Shadowdoom9 (Andi)'s Reviews

The 90s was when different possibilities were really expanding beyond metal's classic 80s genres. The decade started with the introduction of groove metal that, along with alt-metal and later nu metal, would take the place of thrash metal in the reign of fame. Then by the mid-90s, industrial metal has just ascended out of the underground and gained global prominence. Vocalist Patrik Wiren has covered all those metal tracks in earlier bands leading up to this one to vent his anger, Misery Loves Co.

The band formed around 1992/1993 and recorded a song for the compilation Extreme Close Up. Gaining some good reception as a result of that, the band consisting of Wiren, guitarists Örjan Örnkloo (who also does drum programming) and Michael Hahne (who also plays bass) and ready for some industrial action!

At the start of "My Mind Still Speaks", you already know what a great industrial metal journey this is gonna be. The abrasive metal guitars play through the vocal blend of the growls of death metal and the singing of alternative metal. "Kiss Your Boots" has heavy rhythm marching on. "Need Another One" is more of a goth/alt-metal ballad-ish song in which Wiren's singing make the softer sections sound like a more industrial HIM. "Sonic Attack" starts off in a ballad-like pace, then the sharp riffing aggression continues.

"This is No Dream" is a memorable heavy thrasher in this industrial environment of theirs. "Happy?" is another ballad-like song. Wiren sings an excellent chorus over guitars as bleak as Ministry at that time. Then there's the FX-ridden intermission "Scared".

The dynamic "I Swallow" is a heavy pounder with a bit of melody. Next up, "Private Hell" is a winning standout with sharp riffing especially in the chorus. "The Only Way" is pleasantly aggressive, as the fast guitars can level up a mosh pit quite well along with the p*ssed-off vocals. I enjoy the headbanging heaviness that occurs in "2 Seconds", having some of that 90s groove to end this industrial metal ride.

After released two more albums, the band split up during the millennium turn. He could've reformed his earlier thrash band Midas Touch to keep up with the thrash rebirth, but that didn't happen. Misery Loves Co. didn't return until 2016. Still the band's 1995 debut is quite interesting and has made up for classic-era metal's temporary death....

Favorites: "My Mind Still Speaks", "Need Another One", "This is No Dream", "I Swallow", "Private Hell", "2 Seconds"

It's interesting how the creators of the first side of Napalm Death's Scum, known as the founding album of grindcore, would go on to make their own industrial metal acts. Justin Broadrick would focus on Godflesh, and Mick Harris and Nick Bullen would create... SCORN.

The debut album from this project fits well at home in the Earache label. Although Vae Solis mostly shows its industrial direction, there are slight traces of thrashy death metal that Harris was moving away from for the project. This is heard vocally from Bullen's growls though they're not too far from Broadrick's vocals. Also giving the album a Godflesh vibe is the guitar contributions from Broadrick. However, most of what happens in the album is strong spacey ambience with occasional reverb within the metal.

"Spasm" rolls with a bit of thrash similar to Meshuggah at that time, while staying firmly in industrial metal. One of the more basic Godflesh-sounding tracks is "Suck and Eat You". There's more of the fast thrash in "Hit", having a great connection to Napalm Death in the band's punky side rather than their hyperspeed.

There's some extra percussion used in "Walls of My Heart". The single "Lick Forever Dog" is not really worth DJ usage but it's one of the best of the album. "Thoughts of Escape" is another Godflesh-like tune. The exceptional "Deep in - Eaten Over and Over" is one of the most dreadful-sounding tracks I've heard in industrial metal, almost like funeral doom before the genre was fully developed, though some might be reminded more of Swans than Skepticism. A solid break from the fast pounders!

"On Ice" is a bit sh*tty but still OK. "Heavy Blood" is more mid-paced, but it slowly rises in heaviness, sounding like Godflesh at that time mixed with one of the slower and more melodic Fear Factory ballads. The album rating would've been higher if not for the filler CD bonus tracks, which I don't wanna mention, and the only one of the bonus tracks I enjoy is "Scum After Death". Napalm Death fans might recognize the opening bass from their song "Scum". The 3 voice samples that appear in the song are from I Drink Your Blood: "Do we pray?" "Satan was an acid head." "Together we'll all freak out!"

Bullen's vocals are what stand out in the original tracks, ranging from direct singing to deathly snarls. Again I would've given the album a higher rating if I was only rating the LP edition, which is filled with decently solid industrial metal that can sometimes be brutal or ambient....

Favorites: "Hit", "Lick Forever Dog", "Deep in - Eaten Over and Over", "Heavy Blood", "Scum After Death"

Just when the Christian metal scene seemed to start dying down, with the temporary split-ups of metalcore bands like As I Lay Dying and Underoath, the deathly progressive metal side has boosted it back up with Extol's first comeback! This excellent memorable band reappeared with their first album in 8 years since The Blueprint Dives.

What's noticeable about the band's self-titled album is, the harsh vocals are back in full usage after their singing-dominated previous album, not just the growling side but also the blackened shrieks of the awesome Burial. That and the usual cleans help maintain the deathly progressive balance. Once again, the guitarwork is technical as h*ll, fitting with the drumming speed and tempo changes expected in progressive metal, not to mention the breakdowns having some flavor.

"Betrayal" is the perfect starting track, with a sense of danger and chaos to give you motivation in life. "Open the Gates" opens the deathly progressiveness further in the structure. "Wastelands" follows suit. "A Gift Beyond Human Reach" is a well-done composition of mind-f***ing drumming and riffs.

"Faltering Moves" is almost an extension to the Undeceived instrumental "Where Sleep is Rest", this time with vocals. None of Extol's songs are weak in any way, but "Behold the Sun" comes close. I can't stand the barbershop vocalizing appearing often, and it's because of that this album is a half-star missing from perfection. Following this is "Dawn of Redemption", an acoustic interlude in a similar vein to Synergy's "Aperture", a gentle break from the punishing heaviness.

"Ministers" throws back greatly to the band's earlier style from the late 90s era. The title track can indeed be considered the band's theme song, looking back at all different eras, mostly Undeceived. Enjoyable but slightly predictable. It segues to the twisty "Unveiling the Obscure", in which the Yes-ish vocal harmonies are much better performed.

Once again, Extol knows how to make an extreme progressive journey, as demonstrated in their 2013 album. They certainly sound more mature than they were previously. While it can't beat the perfect glory of their earlier material, there's no doubting the amount of death/progressive metal fans digging this offering. Anyone who thinks metal can't be Christian is dead wrong. As we wait for the band's next album to come after over a decade-long gap, enjoy this progressive adventure I would highly recommend!

Favorites: "Betrayal", "Open the Gates", "A Gift Beyond Human Reach", "Ministers", "Unveiling the Obscure"

My first experience with technical progressive metallers Extol was when I checked out The Blueprint Dives two and a half years before this review. That album is an alt-ish prog-metal masterpiece. But somehow it wasn't until a year later when I finally embraced the greatness of their discography. Many of their albums are so f***ing perfect! And I'm not kidding about that; Burial and Undeceived are a one-two punch of atmospheric technical/progressive death metal, the latter expanding on that sound with complex ideas. Their catalog has truly made this band an unstoppable force!

Now here we are at their 2003 album Synergy. It is the band's first move to a different style from their earlier deathly sound, taking on more melodic thrash. This change of sound has turned away some earlier fans while winning some new fans who wanted to hear the continuation of progressive/tech-thrash after bands who have attempted that style in the early/mid-90s have faded out. It's safe to say that Extol took a lot of inspiration from fellow Christian progressive thrashers Believer. If Extol kept going with the violins from their deathly first two albums, they could've easily made "Dies Irae 2.0". At least they had first shown their Believer influences in songs like "And I Watch" and their cover of "Shadow of Death". Extol have executed their tech-thrash sound very well in Synergy, with only a fairly short amount of death remaining.

From "Grace for Succession" on, stunning guitars leap around, with ideas extracted from the 1990/1991 albums of Believer and Coroner. The harsh vocals continue their blackened death range, while the cleans have sweet flavor as they shine in the Opeth-like mellow sections. Tech-thrash reaches its height in "Paradigms" which also has lovely female singing by Maria Solheim. "Psychopath" has psychotic shredding and rhythms, while continuing the amazing blend of technical heaviness and more of that Opeth atmosphere. "Blood Red Cover" has more melodic progressiveness ala Fates Warning, hinting at Extol's direction in The Blueprint Dives.

"26 Miles from Marathon" is a fast riff marathon as different speeds collide. You can definitely hear some early 90s Atheist there, especially in the technical labyrinth that then leads to searing shredding. "Confession of Inadequacy" continues the progressive thrash, though they switch from rhythmic aggression to serene balladry for one section. Then we have a full-on thrash attack in "Scraping the Surface". They get closer to their early deathly drama while having some of the operatic drama of Arcturus.

The thrashy diversity sounds so excellent in the somewhat title track "Thrash Synergy". The technical guitarwork definitely has Believer all over, though the speed slows down when they have more psychedelia. "Aperture" is a nice acoustic break from all that madness. Then "Emancipation" snaps you back to riffing aggression while having slight balladry, followed by more of that Atheist-like guitar versatility. "Nihilism 2002" combines the best of both of Extol's worlds with a tech-death/thrash blizzard, then this progressive offering ends with the last bit of psychedelic soloing fading out.

As of this review, I had already reviewed The Blueprint Dives a long time ago and will take on their self-titled comeback album next. But for now, Synergy has really shown the band dialing back the deathly brutality for some dynamic progressive tech-thrash with some Rush-like psychedelics. It also shows an early hint of the accessibility of The Blueprint Dives. There's barely anything awkward about Synergy, and Extol shall continue to delight their audience from time to time!

Favorites: "Grace for Succession", "Psychopath", "26 Miles from Marathon", "Scraping the Surface", "Thrash Synergy", "Nihilism 2002"

Extol was formed in 1993, the year Atheist, Pestilence, and Cynic released their respective prog/tech-death classics. After those bands' activity came to a halt the following year, Extol started expanding the sound left behind, beginning on a more deathly note. Back then, one of the only other Christian death metal bands was Mortification, whose lead vocalist/bassist Steve Rowe signed them to his record label for a 1996 compilation album. This would then lead to their fantastic debut Burial, followed by their second one Undeceived, which expands their sound much further and surpasses the debut by a slight point! While the extreme brutality is still there, dark insane progressiveness takes the lead. There's more prominent violin and cello in some tracks that make the doomy sections sound like My Dying Bride.

Undeceived sounds as if those Christian musicians were hypnotized to take their violent anger out on playing their instruments. The harmonic techniques stand together at once. The fury comes from the power God blessed them with. The preaching lyrics are a little stretchy, but they fit well for the implied battle between God and Satan. The clean singing by guitarist Ole Børud is quite pleasant, and they touch upon the more melodic progressive metal bands like Leprous. They also put the vocal scale in balance together with the growled vocals by Peter Espevoll.

The first track "Inferno" is a beautiful start, especially with the violins in the intro. The title track is a brilliant highlight and might just go down as one of my favorite songs in all of progressive metal. It has everything from the classical intro to deathly aggression, powerful vocals, and thrashy soloing. It's a shame they would completely discard violins from Synergy onwards. Still I'm glad to hear them in all its beauty and bliss. "Time Stands Still" is similarly structured, this time starting with medieval-ish acoustic before the violent storm. "Ember" is another memorable track, and where Børud starts singing his clean vocals. It should be noted that he has had two decades of experience before this album, starting off in a children's singing group.

"Meadows of Silence" is a relaxing acoustic interlude as a nice break from the heaviness. Then "Shelter" has a slower pace that almost reminds of the more sludgy Neurosis. "A Structure of Souls" is a well-structured highlight, once again having Børud take the front stage. "Of Light and Shade" attacks with more of a progressive melodeath sound closer to what Persefone and Insomnium would have a few years later. "Where Sleep Is Rest" is another interlude, this one having beautiful metallic melody that can compete with other progressive and non-progressive metal bands like Burst, Sikth, Sylosis, and Mercenary.

