clean guitars that make another melodic highlight. Even the drumming can get heavy despite being simplistic. What causes the quality to drop a little, away from perfection, is the two-minute "Lengsel", which is fine but a little pointless. "Salva Me" is more gothic in a similar vein to Gothminister, specifically the tracks featuring Nell Sigland of Theatre of Tragedy.

The least creative song title ever "Song" is actually one of the most creative tracks in the album, starting atmospheric before becoming more intense at the climax. I also like the dark sorrow of "In Mist Shrouded". And finally, "Oceana", still reigning as the longest and greatest T3ATM song. Not even the closing track of Sorrow can surpass it. The band created a monstrous complex 19-minute epic can put Fates Warning's epics to shame. You can rarely find vocals and clean guitars as haunting as in the beginning. And as it goes on, you can find yourself swimming in an oceanic realm, with the guitar effects singing a unworldly whale-song. And the rest is perfect history!

All in all, Tears Laid in Earth is what I can still consider an atmospheric female-fronted progressive doom near-masterpiece. The two-minute tracks may prevent this album from being totally perfect, but a lot of the best and almost the first songs of this style are all in here, including that unbeatable 19-minute epic. The divine vocals of Kari Rueslatten can really make my day. Amazing album for anyone wanting all things beautiful without any of that radio pop sh*t!

Favorites: "Why So Lonely?", "Atupoema", "Death-Hymn", "Trial of Past", "Song", "Oceana"

It has been a few years since I last heard of this band. People seem to compare The 3rd and the Mortal to The Gathering, and I can understand why. Almost as if they were following the footsteps of T3ATM. Their 1994 releases Sorrow and Tears Laid in Earth are what saved The Gathering from becoming gothic doom with R.E.M. vocals by hiring vocalist Anneke van Giersbergen for Mandylion and the next 5 albums, all of which seem to have a similar stylistic direction to T3ATM's subsequent releases.

If there is one album I consider the beginning of female-fronted progressive doom, this EP is that! One moment the guitars and drums sound clean and dreamy, and the next they sound heavy and intense. The vocals of Kari Rueslåtten sound beautiful, though in the softer folk sections, you might almost think of Enya.

"Grevinnens Bønn" (The Countess' Prayer) greatly exemplifies this doomy sound. I often get my bleak darkness from deathcore bands like Carnifex, but I can get it from this release without ever having to go extreme or brutal. The medieval folk side comes from the title ballad/interlude. "Ring of Fire" (no it's not a Johnny Cash cover) brings back some doom, getting close to death-doom in the instrumentation. "Silently I Surrender" is a more progressive while still doomy 8-minute epic.

All in all, Sorrow should be worth your time if you wanna hear progressive doom that would pave the way for a league of female-fronted gothic doom bands. I can chill out to this EP and listen to it as much as I like!

Favorites: "Grevinnens Bønn", "Silently I Surrender"

As far as the 21st century metalcore scene goes, Killswitch Engage is one of a few bands to stand out big and bring the scene to light. It's this blend of heaviness and melody that makes it so appealing to open-minded listeners such as myself. They started off massively strong in their first couple albums then just kinda dipped a bit in the era of Howard Jones. Not saying he's a bad vocalist at all, just that the albums he was in ended up being part of the lower half of ranking list. Then when Jesse Leach returned, the band's earlier power made its comeback too, reaching its greatest height in years in Atonement. And now comes their highly anticipated new album This Consequence!

The greatness of their music continues to stay strong here. This Consequence shows the band diving further into their earlier ruthless roots while staying catchy. And with its short total length of 35 minutes (almost reaching the 2000 debut's total length), it's clear they're thinking "F*** quantity, it's all about quality." The album contains their most brutal songs yet while not losing too much melody. The vocals are filled with majestic emotion that make great contrast with the extreme side.

