Review
Amora Savant
The Immaculate Misconception

Volatile Productions (2005) Kevin Fitzpatrick

Amora Savant – The Immaculate Misconception cover artwork
Amora Savant – The Immaculate Misconception — Volatile Productions, 2005

Sometimes, perspective is a good thing. There's not always time to gain significant perspective, but when you do have the time, it makes an informed decision well, all that more informed. When I first played Amora Savant's The Immaculate Misconception, I didn't like it. So I played it a second time to, you know, gain some of that perspective thingy we were talking about and guess what? I liked it even less.

This didn't bode well. Believe it or not, I don't like to write bad reviews. It's easy to say something sucks. The "critic" world is full of people trying to out-pith each other and be the next Dorothy Parker or David Cross. It's always easier to say something's shit, rather than explain why it's good. But just because I don't like to write bad reviews doesn't mean I won't. I mean, I gotta earn those fat-ass Scene Point Blank checks. Coke, whores and patio furniture don't come for free, after all.

This brings us to the review in question. When I sat down to write this, I figured "Sure, I know what I'm going to say, but what better album to have on in the background than the album I'm writing about?" And wouldn't you know it - after getting ready with delicious bon mots about why the album is no fucking good, a funny thing happened - I started to like the goddamn thing. Not enough to give a glowing review, mind you (I save those for Sony artists. Thanks for the payola!), but enough of a change in heart that I knew I had some thinking to do. So with my whole world in upheaval, I stared blankly at the keyboard (a time-honored tradition) and re-formulated the whole process from soup-to-nuts and all the lentils in between.

The Immaculate Misconception, while certainly not the album of the year has just enough of the good stuff, the growls and grinding, the Misery Signals and the Botch-isms to (at least) placate the average listener. Clocking in at just under 24 minutes, this six track EP (including a brief intro) is a brief taste of possibilities on the horizon for these young whippersnappers from Wisconsin.

Amora Savant – The Immaculate Misconception cover artwork
Amora Savant – The Immaculate Misconception — Volatile Productions, 2005

Recently-posted album reviews

Pallette Knife

Keyframe
Take This To Heart Records (2026)

There’s a fine line between being a quirky emo band with scene references and something that actually sticks. On Keyframe, Columbus trio Palette Knife don’t just flirt with that line but sharpen it, name it after a Final Fantasy item, and build ten huge choruses around it. The band’s self-described “Nerd-Core-Mid-West-Emo” tag could easily read like a gimmick, but this … Read more

The Downstrokes

The Furious Hours
Independent (2026)

There is a specific kind of sultry, salty sweat that only happens in a room with low ceilings and a tube amp screaming a warm hum for forgiveness. You can smell the lingering kerosene and the stale beer on The Downstrokes’ latest LP, The Furious Hours, before the needle even hits the groove. It’s the sound of a band that … Read more

The Arrivals

Payload
Recess (2026)

It's been a short lifetime since the last Arrivals record, Volatile Molotov, but in many ways the new Payload picks up exactly where the last one left off. It straddles the mid-tempo punk spectrum while drawing influence from seemingly all realms of the rock 'n' roll cannon. I'd state that mod, power-pop, Brit Invasion, and even R&B are some of … Read more