"Renewal" is another one of my favorite tracks in this album. The band can motivate you better than other bands can, especially when Børud's singing sounds inspiring. "Abandoned" is one more interlude that can fit well in a video game soundtrack. "And I Watch" seems to be shaped up by early Believer as well as Trail of Tears and Underoath at that time, thus stirring up another deathly classic to end this masterpiece!

Any non-metal person who thinks metal is the Devil's music would be proven wrong with bands like Extol. Christian metal is real and can be enjoyed by anyone, whether they're Christian or not, whether they're a metalhead or not. This band and their music shall never be forsaken!

Favorites: "Undeceived", "Ember", "A Structure of Souls", "Of Light and Shade", "Renewal", "And I Watch"

I'm not gonna lie, Extol is very much the true definition of Norwegian of black-ish progressive death metal. The more deathly metalheads can get their tech-death from bands like Suffocation and Nile, but I can get it from progressive masterpieces like Extol's debut Burial. One of the greatest albums of extreme technicality!

When it comes to progressive/technical death metal, extreme hyperspeed is often the key. Just as long as it remains progressive and not heading into too much of the brutal side. This album has all of that in savage fury. The heavy brutality also comes in contact with some melody and experimentation. Everything is blended together as it should be, and nothing is out of order.

"Into Another Dimension" is the intro that takes you through just that in a brief minute and a half, the way Into Eternity would but more extreme. It segues to the diverse blackened "Celestial Completion" that I enjoy. The insane title track follows through. "Renhetens Elv" (The River of Purity) is another blackened track with more folk.

The lyrics of God are more prominent in "Superior". Then "Reflections of a Broken Soul" continues the amazingness with more cleans and lyrics of depression. "Justified" takes on the Devil. "Embraced" shines with more heaviness and lyrics of depression.

"Innbydelse" (Invitation) starts off in the first minute sounding somewhere between doomy and almost a slam deathcore breakdown, and then launches into more of the black-ish tech-death. Sadness and sorrow covers "Tears of Bitterness" while maintaining the speed. "Work of Art" is exactly that! And a crushing one too. "Jesus Kom Til Jorden For Å Dø" (Jesus Came to World to Die) is a clean doomy hymn originally written by session keyboardist Arnold Børud, father of guitarist/clean vocalist Ole Børud.

All the extreme technicality you can find is in Extol's 1998 debut. It is one of my favorite albums of progressive/technical death metal, and it's just the start of the band's incredible discography. Extol can really show that extreme progressive greatness exists!

Favorites: "Celestial Completion", "Renhetens Elv", "Reflections of a Broken Soul", "Embraced", "Innbydelse", "Work of Art"

Imagine the look of shock on the faces of many Whitechapel fans when their ears first encounter this album. I didn't have the same feeling since it's only recently when I started listening to and paying attention to this band. They've had quite an active career for over a decade and a half, and since their debut, they've been known as one of the heaviest, toughest, breakdown-fueled deathcore bands around. Although the band's name and that debut album The Somatic Defilement is based on the infamous legend Jack the Ripper, I still enjoy their early brutal material, just as long as it's balanced out by the recent melodic direction. The Valley definitely puts the latter up in great use, suitable for vocalist Phil Bozeman's lyrics about the tragedies of his childhood. Their deathcore in that album is more melodic, atmospheric, and progressive than any of their earlier material, already hinting at a brand new tone the band would have in the following album...

For their new album Kin, the band still have their usual deathcore, all within the low-tuned guitars and bass, and explosive breakdowns. However, the writing here is simplistic yet dramatically detailing more of Bozeman's feelings of his young struggles. The music is actually radio-friendly rather than made for the deathly underground. Once again, they really bring the tone down and became a much different band from the one that made their debut album. This is different from other bands such as Carnifex and Job for a Cowboy that both also released their deathcore debut album in 2007. The former stuck with their blackened deathcore sound, while the latter switched to prog-death. Kin shows Whitechapel taking on more of a progressive/alternative metal sound for the most part, it's not really bad at all. It's something wonderful to embrace!

The opening song "I Will Find You" already makes their new sound clear by combining the distorted heaviness with beautiful cleanliness. Up next is "Lost Boy" which brings back some of the band's earlier intensity, especially in the drumming. "A Bloodsoaked Symphony" is the closest the band has gone to deathcore in this album. The typical heaviness of that genre can be heard again in the drumming, though in a djenty marching pace. "Anticure" is a perfect emotional lament. It kinda reminds me of some of the slower ballad-like Trivium songs!

"The Ones That Made Us" then showcases a bit of the heavier side of Trivium mixed with All Shall Perish. "History is Silent" is another wholesome power ballad. "To the Wolves" leans into a melodeath-groove combo to remind some of DevilDriver, including a melodic and technical guitar solo.

I must admit, "Orphan" is quite a tear-jerker. Bozeman's vocals and lyrics sound so emotional, though the music is a little too soft with barely any steam and no crushing heaviness at all. "Without You" has nothing going on except serene acoustic guitar. "Without Us" mixes clean atmosphere with stomping djenty deathcore aggression. Don't expect too much viciousness in the title track, with the first half being practically acoustic. However, the second half reprises the melodeath heaviness in the instrumentation.

All in all, we get to hear more about Bozeman's journey to fight the demons of his past. Kin can be a bit bumpy in some places, but the experience is never heavily soiled, unlike a couple ugly mid-2010s albums. Kin is a pleasant surprise, and I hope in the future, Whitechapel can take this new direction to the next level....

Favorites: "I Will Find You", "Anticure", "The Ones That Made Us", "To the Wolves", "Without Us"

Since the mid-2000s, Whitechapel has proven themselves to be a true developer in deathcore, a metalcore genre so extreme yet controversial in the metal community. As much of a plague people might consider the genre, it's innovative forces like Whitechapel that lessen the bad rep deathcore has gained. The more brutal bands (more brutal than my comfort zone) Carnifex and Job for a Cowboy have taken their brutal aggression from Whitechapel's earlier albums that in turn have some Suffocation influence...

Recently, however, the extreme aggression in their sound became much less. Their usual deathcore is still around in Our Endless War and Mark of the Blade, but those albums marked the beginning of the band's more progressive djenty side, especially in the latter album. Longtime fans hated this softer direction, especially they go far into clean singing. Personally, though I like the more melodic clean moments, it's the djenty side (which I normally like) that's in the wrong. It's too over-the-top and experimental for the band's standards. 3 years later, the band fix everything with The Valley. It's more progressive yet the heavier riffing is brought back to form. An excellent balance!

Starting this journey is "When a Demon Defiles a Witch", in which they continue to shine with their usual deathcore at its d*mn heaviest here! Right after the short acoustic intro is when you experience the fast aggression of the drums and guitars. And there's more of that chaos to come... "Forgiveness Is Weakness" returns to more of the band's earlier sound. "Brimstone" takes on the band's more groove-ish side. Power ballad "Hickory Creek" is definitely different, the first song by the band to be entirely clean-sung.

"Black Bear" is more of a groove/nu metal-ish track a bit like Korn in the riffing. However, it's so catchy, unlike in the previous two albums that didn't mix right. "We Are One" once again throws back to the classic sound, with some incredible soloing. "The Other Side" has more of that groove.

"Third Depth" can switch from clean to heavy without being too abrupt. You can also hear the bass sounding more audible and muddy in a nice way. It's a beautiful heavy sludge-ish tune that has put the deathcore sound to a halt. The sludge continues in "Lovelace" while keeping the deathcore fury. "Doom Woods" isn't the band's first rodeo when it comes to 6-minute epics. This time, it's a doomy deathcore track similar to what The Acacia Strain were going for that year. Could've been more fulfilling though...

At last, the solid production is back on! Mark Lewis, who has produced albums by bands like Trivium, helped the band bring back the earlier greatness. It's like the sound of the previous two albums has been enhanced and mixed with their earlier days. The old and new are combined in The Valley, bringing the band's glory back to their fans' lives!

Favorites: "When a Demon Defiles a Witch", "Forgiveness Is Weakness", "Hickory Creek", "We Are One", "Third Depth"

With an album title like Mark of the Blade, you might think the band would make a better mark at their new direction. Unfortunately, it's more mixed than Our Endless War is and not an album I would return to commonly. It's not entirely bad, and I enjoy some parts of it as much as their better earlier material. However, the direction continues to bring the band backwards from the top. The ideas that pop up just aren't fresh or natural enough to stick like a Post-It...

The powerhouse production adds to the album's good side, with thrash/melodeath-like rhythms in the guitar that switching into the usual djenty deathcore grooves, but the problem is, they can't decide where to stick with, so it's a bit messy at times. The bass bounces on you during the hardcore breakdowns that punch through the air.

The album starts off promising in "The Void", with kick-A speed and aggression, but the djenty riffing in the chorus can be annoying. The title track sounds too nu metal-ish for my liking. "Elitist Ones" leans towards the metal/hardcore of Hatebreed that I like, but it's ruined by the hip-hop-like sh*t of Biohazard in the way the vocals are performed. Then we have a brief ominous start to "Bring Me Home" with soothing guitar, and we get to hear clean singing from this band for the first time, sounding a bit like Maynard James Keenan from TOOL and a Perfect Circle. The rhythms are still crushing while in that ballad-like pace. That's where the band should be taking their new direction!

I'm skipping a few songs because of how bad they are for me. "A Killing Industry" comes d*mn close there. The band sounds hypocritical in that song, with lyrics of learning about mistakes and evolving, not writing sh*tty albums for the sake of commercial success, all while growling "I JUST DON'T GIVE A F***!!!" Yet it's just the same ol' nu metal tainting their deathcore, eliminating what makes them unique and soiling the legacy of the genre they added positive light to. The lyrics in "Tormented" have much better anger despite the vocals sounding hoarse. Beautiful melodies and violent rhythms are in a good mix. The instrumental "Brotherhood" sounds interesting in the melodies and solos to make up for some of the lameness. Skipping ahead to "Decennium", this 6-minute closer has better clean vocals mixed well with the growls from the abyss.

To h*ll with over half of this album! The poor songs sound so funny, and not the laughing kind. I wouldn't wanna keep falling into this trap. Is this sh*t really the deathcore I thought I knew?! Well they can diversify the aggression to the point where it almost becomes progressive, but the way they do it is often improper and becomes kind of a nuisance. Yes, I know that Whitechapel can write real songs, and they've written fantastic ones, evident in their earlier material. It's just the riffs and lyrics in this album that don't suit me quite well. They had lost some effort they could've had, and that was since their previous album Our Endless War which was only slightly better. High amount of accessibility aside, there's still a bit of the greatness of the band's first 4 albums in the few great songs. I can jump around in delight like a toddler in those great moments. So yeah, this sh*t isn't f***ing enough to constitute an awesome album. Has potential, but not fully fulfilled....

Favorites (only songs I like): "Bring Me Home", "Tormented", "Brotherhood", "Decennium"

Deathcore is pretty much the Voldemort of the metal community. The more pure metalheads are used to the thrash/death metal of the 80s and early 90s. However, those two genres were knocked off the popularity throne in the late 90s and early 2000s. The late 2000s/early 2010s was when deathcore was on the rise. There are actually a few bands like Whitechapel that display the genre properly. Their previous two albums have true maturity, especially the latter. Will they have the same in this album?...

Surprisingly not. It seems like they took a step backwards when it comes to the guitars. Whitechapel is known for their 3-guitarist part of the lineup, and that aspect really enhances the wall of sound the band create, whether or not it's fully utilized. What makes this guitarist trio great is the soloing by lead guitarist Ben Savage and the dissonant riff rhythms by the other two guitarists Alex Wade and Zach Householder. For this album, the riffing has far more of a djenty groove. While there's no problem with that in my opinion, they could've at least kept the leads and atmosphere, but no. Instead, those are reduced, and that less effective sound really puts a dent in the album's quality.