"Abandon Us" straight-up attacks with heavy twisted riffing without ever needing an intro. After Leach bellows out the verses, he sings the choruses in melody and drama. A mighty flawless start! "Discordant Nation" gets you hooked with thrashy speed. "Aftermath" has deathly rage while balancing it out with mainstream melody.

With "Forever Aligned", Jesse Leach still has his vocal strength just like in those kick-A first two albums. The music is amazing including the harsh vocal verses. This catchy banger shall age well. I also hear a bit of a modern Soilwork vibe. I enjoy the chorus despite a slight issue with Adam D.'s cleans, probably would've been better with Howard Jones there instead of Adam. The outro is so beautiful too! "I Believe" has more upbeat accessibility. "Where It Dies" has the earlier midtempo heaviness. Then "Collusion" battles against worldwide corruption with f***ing heavy riffing from Adam D. who even performs p*ssed-off growls alongside Jesse in the bridge. So brutally awesome!

"The Fall of Us" fires away with blazing blasts and guttural vocals to blast you into the wall behind you. "Broken Glass" might as well as appear in the Atonement II EP because of the unusual sludgy pace and occasional blasts. "Requiem" closes the album with another highlight to remember. Summarizing all the band has to offer in their new album, this shall please the crowd for many generations.

In an age where bands don't sound as triumphant as they did in their prime of, say, 20 years ago, Killswitch Engage continues to rule. This Consequence has helped paved their endless road of success and victory!

Favorites: "Abandon Us", "Forever Aligned", "Collusion", "The Fall of Us", "Requiem"

It's not often a live album gets a perfect score, at least one from me. But the two-CD offering is so awesome, I don't need to get the Blu-ray version. It's basically two of the best Killswitch Engage albums and an encore in a high-quality livestream concert. I might just be up to also checking out (Set This) World Ablaze if not just a DVD release!

The technical production here impresses me more than most other live albums. Apparently, there's something going on in the intermission, but I won't spoil the fun of just the CD edition by checking it out. Just listening to the songs make this a pure live experience in the comfort of my own home. With this awesome two-album setlist, it might just blow away their weakest but still amazing releases like The End of Heartache and KSE V.

The first track and single of Atonement, "Unleashed" already has what's to come in this offering. Then "The Signal Fire" lights up the heavy fire, and Howard makes a small but amazing comeback in the second verse with his massive screams. The drums and guitars are so fast and furious with intense variation. Next song "Us Against the World" can provide motivation and strength for you to fight against different challenges. In the majestic highlight "The Crownless King", Killswitch Engage continue bringing back some of the earlier heaviness. Chuck Billy of Testament has brought forward enough fury for this song to have potential in the DOOM soundtrack.

"I Am Broken Too" still shows the band intensifying their sound while mostly having melodic emotion. "As Sure as the Sun Will Rise" follows that motive with more brutality in the verses. We also have the catchy "Know Your Enemy" with more hardcore yells. The mid-tempo "Take Control" shows the band having the pleasure of reinventing the wheel without breaking the original wheel.

"Ravenous" doesn't lose any melody yet they still have their metal heaviness. "I Can’t Be the Only One" has the power to inspire you to be brave enough to battle against your personal issues. "Bite the Hand That Feeds" is a killer way out of this album.

To start their 2000 debut part of the setlist, everything everywhere all at once kicks through in "Temple from the Within". Without an intro, the instrumentation hits you non-stop. A great mid-paced start to this perfect experience! A good thrashy track, "Vide Infra" has more spoken/shouted cleans to fit with the screams. The brutal blasts of "Irreversal" level up the intensity, defining the sound to expect in the album.

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

Next track "Numb Sickened Eyes" is a killer track worth listening to. However, its ending a bit annoying and I feel the need to skip it. Still it doesn't affect the album's perfect score that's still staying steady. "In the Unblind" has more effective mixing. The powerful screaming, guitar soloing, and drumming is a great reminder of the album's strength. The outro track "One Last Sunset" is replaced by "Just Barely Breathing", in which the slow acoustic outro is a bit out of line, but the rest of the song is still crushing.

