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Our latest album reviews, featuring the records we've most enjoyed (or not) over the past few weeks.

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Browse our album reviews according to score: Highest (9.5/10 or more) or Lowest (2/10 or less)

The National

Trouble Will Find Me
4AD (2013)

DISCLAIMER: Readers, a bold claim is about to be made. The National’s Trouble Will Find Me could, quite possibly, be as essential as air. Tread carefully, the sheer force of the overwhelmingly mournful nature of this album may surprise you with its taciturn but fitting attempts of disbelieving optimism. Happiness is not The National’s forte, but tussling with overbearing emotions is.Singer Matt Berninger’s trademark gloomy lyrics delivered in his unmistakable baritone voice haven’t lost the ability to simultaneously punch you in the stomach while offering you a shoulder to cry on. Where 2010’s High Violet left you picking up the pieces of fractured relationships and the sudden responsibilities that middle age brings, Trouble Will Find Me instead brings you further into the ether, accepting that you've gone as low as you can but you’re sure as hell going to find out what it’s all about while you’re there.Trying to find a glitch in The National’s output is a struggle. The unabashed rage and regretfulness of “Mr November” and the thoughtful simplicity of “Fake Empire” all have their place, and every album seems to flawlessly lead up to the next one. Trouble Will Find Me not only continues this trend, but … Read more

Queensrÿche

Frequency Unknown
Deadline (2013)

The name on the front of this album says Queensrÿche. It does not say Geoff Tate's Queensrÿche or any other … Read more

Kite Party

Baseball Season
Animal Style (2012)

Kite Party reside and make music in Philadelphia, PA. They’ve released some well-received EPs over the last half-dozen years, and … Read more

The Ocean

Pelagial
Metal Blade (2013)

The Ocean, the German post-sludge-metal act masterminded by guitarist Robin Staps, is one of the most consistently high-quality bands in … Read more

Tesseract

Altered State
Century Media (2013)

Up until this point, TesseracT wasn't a band I held much respect for. Though a competent release, their debut album … Read more

The Psyke Project

Guillotine
Swarm Of Nails (2013)

The Psyke Project have been terrorizing the metallic hardcore scene since the mid 00s. With their albums steadily increasing in … Read more

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One from the archives

Up For Nothing

Escape Route
It's Alive (2022)

While Up For Nothing has apparently been around since 2002, this is my first exposure. It’s interesting to learn about a band after listening on repeat, as I had the impression they were young ‘uns. They should take that as a compliment. Rather than sounding jaded, it sounds vibrant. Up For Nothing is a punk band from Brooklyn. The style is familiar: melodic punk with whoa-oh choruses. Early thoughts had me putting it somewhere in a Banner Pilot meets Bouncing Souls realm, but it was missing something. Those connections are more subtle, while there was a tip-of-my-finger more obvious comparison I couldn’t place. On about my tenth listen, I had that aha! moment: there is a similarity to Plow United. Even though the songs are pop in structure, there is … Read more

More album reviews

Big Big Train

English Electric
English Electric (2013)

It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a progressive rock band in possession of a good reputation must be in want of a double album. They're something of the gold standard of progressive music--proving that you have the chops to write over eighty minutes of music without it beginning to suck is such a truly monumental and respectable feat that … Read more

Forgotten Tomb

...and Don't Deliver Us from Evil
Agonia (2012)

The Italian boys of Forgotten Tomb are certainly not new kids to the black metal scene. The band, going strong since the turn of the century, has made a name by building its own little corner in the depressive black metal genre. With each record the band allows their emotions to show through a bit more and, in turn, it … Read more

Gateway District

Old Wild Hearts
It's Alive (2013)

“We’re going to break you down this Saturday night,” sings The Gateway District in “Break You Down,” off their new LP, Old Wild Hearts. It’s as fitting a place to start as any. The band has a working for the weekend vibe to them, celebrating the good times and letting your Saturday nights roll. On their third LP, the transition … Read more

