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)

Robby Bloodshed

Dripping Red
Independent (2022)

Robby Bloodshed is a musician from New Jersey and has been recording since 2010. With five EP's, seven albums and a number of singles to his name, Dripping Red is his eighth album to date. The digital and CD release has seven tracks which include covers of "The Crystal Ship" by The Doors and "Growing Up and I'm Fine" by Mick Ronson. The latter of these features Manny Martinez on drums, his first appearance drumming since his days of playing in The Prostitutes Of New York (aka; P.O.N.Y) Glenn Danzigs band pre Misfits. The 12" vinyl edition features three additional original tracks; the previously unreleased "Unchained", the single version of "Sirens" and "Long Lone Lane" which also features ex-Misfits drummer Mr. Jim. Anyway, I feel like I'm getting slightly ahead of myself. Robby Bloodshed is a very talented individual and has a wonderful broad spectrum of influences he draws from. He sites artists such as Freddie Mercury, Jim Morrison, Frank Sinatra to horrorpunk royalty Glenn Danzig as his muses and it shows in his great mix of macabre lyrics and haunting vocals with a kind of 70s-80s keyboard/piano rock style that is different to other stuff coming out at the … Read more

Dr. Acula

Dr. Acula
Silent Pendulum Records (2022)

First of all, I can’t believe Dr. Acula is back! When I saw the promo from Silent Pendulum that there’s … Read more

Drakulas

Drunk Dial #10
Drunk Dial Records (2022)

My first thought on seeing that Drakulas cover The Jim Carroll Band on this was, “Huh, that’s a weird choice.” … Read more

More Kicks

Punch Drunk
Dirtnap (2022)

I was thrown the first time I listened to this. I came in blind, expecting “the Dirtnap sound.” But what … Read more

VoidOath

Ascension Beyond Kokytus
Cognitive Discordance Records, Cursed Monk Records (2022)

Four piece doom/sludge/death metal outfit VoidOath crawled their way up from the nether realms of San Jose, Costa Rica in … 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 … Read more

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One from the archives

Irepress

Samus Octology
Translation Loss (2007)

Instrumental music that doesn't bore one to death is hard to come by, especially in a world like today. There are handfuls of bands attempting the instrumental sound and failing miserably. There are others of course that do succeed in such risky endeavors. Luckily for Irepress they are one of them. Instrumental bands have a tendency to bore an audience of listeners. Nevertheless, the conventions of their songs reach another feat: they are fun to listen to. What exactly am I talking about? Well, Irepress, if you haven't already guessed it, is an instrumental band laced with hardcore sound. All in all it's a band we would expect to hear from the influences of today. However, Irepress stand out in a way that is very important: they don't follow the … Read more

More album reviews

Night Jobs

Never Happener EP
Independent (2022)

I was introduced to Night Jobs with The Shape of Bummers To Come tape. I liked it overall, but I did feel there was room from growth. I mean, there always is…but I digress. The band is back in 2022 with the new 7”, Never Happener, featuring four new songs. And I do hear that “growth.” Sure, Night Jobs play … Read more

Laraigne

The Brightside Of It All
Snappy Little Numbers (2022)

Oh, Canada! Hailing from Geneva and now back and forth between Toronto and the beautiful city of Montreal, Greg Laraigne weaves well-crafted stories into a tapestry of lore and social commentary. The album apparently was ten years in the making while he also perfected his trade as a well-respected man in the field of tattooing. Easy comparisons are made to … 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

Raging Nathans

Still Spitting Blood
Rad Girlfriend Records (2022)

The Raging Nathans owe a lot of their sound to the ‘90s punk scene. One thing they don’t take after, though, is that need to put out an album of 15+ tracks. Still Spitting Blood comes just one year after Waste My Heart and it’s only 10-songs and 20-minutes in length. The quantity is probably there, but the band is … Read more

The Mars Volta

The Mars Volta
Clouds Hill (2022)

After 10 years of silence, the hiatus interruptus is no more and The Mars Volta have unleashed a new self-titled album upon the masses. Now, before we go any further, it should be understood that this album does not represent the Volta that was, but rather the Volta that is. This is not a bad thing. This is merely an … Read more

Various Artists

Horrorpunk's Not Dead: Vol. 1
We Are Horror Records (2022)

Horrorpunk's Not Dead: Vol.1 is the first of (hopefully) many compilations created by the team behind Horrorpunk's Not Dead radio podcast. Not only are they fast becoming Europes best horrorpunk radio show but they are proving to be a significant force when it comes to promotion within the community, being the busiest and most proactive promoters of horrorpunk in Europe … Read more

Various Artists

The Things That Shaped Us Together
Haum Entertainment (2022)

By the time I'm writing this review, I would like to express my condolence for all the families and the victims of the police brutality in Kanjuruhan (Malang) soccer match. And this time we have a submission music coming from Haum Entertainment. Haum Entertainment is a Malang (Indonesia) based label that is known for releasing local notable emo/melodic hardcore musicians. … Read more

Fallujah

Empyrean
Nuclear Blast (2022)

The last time I listened to Fallujah was five or so years ago, around the time when they released Dreamless. I can’t say that I was impressed or anything of the sort, but I did spin that album for a short while, until I basically all but forgot about the existence of the band. I wasn’t even aware they made … Read more

Death Cab For Cutie

Asphalt Meadows
Atlantic (2022)

Ten albums into their tenure and Death Cab for Cutie are still finding ways to reinvent themselves while maintaining their identity and sound. Their 2018 release, Thank You For Today, was the first to feature members Zac Rae and Dave Depper after long-time member and co-writer, Chris Walla, left the group. This led to the songs on that album being … Read more

Screeching Weasel

The Awful Disclosure of Screeching Weasel
Monona Music, Rum Bar Records, Striped Records (2022)

Before starting, I would like take a quote from the band's spotify profile” "Went to a Ramones show. Started a band. Pissed a lot people off". The quote tells a lot about the band's history and controversies. Begin with having a beef with many label owners, Fat Wreck one of them, up to the constant changing of its regular and … Read more

Meat Wave

Malign Hex
Swami (2022)

I heard people raving about Meat Wave for a while before I finally saw the band a few years ago. But I still hadn’t really checked out their recorded material and I wasn’t sure how the band’s powerful set would translate to the at-home experience. Many bands with a raw concert experience struggle to set that same tone to tape. … Read more

Crack Cloud

Tough Baby
Meat Machine (2022)

Vancouver collective Crack Cloud burst onto the scene in 2018 with two independently released EPs- followed up by their first full length album, Pain Olympics, in 2020. The multimedia collective features an ever changing line up of musicians, filmmakers, designers and artists. Originally formed by Zach Choy (lead vocals, drums) and Mohammed Ali Sharar (keyboards) as an outlet for their … Read more

Various Artists

Tunes From The Underground Postcard Vinyl Series
GC Records (2022)

Sitting down at my well-worn Arts and Crafts Mission Style desk I ponder with a quill pen firmly grasped between my index finger and thumb properly. Occasionally I dip the tip of the pen into the black ink well and glance at the ceiling lost in transition until thoughts of bitter torrid times are washed away by welcoming waves of … Read more

The Bootstrap Boys

New Beginnings
Independent (2021)

The Bootstrap Boys are a four piece outlaw country band from Grand Rapids, MI. I fucking hate country music with a passion that can't be put into words. I hate that somewhere around 2007, damn near every punk friend I had were listening to Johnny goddamn Cash and Waylon fuckhead Jennings. Jocks, preps, and rednecks were our sworn enemies and … Read more

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