All in all, an awesome top-notch show for those wanting a couple incredible albums by this band in its best live quality. It once again proves that while Howard Jones is still one of the greatest vocalists around, Jesse Leach has the throne with his name engraved in stone!

Favorites: "The Signal Fire", "The Crownless King", "As Sure as the Sun Will Rise", "Take Control", "I Can’t Be the Only One", "Temple from the Within", "Irreversal", "Rusted Embrace", "In the Unblind", "Just Barely Breathing"

As with many other metalcore/melodic metalcore bands having been active in the past 25 years, Bleeding Through continues to stay true to their sound. They expand their horizons on the fast brutal side to make a heavy offering out of their aptly titled 9th album Nine!

It seems like they haven't lost much of their steam after really slowing their pace between albums. Nine is their first album in 7 years, a slightly longer gap than between The Great Fire and Love Will Kill All. They were still active before Nine though, releasing an EP titled Rage in 2022. And they have more of that rage in their ninth album, one of their most furious releases to date. Even that meme-worthy (two paths) cover art is filled with darkness and fire.

"Gallows" starts with a sample of Saruman (Christopher Lee) from Lord of the Rings saying "We have only to remove those who oppose us" then blasts off with the unique drumming fire and screaming fury that's what make this band so unique. "Our Brand is Chaos" has their usual chaotic brand of metalcore that made it big in This is Love, This is Murderous, throwing in their earlier blackened aspects and visceral lyrics. "Dead but So Alive" erupts into thrashy chaos, evolving into blazing soloing and the vocals of Brandan Schieppati and keyboardist Marta Demmel together in the chorus that makes an epic standout imprinted in your mind.

Next song "Hail Destruction" rips through face-tearing destruction until the 3-minute mark when everything halts then slowly makes its way back up for the searing soloing of guitar duo John Arnold and Brandon Richter. With all that, it almost comes close as the ultimate highlight for me. "Lost in Isolation" has more harmonic soloing crashing in, here courtesy of Doc Coyle from God Forbid and Bad Wolves. Other things to note are the ravaging drums and riffing, along more of the chorus dueling between Brandan and Marta. All of that surpass the previous track as the ultimate highlight of melody and intensity! The album has an intermission, with the slow piano/soprano vocal interlude "Last Breath". Then "Path of Our Disease" might just be the most "blackened Hatebreed" song I've heard since Underoath's first two albums.

"I Am Resistance" continues that speedy fury alongside the raging vocals of Comeback Kid vocalist Andrew Neufeld. Another special standout! Then "Emery" has more emotion while staying intense. The chorus throws back to their only full-on ballad "Line in the Sand" (The Truth). "War Time" is a violent banger with background vocals by Brian Fair (Shadows Fall), and the lyrics fire away as well. "Unholy Armada" has the last of the violent storm then ends with harmonic soloing as darkness gives way to light.

In a time when bands get more melodic for the sake of commercial success, Bleeding Through fight back against the trend by keeping their raw and vicious sound intact. Let's hope the band can continue making one album per year or two just like in their earlier days. We need more of the raging darkness!

Favorites: "Dead but So Alive", "Hail Destruction", "Lost in Isolation", "I Am Resistance", "War Time"

2023 was quite a year for the return of early underground melodic metalcore/deathcore bands. Prayer for Cleansing and Undying reformed a couple shows (no word on if any new albums are on the horizon), and Dawn of Orion (raise your glass!) and Plague Thy Child (lower your glass...) have each re-released pretty much all their earlier material in one album. Dawn of Orion's album A Celestial Ballad contains all 3 of their releases plus a few unreleased tracks.

Now I'd like to talk about the demos for a brief moment. 1997's Twilight Eternal is more death metal-oriented, and it might remind some more of Deicide than Morning Again. Sweet roughness! 1998's On Broken Wings blends those two bands' sounds for something nice, but its more polished production falls flat. So it's not that great...