The title of the intro "Rise" says it all. The instrumentation rises as you prepare for a revolution, though it's not as revolutionary as the previous two albums are... The crushing title track speeds things up without ever letting go. "The Saw is the Law" has a djentcore riff in the intro, but it's so mediocre and annoying, and anyone moshing would just be shaking around like a seizure-prone robot. The speedier riffs are better, though they keep returning to that d*mn slow riff. "Mono" continues that bad-a** fast riffing.

"Let Me Burn" has slow monotone sections while still having that awesome riffing speed. "Worship the Digital Age" fires away in deathly fury to make up a lot for the mediocrity, includes killer growls and blast beats. I enjoy that! "How Times Have Changed" once again sets aside fast aggression for slow dullness.

"Psychopathy" starts with a strange yet beautiful moment, an atmospheric bass intro that is then decimated by the usual heavy chaos. "Blacked Out" strays away from pretty much any of the slow djent. There are cool leads and riffs, and Sonic-fast bass and drums to please even the heavier metalheads. Last up is "Diggs Road", which is perhaps the most solid way out in great effect. We have a nice guitar melody, and not one but two solos. Wow! That definitely makes up for the earlier disappointments.

What we have in this album is pretty good music that is sadly often f***ed up by mediocre riffing. I thought it would have the same kind of attention-grabbing perfection as the previous two albums, but that wasn't the case. Of course, I still like Our Endless War. It's worth good listening. Still this is the prelude to a different era coming up next....

Favorites: "Our Endless War", "Mono", "Worship the Digital Age", "Blacked Out", "Diggs Road"

With the creation of their 2012 self-titled album, Whitechapel was really rolling the dice. They were taking on a different direction compared to their brutal starter trio. The Somatic Defilement was a solid extreme start. This is Exile showed some improvement building. Then A New Era of Corruption rules on the throne. So what about their 2012 album? Sharing the throne! What's different is, there are more melodies and solos than before, and that really shows how unique the band is in deathcore!

Alongside the melody, there's also more atmosphere in the music. It adds to the uniqueness of the sound, and even gives the songs in this album some difference from the ones in their previous albums. For the guitars, technicality is added more to the mix while standing by what they're known for. The guitar trio continue to work as part of the team, as the noise-ridden walls continue to fall and crush, though it can work just as well with just two guitarists instead of 3. And like I said, there are more guitar solos! If you thought the band's previous albums have common soloing, there are so many of them here that DragonForce would be amazed.

"Make It Bleed" starts the album as my favorite here! That sweet piano intro is a wonderous change of pace, right before the deathcore fury crashes in. The guitar solo is one of the finest I've heard from this band. "Hate Creation" is enjoyable as well, especially in the breakdowns, filled with sh*ts-load of brutality. His attempt at cleans when he says "I'm so sick of all these people" kinda brings down a few percentage points though. "(Cult)uralist" has some of that kick-A soloing.

"I, Dementia" is another favorite of mine here, and it has another top-notch solo for this band! The breakdown here is in the same tempo as the song, but it's much better for the structure than for that of previous songs. The riffing during that is definitely welcome! There's some more of the clean whispering, but it greatly adds to the atmosphere. "Section 8" has a pretty chorus. "Faces" has some greatness that is missing from people listening to deathcore without an open mind. Same with "Dead Silence" which is absolutely satisfying for heavier listeners.

It segues into "The Night Remains", which doesn't grab my attention too much, but it's still very solid. The instrumental "Devoid" has nice soft piano just like in the beginning of the album, but then it makes an excellent switch into a deathcore breakdown, like soldiers getting for the final war... "Possibilities of an Impossible Existence" unleashes the last of the album's power before the album ends where it began, with that beautiful piano melody. It's so great!

Although you can think of this release as a concept album, it's the band's first two albums that follow a lyrical concept. Whatever your opinion is, if it's polarizing, you probably haven't paid close attention to the band's maturity, as this album has the most of it. This and A New Era of Corruption make the band's greatest album duo!

Favorites: "Make It Bleed", "I, Dementia", "Faces", "Dead Silence", "Possibilities of an Impossible Existence"

Since their formation, Whitechapel has made some kick-A albums. Their debut The Somatic Defilement kicks off their journey with brutal heaviness. Their sophomore album This is Exile is more diverse and unique than some of the bands they influenced like Impending Doom and Oceano. Further cementing the band's position in the modern metal scene is their perfect 3rd-time charm A New Era of Corruption! The more serious metalheads might hate it, but it's something for me, a Revolution guy, to love.

The music in this album and the previous two help make the band stand out. Why? GUITAR SOLOS, Y'ALL!!! People should stop judging a band by their genre. Deathcore isn't always just replacing solos with breakdowns. Just because not every song in the album has solos, doesn't mean there's none. And there's a f*** lot of them to be found here!

"Devolver" already shows the band's evolution since their previous two albums, and the chorus riff is so unique compared to other deathcore bands that rely on the more generic. The guitar soloing that should level up deathcore's appealing factor appears in "Breeding Violence", a violently pleasant highlight. Next track "The Darkest Day of Man" transforms from mid-tempo groove into fast thrash, even leaning close to melodeath practically reminiscent of The Black Dahlia Murder, while occasionally bouncing into the song's usual slam groove. All of that gives more dynamics to the riffing for more terrifying effect. More bloodthirsty rhythms appear in "Reprogrammed to Hate". It's a more diverse song, especially in the last third, with more of the guitar soloing, a nice small bass solo, and vocal chanting and shrieking by Deftones' Chino Moreno.

The guitars have more variety in "End of Flesh", particularly halfway through when some Latin-like acoustics come in briefly. "Unnerving" is another standout with background keyboards sounding like part of a horror movie. The riffing that appears in "A Future Corrupt" pummels through along with some more soloing, this time by Jason Suecof, a metal guitarist and record producer known for his production work with bands like All That Remains, Trivium, and Chelsea Grin. "Prayer of Mockery" has more of the searing soloing to mock deathcore haters.

There's something mesmerizing about "Murder Sermon", and that would be the soft bridge around two and a half minutes in. It nicely balances out with the guest vocals by The Acacia Strain frontman Vincent Bennett appearing shortly after. "Necromechanical" has one more solo by Jason Suecof. It segues into "Single File to Dehumanization", having soft dark melody before the crushing breakdown the greatest deathcore fans expect from the band. A beautiful acoustic outro closes everything.

Anyone who think Bring Me the Horizon have a more tough-guy image than Whitechapel might have to reconsider that thought. Unworldly growls, apocalyptic lyrics, crushing breakdowns, cool riffing, and a d*mn lot of soloing! What's not tough about all that?! Bring Me the Horizon had already moved out of deathcore and later switched to softer territory. Whitechapel should be convincing enough for metalheads to realize how f***ing heavy this band is. Just ignore the haters and don't expect anything happy and sunny here. A New Era of Corruption is an epic winner in deathcore. Satisfaction guaranteed for fans of the genre!

Favorites: "Devolver", "Breeding Violence", "Reprogrammed to Hate", "Unnerving", "Murder Sermon", "Single File to Dehumanization"

Whitechapel started their career quite well their debut The Somatic Defilement, having gained quite a fanbase in the deathcore community. They switched from Candlelight Records to Metal Blade for their next album, and will the momentum help keep them steady? F*** yes! It's more accessible yet appealing to people such as myself who like growls and breakdowns. They also added some new variety to make things more flavorful.

While the death metal influences are still here, the brutality is reduced to make way for more melody. Some can consider this right between the lines of As I Lay Dying and Devourment. Adding to the melodic vibe is more common usage of soloing. Not a lot deathcore bands do soloing, but Whitechapel has a lot of them!

Beginning the opening track "Father of Lies" are some standard deathcore blast beats right out of nowhere. The title track uses kind of an oriental harmonic guitar scale, especially in the breakdown when one guitar plays the melody, while the other two play the ravaging rhythm. The riffing in "Possession" is quite decent, along with the soloing that adds more of the variety.

"To All That Are Dead" is brilliant in the soloing, and it really helps out the album! Sure there's another breakdown, but it's never repeated. The Red Chord's Guy Kozowyk guest appears in "Exalt" and marks a killer change of pace from the growls/screams of Phil Bozeman. As "Somatically Incorrect" approaches its ending, the riffing is a bit irritating while still tolerable. Instrumental track "Death Becomes Him" seems to lose a bit of strength, but it works as a well-needed intermission in the middle of such a deathly album before we can continue the storm.

One song that isn't the best, yet can be considered great, is "Daemon (The Procreated)". A fantastic breakdown starts the song, but the melody is a bit laughable. The guitar notes are all over the place, adding to the song's technicality. Then we have the repeated vocal shouts of "DAEMON!!!" The breakdowns still work, but the riffing is somewhat forgettable. The ending breakdown has Phil shouting "THIS IS THE END OF ALL LIFE!" Now this breakdown would've been as awesome as the previous ones in the song and some previous ones, if the vocals didn't sound so f***ing faded. It's more comedic than demonic! "Eternal Refuge" has a slower tempo. Its breakdown is much slower than what Emmure and Bring Me the Horizon at that time have performed, sounding a bit sludgy. I like that! The unnecessary interlude "Of Legions". It builds up through spacey effects before a breakdown that lasts too long to be good. Despite its mediocrity, it all leads to the finale to remind you why this album is amazing... "Messiahbolical" starts heavy, then switches to an ambient bridge, and finally ends with Phil's repeated growls of "I AM THE END!!!!". A great ending highlight here!

Despite how amazing this album is, the flaws that keep the album a half-star short of total perfection include the lack of bass, lyrical immaturity, a few songs having poor riffing and too much vocal effect, and the interludes that could've been improved. Nonetheless, if you're looking for deathly madness, you know what this is... THIS IS EXILE!

Favorites: "This is Exile", "To All That Are Dead", "Exalt", "Eternal Refuge", "Messiahbolical"

Although the kind of deathcore I prefer is when bands perform the genre with progressive (Veil of Maya, Born of Osiris) and symphonic (Lorna Shore, Make Them Suffer) elements, the heavier standard deathcore has spawned a few better bands of that kind. It's quite interesting, considering they're named after basically murder central for the infamous Jack the Ripper. Of course, what makes this band more suitable for me is their recent alt-/prog metal material, which we'll get to as my review journey goes on...

You can expect positive reviews from open-minded critics, but you can also expect scathing negative reviews from pure metalheads who want nothing to do with deathcore since Job for a Cowboy at that time. However, Whitechapel is not as horrible as those people think, and even their least awesome yet still great debut proves it!

The Somatic Defilement begins with a spooky horror intro "Necrotizing" as the deathcore drumming rises. Then rolling in is the crushing title track, non-stop brutal fury until the one-minute orchestral outro. The intro riff in "Devirgination Studies" stands out, along with eerie ambience in the breakdown midway through. Another intro riff stands out in  "Prostatic Fluid Asphyxiation", though not as much as in the previous track.

There's more of an earlier blackened death metal influence in "Fairy Fay". Continuing on, a breakdown and soloing harmonies are combined in "Ear to Ear" that make that song one of the highlights here, and prove that 3 guitars don't spoil the broth. Starting "Alone In The Morgue" is another standout riff.

You can hear a bit of grindcore in the suitably shorter and furious "Festering Fiesta". The death metal side of the band "Vicer Exciser" is more brutal, worth moshing along to the beat. The vocal layers work the best in the 4-minute closing track "Articulo Mortis", especially at the end when vocalist Phil Bozeman says "And then you rot" in both his high screams and low growls before fading into feedback. Ain't that a spine-chilling way to end!

If you're up for the more deathly side of The Revolution clan, The Somatic Defilement has gory yet unique lyrics based on the legend in which its hometown would inspire the band's name, and an extreme sound without ever going experimental or progressive. See? This solid brand of deathcore is never as disappointing as you would believe....

Favorites: "The Somatic Defilement", "Devirgination Studies", "Ear to Ear", "Alone In The Morgue", "Articulo Mortis"

25 years on and Unearth continues to light the metalcore torch. Alongside other bands like Lamb of God, Shadows Fall, Hatebreed, and God Forbid, this band has engraved their name into the New Wave of American Heavy Metal stone. However, with both founding rhythm guitarist Ken Susi and recent drummer Nick Pierce having just left the band and joined As I Lay Dying, it seemed like the torch might end up being put out...

