Angular, discombobulated yet tuneful and melodic 90's styled emo. I haven't heard a band like this in quite some time and there's probably a good reason for that. The Reptilian is decent enough with their jangly guitars and drums that sound they're falling down a flight of stairs in time but they are also nothing I can fully enjoy. All I can picture is a bunch of nerds in high water pants jerking around a basement in some sort of spastic epileptic seizure. However if you like Algernon Cadwallader or Cap'n Jazz they you will like the Reptilian just fine. They are good at what they do, but what they do I've never really been into. I like my 90's emo but I also like it on the loud/soft variety, not the let's see how many notes we can jam into one frame. Read more
Ah, split CDs of two bands I've never heard of before. The bane of my existence. Anyway, Sweden's Let Me … Read more
Oh for the love Mike, I need to stop swooping down on these split CDs on the promo list. I … Read more
"Raw Power’s got a son named rock n’ roll" Leave it to Iggy Pop to both boast about this record … Read more
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I've noticed that pop music has gone through a lot of changes in the last few years. One thing I've noticed is the misconceptions of what people call "original" as something that sounds exactly like what's popular at the moment. The opening sentence in the press kit for this album is as follows "C'mon, admit it! It's been years since you've heard a band that didn't sound like every other band on the planet. In this dark era of musical history, rife with empty hype where homogeneity rules and individuality is highly discouraged, we have a group for you." I'm sold, aren't you? History Will Never Hold Me starts with an introduction track that gets a decent flow going and makes you think the record is really promising, almost giving … Read more
With three years since their last full-length, Young Livers have returned in top form. Of Misery & Toil walks the thin line between packing a serious punch and being accessible. The gritty tones of interwoven dual guitars and wailing vocals are suitable for soothing any angst you might be feeling, while the impressive melodies might be just enough to convince … Read more
Tigers Jaw are an indie rock band with heavy emo influences based out of Pennsylvania. Think early Weezer meets The Get Up Kids. Having already released two LPs, an EP, and a split with Balance and Composure, Two Worlds, their newest release on Run For Cover Records, finds them maturing their sound and producing one of the best releases of … Read more
Lucky Me is easily my most anticipated release of 2010. When I first started listening to hardcore, Killing The Dream were one of the first bands I connected with. Over the years they have become one of my favorites. I’ve been practically frothing at the mouth waiting to get my hands on this record, but upon giving it a few … Read more
Rorcal, from Switzerland, present Heliogabalus , a near-perfect doom/drone album. This record is so dark that the cover can’t even be seen on a computer. Hell, the music is so dark that some may not even be able to listen it. It takes a valiant effort to listen to a 1 song album that clocks in at 70 minutes, especially … Read more
It would be hard to take the Sass Dragons seriously, were it not for the quality of their recorded material. On stage, the fuck-all Chicago band comes across as a snotty, obnoxious, and somewhat sloppy band with more than a hint of frontman posturing. Of course, when reviewing a record called New Kids on the Bong, maybe one shouldn’t be … Read more
In theory, Less Than Jake covering catchy theme songs and product jingles sounds like a good idea. It seemed to work in the past. However, Less Than Jake’s TV/EP will fall short of your expectations.It’s hard to be too critical of an EP that was meant to be a fun project. The problem is, this project doesn’t have much replay … Read more
Cipher is one of those bands that if you were to describe their unique sound to someone, they would undoubtedly be left scratching their heads and asking, “what is it that makes this band good again?” I always put up with quite an internal and external struggle when describing the band to people that have never heard them before. However, … Read more
The Dopamines first caught my attention when they released a 7” that pays homage to the Big Black Songs About Fucking cover. Sure, they sound nothing like the seminal Chicago band, but anyone who gives props to that record ends up on my radar in some form. Moving forward to 2010, the Cincinnati band has signed with Paper & Plastick … Read more
Bring Out Your Dead features members of Scraps and Heart Attacks for anyone else out there that gives a hoot. I liked Scraps and Heart Attacks so I was excited hear this EP. What we have here is a metal band that plays fast and has some nice melodic picking parts and some decent early 2000's type mosh to it. … Read more
If there's nothing that I hate more is moshcore bands that feel it necessary for their mosh parts to have mosh parts over mosh parts. Ulitma Victima are from Mexico and sing (well bark) in Spanish. The last time I took a Spanish class was in the 10th grade so I have no clue what's going on here. I can … Read more
Maybe, just maybe, the internet is the reason that some ideas or feats of intellectual wizardry become tangible objects. This could be due to some radical phenomenon, or it could even (gasp) be due to the quality of the work on display. This little theory works in several ways for the duo who are Have A Nice Life. And, if … Read more
Post Metal is a pretty loaded genre tag. Most people (myself included) find it misleading. The idea relies on the idea that more effects on your guitars and a sense of dynamics and ambience equal being less than metal. Gholas are a band that seem to fit in this general idea of a genre. They play with a sense of … Read more
What a seriously excellent release, regardless of its aural brevity, from Trap Them (whom are quickly becoming a stalwart outfit in the independent punk / hardcore / metal genres). Relentless touring, passion, and good records will do that for bands sometimes. Particularly if they do so in same furious manner this band has. Filth Rations, though, is different from other … Read more
Some of my most unforgettable moments in hardcore involve Terror. I first saw them headline a show after I trudged through a harsh January blizzard, where a 20 minute drive turned into almost an hour-long commute thanks to Pittsburgh’s signature winter weather. They played direct support when I saw one of my favorite bands, Earth Crisis, for the first time. … Read more
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