Shadowdoom9 (Andi)'s Reviews

Power metal was my favorite genre when I was a young teen. I even liked the more cheesy and uplifting kind. But of course, my taste changed into heavier and more serious modern metal genres. I had a couple-year attempt in reviving my interest in power metal that ultimately fell apart. Nonetheless, I'm sometimes up to making an occasional revisit to one of the power metal bands I used to like, and one cool band honoring the uplifting kind is Freedom Call!

Released around the band's 25th anniversary, The M.E.T.A.L. Fest is a live CD/Blu-ray recording of two live shows from the prior year, the first one at the titular Metalfest in the Czech Republic and the second one at Regensburg’s Eventhall in Germany. Get ready for a smooth ride of 14 speedy anthems with happy melody and magical choruses...

But before this live presentation, we have a brand-new studio track from the band in honor of the festival, the title track of this release! It's quite smooth with infectious vocal delivery from frontman Chris Bay. And I'm not ashamed to admit that this is the ultimate highlight of the entire album! The main live part of the release begins with an "Intro" to get you pumped up as the crowd chants "M! E! T-A-L!" Then comes the strong opener of the show, "Union of the Strong". Fast bass and drums and melodic guitars speed along in catchy verses and anthemic choruses. As you listen to the song, you can already the band rising to the top of glory. Great hooks and high-level guitars makes the song one of the best of the band. There's some more true glory in "Tears of Babylon", with galloping background melody from background horns like a medieval fanfare. The memorability of the album Eternity can be heard even before we can hear songs from that album. "Spirit of Daedalus'' has some excellent power metal that isn't too far off from earlier legends like Gamma Ray and Edguy, even adding some heavier guitar riffing to the melodic music. "Sail Away" has more of the band's signature sound within the same mid-tempo marching tempo as "Tears of Babylon", while having effective guitar melody and background choir.

Get ready for some action-packed adventure in what's pretty much this release's epic "Metal Invasion", that can be as kick-A as the epics from the band's first two albums. There's lots of speedy riffing and drums that start after a massive choral intro, a glorious Blind Guardian-like combination! The title track of Freedom Call's latest studio album M.E.T.A.L. honors this classic melodic side of heavy metal with lyrics centered around the genre, the way HammerFall would do it. With such addictive honesty in these lyrics, you know how much power metal joy you're getting. This German band can make a somewhat Christian power metal anthem with ''111 - The Number of the Angels''. You'll be happy to hear such optimistic melody, as the rhythms and vocals keep you in attention. "Ace of the Unicorn" is a strange as sh*t title, and the same can be said for the song itself that sounds way too sweet compared to the other songs in both the studio album and its live release, especially in the chorus. The immortal "theme song" for the band, "Freedom Call" makes up for that a lot as a brilliant power metal anthem, beginning with a rising alternating melody between the guitars and the audience.

The heavy yet uplifting power metal tune "Power & Glory" has perky bagpipe that once again makes the song too happy and worth skipping. The glorious next track "Metal is for Everyone" has most of the more melodic metal genres formed into one. There's a bit of crushing riffing, but the catchy chorus shines among it all. "Warriors" shows Chris Bay's melody in both the vocals and guitars with not much technical. It is an upbeat rock-on track plays out quite as well as Edguy and Stratovarius along with the catchier hits from the band's first two albums. Now "Far Away" I have mixed feelings for. It throws back to the positivity of Crystal Empire, a little too much with the overwhelming bagpipes, but some sections are still well-done. One final standout "Land of Light" can be considered the "Final Countdown" for this band, with the mid-tempo mix of horns and guitar and the fact that it's the band's signature song. Then the "Outro" ends the adventure, with a reprise to the "Intro" and the opening melody of "Spirit of Daedalus''.

Freedom Call can make anyone smile with their happy good-mood power metal sound, whether in a small concert or big festival. Although this live release is a pretty great throwback to when I enjoyed power metal so much, I think replacing a few happy-joy-joy songs with ones from Stairway to Fairyland and The Circle of Life is all I wish for....

Favorites (one per album including new studio track): "The M.E.T.A.L. Fest", "Union of the Strong", "Tears of Babylon", "Metal Invasion", "M.E.T.A.L.", "Freedom Call", "Power & Glory", "Metal is for Everyone", "Far Away"

Well I decided to give some listening and a review to Unbroken's debut Ritual, and it's just not meant for my ears. It sounds too much like they tried to combine the hardcore of Strife at the time with the thrash of Anthrax and the in-between of Suicidal Tendencies, with less metal emphasis, in more of a thrashy hardcore mix than metalcore, close to Neurosis' first two albums. "Zero Hour" is a decent metallic standout, but that's pretty much it. I like their second album Life Love Regret far more than this hardcore sh*t....

Favorites (only one I decently like): "Zero Hour"

As I continue to test out my strength in The Pit, I decided to check out another Testament album, their latest one, at least until their next album that will possibly continue the 4-year intervals between releases. The quality is still in a decent strong level as in the other Testament album I've review, The Formation of Damnation. There are quite some good things to enjoy in album #13, Titans of Creation...

Adding to the "13" superstition, the album was released during the dark terrors of COVID, and in the weeks surrounding the album's release, vocalist Chuck Billy and bassist Steve Di Giorgio were both tested positive for the virus. Fortunately, they recovered. And the positive reception this 12-track album claimed is a good light in the darkness.

Opening up "Children of the Next Level" is what to expect in this awesome song and the rest of the album, thrash aggression with some melody. Kicking up the heavy drums is "WWIII". What's also interesting in that song in the main riff. "Dream Deceiver" has a catchy chorus. Moving forward, "Night of the Witch" displays a bit of rhythm guitarist Eric Peterson's Ihsahn-like screamed vocals that he adopted from his other band Dragonlord.

Opening the next composition "City of Angels" is some prominent thick bass that thrashes along with the rhythm guitar. Then we get ahead to "Ishtar’s Gate", which has an Egyptian-like vibe in the music. Next tune "Symptoms" has some cool riffing melody in the intro, which then leads to heavier patterns. While they're worth moshing along to, they're a little too predictable and at fault. "False Prophet" is where is the earlier glory of this album seems to be fading out. The heaviness is still around, but at that point, it's getting more predictable and listeners would want something to really spice it up.

"The Healers" returns to the death/thrash glory that has swept the American nation in the late 80s, even having unexpected tremolos. "Code of Hammurabi" with more of the prominent bass playing a riff that is then played by the guitars, lead straight into typical thrash. The album's last full song, "Curse of Osiris" is filled with the pure heaviness of thrash that shall ignite speedy mosh-pits. You can't forget the black metal-ish parts with more of Peterson's vocals. "Catacombs" is an OK sign-off outro.

In the chaos of a deadly disease, Titans of Creation proves that no matter how old the members are, they're as strong as they were when they were young. For 4 decades, one of the most well-known American thrash bands besides the Big 4 continue their roots and reinvent themselves with more of the heavy riff complexity from the guitar duo of Eric Peterson and Alex Skolnick. The drumming by Gene Hoglan has more progressive diversity. Listeners might argue that this album is twice as long as a thrash release should be, with only the singles being good. I still find good unique work in a few other songs, not just the singles, though some improvement could've been in order....

Favorites: "Children of the Next Level", "WWIII", "Night of the Witch", "City of Angels", "The Healers", "Curse of Osiris"

There was one song from this album that I discovered via a YouTube ad that made me up to checking out this band's material, which we'll get to later in the review. I decided to check out their debut album Vastaus before getting to this album. It was decently good, but there were a few odd aspects, to me anyway, one of them being Finnish lyrics. After that, I knew I would have to go their second album that includes the main reason for my discovery of this band. It was only A MATTER OF TIME...

Alase is a Finnish post-/progressive metal band. They blend different styles in atmospheric melody, even beyond what's conventional in metal. A Matter of Time is a pretty good 9-song journey, and the English lyrics make things more understandable.

First song "Understanding the Waves" starts in soft light before the heavy darkness. The music and vocals seem to connect differently from one another. "Clear Sky is Not a Curse" has slow atmosphere despite its short length. The clean leads in the middle have good weight. There are nice harmonic vocals, but again, it's not music-connected. "Fate's Intervention" is heavier with harsh vocals, almost like they're blending Katatonia's recent material with Brave Murder Day. They shine against those parallel cleans.

"Unburden" has better consistency, but it seems like any excitement is out of reach. The atmosphere really could've had a greater approach. However, "Life Ahead" has a nice developing charm. "The Source" is the song that made me up to checking out this band. Atmospheric bass and vocals lead to a well-done blend of heavy and ethereal.

"Out of Place" takes on a darker tone. Sadly, the direction is, like the title suggests, out of place. Some sections can be a bit confusing. "Feeling Free" is short with consistent melody. Despite being a soft ballad, it's quite favorable. "Ajan Kysymys" is a heavier closing track. It's basically the album's title track as it's the title in Finnish. Bass, leads, and vocals are all in a nice blend. It's a very cohesive song and my second favorite here behind "The Source".

All in all, A Matter of Time is good but in need of some improvement. This atmospheric progressive metal sound is quite nice. While the vocals have diverse variety, they should've connected better with the music. No matter the band's intentions, anyone should experience this ethereal melody....

Favorites: "Fate's Intervention", "The Source", "Feeling Free", "Ajan Kysymys"

Alase is a practically unknown yet underrated band. They had released a string of singles with drummer Janne Kusmin before he left to continue his focus on Kalmah. Taking his place was Toni Paananen, and then the time came for the band to make their debut album...

This band is quite atmospheric, the same kind of atmosphere you would find in The Ocean and 21st century Katatonia. Alase cooked up a cauldron in Vastaus (Answer) that isn't about disharmonic cacophony, but instead, smooth post-progressive metal atmosphere. The vocals that alternate between clean and harsh perform mostly Finnish lyrics, which doesn't let me enjoy the album as much as I should, but it still comes out decently well.

The title track is a short slow intro. "Näkyvä" (Visible) is the first full song, and it has dark melancholy mixed with dreamy air to make a unique blend. "Binary Stars" is the only song in the album to have English lyrics. With that and its blend of beauty and heaviness, it's a well-done highlight.

The ethereal "Osa Minua" (Part of Me) is not something to dance to in a party. It's worth listening to while floating in your stream of consciousness. A mentionable track to start the second side is "Vaienneet" (Silenced). It's a soft intermission of beautiful atmosphere. It offers all that you need, but there's not much to say about it.

Harsh vocals can be heard greatly in "Vapaaksi Merkitty" (Marked as Free) (why am I visualizing a mermaid kid cat?) push things along like a tidal wave. That's probably the heaviest song in the album! What I enjoy is "Riisuttu" (Stripped) which, despite its title, builds up slowly high, approaching the album's climax. "Haukka" (Hawk) ends the album with a solid blend of the ethereal space of Hawkwind and the metal serenity of 2000s Amorphis.

Vastaus starts the band off in a somewhat good level, but I feel there could've been a lot more improvement, along with more English lyrics. The band would achieve that potential with another release to follow....

Favorites: "Binary Stars", "Vaienneet", "Riisuttu", "Haukka"

If you thought Chapter I was bizarre and disturbing, let me tell you, there's more of that in Chapter II. Electronic rhythms come in to guide you through a surreal yet pleasant nightmare. This unique motive of adding true crime lyrics to gothic-ish industrial rock/metal I have more leeway towards than I would have when I was younger.

"Jim Jones" is based on the Jonestown Massacre, a mass murder-suicide in which approximately 909 people died, a 3rd of that amount being children, and most of them drank Flavor Aid cyanide. Jim Jones was the cult leader, and he shot himself in the head. The song is darker than even the more extreme metal genres, and yet I'm intrigued. Just remember, life is too precious to be laid down.

