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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)

Witches

Forever
Bakery Outlet (2011)

Witches are a tough band to break down. The vocals from Cara Beth Satalino are far and away the driving force on their debut, Forever. Yet, the band is anything but a singer-songwriter project. The guitars and a rhythm section are subtly driving, with an anxious energy ready to break loose, but somewhat confined. From the opening “Creature of Nature,” the tone is clearly established by Satalino coos “creature of nature/ born of creator/…you learned how to torture.” There’s an awe at the world, but also a dark sense of things going wrong.Each song is carefully crafted, spinning a web steeped in natural imagery and emotional connotations without directly addressing either. The songwriting takes a classic approach of avoiding proper nouns, letting the ambiguity reach across boundaries and define the experience for the listener. Meanwhile, as the meaning wavers at your behest, Satalino’s voice delivers a calming, easy tone with hints of deeper despair. If there’s a word for Witches, it’s deliberate and calculated.90s alt-rock surfaces throughout, as in “Good Ones,” “Forget,” and “Never Sez Why,” but it is a subtle influence that doesn’t pull any connotations. The musical influences are smoothly blended, making it hard to pinpoint a single … Read more

Capsule

No Ghost
Rorschach (2011)

I'm not sure if I exactly understand what post-hardcore is supposed to be, but I do know what Capsule's sophomore … Read more

Junior Battles

Idle Ages
Paper + Plastick (2011)

Junior Battles have made their name touring and releasing a few splits over the last year or so. So what … Read more

Face To Face

Laugh Now, Laugh Later
Antagonist (2011)

By the end of 2004, Face to Face had disbanded and there were no signs that would have suggested they’d … Read more

Jeff The Brotherhood

We Are The Champions
Infinity Cat (2011)

Have you ever wondered what Weezer would sound like had they turned into a psychedelic garage band? Well, look no … Read more

Sequences & Isolated Existence

Graminaea / Poaceae
Music Ruins Lives (2011)

Graminaea / Poaceae is one of those releases that I love but have an extremely difficult time explaining just what … Read more

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One from the archives

A Day in Black and White

My Heroes Have Always Killed Cowboys
Level Plane (2004)

I'm nearing twenty years of age and never once during these nineteen-plus years have I been able to view things in anything but color. Don't get me wrong, I've seen black and white films; I've also taken and viewed black and white pictures. For my twentieth birthday I will get my eyes removed and in the empty sockets dog eyes will be inserted. Now, with the help of advanced CG animation capabilities that ScenePointBlank recently purchased, begins my day in black and white. I awake to a few chords slightly being strummed. This is a Level-Plane release, so as I dress myself, I prepare for screaming. Instead, a few more minutes of guitar harmonies tangle as drums rise to the falling of my morning wood. Speaking of rising, this is … Read more

More album reviews

Embers

Shadows
Independent (2011)

Embers is a grouping of people from Oakland California and while most of what their area is known for is being dangerous hip hop tends to be the best known export of the city. Meanwhile in the shadows Embers have built something that may be more reminiscent of their hometown. A four piece that, at least on recordings, includes more … Read more

Iceage

New Brigade
Whats Your Rupture? (2011)

This summer my girlfriend and I… Sorry ladies, I’m taken. That’s one less music nerd on the market. Bummer, I know, right? Ah, where was I? Oh yeah… So, this summer my girlfriend and I have a little Saturday morning tradition, so to speak. We get up early, pack a bag with towels and magazines we won’t read, and head … Read more

Coathangers

Larceny & Old Lace
Suicide Squeeze (2011)

For a city its size, I know next to nothing about the Atlanta, GA scene. For some reason I think of Nashville Pussy-styled sleaze rock, Athens indie, and dirty South hiphop—none of which remotely apply to the Coathangers. Instead, the Coathangers take a post-punk, No Wave sound and run with it, adding in more contemporary influences such as Riot Grrl … Read more

