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)

Various Artists

Alaric / Atriarch - Split
20 Buck Spin (2012)

Splits, in general, are dicey: often two bands (or more) are vaguely similar, making for a decent record but one that usually acts as filler. These releases seem to contain cast-off songs from recent recordings that didn't fit the scope of the album.In this case we have two newer bands that are making waves by creating a sound somewhere between classic darkwave and metal. Both bands are a bit removed from their last full-lengths so it would be easy to say these songs are specific to this release, allowing new listeners to see what each band is capable of.First up is Alaric. The band contains members of more than a few well-known California bands. Their abilities show within their writing. The major stylistic pinpoint would be Amebix, right down to the vocals which share more than a passing similarity to the classic gurgling force of The Baron. The guitars aren't forceful or particularly heavy, relying on slight distortion and delay to give the songs a viably creepy vibe. The rhythm section works overtime to make the songs truly move, but never doing more than necessary.Atriarch made some waves last year with their debut LP. Those four songs did a lot … Read more

DIIV

Oshin
Captured Tracks (2012)

Before reading any further, know that DIIV are anything but overwrought. The NYC band’s debut, Oshin, reflects the sort of … Read more

Royal Thunder

CVI
Relapse (2012)

Like many albums, I picked up Royal Thunder's CVI because I heard someone somewhere describe it as progressive metal. Like … Read more

Troubled Coast

I've Been Thinking About Leaving You
Pure Noise (2012)

I'll say, Troubled Coast are turning into one of the most steadfast bands I've heard. Their music has been on … Read more

Bosse-de-Nage

iii
Profound Lore (2012)

Pushing the black metal blueprint ever further from its roots, San Franciscan four-piece Bosse-de-Nage deliver a record of complex intensity … Read more

Memphis May Fire

Challengers
Rise (2012)

Ever since their debut full length, Sleepwalking, Memphis May Fire have departed from the southern tinged metalcore they were known … Read more

Browse our review archives

Review categories

200 Words Or Less

756 reviews

Book Review

45 reviews

Classic Album

25 reviews

Multiple Authors

300 reviews

Review

5074 reviews

Video/DVD Review

19 reviews

One from the archives

Ice Dragon

The Soul's Midnight
Independent (2013)

As far as downright ass-dirty stoner metal goes, Ice Dragon are amongst the best. Their latest EP, The Soul's Midnight, sounds absolutely disgusting, and I mean that as a compliment. The tastefully low-quality production actually enhances the low, grumbling, psychedelic ramblings, creating an air of confused haziness about the album that I suspect could only be reproduced by copious amounts of substance abuse.Ice Dragon certainly cover all their musical bases, playing a diverse spattering of styles in tempos varying from "phlegmatic" to "torpid". The songs themselves range from cacophonous, loud grunginess on "Understanding Ouroboros", to mechanical, thoughtful abrasions on "The Soul's Midnight", to epic-length, delicate reflections on "Winterwind", and soft, amibent droning on "Stellar Door". Nothing is left out, and the EP is scarcely loner than twenty minutes.In short, this … Read more

More album reviews

Tragedy

Darker Days Ahead
Tragedy (2012)

Having the ability to keep an album under wraps until the band goes out on tour is pretty impressive in this day and age (particularly with the internet and all), and, when Tragedy snuck this album out during a tour, it brought a level of excitement and excitement to their upcoming tour (besides raising the chatter on the internets to … Read more

Battles

Dross Glop
Warp (2012)

I wanted to write this entire review as a spoonerism, but my editor slapped me through my computer screen before I could even begin to type it. Though she was probably right to stop me, it would've made reviewing this dod gamned remix album much more interesting. Dross Glop is a series of remixes, originally released as a four-part vinyl … Read more

Sick Sick Birds

Gates Of Home
Toxic Pop (2012)

