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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)

You May Die in the Desert / Gifts from Enola

Harmonic Motion: Volume 1
Differential (2008)

Harmonic Motion: Volume 1 is the start of a Differential Records series aiming to bring together like-sounding instrumental groups. The record starts off with "The Sound of Titans," a twelve minute atmospheric piece with several ups and downs in sound levels. For the most part, the song is more of the soundscape structure with picking, hypnotic guitars but, in its last third, it turns toward the big, dramatic finish that so many post-rock bands turn to. The remaining four tracks from You May Die in the Desert are in the three-six minute range and feel more like math rock than tired post-rock, with heavier guitars, lots of time changes, and upbeat pacing. You May Die in the Desert is more Don Caballero than Explosions in the Sky. Halfway through, the torch seamlessly passes from Seattle's You May Die in the Desert to Virginia's Gifts from Enola. Gifts from Enola follows the same formula but with a fuller guitar sound and less mathiness. With the absence of vocals on this record, it's easy to imagine hearing this and not realizing that it's a split CD if you're not paying attention. Gifts from Enola works the post-rock angle. For the most part, … Read more

Trash Talk

Trash Talk
Trash Talk Collective (2008)

Trash Talk, the hype band come hardcore mainstays through relentless touring, have a lot of eyes and ears on them … Read more

Razzle Dazzle

Strictly Saucers
Lockin Out (2008)

Detroit, Michigan's Razzle Dazzle (or Rzl Dzl for the vowely impaired) is two dudes named Will and Haroun who basically … Read more

This Time Next Year

The Longest Way Home
Run for Cover (2008)

So many thoughts come to mind when I think of this California-based pop-punk group. This Time Next Year is a … Read more

Lafcadio

Kibosh
Joyful Noise (2008)

I truly don't know what to make of this band. Some reviewers might like to scope out the band before … Read more

200 Words Or Less

Annihilation Time

III: Tales of the Ancient Age
Tee Pee (2008)

With fuzzy riffs, elongated solos and twin guitar leads ala Maiden, this is a Hessian's dream. On III: Tales of … Read more

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One from the archives

Minus Story

Heaven and Hell
Jagjaguwar (2005)

Following up what was my #1 record of the year last year, Minus Story recently released an EP titled Heaven and Hell on Jagjaguwar. Six tracks and five songs, this EP contains four Minus Story songs, one Misfits cover, and one ghost story. The title track starts the record off in a very good way. Right away you'll notice the lack of the "Wall of Crap" sound that was ever so present on their last full length, The Captain is Dead, Let the Drum Corpse Dance. Instead is much more crisp production that works very well. This track is relatively laid back and is one of the better songs I think they have ever written. "Suffer by Yourself" is a track that shows a bit more of a new side … Read more

More album reviews

200 Words Or Less

Smoke & Mirrors

Flash Thunder
Independent (2008)

Erie hardcore. Ninety-nine out of a hundred of you instantly thought of either Brother's Keeper or xDisciplex AD. While these two groups have since fallen by the wayside, there is still life in the ol' Lake Effect scene. Groups like Jesus Wept, War of Ages, Hank Jones, and Taste the Steel have all made names for themselves and their city … Read more

200 Words Or Less

Down to Nothing / 50 Lions

Split
6131 (2008)

Richmond meets Melbourne on this split effort. Down to Nothing follows up last year's The Most while 50 Lions follows up an Australian-released full-length of their own. This split features each band contributing three new tracks. Down to Nothing picks things up right where The Most left off. The band's sound has gotten significantly less punk-oriented and more straightforward and … Read more

200 Words Or Less

Catch Your Breath

Life & Sounds
Dismantle (2008)

Catch Your Breath is an upstart hardcore group from the greater Los Angeles area. I couldn't find much background info on the band, so I'm assuming this is their first venture as a group. Life & Sounds is eight songs in twelve minutes. Musically the band plays fast-paced hardcore with a dash of the rock and roll similar to The … Read more

200 Words Or Less

Your Fall

Your Fall
Hurry Up! (2008)