"Tyler Hadley" is one of the most disturbing songs I heard in industrial metal, and metal in general. An industrial metal gone trap song about a teen who bludgeoned his parents to death with a hammer, hid the bodies in the closet, and threw a party, then he was arrested the next day and sentenced to life in prison. The song is pretty great though. "You should feel lucky, why don't you feel lucky?" Finally, the emotional "Katherine Knight" has a bit of a Lady Gaga-like pop vibe. It's based on a woman who murdered her husband and was intending to make herself and her children cannibals to that man. So crazy, yet the song mesmerizes me.

Innovative melody is twisted with the darkest real-life stories to ever occur, thanks to Skynd and the ongoing industrial party they've been having. It's an amazing experience that's filled with horror while quite inspiring!

Favorites: "Jim Jones", "Katherine Knight"

This here is gonna be a two-part review as I explore one of the darkest non-extreme metal bands I've heard in my life, the first part being their first EP. Skynd is known for basing their songs on true crime, including notable real-life deaths and murders. The creepiness may not be for the faint of heart, but it works well for the experienced...

"Elisa Lam" is based on a college student whose body was mysteriously found in a cistern at the Cecil Hotel. It's a little too deranged for me to love, but still quite solid. "Gary Heidnik" is based on a murderer who brutally tortured and/or killed several women and hid them in a chamber under his basement. The song features Jonathan Davis of Korn, and has more of an electro-industrial sound with a bit of pop and trap. With that said, I like it!

The clever "Richard Ramirez" is my favorite of this EP. Skynd herself sings more naturally here, and it's quite fantastic, though I'm OK with the strange effects. Richard Ramirez was another serial killer, known as the Night Stalker.

So far the music is so disturbing, and while I do enjoy it, I can understand why other people don't. To be continued in Chapter II....

Favorites: "Gary Heidnik", "Richard Ramirez"

Lard's final release before a 20-year hiatus is, similarly to The Power of Lard, a 3-track EP with each track having a different style. They're a few outtakes from their two full-length albums. Is this EP worth closing the initial part of the career? Well...

The 7-minute title track is, in a word, HILARIOUS. Let me tell you, this is the band's attempt to parody the cheesy classic 70s rock of Aerosmith and AC/DC. The lyrics are quite ridiculous, especially the chorus that keeps declaring that this kind of sound must die. Biafra seems to do a good job impersonating Axl Rose of Guns n' Roses. You never usually hear something both headbanging and hilarious at the same time, and people say only Spinal Tap could do something like that. It's definitely a break from the punky attitude of bands like Dead Kennedys (Jello Biafra's former band). It's just so d*mn funny. I'm not sure what I was thinking adding that song to the next Sphere playlist.

The next track "Volcanus 2000 (We Wipe the World)" has the band's usual industrial rock/metal first introduced in the 1988 Ministry album, tackling those who want to imitate Nine Inch Nails. There are some people who think this kind of sound is stinky garbage, but if you get more to the sound like I am, you might some decent enjoyment. "Ballad of Marshall Ledbetter" stomps with the industrial metal sound once more.

So we have one track parodying 70s rock, and two industrial rock/metal songs. All I can say is, Lard could've had a much better way than this EP to sign off.....

Favorites: all tracks, though the title track isn't too well-fitting

Holy sh*t, I did not expect Sick Puppies to appear on this site! Then again, I shouldn't be too surprised. They do have some alternative metal going on in their sound, and I reviewed an album by another nu metal gone alternative rock band, Lostprophets. Anyway, I've seen the name of this band Sick Puppies floating around in different sites and thought it's about time to welcome myself to the world of this band's material...

The band entered the scene with their first EP Dog's Breakfast, two years before their debut album was produced and released. The album sounds promising despite the inexperienced vocals, poor production, and the goofy cover art of the band members naked in cloning tubes.

The title track already unleashes the album's nu metal style as the band attacks corporations that rule the world in the lyrics. Sadly, the song doesn't hold up high due to its weak dissonance. One of the singles "Rock Kids" is better though, despite some edgier lyrics rapped by Shim Moore's vocals that seem to have puberty after-effect. "Duck Bite" is OK, but not notable. "Every Day" is a great single. Nice intro, nice chorus!

Then we switch a folky ballad in "Time Will Pass". Shim's vocals shine here, but the song itself is a bit boring. The true standout here is the anthemic "Nothing Really Matters". The tone is more progressive with rhythms to keep you interested, as the fast verses and slow choruses make a great balance. Next up, "Open the Door" starts with an odd knock-knock joke: "Knock knock." "Who's there?" "Maks." "Maks who?" "MAKES NO DIFFERENCE, OPEN THE DOOR!" The instrumentation is really good, along with the vocal distortion. "Holding Out" sounds awful in the verses, but the chorus is beautiful. "Something Different" is pretty cool with nice variation.

"Do You Know" has some soft folky verses, but the choruses have some great explosive rock. "Me Much Plenty" seems to drop in quality, almost more like a demo than a full-fledged track. What should've been the closing track, "The Way" is a beautiful acoustic ballad, despite the inexperienced vocals. A radio edit of "Rock Kids" appears, but all they did was shorten the track which is not much to change there. "Spanky & Speedy" is a forgettable hidden track, simply just short lame comedic punk.

All in all, Welcome to the Real World is a pretty good official start to the band's career. The band would hit higher levels of fame with their next album Dressed Up as Life, but the nu metal sound of their debut should please some fans of the genre. A whole new world awaited this trio of Rock Kids....

Favorites: "Rock Kids", "Every Day", "Nothing Really Matters", "Open the Door", "Something Different", "Do You Know", "The Way"

Seeing a review for this album appear on this site made me remember this band that has split up and been "cancelled" due to crimes committed by one of the band's founding members. In my younger times when I was following my brother's alt-rock/metal footsteps in music before switching to "real" metal, one of those bands was Lostprophets. I listened to a few songs; one that my brother likes, one in which I've seen its music video on TV, and one more on my own. I thought that band was OK. However, just a few months after I first listened to that band, their lead singer Ian Watkins was arrested for various sexual offenses against children and even an animal! F***ing sick (as in disgusting), right?!? A year later, that band split up, and Watkins was sentenced to nearly 3 decades in prison.

That wasn't the end of the story though. The music industry wanted nothing to do with the band anymore, and people were destroying album copies in attempt to cease the band's existence. The remaining members formed a new band No Devotion, with Thursday vocalist Geoff Rickly. With all that said, Lostprophets had pretty much become the Dark Lord of the rock/metal realms. However, they were quite popular in the days before sh*t went down. Out of the ashes of Fleshbind and Public Disturbance, Lostprophets made their debut The Fake Sound of Progress that was released in 2000 via Visible Noise, with a more successful re-release via Columbia Records the following year.

The album begins with an "Obscure Intro". Then the single "Shinobi vs. Dragon Ninja" is a prime example of the album's nu metal, along with videogame references in the title. The 6-minute title track actually has some similarities to Opeth with its calm groove and somewhat progressive structure, while the nu metal sound stays intact. Then the first of 4 noise interludes appear. "Five Is a Four Letter Word" is more effective despite not being a single. Also effective is the vocals in "...And She Told Me to Leave", along with post-ish guitar chords that can remind listeners more of the emo-rock of Sunny Day Real Estate than the metal of In Flames that seems to take on some influence for the album, and other modern metal releases.

The second noise interlude follows, having some DJ scratching. That also occurs at the end of "Kobrakai". The song itself has some screamed vocals that fit together with the singing. "The Handsome Life of Swing" is basically hardcore metal that's diversified by some jazz sections. The third interlude comes on, sounding nice and soft. "A Thousand Apologies" (yeah that's what Ian Watkins should be writing) has some more nu metal reminiscent of Demon Hunter's debut. "Still Laughing" (but that's what Ian Watkins would be doing if he still has some evilness) has some hardcore-ish hard rock that Eighteen Visions would adopt for their mid-2000s material.

Then we have the 4th and last interlude that's like the "Cure for the Itch" of this album. "For Sure" has more melody that for sure sounds like it has bled into metalcore bands like Killswitch Engage and Underoath. "Awkward" is indeed a little too awkward for what I like and comes out as more of a throwaway track. Honestly, I thought "Ode to Summer" was gonna be just an outro, but it turned out be to be one more track with some nu metal reminiscent of Demon Hunter's debut. A solid ending!

I wouldn't say The Fake Sound of Progress is a super awesome album, but it has certainly never failed. Lostprophets have shown some potential in their debut. Whether or not you wanna avoid this band like a plague because of the vocalist's horrid actions, this album should catch on in the nu metal community. The sound of progress is real....

Favorites: "Shinobi vs. Dragon Ninja", "The Fake Sound of Progress", "Five Is a Four Letter Word", "The Handsome Life of Swing", "A Thousand Apologies", "Still Laughing", "For Sure", "Ode to Summer"

I've seen this band Sleep Token getting mentioned a lot lately in different sites. With their new album being this month's Gateway feature release, I thought it would be the right time to find out what the hype is about. And let me tell you, this is one of the best albums to combine pop and metal in my life!

Having just come back from headlining a tour in Australia, Sleep Token started getting ready for an immense comeback that is Take Me Back to Eden! Pretty much half of their album was released as 6 singles one by one in the 5 months leading up to its release. Apparently, this album concludes a trilogy that began with their first two albums. Mixing heartful melodies and reflective lyrics with metal guitars, Take Me Back to Eden breaks the boundaries of heavy music and pays off with graceful strides.

A true blessing was unleashed with first single "Chokehold", as the beautiful synths and vocals welcome you to Eden. What's incredible is the ethereal atmosphere that you just gotta hear! The next day, listeners get to hear "The Summoning", with heavier breakdowns leading up to a soulful bass/vocals ending. The song is highly popular on Spotify, and I can understand why. Next single "Granite" has some energy though in an R&B/trap direction. The lyrics have frontman Vessel standing up for himself, which fits well for the album's tone. "Aqua Regia" continues to descend from the dynamics with just a minimalistic instrument lineup of bass, drums, and piano, as Vessel continues rising with his vocals that are like Imagine Dragons but better.

"Vore" sharply turns into blackgaze. Vessel takes on vicious screaming while drummer II blasts through with rapid drumming which, combined with intense guitar heaviness, adds beautiful ambient darkness that sounds so killer. "Ascensionism" ascends through 7 minutes of sonic emotion. Melancholic piano and delicate vocals start things off before an atmospheric buildup. Then we switch to that electronic trap beat as Vessel takes on autotuned rap-ish singing that I would rather hear from him instead of T-Pain. Just listen to that personality! Things get tense as another verse builds, and finally, a heavy breakdown occurs, a little more touching piano, and then ground-pounding finale. "Are You Really Okay?" is worth some praise as a sad yet uplifting ballad with clean guitar. The lyrics head down in esoteric depths as they warn you about mental health and the dangers of self-harm. "The Apparition" is similar with more of the harmonic vocals, clean guitars, serene synths, and programmed drums, before the djent comes again.

"DYWTYLM" may be a fan divider, but the sparse instrumentation is something great to love. "Rain" will have people clapping along in live shows, especially to the infectious chorus, "Rain down on me". The 8-minute title epic really nails the structure. In a garden of birds, Vessel sings in tranquility before lyrics of mental state are semi-rapped. The ending climax has Vessel screaming in pretty much the heaviest breakdown of the album. "Euclid" ends it all in bittersweet hope with the last of Vessel's vocals here. The album and trilogy may be over, but who knows what's next in the future of this band?

