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Our latest album reviews, featuring the records we've most enjoyed (or not) over the past few weeks.

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

Band of Bastards

DELETE. REPEAT.
Redacted Records, SilverDoor Music (2021)

It’s nice when artists get back to their roots. There’s a time and place for growth and exploration. But there’s also a time and place to let the rage loose, and that’s what’s happening with Band of Bastards on their debut twelve-song slab of blistering hardcore. That’s probably not what you think about when you heard band names like ...And You Will Know Us By the Trail of Dead, Sparta, Markov, Black Books, We'll Go Machete and Glass Shadows, but this time around they’re wearing their influence on their sleeve, with a heavy dose of hardcore from the 1990-2005 era. And that timestamp is kind of the crux here. The record starts strong. “Ruined” is chaotic and forceful, using breakdowns to pummel and shout. Then “Prospect” mixes it up with a bit of a groove and a call-and-response style rhythm before it turns back to overdrive at the next song, “Division.” While things are still going pretty strong at this point, the formula starts to show. This record is just really derivative. While I’m sure this project was meant to pay homage, it never really establishes itself as a unique band. Over 12 songs, it pulls heavily from New York … Read more

Descendents

9th & Walnut
Epitaph (2021)

While I like new Descendents, their older stuff always had an intangible bite to it. The new stuff feels more … Read more

Sunshine Satellite

Sunshine Satellite
Snappy Little Numbers (2020)

Ah, an actual tape cassette…in a day and age where portable digital devices are ubiquitous, I find delight whenever an … Read more

Southpaw

Just A Spell of Feeling Nothing
Independent (2021)

There is a lot of productive ways to spend a pandemic lockdown: 1. Grow your own windowsill herb garden 2. … Read more

NOFX

Single Album
Fat Wreck Chords (2021)

This record is honestly kind of painful. It’s meant to be, too. It’s about depression, drug abuse, death and all … Read more

Weezer

Van Weezer
Atlantic (2021)

I expected every webzine, music mogul, and rock print publication to give the newest Weezer album a bad review. I … Read more

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One from the archives

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 amazingness became descriptors for Ghosts, the fourth album from Marked Men, I had an undeniable urge to listen and hear if such gushing praise is deserved. Hailing from Denton, Texas, Marked Men are a four-piece whose story begins in 2002 and winds through several labels, albums, and singles prior to the searing punk rock of Ghosts. Immediately, Marked Men strike me with the infectious sounds of their vocal melodies and … Read more

More album reviews

Lingua Ignota

Sinner Get Ready
Sargent House (2021)

It is an act of courage to redefine oneself. Especially when the initial recipe and direction has been exciting and challenging. Yet, when a project is as intricate as Kristen Hayter’s Lingua Ignota there should not be any surprise when evolution is afoot. Hayter started in the underground, releasing the first two records of her project independently. Through the raw … Read more

The Obits

Die at the Zoo
Outer Battery Records (2021)

Die at the Zoo is a live recording from Obits, live in Brisbane, Australia, in 2012. There are 16 songs from the band’s catalog and it was recently released on limited vinyl by Outer Battery. There are probably two main angles for looking at a live record: is it capturing a time and place, or is it capturing an essence … Read more

Wills Dissolve

Echoes
Hypnotic Dirge Records (2020)

I think it’s a good rule of thumb to assume if some band has their album art done by Adam “Nightjar” Burke, it’s going to be at least a good album. While that could be an exaggeration, I’ve yet to see a bad record with album art made by that man, so that’s a good track record, right? Anyway, Wills … Read more

Silent Island

The Curse of Coleodeia
Independent (2020)

Hungarian musician Csarnogurszky István is quite prolific, helming Black Hill, musicformessier, Realm of Wolves, Stvannyr, and of course Silent Island. His most recent release is The Curse of Coleodeia under Silent Island. As it can be often witnessed with prolific bands and/or musicians, the output may tend to suffer in quality due to the quantity in which it comes about. … Read more