Fortunately, their new album The Wretched; the Ruinous, has some of their heaviest diversity yet! The album contains Nick Pierce's last recordings with the band, though with earlier drummer Mike Justian rejoining the band later, I hope the band can make some albums with Mike in the future to restore the perfection of The Oncoming Storm.

Starting off the action right away is the spectacular title opener. This is perhaps the best track I've heard from the band in ages! Alongside some aggressive energy, guitarist Buz McGrath packs some punches with his melodic shredding force. Vocalist Trevor Phipps keeps his vocals moving forward, especially in the ending deep viking-esque chant of "No heroes... Year zero..." Different layers give the song diverse brilliance! "Cremation of the Living" has more of that excellent metalcore sound, a Gothenburg-style anthem with the riffs, vocals, and breakdowns throwing back to the mid-2000s, in a way where they can really do it! Next track "Eradicator" again has the At the Gates/In Flames melodeath style blend with moshing metalcore breakdowns, keep you interested in the heaviness.

What makes this album show the band at its strongest is the contrasting experimentation, as you can hear in "Mother Betrayal". It flashbacks to the band's earlier beauty from 20 years ago then twists it with the closest the band has gotten to black metal. With that and McGrath's sonic leads, that song is another epic standout. Then we have the thrash-blasting "Invictus". The strong breakdown isn't highly hardcore, but it has the brutal-melodic blend of Shogun-era Trivium. "Call of Existence" continues the melodic sound taken from Miss May I and The Browning (minus the electronics of the latter). Deeper down the line is "Dawn of the Militant", having more of the classic metallic hardcore sound of Earth Crisis and Strife, with great b*lls. This is solid heaviness we really need. It then leads to perhaps the most brutal breakdown the band has ever made. Absolutely killer sh*t right there!

"Aniara" is a soft acoustic interlude to start the final third of the album. "Into the Abyss" pulls you back into the heavier melodeath-infused drama of In Flames and Dark Tranquillity. One true surprise in this offering is "Broken Arrow" which is more of a straight rocker. Some can be reminded of Queen of the Stone Age at some points. Nonetheless, their 2000s metalcore throwback is still on as the guitar leads, riffs, and breakdowns continue to crush. The album's closing track "Theaters of War" concludes quite strongly, like everything has lead up to this point. It all ends in a hellbent breakdown unleashed in a punishing catastrophe to break the world apart.

The Wretched; The Ruinous marks both the end of an era and the beginning of a new one. The band can continue what has made them great while adding in nice surprises. The metalcore sound is still in their hearts. This album is filled with amazing hard-hitters and occasional experimentation. Their fame shall be kept high!

Favorites: "The Wretched; the Ruinous", "Eradicator", "Mother Betrayal", "Invictus", "Dawn of the Militant", "Theaters of War"

The first ever Death live album turned out to be one of two released near the end of the band's tenure, the other being Live in Eindhoven. Those albums were released to raise money to help treat Death founder Chuck Schuldiner when he was having his brain cancer, which he tragically succumbed to by the end of that year, thus ending the band and his side-project Control Denied. He put Death on hold for Control Denied, so this live performance became one of the last for the band. The setlist is heavily focused on the band's 4 albums from their progressive/tech-death era, with only two songs from their earlier death metal era. A solid setlist for anyone with even slight interest in Death!

Chuck could show how well he could perform with the band's final lineup. Bassist Scott Clendenin (who also passed away, in 2015) may not have been in the same level as Steve DiGiorgio, but he still sounds excellent. He can fill in the background of the guitars performed by Chuck and Shannon Hamm, and the drums performed by Richard Christy. Anyone one looking for clear audible bass, it's all in here.

A strange Halloween-ish intro begins the show, setting things up for the energetic "The Philosopher". It has catchy groove to fit well through the tempo changes for a technical standout. The bass can be heard and loud, especially when it transitions to the next track... "Spirit Crusher" is a notable highlight with riffing mixing brutality and melody, the latter appearing more in the chorus. Then "Trapped in a Corner" opens with one of the best leads I've heard from a tech-death band, though the heaviness is a bit unbalanced. "Scavenger of Human Sorrow" shows temporary drummer Richard Christy peaking at every minute from the beginning onwards with his massive drum skills. I say temporary because he only appeared in this album along with the rest of the lineup besides Schuldiner. The other two members are Scott Clendenin, who plays cold deep bass, thick to the core and as different as possible from the riffing, with thoughtful effort on his performance; and Shannon Hamm, playing great guitar rhythm, essential for a tight contrast with Schuldiner's leads.

"Crystal Mountain" charges through with catchy bass and strong guitar with a cleaner tone, sounding mystical as the song closes. Another one of the best is "Flesh and the Power it Holds", a legendary 8-minute epic filled with mesmerizing instrumentation, unforgettable soloing and brilliant lyrics. Next song "Zero Tolerance" is more aggressive while complex, and the title reminds of that extreme metal magazine Zero Tolerance, which I bought an issue last week as of this review (Book review to be worked on when not too busy). The more deathly fans finally get what they want with "Zombie Ritual" from the band's debut Scream Bloody Gore, with sick riffing in the intro. For the more progressive fans, there's still more of their final sound to come...

"Suicide Machine" is a classic example of their progressive direction. Half the riffs are heavy and the other half is melodic, both especially in the climatic pre-chorus. The mind-blowing time changes are unexpected but keeps things stable. There are extreme sections alongside a famous chorus hook. "Together as One" has mind-f***ing rhythms, along with bass pumping through the thrashy death of Sadus at that time. "Empty Words" is a solid blend of accessible, aggressive, and progressive that should appeal to the more progressive fans such as myself. The title track of Symbolic is an incredible highlight with tons of transitions. Finally, we get to the last track "Pull the Plug", but before playing the actual song, they play the Charlie's Angels theme! A bit confusing, but it leads to the actual song from the band's second album Leprosy, actually one of the best tracks I've heard in standard death metal, with emotional riffing and an epic solo. Incredible! I gotta listen to the original studio version.

I wouldn't say this is the best live performance to end the band's activity in a bang, but there are some great highlights here! Death fans should really pick up this album, and maybe also the DVD edition for a more worthwhile visual experience. RIP Chuck Schuldiner and Scott Clendenin.....

Favorites (one highlight per album): "The Philosopher", "Flesh and the Power it Holds", "Zombie Ritual", "Suicide Machine", "Symbolic", "Pull the Plug"

Persuader was one of the bands I started listening to a couple years ago in an attempt to revive my power metal interest. What was once an incredible genre ended up being generic and out of place for the taste in metal going a more modern heavy direction. And despite the motivation to revive my more melodic past, it all ended up blowing up in my face a year after I discovered this band...

Fast forward to a year later when I was helping Xephyr with the Guardians playlists in his absence, the results of which gave me the courage to give this album another go. And it still blows my mind away! With melodic yet heavy riffing and amazing vocals, I'm glad to still recognize most of the greatness of this Swedish power metal band.

The album's strong opener "Twisted Eyes" begins with a sampled line from Alec Baldwin in the film Malice, "You ask me if I have a God complex? Let me tell you something... I am God." Then we blast off through great riffing and vocals. The track has some impressive technical soloing, and there's plenty more in this album. Another track to carve the band's name into the power metal stone is "Slaves of Labour". Same thing with "Sending You Back".

"R.S. Knights" is suitable for some mighty combat battles in RuneScape, which I'm guessing is where the name comes from if the band members play that MMORPG. That song and "The Return" have nice soloing. Many songs are fast enough to almost be considered melodic thrash like the title track. The song that got me into this band via an earlier Guardians playlist is "Judas Immortal", and it's still so awesome! It starts with a Nevermore-like rapid-fire thrash intro, then the vocals come in once again reminding me of Blind Guardian's Hansi Kürsch. Speedy power metal adrenaline from this underrated band!

"Doomsday News" has more impressive vocals. The sing-along chorus has some power metal glory that still touches my heart. The small amount of harsh vocals have a bit of a Children of Bodom vibe. All that's missing is keyboards for soloing, but that would cause too much cheese. Well, the interlude "Zion" has a bit of electronic sampling that leads into beautiful guitar melody. Fast bass and drums blast through "Enter Reality", though I think that closing track is a bit of an afterthought for me. Oh well...

Apparently, Persuader had some turbulence after this album's release which caused the next one's delay. Their label at the time, Dockyard 1 Records shut down, and the band members were focused on other projects. Still the band had strong determination in their writing, and When Eden Burns should've given this underrated band more attention!

Favorites: "Twisted Eyes", "R.S. Knights", "When Eden Burns", "Judas Immortal", "Doomsday News"

"A quasi progressive spot that was lacking on the new Katatonia record", huh? I'm up for the challenge of finding out if this album is more progressive than Sky Void of Stars has ever been. I mean, that's how I like a bit of alt-metal, isn't it? When it has that progressive edge... Yeah, let's see how this one flies in the progressive zone. (SPOILER: There is some strong progressiveness in this release!)

Klone has quite some brooding atmosphere in their music. And seeing how this band made 7 albums including this one in nearly two decades, I'm stunned by how little attention they've received, so much so that I haven't even heard of this band until now. Their new album Meanwhile shall keep you engaged to its technical emotion.

I won't object at all to "Within Reach" being the album's lead single. Guitars and bass sweep nicely under the powerful vocal harmonies of Yann Linger. The guitar reverb truly create some atmosphere with the sinister aggression. Standing strong is "Blink of an Eye" that will keep you tuned into the band's progressive alt-rock/metal sound. Subtle tones almost reach jazzy progressive territory while staying accessible. Somber guitar melody roams in "Bystander" within a progressive structure.

"Scarcity" is more mellow. "Elusive" has a blend of hopeful and hopeless tones, showing true emotions while never sticking in just one of them. "Apnea" stands by the average song length of over 5 minutes, while making interesting subtle changes in time signatures. The band can really have some confidence and control when it comes to that ability. The irregular time signature changes go further in the satisfying storm that is "The Unknown", and it's filled with cinematic delight! And I thought only Amorphis knew how to go all-out progressive in songs that are under 5 minutes long.

A bit sluggish after that monumental highlight, "Night and Day" meanders a bit while having some indulgence. "Disobedience" pulls things through a more direct pace with satisfying drumming. The title finale of the album descends into darker complexity, especially midway through when you can let go of any expectations and witness the unexpected magic happen. By the ending cacophonic climax, you feel up to giving that experience another go!

With this mournful yet powerful blend of guitars, bass, and vocals, Meanwhile shows how grand progressive alt-rock/metal can be. Despite a bit of hauling in a few tracks, you know how much confidence the band has when experimenting with darkness and light....

Favorites: "Within Reach", "Blink of an Eye", "Apnea", "The Unknown", "Meanwhile"

If you were to ask the earlier metalheads for their favorite supergroup, would they say Anthrax spin-off band Stormtroopers of Death? Most likely. The answer may vary for metalheads of different styles or eras, all wanting to hear several members of their favorite bands united. Azusa isn't my favorite supergroup, but it's real close! The group was formed by two members of Extol and Absurd2, guitarist Christer Espevoll and drummer David Husvik. Joining them is The Dillinger Escape Plan bassist Liam Wilson and Sea + Air vocalist Eleni Zafiriadou, all ready to shock the world!

Coming from the US, Norway, and Greece, the band perform a solid modern avant-garde-ish progressive metal to remind some of Ram-Zet's sound bleeding into Extol. And you know what? Eleni can perhaps be the most versatile female vocalist I've known, practically surpassing Julie Christmas and Karyn Crisis. From singing to screaming and even whispering, a lot of drama is created to make this experience out of the ordinary.

The twisted thrashy opener "Interstellar Islands" will get you headbanging in delight right away. As thrashy as the backbone is, there's a bit of the atmosphere that would appear more in the rest of the album. Things get calmer amongst the alt-metal parts of "Heart of Stone" that isn't too far from Stolen Babies. The title track has the frantic mathcore of TDEP, though slightly plain and predictable. "Fine Lines" takes a break from the recent Veil of Maya-ish extreme djenty progressive metal for something softer and ominous, like one of Julie Christmas' post-metal works.

