Recent reviews

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)

Shadows Fall

Threads of Life
Atlantic (2007)

I have five different CD players, three in my home and two more in cars. The copy of Threads of Life that I received to review wouldn't play in any of them due to its copy protection technology. I could have chosen to download this from the Internet and then just reviewed it without anyone being the wiser, but I didn't - you can rest easy tonight RIAA. Instead I visited three different friends just to be able to find a CD player that would actually accept this damn disc. Needless to say, my expectations were high considering the amount of work I had to go through just to listen to Threads of Life. My consensus after listening to this, the latest full-length from Shadows Fall is this: how the mighty have fallen. Actually, that would be a suitable subtitle to this review of Threads of Life. For a band that was once one of the more entertaining and original sounding bands in heavy metal, they sure have gotten monotonous. Of One Blood is still one of my favorite records in that realm of metal. But since its release, Shadows Fall has done nothing more than become a generic version … Read more

Talk is Poison

Condensed Humanity: The Prank EPs
Prank (2007)

At last. A fairly short-lived, late '90s hardcore band, Talk is Poison seemed to stick in the heads of connoisseurs … Read more

Big D and the Kids Table

Strictly Rude
Side One Dummy (2007)

Ska is dead. Is ska dead? For many of us the answer is yes. I'm sure several of you reading … Read more

Olympia

Emergencies
Equal Vision/Hope Division (2007)

Right now there are too many bands running around using descriptors like "post-hardcore" or "post-rock" that when you get around … Read more

Panda Bear

Person Pitch
Paw Tracks (2007)

Better known as one-fourth of indie darlings Animal Collective, Noah Lennox under the name Panda Bear has recently released his … Read more

Life in Your Way

Waking Giants
Solid State (2007)

Waking Giants marks Life in Your Way's jump from the farm leagues to the, well, the somewhat bigger indie league. … Read more

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One from the archives

The Eye Of Time

Self Titled
Denovali (2012)

The first thing that hits you is how beautiful the album looks. You haven't even begun to listen to it and already you're fawning over the beautiful cover art. It only gets more enthralling as you open it up and revel in the stunning beauty of Thomas Hack's artwork. As you take your time flipping through the massive booklet of accompanying art, you notice how intricately detailed, how purposeful every part of these images are--especially the parts that aren't there. The most striking thing about them is how much is left out, or, rather, how little is allowed into each piece, and their direct simplicity creates an unnerving sense of penetrating pointedness.You finally break away from the irresistible allure of the art to lift out the first disc, labelled only … Read more

More album reviews

Her Breath on Glass / Championship

Split
Reap What You Sew (2007)

As much as people don't want to admit it, independent music is based on trends just the same as mainstream music. Five or six years ago it was all the rage to listen to screamo, and now look where we are now. Despite being eight years removed from the band and now fronting Hot Cross, Billy Werner will probably never … Read more

Wold

Screech Owl
Profound Lore (2007)

Ever hear of Wold? No? I too am hearing them for the first time. I will say that this is a disturbing record. I understand that being cooped up on the frozen wastes of Saskatchewan probably affects the sound that they produce a great deal. Holy shit this is disturbing. Screech Owl opens with "An Habitation of Dragons and a … Read more

Blacklisted

Peace on Earth, War on Stage
Deathwish Inc. (2007)

All true hardcore has always abided by one rule: keep it short and sweet. With their newest seven inch, Peace on Earth, War on Stage, Philadelphia's Blacklisted dutifully abides. Totaling just about six minutes this record is an all out assault on anyone accusing the band of being just another set of guppies in a sea of thug bands. The … Read more

Das Oath

Das Oath
Three One G (2007)

Das Oath - or The Oath as they are often referred - put out records with shemale pornography in the liner notes, prompting record stores to stock their albums behind the counter like brown paper bag contraband. They've sold dildos with their name on them. They've released four self-titled records in the last seven years. The Oath consists of former … Read more

Skindraft

Demos
Independent (2007)

Skindraft's compilation of previous and new demos oddly titled Demos is a very telling slice of a young, new band finding their way in the world. Hailing from Ireland, these four lads have shown growth since the release of their first demo in 2004. Two and a half years later, they still wear their influences on their sleeve as evidenced … Read more

The Storm

Relentless
Innerstrength (2007)

"I see the hate / It's coming down / Down like the rain." Thus begins the greatest song about rain and hate that has ever been pressed to vinyl. Of course I'm talking about the Judge masterpiece "The Storm" a song so amazing that it got a sequel, "The Storm II". Yes I said, "amazing" and to anyone that knows … Read more

Bright Eyes

Cassadaga
Saddle Creek (2007)

In what's seemingly an attempt to depart from the boy wonder tagline which has chased him his entire career, Conor Oberst takes on a more mature tone with Cassadaga, the latest of his half a dozen plus releases. This album sees Bright Eyes, now consisting of the aforementioned Oberst, Nate Walcott and Mike Mogis, devoid of the introspective, angst ridden, … Read more

I Rise

Demo
Independent (2007)

If you're even remotely serious about hardcore then you probably already received, or gave yourself, a history lesson about the genre. Depending on the school of thought you belong to your education begins with the early eighties bands like Black Flag and Minor Threat.* If you or your teacher is of another mind it probably started with one label: Revelation … Read more

Multiple Authors

The Chinese Stars

Listen to Your Left Brain
Three One G (2007)

This is the catchiest Three One G release I have ever heard. Coming from a label that normally specializes in the extreme outer reaches of noise punk, this is practically a pop album. Yet, this still has the classic bratty Three One G art-school vibe. Named for the 1980s epidemic of grade school kids carrying around throwing stars, The Chinese … Read more

Multiple Authors

The Chinese Stars

Listen to Your Left Brain
Three One G (2007)

Let's get the ex-members of comparisons out of the way: I loved Arab on Radar. Their assembly line anti-anthems stimulated the same part of my adolescent brain that was dedicated to naked girls and prescription drugs. I listened to tunes like "Attack on Tijuana" over and over, thoughtfully contemplating Mr. Pottymouth's hysterical confessions about yellow snow and oral sex. The … Read more

Antibalas

Security
Anti (2007)

The Anti label is willing to produce the type of DIY artists who are obviously more concerned with what their music is doing for them as opposed to what it may do for whoever is listening. It's this type of balls out approach that brings us Brooklyn's Antibalas: a reggae-infused, ska-inspired, band playing funk-derived afrobeats. If that description seems longwinded, … Read more

Wumpscut

Body Census
Metropolis (2007)

Wumpscut has been called many things - aggrotech, hellektro, terror EBM and many other awful genre portmanteaus. If you are new to the band, it would be easiest to say that what they - they being German DJ Rudy Ratzinger - create is electronic music designed to scare. Wumpscut first achieved popularity with "Soylent Green," now a much played club-classic. … Read more

Celestia

Apparitia-Sumptuous Spectre
Paragon (2007)

More melody than mayhem, France's Celestia is a band that catches your ear immediately because while they can definitely fly the black flag over their heads, they have an oddly upbeat overall tone to the music. Of course this is a paradox to the true nature of the genre of black metal, but it does open it up to a … Read more

Inhale Exhale

The Lost, The Sick, The Sacred
Solid State (2007)

The Lost, The Sick, The Sacred starts off with this atmospheric near dirge ditty that I thought I might have a Joy Division clone on my hands. That would have been a treat, sadly the guitars down tune, the drums begin the pummel, and then some screaming is started. Oh of course, it wouldn't be today's metalcore without some nicely … Read more

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