Take Me Back to Eden shows Sleep Token experimenting in beautiful greatness, and in the end, we have a lot of emotional complexity to explore that will have you wanting more once you try it. I was given a chance to check out the hype, and it was well worth the ride!

Favorites: "Chokehold", "The Summoning", "Vore", "Ascensionism", "DYWTYLM", "Take Me Back to Eden"

Anyone who thought the Firestorm EP was the beginning of the band's career would be surprised to find this EP from 1992 that has the metallic hardcore sound the band is known for, but not as much impact. This EP was re-released nationwide via Victory Records in the same year as the release of their debut album Destroy the Machines. While it's not as strong as their subsequent releases, All Out War has good ambition. The straight edge themes of war for animal rights having already started from the lyrics and cover art, attacking humanity's cruelty and greed. Karl Buechner and co. have their hardcore charm despite the drums and guitars sounding a bit wandering here.

The title opener stands against the sloppy production and comes close to surpassing "Firestorm" as the band's best classic track. "Ecocide" is another special track. There are stronger lyrics that won't go too well in a modern recording as it had when it came out 30 years before this review. What makes this really special is, it was re-recorded for their 3rd full album Breed the Killers.

The last two songs are not as spectacular as the first two, but nonetheless, the EP shows a solid start of the band's journey greatly improved by their mid-90s material. Although I wouldn't recommend All Out War to newcomers, unless they're going chronologically, the EP will interest fans of the band that have made straight edge history....

Favorites (only songs I really like): "All Out War", "Ecocide"

Those crushing Danish doomsters Saturnus seemed to have disappeared for a decade between this album and the last. Their comeback album can also mark my solid return to one of the most depressive genres around, doom metal, specifically death-doom. A couple years ago, I decided that I was not up for the slow sadness of this band and the Peaceville 3, but maybe this album has a glimmer of hope (ironic, right?) in my rediscovery of the genre. Saturnus has proven themselves to be the Danes' response to My Dying Bride and the early/mid-90s eras of Anathema and Paradise Lost with their first 4 albums, each with an average 5-years interval in between.

Fast forward through a decade of silence, an EP of Evinta-style remakes of earlier songs and demos of new ones were made, hinting at something big coming up... And finally came album #5, The Storm Within! As usual, vocalist Thomas A.G. Jensen and bassist Brian Hansen lead their emotional gothic death-doom group through the modern harshness of our world. Will they still carry the storm?

The title opener is one of two 11-minute epics, and it displays the band's haunting darkness from the start. Soft piano and acoustic melancholy make a sweet opening buildup in the first 3 minutes. Then the storm begins as the death growls and guitar heaviness pour down like massive rain. Jensen's cavernous vocals have strong potential, along with dramatic spoken passages. The slow pacing allows the guitar shines in stellar chords and heavy doom riffing. A massively effective opening piece! "Chasing Ghosts" is the second 11-minute epic here blends in bleak atmosphere with soft guitar air, almost like both the early and late eras of Anathema combined, together with traces of My Dying Bride's doomy sound. It's so monstrous yet beautiful, especially in the death growls and guitar that any of the darker metalheads can be up for. Just from those first two tracks alone, you're already getting a lot of dark doom and gloom!

Adding more of the northern European melodeath-doom into the mix, "The Calling" stands out with a more upbeat rock-like pace similar to the mid-90s albums of Katatonia and Amorphis. It's a nice change of pace after those slow epics, that's worth total replay value. The upbeat guitar shines like a warm sun over the cold world. The soft ode "Even Tide" has clean singing by Paul Kuhr of Novembers Doom. Perhaps the darkest song I've heard in a long time is "Closing the Circle".

Focused on mid-paced melody again is "Breathe New Life" that once again keeps things animated (not like a cartoon of course). It's shorter than all the other tracks at just 5 minutes in length, yet it seems to go downhill a bit. The final track "Truth" reaches a searing intense climax before a gentle ending.

Honestly, I've forgotten all about Saturnus until I found out about this album that I didn't expect would come but I'm glad it did. It's a very good accomplishment to continue this band's dark journey. The more depressive metalheads can dwell for eternity in the nice melodic bleakness. Doom metal fans should definitely get chase this great storm. I don't know if I'll be up for a sequel in the future (hopefully not too distant), but it's great to hear the Danish death-doom masters strike again....

Favorites: "The Storm Within", "Chasing Ghosts", "The Calling", "Closing the Circle"

Time for my next attempt at finding the appeal of crossover thrash. I find a couple genres like crossover thrash and grindcore easier to digest in small amounts like EPs. When those genres are focused on small abrasive songs, they work best when the tracks are the same amount as in a typical album of most other genres while keeping the track lengths, and sometimes even lower than that. That's why I barely had any trouble with the Corrosion of Conformity album I reviewed.

And now for this EP by modern crossover thrashers Municipal Waste! The Last Rager was released between the band's 6th and 7th albums. I was hoping to feel the hype thrash fans had over this release, but the first half turned out be a disappointment for me...

"Wave of Death" shows what I mean by playing the EXACT SAME RIFF in two minutes, spiced up only slightly by gang vocals including the title occasionally being shouted and a guitar that's just too abruptly short. Other than those two aspects, that song sounds more like one of those riff loop tracks than anything. Next up, "Car-Nivore (Street Meat)" has what fans of the band would expect, relentless yells and stampeding riffs. They're not totally bad, but I wished they could've interested more.

"Rum for Your Life" is far better! Here we have some wonderful riffing played fast with a bit of groove. There's great taste in the bass, drums, and vocals as well to remind fans of the band's earlier material and me of the heavier thrash bands I've encountered. The best song here! What's also great is the title finale. The first minute might remind some of the "O.D." crossover thrash bands (fans of the genre know what they are), and the raging combo continues on with great guitars. It actually sounds really unique here, almost as if the band were from 35 years prior to the EP and brought their sound to life in these modern times.

All in all, the first half of the EP comes out as disappointing, yet the second half clearly shows a better side of crossover thrash. This EP was a nice thing to keep Municipal Waste fans' spirits up while waiting in that 5-year gap between albums. A little more variety wouldn't hurt though....

Favorites: "Rum for Your Life", "The Last Rager"

Recently, Godflesh founder Justin Broadrick has been diagnosed with autism and PTSD. There are some people (such as myself, diagnosed with autism at age 2 instead of 52) who are a little surprised, while others, mostly long-time fans, had that suspicion for some time. His anxiety and shyness when it comes to live performances is one hint, having once gotten to the point where a panic attack caused the band to come to a halt for around a decade. But during that split and beyond, he created more projects. Then he reformed Godflesh with two more albums in the 2010s. And now it all leads up to the new album Purge! The title is already a giveaway about the modern updates provided to the concepts of their 1992 album Pure. Broadrick has worked together with Ben Green once again to let out some temporary relief...

Long-time fans and pretty much anyone familiar with the band's earlier material can definitely recognize the Pure sound, almost like these two albums can be connected! I'm sure some listeners can recognize some of the more classic tracks from the Pure album. Broadrick and Green's task at hand since the beginning is to unleash the robotic rhythms that have shaped up the genre they played their part in pioneering, industrial metal. Also looking back at the 80s/90s is the occasional hip-hop-ish groove that can ensure the album's variety without sounding too odd.

That rhythmic effect opens the album's first track and single "Nero", which is quite strong when mixed when the crushing vocals/guitar. The more abrasive "Land Lord" is a true standout for me, having some killer harmonic bends in the strings. "Army of Non" has the band's unabridged purity. It throws back to the glory days of Streetcleaner with the hammering and screeching guitars alongside the harsh vocals of Broadrick. The diversity in the heaviness adds to their bleak aura.

What's a bit droopy for me is "Lazarus Leper". However, the driving "Permission" is the opposite, in which noise-ridden electronic beats and dark chords, alongside the choir-like vocals sung by Broadrick.

The crawling "The Father" has an epic God/Slayer-sounding mix (I meant a mix of the bands GOD and Slayer) while in a Hymns-esque mainstream throwback. The crushing "Mythology of Self" marches with its slow drum pattern that blasts into your face with every hit. "You are the Judge, the Jury, and the Executioner" is the 8-minute epic, yet sounding simple in the beat and chord in a mesmerizing way.

The legacy of this band that has quite a 3 or 4-decade journey shows that as the two main members grow older, they can experiment with other music styles without giving a sh*t what the more critical critics think of their studio material, though live performances are a different story. Many of the band's albums are amazing with barely anything weak, but they don't reach the perfect glory of their late 80s releases. Purge is not an album that I would expect to have that past glory, while it comes close to being the best album of the new era!

Favorites: "Land Lord", "Army of Non", "The Father", "You are the Judge, the Jury, and the Executioner"

This golden modern metalcore quarter have made another grand offering, and this time they made it out of 3 EPs released throughout 2021. That technique would be tried out a couple years later by Atreyu for their own album The Beautiful Dark of Life. Anyway, the band that currently consists of bassist/vocalist Aaron Pauley, guitar duo Phil Manansala and Alan Ashby, and founding drummer Valentino Arteaga, have been in the music zone since their second album The Flood (we do not speak of their debut).

It was during their tour for Earthandsky when the pandemic came and cut short that tour and many others. The band decided to use the time to do some creative writing and recording, with each member recording in separate homes and sharing what they've made to each other via Zoom and Twitch. Pauley has proven his production talents by mixing and mastering the songs in 3 EPs; Timeless, Bloom, and Ad Infinitum. As a result, we have another metalcore album reaching perfect heights, Echo! It's tied with The Flood as one of the band's best albums, continuing the throwback to that album in Earthandsky while digging up some of the catchy melody of Defy.

The Timeless part of the album opens the title track of that EP, introducing us to this new side of Of Mice & Men. We look at life through wires and hope for light in these dark situations. You can really feel that storm of emotion! We have more melancholic writing in "Obsolete" that comes out as a brutal banger while having the usual choruses worth singing along to. The synth atmosphere fits well in the heavy yet melodic "Anchor", which open-minded music listeners shouldn't take for granted.

Raining down to start the Bloom part of the album is the earth-quaking "Levee". The heavenly title track of that EP is relatable for anyone suffering the loss of a family member. You can't turn back the clock, let alone turn it back so the ones you lost could return. We can at least be grateful for what we have. Sure you may look back at the negative past, but just remember, you have a more optimistic future to look forward to. If you're currently alive and listening to this album or reading this review for it, you've already survived the pandemic and that's a good thing. The headbanging "Pulling Teeth" is more aggressive, while still having clean vocals that shine here.

Kicking off the Ad Infinitum part of the album, "Mosaic" has philosophical questions like "Can we carry the weight of our humanity and find a remedy for our misguided misanthropy?" It's also one of the heaviest songs here, to get you ready for a moshpit battle. The ballad-ish "Fighting Gravity" is the start of the album's dramatic climax. Darkness and light engage in a showdown as the instrumentation broadens to include ethereal synths going well with the heavy riffs and poetic lyrics. The title track of the entire album is an amazing track and what got me up to checking out this band for real! Aaron Pauley's vocals sound awesome here. The album ends with the Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young cover "Helplessly Hoping". Surprising yet a soft beautiful way to end this offering.

Whether or not you've already heard a lot of what they've offered before, Echo is still an impressive album with crushing bangers and melodic pieces. This masterpiece is for any fan of metalcore and Of Mice & Men, reigning supreme in the Pauley era!