We take a space trip through "Lost in the Ether" that's like a more dissonant and chaotic on the thrashy progressive metal sound of late 80s Voivod. "Spellbinder" adds in a bit of the ambient progressiveness of Born of Osiris, while replacing that band's metalcore with tech-thrash. There's also an excellent ballad, "Programmed to Distress".

You shouldn't be too surprised by the sudden switch to thrashy intensity in "Eternal Echo", and instead enjoy the moshing passion. The awesome "Iniquitous Spiritual Praxis" frantically switches through different tempos and time signatures, all from different corners, in just under 4 minutes, unlike those other extreme progressive metal bands that make long epics. "Succumb to Sorrow" is shorter but reminds me of the heavier Persefone. "Distant Call" ends it all with a bit of the djenty side of Architects.

You can never stop appreciating how original this band can be once you hear this album, ranging from beautiful to nefarious with barely any limits. Although this might not be for everyone on Earth, Azusa has made the kind of sound the future really needs. For this supergroup, greatness shall not die!

Favorites: "Interstellar Islands", "Heart of Stone", "Lost in the Ether", "Spellbinder", "Programmed to Distress", "Iniquitous Spiritual Praxis"

Wow... Who would've thought one of the Big 4 of American thrash and the inspiration for Kerrang! journalist Malcolm Dome coining the phrase "thrash metal" would also make a song that has kickstarted rap metal, in the same year as their third-time charm Among the Living? Now ain't that somethin'!

It was during the tour for that album in 1987 when the band's popularity was immensely increasing, and they decided to make a fun little "thank you" gift for their supportive growing fans. However, the more metal fans consider it more of a "f*** you" gift, thinking they're selling out. Of course, the band made it as a joke. They're still the influential thrash metal band they have been, though they did end up selling out with a groove/alt-metal sounds in most of the 90s...

Here we have 3 different versions of the title track. The first one is a censored version, which is only useful for radios and clubs. The original version is a fun hilarious metal rap performed by the band members, not just in the instruments. The rappers keep messing up their verses in a funny way "I'll steal your pop tarts like I stole your...socks!" And the chorus paraphrases a line spoken by Taylor Negron in the movie Easy Money, "I'm so bad I should be in detention, I'm the man!", while sampling "Hava Nagila" in Dan Spitz's riffing. Even the live version has some humor! Halfway through, the band tells the crowd to yell "JOEY F***ED UP!!!" and then calls them f***ing mean.

Also recorded for the EP is a great cover of Black Sabbath's "Sabbath Bloody Sabbath". This is the year when Metallica released their Garage Days EP, so Anthrax is not the only thrash band who had the small bonus EP idea that year. While Anthrax did not record any other covers like Metallica in Garage Days, they probably should've made some more cover that would kick a**.

There are also a couple great live renditions of songs from Among the Living, starting with "Caught in a Mosh", a brilliant moshing thrash anthem almost rivaling the anthems of Metallica and Exodus, with out-of-this-world speed. The headbanging breakdown is definitely worth moshing to, brushing aside the comedic lyrics that are still genius ("Stomp stomp stomp the idiot convention, which one of these words don't you understand?"). The chorus to shout along to is the most impressive here. There's hardcore thrash in this house! Next, "I Am the Law" is one of the more classic thrash hits, but I don't enjoy the singing here. The moshing riffing is fun though.

This EP doesn't hit me with as much greatness and Among the Living, but it's essential for true fans of the band. You can hear the band be themselves, be like Black Sabbath, and be rappers. Although I'll never truly be a fan of rap metal, I can understand how well they broke the walls between those two separate genres, and that is respectable....

Favorites: "I'm the Man" (original), "Sabbath Bloody Sabbath" (Black Sabbath cover), "Caught in a Mosh" (live)

Looking for the best of Godflesh's breakthrough debut in a live recording originally part of a broadcast in which the audio version wasn't released until 25 years later? Look no further to the Earache Peel Sessions! This EP was part of a split album with Carcass whose side consisted of songs from their goregrind era. In Godflesh's side, 4 of my favorite tracks from their debut Streetcleaner (including the Tiny Tears EP) are performed greatly in industrial metal grace.

The first half is a couple tracks from the unreleased "Tiny Tears" EP, starting with the title track... "Tiny Tears", probably my favorite song of that EP/side! "Wound" is another standout with its main riff bringing down even the tallest and most stable building.

Heading into the Streetcleaner side, "Pulp" is another favorite here that can pulverize you into a pulp with the bass and drum machine rolling under the burning guitar slashing through vocals in a hopeless crescendo yelling "PULP" repeatedly until the last breath. The heavier groove-driven side stands strong in the well-known tune "Like Rats", a furious groove track with a noise-powered bridge ("You breed...like rats!!").

Wow, this EP has really blown my mind like the guy in the album cover. This is very well a true display of their earlier material, and it can certainly please Godflesh fans in the present as it did back in 1989. 17 minutes of perfect industrial metal bliss!

Favorites (all of them, but if we're doing one per each half): "Tiny Tears", "Pulp"

Skrew is not a band you wanna screw around with. Their earlier material displays an industrial metal sound similar to late 80s Ministry, and it's no surprise considering the two bands working together. There are some interesting things about Skrew's debut Burning in Water, Drowning in Flame, such as the odd variation. While having some metal they would have more of in Dusted, the thrashy guitars are in the back of the line compared to the industrial samples. And this is high in quality for an early 90s album! Clearly, they learned from the guys who made The Mind is a Terrible Thing to Taste when it comes to the sampling > guitars approach.

And who's the leader of the pack? F***ing Adam Grossman, that's who! His vocals and guitars at the heart and soul of the band, as the percussion and riffs stay present. The issue is, the burning riffs keep getting doused by the drowning vocal effects that aren't use much anywhere else. Still it's slightly less repetitive than some of Ministry's songs. As proficient as the album is, they seem to lose that aspect when they add in some experimentation.

The intro "Orifice" is quite horrifying with indecipherable sounds of scared women and psychotic men. Then the title track unleashes as much industrial destruction as The Mind is a Terrible Thing to Taste. "Cold Angel Press" is the best in both the song title and the song itself, even bringing back the horror film vibe in the vocals. "Charlemagne" makes an incredible contrast between mellow psychedelia and headbanging speed. The moshing aggression goes on in "Gemini", which can almost be considered a blend of Ministry and Slayer. Pretty cool, right?

"Indestructible" attacks with more of that thrash, but with more brooding riffing. The darker "Feast" has a slower doom-ish tempo, with violent riffing that almost brings it to sludgy territory. There's decent shredding in "Once Alive", though a bit rough, but whatevs.

Rolling Stones classic "Sympathy for the Devil" is covered here. It's actually one of the coolest Stones song covers I've heard. They've done it much better than Tiamat had later that decade. However, Mick Jagger and his crew might not recognize it due to the post-thrash aggression and noise-ridden vocals, the latter compared to Jagger's soulful cleans. "Poisonous" is the most experimental track of the bunch, featuring hip-hop turntables and rapping that too awfully resembles N.W.A. That has immensely f***ed up the flow of the album as an out-of-place rap track! Another horrid case of trying to sneak hip-hop into an album's that meant to be just metal. "Prey Fish" is a relaxing album closer with emotional clean vocals, almost like an ambient ballad. Mellow yet interesting!

Having spent a couple years digging into industrial metal, I've gained more leeway in the genre than I would have when I was younger. Skrew would reform recently and have made a new album, but I'm more familiar with their songs from the 90s. Ministry fan should check out this album's industrial anguish, that is good, but mostly moderate....

Favorites: "Burning in Water, Drowning in Flame", "Cold Angel Press", "Gemini", "Indestructible", "Sympathy for the Devil"

Meathook Seed was originally an industrial death metal side-project from members of Napalm Death and Obituary, with only one album released in 1993. Then 6 years later, founder Mitch Harris revived the project with a different lineup and sound.

With such drastic changes, this second album Basic Instructions Before Leaving Earth is surprising to any listeners of the debut Embedded. Instead of the other members besides Harris being Obituary members Trevor Peres and Donald Tardy, taking their places are bassist Shane Embury (also from Napalm Death), drummer Ian Treacy (ex-Benediction), and vocalist Christopher Lamouret (ex-Out). The extreme industrial death metal is out, replaced with simple industrial metal/rock, which I quite enjoy!

The first track "Civilize the World" has ambient guitars, yet the sound for this song is basically dance-metal, stylized with Red Harvest-esque industrial metal and the earlier technical death metal in just the instrumentation. That's actually an intro track compared to the next song "Elemental". Shocking fans of this band is Christopher's singing, as opposed to the growling in the debut. Such great genius in this song that can make any industrial rock/metal compilations! Some might find that song to be like a slightly more metallic mix of Killing Joke and Nine Inch Nails. Entering your head is melodic catchiness worth dancing to. The sound even takes on a bit alt-rock/metal from that decade while blending in with dance-punk. Lamouret sings in passion! "Push Away" is a hypnotizing highlight and one of the best here!

 "I Think You Lie" has a bit of the experimentation from Coroner's Grin. "Beautiful" is filled with industrial groove metal beauty. "Dumb Show" is slightly mediocre, but those haunting chords and vocal melodies help save a bit of the album's grace. Can they keep it up in the later tracks? "The Ladder" is a one-and-a-half-minute intermission, and the electronics eerily sound like what Motionless in White would use from their own second album Infamous onwards. "Black Sky" actually reminds me of a much less deathly The Red Chord in the more aggressive moments.

Another song "The Die Is Cast & Cries Will Last" shows how greatly this band can make their metal sound. This might remind some of Peace Love & Pitbulls, but with more metal and less noise. The sound rises again in "And Silence / Build a Rhythm". However, "Question Mark" seems to be a little more of an afterthought. Safely closing the album is "Lost in a Box", a dark symphonic instrumental. It then leads to a 6-minute hidden track that's kind of pointless.

It's so weird how different the band sounded in this album compared to their debut, and yet I enjoy it! Perhaps I like the project slightly more when it was really deviating from Napalm Death's grind sound. Despite the bad reception this album might've received, this is definitely something for any fan of industrial rock/metal!

Favorites: "Elemental", "Push Away", "Beautiful", "The Die Is Cast & Cries Will Last", "And Silence / Build a Rhythm", "Lost in a Box"

It's quite interesting that the best album of the possible final part of my early industrial metal exploration happens to be least well-known one. There aren't any singles in the album and it never reached any charts. This incredible techno-industrial metal project was founded by Peter Tägtgren, founder of Hypocrisy.

I think it's understandable why this album would be unknown, since it originally started as a one-off side-project with not much promotion. I've heard a few songs before from Hypocrisy, there are small elements of that band's melodeath sound while the project entirely stays in its own style. It's so awesome how the catchy chorus hooks blend in well with the metal part of the sound so it isn't too poppy. Though it's not that prominent here. Still it's all in perfect quality!

This album opens with "On Your Knees (Again)", without a doubt a true highlight. The standard riffs sound so greatly written. This man shows a bit of his Hypocrisy roots when "Rope Around My Neck" opens. His clean singing, which takes over most of the album, is so powerful! And there might be a few growls now and then. He's able to perform all instruments, including interesting drum patterns with only slight repetition. The electronics work out well despite being in a low volume. One song that really stands out with those electronics is "Learn How to Die". Another grand highlight besides the opener!

"Don't Let Me Down" slows things down a little, closer to Godflesh territory. Same with "Breathe", though I think some of those electronics would later be used by Coldrain when they level up their own different sound in The Side Effects.

"Greed" almost reminds me of Amorphis at that time if they replaced the folk elements with industrial. "Choke on Your Lies" surprising has some riffing that isn't too far from that of Bullet for My Valentine's nu/alt-metal material, though in an obviously different style of course. "The Last Drops of My Life" is an interesting slow finale. After all that experimentation, we can just calm down with a mostly soft ambient ending.

