Recent reviews

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

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

My Dying Bride

A Map Of All Our Failures
Peaceville (2012)

My Dying Bride is over 20 years old. While most bands that would exist for this amount of time would notably mature in sound and style, it may be hard to convince people of that in regards to MDB. I say this because, stylistically, the band have always trudged through murky, doomy waters. This, in turn, did more to make them sound older than they were at the time. The band, having essentially managed to create gothic metal (of the not-so-cheeseball variety), have taken steps to both cement and destroy their place throughout the years. For every modern classic (A Line of Deathless Kings), there is a miscue (the unnecessarily over indulgence that would go on to be titled Evinta). Beyond all of this the band have earned a bunch of respect and continue on the same path they started on all that time ago.The album opener “Kneel till Doomsday" plays with both sound effects (tolling bells) and undulating riffs for nearly 8 minutes. This would be unforgivable if the adornments didn't manage to create something emotional and beautiful while remaining heavy. Throughout the course of the album the songs crawl along within the songs creating a deathly feeling. This … Read more

Wolves At Bay

Only A Mirror
Animal Style (2012)

Although Wolves At Bay have recently released a sparkly-fresh record, this review will cover their 2011 full-length debut on Animal … Read more

husband&wife

Acoustic Recordings
Crossroads Of America (2013)

The beauty in acoustic albums usually comes from hearing a song you know and love take on a different resonance … Read more

Aosoth

IV: An Arrow In Heart
Agonia (2013)

Aosoth is another example of how great the current black metal scene in France actually is. With their latest full … Read more

Aeon Zen

Enigma
Nightmare (2013)

Aeon Zen is one of the more recent progressive bands to work its way up to massive critical acclaim. Grounded … Read more

Worthwhile Way

Love Is All
ADD Records (2013)

Worthwhile Way play positive punk. No bones about it, the title Love Is All isn’t some ironic statement, the band … Read more

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One from the archives

Kissing Chaos

Enter With a Bullet
Fueled By Ramen (2003)

With a name like Kissing Chaos you just want to get a teddy bear and kiss it. Or maybe I just made that up for a creative intro to a review. Which is ironic, because this isn't the most creative CD. They do use violins for the end of a song, and that would have been original if it hadn't been done before. I like the contrast of vocals, very smooth leading vocals with screaming back ups. That's been done too, but the smooth vocals were different than other bands that do it in this manner. The screams sound forced at times, but for the most part are sexual. As much as I'm "hatin" on this CD, I still enjoy it. It's above average, but I wouldn't go as far … Read more

More album reviews

Riverside

Shrine of New Generation Slaves
Inside Out (2013)

Riverside is one of those surprise acts, emerging out of Poland to somehow join the ranks of Dream Theater and Porcupine Tree as one of the biggest progressive bands of the 00s. And with critically acclaimed albums like Second Life Syndrome and Rapid Eye Movement under their belt, they've proven time and time again that they can deliver powerful, complex … Read more

Lair of the Minotaur

Godslayer EP
The Grind House (2013)

Lair of the Minotaur is a band that managed to get their sound right and have stick with it since they first formed. With their doom/sludge/thrash hybrid they have managed to release four great albums: Carnage, The Ultimate Destroyer, my personal favorite War Metal Battle Master and their latest full length Evil Power. And now they are back with their … Read more

Cult of Luna

Vertikal
Density (2013)

These heavy bands are increasingly showing off their cultural literacy while still bludgeoning their listeners with a heady mix of loud guitars and cavernous sounding drums, and Cult Of Luna is in some ways one of the main culprits for pushing such intellectually studious music; the band’s return with their sixth studio has been presaged with a building excitement on … Read more

Cult of Luna

Vertikal
Density (2013)

Isis were the undisputed kings of post-metal, reaching levels of perfection with their music literally unheard of before. But even though they've been retired from the scene for a while, it's unclear whether or not there will emerge another band up to their calibre. If I can throw in my oar, I'd nominate Swedish metalheads Cult of Luna for the … Read more

HIM

Tears On Tape
Razor & Tie (2013)

HIM have been kicking about on the rock ‘n’ roll scene for as long as most of their fans have been alive, a terrifying thought in itself, and anything we needed to say about their love metal outlook or their relevance to the world of music in the 21st Century was said when we took a look at XX: Two … Read more

They Might Be Giants

Nanobots
Idlewild Recordings (2013)

When I first heard these guys in the late ‘80s or early ‘90s, there wasn’t really a name for this. Now, I guess it would be called indie pop. The band, led by songwriters John Linnell and John Flansburgh, has long been on the quirky side with a touch of novelty, but it’s their strong sense of melody and that … Read more

D.O.A.

We Come In Peace
Sudden Death (2012)

in·sti·tu·tion noun \?in(t)-st?-?tü-sh?n, something or someone firmly associated with a place or thingThere are few bands around that can be considered any kind of institution for their respective region. D.O.A. However, is such a band. A band synonymous with growing up in Canada. More specifically, growing up in Vancouver.Year after passing year, frontman Joe Keithley could be counted on to … Read more

The Strokes

Comedown Machine
RCA (2013)

The Strokes have paved way since brushing the scene in 2001 with their instant garage pop classic, Is This It. What was an unlikely return a decade later, releasing Angles after a near five-year hiatus, the band evolved electronically. Undoubtedly influenced by frontman Julian Casablancas - following his solo synthpop debut, Phrazes for the Young, during the break - this … Read more

Altar Of Plagues

Teethed Glory and Injury
Profound Lore (2013)

Often an album comes along that defies all genre constraints and challenges your own perception on life and reality. Sometimes that album makes you delve deep within the self and question your own outlooks. Teethed Glory and Injury is that album. And oh, how it ravages your being.With Teethed Glory and Injury Altar of Plagues have created a work of … Read more

The Scutches

Ten Songs, Ten Years
Bright & Barrow (2012)

The Ramones were, and still are, such an influence on music. These days, they’re garnered as a genre all on their own, known simply as, “Ramones-core.” Right now, bands like Teenage Bottlerocket are running things, but perhaps you haven’t given The Scutches a chance? The Scutches have been churning out Pop-Punk ditties for ten years now. Their latest album‘s title, … Read more

The Mount Fuji Doomjazz Corporation

Egor
Denovali (2012)

As the sister group of The Kilimanjaro Doomjazz Ensemble This group treads similar waters. While not a new group by any stretch this, their most recent full length of new work continues their original routing. The question many people would have is "what exactly is doomjazz?". The easy answer would correlate to the genre name itself. While it contains pieces … Read more

Iggy & The Stooges

Ready To Die
Fat Possum Records (2013)

The death of Ron Asheton in 2009 was a sad day in music. Considered by this critic and many others to be one of the best guitarists of all time, with his work on the first 2 Stooges album becoming the stuff of legend over the years. Having rejoined with Iggy and the Stooges a few years prior and appearing … Read more

Zozobra

Savage Masters
Brutal Panda (2013)

Zozobra returns five years after their excellent previous full length Birds of Prey; and now, Caleb Scofield (of Cave In and Old Man Gloom) brings forth Savage Masters. If you are not familiar with Zozobra, try to imagine Old Man Gloom covering Cave In tracks: in essence you get straightforward songs, with quite catchy riffs and nice groove which on … Read more

Various Artists

Closure / Moloch - Split EP
King Of Monsters (2012)

closure and moloch sit on diametrically opposed sides of the same scene in the same country. They share in the metal/hardcore scene within the UK and they manage to bring their differing outlooks to this split. This makes for a different type of split. While most bands would be happy to just play something similar to the band on 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)

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