Áine O'Dwyer
Music for Church Cleaners
MIE (2015)
Without doubt one of the more strange albums released in 2015 (or any year for that matter), Irish-born harpist Áine O'Dwyer’s Music for Church Cleaners is a two LP collection that presents ninety minutes of improvisational music made on the pipe organ at St Mark’s Church, Islington, UK. Aside from being, essentially, a live performance album (where the audience was … Read more
Algiers
Algiers
Matador (2015)
I feel like I’ve seen a lot of bands forcing genres together - black metal and shoegaze (Deafheaven), indie rock and hip-hop (Why?), jazz fusion and rap (Flying Lotus’ You’re Dead) - and I could go on and on. Often genre mashing can be a bit gimmicky, but if it’s done right, it can be a recipe for some of … Read more
Amber Asylum
Sin Eater
Prophecy Productions (2015)
Amber Asylum has been a force in the post-rock/post-metal domain, since the mid '90s. With their origin found back in 1996 with the release of Frozen In Amber, this intriguing band was able to keep a presence, unfortunately not as constant as we would prefer. The seven year drought leading to the release of 2007's Still Point was the first … Read more
Andrew Hock
Crystalline Privative Opulence
Union Finale (2015)
Andrew Hock, of Psalm Zero and, until recently, incredible black metal outfit Castevet, has always seemed a very interesting case, as the two before mentioned bands would let on. And the same interest would be transferred over to the debut album that Hock is putting out under his own name, Crystalline Privative Opulence. With an extended pallet of instruments, including … Read more
Anti-Flag
American Spring
Spinefarm Records (2015)
Barack Obama recently apologised to the families of two Western hostages killed during US drone strikes in January in the Pakistan-Afghanistan border. The use of drones is nothing new, they've been used since George W Bush was commander in chief, and it seems the narrative of American politics never greatly changes. The only thing that does change is the level … Read more
Arcturus
Arcturian
Prophecy Productions (2015)
The fact that both the new Arcturus and the new Dodheimsgard albums are being released in the same year seems insane for me. On one hand Dodheimsgard had to take eight years in order to put out there latest, magnificent album A Umbra Omega, and just a few months later Arcturus would be releasing Arcturian, their first album in a … Read more
Atlas Losing Grip
Currents
Creator-Destructor (2015)
I first discovered Atlas Losing Grip after the release of their 2009 EP, Watching the Horizon, and became an instant fan. 2009 seemed to be a dark time for technical melodic skatepunk and Watching the Horizon was basically a glimmer of hope in the blackness. It didn’t hurt that the singer, Rodrigo, was a founding member ofSatanic Surfers, one of … Read more
Baldruin
Portal
Wounded Knife Records (2015)
Baldruin, the brainchild of Johannes Schebler, is wondering through the psychic domains of ambient music. Even though the project is relatively new, Schebler has put out a number of releases, various split albums and cassettes. However, Portal is the debut of Baldruin in the vinyl domain, released through Wounded Knife Records. What attracts Baldruin to the ambient domain so much … Read more
Bangers
Bird
Specialist Subject Records (2015)
Bird is the Bangers record I wanted in 2013. Crazy Fucking Dreams is a good record, it was just a little less direct than I wanted from the band, being a little more on the introspective and drawn out (in punk terms) side of things than an aggressive and, er, banging approach. It was good, but Bird is better.It gets … Read more
Barcelona
Extremo Nihilismo En Barcelona
La Vida Es Un Mus Discos Punk (2015)
Similar to how Sorry State, Vinyl Rites, Lengua Armada, or Katorga Works do here in the US, Hackney, London-based record label La Vida Es Un Mus (subtitled Discos Punk) tend to work with bands that challenge the constraints of traditional hardcore and punk, which in turn sets them apart from the masses. The latest in a long line that includes … Read more
Baroness
Purple
Abraxan Hymns (2015)
Through their career, Baroness has spawned a series of excellent works. From their early Mastodon-ian EPs to the evolution of their own unique sound with Red Album and Blue Record and the adventurous routes that led to the release of their most ambitious work Yellow & Green, the band has remained a constant force in heavy music. A horrendous accident … Read more
Basement Benders
Lydiad
No Idea (2015)
Side projects aren’t supposed to invite other band comparisons, they’re supposed to separate, to show artisticrange. Who are we kidding here? Basement Benders is a punk project out of members of This Bike Is A Pipe Bomb, Hidden Spots, Future Virgins, and Black Rainbow—DIY bands who live the scene, meaning that being themselves and having fun with friends probably outweighs … Read more
Bell Witch
Four Phantoms
Profound Lore (2015)
Getting it right when it comes to extreme doom/death is a very tricky business. It is quite a misconception that as long as a band is able to play really, really slow and have heavy riffs, they can be considered successful and good at what they do. Bell Witch know better. The duo from Seattle is relatively new to the … Read more
Birthday Suits
Adult Party: Spin the Bottle
Recess (2015)
Birthday Suits always surprise me on record. Live, it’s fierce and reckless; sweaty mayhem and cathartic rock ‘n’ roll. On record, it’s more calculated, with the vocals coming stronger in place of the guitar/drum overload that powers the live show.The Minneapolis two-piece play something in the vein of garage rock, but with a ballsy and crafty “serious” musicianship that’s as … Read more
Black Rivers
Self Titled
Ignition Records (2015)
For the last few years any musical output with brothers Jez and Andy Williams at the helm has sounded otherworldly, like it's trying to capture some impossible-to-comprehend expanse that stretches beyond the atmosphere. As two-thirds of Mancunian outfit Doves, there was ready admittance between all three band members that when they were working on tracklists for their albums they would … Read more
Black Wing
...Is Doomed
Flenser (2015)
The name Dan Barrett is well known to anyone following projects such as Have a Nice Life, Giles Corey and Enemies List (and quite a few more.) In his latest project, Black Wing, Barrett sets on a digital-only path. While the motto of his other project, Giles Corey, has been: “only acoustic instruments allowed,” Black Wing features only digital instruments. … Read more
Blazing Eye
Blazing Eye EP
La Vida Es Un Mus Discos Punk (2015)
This is some of that rhythmic punk that's making the rounds lately. Kind of like Dawn of Humans (with whom they are currently label mates) but more on the crusty and menacing side than the weird and experimental. Blazing Eye is a quartet out of Los Angeles that share membership with Raw Ponx-affiliated acts like Drapetomania, Tuberculosis, and Sadicos. They have … Read more
Blind Idiot God
Before Ever After
Indivisible (2015)
Coming back from an extended break seems to be always tricky, for any band. Back in the late '80s and early '90s, Blind Idiot God were releasing great record after great record. Their refreshing style and no boundaries approach to mixing different genres under their unique kaleidoscope resulted in three excellent albums. The band officially went in hiatus in 1996 … Read more