The 1997 self-titled debut by Pain is spectacular! It's the spark I need to explore more of this band eventually. It's worth hearing for all that catchy electro-industrial metal, and all this from the man behind Hypocrisy!

Favorites: "On Your Knees (Again)", "Learn How to Die", "Greed", "The Last Drops of My Life"

Marilyn Manson is not a band/artist that should be underestimated. With aesthetics and themes of cross-dressing, anti-Christianity, cabalism, elitism, and horror, I wouldn't expect a lot of people close to me to ever be up for such scalding concepts. But hey, whether this material can be considered moral or not, you can just brush away the real haters and let your taste run free for a little bit. Marilyn Manson's second album Antichrist Superstar is a concept album of dark desire! Not pretty, but pretty great...

Fake gore and real emotion is blended together by Manson, and helping out in the sonic production is Nine Inch Nails' Trent Reznor. The dark vibe of the album makes it almost suitable for horror movies like The Shining or A Nightmare on Elm Street. Manson can joke along to the strong and scare away the weak.

Starting The Hierophant cycle, "Irresponsible Hate Anthem" has Manson's taunting growls, and his singing sounds so sinister. One highlight that you can truly appreciate is "The Beautiful People". Then "Dried Up, Tied and Dead to the World" that sounds a bit dry in the music, not really as wild as those first two tracks. Ending the first cycle is "Tourniquet" which is OK, but let's hope for some more madness in the cycle...

Inauguration of the Worm begins with the heavy "Little Horn". Then "Cryptorchid" nicely interrupts the buildup by slowing down. We rock on to "Deformography" and Manson's fear-inducing whispers and shouts, "You're such a dirty, dirty rock star... I am the one you want". He shows that nightmares are what all people need, whether polite or angry. "Wormboy" once again kicks things up a notch. "Mister Superstar" starts soft being adding in some Skrew-like industrial. "Angel with the Scabbed Wings" is so good. If only that was a single! "Kinderfeld" ends the second cycle with wonderful industrial beauty.

At the start of the Disintegrator Rising cycle, the title track will make sure you want the album to keep going as long as you like. A captivating song, "1996" can turn the fearful tension into joy. "Minute of Decay" sounds too much like a Linkin Park "reanimation" than anything metal. "The Reflecting God" is honestly quite omnipotent. It describes a dream within a dream more than Inception could, but "you'll understand when I'm dead". Finally, "Man That You Fear" is enjoyable but not as much the previous track. I'm getting a bit tired of haunting repeated line, "When all of your wishes are granted, many of your dreams will be destroyed." The hidden track that appears after 82 silent tracks, "Track 99" is rather pointless. Just drop the album after the final full track and run.

Despite the music not having as much weight as it had on paper, you can find a bit of great grandeur in this industrial mix of the early metal of Black Sabbath, the operatic arrangements of Queen, and the chilling experimentation of Bauhaus. Manson brought together with him guitarists Daisy Berkowitz (RIP) and Twiggy Ramirez (also on bass), Madonna Wayne Gacy on keyboards, and Ginger Fish on drums to make a dark army with a pounding sound. The band, together with Reznor and Skinny Puppy's Dave Ogilvie, produced the album quiet well. With choirs, growls, and synths added to the mix, it's a party that I can leave if I want to, but more often than not, makes me wanna stay....

Favorites: "Irresponsible Hate Anthem", "The Beautiful People", "Little Horn", "Deformography", "Angel with the Scabbed Wings", "Kinderfeld", "Antichrist Superstar", "The Reflecting God"

White Zombie was known as one of the first ever groove metal bands alongside Pantera, as fully demonstrated in La Sexorcisto: Devil Music Volume One, though they hadn't yet reached the mainstream. They finally got their commercial success with their killer final album Astro-Creep 2000! But to say this album is groove metal is bullsh*t, or at least my ears think so. This is more like industrial metal/hard rock. Sure it has some heavy riff groove, but I wouldn't count on groove metal being a primary genre here...

I can very well enjoy most parts of this album to the f***ing death. I'm an open-minded metal listeners, unlike those close-minded purists out there. I'm a fan of industrial metal, but not much of Rob Zombie's material. Still this album is something I like, more than Hellbilly Deluxe. Whether this is more rock or more metal, it's still great.

"Electric Head Pt. 1 (The Agony)" starts the album with awesome rock/metal riffing. There's intense speed, though not in faster metal levels, giving the track mighty power. This album and Fear Factory are great examples of industrial metal getting you higher than stoner metal listeners, without ever having to use drugs. "Super-Charger Heaven" is a greater thrash-rock highlight. The drums have wicked kicks! The only downside is Zombie's vocals not sounding as aggressive or deep as they should. Still it's one of the best songs here! However, "Real Solution #9" isn't really something I like here. There are hip-hop-ish drums like some proto-nu metal sh*t, and too much reliance of movie samples. "Creature of the Wheel" is a slow crazy headbanger, with more audio samples. Killer vocal aggression here, though not much off there either.

"Electric Head, Pt. 2 (The Ecstasy)" is more groove-laden, and having more of a disco-like beat. Hold up... DISCO THRASH METAL!?!? Who knew that was a thing!? Cool catchiness, though I prefer "Part 1". Next up, "Grease Paint and Monkey Brains" is probably one of the least popular songs amongst the earlier metalheads. Being the young modern metal listener I am, I like it. There's more of a Static-X vibe here which isn't too bad. One of the most metal songs in the album! "I, Zombie" returns to the earlier speed. Nothing special, but a much better fight song than Rachel Platten's excuse of one.

"More Human Than Human" is one of the best tracks to mix catchy and heavy in a way that I love. This is one of those songs that I can't let my metal-hating mother hear. I can't believe I did not hear anything from this band until when I included this song in one of the Sphere playlists. A good track for Halloween, if you imagine the moaning in the intro as ghost noises. "El Phantasmo and the Chicken-Run Blast-O-Rama" is a song I can have an awesome blast with. One of the best songs to love here! After a heavy headbanging, the speed slows down, while still having its greatness. "Blur the Technicolor" is another fun track. The vocals help out the catchiness in this simple groove tune. I like it, but it's a little behind the highlights. "Blood, Milk and Sky" is one of the most haunting and hypnotizing tracks I've ever heard, and I'm talking strongly mesmerizing. I love it! Then after 3 minutes of silence comes the hidden track, "Where the Sidewalk Ends, the Bug Parade Begins". A peaceful yet heavy swansong for this band!

Despite a few downers, and sounding more rock than metal in some places, I dig this White Zombie album. There's still some great aggression as the album progresses in improvement, but even a few heavy parts don't work out too greatly. Still it's the best way for the band to make their exit, before Rob Zombie's solo Hellbilly sh*t.....

Favorites: "Electric Head Pt. 1 (The Agony)", "Super-Charger Heaven", "Grease Paint and Monkey Brains", "More Human Than Human", "El Phantasmo and the Chicken-Run Blast-O-Rama", "Blood, Milk and Sky"

For those who enjoy Ministry, would you like a bit more sauce for your industrial metal dish? Skrew adds in some thrashy vocal fuel. The band has been well-known and well-touring since their debut Burning in Water, Drowning in Flame. I haven't yet listened to that album, but perhaps I will after this one! Dusted shows the band, unlike some other industrial metal bands, focusing less on experimentation and more towards guitar heaviness from frontman Adam Grossman. He has truly mastered the guitar, vocals, and songwriting. Interesting that he let a death growler took over vocals in their recent comeback album though...

Grossman is very much responsible for keeping his band going and giving them a more metal sound that some industrial rock bands can't get away with. In some ways, they can be similar to Ministry in terms of the use of samples and overdubs. But hey, scr*w that comparison! This is Skrew we're talking about, and they done their industrial metal sound better than most other bands of the genre in the first half of the 90s.

"In Tongues" starting the album with audio samples and noise is a similar idea to the beginning of Embodyment's Embrace the Eternal. Of course, instead of early deathcore, there will be melodic industrial metal not too far off (in terms of style, not time) from Deathstars. That sound can be found in "Seeded". Then "Picasso Trigger" shows that this band is probably slightly more underrated than Ministry. The intro f***ing kicks a**! I'm sure Beavis and Butthead fans would recognize this song. Also in a slightly higher level than Ministry is "Albatross", which is quite a monster within those chords.

"Jesus Skrew Superstar" cranks up the thrash, the way Fear Factory and Strapping Young lad would the following year. "Skrew Saves" adds in a bit of experimentation that gives the sound more in common with Mushroomhead than Mnemic. "Season for Whither" bursts out with rich groove all over. However, there's more of that groove in some of the later highlights here...

"Sour" has more sludgy groove throughout these 7 minutes, pretty much their own different take on Ministry's epics. "Mouthful of Dust" is another great kick-A track pleasing industrial metal fans, filled with monk-like chanting. "Godsdog" is the closest we have to a Godflesh-like sound, at least what Godflesh would have in the late 90s.

Need some anger to cure you from anger? Industrial metal fans can pick up Dusted any f***ing day! It's a stage set for more refreshing levels the band would reach later on. I don't know if it's any better than their debut, likely because I've not tackled that one, but I got the motivation I needed from their second album Dusted. It's not too impressive, yet highly innovative. For the greatest industrial metal listeners, this one's a keeper....

Favorites: "Picasso Trigger", "Albatross", "Jesus Skrew Superstar", "Sour", "Mouthful of Dust"

I just realized my long-lasting digging for older industrial metal and metalcore albums from the 90s will soon reach its end. I've pretty much tackled almost every essential 90s release from those two genres! Another album to tackle in the industrial metal part of my list is this one from the side-project of a couple extreme Horde bands. Meathook Seed is an Obituary/Napalm Death side-project than turned out to be pretty great in the debut album Embedded. It takes on an aggressive industrial death metal sound, in which some of the elements would be re-used by Napalm Death next year, even having a bit of Napalm Death's grind. There's barely any relation in sound to Obituary, showing how adventurous that side of the project can be. Performing in a style from the main bands is a risky fire-player, but ultimately it works out quite well.

Embedded has some grace in their deathly industrial metal assault, adding in the repetitive yet amazing sound of Ministry and Godflesh and twisting in with deathly heaviness, alongside memorable riffs to keep you hooked. Mitch Harris has the guitar fury of Napalm Death that actually works better for me in this album. Donald Tardy drums through pummeling destruction, but he gets paired with a drum machine in some tracks, which is OK since he just obliterates it! Trevor Peres' vocals are killer, ranging from growling to shouting, though I prefer the former.

The crushing opener "Famine Sector" is, without a doubt, one of the best songs of this industrial death metal blend! I don't have much to describe its greatness. "A Furred Grave" has the best of Peres' vocal alternation. They continue to roll in "My Infinity", though a bit monotonous. "Day of Conceiving" viciously punches through in sludgy grind.

"Cling to an Image" is the second-best song of the album (behind its opener), in which dynamic beats intertwine with the complex guitar. "A Wilted Remnant" is a bit more electronic, though this is the industrial/noise kind of electronic sound, nowhere near as trance-y as bands like The Browning. The most talented Harris has been in this offering is "Forgive", where he breaks down the structural walls to let his riffs run wild in different directions without any tiring guitar solo.

"Focal Point Blur" has more power in the beats and riffs to get you buckled up for the ride. It can be bumpy for the inexperienced listeners, but once you get more experience, you can be able to cope and understand. Let it immerse you or not! The title instrumental gets on my nerves, but it's still decent. "Visible Shallow Self" is one more metal track with the electronics displayed that are far closer to the industrial of Fear Factory than the trance of Iwrestledabearonce. "Sea of Tranquility" is just 14 minutes of full-on industrial, complete with ambient loops, simple drums, and noisy feedbacks. Is that where the name of that website Sea of Tranquility came from? Probably...

Meathook Seed themselves have even manned the production for the album, and it's at a Colin Richardson kind of professional level. The rich sound lets you hear all the guitars, drums, and electronics there are, despite the layers of the latter sounding a bit buried. It's given this industrial death metal album the right atmospheric vibe. Works well for a run through an old abandoned factory in a mutant zombie apocalypse. Bummer the lineup that made something this pleasantly deathly wasn't meant to last....