Favorites: "Timeless", "Obsolete", "Bloom", "Fighting Gravity", "Echo"

Just when we thought Of Mice & Men would go further down the alt-metal rabbit hole, they launch back into their metalcore roots! The heaviness of The Flood is back in true form, and they're never giving it up too easily. Conveniently, Earthandsky came out in 2019, exactly 10 years since the band first formed, so it's an excellent way to celebrate that milestone and see how far they've come.

The earlier fans who thought the band couldn't relive their past glory without Austin Carlile would be blown away. Earthandsky came out just over a year and a half after their first album with Carlile, Defy. And they can prove themselves to reign in heaviness even without their most well-praised member.

An eerie violin intro begins "Gravedancer" before leading into fast riffing and perhaps the closest the band has gone to prog-metal. Not too long after, "As We Suffocate" has more of the riffing energy and Aaron Pauley's vocal range you already know well. "Taste of Regret" greatly exemplifies what the band is going for, the melodic choruses and heavy breakdowns of metalcore. "Mushroom Cloud" has the f***ing heaviest breakdown of the album, probably by the band. Definitely worth it in a live show!

"Pieces" continues the breakdown intensity while balancing it all out with melody and emotion in the chorus. Then "Deceiver/Deceived" has more of the fast heaviness while having melodic verses and excellent soloing. The title track has true power in the chorus. With that and its heavy verses, it's the ultimate standout of the album!

"The Mountain" experiments more with the vocals similarly to Beartooth. Though we have the signature climatic breakdown there. "Meltdown" is a heavy anthem while suitable enough for the radio. While the other songs in the album are heavier, the breakdowns are still around, balanced out with the melody for more energy. "Linger" continues the heavy/melodic blend with different vibes. The final anthem "How to Survive" has fast energy, motivational lyrics, and epic soloing. So much f***ing fire!

Earthandsky shows the band making a blast to the past for a heavier present. Melodic metalcore has been done just right with enjoyable vocals and breakdowns. Both the earlier and newer fans can get a great kick out of this album that is an amazing representation for the band of what they are!

Favorites: "Gravedancer", "Taste of Regret", "Mushroom Cloud", "Earth & Sky", "The Mountain", "How to Survive"

With unclean vocalist Austin Carlile out of the band due to his health issues (among other reasons), bassist/clean vocalist Aaron Pauley now takes on the frontman role. The alt-metal direction continues from their previous album with less of their metalcore roots than before...

Despite that, Defy is a slight step up from Cold World even though they're both sitting well at 4 stars. It's more likely at this point that the band can bring in more of the new fans than keep the earlier fans. Though that's just more about the style than the instrumentation. While I enjoy Carlile's vocals, Pauley sounds better in both singing and screaming. He gives the songs more powerful defiance.

The title track opens the album in full-on triumph. "Instincts" continues the fury of the guitars/drums storm. Pauley soars through with his yells and cleans. And again in "Back to Me". Taking a more melodic turn in "Sunflower", a beautiful highlight of the band's new direction.

"Unbreakable" is another unbreakable anthem. Then the fury is toned down in "Vertigo". Their cover of Pink Floyd's "Money" has the most energy from the band since Restoring Force. Following this is "How Will You Live" which has nothing bad at all, continuing the usual heavy riffing and melodic chorus to get you headbanging.

"On the Inside" takes on more atmospheric depths in the leads and synths. That gives the song more in common with modern metalcore bands, along with the mesmerizing breakdown. Another excellent highlight! Then "Warzone" has heavy aggression suitable for the moshpit. Though the clean section is too odd and forced. Towards the end is "Forever YDG'N", continuing the "YDG" (Ya Dig?!) saga as another favorite. "If We Were Ghosts" is an atmospheric ending track to remind some of A Perfect Circle.

Defy might not keep the earlier fans around with the absence of Carlile and the band's road towards alt-metal. Still it's powered up by the catchy melody and crushing heaviness. It's a new step in keeping the band alive....

Favorites: "Defy", "Sunflower", "Unbreakable", "Money", "On the Inside", "Forever YDG'N"

For 4 albums, Of Mice & Men unclean vocalist Austin Carlile was the leader of the pack, but a few months after Cold World was released, he left the band. His departure was for a variety of reasons including his conversion to Christianity, his health, his move to Costa Rica, and the band not letting him write what we wanted for the album. He's focused more towards family life now while still making some music, and there were recently some alleged abuse accusations towards him which he denied.

Did his final album with the band peak as much Restoring Force as and its singles? Not entirely, but they have diversified their sound to cover different tracks of metalcore and hard rock, though the end result is an album of alt-metal wisdom...

The opening track "Game of War", unlike their previous albums, starts this one off with mellow guitar strums (I almost thought this was Trivium's "The End of Everything") and soft delicate vocal melodies. If any fans thought this was gonna be an ambient pop-rock album because of that, they thought wrong... "The Lie" breaks open the gates with the band's typical sound, with the vocals ranging from screaming to singing to spoken, plus a massive ending breakdown. Single "Real" has a lot of the album's catchiness in the chorus and anthemic lyrics worth singing along to. Leveling up the heavy hooks is "Like a Ghost", though it fails to reach the compelling factor for me. The band take on some influence from A Perfect Circle in "Contagious".

The album has two interludes that don't add too much, starting with "-". It segues to "Pain", a total unclean crusher with lyrics about the pain of Carlile's Marfan syndrome, which he inherited from his late mother. "PAIN!!!! Every day that I awake, in my blood and through my veins, now there's nothing left that you can take away from me!" There's a bit of a Korn vibe in "The Hunger". Adding more of the nu metal to their metalcore is the aptly titled "Relentless" that shall work well in live shows. The emotional "Down the Road" has the melody of 2010s Linkin Park.

"+" is the second of the two unnecessary interludes. "Away" should've also been a single with its mid-tempo hooks. Sure it's soft, but even then it's beautiful and lightens up my day. Closing the book is "Transfigured", in which Aaron Pauley shines on in both the bass and the clean vocals that cover the entire track. A great foreshadowing of Pauley taking over all vocal duties after Carlile's exit from the band.

I still enjoy Restoring Force more than Cold World, though here they've added more variety in their writing. Of Mice & Men can surely please more than just metalcore fans. Years of expanding their fanbase have been paying off, and Pauley would make sure the band goes on, even without its original leader....

Favorites: "The Lie", "Real", "Pain", "Relentless", "Away", "Transfigured"

Making it big with their lucky sophomore album The Flood, Of Mice & Men were all set to follow it up. Joining them is current bassist/clean vocalist Aaron Pauley who had just left the band Jamie's Elsewhere (though he would later rejoin that band when they reformed). And there are some different tricks the band has up their sleeves...

As usual, the band has their blend of heaviness and melody in the breakdowns and choruses, along with motivational lyrics, all of which can also be heard in other bands like The Ghost Inside. With their 3rd album Restoring Force, Of Mice & Men felt like making some changes. The nu metal/hard rock hints in a few songs from The Flood are in full force here while making room for their usual metalcore. Restoring Force doesn't reach the perfect height of The Flood, but it's another amazing part of the band's tenure!

The album begins with a "Public Service Announcement". If you've only seen the song title, you might think it's an intro track. But once you press play, the song is actually a crushing metalcore attack with driving drums. "Feels Like Forever" starts off the album's different direction. The guitar grooves are slower. Austin Carlile's vocal range is more diverse, and he often takes on some clean singing that is reserved for Pauley in the melodic chorus. "Bones Exposed" continues what the band had in The Flood with fast verses that display Carlile's insane screaming and the slow chorus with Pauley's harmonic singing. The more hard rock side of things is exemplified in "Would You Still Be There". Slow and steady wins the catchy radio rock race, though in this case, it made that song another memorable highlight. It can really make their fanbase grow big.

Another heavy song "Glass Hearts" has more of that metalcore structure while Pauley's cleans continue to ascend in the chorus. The lyrics are quite relatable too, "These are the hardest four years of my life." You can say that about your high school/college years, though it seems like Carlile is singing about his time in the band, if he means in a "challenging but a good challenge" way. Either way, in any struggle, there's always hope, so don't let go of it. Next track "Another You" brushes aside the heaviness for melodic drama. "Break Free" is a bit of a diluted tune, but it's still fine.

"You Make Me Sick" takes the nu metal influences much further. It's a true heavy standout jam-packed with growls and violence. I sense some Slipknot vibes in both the music and the hardcore lyrics, "You serpent, you lying snake, you make me sick." The bridge has some guitar buildup leading up to a 18-second scream! Wow, just like in Linkin Park's "Given Up". A much better and heavier song than "Given Up" though. Up next, "Identity Disorder" has a similar structure to the previous track, though this song has more melody. However, there's not much different at that point, and while there's nothing bad about that song, memorability is out of the window there. "You're Not Alone" has an anthemic beat to knock other nu metal bands out of the park. Ending the original album is the melodic ballad "Space Enough to Grow". It's much better than the previous album's "When You Can't Sleep at Night", here actually showing deep strength. "Even when we give up all hope, there’s space enough to grow." Wonderful!

As with The Flood, Restoring Force is followed up by a deluxe reissue almost a year later, titled Restoring Force: Full Circle, containing 4 bonus tracks, starting with "Broken Generation" which is a true well-crafted highlight in both that bonus section and the album overall. "Something to Hide" has the groove-ish metalcore of later bands like Oceans Ate Alaska. "Never Giving Up" has the motivational alt-metal of Tremonti and what Architects would have in their later albums. The reissue ends with an acoustic version of "Feels Like Forever". Nice, but I prefer the original.

The amount of variety and talent shown in Restoring Force proves that Of Mice & Men are standing strong and breaking through metalcore boundaries. The band have been gaining more publicity and hitting the radio airwaves with their music, thanks to this album's more rock-ish tone. The freshness that goes well with their roots has won new fans as much as earlier ones. A new mature direction for the band is on the rise!

Favorites: "Public Service Announcement", "Would You Still Be There", "Glass Hearts", "You Make Me Sick", "You're Not Alone", "Space Enough to Grow", "Something to Hide", "Never Giving Up"

Founded by unclean vocalist Austin Carlile in 2009, shortly after leaving Attack Attack! following that band's debut Someday Came Suddenly, Of Mice & Men started off with melodic post-hardcore in their 2010 debut, following the footsteps of that Attack Attack! album, albeit without the autotune and trance-y dance-y synths. Of Mice & Men's second album The Flood began their full display of the more metallic sound the band would be known for, and what a perfect leap of faith it is!

Before recording, Carlile and co-founder bassist Jaxin Hall both left after the debut, the former for a major heart surgery. The band made a cover of Jamie Foxx's "Blame It" with two different members. Then Carlile rejoined and the band brought in rhythm guitarist Alan Ashby, in time to record this album taking the metalcore realm by storm.

You can already hear the massive step up at the start of "O.G. Loko" (referencing an illegal alcoholic drink, though I think of that cartoon Code Lyoko). The tempo drives through alongside the destructive screamed vocals and energetic riffs. It also hints at a bit of the nu metal in later releases, and that's the kind of blend to expect from that year's Emmure album Speaker of the Dead. Absolutely heavy fury to give The Flood the redemption value it already has. There's more momentum in "Ben Threw" (a pun on the phrase "been through" and Carlile's pet cat Ben) throwing their fast metalcore sound into your face like a thousand pies. "Let Live" balances on the line between the hardcore of The Chariot and the melody of Atreyu. The anthemic "Still YDG'n" continues the "YDG" (Ya Dig?!) saga and is a much better deal than the first one in their debut.

