//LESS
Useless EP
Independent (2022)
Returning readers might have noticed I like to be able to hear the bass guitar. It is an instrument that is too often a victim of a less than stellar production. French band //LESS are here to my aid. Their trick is simple and effective: instead of the more regular trio of drums, bass and guitar they opt to leave … Read more
10.000 Years
III (2022)
Interstellar Smoke Records (2022)
It ends here. Well, the trilogy telling the tale of spaceship “Albatross” ends here. Albatross is a spaceship that went on a mission: they were to look for other inhabitable planets in our milky way. In the first part of the trilogy the ship travels through a wormhole into another dimension and ends up on a planet inhabited by ancient … Read more
Alestorm
Seventh Rum Of A Seventh Rum
Napalm (2022)
Having left a suitable amount of time since it's release in June this year, I thought it was about time I wrote down my thoughts on album number seven from duck loving, pirate metal drunkards Alestorm. I'm sure everyone has picked up on the Iron Maiden reference and maybe the haters have rolled their eyes before even listening to it but I'm … Read more
Amorphis
Halo
Atomic Fire Records (2022)
Amorphis as a band have been going for over 30 years and this is the year that they bring us their new album Halo, a worthy finale to the trilogy of Under The Red Cloud (2015) and Queen Of Time (2018) and the fourteenth studio album of their career. The 3 singles released from Halo were "The Moon", "On The Dark Waters" and most recently the opening … Read more
An Abstract Illusion
Woe
Willowtip (2022)
At a chance recommendation of one of my best friends, I was introduced to An Abstract Illusion some three years or so ago. I was immediately hooked, as it would be obvious for someone with such an inclination for death metal. More particularly though, the melodic and progressive edge of their music was the actual selling point for me. Illuminate … Read more
Anchoress
Stay Positive
Early Onset Records (2022)
With Anchoress the chaos has found somewhere to catch. Originally formed in 2010 their newest album sees the band reaching technical and creative heights. Melody and instrumental prowess reign supreme on their fourth studio album without losing the relatability and raw energy they’re known for. Released on Early Onset Records and produced by Jesse Gander (Japandroids, White Lung) Stay Positive … Read more
Ann Beretta
Rise
Bully Me Now (2022)
I've been sitting on this record since it came out, and I wasn't sure exactly where I was with it until now. I really wanted to love this record, but my musical taste is that of a 47 yr old guy who has listened to so much music and been in so many bands, that I was afraid the review … Read more
Annie Jump Cannon
Flourishing Apart
No Sleep (2022)
Every 15-20 years there’s a revival. This time it’s emo and Annie Jump Cannon may be a modern 2022 band, but this could have come out in 2005 and fit into the scene of that day: both for its strengths and its weaknesses. Emo has always been a flawed genre for me. The melodrama plays well with crescendos and soaring, … Read more
Beach Rats
Rat Beat
Epitaph (2022)
Should I review Beach Rats on its own merit, or should I pause to describe the concept? That’s always the question with these, but in this case a little background may go a long way. The band features several older punks, seeking to rekindle the old spark and play fast, loud ‘n’ snotty music like the days of yore. They … Read more
Belushi Speed Ball
What, Us Worry?
SonaBLAST! Records (2022)
"All the burgers, all the fries, Daniels got tater tots for his eyes!" - Belushi Speed Ball Formed in 2013 in Louisville, Kentucky Belushi Speed Ball unashamedly crashed the thrash metal crossover band wagon with their take on speed induced party metal. To date What, Us Worry? is their second full length album. Prepare For Trouble was their first coming out in 2019 and … Read more
Black Altar/Vulture Lord
Deathiah Manifesto
Odium Records (2022)
I'll be completely honest with you I am a bit of an amateur when it comes to black and death metal. I am only really familiar with the more well known bands of the genre; Mayhem, Burzum, Darkthrone, Carcass, Entombed and so on. I'm slightly embarrassed to admit to knowing almost nothing about Black Altar or Vulture Lord until choosing this to review but something about … Read more
Black Map
Melodoria
Minus Head Records (2022)
Black Map came to be in a moment of synchronicity. Somehow at the exact time period, dredg, Far and The Trophy Fire were all put on hiatus. As a result, Mark Engles, Chris Robyn, and Ben Flanagan started to collaborate on their new project. And so Black Map’s debut record, …And We Explode arrived in 2014, with the band coalescing many of their influences into a singular … Read more
BlackDots
EP2
Motorcycle Potluck Records (2022)
BlackDots are back with EP2, released digitally and on a flexi 7”. The peppy, punky band from Denver are energetic but they aren’t your typical punk band, even if they do check a lot of the boxes. With dual vocals and melodic guitars, the general sound is somewhat quirky but upbeat and bouncy music. It’s emotional and cathartic but built … Read more
Bogos
Empty Bottles
Voodoo Rhythm (2022)
Sante, Salud, Prost ,Salute ,Saúde,Proost, Skål,Kippis,3а здоровье,乾杯, 건배,干杯 ,Şerefe ,في صحتك , לחיים , ΥΓΕΙΑ , Na zdrowie ,Na zdraví, Cheers! I sauntered into the dimly lit old man's bar closing the door behind the impeding swirling snowstorm brewing outside. Upon my unnoticed entry(this was no Cheers!-no cries of Norm were echoed by patrons) my eyes were immediately drawn to … Read more
Boogeyman
Boogeyman
Deadly Distribution, ELB-Power Records (2022)
"Presenting new sounds from the darkness"...welcome to the mind of Boogeyman! This Arizona three piece have a wonderful world of spooks, darkness, death and demons to show you with this eleven track self titled full length debut album. Predominantly horrorpunk in nature but incorporating many elements from other genres too. You will find that this is not your average bog … Read more
Boogeyman and Edward Kearns
The Devil's Song
Independent (2022)
The Devil's Song is the accompanying book to Boogeyman's self titled debut album; you can check out the album review right here.This 49 page story is the brainchild of Arizona based horrorpunk trio Boogeyman who wrote the songs to their album with this story in mind. They teamed up with friend and writer Edward Kearns continuing the story within the concept … Read more
BÖRN
Drottningar Dauðans
Iron Lung (2022)
It seems like genre definitions change based on the era. I swear people were calling Sonic Youth post-punk for a while, but nowadays the tag seems to apply to a dystopian style with distant-emotionless vocals. Of course, genre is a tricky beast. It’s often useful for description and concept, but some artists fall into the trap a little too deep. … Read more
BRASS
Look On The Bright Side
Early Onset Records (2022)
I can’t help but internally groan when a group is described as a ‘live band’. The phrase is pinned onto many a few semi-famous local bands who are known more for their on stage antics than their musical chops. A ‘live band’ stands in direct opposition of an ‘album band’ who do asinine things like practice and tune their instruments. … Read more
