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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)

Mother Night

Lifestyle / Deathstyle
Off the Books (2007)

Hailing from New Jersey (which as The Nerve Agents put it is the "Heart of Hardcore"), Mother Night drops a wicked set of jams on Lifestyle / Deathstyle for us to listen to their abundance of energy and enthusiasm. An honest band that exudes New Jersey in all its harshness, these guys come from a very typical Jersey background of toiling in basements and exemplify the road that many bands from that hellhole (I can say this because I live here, all you other jokers have no right) have to take. After two demos and a 7" record, Mother Night offers Lifestyle / Deathstyle to document their collective effort and hard work. Lifestyle / Deathstyle kicks things off with "Concrete," a somewhat mid-paced bruiser of a song that just kind of punishes listeners until the break or bridge, which has this real weird guitar lead that breaks the song up a bit; top this off with a strong vocal performance that sounds more yelled than screamed or shouted. Mother Night follows this up with the noisy entrance of "Heartbeat of America" before locking step into more mid-paced hardcore while the vocals sound a bit more emotive than the previous track. … Read more

Genghis Tron

Board Up the House
Relapse (2008)

Genghis Tron occupies a very precarious place in the world of music. Unlike most "polarizing" bands like The Locust or … Read more

Burning Witch

Crippled Lucifer
Southern Lord (2008)

Hot damn, where have you been all my life Burning Witch! Apparently, as Aaron Turner documents in his liner notes … Read more

Paint It Black

New Lexicon
Jade Tree (2008)

In the world of hardcore punk there is nary a person so forward thinking as Dan Yemin. This thought applies … Read more

Blunderbuss

Blunderbuss
Escape Artist (2007)

Blunderbuss may at first be notable to some because it contains a member of Don Caballero, Jeff Ellsworth. But trust … Read more

The Cancer Conspiracy

Omega
Radar/Gilead Media (2008)

Omega is the final testament to the instrumental indie/math/prog-rockers The Cancer Conspiracy. Recorded over four years ago, the album was … Read more

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One from the archives

Zozobra

Savage Masters
Brutal Panda (2013)

Zozobra returns five years after their excellent previous full length Birds of Prey; and now, Caleb Scofield (of Cave In and Old Man Gloom) brings forth Savage Masters. If you are not familiar with Zozobra, try to imagine Old Man Gloom covering Cave In tracks: in essence you get straightforward songs, with quite catchy riffs and nice groove which on the same time manage to remain extreme sounding. Savage Masters is filled with sludge riffs that are combined in an excellent way with a punk/hardcore attitude, there are even moments when Zozobra will remind you of obscure bands such as His Hero Is Gone or the more well known Converge and Narrows. Although the album is not as diverse, they manage to combine the vibe of hardcore with the heaviness … Read more

More album reviews

Genocide

Apocalyptic Visions
Ván (2007)

Wow. These guys really hate Jesus. Well, I mean, they seem to hate a lot of things but they really hate Jesus. This is Genocide. Don't confuse them with the twenty-four, yes, twenty-four other bands called Genocide; this is the three guys from Germany with corpse paint. Not to be confused with the Genocide from Finland which was only two … Read more

Khann

Tofutopia
Black Market Activities (2007)

Seriously, Tofutopia? An album called Tofutopia? This is the album title of this record? Surely, this band has to be joking, does it not? As this record sits in my review pile, I find it increasingly difficult to take it seriously, even though that may be the point. Chris Owens - guitarist/vocalist of Lords and engineer of records by Achilles, … Read more

Another Kind of Death

Sleepless Every Night
Underhill (2007)

Anyone that knows anything about gun safety knows that no one ever stuffs a loaded gun down the front of their pants. That's just a good way to blow your wiener off. Sure you may see movie or any random gangster rap video where some dillrod shoves a .357 down their drawers. What they don't show you is that in … Read more

The Mars Volta

The Bedlam in Goliath
Universal (2008)

