I received this release and was intrigued by its DIY packaging: card stock covered in some kind of blue block print with a heavier cardboard latch closing the front. I'm unable to decipher the artwork, but it looks awesome. Old Sun is from the city of brotherly love, my new hometown. One of the first things I noticed about this band is the jammy, dissonant parts reminiscent of Pageninetynine. Guitarist and singer Andrew Stroke emits Kurt Cobain-esque vocals from time to time. In addition to these two comparisons, three of the five tracks contain a build-up a la City of Caterpillar. The whole production is raw, but this type of music is never meant to be played cleanly. These Philadelphia DIY-ers slipped a handwritten (photocopied) note behind the CD for its listeners to read: "If you are receiving this it's because you are still making a difference, and producing art & music that matters and makes life a lot more enjoyable." Sincerity shines through in their message and musical delivery. P.S. This EP is available for free download at the band's website. Read more
Love, Hope and Fear are not what they used to be. And I mean that literally as well as musically. … Read more
What's wrong with more of the same, especially when what you've got is solid? If you're dating Scarlett Johansson, is … Read more
Where the hell have you been for the last four years Black Cross? The circumstances that have hampered this woefully … Read more
Soul (noun) : A sense of ethnic pride among Black people and especially African Americans, expressed in areas such as … Read more
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Aeronaut’s Coronal Mass is one hell of recording, but just saying that does not a hint of justice to the overall quality of this release because I would be damned if I did not say that the packaging for this cassette tape is disgustingly awesome, and in truth, what ultimately makes the release is the music that takes up the two wonderful sides of the tape; not quite a chicken or the egg dilemma, but the whole “package” is what makes Coronal Mass so great. The A-side of Coronal Mass is a masterful harnessing of droning ambient warmth that wraps its sonic tendrils around listeners’ ears and caresses them into a bliss fueled euphoric state of conscious oblivion making for a hell of an awesome just under twenty minutes of … Read more
It might say something for my enthusiasm for this record that it has sat for almost a year in my 'to review' pile since first receiving it. While I do attempt to avoid at least complete bias in my reviews, in the case of Florida's Burden of a Day, I knew exactly what I was going to hear when I … Read more
Here we go again. Once again we have yet another young hardcore band, this time hailing from Tacoma, WA, playing overly sincere emotional overcharged hardcore. If you have heard Modern Life is War, Comeback Kid, or maybe Shai Hulud you get the gist of what Never Looking Back is trying to accomplish. If you can sense my boredom right now, … Read more
Bands evolve and the fans have to deal with it. Their musical palette expands and the records change. This holds true with Cursive frontman Tim Kasher's music catalog. However, one aspect never changes, his bleak outlook on the world. It's always cynical, full of sarcasm, and consistently heartbroken. No matter what musical guise he wears, these sentiments are expressed through … Read more
A lot has been made lately of the throwback sounds that are ultra popular in hardcore these days. It seems that if you're not biting from the likes of Integrity, then you're probably ripping of Lifetime. Or, if neither of those are your cup of tea, you'll stealing a page from the early Revelation bands like Burn. Well, keeping with … Read more
Shipwreck burst onto the scene last year with their debut 7" on Rumble Records. The four-song release was an instant hit and eventually brought them to Deathwish's door. This release, another self-titled affair, is comprised of two new cuts and a reworking of "Heated" from their debut. "Mirage" kicks things off. The song is a rager deeply rooted in 90's … Read more
Erie has a long-standing tradition of hardcore: xDisciplex A.D., Brothers Keeper, Shockwave, and Abnegation. Continuing that tradition is War of Ages, though they definitely mix their hardcore influences with a significant amount of metal riffage. Fire from the Tomb is actually a re-recording of the band's debut effort. Some might question the band's decision to go back and re-do their … Read more
Daymares hail from Poland. Yes, that Poland. Prior to this release, the band had nothing more than a roughly mixed demo, which mixed 90's metallic hardcore with brooding metal. And here's why you should take notice Can't Get Us All is the band's debut full-length. Comprised of eleven songs, three of which are re-recorded from their demo, Can't Get Us … Read more
The Fire The Flood hails from North Carolina, a state home to metalcore greats Prayer for Cleansing. Unfortunately, the music that makes up Truth Seekers is nothing worth mentioning in the same sentence as one of the purveyors of modern metalcore. Truth Seekers is comprised of thirteen tracks, of which only two clock in over the two-minute mark. Musically, the … Read more
Dark Days is a discography release that compiles the San Diego-based hardcore outfits previous material into one neat package. The CD opens with "The Bridge," one of three new cuts. The song is fast-paced hardcore song that is centered on individuals that travel to The Golden Gate Bridge only to commit suicide. "Holy Hands" and "Fun in Funeral" follow in … Read more
Some critics may think that their age gives them more credit and validates every opinion they have. I am on the lower end of the age spectrum when it comes to critics, but that doesn't mean I have no clue what I'm talking about when it comes to music. Hey, I'm not a worldly expert but I think I can … Read more
Hailing from Italy, One Starving Day are a four-piece band that, at times, sounds more like ten or fifteen people playing music. Their sound is full and emotive conveying enough raw moods and feeling in each musical piece that begs for one to pay attention. The only time prior to Broken Wings Lead Arms to the Sun that I have … Read more
Municipal Waste likes to party. How do I know this? Well, there's the album title. Couple that with songs like "Beer Pressure," "Born to Party," and "Chemically Altered" and you don't exactly have to be Veronica Mars to connect the dots. It also goes without saying we're not exactly dealing with subtle music open to the interpretation of the listener … Read more
Westerners tend to love Japanese pop culture almost as much as Japanese kids love western (read: American) pop culture - especially rock and roll. And punk is no exception to this phenomenon, as each side doesn't hesitate to make a fetish out of the other: American punks work themselves into a lather bidding on GISM LPs, while Japanese punks go … Read more
Winnipeg's Under Pressure is a dirty 80's sounding hardcore band with a dude singing like he's trying to hold in his bong hit for the longest time while gargling glass. Saying he sounds a little gruff is like saying the people that have smoked Pall Mall Non-Filters for thirty plus years are a little raspy. Musically, the band either goes … Read more
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