Anyone who has read my review For the Lust of Prophecies Undone already knows what I think of its songs, but I'll say them again here; "As the Bloodred Moon Rises" greatly exemplifies that riffing, filled with true early melodic deathcore. This is the kind of darkness not even In Flames and Soilwork have dived into, having starting to go their own mainstream route in the early 2000s. "A Widow's Covenant" has a bit of technicality added to their riffing, hinting at what The Faceless and Betraying the Martyrs would have a decade later. "Creation's End" sounds like what may be the creation of the deathcore we know from bands like Carnifex and Whitechapel, and the melodeath of Disarmonia Mundi. "The Passing of Idols" starts off with a bit of thrash/groove before having more of the deathly sound.

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

The 3 unreleased tracks must've been from an unknown unreleased demo or the recording sessions of their debut, starting with a different edition of the title track of the demo "Twilight Eternal" which hints at the melodeath sound later found in Insomnium. "The Liar's Broken Rhyme" has the best of the early metalcore of Morning Again and the melodic metalcore of Atreyu, Killswitch Engage, and Trivium in the vein of those bands' early material. "For Every Crack, a Hollow Smile" is a bit hollow, but it's still good.

Now we come to the On Broken Wings EP, and "Sown Into Flames" exemplifies the early metalcore of Converge blended with melodeath that would take true from in Neaera. You want heaviness in the title track? The midway breakdown has it all. "For Dying Eyes" continues the mix of melodeath/deathcore before As Blood Runs Black made it cool.

I mentioned how rough yet killer the Twilight Eternal demo is, but now it's become a battle of which track is better, with the title track starting with an unneeded audio sample from the horror film The Prophecy. Now "Thy Divine" I like better than in the debut album, with the thrashy intro riffing sounding nice and raw. "The Ancient Promise" is slightly less that its debut album counterpart but I still like it. Then "Gates of Emptiness" ends it all with the best metalcore riffing and growls of the entire compilation.

So of all of these tracks in A Celestial Ballad, most of the songs from sections 1, 2, and 4 are pretty great. Most of section 3 (On Broken Wings) are decent but could've been better in the production. If anyone wants early metalcore and death metal fused together in a way that really hits the spot, there you go....

Favorites: "As the Bloodred Moon Rises", "Creation's End", "To Hunt the Ethereal Sun", "The Ancient Promise" (1999), "Twilight Eternal" (previously unreleased), "The Liar's Broken Rhyme", "Sown Into Flames", "Thy Divine" (1997), "Gates of Emptiness"

A day after my Undying review marathon, I stumbled upon a song by Stormlord. I've actually first heard of this symphonic black metal band from Rome, Italy, nearly 10 years ago, but never gotten around in checking out because I was young and not ready to explore those dark blackened realms. Once I pressed play earlier today... HOLY SH*T, it has almost the same vibe as Undying! I'm talking about D-flat tuned epic heavy guitar melodies with occasional symphonic synths. Of course, both bands are worlds apart in terms of genre. Undying is melodic metalcore. Stormlord is symphonic black metal with power metal influences to go with both the epicness and the rawness.

What makes Stormlord stand out in the symphonic black metal pack is the lyrics centered around Italian mythology, and it fits well for when the music alternates between melodic and thrashy. At the Gates of Utopia is the band's second album and their first with the locally popular Scarlet Records after a decade in the underground. I'm just amazed by the greatness this band has with their power metal-infused sound!

Opening track "Under the Samnites' Spears" is that song I've mentioned above. After an epic keyboard march covering the first minute, the second minute has that melodic riffing that made me think of Undying. But when it slows down and the shrieked vocals come in, that's when Stormlord fans can recognize the band they know. Basically, an epic black metal structure of fast guitars and drums occasionally slowing down for a gloomy section. Even people like me who aren't into black metal that much can enjoy this power and glory. Starting off "I Am Legend" is some fast thrashy sections that then slow down for the usual bombastic sound. The power continues to rise in "Xanadu (A Vision in a Dream)" with some dramatic choir and male operatic singing. Still we have great speed in the guitars, bass, and drums, in conjunction with the epic atmosphere.