For a band that immerses themselves in creating such an uncompromising and complicated sound, The Mars Volta is a very prolific bunch of musicians. One album released each year shows a very strong work ethic and a determination to never stagnate in their evolution. Not to mention a strong passion for all kinds of music. The Mars Volta sound like … Read more

Reign Supreme

American Violence
Malfunction (2008)

Philadelphia's Reign Supreme burst onto the hardcore scene in 2006 with great intensity. Fronted by former Blacklisted member Jay Pepito and also featuring former members of Palehorse and others, Reign Supreme deliver a highly visceral and punishing blend of metallic hardcore. American Violence is their latest EP, the follow-up to a demo and a 12" single. Reign Supreme knock on … Read more

Oren Ambarchi

In the Pendulums Embrace
Southern Lord (2007)

When I hear this album I smell dust. It might not make sense to you, or to me for that matter, but it is what it is. Some albums, particularly in the ambient vein, take me to strange places that can be either outside or inside. Oren Ambarchi takes me to the attic that I haven't been up to in … Read more

Ghost in the House

Ghost in the House
Edgetone (2007)

Sometimes one needs a good reminder not to let expectations run amok in order to avoid disappointment. In general I always try to get positively surprised rather than the other way around, but you can't always be at the top of your game. Sometime you let yourself hope of something good only to be let down. This may sound more … Read more

Son Lux

At War with Walls and Mazes
Anticon (2008)

Son Lux is the working project of one man, Ryan Lott, a multi-talented musician and artist. At War with Walls and Mazes is his debut full-length and over the course of it he dabbles in various worlds of experimental music. At War with Walls and Mazes can be described in simplest forms as experimental as throughout the album, Lott pursues … Read more

Arson Anthem

Arson Anthem
Housecore (2008)

Arson Anthem has quite the pedigree with members of Pantera, Eyehategod, and Superjoint Ritual in tow. Phil Anselmo, who is joined by Mike Williams of Eyehategod, Hank Williams III of Superjoint Ritual, and Collin Yeo, spearheads the four-piece group. The project came to be after Anselmo and Williams sat around listening to lots of Negative Approach, Poison Idea, Discharge, and … Read more

ANS / Seasick

Billy in a Bearsuit
Brain Drain / Headcount (2008)

Hailing from outside Dallas, ANS deliver a concoction of fast-paced hardcore punk that draws comparisons to the early days of hardcore: Black Flag, Bad Brains, and DRI. The foursome is a bit more aggressive than their forefathers though, as showcased in the minute-and-a-half blast that is "Paging Dr. Shiba." "Circle the Drain" is a nice blend of the early hardcore … Read more

Lighten Up

I'd Rather be Snoring
Brain Drain (2007)

Philadelphia is always shooting out new hardcore bands. Lighten Up is one of the more recent products of the city of endless hardcore. The members of this four-piece likely have extensive collections of Revelation and Dischord records, or at least that's what one would guess while listening to their music. I'd Rather be Snoring is five tracks of super fast-paced … Read more

Sequoia

Time to Change
Independent (2007)

The metropolis of Chicago, IL is home to many many artists. While listening to Sequoia, I found their sound to be somewhat fitting, but at the same time I could pick up influences that could easily place them elsewhere. Time to Change is the band's second full-length and features ten songs at just over thirty minutes of music. The opening … Read more

Shout Magic

Ceiling Fan and Other Revolutions
Chief City (2007)

Shout Magic is a five-piece ensemble from Philadelphia. Though, if you were listen to the music of Ceiling Fan and Other Revolutions you definitely wouldn't guess that as their location. Perhaps a swanky lounge in Los Angeles or even some off-strip locale in Las Vegas would be more likely. Ceiling Fan and Other Revolutions is six tracks that clocks in … Read more

Hot Water Music

Till the Wheels Fall Off
No Idea (2008)

People who find this band excellent or entertaining have an intimate love affair with them and their blue collar, dirt under the fingernails, dyed in the wool punk rock. It was a sad day indeed when this foursome of the people called it quits (for the second or third time in their existence) after leaving behind a swath of full … Read more

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