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)

Oathbreaker

Maelstrom
Deathwish Inc. (2012)

Oathbreaker are a Belgian hardcore (for lack of a better expletive) band with a tendency towards fast-paced metal riffs and an evil, crusty tone. This is their first release for Deathwish Inc. and a fairly solid debut that I’m sure will turn at least a few heads and gain them a few fans. The vocals are the standout performance of this ensemble. Female vocalist Caro sounds like a cross between Candace from Walls of Jericho and the musical equivalent of an exorcism. Her voice plunges us in to the depths of hell with little hope—only to plunge us even further until there is no coming back. The epitome of “evil” vocals must be a woman scorned. Musically this album has no real “hits” and is a little bland at times. If I had to pick favorites, I’d go with parts 1 & 2 of “Sinking into Sin,” but the vocals are still the most impressive quality. This album gives a constant feeling of déjà vu except, I’m pretty sure that someone else did it better much before this came out. This is a generic release for your stereotypical blackened hardcore band of the past few years. All of the members … Read more

Burning Love

Rotten Thing To Say
Southern Lord (2012)

Leave it to Burning Love to provide an infectiously raucous soundtrack to 2012 (unlike so many of their peers and … Read more

Souvenirs

Tired Of Defending You
6131 (2012)

When I first heard that Souvenirs was signed to 6131 I was expecting another straight-up generic hardcore band. However, upon … Read more

Cloudkicker

Fade
Independent (2012)

If there's any one artist who should make you happy to listen to music, it's Ben Sharp, aka Cloudkicker. Though … Read more

Japandroids

Celebration Rock
Polyvinyl (2012)

Japandroids, a Canadian two-piece rock band from Vancouver, British Columbia, has released their second full length album entitled Celebration Rock. … Read more

Periphery

Periphery 2: This Time It's Personal
Sumerian (2012)

I don't have a good history with Periphery. Their debut album, though it had a few good moments, left a … Read more

Browse our review archives

Review categories

200 Words Or Less

753 reviews

Book Review

42 reviews

Classic Album

25 reviews

Multiple Authors

300 reviews

Review

4985 reviews

Video/DVD Review

19 reviews

One from the archives

Some Girls

Heaven's Pregnant Teens
Epitaph (2006)

Some Girls is an enigmatic conglomerate of musicians that produce incredibly grating and challenging pieces of music. Considering the pedigree of this band, expectations for its output have consistently run high. Seriously, what would a listener expect from a band comprised of members of Unbroken, Swing Kids, The Locust, American Nightmare (Give Up the Ghost), and more? Most would probably imagine the most raging hardcore act this side of Project X. Some Girls continually smashes anyone's expectations and plays some of the raunchiest, chaotic music around right now. It would not be a left field type of comparison to liken them to what The Stooges did in their heyday. After three EP's - The Rains, The Blues, and The DNA Will Have Its Say -and one LP - My Friends … Read more

More album reviews

Evoken

Atra Mors
Profound Lore (2012)

New Jersey quartet Evoken have consistently produced genre defining funeral doom throughout their twenty year career and Atra Mors is a grand and huge addition to such a flawless output. How they manage to outdo themselves every time is a mystery that only the band hold the key to and it allows Atra Mors to flow with a stately passion … Read more

Barren Earth

The Devil's Resolve
Peaceville (2012)

If there’s anything I love, it’s some fucking metal. And if there’s any band out there that can deliver some fucking metal with astonishing consistency, it’s Finnish power/folk sextet Barren Earth. In that respect, their latest album, 2012’s The Devil’s Resolve, does not disappoint.Like their previous release, there is a clear folk influence at work on their music, but its … Read more

Storm Corrosion

Self Titled
Roadrunner (2012)

Steven Wilson and Mikael Åkerfeldt are both two musicians I hold in incredibly high esteem. Wilson’s flabbergasting diversity of styles covered with Porcupine Tree or his various solo projects and Åkerfeldt’s amazingly thoughtful and moving compositions with Opeth both continue to astound me no matter how often I listen to them. It should go without saying they are both gifted … Read more