I know nothing of the Brazilian hardcore world, nor will I pretend to know anything. In fact, the only things I know about Brazil are they love football (Americans should read that as soccer) and they gave us thrashers Sepultura. Outside of that, I'm just a naïve no-nothing. Your Fall is from Curitiba, which, from what I can gather, is … Read more

200 Words Or Less

Offsides

It's a Struggle to Communicate
Get Outta Town (2008)

Here's something new for you. Well maybe not new, but something we don't get much of these days. Offsides is a fast-paced melodic hardcore group from Connecticut with a female front-person. It's a Struggle to Communicate is the band's latest offering, a six-song EP. Musically the group draws influence from legendary groups like 7 Seconds and Gorilla Biscuits. The music … Read more

200 Words Or Less

The Wonder Years

Won't Be Pathetic Forever
No Sleep (2008)

The Wonder Years return with a brand new 7", their follow-up to last year's Get Stoked on it!. The record features four new tracks that are exclusive to this release. The 7" starts off with a building intro before the band gets busy with "Solo & Chewy: Holdin' it Down." Like their previous effort, we are treated to a mixture … Read more

200 Words Or Less

Pegasuses-XL

The Antiphon
Ernest Jenning (2008)

It's almost a little sad when drugs influence a lot of what musicians do (The Mars Volta?). It is equally sad and almost doubly disappointing when musicians ruin their reputations with shallow releases. Pegasuses XL is Make Dale (Disband), Jeff Tobias (We Versus the Shark), Joel Hatstat (Cinemechanica) and the renowned Jeff Rosenstock (Arrogant Sons of Bitches, Bomb The Music … Read more

The Breeders

Mountain Battles
4AD (2008)

I have a huge crush on Kim Deal. There, I said it. Fuck you, don't judge me. You probably rubbed one out to Vanessa Hudgens last night, you sick fuck. Kim's more woman than you could ever hope to get, pervy. That's right, the real Deal sisters are back and they're ready to lo-fi rock your socks off with their … Read more

Verdunkeln

Einblick in dem Qualenfall
Ván (2007)

Black metal is one of the last bastions of progression and experimentation in the metal community. Fifteen years ago that statement would have been laughable, but with the first couple generations of purists either incarcerated, dead, or at least moving on to other musical interests, a new generation has been left to carry the torch. This wave of bands is … Read more

Girl Talk

Feed the Animals
Illegal Art (2008)

Girl Talk is Gregg Gillis, a DJ from Pittsburgh that has been praised up to the leader of the mash-up sub-genre. For those who don't know, mash-up is when a DJ layers multiple tracks from different songs on top of each other to create new tracks. This is usually supplemented with new beats and various DJ effects. It makes more … Read more

The National Rifle

Wage Life
Independent (2008)

What if Elvis Costello was still churning out upbeat, poppy numbers like his early work? What if you took away some of the crackle and rough edges, and replaced them with pristine production and a lot of "whoa-oh-oh's"? What if, to spice things up, you threw in a dash of socialist rhetoric, a pinch of hand-held percussion, and a sprinkle … Read more

Until the End

From the Beginning...Until the End
Eulogy (2008)

Whenever I think of Until the End, I think of the time I crammed five finals into a twenty-four-hour period so I could take a road trip down to Gainesville Fest. The kids there went absolutely bat shit for them - head walking and jumping off each other, huge pile-ons, and, of course, devastating mosh. Sure, it sounds like a … Read more

Boxcar Satan & Ghostwriter

Hobo Nouveau
East of the West/Dogfingers (2008)

I'll admit - I have a bit of a problem with modern blues. For me, blues, real blues ended in the 1940's with the likes of Robert Johnson and Hudie William "Leadbelly" Ledbetter. When you're a black man in the deep south, you best believe you're gonna have the blues. Nowadays, what the fuck are you bitching for? Boxcar Satan … Read more

The Offspring

Rise and Fall, Rage and Grace
Columbia (2008)

With an album title that sounds like the most recent Foo Fighters record, a song called "Fix You" (I thought Coldplay had already professed that particular desire), and a collection of tracks that sound like they want to be Green Day, My Chemical Romance or The Offspring circa 1994, The Offspring have become imitators and glory-day seekers, shapeshifting and morphing … Read more

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