Latest features — browse all

Scene Point Blank's Favorites: Year End (2024)

Music / Year End 2024 • January 4, 2025

It's 2025, somehow. When did this happen?! Okay, okay, four days ago. But honestly. It feels like 2012 was only a few months ago. Is it just SPB who's feeling a little, well, timestruck? But don't worry – we've got you. Did 2024 pass you by, too? Still not caught up on all the albums you suspect were released in the last twelve months? Fear not. We've completed our annual summary of the best records released in 2024, and we're very excited to share them with you. In time-honoured SPB fashion, we've asked our contributing staff to write up a list of their favorite albums, and summed them together into a sitewide megalist, with no further editorialising or propaganda. Read on to discover what SPB staff thought of the best music of 2024. Read more

Pass The Mic: Artists and labels on 2024

Music / Year End 2024 • January 4, 2025

It's a SPB tradition to formally "pass the mic" to our artist and label friends to tell us about their … Read more

999

Interviews • January 4, 2025

I'm alive and so are 999! They formed in London in 1976 and quickly became one of the favourites of … Read more

Red Scare Industries - History 101

Music / History 101 • December 10, 2024

Hey folks, Toby here, and the SPB team asked me to provide some insights about some stuff from our catalog … Read more

Latest album reviews — browse all

The Cure

Songs of a Lost World
Capitol, Fiction, Lost Music, Polydor/Universal (2024)

It's been sixteen years since The Cure released their last album. I don't know if anyone really knew what to expect, but it's one of the most influential bands in history so expectations were high. The Verdict? Those expectations were met. It'd be silly to say Songs of a Lost World is a "return to form" as the band and … Read more

City Mouse

So Far Out
Brassneck Records, It's Alive (2024)

There are few bands that hit with the mix of raw emotion and musical talent as a live City Mouse show. There are even fewer bands that can capture that live feeling on a record. It’s been a long 7 years since Get Right, but So Far Out keeps it moving as if no time has passed. Of course, the … Read more

Machine Girl

MG Ultra
Future Classic (2024)

Ideally, I would be a bit more interested in art. In visual art- paintings, sketches, MS Paint monstrosities- whatever. I wish I knew more about the meaning of a brush stroke or even had the desire to know more about the meaning of a brush stroke. I spend a lot of time listening to music and, subsequently, I see a … Read more

Ekko Astral

pink balloons
Topshelf (2024)

Their music is for people “who are struggling, who are at their absolute lowest". That’s a quote from vocalist and guitar player Jael Holzman talking to The Washington Post. Am I struggling? Am I at my absolute lowest? No. Have I had a bit of a rough patch? Sure (it’s not that bad- don’t worry about it mom). Work sucks, … Read more

Additional album reviews

Build Us Airplanes

All Things Expire
Sell The Heart Records (2024)

Build Us Airplanes covers a lot of ground on this 9 song LP, All Things Expire. It’s melodic punk for the most part, but with distinct elements of emo, post-hardcore … Read more

Lustmord

Much Unseen Is Also Here
PELAGIC RECORDS (2024)

Lustmord, the reluctant pioneer of the dark ambient scene has returned with another expansive work of existential dread in Much Unseen Is Also Here. His arsenal of industrial components, field … Read more

Økse

Økse
Backwoodz Recordz (2024)

Økse is a gathering of brilliant, creative minds. The project's roster is pristine, with avant-jazz phenoms Mette Rasmussen on saxophone, Savannah Harris on drums, and Petter Eldh on bass/synths/samplers joining … Read more

Final

What We Don't See
Room40 (2024)

Justin K. Broadrick's prolific output keeps giving, and may it never stop! The latest release is one of Broadrick's earliest projects, Final, which started in the power electronics tradition but … Read more

Bambies

Snotty Angels
Spaghetty Town Records, Wanda Records (2024)

The digital files I’ve been listening to as I write this review are all tagged to begin with the band name, e.g. “Bambies Teenage Night,” “Bambies Love Bite,” etc. It … Read more

Buñuel

Mansuetude
Overdrive, SKiN GRAFT (2024)

With a stellar line-up featuring vocalist Eugene S. Robinson (ex-Oxbow), guitarist Xabier Iriondo (Afterhours, A Short Apnea), bassist Andrea Lombardini (The Framers) and Franz Valente (Il Teatro Degli Orrori), Buñuel … Read more

Night Court

$hit Machine
Recess (2024)

Forget all the stereotypes about punk. Night Court are a punk band, but they aren’t nihilistic or aggressive. Instead, they’re scrappy and DIY and -- while they are certainly cynical … Read more

Pharmakon

Maggot Mass
Sacred Bones (2024)

Pharmakon's body of work is a visceral etude on the human condition. Since 2013 with the release of Abandon, Margaret Chardier has explored the darkest sides of the human mind, … Read more

News headlines — browse all

Drugs of Faith shares new song, new album soon

Posted in Records on January 7, 2025

Feb. 21 is the release date for Asymmetrical, the third LP from Virginia trio Drugs of Faith (members also play in Enemy Soil, Agoraphobic Nosebleed, Immanent Voiceless, and Embra). The new LP comes to us via Selfmadegod Records and Malokul.They last released an EP, Decay, nearly six years ago. Fourteen … Read more

156/SILENCE + VCTMS

Posted in Tours on January 7, 2025

Following the release of People Watching (SharpTone Records) last year, 156/SILENCE will hit the road alongside VCTMS on a co-headlining tour of hard to pronounce band names. The tour hits … Read more

Midira Records - MMXXIV: Crackling Currents

Posted in Labels on January 4, 2025

Midira Records notes the end of 2024 by sharing a pay-as-you-wish label sampler, with 9 tracks that includes an exclusive, previously unreleased remix by thisquietarmy. Listen/buy here: Read more tracklist: … Read more

Smoking Popes dates

Posted in Tours on January 4, 2025

Chicago, IL based band Smoking Popes will return with a new album, Lovely Stuff, this year. In addition, 2025 marks the 30th anniversary of their album Born To Quit. The … Read more

SPB Premiere: “Epipen” by Beloved Binge

Posted in Videos on January 3, 2025

Jangle-pop duo Beloved Binge has announced the upcoming release of their seventh album, Godwit. The band is sharing the album as a series of 11 singles throughout 2024-2025. Having previously … Read more

Meet Theatre of Light (Jean Grünewald)

Posted in Records on December 21, 2024

Brussels-based artist Jean Grünewald, also of Ottoman Grüw and A Body Without, has a new release out this week: Theatre of Light. The digital release takes inspiration from religious chants … Read more

Vastum's Violations On The Cross near you soon

Posted in Tours on December 21, 2024

Oakland, CA based death metal group Vastum has scheduled a 2025 US tour called Violations On The Cross, following this year's release of their fifth album, Inward To Gethsemane (20 … Read more

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