u/Brosepower

Here's how it works:

1. Choose your favorite band

2. You get up to the max number of tracks in their longest album (not counting deluxe editions, no cheating)

3. The tracklist must be in the order that the songs would appear on their respective albums, meaning, the first track of your dream album MUST come from an opener from one of the albums in your chosen band's discography. The same is true for track 2, track 5 and so on.

For example:

My favorite band is ERRA. Their longest album is their self-titled at 12 tracks. Here's how I'd craft my favorite ERRA record:

1. Snowblood (This is my favorite first track of their discography, it is found in their self-titled) - I notably cannot now choose Stelliform, Luminese, Breach or any of their other opening tracks of other albums, because I already have my first slot

2. Further Eden (This is my favorite second track in their work, it is found in their most recent record)

3. Gore of Being (SotE)

4. Valhalla (Neon)

5. Hybrid Earth (Augment)

6. Drift (Drift)

7. Lucid Threshold (SotE)

8. Past Life Persona (Cure)

9. Vanish Canvas (S/T)

10. In The Gut of the Wolf (SotE)

11. Remnant (S/T)

12. Dementia (Augment)

One exception: album closers

If an album has fewer tracks than your personal album's maximum length, you can use that album's closer in the final slot of your personal album, even if it originally appeared earlier.

For example, Drift has only 10 tracks, so I could use The Hypnotist as the closer in slot 12 of my personal album, even though it originally appeared as track 10. This is the one exception to the track-position rule.

Hopefully that makes sense, I thought this was a really fun thought experiment, excited to see what you guys cook up.

After listening to the LMtF EP release this weekend a few times, it got me thinking about other notable EP's (not records/LPs) that have been released this year.

This EP flew under the radar from me, and this band from 20 years ago releasing a random EP in the middle of 2026 was very much not on people's bingo card this year.

It's fantastic. If you're a fan of Bleed from Within, Born of Osiris, Bury Tomorrow or Polaris I think this will be right down your alley.

Just a PSA - if you've not heard this EP, do yourself a favor and check it out.

This might be a controversial take, but this entire Zenith album might be my favorite work from them, and this is probably my favorite song off this album.

Has me in an absolute chokehold, I listened to this album in its entirety 3x this last week and this song alone like 11x lol.

If anyone has recommendations for other stuff like this, please hit me up.

We all know that most artists have their best work behind them when they've been making music for years and years. I'd like to highlight artists that continue to improve and make even better music year after year.

I have two examples, one more controversial and one that's a bit more of a common opinion I believe:

First, what I think a lot of us can agree on: Like Moths to Flames.

These guys just continue to get better and better. Every new EP and LP is better than its predecessor, at least in my view. The Cycles of Trying to Cope was better than No Eternity in Gold which was as good or better than Dark Divine (I do have a soft spot for Dark Divine...) which was better than The Dying Things We Live For... etc... etc...

They just keep getting better and better. Their four newest singles are all insanely good.

Second, what I think might be more controversial...: Polaris

I absolutely love these guys and everything they're doing, but I have to say I enjoy Fatalism more than The Death of Me, and I enjoy that album more than The Mortal Coil. Even The Guilt and the Grief is excellent but not as good as The Mortal Coil.

We'll have to see how they do without Ryan now (RIP king), but outside of that I really think these guys keep getting better and better.

What are some bands you think only have improved over time?

Some of the best this group has to offer, one of the best clean choruses in the genre.

One of my favorite things in an album is when a song seamlessly leads into the next track, where you don't realize that a new track has just started because the transition is so smooth.

Some of my favorites:

1. Lunar Halo -> Vanish Canvas - ERRA, Self/titled (this one is great in more than just music, but lyrically they're both connected and mean so much to me, personally)

2. Void Surfacing -> Emberglow - Invent Animate, Heavener

3. Leech -> Monolith -What Lies Below, I Let it Consume me

4. Harbinger -> Nightmare - Polaris, Fatalism

5. i the many names of god -> ii in the gut of the wolf - ERRA, Silence Outlives the Earth (Might be my favorite musical instance of this).

What are yours?

Look, I know it's not a competition, and I know, I know, comparison is the thief of joy.

BUT, I can't think of a single vocalist who does what Brian does, at least as well as he does.

This song shows him seamlessly switching between low growls, high black-metal-esque shrieks, vocal fry mid-range screams, false chord... He does it all in this song and he executes at an incredibly high level, let alone all the other material he's recorded and performed.

Not only that, but his cleans have a ton of raw power to them. He's simply an elite vocalist.

And to top it all off? He's just as good live as he is on his studio recordings.

I'm happy to hear other perspectives, and I know I'm just glazing Currents at this point, but Brian might just be the best singular vocalist in the scene.

Okay, this band is kinda like fast food for me in some ways, feels good going down, but not "quality" metalcore. (I'd make the argument they're a good deal better than the other "popular" bands like Bad Omens)

HOWEVER, that said... I think this is the best song they've released in a long time. I think they are honestly better without Brian. The screams here from Eric are actually very solid.

I was listening to Like Moths to Flames' "Dark Divine" and kept thinking how much I enjoyed the album as I was going through it.

It's not my favorite album by them (although it's close...) and I know the mix is off compared to their other work, AND the album is a bit on the "mainstream" side of things, but holy crap I just really enjoy what they put together.

I enjoy Cycles of Trying to Cope and No Eternity in Gold a ton, they might even be "better", but I think Dark Divine gets some undue hate/controversy.

What are some albums you really enjoy that seem to go under the radar/or are unliked by the fans of that band?

(another mention is ERRA's Neon. Again, like Dark Divine, it has some mixing issues, but I really enjoy Neon, too.)

We all have those bands who have 10k or less listeners on streaming platforms. The ones making excellent metalcore music who need more recognition. Im looking for those. Ones truly putting out either unique or simply excellent music and need their flowers.

Here are my top 5:

1. LEVELS - these guys are non stop excellent and I dont even see a discussion thread on their album this year titled "This Will Make You Feel Again". Favorite songs are Realign, Breed, Death Dance and Black Dove

2. A Sense of Purpose - absolute gasoline. Their album from last year was barely mentioned here. On My Own and Ruin are just heaters.

3. Stray View - I made a post about these guys a few months ago, please go check them out. They have extremely varied songwriting and its all great. Only like 12 singles released, but we should get an album released soon. Dave from old Crown the Empire just slaps.

4. Iridium - "HELL IS A HALFWAY HOUSE" was barely brought up here. It was released just this year, too. GOD EATER is top-tier metalcore and these guys need to be on your radar.

5. Advents - These guys also dont have a full album out but they're just great. White Flag, CHROMA (where they feat. If I Were You...) and Hate Myself are all great tracks.

What are some of yours? Go check these 5 bands out if you havent. Truly some great stuff.

Im looking to get into some new bands and more material, but want to start with the best.

What im looking for:

Your "Mount Rushmore", top 4 favorite bands in the scene who are actively making music and touring. Not necessarily your favorite of all time but bands I can get into and look forward to more material coming out.

My personal "Big 4":

ERRA - These guys make music that speaks to me more than anyone else. I cant get enough of them. Absolute geniuses.

Polaris - emotional powerhouses. I love just about everything they've done.

Currents - Technical brilliance. I love their sound and Brian is one of, if not best singular vocalists in the scene. I enjoy their music more when it has a closer 50/50 screams to cleans ratio, but these guys are insanely talented.

Like Moths to Flames - kind of a mix of all three of the above. They can get a little "samey" for me with some of their music, but just excellence all around imo.

What is your modern metalcore "mount rushmore"?