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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)

Lockerbie

Ólgusjór
Kapitän Platte (2012)

I'll admit, I wasn't expecting to enjoy this album quite as much as I did. Though it's not perfect, Lockerbie's 2011 release Ólgusjór is something that pretty much everyone will find something to like about.They have the same kitschy Icelandic appeal and post-rock sound of Sigur Rós combined with the accessibility and songwriting of Coldplay. There are tons of bright pianos and synthesized brass; short, versechorus songs; predictable, gratifying melodies; and swelling cathartic buildups to be found on this album. Basically nothing that could possibly be abrasive to the senses.The only major issue with it is that it tends to get a bit repetitive. There isn't a lot of change up in the sound on the album, and after forty minutes of it, you can get a bit sick of it. Then again, that tends to be a matter of personal taste; if that sounds like your thing, more power to you.Though there isn't a lot of challenging material here, Ólgusjór is nonetheless a really enjoyable experience. If you need a nice, laid-back album to listen to that still has emotional movement, look no further. Read more

Philm

Harmonic
Ipecac (2012)

Philm is not Slayer. Yes, it is a side project of Slayer drummer/legend Dave Lombardo, but it is not Slayer. … Read more

Oede

One Man's Trash
Holy Terror (2012)

It may be safe to say that since the Holy Terror Record label has been revived they have managed to … Read more

Broken Heroes

This Is Oi!
Skinflint (2012)

I am not the most qualified reviewer when it comes to modern-day Oi! music. Yes, I am familiar with the … Read more

PS I Love You

Death Dreams
Paper Bag (2012)

PS I Love You, the heartthrob of the Kingston, Ontario’s indie rock scene, had more than just high expectations placed … Read more

Gojira

L'Enfant Sauvage
Roadrunner (2012)

If there's any band that defies easy description, it has to be French progressive metal band Gojira. Featuring influences and … Read more

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One from the archives

Shook Ones

Body Feel
Revelation (2018)

Shook Ones are a nostalgic band for me, they were the most active during my teenage years and I associate them with that time period. I’m sure like most of their fans, I was surprised they released a new full length given that it’s been five years since they’ve released any new music. The band never officially announced they were breaking-up (because they never did) or announced a hiatus from music (because it really wasn’t one). Really the Shook Ones are just like the rest of us—they have lives, families, responsibilities—and sometimes those things come before music. I get that, we all get that. That being said, at first I was a bit afraid to listen to their new record Body Feel. I’ve heard it time and time again where … Read more

More album reviews

Hot Graves

Knights In White Phosphorus
Northern Horde (2011)

It seems more and more as of late bands are taking the lead of the mighty Darkthrone. That is to mean that much like Darkthrone as of late bands are adding more obvious touches of crust punk to their black metal style. Hot Graves are not that new at this though. This 4 year old band have always made it … Read more

7 Horns 7 Eyes

Throes Of Absolution
Century Media (2012)

I love old school death metal as much as the next person, so I'm always on the lookout for some good, old fashioned, long haired death metal. So along comes 7 Horns 7 Eyes, purporting to be just that: good ol' death metal, but with a modern twist. You can trust that, a few hours after this discovery, I held … Read more

Kevin Hufnagel

Transparencies
Nightfloat (2011)

For those of you that don't recognize the name, Kevin Hufnagel is actually a fairly prolific musician, playing in technical and progressive metal bands like Dysrythmia and Gorguts. And, funnily enough, that's exactly what his 2011 solo album Transparencies is not. Instead, Hufnagel delves into ambient music, with great success.His ambient creations on this album have that powerful cathartic effect … Read more

Best Coast

The Only Place
Mexican Summer (2012)

Ever since Best Coast released their full length debut, Crazy For You, (Mexican Summer, 2010,) there are two things you know about Bethany Consentino and Bobb Bruno: 1) you never know who their drummer is at any given point and you probably never will and 2) their favorite music effect is reverberation (or “reverb”). Or should I say “was”? Because … Read more

Yukon Blonde

Tiger Talk
Dine Alone (2012)

Yukon Blonde, an indie/rock band from Kelowna, British Columbia, started off as Alphababy and made their comeback in 2009 with a new band name. Their newest album as Yukon Blonde is called Tiger Talk and can be recognized by their first single "Stairway," a song that is being played on most indie/rock radio stations.The album begins with "My Girl," an … Read more

Red Collar

Welcome Home
Tiny Engines (2012)

From the get-go, Welcome Home establishes Red Collar’s infectious brand of up-tempo rock and roll with tenacity and a working-class spirit. Known for their energetic live show that blurs the line between performer and audience, the Durham, North Carolina based band does well to translate that intensity onto a recorded format. Formed by the duo of Jason and Beth Kutchma, … Read more

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 … 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 open air, free-flowing rhythms and harmonics fluent in the thriving genre of dream pop. Naturally, the music isn’t about following along or thinking too hard about it. Everything here is predictable and minimalist. That’s what makes it so enjoyable.Oshin is … 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 many of those albums, it turned out to have little to do with the genre. Unlike the majority of those albums, however, I wound up being impressed by this one anyway, and here's why:Royal Thunder may just be the last … 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 a consistent incline of musical quality since their debut EP in 2010, and 2012's I've Been Thinking About Leaving You in no way disappoints: it's without a doubt their most mature offering to date.I recall mentioning on my review of … 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 and distraught emotion with third full length iii. The enigmatic group very rarely play live and are averse to revealing their true identities, yet iii is a deeply personal collection and portrays an increasingly downward spiral and a descent into … 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 for, and instead have adopted a more straight forward approach to the genre. This move had alienated a large portion of their audience, and obscured their identity in the process. But fortunately this change in sound has been fully realized … Read more

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

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