"And Winter Was" levels up the blast beats typically found in black metal while having some mid-tempo darkness. The title interlude is where the keyboards shine well sounding both dreadful and dreamy. Then we have the violent "The Curse of Medusa", in which the drums and vocals go brutal while still sounding epic.

"The Burning Hope" once again starts with mighty thrashy riffing then slows the tempo down. At this point, the more pompous side has already been done to death, but at least they still have that thrashy riffing later on in the song. "A Sight Inwards" has more melancholic melodies alongside those cool thrashy guitars. Here is where I get a little tired of the operatic singing, though it's manageable. Lastly, "The Secrets of the Earth" has the album's last chance of blending together epicness, gloom, and brutality, and the end result is the perfect ending to such an offering.

As amazing as At the Gates of Utopia is, I still don't feel up to switching back to the on side of my on-off relationship with black metal. Nonetheless, this is the best I've heard from symphonic black metal in a long while, particularly in some highly memorable tracks including the title intermission. As for a couple tracks, they rule too but could've had less forced ideas. With all that said, power metal-ish symphonic black metal might just be worth it for any metal listener!

Favorites: "Under the Samnites' Spears", "Xanadu (A Vision in a Dream)", "At the Gates of Utopia", "The Curse of Medusa", "The Secrets of the Earth"

Of course the moment Undying reach the highest peak in their sound ends up being their swansong release. I'm not too worried since they've reformed two decades after this album At History's End. Plus there are other metalcore bands that I enjoy, so you won't see my interest in the genre fading out anytime soon.

Metalcore bands like Undying have really touched the hearts of people who were around my age (mid-20s) or younger back then. As always, Undying provide their melodic metalcore sound that was only in the early stages of popularity. There are some things different in At History's End compared to the previous album. More direct melodies, more hardcore riffs, and more poetic lyrics, the latter recited by female vocalist Logan White, replacing Timothy Roy. It's the best you're gonna get from this band!

"Reckoning" has the best of many bands past and future, including late 90s Cave In, The Ghost Inside, Killswitch Engage, and Omnium Gatherum. A brilliant start to this offering! Taking their anger out on the perils of humanity is "Lament". Then "Teratisms" starts slow before having a more thrashy sound to remind me of Sylosis' demo EPs.

"By Turns" sounds like it could've given 36 Crazyfists the idea to go metal/hardcore next year. Logan White's views against a society of injustice to women covers "As Above". You gotta admire her lyrical spirit!

There is one interlude in this album, "Arrangement for Invisible Voices", filled with nothing but piano and strings, which made me a little bored just like the interludes in the previous album. Without it, At History's End would've been perfect. "For the Dying" once again sounds like the spawning point for later bands from the hardcore of Architects and The Ghost Inside to the melodeath of As Blood Runs Black and Sylosis. Final highlight "The Age of Grace" pumps you up with the intensity of Morning Again.

At History's End really should've had as much love and recognition as the more mainstream bands out there. Still it's fine staying underground. Now that the band has reformed recently, they now have time to create a new part of their melodic metalcore evolution and maybe hit that perfect 5-star mark. Their history shall be ongoing!

Favorites: "Reckoning", "As Above", "For the Dying", "The Age of Grace"

One year after the original demo release of Undying's EP This Day All Gods Die came their debut full-length The Whispered Lies of Angels. Again I hadn't gotten around to listening to this band the first time I've heard of them. Not enough hooks? Maybe... But now I hear that it's great enough to get me hooked! For the most part, anyway.

It's interesting how some of the most influential bands besides the popular ones are the bands that split up after less than 10 years, and it took the talk of the early melodic metalcore town to get this band recognized. Similar to other bands like Darkest Hour, Undying take the road of adding At the Gates-ish riffing. However, more often than not, things slow down close to the doomy melancholy of My Dying Bride. With all that said, they still have the hardcore rage, with more melodic leads and breakdowns than solos.