Queensrÿche

Self Titled
Century Media (2013)

An eponymously titled album is somewhat unusual this late into a bands' career and will typically signify that the band in question is, despite all excuses and comments to the contrary, simply out of any new ideas - as reflected in the lack of title along with the lack of songwriting. This could not be farther from the truth in … Read more

Koko Beware

Something About Summer
Independent (2012)

I have to be honest here. A band named after a professional wrestler, no matter what they sound like, is going to tug at my heart strings in a way that’s totally unfair to all bands that are not named after professional wrestlers. I also love summer, summer jams, and any jams that evoke some sort of summer-ness. And with … Read more

Enslaved

RIITIIR
Nuclear Blast (2012)

the black metal horde Enslaved seems to have been around forever. Unlike most bands of their genre and pedigree they have managed to add elements to their style to make themselves more their own band with each release. Each album has flirted with their Pink Floyd fascination while stripping away the unneeded kvlt aspects of the band's sound. For most … Read more

Anciients

Heart Of Oak
Season of Mist (2013)

The debut album, Heart of Oak, for the Canadian extreme/progressive metal band, Anciients, is a fascinating one. And do not think that this is going to be your standard “progressive” band, where technicality is more important than feeling or substance. This band is an extremely difficult one to categorize so the term “progressive” is used here in a very vague … Read more

October Falls

The Plague of a Coming Age
Debemur Morti Productions (2013)

Starting life as a one-man instrumental outfit by M.Lehto in 2001, October Falls soon began to incorporate other members as well as a more metallic approach to the black metal genre and in 2007 The Streams of the End signalled a huge step for the band in terms of musical stance. Their music is steeped in the history of their … Read more

Street Eaters

Self Titled
Cut the Cord That…Records (2012)

There are a few formats I almost go out of my way to avoid, namely cassettes and digital EPs. However, I’ll make an exception for certain bands and Street Eaters are one of those. Street Eaters released their debut full-length Rusty Eyes and Hydrocarbons in 2011 and it still grips me today. This self-titled digi-EP did see a 12” pressing … Read more

Iron Lung

White Glove Test
Prank (2013)

Sweet jesus did Iron Lung ever “come back” with a bang (seriously it has been six years since the band’s awesome album, Sexless // No Sex and even though they released a bunch of splits and collaborations in the interim, it still seems like they have been a bit quiet of late) with the extremely ambitious White Glove Test; with … Read more

Vultress

Distance
Independent (2013)

Don't be fooled by the naïvely inconspicuous visage; Vultress are the real deal, and their debut release Distance has emerged out of nowhere to become one of the most surprisingly proficient progressive albums this year.Actually, what's most remarkable about Distance is just how unremarkable it is. For an album that leaves an unforgettably positive impression, it's surprising to realize that … Read more

sadgiqacea

False Prism
Candlelight (2013)

After the release of an EP and two split albums, Sadgiqacea managed to land a deal with Candlelight Records under which their debut full-length album False Prism is coming out. The band from Pennsylvania is definitely one you want to check if you are into experimental heavy music, because they definitely know how to create imposing music that has the … Read more

The Dillinger Escape Plan

...One Of Us Is The Killer
Sumerian (2013)

As a disclaimer, I am not in any way an expert on bands whose primary genre tag ends in '-core'. However, I know a fantastic album when I hear it, and the Dillinger Escape Plan's latest album, 2013's One of Us is the Killer, is beyond even that.It's been clear since their 1999 debut Calculating Infinity that the Dillinger Escape … Read more

Queens of the Stone Age

Like Clockwork
Matador (2013)

"I blow my load over the status quo - here we go".A reading from the book of Homme. It has been 6 since Queens of the Stone Age released their album Era Vulgaris. An album this reviewer gave a favorable rating, but admittedly didn't fully understand at the time of reviewing for this site. I couldn't fully grasp what the … Read more

Reviews by score
Browse our album reviews according to score: Highest (9.5/10 or more) or Lowest (2/10 or less)