"My Understandings" is a beautiful mellow ballad that can work as this album's intermission. Crashing back into heaviness, "Ohioisonfire" is a destructive standout. The guitar duo's wizardry and Valentino Arteaga's drumming build up this wall of sound topped off by Carlile's mind-f***ing screams. "Purified" is another one of many great highlights here. "Product of a Murderer" is an interesting one. The sound is much darker and heavier, coming close to the deathcore of Despised Icon and Impending Doom. However, the guitar melodies and clean singing in the chorus prevent the song from going that far.

There starts to be a bit of familiarity with the earlier post-hardcore in "Repeating Apologies" that can still touch your heart with its bridge. Fortunately, "The Great Hendowski" reminds you from the starting riff that the album still has immense greatness. Then they really tear things apart in "I'm a Monster" with the most intense heaviness around. "When You Can't Sleep at Night" is an acoustic bonus track in the CD edition which is OK but doesn't add much. The perfect 5-star rating is for the edition without that track.

The following year, the band recorded 4 new tracks for a extended re-release of The Flood. Bassist/clean vocalist Shayley Bourget had already left the band, so Carlile's screams became the sole main vocal style for those tracks, and Ashby took over on bass.

The first new track, "The Calm" is a calm two-minute interlude. If the tracks were part of the original album instead of its own CD, that would nicely segue from that acoustic song. Then comes "The Storm" with its melodic intro before becoming another monstrous force. Despite the lack of clean singing, the screams themselves make perfect stylistic transition between shrieks and growls. The ravenous title track is probably the best of the entire offering. The gang vocals alternating with the screams, along with the vicious breakdowns, shall make mosh pits almost as huge as a black hole. What a shame that track didn't end up in the main album. Final track "The Depths" is not as interesting as the other new tracks, but there's not much bad about it at all. Carlile orders you to jump, sing, and scream with him, like a metalcore drill sergeant. And you can scream along to the chorus, "My body’s failing, I think I’ve hit the floor, I cannot feel anything anymore", despite how cheesy the lyrics often get.

Scr*w the debut! The Flood is where Of Mice & Men's journey really begins as a huge step from their earlier post-hardcore sh*t. You can have fun jamming along to the melodic main album and then destroy everything with their brutal bonus CD in the reissue. You can never forget this band's passion and perseverance!

Favorites: "O.G. Loko", "Still YDG'n", "Ohioisonfire", "Purified", "The Great Hendowski", "I'm a Monster", "The Storm", "The Flood"

At this point, In This Moment are starting to embrace their electronic influences much more to the point of starting their transition into a more industrial alt-metal sound. Mother would begin that transition before the sound is set in stone with their new album Godmode. Barely any of the blues rock elements in Ritual remain for the most part, and you might think it's Blood and Black Widow all over again...

Of course, you can't be too certain. Their music is quite unpredictable, as are their live shows. Guitars and electronics make a strange yet intriguing combination with the unique vocals of Maria Brink who can switch from an ice queen to a fire queen in no time flat.

The droning intro "The Beginning" lets you know about the ride through dark hellfire you're gonna take, "I am the god and the devil around you, I am the Heaven and Hell you crave". For the first actual song, "Fly Like an Eagle", the band took a Steve Miller song and covered it to make it dark and beautiful. Maria Brink's vocal power is incredible! The intro itself is almost a cover of the Terminator theme. I f***ing love it! "The Red Crusade" is another cinematic interlude, "Holy war, I'm in between". It segues to "The In-Between" with lots of distortion in the vocals, guitars, and synths. It has a beautiful powerful chorus, "I'm gonna bring a little Hell, I'm gonna bring a little Heaven". Then "Legacy" has more beautiful emotion for your ears to absorb.

"We Will Rock You" lights up the fire as an epic cover of the Queen hit, featuring Lzzy Hale (Halestorm) and Taylor Momsen (The Pretty Reckless). F*** yeah, that's the female-powered anthem we need alongside Evanescence's "Use My Voice"! The title track has a spoken prayer in the intro followed by quiet piano before the powerful vocals explode in with tender moments. "I'll give you my everything, I'll never let you fall". Then "As Above So Below" has sharp industrial angst. Heading down into "Born in Flames", Brink's vocals fit well with the keyboard synths, "Don't you know you're a king raised by queens, born in flames?"

Sweeping through is "God is She" in which guitars boom in alongside Brink's sinister vocals stirring up lively imagery, "I am the nightmare you've been crawling through". Next up, "Holy Man" bounces through different riffs and more of Brink's vocal harmonies ("Show me a savior, show me something I understand, even the worst kind of sinner is a holy man") before ending with eerie organ. "Hunting Grounds" stands out with its pummeling heaviness and Brink's duet with Joe Cotela of Ded, whom Brink is currently in a relationship with, as the vocal harmonies bleed well into guitar melodies, "One of us is going down, let's do this anyway". Then we have "Lay Me Down", a nice rush through the closest we have to the blues rock vibe of Ritual. Ending things of an eerie note is one last cover, their take on "Into Dust" by Mazzy Star that lingers on in darkness and floats away into the unknown.

Industrial alt-metal darkness is starting to shape up in Mother. Most of the songs have a lot of love and are worth repeating again. Though it's not until their next album Godmode when the band's new sound finally takes true form....

Favorites: "Fly Like an Eagle", "The In-Between", "We Will Rock You", "Mother", "Born in Flames", "God is She", "Hunting Grounds"

The young, blonde, and proud queen of dark modern metal continues to show her capabilities in the 6th In This Moment album Ritual! Maria Brink and her crew have travelled through different music realms to add to their "rock out and dance" sound. She wanted to unleash the power from her heart with the suggestiveness being an afterthought.

Their 2017 album was recorded in Las Vegas with their new drummer Kent Diimmel having replaced Tom Hane the previous year. Brink was visiting her family in Salem before recording, which inspired her to make Ritual a concept album based on the Salem Witch Trials. Both the metal and electropop sides of the band are still around, but this time they added in some blues rock-infused guitarwork. This allowed a more organic vibe in the instrumentation and vocals.

Intro track "Salvation" starts things off ominous, like a run through a dark evil jungle, fleeing from the authorities. The first actual song and single of the album, "Oh Lord" already hints at the then-unexpected Southern blues rock direction. Paying homage a certain Billy Idol hit is "Black Wedding", a f***ing great song that you can use for a metal wedding! And of course, you can recognize a metal legend in Judas Priest's Rob Halford in this song. "In the Air Tonight" is the probably best cover I've heard of this Phil Collins hit. My only complaint is how muffled the drumming sounds, even during the beat-drop leading to the final chorus. Nonetheless, Maria Brink and co. nailed it!

Brink channels her inner Lady Gaga in the suitable "Joan of Arc". She can really swing through the pop rock jungle with her vocal vines. She can also run through the loud riff inferno in "River of Fire". One of the best songs here "Witching Hour" shows that the band can blend an electropop groove with guitar strumming that's not too far from a James Bond film soundtrack without causing a trainwreck. The sneaky "Twin Flames" also has excellent power.

"Half God Half Devil" drops a bit of quality due to how Korn-sounding it is. "No Me Importa" floats through nice slow chords, though they have a bit of mainstream repetition. Now if you're looking for the soundtrack to a workout scene in an action film, "Roots" is what you're looking for. That would really get you ripped and ready to take on bad guys in different eras. Closing the album is "Lay Your Gun Down" which dramatic synth-piano. As great as the climax when it builds up to there, this isn't really the best track to end it all. I've heard better...

In This Moment have maintained the strength they've carried with them since their debut from 10 years before this album. Ritual has secured the band's place on top and would've been as perfect as The Dream if not for a couple tracks towards the end. Still they continue to grow, and if this isn't one of the best albums to add blues rock elements into alt-metal, I don't know what is!

Favorites: "Black Wedding", "In the Air Tonight", "Joan of Arc", "Witching Hour", "Twin Flames", "Roots"

We have just reached album #5 in my In This Moment review journey. Released in 2014, Black Widow continues the electropop-infused direction from their previous album Blood. And they've progressed quite naturally here...

Note that the band's metal heaviness is still around, but they have more prominent electronic influences than before. While the songs are more suitable on the dancefloor than in a moshpit, there are certainly some headbanging moments, a similar balance to that of what Marilyn Manson and Rob Zombie were doing in 1998. Despite turning away their earlier followers, Black Widow is still pretty great, not the best, but still fun. The hard music and personal lyrics shall get you both headbanging and dancing.

The intro "The Infection" features an audio sample from The Texas Chain Saw Massacre, complete with the iconic camera sound, to add to the album's theme of personal horrors. "Sex Metal Barbie" features Maria Brink's powerful vocals as she battles against her inner and outer critics. I think now that I've watched the Barbie movie 6 months before this review, I'm able to take anything Barbie-related more seriously. Dual female roles are addressed in full attention in "Big Bad Wolf" through her usual vocal delivery. The delivery continues on in "Dirty Pretty" that has a darker Madonna vibe alongside their previous album's sound. A sample from an old-school documentary starts the title track, talking about how the dangerous the black widow spider is.

Brent Smith of Shinedown guest appears in "Sexual Hallucination" in a duet ballad with Brink. Not really the best, but never a stinker. "Sick Like Me" has more drama in both the music and lyrics, the latter dealing with bipolar relationships. Once again looking back at older movies, at least in the posters, is "Bloody Creature Poster Girl". Brink shows the world in "The Fighter" that she and other women can be independent without help from men. Bipolar relationships are acknowledged once again in "Bones". Then "Natural Born Sinner" encouraged you to stay to your true self.

"Into the Darkness" is a strange interlude with just a spoken dialogue of emotional abuse. "Out of Hell" is a bit of a struggle, but it's good for any teens to overcome problems in their lives. The original edition seemed to take a downward turn in the second half, but the high quality is redeemed in the Japanese edition bonus tracks, starting with "Turn You". That track and "Rib Cage" bring forward their alt-metal sound with similar music to Demon Hunter's self-titled debut but similar lyrics to Ice Nine Kills.

The different direction from Blood is still on in Black Widow. Powerful hooks and lyrical themes make this album solid and enjoyable. Though it can do without the last few tracks in the original edition....

Favorites: "Sex Metal Barbie", "Big Bad Wolf", "Black Widow", "Sick Like Me", "The Fighter", "Turn You", "Rib Cage"

In This Moment had fulfilled their starter trilogy with the metalcore heaviness of Beautiful Tragedy, the alt-metal melody of The Dream, and the in-between of A Star-Crossed Wasteland. So what's next? It was time for the band to go further down the Dream path, replacing most of the earlier metalcore elements with the first hints at their electro-industrial side that would take form in later albums...

Maria Brink and Chris Howorth have been working together in the band since their formation in 2005, and their teamwork continues to show in their 4th album Blood. Here we have some pop melody added to modern metal with some guitar soloing to spice things up every now and then.

The fascinating intro track "Rise With Me" consists of orchestral synths and Brink's singing. The title track already confirms the twist in the band's sound, which may sound weird at first listen, but you'll eventually enjoy it. A furious catchy single with a spicy guitar solo! "Adrenalize" is another great track to please the crowd. "Wh*re" has electronic atmosphere to get you hooked. "You're Gonna Listen" has solid guitar including killer shredding by Jake E. Lee (not to be confused with ex-Amaranthe vocalist Jake E).

One track that is a bit weird is the interlude "It is Written". It segues to "Burn" which is a slow anthem with stunning alt-/industrial metal that practically blends together Fear Factory, Mushroomhead, and late 2000s Soilwork. Then we have the more radio-friendly "Scarlet".

