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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)

T.O.M.B.

UAG
Crucial Blast (2012)

T.O.M.B. or Total Occultic Mechanical Blasphemy has managed to up the stakes of what can qualify as black noise for over 10 years. The group sounds like distorted occultist activities that are taking place within a tomb. So now that we know how truly appropriate their name is one may question how well this record carries said reputation. The record starts with slowed drums pounding along with a near constant wave of distortion slowly building and fading in tides. this occurs until finally the drums give way to merely a quiet bit of distortion fades out into oblivion. This exercise repeats itself in myriad of different ways for the course of the record. While it would be easy to assume this creates some sense of boredom on the listeners part that would be too easy. the listener is never given a chance to feel comfortable within these songs they consistently reveal layers of dark noise that envelope the listener. |While the listener is given slight respites from the overall noise one could never claim comfort as there is nothing in the quiet parts other than the feeling of paranoia as to when the next deathly wave will show up. The … Read more

Young Guv & the Scuzz

A Love Too Strong
Southpaw (2012)

Young Guv, aka Ben Cook, has been keeping himself busy. Besides his full-time gig with the mammoth hardcore band Fucked … Read more

The Riverboat Gamblers

The Wolf You Feed
Volcom (2012)

The Riverboat Gamblers are an established band. So much so that it surprised me to see that The Wolf You … Read more

Tesseract

Perspective
Century Media (2012)

TesseracT made quite a splash in the djent scene with their debut last year, the aptly titled One. Though the … Read more

Deathmøle

Meade's Army
Independent (2012)

Jeph Jacques may be primarily a cartoonist, but he's somehow managed to turn that profession into an outlet for his … Read more

Multiple Authors

Swans

The Seer
Young God (2012)

This is the third review of this that I am writing and the first two were these rather objective and … Read more

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One from the archives

Fu Manchu

We Must Obey
Liquor and Poker Music (2007)

If you are reading this, you are wasting time. Buy Fu Manchu's We Must Obey and buy it now. The album's already a few months old, yet without a review on Scene Point Blank. Injustice I say, injustice! Fu Manchu's tenth album orders you to buy it, to cherish it, to love it. And well... We must obey! For the ignorant, stupid and mentally retarded: Fu Manchu's one of the more legendary names within the noble genre of stoner rock. One can claim, and I'm one of those claiming it, that these guys are among the true legends of the genre. Forming in 1987 as a hardcore punkband, they became Fu Manchu in 1990 and the rest, as they say, is history. How to describe this album? It's one of … Read more

More album reviews

Multiple Authors

Swans

The Seer
Young God (2012)

Approaching Swans, and in particular attempting to “review” a Swans record is much like approaching a rock face you know is almost unscaleable. There is a way up and over, but it seems so very far away that at the beginning you spend at least an hour staring at a blank page willing something to happen – and other people … Read more

Aesop Rock

Skelethon
Rhymesayers (2012)

The big complaint since Aesop Rock’s breakthrough, Labor Days, seems to be that he hasn’t had the memorable singles. At this point, it should be clear that Aesop Rock writes albums, not hits. Skelethon is his sixth release, and first with powerhouse label Rhymesayers Entertainment. While None Shall Pass (2007) had its moments, I’ve long felt Aesop Rock’s best work … Read more

Mission Of Burma

Unsound
Fire (2012)

In the early eighties when the Boston post-punk band Mission of Burma announced their decision to stop playing and recording due to guitarist Roger Millers tinnitus issues it seemed like the end of an era. The band enjoyed notoriety, not on the charts, but among music lovers/fans in general who were in love with the pure ferocity, quirky melodies, and … Read more

Elway

Hence My Optimism
Red Scare Industries (2012)

Following a name change from the audibly slick 10-4 Eleanor and absurd legal debacles with John Elway of the Denver Broncos comes the follow-up EP from the Colorado 4-piece’s Red Scare debut. Hence My Optimism shows little progression from Elway’s previous efforts but proves there’s little merit in fixing what isn’t broken. Packing enough energy and rambunctious attitude to rival … Read more

