5ive
Hesperus
Tortuga (2008)
A two-piece band before the format became de rigueur in hipster circles, 5ive (from Massachusetts not the boy band from the UK) play an instrumental doom-like style that incorporates psych elements to create a true sense of atmosphere and other worldly sounds - an impressive feat coming from just a guitarist and a drummer. Hesperus is the band's third full-length … Read more
A Caesar Holiday
A Caesar Holiday
Independent (2008)
The five-piece A Caesar Holiday offer up six tracks totaling forty-five minutes on their self-titled debut release. Featuring the combined instrumentation of violin, dual guitars, bass, drums, and accordion the Indianapolis group offer moody and mostly instrumental music falling somewhere between prog and post-rock. The album is at its strongest in the tracks featuring the violin work of Eison, most … Read more
A.P.O.S.T.L.E.
Lyrical Activism
Seven Soldiers (2008)
So the question is: can you teach without preaching? A.P.O.S.T.L.E. believes you can. Despite the connotations the name might produce, the man knows that once you preach, you judge. And once you judge, the listening stops. This is, of course, working on the assumption that there is listening to begin with. The new wave of socially conscious hip-hop (Mos Def, … Read more
Ability
Expired
Fineprint (2008)
Ability is a five-piece hardcore band from the Northern outskirts of Los Angeles. Expired is their debut effort and the 7" features five cuts of solid mid-tempo hardcore. Musically the band mixes together the guitar tones of Bad Brains with the thick rhythm sounds of Burn. "Work of Ages" is a good example of what the band has to offering. … Read more
Able Baker Fox
Voices
Second Nature (2008)
A little over five years ago The Casket Lottery and Small Brown Bike released a collaborative 12" EP that proved to be more than a split recording as the two bands collaborated on most of the songs giving listeners quite a good record. Now, in hindsight, this effort served as a portent of things to come with the release of … Read more
Above this Fire
Last Ones
Forest City (2008)
It's been over three years since Above this Fire released their debut full-length, In Perspective. Since that recording the band has grown immensely as songwriters, something that is evident when you listen to the two albums back to back. The band's growth and evolution since their initial recordings is something that helps put in perspective - pardon the pun - … Read more
Achenar
All Will Change
Earthen (2008)
One of the more difficult aspects of reviewing records is when an individual reviewer goes into a record completely blind with virtually no knowledge beforehand regarding a particular release or artist or group. Although there can be no preconceived notions concerning such projects, a certain amount of frustration or unpreparedness might be noticeable in said review. This is Achenar's debut … Read more
Akimbo
Jersey Shores
Neurot (2008)
A concept album that deals with the real life shark attacks that inspired the landmark movie Jaws, this is the type of heady fair that listeners might expect from some post-rock behemoth or prog-rock posturing; but this awesome idea comes from none other than Akimbo. Jersey Shores is a departure from there normally more straight forward rock bombast, and one … Read more
Alkaline Trio
Agony & Irony
Epic (2008)
Dear Matt Skiba, I recently picked up your band's latest release in the cut out bin at my favorite used CD store. After your last official long player, Crimson, which by the way sucked, I have given up all hope that your Alkaline Trio would ever release anything worth my time. Now here we are, Matt, with your first major … Read more
All for Nothing
Solitary
WTF (2008)
More hardcore from across the pond. This time it's The Netherlands. Neat. All for Nothing sound like they want to rewrite the first Comeback Kid album in five tracks. You know the sound - fast hardcore, silly breakdowns, and shouted vocals. Oh yeah this time the vocals are handled by a lady. She sort of reminds me of Mike Ski … Read more
All Hype
Response
Bus 125 (2008)
Michigan's All Hype had the unfortunate job of opening a six-band bill show that had no local openers and I believe only ten people paid. Gotta love MPLS hardcore showing their support for bands that don't come from their cul de sac in the burbs. Anyhow, All Hype were great and did an In My Eyes cover, so naturally I … Read more
All Through a Life
All Through a Life
Clue #2 (2008)
Unsolicited review materials are either one of two things: great surprises or extreme disappointments. Vancouver, British Columbia natives All Through a Life is of the first grouping. Prior to its arrival in the mail, I had never heard of All Though a Life. Over the course of this three-song 7" the Canadian four-piece experiments with a crossing of Dischord-esque punk … Read more
Alone
Kiss Dreams Goodbye
Refoundation (2008)
Kiss Dreams Goodbye is the newest offering from Alone, a melodic hardcore band hailing for Italy. This release is the band's follow-up to a split and features five brand new songs. Alone have a fairly unique sound as they're deeply rooted in the melodic hardcore, but they've also got a little bit of an indie/emo thing going as well. "Viva … Read more
Alpha & Omega
Devil's Bed
6131 (2008)
You know when George sings on Blacklisted's Heavier than Heaven, Lonelier than God and you really liked that grungey overblown style? Oh wait that was me. Anyhow... now you can have an entire five-song EP chock full of that over the top wailing. Not only do you get that you also get some headbanging metallic hardcore that falls somewhere between … Read more
Amebix
Monolith (Reissue)
Moshpit Tragedy (2008)
Seriously, Monolith being reissued in a digital format on a donation basis is an incredibly important occasion for several reasons that are worth being mentioned. But instead, let us focus on two particular ones here for the time being rather than run through some silly list. First, allow me to digress a bit. My first exposure to the strange and … Read more
Amebix
No Sanctuary: The Spiderleg Recordings
Alternative Tentacles (2008)
So the early Amebix releases are finally becoming more widely available (even though they have been on the bootleg circuit for quite a long while) which is excellent because some of the bootlegs of them are pretty nigh unlistenable, and considering that these releases are some of the best material that Amebix offers, finally seeing the light of day can … Read more
Amenra
Mass IIII
Hypertension (2008)
With no previous exposure to Amenra, the band which I am involved prepares to play a show with them knowing only that they are from Belgium. In the weeks leading up to said event, the support of fellow Belgian outfit Rise and Fall impacts me personally and intrigue begins to set in my mind. Well, let me just say that … Read more
An Albatross
An Albatross Family Album
Eyeball (2008)
With their first release since 2006, An Albatross decided to get serious: they spent five weeks in the studio with a team of ex-members, new players, and studio musicians to create the concept record An Albatross Family Album. What's it sound like, you ask? Like a noise band doing it with a math rock group while a cartoon donkey watches. … Read more