Favorites: "Famine Sector", "A Furred Grave", "Cling to an Image", "Forgive", "Focal Point Blur", "Visible Shallow Self"

3 bands, Godflesh, Ministry, and KMFDM, started in the early 80s, but did not start metalizing their electronic/industrial sound until the late 80s (Godflesh and Ministry) and mid-90s (KMFDM). In between, Pitchshifter was formed in the same year as the release of Godflesh's Streetcleaner, as one of the first bands to fully start as industrial metal, with their 1991 album Industrial! Don't think of this band as a Godflesh rip-off though. They've worn their influences on a sleeve, rather than an entire suit.

One thing to make sure Pitchshifter isn't simply copying Godflesh is, they're closer to thrash-ish territory. The Godflesh-like sludge and the Killing Joke-like punk is blended with other sounds for something unique...

"Landfill" is a prime example of using Godflesh's industrial metal formula. They just repeat the same riff throughout, and even the lyrics are minimal. It's just "Hate, I hate, hate, I hate you motherf***er, drown, bleed, I wish you could." They even mix in a few samples with slow guitars/drums. Despite the repetition, I enjoy that one. Fear Factory made their own cover of that song over two decades later. Truly brutal in the bleak yet pleasant rhythm is "Brutal Cancroid".

"Gravid Rage" is another highlight of industrial metal machinery with convincing growls by Mark Clayden. Oh yeah, Mark is the bassist of the band, but he also performed vocals in this album. His brother J.S. would take over on vocals from their Submit EP onwards, though he's done additional vocals in their debut. Next song "New Flesh" continues the downtuned guitar riffing, alongside vocal samples talking about murder and prison. "Catharsis" is another standout, in which black metal-ish guitar tremolos plays over doomy sludge, maintaining the industrial mix.

"Skin Grip" has some of Pantera's forceful groove, but it's still a pummeling crusher like in Fear Factory's debut album next year. "Inflammator" has some riffing that nicely give you the feeling of a crash test dummy in a test car slamming into a wall, without actually experience it of course. "Eye" is an ominous ending for the album, with the usual unique crushing riffs that can let industrial metal fans see eye-to-eye.

Any Godflesh fan can enjoy this debut album from Pitchshifter. While they have a slightly better sound in their next album Desensitized, Industrial shows how influenced and influential they've been. They started out pretty great, but they would have a more solidified sound a couple years later....

Favorites: "Landfill", "Gravid Rage", "Catharsis", "Skin Grip"

In the first half of the 2000s, metalcore was on the rise in the hardcore punk part of the rock spectrum, whereas the extreme metal part condemned it as mediocre. Bands at the time like Between the Buried and Me, Burnt by the Sun, and The Red Chord sound so original to the more hardcore ears, yet the originality is invisible to metal purists. This band, Premonitions of War had just been signed to popular hardcore label Victory after releasing an EP via Goodfellow records. That EP, The True Face of Panic was a massive boost in maturity compared to the disaster that was their debut EP. And I think there's more maturity to come in their sole full album...

Sounding like an attempt to revive Coalesce's sound during that band's hiatus, Premonitions of War had leveled up their quality slightly more in Left in Kowloon. With the album at the hands of Victory, the more extreme hardcore fans can really dig into the action. It's really short at just 26 minutes, following the hardcore trait of studio albums as short as EPs. Their intentions was short sweet songwriting, and they've achieved that goal!

"Mother Night Revisited" opens with an explosion of the aforementioned The Red Chord/Burnt by the Sun influences, sounding punishing yet inspiring. "Layover" is a short slaying track. The one-minute "Night Soil" is an impressive short achievement. In the incredible "Stolen Breath", There are precise changes in the tempo and rhythm.

One track "One Constant Volume" is a bit funny when it comes to the title and the Cookie Monster-esque death growls. Then we have the longest track of the album, the 5-minute highlight "Black Den", taking the brutal sludge of the first two Isis albums. After that is another 5-minute track, "Cables Hum Overhead". However, that's just a noise track that broke the flow from the previous song. I feel up to skipping that sh*t! "Citizen" has a bit of the progressive that Northlane would have later, to add to the deathly mathcore sound Premonitions of War is known for.

Showing a bit of the sludge of Mastodon at that time is "The Octopus" (interesting foreshadowing of Mastodon's "Octopus Has No Friends"). "Covered in Blood" has some slower experimentation while obviously not as experimental as Dog Fashion Disco. "Capsule Hotel" shows how much different a Revolution band can be compared to, say, Enter Shikari. And finally, we have the stoner-ish "Dim Light District".

I would find more enjoyment in Left in Kowloon if not for the band's the attempt to extend the album's short length with a noise track that lowers its f***ing memorability. Nonetheless, Premonitions of War had set up the greatness of the genre that was in the first two EPs, especially the first. Well done, PoW! Please come back soon.....

Favorites: "Mother Night Revisited", "Night Soil", "Stolen Breath", "Black Den", "Citizen", "Covered in Blood"

Everyone's gotta have past trauma sometime in their life. Even I had these kinds of painful experiences in the past. Sometimes you gotta battle those harrowing struggles or just accept them. You might get to move on, but if you're unable to do so, there are better ways in life than just taking the devastating but painless way out. Black Veil Brides' melodic metalcore debut will motivate you by detailing the somber sorrow while giving it optimistic light. It's the greatest the band has even been!

The story of frontman Andy Biersack is a clear example of these problems and how to overcome them. When he was a kid, he started taking on punk aesthetics since his father was in a punk band. This happened before the emo scene took off, and bands from the then-rising scene of nu metal had their own looks. Andy's "emo" look made him a victim to bullying complete with insults and slurs. Luckily, he lived on, and now that he's in a band that can dress up as they did in high school, with the audience members in the same attire, he is no longer alone. He never regretted all that was bad, and it all gave him the strength and inspiration to be where he is today.

"The Outcasts (Call to Arms)" is a 30-second intro spoken by Andy's grandfather Urban Flanders, introducing the band and the purpose of the album to the listener. The title track crashes in with catchy leads and Andy's pleasant vocals. His cleans had yet to improve in quality, but that doesn't stop the perfect glory of this album. My favorite parts of the track are the breakdown and soloing with enjoyable energy. Plus we have some wonderful motivation atmosphere overall. Awesome start to this offering! "Beautiful Remains" is a little softer while still having the metalcore heaviness. The drums and vocals are well-crafted. The gang-led pre-chorus flows smoothly to one of the most beautiful choruses of the album. "Children Surrender" has cleaner melodies to remind me of old-school Trivium.

"Perfect Weapon" is a superb track with catchy guitarwork in the chorus and bridge. The metaphorical lyrics fit perfectly for anyone in the most dire situations. "Knives and Pens" has similar riffing to that Avenged Sevenfold song "Unholy Confessions", and that actually beats that one! This is what got me interested in this band, despite dumping those metalcore roots in subsequent albums. SO AWESOME!!! "The Mortician’s Daughter" takes a break from the metalcore action for an acoustic ballad. Soft violins and piano cover the song in serenity. "All Your Hate" picks the pace back up, as each section stands out as its own.

Picking it up further is "Heaven's Calling" with wild drumming and power metal-ish guitar melodies. The guitars have less focus in "Never Give In", but it allows the somber atmosphere and percussion to shine. The motivational lyrics you can be addicted to as much as the mighty instrumentation. Slowing down slightly with melodic guitars is "Sweet Blasphemy" which is a little cliche while still good. One more ballad "Carolyn" has some sweet guitar soloing mixed in with acoustics to bring light to darkness.

Sometimes you can find positivity within tragedy and trouble, and it shows you that you can't give up on the precious gift of life. You can't stay silent when harsh mysteries haunt you in this world. So overcome your struggles and look for as much help as you can. And this grand masterpiece of motivation can help be your savior!

Favorites: "We Stitch These Wounds", "Beautiful Remains", "Perfect Weapon", "Knives and Pens", "All Your Hate", "Never Give In"

I was planning on ending my Black Veil Brides album reviewing journey on The Phantom Tomorrow without doing any of the EPs. But then I remembered The Mourning EP and how amazing it is. In this EP, the alt-metal path the band has been taking ends up cutting into classic heavy metal with, thankfully, none of the glam sh*t of Set the World on Fire. Now this is the closest they've gone to the perfect glory of their metalcore debut!

The Mourning came out just a year after The Phantom Tomorrow. Both that album and this EP were written in the band's darkest times, with the 2019 departure of longtime bassist Ashley Purdy, followed shortly by COVID. Produced by Erik Ron, best known for his work with Godsmack and Bush, The Mourning is truly a heartful piece to behold.

Kicking things off is "Devil", that clearly shows the band taking out their COVID-fueled frustration to make something heavy. Up next is "Savior II", the sequel track to one of the only enjoyable tracks in Set the World on Fire. Even then, I love this sequel track much more, and I've never heard anything else from this band as beautiful as that. Then we have the powerful "The Revival". After that, "Better Angels" closes the EP with the band staying true to what they are.

I sense a lot of pride this band here. Even with just 4 tracks, what more can you ask for?! Perhaps this EP and Bleeders can be great early hints at an upcoming album. I also hope they would bring back some of the metalcore from their debut as well. If this really is the start of a brand-new promising era, bring it on!

Favorites: "Savior II", "Better Angels"

It's strange how whenever For the Fallen Dreams reach the perfect top for one or a few albums, the next one loses its steam and would have to build itself back up again. Although their new self-titled album isn't the worst they've done (that entitlement goes to Wasted Youth), the drop in quality is more understandable, show the band as a more alt-metalcore band than metalcore. Still around half of the album is worth it...

For the Fallen Dreams has been active for over 20 years, often hit by lineup changes, while founding guitarist Jim Hocking does what it takes to keep his band alive. The band's new album is their first in 5 years and with a new label, Arising Empire. As good as this album is, it doesn't stand a chance against most of their earlier discography.

It's clear how determined the band is, straight from the opener "Re-Animate". The massive chorus will hook you up from the get-go, as dramatic energy flows. "What If?" takes on rapid drumming, while adding interesting variety with rapping verses. "Last One Out" turns the aggression up to full gear. Yet within the heaviness is the melodic emotion to put everything in splendid balance.

"Without You" has more heartful effect. The riffs and leads make something so crushing yet sentimental. "Testify" is filled with moshing aggression. Intricate drums lead to a massive breakdown. "Searching..." has too much of a familiar formula. Impressive but not really amazing. "Suprapersonal" has more faithful tones and stealthy chaos.

"No Heaven" cranks things up in headbanging power. You also get to hear some fist-pumping soloing. "Sulfate" has ravaging grooves to tear you apart. With momentum in the heavy/melodic contrast kept steady, another highlight has been scored. The metalcore sound is given an industrial treatment in "Lavender" as drama and violence collide. "Chemicals" closes the album with the last bit of their fire and fury here.

For the Fallen Dreams has made some more of their good solid tunes in this self-titled offering of passion despite more derailment than most of their other releases. Some songs could've used more elevation for something different. Still they know how to ride the modern metalcore tides....

Favorites: "Re-Animate", "Last One Out", "Testify", "No Heaven", "Sulfate"

20 years ago, people were thinking of hardcore as a "dead" genre, but I found some releases that show how mighty the genre was (and still is) back then. One example is Animosity's debut, a short yet strong assault of thrashy deathgrind/hardcore! Not as chaotic as The Red Chord, but quite vicious in the hardcore riffing.

Shut It Down is perhaps one of the most brutal extreme metal albums that I really enjoy. That's helped out by the caustic guitar, not the over-prominent snare. While not too devastating and definitely not melodic, metalcore riffing gets morphed into deathly monsters. The growls are too harsh for emocore kids, while the screams are too shrill for death metal fans. However, it's all balanced out, so people can mosh and stomp around during shows. The deathly hardcore grind will blow you away!

