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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)

Northern Towns

Good as Gold
Swagger City (2009)

Northern Towns is a new San Diego outfit that features former members of Over My Dead Body and Please Mr. Gravedigger. Before you get excited about the band drawing from their past, I should tell you that this band sounds nothing like those bands at all. Good as Gold leads off with "Latchford," a song with a Clash-esque rhythm and swagger to it. There is a bit more of a standard fair gruff punk influence in the vocals, as opposed to what Joe Strummer offered. This style is later revisited on "Dead Waves Make No Sounds" and "Purple Hearts," the latter of which boasts a heavy reggae influence. Northern Towns mixes things up with the Cock Sparrer inspired oi sounds on "Life Pisses By" and "Full Steam Ahead" has an early hardcore punk vibe, a time when the genre was more closely associated with punk than metal. There is also the more modern styling on "Changing of the Guard," touching on the garage rock sounds reminiscent of "the bands" that were popular about ten years ago. With their debut Northern Towns have added to the solid start for Swagger City Records. The band has a brand new split 7" they … Read more

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Ancient Sky

Ancient Sky
The Perpetual Motion Machine (2009)

Ancient Sky is a fairly new group of individuals with impressive musical resumes with members having performed in City of … Read more

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The Taxpayers

A Rhythm in the Cages
Useless State/Quote Unquote (2009)

The Taxpayers are a three-piece punk outfit from Portland, OR. A Rhythm in the Cages is their second full-length, with … Read more

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Litany for the Whale

Dolores
Teenage Disco Bloodbath/Perpetual Motion Machine/Molsook (2009)

John Cage was an avant-garde composer, poet, music theorist, artist, printmaker, etc. that was popular in the early part of … Read more

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MGR y Destructo Swarmbots

Amigos de la Guitarra
Neurot (2009)

Amigos de la Guitarra is a collaborative effort from MGR - the solo project of Mike Gallagher of Isis - … Read more

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Explode and Make Up

Some Kind of Diplomat
Underground Communiqué (2009)

Any band that names themselves after a Sugar song automatically wins major points with me. And it doesn't hurt the … Read more

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One from the archives

AFI

Sing the Sorrow
Dreamworks (2003)

Multiple Authors

"Oh my God, my God this can't be happening! AFI has signed to a major!" Is an example of a popular reaction to the announcement last year that that AFI would be releasing their sixth full-length, Sing the Sorrow, on Dreamworks records. Anybody without a huge bias towards the record before it was even released, however, will soon realize that the record should neither turn off old fans with an unfavorable sound change, nor should it alienate new fans who were first introduced to AFI through the melodic and poetic beauty of their fifth release, The Art of Drowning. With Sorrow, AFI has brought to the listener the best of both worlds. It is definitely heavier than Drowning, but it still delivers awe-inspiring sing-along choruses and ballads that can even … Read more

More album reviews

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Downpresser

Age of Ignorance
Triple B (2009)

Hailing from Santa Barbara, CA is the metallic hardcore attack of Downpresser. Six tracks of down-tuned, head cracking, thick skulled hardcore in the vein of early Merauder or any other band that you wouldn't be surprised supporting thick hair braids, bandannas, and stomach tattoos. Age of Ignorance toes the "Slayer-line," an imaginary line in which a band straddles being a … Read more

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Defeater

Lost Ground
Bridge Nine (2009)

This is the latest EP from Massachusetts' Defeater, who had a little bit of notoriety by being a band that liked to travel in a van fueled by vegetable oil. Defeater play emotionally ridden melodic hardcore in the vein that I like but never really go out of my way to hear. They remind me of an exciting version of … Read more

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Crooked Ways

Crimes of Passion
Last Anthem (2009)

I have an unhealthy obsession with melodic hardcore bands and it's sad that when the term comes up in conversation I am bombarded with bands named Modern Life is War, The Carrier, and Killing the Dream. Although these bands are melodic and yes, they are hardcore, however this isn't exactly what I'm thinking about when it comes to melodic hardcore. … Read more

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Burning Empires

Burning Empires
Fuck City (2009)