"Aries" is another ambient sample-based interlude that seems to take away some energy from this otherwise glorious album. "From the Ashes" also has an issue, with its cringy ending, but it should please a bit of the live crowd. "Beast Within" is another slow anthem that sounds like Within Temptation gone Mushroomhead. "Comanche" contains unique industrial aggression that makes this song one of my personal favorites of the album. "The Blood Legion" has some beautiful melancholy as you hear the pained emotion from Brink's voice. Ending track "11:11" replaces much of the music with theatrical drama as only Brink's vocals can be heard in both her own singing and layered choirs. A rather interesting way to go out.

Blood is one of those albums that with every listen, you'll find more appeal. Only the sample-based interludes and one of the tracks I find generic, but the rest of the album prevails with kick-A power. Something enjoyable enough to make you out for blood!

Favorites: "Rise With Me", "Blood", "Adrenalize", "You're Gonna Listen", "Burn", "Beast Within", "Comanche"

In This Moment are still going strong! Their 3rd album A Star-Crossed Wasteland starts heavy and ends soft. It actually sounds like the missing link between their first two albums. They take the raw heaviness of Beautiful Tragedy and mix it with the elegant melody of The Dream. As a result you get to hear the music equivalent to a bar fight followed by a romantic date.

Producer Kevin Churko had also produced a few albums by Ozzy Osbourne, Slash, and Hinder that same year, so that's a good excuse for the more classic metal/hard rock edge this album has. Either way, it's an amazing way to complete the band's starter trilogy.

Heavy opening track "The Gun Show" wastes no time re-introducing Maria Brink and co. Brink howls like a rabid wolf over the technical guitar skill of Chris Howorth. "Just Drive" starts with acoustic strumming before the hammering heaviness touches down. Thundering through is the drums and guitars as Brink screams out the verses. Those screams make a great harmonic contrast with her ethereal cleans in the chorus. Then we have the beautiful "The Promise", a melodic duet with Adrian Patrick of Otherwise.

"Standing Alone" is another grand banger, as the bass groove and drum fury speed on. It really stands out with the howling and singing contrasting with each other. Touching piano begins the title track, which then leads into heavy moody instrumentation. It is a nice vision of bright hope and dark despair together. Another one of the heavier tracks, "Blazin'" brings back the brutality from earlier on in the album and fires away in rage. Chris Howorth and Blake Bunzel brings their guitar talents up high, especially during the blazing soloing before a cheering bridge that shall bring life to live shows. "The Road" is a memorable catchy song, especially the soloing by Gus G. of Firewind.

"Iron Army" is a big generic, with the breakdowns and screams sounding stale at that point. There's also a bit spoken vocals in "The Last Cowboy" throughout the verses, which is quite interesting. Closing track "World in Flames" is the album's soft ending, filled with emotional beauty in the soulful vocals. Although I'm not a fan of ballads, ending an album with one is often a wise move, with that one being a final goodnight kiss. However, the bonus track "Remember" is a pleasant soundtrack to a nightmare.

A Star-Crossed Wasteland fills the gap between the first two In This Moment releases. They know how to mix melody and heaviness seamlessly for an impactful punch. Despite a couple tracks having slight vulnerable weakness, everything else has helped made this album a memorable one to remember!

Favorites: "The Gun Show", "Just Drive", "Standing Alone", "Blazin'", "The Road", "World in Flames"

The metalcore of Beautiful Tragedy has mostly been taken out. Fans of In This Moment's debut have one word in their mind to say about that, "sellout". However, while I'm a metalcore fan as well, I'm also a fan of this different direction the band decided to take. This is the band's pop-infused alt-metal sound at both its beginning and its best. They achieved the dream in The Dream!

As the female-fronted metal band formula rolls on, In This Moment made sure to do theirs better than other bands can. You'll have the chance to take a tour ride through Wonderland, all beginning with a descent down...

"The Rabbit Hole", a strange intro with lyrics of lavender clouds and the morning's sun birth that has just begun. From the opening riff of "Forever", I see alt-metal greatness coming! That along with soft verses and dramatic chorus what makes this song epic in the vocal and guitar department. I love this awesome song and Maria Brink might just f***ing surpass Bonnie Tyler by far. So cool! "All for You" is another rock-out track with technical riffing and keyboards fitting with the romantic lyrics. Things seem to drift a bit in "Lost at Sea" but the band lets their talents fly free so there isn't too much trouble. "Mechanical Love" masters the metallic power with heavy rhythms and siren-like singing that throw back to the 80s when there was a lot of all that.

"Her Kiss" is a ballad in the sense that it has a slower pace than the previous tracks, though there's more of a heavy gothic/sludge vibe in the instrumentation that embraces Maria's serene yet ominous and occasionally vicious voice. "Into the Light" is a more logical song to consider a ballad, as soft piano and strings accompany the voice of a fairy in solitude. A smooth uplifting break from the charging metal. Passing through is "You Always Believed" with more reflective lyrics. "The Great Divide" is an aggressive comeback to the thrashy metalcore of the band's debut with furious screams of blazing grooves. Absolutely killer!

"Violet Skies" has excellent harmonies and progressive depths with more of Maria's singing to take your breath away. The more atmospheric title closer lets you that the dream is never-ending, and you'll be back where it all began. The UK edition comes with a few bonus tracks including a killer cover of the Blondie hit "Call Me". The other two bonus tracks "A Dying Star" and "Sailing Away" which are OK, but they make me give the 5-star rating to the edition without those bonus tracks.

In This Moment have interesting tricks up their sleeve. Classic elements are blended together with modern ones for a unique kick-A approach. The Dream has all the band had ever dreamt of doing and more!

Favorites: "Forever", "All for You", "Mechanical Love", "Her Kiss", "The Great Divide", "Violet Skies", "Call Me" (Blondie cover, bonus track)

In the late 2000s, Myspace was responsible for helping several metalcore bands gain popularity on the internet, one of those bands being In This Moment. They ended up getting signed into Century Media, and a radio station interviewed the band and played a few of their songs, granting them more exposure. Beautiful Tragedy is a different album from the pop-infused alternative metal the band would have later, with infectious Gothenburg-influenced melodic metalcore that is worth reviewing...

The guitars unleash strong riffs and harmonic melodies, but what really stands out is the unique voice of Maria Brink. She can sing beautiful melodies perfect for choruses and add harsh fury to her screamed vocals practically surpassing most other metalcore vocalists out there. There's bound to be some action in live shows!

Spooky whispers swim through rain in the intro "Whispers of October". Then sheer hooks explode in with standout "Prayers". The title track is another incredible standout. A catchy chorus stands out alongside more of the killer hooks. The next song to follow is "Ashes". That one and "Daddy's Falling Angel" are quite catchy, and while they follow the predictable formula of alternating between screaming and singing, the band knows how to get it right in the writing.

"The Legacy of Odio" is a beautiful mellow track. Brink sings in true anguish, and the emotion bleeds into the heavier sections. "This Moment" can greatly work as the band's theme song, as least in this early era. It summarizes harsh vocals harmonizing the cleans and blending Swedish melodeath with metalcore breakdowns in this upbeat tune.

"Next Life" is a bit sticky, though I can't deny the Killswitch Engage influence there. "He Said Eternity" has more of the beautiful melodies while keeping the upbeat pace. "Circles" start off with a bit of ambience before launching into metalcore. The only other bands I know who can execute that idea perfectly are early Cave In, Norma Jean, Silent Planet, and Textures. One last mellow ballad, "When the Storm Subsides" almost works as a prequel to Parkway Drive's "A Deathless Song".

You don't often stumble upon an album where a female vocalist can scream her lungs out in one song, and then perform serene singing in a different commercially approved track. Although In This Moment would go a whole different direction later on, Beautiful Tragedy is another album that has given metalcore a next life....

Favorites: "Prayers", "Beautiful Tragedy", "The Legacy of Odio", "This Moment", "Circles"

What's expected in one of those "post-" genres is the immense atmosphere. It helps you live through the enjoyment of such a journey. Cosmic Doom Ritual is a title that may sound simple yet promising in the dreamy atmosphere. It also sums up what you might find in this offering; the cosmic ambience of Darkspace, the sludgy doom of early Isis, and the post-metal ritual of Neurosis, all combined into a savory space-doomy post-sludge sound...

Cosmic Doom Ritual is the debut album by Hexer (whose band name appears to be inspired by The Witcher franchise). The band has projected their sound through the conceptual tale of a giant sea creature devouring its prey. They can really make a story similar to a Mastodon or Ahab album with a cosmic twist.

The atmospheric opening track "Merkaba" has some light beauty before exploding into the post-sludge sound that has shaped the album. The loud doomy despair of Thou is in good alternation with the post-rock melancholy of Russian Circles, the latter appearing midway through. Subtle keys make a good counterweight for the guitar dissonance and synth pulse. It's a somewhat low point for the album, yet it has some destined potential in the cosmic doom influences.

Then we hear the expansion getting stronger in "Pearl Snake". A psychedelic blues vibe is injected into the guitar rhythms and leads, as the lightness is darkened by the death growls. The oriental melodies might remind some of Om. Clean acoustic melancholy is heard in lengthy sections as the percussive rumble and thick bass groove plays along. The rhythm loops over and over with no sign of a building crescendo. However, the rhythm continues to dwell, and the heavier strength eventually makes a comeback in steady form. The vocals definitely remind me of Godflesh and, to a lesser extent, Napalm Death.

"Black Lava Flow" starts off with demented dissonance from the atmospheric guitar. This droning experimentation might make you think of The Body, while having some crust-infused vocals. Halfway through, we experience more of the cosmic psychedelia and the last of the heavy sludge until it ends just before the last minute. The atmospheric steam seems to have been lost, and therefore does not reach the earlier intensity.

3 tracks, each with an average length of 12 minutes, will give you good cosmic doomy post-sludge to enjoy. The melody has created an interesting soundscape. However, the tedious production, especially in the last track, is why I don't find it as awesome as the doomy metalheads would. Still the immense atmosphere has kept the band growing....

Favorites (the strongest one): "Pearl Snake"

For the past couple years, I've stumbled upon a few tracks by this band Shadow of Intent to add to the monthly Revolution playlists. I enjoy deathcore mostly when it's mixed with progressive or symphonic elements, my interest boosted up from getting a kick out of it from Lorna Shore. However, Shadow of Intent has some maturity in their symphonic deathcore, and there's some great stuff in their new album Elegy!

Elegy shows what Shadow of Intent are made of. It's packed with enough symphonics from the orchestration and keyboards to have the Fleshgod Apocalypse symphonic death metal part of the sound, and helping out with that is the man responsible for that band's orchestral aspects, Francesco Ferrini. The melodeath comes from the guitars.

The opening track "Farewell" starts the album like Lorna Shore would, with a one-minute epic orchestral mood-setting intro, before the heaviness storms in triumph. While the deathcore sound might not attract those not used to the sound, it's balanced out with the soft melodic parts, and that's easy to recommend. The melodeath guitar work appears in "Saurian King". The ending of "The Coming Fire" is one of the most memorable parts of the album. It's "Gravesinger 2.0"! It segues into the equally memorable intro of the song "Of Fury" that continues the symphonic melodeath/deathcore sound. There's sonic maturity within the deathcore that's still around, especially in the vocals. "Intensified Genocide" is one of the most intense songs here, with fast heavy energy.

You might wanna check out "Life of Exile" for some clean vocals that appear alongside the usual growls and screams. "Where Millions Have Come to Die" has more dynamic brutality. The variation makes sure there isn't any unneeded repetition, along with vocals by Phil Bozeman of Whitechapel. "From Ruin...We Rise" has more of those varying vocals. This vocal maturity is suitable for the album's earlier concept of inhumane genocide. The powerful cinematic deathcore of that track is set aside for something more groove-laden in "Blood in the Sands of Time". Is that a symphonic deathcore attempt at groove metal? Likely so, with vocals by Chuck Billy of Testament!