Legend

The Pale Horse
Rise (2011)

What is there to say about Legend? The band released an album titled Valediction last year. That album was another entry into the deathcore fan grab. The album while proficient in playing down tuned "riffs" and breakdowns added little to a simple formula already having been in practice by what may now be a million other bands. Generally bands tour … Read more

Cloudkicker

It's Inside Me, And I'm Inside It
Independent (2011)

Ohio prog-metal artist Ben Sharp, moniker Cloudkicker, has been in the forefront of the Internet-based free music community since the release of The Discovery in 2008. His new single “It's inside me and I'm inside it.” comes on the tail of his previous single “You and Yours,” which explored a lot of his Isis-esque post-metal influences. This track, conversely, explores … Read more

Deadverse Massive

Takeover
Deadverse (2011)

Deadverse Massive is a group of sorts headed by the duo of Dalek and Oktopus, who also make up the group Dalek. This compilation or group album acts as a reminder of some of their cohorts as well as a good introduction as to what they have been up to since their last album. Those familiar with the group know … Read more

Penetration Panthers

Perpetual 80's
A389 (2011)

There have been a number of bands that have tried to raise the banner of eras part. Whether it be the youth crew band or the thrash revival band. Even though there has been a number of bands in the past that recognize the power of 80s punk rock few pull it off. If you have been waiting for a … Read more

Gravehill

Practitioners Of Fell Sorcery
A389 (2011)

Gravehill are a band formed from Gehenna. While the band have persevered and continue on to this day this demo is the only recording with this lineup. Formed to fully embrace the members love of old school death metal and hardcore. This lineup including the Gehenna vocalist Mike recorded this and pressed maybe 100 copies total on cassette and cd … Read more

Cremation Lily

Untitled
Strange Rules (2011)

Bar none, I have never heard a more wondrous take on the violence of Power Electronics than the Untitled (which came in an extremely limited cassette run from the label Strange Rules) debut from Cremation Lily (a mysterious act from the British Isles). Without getting into the reasons or “how to’s” or “what for’s” of my finding this tape, suffice … Read more

Yes

Fly From Here
Frontiers (2011)

I wasn't even aware Yes was still together at this point, let alone technically the same band. I guess as long as Chris Squire is playing bass somewhere on the album, it instantly becomes a Yes project. The again, Steve Howe and Alan White are also in the studio for this album, so with 3/5ths of the optimal Yes lineup … Read more

Emily's Army

Don't Be A Dick
Adeline (2011)

It would be hard for Emily’s Army to disassociate from their bloodlines: Don’t Be a Dick is produced by Billie Joe Armstrong, shares a similarity in layout, art, and font to Green Day and the record itself is on Adeline. Yes, this is the debut from the California band featuring Joey Armstrong on drums (son of the Green Day frontman). … Read more

Lake Of Blood

As Time And Tide Erodes Stone
Human Jigsaw (2011)

Lake Of Blood hail from southern California, yet are producing the kind of metal you'd more than likely associate with a scene much further north than that; Cascadian black metal is a genre full of atmosphere, full of passion for nature and the preservation of the world we live in. Full of aggression. And Lake Of Blood have taken all … Read more

Bandname

Breakfast
Soft City Records (2011)

Flippant is a word that popped up on the of Bandname's press sheet. Take their moniker into account and add the heavy slackerism that permeates everything they touch on their debut full-length, Breakfast, and that seems an appropriate description. The Philadelphia three-piece play pop punk that's run through an organ grinder with 90s alternarock, distortion-heavy garage and, more or less, … Read more

Various Artists

A.N.S. & Ramming Speed - Split
Tankcrimes (2011)

This is like a new school thrash of the titans album. Both bands have made their names being basically thrash metal bands each with their own slight twist. So you know the basics of what you're getting yourself in for. Heavy drums screaming solos and nasty beer soaked vocals. Both bands bring their best to the table and see what … Read more

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

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