The 45-second "Intro" builds up the metal strength smoothly. Then the nearly 3-minute long "Grey Skies" unleashes the might of their deathcore groove from the two different coasts, even having some Undying-like melody. There aren't any acoustic ballads in this album, unlike albums from other hardcore bands, just brutal deathly weight. "Instilling the Affliction" has the brutal deathcore of Make Them Suffer, but with obviously no symphonics at all. "Saved" has the most deathly breakdown of the album in the second half, and d*mn it's cool! That proves that some deathcore breakdowns can be worth enjoying.

"24 More" has some metalcore riffing to remind me of Living Sacrifice. "Leashes" has some more deathly music unleashed. "Fake Blood" continues their deathgrind/core sound while almost being as mathy as Car Bomb.

"Anti-Kingdom" sounds like the kind of song to give you more excessive caffeine than coffee. "Terminal Existence" is absolute death metal punisher. Surely you can't find anything more deathly from this band than in that song. "Life Advocate" is the final track, and one more to be 3 minutes long, having some of the deathcore of Despised Icon and early Upon a Burning Body.

Any of you open-minded extreme metalheads out there should get this album. You can hear how brutal this band can be, and they were only in their high school teens. One other deathly band that started that young was Decapitated, and you might think of Animosity like a more hardcore take on that band. Young and wild!

Favorites: "Grey Skies", "Saved", "Fake Blood", "Terminal Existence", "Life Advocate"

I f***ing hated the 2000 self-titled debut EP by this band Premonitions of War. It was just deathgrind-infused deathcore f***ed up much more than Damaged and Deformity's Misanthrope EP, enough for me to put it down with a rare one-star rating. That made me hesitant in reviewing another one of their releases...until I decided to check out their second EP. And let me tell you, it's not too great, but a much better improvement that sh*tty debut EP!

Premonitions of War really stepped up their game of math/deathgrind/hardcore. It is a relentless pummeling assault, one that has worked out better than that Mouthbreather EP for me. And so this war begins...

The opening title track fights through this fury, with a quick break in the middle. "Correspondences" has some of the most metal blast-beats I've heard from a metal/hardcore band. The deathgrind sound has some abstract chords, opening a wide tunnel with devastating chaos at its end. "The Best Day Ever" is not really the best here.

"Abomination" is close to a doomy sludge track, though maintaining the usual chaotic hardcore and electronic experimentation. "Hanging Man" continues the mechanical contrast between chords and riffs, ending with industrial beats. "A Minor Correction" is a brief one-minute deathgrind track that has only made a minor impact. The 6-minute closer "I'd Settle for Sleep" makes a bleak ending after scorching growls.

What a wonderfully brutal EP this is, though a small bit of the weakness of the debut EP still remains. The True Face of Panic might just make up for checking out their sole album Left in Kowloon. When I check that one out a few days from now, maybe it would have some massive hardcore destruction....

Favorites: "The True Face of Panic", "Correspondences", "Abomination"

Well sh*t! Once again I've fallen into the trap of expecting The Dillinger Escape Plan, only to stumble upon 7 tracks of far too brutal math/grindcore each with an average length of one f***ing minute, some of which sound like they can be seizure-inducing. The two tracks that I can stand are "Sex Coward" and "Born Dead", the latter having Daughters-like early 2000s mathcore I prefer. I shall get my mathcore elsewhere rather than taking it to some grinding experimentation sh*t....

Favorites (only ones I can stand): "Sex Coward", "Born Dead"

Enslaved is another band I really need to revisit! In Times is known as one of the greatest albums from the band's 2010s era, and was a masterpiece for me when I was still listening to them. But in the past year or so, I've only listened to a couple songs from the band when suggesting some songs for the Infinite playlists. With this nice revisit, let's see what I still think of this album...

I can still hear some greatness from this band. They've never stopped recording and touring yet, and the amazing quality shows. With this album In Times, the band keep up their fearless ascension of their classic progressive black metal sound through the modern age.

"Thurisaz Dreaming" immediately attacks with some black metal blasting, then the dynamic assault calms down for some clean singing. With this mid-tempo groove and melody, you can't go wrong with considering that song a blend of the band's earlier black metal and Dream Theater-like progressive metal. A perfect example of that mix with more progressive emphasis is "Building With Fire" which has proven the power of that sound from as early as Isa.

"One Thousand Years of Rain" roars through the extremeness of black metal while in a progressive mix with hard rock, similarly to that Stone Healer album. A personal highlight for me, "Nauthir Bleeding" has the best of the clean vocals by keyboardist Herbrand Larsen, who would end up leaving the band a year after this album.

The nearly 11-minute title epic continues the line between the complex melody of progressive metal and the violent extremeness of black metal. You can headbang through the leads and riffs in sync with the screams of Grutle Kjellson, and the rest during the ambient breaks. Kicking off "Daylight" is some unusual chord delivery, and the rest of the song pretty much discards much of the band's black metal roots, other than the vocals, for their progressive progression.

There are those purists out there who need to know that just because a band switches from extreme to progressive, doesn't mean they become softer. The progressiveness is blended together with their black metal roots. A beautiful and beastly offering like In Times needs some attention!

Favorites: "Building With Fire", "Nauthir Bleeding", "In Times"

The black metal that I often prefer is the more melodic/progressive kind, which includes clean singing and no focus on the satanic references the genre is notorious for. That's one of the metal genres I've been shooting for in the last few years (except for a break from that genre for nearly a year). Stone Healer might just be what I need to boost my motivation, with their album Conquistador!

It's very cool how they can connect extreme metal to more accessible pieces of post-metal and folk rock. The result? A solid progressive black metal album with cohesive variation. There may be some wounds here, but they're nicely healed.

"One Whisper" starts acoustic before adding in distortion. Then there's a melodic verse with background cowbell. After the accessible calm comes the shredding black metal storm with vocal intensity. An excellent blend of dynamic and extreme! Next up, "Whence Shall I" has some brutal black metal tones. The drumming and melody often brings things close post-metal at times, which deserves some great praise.

11-minute epic "Surrender" can stun you with its mix of metal aggression and rock melody. The distorted texture is sometimes put aside for an acoustic passage, like the one 4 minutes into the song. The somber melody breaks up the intense action. Then it smoothly evolves back into some more thick metal sections. The instrumentation reaches its ending climax with a bit of Vektor-like thrash. The jazzy guitar of 90s-era Atheist starts "Torrent of Flame" peacefully. Despite laying back, it only lasts for a short while before some strange catchy riffing and more of the progressive black metal sound.

"Until My Will Is Gone" also starts clean in the guitar and vocals, followed by more of the metal fury. Then we have short interlude "Twenty Two". And finally, the closing "Into the Spoke of Night", a fantastic intense finale for this offering. Hell breaks loose in the riffing, in a progressive balance with the band's more melodic side. Talk about a kick-A closing summary of their progressive black metal!

Conquistador shows the band's sharp progressive mix of black metal and elements of melodic rock. Most of the songs naturally evolve with different surprises, and they can be carved into the extreme progressive metal stone....

Favorites: "One Whisper", "Surrender", "Torrent of Flame", "Into the Spoke of Night"

Modern metalcore seems to have discard the hardcore side of the genre, but bringing it back is the perfect triumph of For the Fallen Dreams' 6th album, aptly titled Six! You'll definitely want to stay awake for this d*mn glorious offering. This band founded in Michigan by guitarist Jim Hocking, has had almost as many lineup changes as Canadian thrash band Annihilator since forming in 2003. Their first two albums, Changes and Relentless are two of the best metalcore albums I've heard, though their quality would fall out of line in the poor Wasted Youth. They've toured and borrowed parts of their sound from bands like A Day To Remember, The Ghost Inside, and Norma Jean.

After a 4-year gap, the band consisting of Chad Ruhlig (vocals), Jim Hocking (guitars), Brandon Stastny (bass), and Navid Naghdi (drums) have gone back up to the top while standing by their new direction. There are 10 songs here that will get you pumped up and feeling strong, one of which is actually how I discovered this band, which we'll talk about it once we get there.

The explosive first track/single "Stone" is worth singing and screaming along to, especially in that massive chorus with layers of power from their heavy metalcore/hardcore sound. It is a true blessing to remind us about what metalcore used to be and revive the earlier scene. Stomping in is "The Undertow" with sonic synths to fit in with the pummeling heaviness, in a similar vein to the mid-2010s Bring Me the Horizon and The Word Alive. Moving along is "Unstoppable", which I find more motivational and catchier than that Sia "anthem". Headbanging verses and anthemic choruses will make you feel invincible.

Another stomper, "Forever" can turn a hellish nightmare into a heavenly dream with the bass and synths enhancing sludgy breakdowns. A mix of dark, ethereal, and heavy, all in one! Soaring through is "Burning Season" in the chorus that alight an upbeat yet melancholic flame. "Two Graves" has more sonic atmosphere, as the verses stampede into serene choruses that drift into different dimensions.

"Ten Years" is the song that caused to be interested in this band, via one of my earlier Revolution playlists. Holy f***ing h*ll, I love this furious fire! My brother has listened to a few songs from this band around the time of this album's release, but somehow I never got around there until that playlist. Exploding into some more of the catchy melody is "Hypnosis". Also blasting in is "Void" with a catchy chorus for the live crowd to sing along to, "Some days you feeling like running away". Then we have one final metal storm in "The Storm", having explosive fury that then calms down with gentle piano in the end.

The 2010s was really when metalcore was having far more emphasis on metal than hardcore, but don't get me wrong, I love that kind of metalcore too. Thanks to For the Fallen Dreams, the hardcore side of metalcore that was lost after the early 2000s is in the process of restoration. The modern atmospherics of Bring Me the Horizon and The Word Alive fit perfectly with the b*lls-out hardcore of early Eighteen Visions like a glove. Altogether some killer heaviness not to be skipped!

Favorites: "Stone", "Unstoppable", "Forever", "Ten Years", "The Storm"

For the Fallen Dreams still have heaviness in their hearts. It was about time they made a great return to roots. They learned from their mistakes and were ready to show their true talent to those who missed it...

The Michigan metalcore warriors made it big with their glorious debut Changes. They continued the perfection in Relentless, with a different vocalist to replaced the talented Chad Ruhlig, Dylan Richter who could also scream well. Back Burner was also amazing, but lacked the perfect spark of the first two albums. Then Wasted Youth was a total decrease in quality that left fans wondering "What the h*ll just happened?!" With Ruhlig back on board in Heavy Hearts, you know there's gonna be a return to true form.

Kicking things off hard is "Emerald Blue" with Chad's destructive voice booming back in with a growl of "FIGHT FOR YOUR LIFE!!!" A great start! "Choke" has similar vibes to Vision of Disorder and Bury Tomorrow, and the band can do it all well without choking. "Lights" continues the anthemic metalcore vibe of Bring Me the Horizon at that time.

The Color Morale vocalist Garret Rapp appears in "Dream Eater", performing cleans that sound a bit odd but don't affect too much there. They should've saved the cleans for guitarist Jim Hocking, who started doing clean singing after Richter's departure. 5th track "Bombay" is a total attention seeker in a great way. The blend of heaviness and melody throws back to Changes, albeit in a lower tuning. Perhaps their best song since the late 2000s! However, the lyrical quality seems to drop a bit, so it's still far from the perfect glory of that era. Hocking's stellar are some of the best to accompany Chad's vocals. "Mimic" has the brutality of Upon a Burning Body at that time.

"Endless" deserves more attention as Ruhlig's vocals and Navid Naghdi's drumming make a solid combination. Hocking can perform great clean singing while doing his usual technical guitar melody. Bassist Brandon Stastny doesn't shine much though. Also worth mentioning is the upbeat "Amnesia", having solid lyrics, guitar melodies, and drums. "Unfinished Business" has a similar groove to Every Time I Die. Closing track "Smelling Salt" has a great clean passage by Landon Tewers of The Plot in You.

For the Fallen Dreams managed to ascend back up to the Michigan metalcore throne. Although it can't reach the glory of their first 3 albums, it is a strong return to what they had in those albums and a promising sign of what they've become....

Favorites: "Emerald Blue", "Choke", "Bombay", "Endless", "Amnesia"