Reclusa has joined the ranks of the crucial blaze releases and take little time to make their intentions known. While the group released a few short run cassettes this is their first big project. Their style matches seamlessly to the labels' general modus operandi revelling in a strained and disturbed combination of noise, industrial and black metal. The press release mentions everything from drone to Godflesh even then little can be done to really prepare one for what is to come upon pushing play on the record. Opening with otherworldly groans matched with a truly doomy backdrop involving slowly building guitars and powerful yet understated drums work the opener "-98.6F" plays its role as a great opener introducing much of what the group has become adept at in their short time. This doom laden introduction drops into an almost ambient drone with an undulating tone mimicking a slight siren The track then builds back into a more metallic version of itself using martial soundscapes and first wave style black metal riffing to force the listener back into the fray. So to open the band uses a version of everything they do in one track mash it together and manage to … Read more
With guest spots from Brian Fallon (Gaslight Anthem), Chris Phillips (Squirrel Nut Zippers), Frank Turner, Audra Mae, Rick Steff and … Read more
How the hell do you take a genre as overworked as pop music and make it interesting? If your name … Read more
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At Home With Proud Parents caught me a little off guard, right from the start. While the debut showcased a variety of influences, this one is even more toned back and chill, in contrast to some members’ other work with The Hussy. The opening track on this sophomore album, “Cellophane” is more of a folk-punk or cowpunk vibe with some warbled vocals, an acoustic guitar and minimal percussion. While the whole of this 11-song record doesn’t maintain that exact approach, it does set the tone for jangly, off kilter indie-pop. The sound is driven by melodies, dynamic shifts, and well-placed tempo-changes. It’s poppy at heart, but delivered with that “kid in the corner” outsider tone. All three members sing: Tyler Fassnacht, C Nelson-Lifson, and Heather Sawyer. Sometimes they alternate verses, … Read more
Choose Your Own Adventure is the latest offering from Midwestern hardcore punk four-piece Get Rad.“Be the Wave” is the first track. Seeing as how Get Rad is from Milwaukee, WI I’m not convinced the song is about surfing though. I suppose it could be a metaphor for skateboarding. Perhaps the wave is actually made of concrete? That means if you … Read more
You know there are those moments in songs where everything is just so perfect that you don’t want it to end? You do? Fantastic. Light Bearer have this in spades and none more so than on "Prelapsus," a track so soaring in tone that the sense of elation is enough to make even me crack a smile. But let’s not … Read more
Nekrasov as an artist has made a name for himself over the past few years. Working in a rather limited, hard to define genre (Black Noise) and managing to inadvertently become one of the flagship artists in the current crop of artists in this genre. Black Noise itself is best defined by the over arching characteristics of it. That being … Read more
Don't be turned away by the album cover! I assure you, this review has absolutely minimal content involving werwolves. Probably. I'm actually writing this introduction prior to finishing the last fifth or so of the review, so it's entirely conceivable I could change my mind. Let's assume I don't so that I can talk about the excellent debut from the … Read more
Approaching the closure to their set last weekend at the Electric Factory in Philadelphia, the London born Alberta Cross kept spirits alive, playing “…one from the new album.” The rejuvenating “Money For the Weekend” boosted energy throughout the venue, and does just that as the opener to the band’s recent EP, The Rolling Thunder.Opening for Portugal. The Man in support … Read more
You, Me, & Everyone We Know came to my attention with the announcement of their break-up earlier this year. I didn't give them a listen until their post-humous EP, Things Are Really Weird Right Now. I was taken aback, as I wasn't expecting something as poppy as this from Topshelf Records. That isn't necessarily a bad thing though.The first song … Read more
Ah, another offering from A Death Cinematic in the form of an “EP” (I put this in quotes because it plays longer than some LPs by some bands) entitled Your Fate Twisting In Its Crushing Moments; and just as with previous releases, this comes with some of the most intriguing packaging, again, hand made cover consists of a hand printed … Read more
You can stop staring at your watch with misplaced optimism; there's still no news from Tool on their fifth album, and A Perfect Circle have reiterated their vow not to work on an album-length project again. So then what exactly, you might ask, is everyone's favourite rock-star-turned-vintner doing, if not fronting one of his established bands? As it turns out, … Read more
People say that the best works of art are born of intense pain and immense suffering and history proves this out to some extent (without getting into some existential debate with myself over the validity of the statement, it serves the purposes of this little pseudo repartee); now, Giles Corey (both the project and the album) is the tortured work … Read more
Noise By Numbers are a group of Chicago punk veterans, and Over Leavitt gives a nice first impression. The sepia-tinged sunset photo of an industrial district gives a relatable, down to earth feel. On the flipside there’s a photo of the band playing a house show. Sure, they’ve put their sweat equity into the scene, but there’s no sense of … Read more
Before i get done writing this review i may have listened to this record 5 times, possibly more. That is listening to this record once for each inch of vinyl it is pressed onto. Those familiar with Hatewaves from their 7 inch release last year should know the bands' pedigree within hardcore and metal and probably would have bought this … Read more
Powerwolves had been running around the northeast for a little while now. While this is not important in itself, the band does take their sound from a lineage of past Boston area bands. The most recognizable would have to be The Hope Conspiracy, while this is readily noticeable it comes through only in the style of the vocals. The band … Read more
I don't know about you, but a band with a name like 'Scale the Summit' evokes some pretty specific musical imagery for me--huge guitar lines, tons of stylistic shifts, and a definite sense of grandeur all come to mind. What's cool is that's exactly what the Texan instrumental progressive metal quartet sounds like. If you're not following me here, try … Read more
How many national music treasures come from the United States? You know those ones that are still alive that you can point to and say that our musical culture would be less without their contribution, and I mean, yeah, there is Bob Dylan, possibly the Boss, Iggy Pop; but I would be willing to place one Thomas Alan Waits up … Read more
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