I was admittedly pretty psyched about this as it marks Andy Hurley's (Fall Out Boy) return to hardcore. Unfortunately this ends up sounding like Misery Signals and Darkest Hour joined together to make something incredibly tepid. The musicianship is definitely top notch but the songs don't seem to go anywhere, ever. The riffs are catchy but not anything special. As … Read more

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Beartrap

Fueled by Self-Hate
Double or Nothing (2009)

This release blazes through the listener at a ridiculously fast clip. Eight tracks of fast punk styled thrash madness. The label compares them to Trash Talk and Black Flag; I can't really disagree. I could see some craziness going down to this. They leave the experimentation to the last song which truly sets it apart almost seemingly written for a … Read more

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Backtrack

Deal With the Devil
6131 (2009)

This EP is fairly similar to another recent 6131 release from Bad Seed. This isn't a bad thing. This is a renaissance of sorts for heavy NYHC. Where Bad Seed seems to fail for most is that they don't exploit the grooves they can get into. On the other hand, Backtrack has yet to find a groove they don't like … Read more

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As We Let Go

Above the Clouds
Six Feet Under (2009)

This EP makes sense to be released by Six Feet Under and hence a member of Blacklisted. This is essentially a Japanese version of that band. Mind you there's nothing wrong with that, it just seems there is nothing to set them apart from that assessment either. I could see this band killing stages the world over with a plethora … Read more

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Bracewar

Whatever it Takes
The White Glove Group (2009)

I believe these four songs were released as a sampler for Bracewar's upcoming full-length. I could be wrong though. These demo tracks were released as a 7" at United Blood and hear it is playing through my speakers. Bracewar plays stompy angry hardcore with snarled vocals. There really isn't much to Bracewar's attack but it still hits in all the … Read more

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The Bonus Army

Negative Outlooks
Arrest (2009)

Well what do we have here? Ten songs on one 7", plus a cartoon image of a zombie getting their head lopped off by an axe. Yup, it's hardcore and the nastier side of it. Negative Outlooks reminds me of Think I Care with its heavy yet punishing fast hardcore with gruff shouted venom spewed vocals. Negative Outlooks is the … Read more

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Black Breath

Razor to Oblivion
Southern Lord (2009)

Holy Moses! Do you need a new recipe for a Molotov Cocktail of ROCK?! Mix one part Motörhead with two parts dirty, smelliest hardcore this side of Poison Idea. Shake vigorously. Then release it onto the headbanging masses. I am usually not into metal but when it is played with such vigor and with such a balls out attitude even … Read more

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Bane

Dublin 11:58 PM
Hurry Up! (2009)

Bane are currently not on Equal Vision Records so they decided to release a crop of 7"s on different labels throughout the world, each one with a different photo. The title comes from when the photo was taken. It is a cool undertaking if you ask me. Not like you would ask me. Anyhow, we have the Dublin 11:58 PM … Read more

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Bad Seed

Bad Seed
6131 (2009)

Members of Title Fight do a hardcore band, neat. The four songs on this platter remind me of early Merauder crossed with Cold World for a knockdown drag out testosterone fueled mosh fest. The songs themselves aren't bad as who ever writes the riffs is either brilliant or just knows what songs to rip off. If you enjoy NYHC played … Read more

Pelican

What We All Come to Need
Southern Lord (2009)

Pelican's new record What We All Come to Need is a gorgeous journey through sludge rock with some moments of beautiful calm. But does it hold your attention enough to be a repeated listen? I got into Pelican when I purchased 2005's The Fire in Our Throats Will Beckon the Thaw. Overall it was a great album, but few songs … Read more

Jodis

Secret House
Hydra Head (2009)

Jodis is finally making its way onto stereos after a bit of a wait since the group announced its existence. Jodis is a three piece outfit consisting of James Plotkin (Khanate, Khlyst, Atomsmasher, The Lotus Eaters, House of Low Culture), his former compatriot in Khanate Tim Wyskida, and Aaron Turner (Isis, Old Man Gloom, House of Low Culture, The Lotus … Read more

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