The 5-minute instrumental "Reconquest" sounds like there should've been vocals in the first 4 minutes, but it's still pretty great, and the last minute has cool guitar. The 13-minute 3-part title suite is the album's climax, starting with the short clean "Adapt", continuing with the rising "Devise", and ending with the powerful 6-minute "Overcome". Epic, while only almost reaching the glory Lorna Shore's Pain Remains suite.

Elegy is a mature offering from Shadow of Intent in the music and lyrics. The symphonic deathcore bounds continue to expand, and it's worth great listening. Top-notch orchestration is uncommon in deathcore, but I'm determined to continue my journey of discovery!

Favorites: "Farewell", "The Coming Fire", "Of Fury", "Where Millions Have Come to Die", "From Ruin...We Rise", "Elegy" (full suite)

In 2014, Wayne Static passed away from a severe multiple drug/alcohol reaction. Then over a year later, his wife, adult film star Tera Wray committed suicide. The remaining band members thought about reviving the band in a way of tribute for the band's founder, and so that's what they done. They recovered some of Wayne's unused vocal takes for an album series title Project Regeneration. They also embarked on a 20th anniversary tour for their debut Wisconsin Death Trip, a beast that I shall talk about now!

Wayne Static, along with bassist Tony Campos, guitarist Koichi Fukuka, and drummer Ken Jay have made pretty good industrial/nu metal straight outta California. What's interesting is the album title, coming from the 1973 Michael Lesy book, though it reminds me of the USA state I used to live in when I was little.

"Push It" shows Wayne's industrial nu metal sound that shall live on. Sounds like something my brother would've listened to over 10 years ago, but he didn't, he was listening to other similar bands. The song was used in some video game/film soundtracks in 1999 and the 2000s. "I'm With Stupid" has great lyrics to like. "HE'S A LOSER!!!" Taking on the mental health of the late frontman, "Bled for Days" was used for ex-Seether drummer Nick Oshiro's audition after Ken Jay left. The programmed drumming shows the band's noise-powered industrial metal tendencies, while being easily performed with actual drums. Static's vocal range is impressive, ranging from shouts to cleans without difficulty. The band has more tricks up their sleeve in "Love Dump" with atmospheric synths. You can kinda consider this rave metal! The riffing and drums keep things heavy.

In high gear is the fast aggression of "I Am" with nu metal-ish lyrics rap-growled by Static ("Put a gun in my mouth and threaten to shoot"). A programmed industrial intro starts "Otsegolation" with the vocals being drawn out alongside some fine guitar groove. "Stem" starts with an audio sample from the 1990 gory horror film Begotten, then synths appear in this bluesy hard rock tune. Static's shouted vocals make sure that this song isn't an oddball in the album. The drums and synths are all around, a little more than the guitar in fact. Stepping in again is "Sweat of the Bud" for the metal aspect while having more of the programmed drums and vocals from earlier.

With lyrics that are just repeated while worth singing along to, "Fix" seems too obvious in referencing drugs. The title track summarizes the album in smooth flow. The lyrics are mostly repeated, but there is the trance-y industrial vibe in the music. However, it's highly different from Fear Factory. "Don’t you sing dong ding dong!" The monolithic "The Trance is the Motion" has better vocals, including those growls. The synth-fueled "December" closes the album in a hypnotic industrial noise rock instrumental.

In the end, we get to have a nice lookback at the first work of the band Wayne Static is mostly known for. And hey, I just realized that this album is a recent Gateway feature release that I missed. Gotta catch up! RIP Wayne....

Favorites: "Push It", "Bled for Days", "I Am", "Sweat of the Bud", "Wisconsin Death Trip", "The Trance is the Motion"

Danzig is a band that shouldn't be taken lightly. They're one of the more satanic classic heavy metal bands around along with Mercyful Fate and Ghost. As someone who's not into that kind of theme, whether or not I find greatness in this album, I don't expect myself to fully dig in to the rest...

Longtime Danzig fans were wondering what the h*ll the band was thinking when they made Blackacidevil, an electro-industrial album with barely anything metal. For this album Satan's Child, while there's more of those industrial elements, the metal guitar is back in prominence. This time, the riffing has a pummeling lower tuning. It may sound a bit like nu metal, but the riffing is so strong that calling any part of this album nu metal would be blasphemy.

Glenn Danzig's vocals first appear soft in "Five Finger Crawl" during the vocals, before having his usually wailing in the chorus, and that's a prime example of his vocal usage in that smashing opener. "Belly of the Beast" continues to have strong fun in the verses. "Lilin" goes on for 6 and a half minutes with some bluesy vocals coming out nice and fine. Adding in some synths and vocal distortion is "Unspeakable". That track is one of my favorites in the album. That opinion might not make part of the Danzig fanbase, but that's OK, I don't intend to.

"Cult Without a Name" shows how well Glenn Danzig can blow listeners' minds away with his voice. He can sing clean whispers and then roar like a bull in smashing intent. An excellent way to lead the drums, guitars, and bass! A weird creepy electronic intro starts "East Indian Devil (Kali's Song)", but then heaviness bashes through. "Firemass" sounds fitting for their earlier material and comes out as another favorite for me. The more trip-hop-ish "Cold Eternal" has Glenn's most moving despite the song's softness.

The title track is actually a mighty highlight! "Into the Mouth of Abandonement" is quite good too despite sounding different from the previous track. "Apokalips" is strong in the bass and drum during the doomy intro and verses. Then in the choruses, the funk/hip-hop-ish pace makes a brief comeback. The electronics are pretty much absent in that song. The final song "Thirteen" is quite good. Glenn Danzig originally written and recorded that track for Johnny Cash, and he recorded it again with the band to close this album with its blues groove.

Any earlier Danzig fan who lost contact with the band's music fearing the possibility of the band going full-on industrial after Blackacidevil should give this band another chance and listen to the band's later material starting with this album Satan's Child. I'm telling you, you'll feel way more relief than disappointment....

Favorites: "Five Finger Crawl", "Unspeakable", "Cult Without a Name", "Firemass", "Satan's Child", "Apokalips"

I enjoyed listening to Samael, but it wasn't really for so long. As I made my brief exit from listening to black metal, Samael was one of the bands I discarded due to their black metal material last fully demonstrated in Ceremony of Opposites. Anyway, after that dark satanic trio of albums from the first half of 90s, they began their ascent to the symphonic industrial metal cosmos with the Rebellion EP and Passage, the latter establishing the band's transcendence beyond what metal had reached before. And despite avoiding the alternative/groove metal trend of other bands at the time, it worked! They gained enough fame and motivation to close the millennium with another album...

Of course, there was one more small offering made before Eternal, the Exodus EP. Though the songs in that EP are leftover tracks from the Passage sections, they served as a bridge in their evolution. They hinted at an important step, discarding pretty much all the earlier black metal elements (an exception being the re-recording of the Ceremony of Opposites title track), all done while staying faithful to their new direction.

Eternal opens with the atmospheric highlight "Year Zero". Beginning the album in shining light, this is excellent high-quality loud industrial metal! "Ailleurs" will have you dancing along. It's almost close to the cyber metal sound The Kovenant would pioneer in Animatronic! Though some might also be reminded of Front Line Assembly. "Together" cuts down on the upbeat optimism for a slow sinister pace. There's more of the brightness in "Ways" that smoothly points out the stylistic ways of their melodic industrial metal. And there's more of that coming up...

Soft piano begins the next song "The Cross". People seem to mistake this song as a Christian hymn, even though the band was going for the opposite. A good reason for me to leave behind all of black metal last year. I'm glad that I still find enjoyment in that song and might be up to making a return to that band and black metal someday... "Us" soars through the industrial metal cosmos once again with a memorable chorus despite it being a bit too noise-ridden in the background. "Supra Karma" makes a comeback to the band's previous album Passage with solid riffing. Then we switch to "I" which is another Kovenant-like dance-metal track. See if you can play that song in dance clubs for all the club members to dance the night away!

"Nautilus & Zeppelin" has more operatic keyboards in the lead, with not much space for heavier riffing. "Infra Galaxia" continues the album's direction, though it seems to lose some strength as it progresses. "Being" isn't too shabby, though it might cause some red flags. "Radiant Star" has some harsh guitar aggression to end this space journey.

Anyone who thought Samael would go full-on KMFDM/Ministry can have that fear set aside. After a 5-year gap, Eternal gained a stylistic sequel in Reign of Light, which had made those fans relieved. Era One followed as a two-disc experiment, with the second half being just ambient electro-industrial. Another album continue the Eternal direction is Solar Soul, expanding their horizons so they don't repeat too much of their past. They would then return to their earlier 90s evil black metal misanthropy in Above. Lux Mundi would return to the industrial metal era from between Passage and Solar Soul. Same thing with Hegemony 6 years after. Will they have a new album this year to keep up that sound? Fingers crossed there! But for now, soar through the cosmos with the soundtrack to this universal exploration....

Favorites: "Year Zero", "Ailleurs", "The Cross", "Us", "I", "Radiant Star"

Oh wow, another band I wish I had discovered sooner! Waltari is known for their huge blend of genres, with Space Avenue focusing on industrial/alternative metal. The album features a lineup with notable members including former Stone guitarist Roope Latvala, taking temporary place of Sami Yli-Sirniö who would also join Kreator, and drummer Janne Parviainen. Latvala and Parviainen would later join Sinergy, and the former would perform with Children of Bodom and the latter with Ensiferum. Absolutely solid!

As for the album, a fantastic lineup doesn't necessary show evolution to the band, but Space Avenue is still in the line of perfection. Manning the production is Front Line Assembly's Rhys Fulber, another reason for the album's slick audio appearance.

The space-thrash opener "External" has powerful riffing and a heavy bridge. Sounds like Latvala is having fun with his riffing before having his fun in his material with Children of Bodom. "Far Away" is a catchy poppy industrial metal single, with more of the cosmic keyboards and vocal fuzz. "Wolves on the Street" mixes a bit of the spacey prog-metal of Voivod with some rapping verses. The thrash-ish industrial metal track "Progression" progresses in heaviness with mechanical riffing though having a poppy chorus.

"Blind Zone" is another track I would recommend for fans of industrial/alternative metal. "Purify Yourself" has a bit of the experimentation of Candiria, though closer to the alt-metal sound that band would later have in What Doesn't Kill You... Adding to the experimental vibe is the beautiful cello courtesy of Apocalyptica (back when that group was still known as a Metallica cover band). "Stars" is a cover of a song by Rauli Somerjoki, and it certainly reminds me of bands Pain and Deathstars. A favorite track of mine, "Prime Time" rocks out with heavy mid-paced groove before incredible hyper-thrash soloing. And it all starts from an 8-bit video game-sounding intro.

"Main Stream" is anything but mainstream-sounding, continuing the heavy thrash. The crushing guitars performed by Latvala spawn technical riffing. Towards the end is some deathly thrash, probably the heaviest in this album! "Look Out Tonite" is more industrial with barely any metal heaviness, unless you count the bass. There's a little more of Apocalyptica's cello. Some might be reminded of Kong with vocals! "Walking in the Neon" continues the infectious dance-y sound with a bit of thrash. There's even some catchy female vocals by Anita Davis who sounds a bit like Tina Turner (RIP that rock 'n' roll heroine). "Mad Luxury" ends the album on a soft alt-metal note. A tame yet intriguing ending to another perfect album!

Throughout this release, Waltari shines with their thrashy industrial/alternative metal sound. I haven't yet listened to one of the band's other albums like Big Bang, but I can consider Space Avenue a big bang with its f***ing engaging style. The band had fun making their material, and so did I with listening to what they've made there!

