Drop Tank
Domina
Independent (2012)
Playing rock and roll, and playing it well, isn’t easy these days. So much has been produced and rehashed of the genre, its best days having existed mostly in the 60’s and 70’s. Don’t get me wrong; rock and roll is still very much alive. It’s the distinction between the plethora of bands playing for an audience of head scratchers, … Read more
Eastern Blok
Folk Tales
Independent (2007)
World music is a funny thing. It begins with the purest of intentions: to invite the listener to explore the country of its origin by providing an aural guide to its history, its peoples, its struggles and its victories. The thing is, almost the entire genre has been co-opted by new age douchebags seeking to show their eclecticism by having … Read more
Eastern High
Halo
Independent (2021)
It feels like people have sort of given up on doing prog metal with clean vocals, no? Or maybe that’s just me? Or maybe I just started giving up on that area due to its general lack of ingenuity in musical terms and veered more heavily into extreme prog. Regardless, Eastern High have just recently released their second album, titled … Read more
Embers
Shadows
Independent (2011)
Embers is a grouping of people from Oakland California and while most of what their area is known for is being dangerous hip hop tends to be the best known export of the city. Meanwhile in the shadows Embers have built something that may be more reminiscent of their hometown. A four piece that, at least on recordings, includes more … Read more
Empire! Empire! (I was a Lonely Estate)
When the Sea Became a Giant
Independent (2007)
The key word that comes to mind when listening to When the Sea Became a Giant is light. Everything is light. The vocal delivery is a deep reminder of the roots of emo, where a different kind of melancholy built its empire (no pun intended, I lied, yes it was). The guitars let off an air of innocent intensity. The … Read more
Empty Promise
Start from the Ground
Independent (2009)
Austria, the home of some of my ancestors and one of my favorite finds of the year, Empty Promise. This four-piece melodic punk band definitely took me by surprise and are sure to do the same to more listeners. Already having an impressive demo EP on their resume, Empty Promise continue to come out strong with their debut album, Start … Read more
Empty Yard Experiment
Kallisti
Independent (2014)
Music is wonderful and is one of the few things that echoes across the world and can bring people together in unity. Of course, that’s putting the most simplistic of slants on it but when bands are forged in countries that we may not expect to hear music from, it’s difficult to not appreciate the power of sound. Empty Yard … Read more
Enmeshed
The Egesal
Independent (2016)
There is very little information available about who Enmeshed is, other than that they are a four piece band, releasing their debut album The Egesal. With an interesting setup, including electroacoustic guitar, drums (alongside drum machines) and tenor electric guitar, they like to blend diverse sounds, within an overall experimental extreme doom setting. Their vision for The Egesal is quite … Read more
Every Face Becomes A Skull
Every Face Becomes A Skull
Independent (2023)
Confession time: I was going to burn this record to the ground. I wasn’t writing a review yet, just listening to the album, but I had some really not nice things to say. And then everything changed. Why? Well, I decided to see if my problems with the album could be solved by playing it from another source. I thought … Read more
Every Other Fate
Phantoms Fill the Skies
Independent (2008)
Even with the recent explosion of big opus, post-genre fluff, and also considering the success of groups like Radiohead, The Mars Volta, Tool, and to an extent, Dredg, experimental albums will forever maintain a cult following. Most typical trend-trotters "just don't get it," and even some of the more cerebral minds are quick to call the style a pompous exercise … Read more
Everything Falls Apart
Escape
Independent (2006)
Everything Falls Apart gets big ups and putting this seven-inch out all on their own. Six songs of semi-melodic 80's styled punk/hardcore with snotty vocals. No chugga-chugga breakdowns, no useless slogans, no emo meanderings, just straight up fast hardcore that may be played a bit sloppy but most assuredly played with all heart. Read more
Exit the King
Exit the King
Independent (2005)
While most publications seem to avoid reviewing independent releases, I actually enjoy covering bands that aren't joined to a label. It refreshing to hear from passionate artists - it says a lot about a band to not only take the time to release an album on their own, but also to send it off to be reviewed by the "elitist … Read more
ExxoStack
Terramygdala
Independent (2022)
Instrumental progressive metal pretty much died out in the late 2010s, right? Wrong! While it can feel like that at times, there are still plenty of bands out there toying with the legacy of the genre in interesting ways. One of them is ExxoStack, on which I’ll be focusing today, particularly the latest record, Terramygdala. ExxoStack took off as the … Read more
Eyes Averted
Eyes Averted
Independent (2009)
Eyes Averted return with a four-song EP that the band is once again self-releasing, something they're used to after self-releasing their debut album back in 2006. These four songs continue the band's display of technical abilities but with a slightly different approach than what was displayed on their debut. The four songs still boast a technical hardcore sound akin to … Read more
Eyes Averted
Paralyzing Passion and Motion
Independent (2006)
It seems strange that a band like Eyes Averted would end up having to self-release their debut album. Before Paralyzing Passion and Motion was completed, the band was abruptly dropped from their label. Why would this happen? What acceptable excuse could there possibly be? The technical, almost progressive, hardcore style the band embraces has reached a level of popularity that … Read more
Feed The Cat
Never Press Rewind, Except...
Independent (2018)
Feed The Cat is skatepunk band from Toulouse, France. Never Press Rewind, Except… is their second release after the EP Kick The Fat. Their sound is undeniably skatepunk. For some reason I'm reminded of Smartbomb. Not the most well known of all skatepunk bands, but Feed The Cat has the same vibe. Musically it's slightly different though. Skatepunk in my … Read more
Fiancé
Please, Ambitious, Please
Independent (2008)
Denver-based quartet Fiancé has put forth a pretty catchy follow-up to 2007's, The Girl From the Ivory Coast. With 2008's Please, Ambitious, Please, Patrick Maguire (vocals, piano), Michael James (guitar), Tyler Reschke (bass) and Chris Sturniolo (drums) have produced a compelling little offering. The instrumentation is beautiful and quirky, and ultimately provides a satisfying listen. At times the lyrics are … Read more
Fight Like Hell
Demo
Independent (2005)
Let me just give all of you a big fat heads up: Blood Money Records sold out of this demo, so if you were thinking it wasn't hot shit, or that because you aren't from Denver and haven't heard of Fight Like Hell, you are very mistaken. Turns out, anybody with good taste in music already owns this demo. Probably … Read more