A lot of bands are waving their 90s flags these days. And I don’t blame them. A) they grew up with the stuff and, B) I’ll take the Alternative Nation over the skinny jeans 20-aught set any day. (Yes, I’m an old man.) Sick Sick Birds are a Baltimore group coming out of the punk scene, although their music doesn’t … Read more

The English Beat

The Complete Beat
Shout Factory (2012)

For fans of The English Beat this one was a long time coming. Coming in at a whopping 80 tracks of pure gold, this one has something for everyone. The English Beat’s place in music history is solid, topping the charts in the early eighties with hit after hit and mixing political lyrics with their brand of up tempo music. … Read more

Crowhurst

Aghoree
Independent (2012)

Some bands just don't know when to slow down. California-based dark ambient/electronic musician Crowhurst definitely falls into that category, as he and his small army of guest musicians are about to release his fourteenth (?!) studio album this year, the evocatively titled Aghoree.The album is named after the somewhat less-than-mainstream Hindu sect that can (regretfully) be accurately described using the … Read more

Quicksand

Manic Compression
Island\Revelation (1995)

How many people do you know that absolutely love Quicksand (personally, there is not a person that I know who is into music that does not love this band), or, better yet how many people do you know that point to Quicksand as a band or group to be revered, emulated, worshipped, et al (again, there are a multitude of … Read more

Curl Up And Die

…But The Past Might Be Through With Us
Revelation (2003)

Seeing Curl Up And Die the first time has always vividly stuck out in my mind if not for the band’s wild and manic performance but also for the large swathe of their audience wearing these weird devil masks while they played (at least my fading memory tells me it was devil masks), and while I came away from the … Read more

Damnation A.D.

Kingdom Of Lost Souls
Revelation (1998)

Sometimes over the course of a lengthy tenure in being completely absorbed in music in some fashion, certain bands and musicians can fade in and out of a regular rotation of what you are listening to at the time; Damnation AD has for some reason been one of those bands for me and through no reason because their music is … Read more

Bold

The Search
Revelation (2005)

Some honesty is required with regards to Bold because while I think some of their music is completely ripping, I have always kind of considered the band a bit of a farce or unintentional parody of the “Youth Crew” era of punk and hardcore in the way that in a live setting a bunch of kids (and I do not … Read more

Chain Of Strength

The One Thing That Still Holds True
Revelation (1996)

“TRUE ‘TILL DEATH!” If you subscribe in any way to the adage that life is about living in the moment, then no matter where the people may be at in their lives or what they do with themselves, perhaps millions of people have sung along to this line through countless plays of this record and the myriad of covers that … Read more

Ides Of Gemini

Constantinople
Neurot\Sige (2012)

Ides Of Gemini probably seem to have come out nowhere to most. Looking at their members there isn't a long ex members of list or any long time battling it out with a ton of releases either. The band seemingly came from nowhere last year by self releasing an EP or demo. Said EP The Disruption Writ was a brief … Read more

Ruin Everything

Lioniser EP
Independent (2012)

There's a new hardcore quartet on the rise in The UK named Ruin Everything, and they just released their debut EP, Lioniser. When I read that they're described as, "tech-hardcore" I was a bit wary. Fortunately my doubts were shattered. The first track, "Leave No Man Behind," kicks things off just right with an aggression reminiscent of Defeater, while it … Read more

Ahab

The Giant
Napalm (2012)

German titans Ahab and their deep love affair with the sea began with 2005 demo The Oath and continued into their debut The Call of the Wretched Sea in 2006. Self proclaimed as Nautik funeral doom due to this affection for the ocean, Ahab began a journey into the fathomless depths of emotion and despair. Basing their works on Moby … Read more

Oh No

Ohnomite
Brick (2012)

Following two collaborative efforts already this year alongside his fellow beatsmith and emcee The Alchemist as the duo Gangrene—the Vodka & Ayahuasca LP and the Odditorium EP—the West Coast producer and rapper Oh No returns once more for a solo mission with Ohnomite. Oh No—the younger brother of Madlib and son of singer Otis Jackson—was granted unmatched right of entry … Read more

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