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Classic Album

Himsa

Self Titled
Revelation (1999)

Long before this band went the way of the metal ear candy purveyors that they eventually turned into (check out Courting Tragedy And Disaster for a reference), Himsa dropped this terribly under appreciated and short eponymous EP on an arguably rather stagnant era of hardcore and punk with a dark tone and a bit more of a nuanced view of … Read more

Classic Album

The Nerve Agents

Days Of The White Owl
Revelation (2000)

Though not as revered as the final album from The Nerve Agents, Days Of The White Owl is certainly a turning point for the band and a definite precursor to the critical darling of an album that succeeds it, and this is perhaps a monster injustice to The Nerve Agents because with their last and best album for Revelation, they … Read more

Diablo Swing Orchestra

Pandora's Piñata
Sensory (2012)

Though they're definitely much more accessible than some of their peers, the Diablo Swing Orchestra are without a doubt one of the best avant-garde metal bands around. Granted, it does seem weird to put them in the same category alongside bands like maudlin of the Well, Dog Fashion Disco, and Ved Buens Ende, but their eclectic instrumentation, diverse song arrangements, … Read more

El-P

Cancer 4 Cure
Fat Possum (2012)

A man such as El-P is an anomaly to say the least. To fully describe his music in genre labels or easily identifiable terminology is almost an exercise in futility as both a music fan and writer. The life long New Yorker and figurehead within the underground hip hop scene manages to make a legitimate argument for hip hop as … Read more

Fighting Kites

Self Titled
Variant (2012)

North London four piece Fighting Kites started life in 2009, their brand of intimate instrumental rock immediately setting them apart from the arty crowd that usually inhabits the post-rock tag. Delicate structures of gentle and sweeping beauty permeate this debut record, opener “Chuck Close” a subtle composition of lightly struck notes and slow introductions to a range of noises. As … Read more

Swans

We Rose From Your Bed With The Sun In Our Heads
Young God (2012)

How do you rate bands, or maybe, how do you determine if you think a band is good or not; is it their longevity or their subjective impact on music or how their music speaks to you on emotional level, or does their live show or how they play live help make your ultimate decision? For my part, these questions … Read more

Mares Of Thrace

The Pilgrimage
Sonic Unyon (2012)

Mares Of Thrace are a band apart from the norm. Merely sound-wise they stick outside of the given genre parameters. Meanwhile, one look at their facebook page or the statement they make in a live setting will give any people wanting to pigeonhole them a whole new headache. Let's get this out of the way first, Mares are a two … Read more

Sharon Van Etten

Tramp
Jagjaguwar (2012)

I’m not going to lie. I’m reaching a bit out of my comfort zone on reviewing this one. And, yes, the rating system is a bit skewed toward albums that fit into my more typical listening genres. In other words, it would take Sharon Van Etten a hell of an album to secure a high score. Tramp, her third release, … Read more

Chasma

Declarations Of The Grand Artificer
Moribund Cult\The Mylene Sheath (2011)

As much as I love death metal, I always seem to have issues enjoying black metal. It's not that I have anything against the genre at all--the aesthetic is actually something I really enjoy. But it does seem as if every band that's been put forward from the genre to me has been lacklustre. Sadly, Oregonians Chasma fall into the … Read more

Classic Album

Drowningman

How They Light Cigarettes In Prison
Revelation (2000)

“Try to kill me / motherfucker!” That my friends, is how you kick a record into gear; without a doubt Drowningman laid down a gauntlet of sorts with How They Light Cigarettes In Prison, as other bands of the era struggled to remain relevant, this Vermont (what band comes from Vermont, seriously) band refine their approach and add some sickeningly … Read more

Classic Album

Kiss It Goodbye

She Loves Me Not...
Revelation (1997)

Is it the sound of a quarter life crisis? Is the sound of frustration and anger? In their short lived existence, Kiss It Goodbye released just this full length album (and two singles), but She Loves Me, She Loves Me Not... is nine bursts of concentrated aggression that more or less bludgeon listeners' ears with the viciousness of a mass … Read more

Classic Album

Inside Out

No Spiritual Surrender
Revelation (1990)

“I reach out my hand and you turn the other way!” The only officially recorded output by Inside Out is also a monster of a record that for many is one of the most impassioned sounding recorded works of all time (though this is not a completely universal sentiment by any stretch of the imagination), and, sure, sometimes the band … Read more

Classic Album

The Explosion

Steal This EP
Revelation (2000)

This EP was my introduction to the world of music business and contracts while also reiterating how wild the weirdo rumor mill that really can drive punk and hardcore (to an extant) can be, but more on that later because the aptly named Steal This was also my introduction to The Explosion albeit it brief; and while the record was … Read more

Classic Album

Gorilla Biscuits

Start Today
Revelation (1989)

Simply put, Start Today is one of the greatest hardcore records that has ever been written; and there is no way that you can argue against that statement of fact, and if you try, you are not just fooling yourself but also robbing yourself of the experience of hearing one of the most innocent and pure odes to being young, … Read more

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