A much better opening song than in the EP, "Echoes" has the guitar, vocals, and drums roll through in melodic passion. Fantastic start! However, "Tears Seven Times Salt" is an odd unnecessary interlude. Fortunately, "The Company of Storms" brushes that aside with some deathly melodic metalcore not too far off from Upon a Burning Body's demo years. Things get a little underwhelming in "Fallen Grace" in which, despite its short 3-minute length, the melodic near-end bridge of the track goes on for a little too long. The rest of the song before then is still good though.

"The Coming Dark Age" is OK, but here they just rely a little too much on melody, jostling its balance with the heavy side a bit. "Born Again" has more of the hardcore sound later mastered by early Architects and the melody later mastered by Black Veil Brides. Same with "A Desert in the Heart" having a bit of the ambience of Silent Planet.

"Formal Absences of Precious Things" is another useless flow-killing interlude. "Of Masks and Martyrs" is one more original song, have some of the melody later that Betraying the Martyrs would later have, while not going the epic deathcore route of course. The beautiful hidden cover of "The Cry of Mankind" by My Dying Bride is a solid ending to this offering. This is as close to doom metalcore as we're ever going to get, and I didn't even have to increase the playback speed to 2x!

The Whispered Lies of Angels came from an era when melodic metalcore was not yet the norm. I can hear how much it affected the scene greatly. Not much wrong except for a couple odd interludes and a little too much melody in a couple songs. At least that will be fixed one album later....

Favorites: "Echoes", "The Company of Storms", "Born Again", "Of Masks and Martyrs", "The Cry of Mankind"

Undying is a band that I've come across a few times in the past several years yet hadn't gotten around in actually checking them out. Why? I have no idea. Let's fix that... Melodic metalcore had its start in the late 90s when bands in the American hardcore listened to Gothenburg melodeath and decided to add elements of that to their sound. Darkest Hour may have their reign, but Undying is a more underrated example, and their D-flat tuned heavy and melodic sound would carry over to Prayer for Cleansing, a band that includes former members Tommy Rogers and Paul Waggoner who would go on to form the more popular and progressive Between the Buried and Me.

Their first release, the EP This Day All Gods Die was recorded in 1998 and released as a demo, though it would get an official CD release in 2001. The idea of blending hardcore with melodeath was new and unheard of when the EP first came out in the underground. Gothenburg fans would certainly be pleased about their favorite metal style spreading into America. The hardcore side gives it that grit you don't often hear in In Flames. Strong rage and sweet melody are just what the doctor ordered.

The chilling synth "Intro" is almost like a continuation of the hidden outro in Children of Bodom's Something Wild, almost as if this is an alternate timeline where that band continued that album's D-flat tuned blackened melodeath sound and mixed it with metalcore. The title track seals that deal, but it doesn't impress me that much. There's not much variation in the drumming compared to the other songs. "Lay This Life Down" is filled with melodic darkness while battling it out with the hardcore rage. That's the kind of rage the more popular melodeath bands wish they had!

"Fire of Life" digs deeper into adding variety. The blend of slow and fast sections scream Prayer for Cleansing, while the former has the same slow dread as My Dying Bride, whom the band would cover one of their songs in their next release. More of those melodies and tremolo are in "When the Heavens Shed Tears". Finally, "For Liberation" is a mighty battle between the 90s metal/hardcore of Vision of Disorder and Burst and the European melodeath that would later reach bands like Neaera and Omnium Gatherum.

This Day All Gods Die is not the best start for Undying, but still good. Their later releases would have a more complex melodic turn that would pave the way for the more popular American melodic metalcore bands. Heavy darkness has been given more melodic light....

Favorites: "Lay This Life Down", "Fire of Life", "For Liberation"

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Favorites (only one I like): "Autumn"

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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