Black Lips
Kids Like You & Me
Universal (2014)
At one point during Kids Like You & Me, the documentary chronicling Atlanta "flower-punks" the Black Lips' 2012 tour through the Middle East, drummer Joe Bradley remarks that it would be easy for the band to go out and book a tour in North America or even Europe really since the band already has a developed audience there. However, for … Read more
Flobots
Survival Story
Universal (2010)
Once social change begins, it cannot be reversed. You cannot uneducate the person who has learned to read. You cannot humiliate the person who feels pride. You cannot oppress the people who are not afraid anymore. We have seen the future, and the future is ours. - César Estrada Chávez Matter relates to all things. Matter is defined as "something … Read more
Hatebreed
Rise of Brutality
Universal (2003)
I'm confused how a band can take themselves seriously whatsoever, and have an album called Rise Of Brutality. Although Hatebreed doesn't talk about their large amount of bitches they are keeping in check or forties they are consuming in the club, the whole feel of this music reminds me of gangsta rap, trying so damn hard to act tough and … Read more
Jimmy Cliff
Rebirth
Universal (2012)
It’s always curious to see a veteran musician team up with their junior. Last year Jimmy Cliff joined with producer Tim Armstrong (Rancid) for the Sacred Fire EP, a pairing that sparked Cliff’s creativity and lead to this follow-up full-length. While it’s easy to note Armstrong’s presence on Rebirth (the album features a reappearance of the EP’s “Ruby Soho” cover), … Read more
Killing Joke
Absolute Dissent
Universal (2010)
As a band, Killing Joke has had numerous peaks and valleys in their career over the past 30 plus years most recently with the death of longtime bassist Paul Raven. The band has been one of the few to successfully tap into different genres over the year’s punk, Goth, metal, rock and experimental dub to name a few. The band’s … Read more
Lucero
1372 Overton Park
Universal (2009)
Lucero is a band that people feel passionately about. You either love them or hate them. Their fans are very adamant about which record is their favorite, and subsequently, the best in their eyes. With 1372 Overton Park Lucero has gone on to make what is one of the most fully realized albums of their career. Unfortunately, Lucero's vision for … Read more
Nirvana
In Utero (20th Anniversary Reissue)
Universal (2013)
Some anniversary reissues are like tapas. Small, manageable servings of exactly what you want and you wind up leaving utterly satisfied. Others are like going to Country Buffet. More food than you could ever need or want and you end up gorging on shit you never asked for in the first place and when you finish you ask yourself "Why … Read more
Nirvana
In Utero (20th Anniversary Reissue)
Universal (2013)
It’s easy to read a posthumous reissue as a mining of a band’s demos and outtakes. Nirvana saw the deluxe treatment of Nevermind a few years back and now, celebrating 20 years since its release, they get the same treatment on In Utero. For a band that only released three proper full-lengths, yet received accolades beyond what I care to … Read more
Rammstein
Made in Germany 1995-2011
Universal (2011)
I usually don't have the time to listen to all of the albums sent to us by every Tom, Dick and Harry around, so I generally save reviews outside of my normal purview for bands of some stature or note. So when this band Ramm-something-or-other wanted to send us a copy of their new album, a compilation no less, I … Read more
Rammstein
Paris – the special edition
Universal (2017)
Ah, Rammstein. Härte. Neue deutsche. Grinding metal guitars, brute masculinity, pyromania, double entendres, operatic sub-sonic vocals, wordplays galore and taboo subjects. In a live context, they burn – literally, being one of the few bands whose singer eventually deemed it necessary to become qualified as a licensed pyrotechnician and with fans on occasion having been carried out of concerts suffering … Read more
The Mars Volta
Amputechture
Universal (2006)
Have The Mars Volta finally become predictable? Were they already? Are they still churning out jaw-droppingly unexpected music? Did they ever? All these questions and more probably won't be answered in this review. Amputechture, the fairly quickly-released third full-length from the El Paso, Texas group, is in some ways a sequel to 2005's Frances the Mute, but still retains some … Read more
The Mars Volta
De-Loused In the Comatorium
Universal (2003)
As one of the few music geeks on the planet who wasn't infatuated with At the Drive-In, I approached this record with very few expectations. I'd heard the Tremulant EP and wasn't too impressed with it, but thought it was nice enough. De-Loused in the Comatorium sounds like a logical extension of that sound, with the same mix of guitars, … Read more
The Mars Volta
De-Loused In the Comatorium
Universal (2003)
I've never heard The Mars Volta call themselves "experimental" or "out there," have you? Where does everyone get this idea? Why would anyone call their music experimental? They DO get spacey at times with their long, drawn-out segments of little or no music in the middle of a song (i.e.: "Cicatriz ESP," "Take the Veil, Cerpin Taxt," etc.), but the … Read more
The Mars Volta
De-Loused In the Comatorium
Universal (2003)
Every now and then a super heavily hyped record comes along and completely lives up to all of the expectations set by the preliminary buzz. This is neither now nor then. De-Loused in the Comatorium was hyped by some to be the "best album of all time", but alas, it's not even one of the best albums put out this … Read more
The Mars Volta
Frances the Mute
Universal (2005)
Have you seen the Frances The Mute cover art yet? Cast your eyes to the right, it's on display there. Two guys, both blindfolded, and oblivious to the world around them. Or maybe they just don't care what else is going on. It's all about them, driving their vehicle, with their own rules and their own vision. That painfully obvious … Read more
The Mars Volta
The Bedlam in Goliath
Universal (2008)
For a band that immerses themselves in creating such an uncompromising and complicated sound, The Mars Volta is a very prolific bunch of musicians. One album released each year shows a very strong work ethic and a determination to never stagnate in their evolution. Not to mention a strong passion for all kinds of music. The Mars Volta sound like … Read more
The Rapture
Echoes
Universal (2003)
Something needs to be said about the infiltration of this dance rhetoric in the punk scene. I'm guessing some part of it came from Emma Goldman's ubiquitous, "If I can't dance to it, its not my revolution." This sentence, thought the scenesters, why not make it a call to arms (and legs) for all punk kids to "get down"? To … Read more
The Rapture
Echoes
Universal (2003)
The Insound Tour Support Vol. No. 1 packed a few wallops of fantastic music that drew my attention; one of these wallops is known as The Rapture. I felt a great need to go out and get "Echoes", the song, on a Rapture album so I could really experience what they are for myself. Well, that time is now, and … Read more