Impure Wilhelmina

Antidote
Season of Mist (2021)

My girlfriend asked me, earlier this year: “why does all music you like sound so bloody serious?”. At first I denied this and listed a couple of bands and albums that sound more party-like, but after giving it some thought I had to agree. I really lean towards the stuff that sounds bloody serious. In comes Impure Wilhelmina, who can … Read more

Bambies

Summer Soon
Spaghetty Town Records (2021)

The first song on Sumer Soon is titled “Dirty Taint.” And if that doesn’t put a taste in your mouth for what’s to come, well, keep reading then. There’s some trash rock influence, for sure, but it’s not that cut-and-dried. The Bambies also have some heavy Ramones influence that gives a more wholesome counter tone. It walks the trash punk … Read more

Voices

An Audience Of Mannequins
Church Road Records (2021)

The British prog-death metallers from Voices are back with some fresh material. It’s not much, but it’s something to hang on to until their next album. Formed alongside Akercocke, by some of their members, Voices deliver an interesting take on the genre and are definitely one of the better representatives of the niche. They’re also one of those criminally underrated … Read more

Clown Core

Van
Independent (2020)

Who are Clown Core? Long story short – no idea and no one really knows. There’s a lot of speculation online regarding the fact that the duo may actually be drummer Louis Cole and saxophonist Sam Gendel. Although, both have denied being part of the band. As Clown Core continue to skillfully keep their identities a mystery, we can only … Read more

The Arson Choir

Invisible Monsters
War Against Records (2020)

The Arson Choir are another fine representative of the new wave of American mathcore. They’re a pretty young band, but they have a lot of power in them and they sure know how to lay it down. Their balls to the wall delivery paired with chunky and groovy riffs, as well as the classic dissonant screeches is very appropriate and … Read more

Christian Scott aTunde Adjuah

Axiom
Ropeadope Records (2020)

I believe Christian Scott aTunde Adjuah requires practically no other introduction than his name – especially for people savvy within the realm of jazz. The award-winning musician along with his band has managed to throw together a marvelous collection of songs as his third live album, titled succinctly, Axiom. This all went down across four days during March last year … Read more

Fawn Limbs

Darwin Falls
Roman Numeral Records, Wolves & Vibrancy Records (2021)

Transatlantic noise laden mathgrind power trio Fawn Limbs are back with fresh material. What could they possibly have in store this time around? Their prolific catalogue reaches a true high point with their ninth release, Darwin Falls. Physically following in the footsteps of Sleeper Vessels, while aesthetically and spiritually in those of Thrum, Darwin Falls sees the band stepping into … Read more

Luz de Gas

Luz de Gas
Iron Lung (2021)

So many punk albums start strong and lose their energy by the end. This self-titled debut does the opposite, intentionally starting slow and building up tension with an instrumental and then gaining momentum all the way through. It seems the Santiago, Chile-based band released this demo last year and it’s made the rounds, now getting a USA cassette release via … Read more

Nik Bärtsch

Listening, Music, Movement, Mind
Lars Müller Publishers (2021)

Based in Zürich, Switzerland, the acclaimed publishing house of Lars Müller is the manifestation of his love for books. Over the last eighteen years, a plethora of carefully curated and edited publications have been published, zeroing in on specialist areas in the realms of society, design, photography, architecture and art, all of which reflect Müller’s eclectic fields of interest. The … Read more

Kaonashi

Dear Lemon House, You Ruined Me: Senior Year
Equal Vision, Unbeaten Records (2021)

Let me start by saying that, if you’re into good hardcore and haven’t heard of Kaonashi, you’re missing out. The Philadelphia based five-piece brought their second full-length record to our ears a few months ago. Dear Lemon House, You Ruined Me: Senior Year sees the band maturing in a lot of ways and finding their voice with focus and clarity. … Read more

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

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