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AFI

Crash Love
Interscope (2009)

Album number eight from the band now renowned for their genre-shifting and reinvention. Three years in the making, three producers in the studio, and twelve tracks long (given the band's penchant for Lost-esque symbolism, there's probably some deep significance to these numbers). What new style will be unveiled with Crash Love? Nothing too thrilling, is the answer. Opener "Torch Song" … Read more

Raekwon

Only Built 4 Cuban Linx... Pt. II
Ice H2O (2009)

For whatever reason, it took me a little while to warm up to hip-hop. Maybe I was too into that guitar and percussion sound to really give hip-hop a fair chance. And I guess the whole "rap is crap" thing sort of rang a bell back then. Yeah, I fucked up. I'll admit that I never gave hip-hop a close … Read more

Marked Men

Ghosts
Dirtnap (2009)

From time to time certain friends of mine will make the same kind of declarations in the month of February that I do. And when statements like, "This might be the best record of the year," spew from their overexcited mouth while trying to tell me about a new album, I do indeed take notice. So, when such declarations of … Read more

Dead Swans

Sleepwalkers
Bridge Nine (2009)

Dead Swans is the U.K. hardcore circuit's latest export to reach American soil, currently being championed by the folks over at Bridge Nine Records. Sleepwalkers marks the group's debut full-length and continues down a similar path of gnarling metallic hardcore that the band churned out on their previous offerings, the Southern Blue EP and split 7" with Architects. The five-piece … Read more

Municipal Waste

Massive Aggressive
Earache (2009)

Municipal Waste's popularity blew up in 2007 with The Art of Partying, an album with almost every song revolving around drinking, partying, or just having a good time. It was the perfect soundtrack to any frat party but those who are looking for the sequel to that should turn the other way, as their new album, Massive Aggressive sees the … Read more

Merit

Arson is for Lovers
Independent (2009)

Merit is from upstate New York and annoys the living fuck out of me. Sadly Merit wants to be Paramore. If my teenage daughter came home and said she wanted be in a band that sounded like Paramore, I'd cut her from the will. Which wouldn't mean that much to her anyhow, because she would obviously become a huge star … Read more

Banner Pilot

Collapser
Fat Wreck Chords (2009)

Banner Pilot's last album, Resignation Day earned them a lot of praise among punk fans. To me, I thought it was a very solid album but it didn't exactly stick out among the many great bands that are playing this style of punk right now. They're a good band, but I thought they were missing a few things before I … Read more

Black Boned Angel

The Endless Coming to Life
20 Buck Spin (2008)

Sometimes, curiosity completely gets the best of me, as is the case with my musical listening habits. And because of that I do hear quite a bit music that takes a while to process, like Black Boned Angel. Admittedly, the first exposure of Black Boned Angel to which I was privy, can be attributed to the collaboration with Nadja, Christ … Read more

Disembodied

Psalms of Sheol
Prime Directive (2009)

As the crushing, bottom heavy sonic force of "Enochian Prayer" plays, the only thought running through my mind is: "YES! Disembodied rules where would I be without their destroying my ear drums right at this moment?" If you have ever given a spin or two or more to any Disembodied record, than you kind of have an idea of what … Read more

Merauder

God is I
Regain (2009)

Oh hey what do you know, Merauder is back. For those that don't remember, Merauder put out the classic crossover album Master Killer in 1995. Master Killer set the stage for what would become a metal soaked final years of the last millennium for hardcore, especially within the confines of New York City. I didn't even know Merauder put out … Read more

Cub Country

Stretch That Skull Cover and Smile
Future Farmer (2009)

I honestly did not think that Jeremy Chatelain was still active as Cub Country seeing as how it has been some time since his last record, Stay Poor, Stay Happy back in 2004. But here we have Stretch That Skull Cover and Smile as proof that Cub Country is still alive and kicking. Cub Country is the alt-country project of … Read more

Water & Bodies

Water & Bodies
Rain City (2009)

One of the newest bands to come out of Portland, Water & Bodies are looking to make an impact in the music world. Despite only forming a few months before, they have already recorded an EP and are hoping it'll lead to great things. Judging from this EP, it will be a while before they make an impact, maybe even … Read more

Polar Bear Club

Chasing Hamburg
Bridge Nine (2009)

Polar Bear Club is essentially the musical version of the story, The Little Engine that Could. Here we have a band, that started out merely four years ago, playing shows wherever they could when the mood struck them to do so. With their debut EP, there was great promise; everyone that heard it realized it. But it really didn't click … Read more

Cable

The Failed Convict
The End (2009)

Exciting is a good term to use to describe the feelings from Cable putting out another album, particularly after they had apparently called it quits. Thankfully, their farewell turn juiced the band up enough to write and record a new album. The Failed Convict is the latest album from the Cable institution and the first with guitarist Bernie Romanowski in … Read more

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