200 Words Or Less

Balance and Composure

Acoustic
No Sleep (2012)

From Doylestown, PA, Balance and Composure has created a lot of buzz in the past few years for their melodic and emotional contributions to the ever-changing underground scene. They’ve released two EPs, a split with Tiger’s Jaw, and a full-length called Separation, all on No Sleep Records. Again teaming up with No Sleep, we have an acoustic 7-inch in which … Read more

New Bruises

Chock Full of Misery
Kiss of Death (2012)

Chock Full of Misery as a title sets a bleak tone for a group best labeled as pop-punk. Yet, New Bruises don’t let the downer subject matter override their energetic and singalong anthems. In song titles past and present, the group has namedropped both Kurt Vonnegut and Johnny Cash—and both are apt examples for New Bruises common tone of frustration, … Read more

Absolace

Fractals
Spellbind (2012)

Emirati band Absolace certainly know their stuff. After releasing their debut Resolve[d] in 2010, they easily paved their way for a followup. That album just so happens to be 2012's Fractals. How does their new album hold up? Unfortunately, not as well as you'd hope.The main issues stem from vocalist Nadim Jamal--it just doesn't sound like he's trying that hard … Read more

Ephel Duath

On Death And Cosmos
Agonia (2012)

Releasing new material for the first time since 2009, Italian avant-garde/progressive/jazz/black metal group Ephel Duath cast aside their woes and channel their frustrations into On Death and Cosmos. Having been incredibly prolific before the sudden enforced hiatus after 2009s Through My Dog’s Eyes, Ephel Duath return with a refreshed group of musicians, a three track EP and a new outlook. … Read more

Teenage Bottlerocket

Freak Out!
Fat Wreck Chords (2012)

I’ve been hearing about the new wave of pop-punk for a while—how bands like Menzingers and Teenage Bottlerocket are reshaping the genre, building off predecessors like The Ramones, Screeching Weasel, The Queers, etc. while bringing something new to the table. It’s personally taken me a while to get around to checking them out myself, but with the release of Freak … Read more

Terror

No Regrets, No Shame: The Bridge Nine Days
Bridge Nine (2012)

Terror is a band that needs no introduction. Hardcore legends in their current age, Terror hails from Los Angeles, California and has brought a more metallic sounding hardcore into the foreground of the scene. This is a live CD/DVD of a show in 2003 at the Showcase Theater in Corona, California and the entire thing is interconnected with interview clips … Read more

Gaza

No Absolutes In Human Suffering
Black Market Activities (2012)

Continuing where 2009s He Is Never Coming Back left off, Gaza move forward as a band whilst remaining true to their core values as a dangerous and destructive entity. No Absolutes in Human Suffering is a monumental and much matured work, with Gaza finding their space as a group with something important to say whilst focusing their aggression in a … Read more

Reks

Rebelutionary
Gracie Procuctions/MIM Entertainment (2012)

Taking Reks’ past few years of productivity into account—dating back to 2008’s applauded Grey Hairs and last year’s R.E.K.S, a record that earned him a “Best Album of the Year” award in his hometown of Boston—it is clear the revered underground emcee is not one to idle by in tranquility for too long. Even with accolades for his Statik Selektah … Read more

Fang Island

Major
Sargent House (2012)

Two years since the release of their eccentric eponymous debut, Fang Island return with Major, the band’s second album on LA record label, Sargent House. It’s quite evident that their self-proclaimed pursuit to “make music for people who like music” ensues. Picking up right where Fang Island left off, Major is an epidemical power rock album, affluent in frenzied, fuzzed-out … Read more

Elizabeth

Where Vultures Land
Throatruiner (2012)

Throatruiner Records have steadily increased their presence in the world of black/hardcore/completely mad music of late, and this little French label continually put out some of the most exciting and interesting sounds out there. The Phantom Carriage, Love Sex Machine, Clinging To The Trees Of A Forest Fire....each hold massive sound and that little something extra that gives Throatruiner that … Read more

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