Aaron Freeman

Marvelous Clouds
Partisan (2012)

Rolling Stone didn’t do Aaron Freeman any favors in running their interview that announces the end of Ween before I got my hands on this record. Now, besides having to overcome the shadow cast by his band, it also has to overcome being the record that broke up Ween. Anyway, Freeman has been making music since the early 1980s and … Read more

Various Artists

Dan Andriano/Brendan Kelly - European Vacation
Red Scare Industries (2012)

To coincide with their romp across Europe, the split 7” from Brendan Kelly And The Wandering Birds and Dan Andriano in the Emergency Room, European Vacation, doesn’t cover much ground, but packs a hell of a lot in a short span. Those familiar with the two musicians won’t be surprised by either of their respective songs, but both leave their … Read more

Anthony Raneri

New Cathedrals EP
Gumshoe (2012)

While he’s best known as the front man for Long Island pop-punk juggernauts Bayside, Anthony Raneri has been making a name for himself as a solo artist for some time. Participating in the inaugural Where’s The Band tour a few years back, Raneri charmed crowds with acoustic renditions of Bayside songs and select covers of Death Cab For Cutie, Bad … Read more

Banquets

Top Button, Bottom Shelf
Black Numbers (2011)

New Jersey might get a lot of crap for being such an unlovable state, but Banquets is keeping the Jersey music scene fresh and alive with their debut album Top Button, Bottom Shelf. It’s pretty easy to get lost and washed away in the midst of melodic pop-punk bands, but Banquets sits on the shores by proving themselves to be … Read more

Momentum

Whetting Occam's Razor
Halo of Flies (2012)

Momentum is a melodic hardcore band from the UK that writes music with a message. Whetting Occam's Razor is a full length that explores many different ideas with smart lyrics. Front man Alex (of Light Bearer and formerly Fall of Efrafa) writes with reason and intent combined with powerful music. At times, this album comes together to be something special. … Read more

Cynic

The Portal Tapes
Season of Mist (2012)

In order for me to talk about this album, you're going to need some [CONTEXT].If there's one thing I absolutely hate about Cynic, it's their squandered potential. In 1993, right in the middle of the technical death metal craze that bore the likes of Atheist, Nocturnus and Suffocation, as well as refined the raw sounds of Death, Sarcófago and Meshuggah, … Read more

Lento

Live Recording 8-10-11
Denovali (2012)

When a band releases a live album, there's usually some great importance behind it, whether it be documenting an important performance, showing off some otherwise unreleased material. or just the band sharing a once-in-a-career quality set. Live recordings released for the sake of releasing a live recording otherwise tend to be bland, boring, and unnecessary, and if they're not handled … Read more

Rotting Out

Street Prowl
6131 (2011)

There's something generally referred to as a summer record. That elusive album that you can blast out of the windows of your car and feel perfectly in that time frame and state of mind. Most of the time these records are otherwise questionable pop albums that may be slightly embarrassing otherwise. Rarely it works out that these records are just … Read more

Isis

Live VI 11.16.07
Independent (2012)

A year after their dissolution, post-metal powerhouse Isis is preparing to digitally re-release its entire live discography on a fortnightly basis throughout the summer of 2011. The set of five—wait, hold up a moment. I finished those last summer. What's with the new release?Turns out Isis still have a few cards left to play despite, you know, not actually being … 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

Samothrace

Reverence To Stone
20 Buck Spin (2012)

Doom quartet Samothrace follow up 2008’s widely acclaimed Life’s Trade with the majestic and tragedy filled Reverence to Stone. Comprised of two tracks, “When We Emerged,” - a reworking of a song found on their 2007 demo - and “A Horse of our Own,” Reverence to Stone is thirty-five minutes of wonder and solemnity. Having disappeared somewhat after Life’s Trade … Read more

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