Favorites: "External", "Far Away", "Blind Zone", "Prime Time", "Main Stream", "Walking in the Neon"

So here I am at the final part of Red Harvest's underground trilogy, before they became more popular with Cold Dark Matter. Some say going chronological when checking out a band's discography is one of the weaker methods because the earlier material before the famous era is often highly different. They may be correct, but HyBreed ended up being an exception to that rule. A newfound perfect favorite of mine as my industrial metal collection grows!

HyBreed shows that the band is no longer as speedy as they were in their debut album and part of their second album. The album is slow in a lot of songs, and the tempo stays the same in even the long 10-minute epics.

The short opening track "Mazturnation" is a fast yet mature track that I enjoy. "The Lone Walk" is a long epic in which the verses have a drum pattern and the chorus is more riff-focused. It just goes on throughout those 10 minutes, and there's never anything bad about that at all! Despite being a bit repetitive, that's the kind of repetition that appeals to me. This band can be catchy while only having one d*mn idea. It's quite brilliant that the band can show talent from just one or two riffs! GENIUS!!! Yeah, that chorus is quite epic along with the verse drum pattern. The other fast track "Mutant" bounces through great guitar riffing and drum kicks.

Another track, "After All..." has a haunting dark cellar vibe. "Ozrham" is almost 10 minutes of ambient instrumental. You might think I would get bored from that, but surprisingly I didn't! By the end, you soar through rain-stormy heights. "On Sacred Ground" starts slow and melodic in the riffing and beat, and continues that way throughout the song that is another one nearly 10 minutes long. However, having the last minute being an intro to the next track is a bit of a risk to take. But all in all, a true masterpiece track of melodic doom! "The Harder They Fall" is another superb bleak industrial metal track. It's amazing how my taste in modern metal developed from the metalcore of Trivium and Bullet for My Valentine into this genre.

"Underwater" has a bit of the slow yet progressive ambience Maudlin of the Well would later have. "Monumental" has a lot of that monument melody, and I love the splash cymbal used here. Another one of the best tracks of the album! There's still two more tracks left, starting with the 12-minute ambient track "In Deep", which is nothing special but still nice and soothing. "The Burning Wheel" is the righteous ending of this long trip. It's a heavier blast while not building actual speed. This can really fit in a live setting, and both new and longtime fans can look back at it in the decades following its release. Like now, perhaps?

All I'm gonna say is, no matter how perfect HyBreed is for me, some people might not like it due to its heavy repetition and lengthiness and think this could cause a dent in the genre. However, this album has the motherload of many things that solidify the melody and dark ambience of industrial metal/post-sludge. The simply structured songs can keep you hooked until the end. Any fan of Red Harvest and industrial metal should get it, and if you want to appreciate it as much as I do, it just takes patience!

Favorites: "Mazturnation", "The Lone Walk", "On Sacred Ground", "The Harder They Fall", "Monumental", "The Burning Wheel"

Let me just say that going through the first part of a band's discography when you haven't heard of the band before may be both a good and a bad way to get around. Anyone starting with the band's early-2000s material can shake their heads at me disappointed for this route. That's OK because I like witnessing the evolution from the beginning!

It's amazing how constant the band can keep their unique ability of turning things around, so that each song is unpredictable in direction. In one song you can hear bleak slowness, and the next one you can the band's earlier hellbent thrash. There's Beauty in the Purity of Sadness shows the band mixing things up quite a bit. You can almost consider the music to be a slightly more deathly Ministry, among other sounds that are the dreams of many bands.

Already bringing you onboard is the fantastic opener "Wounds"! I still can't believe I hadn't discovered this band sooner. This extreme industrial metal banger ends with an epic one-minute guitar/drums outro. "Naked" is another song I absolutely love! "Resist" is what I would describe to a blend of Sepultura at that time and Circle of Dust.

"Mindblazt" has a similar vibe to the mid-paced earlier songs of Earth Crisis in the slower sections while the rest of it is firmly industrial metal. "Mastodome" is a slow sludgy 8-minute epic that sounds like the seed planted for two bands, Mastodon and Gothminister. "Shivers" is another awesome track that gives me shivers. "?" is as confusing as the one-character title says, being just a strange interlude.

"Mother of All" almost reminds of Mushroomhead in the pace and vocals. Now, "A.B.G.L.E.A.K."... I have no idea what that acronym stands for. I do know the song sounds like one Opeth's acoustic interludes. "Sadness" is also awesome! "The Art of Radiation" is another 8-minute epic, and the best way to end the album. Worth lots of praise!

See? Industrial metal can go extreme and dark with out going as blackened as Aborym. The muscular strength comes from the music and not the aesthetics. I can someday try to build up my potential for the band's more popular albums like Sick Transit Gloria Mundi, but for now, I can admire how influential this album is despite how rare it was at the time of its release. Of course nowadays, industrial metal goodness is easy to find on the web....

Favorites: "Wounds", "Resist", "Shivers", "Sadness", "The Art of Radiation"

In a land where black metal rules them all, progressive metal has also been taking Norway by storm. Since the 90s, Norwegian progressive metal bands have come around to sweep the globe, such as the power metal-influenced Pagan's Mind and Communic, the melodic Spiral Architect and Leprous, and the extreme Arcturus and Enslaved. A warm progressive light shines over the cold darkness! There's also a Norwegian thrash metal band called Equinox. A progressive thrash metal style is quite rare in Norway, but that's where Red Harvest's debut Nomindsland comes in! Red Harvest would later be known for their strong industrial metal sound with dark atmosphere, harsh noise, and cold riffs. Nomindsland is a much different debut. This is avant-garde-ish progressive/technical thrash metal not too far off from Coroner and late 80s Voivod!

This thrash sound isn't too surprising considering the band started in the late 80s as a Slayer tribute band called Arctic Thunder. After switching to a more original band known as Red Harvest, they stormed in with some demos, combating the mainstream menace as they stood by the Norwegian thrash sound of their fellow countrymen Equinox. As the original classic thrash dies out in the year 1992, these original innovators from Scandinavia are determined to have that dream rolling one more time. And they twist it up to with some avant-progressive metal as they strive for uniqueness.

"The Cure" kickstarts the album and lets listeners know that not everything that year is grunge/groove metal, there is still classic thrash with a mighty progressive turn. The avant-garde aspects arrive with a flamenco bridge in the middle to spice up this grand opener. Aggression should also be expected in the sharp riffs and leads, though you can find catchy choruses worth singing along to. "Righteous Majority" continues running the thrash bullet-train while having a bit of the progressive atmosphere that another Norwegian prog-metal band In the Woods would later have. "Acid" has the more abstract sound of Equinox, keeping up the progressive thrash dissonance. The frantic rhythms and catchy choruses will surely delight fans of the sound.

"No Next Generation" actually hints at a bit of the industrial metal the band would switch to and Deathstars would also later be known for. "Machines Way" reminds me a bit of Sadus in the thrashy parts. "(Live & Pay) The Holy Way" is a true avant-garde tech-thrash highlight, especially in the second half to reminds some of Mekong Delta.

What confuses me a bit is the idea of sneaking in "Crackman", a one-minute hardcore track, but it's still OK. "Face the Fact" is just straight up technical thrash from the get-go, a Coroner-like masterpiece of a song. The closing track "Wrong Arm of the Law" is another short eclectic hardcore track. It certainly repels a few of the more strict listeners, but nonetheless, it's a good way out.

Red Harvest had a much different stylistic nature that their more famous era. Regardless of that change, it's great to look back at the old-school as much as you can enjoy the modern stuff. Nomindsland shows the band's strength even when they didn't yet have the industrial sound that carves their name in stone!

Favorites: "The Cure", "Righteous Majority", "Acid", "(Live & Pay) The Holy Way", "Face the Fact"

I've tried! I've tried to get into Oomph!, but what do I expect? It's just the unsettling and barely understandable (for me) German industrial rock/metal subgenre Neue Deutsche Härte that has ended up popular via Rammstein. Still, Wunschkind (German for "Desired Child") is quite heavy in both music and lyrics.

As we only go through the songs I truly like, "Born-Praised-Kissed" starts with an innocent music box before you hear guitar heaviness everywhere. The title track has that kind of riffing too! Guitars and synths are blended together in dark atmosphere. However, it's not something you should be bring to dance parties because of the dark mood and slamming heaviness. The instrumentals might have better potential though...

"Wälsungenblut" (Blood) is the more interesting of the two interludes, having a didgeridoo and choir. One song really worth talking about is "Krüppel" (Cripple). Dero's vocals sound close to growling as he details a story about getting kicked, punched, crippled... basically getting beaten up by vicious bullies. Now this is the Oomph I need in the lyrics that are heavy as the gradually distorted music. The emotion is what makes the song special in its own right. Sadly, there's no later song like that in this album. The other interlude "Filthy Playground" has piano to add to the sad mood of the concept.

The songs I've mentioned make me understand why fans of German industrial metal see Wunschkind as a classic. However, I just can't get into a lot of this band or other Neue Deutsche Härte bands like Rammstein, Megaherz, and Eisbrecher. I'm fan of industrial metal, but NDH still ain't for me....

Favorites: "Born-Praised-Kissed", "Wunschkind", "Wälsungenblut", "Krüppel", "Filthy Playground"

OK, this one is slightly better that the previous album. Defekt has heavier guitars and drums, and more powerful vocals that have more shouting than singing. There are some more songs that are pretty cool, including the lyrics, despite still using German often.

However, not all of the songs are any good, so I'll just talk about the ones that are, starting with one of the best here, "Willst Du Hoffnung?" (Do You Want Hope?). Another track "Hast Du Geglaubt?" (Did You Believe?) has a more experimental vibe almost like what Dir En Grey would have a few years later at the other side of the globe. Perhaps the true best of the album is "Come and Kick Me". I don't have much words to describe its beauty!

"Mitten Ins Herz" (Right in the Heart) continues that experimental vibe. "Your Love Is Killing Me" sounds strangely like 2000-era Embodyment in the clean-sung verses, but then the usual heaviness is still around. Another one of my favorites is the 7-minute closing title track, ending the album in amazing young genius!

As heavy as this music is, it doesn't measure up to bands that I like such as Hatebreed. Fans of Rammstein, and to a lesser extent Slipknot, might dig this....

Favorites (only ones I like): "Willst Du Hoffnung?", "Hast Du Geglaubt?", "Come and Kick Me", "Mitten Ins Herz", "Your Love Is Killing Me", "Defekt"

Need some Oomph in your German industrial rock/metal? I don't. The idea of producing a German mix of the industrial of the Laibach, the metal of Pantera, and the in-between of Ministry doesn't cut it for me. Nonetheless, the then-newly created subgenre of Neue Deutsche Härte would motivate bands like Die Krupps and KMFDM to push their metal direction further and spawn the second NDH band and the most popular, Rammstein!

Only a few tracks in the album stand out for me, one of them being the best here, "Sex". Another good track is "Feiert das Kreuz" (Celebrate the Cross), though the intro sample makes me think of a Hitler-Exorcist crossover. "Breathtaker" is indeed what the title suggests. "Ich Bin Der Weg" (I'm the Way) is quite underrated and deserves some listening.

As interesting as it is to hear an innovative start of Neue Deutsche Härte, Sperm exemplifies why it's not for me. The lack of consistency in the writing, along with the German sex-ridden lyrics, can be a struggle most of the time. Nonetheless, I can witness how influential the album is at starting something different....

Favorites (only ones I like): "Sex", "Feiert das Kreuz", "Breathtaker", "Ich Bin Der Weg"