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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)

The Dustheads

Tall Tales I & II
Don Giovanni (2007)

Peanut butter and chocolate; Hall and Oates; French fries and nacho cheese. Some things were meant to be together, but punk and stoner metal? That's kind of like touching two jumper cables together. Explosive! Tall Tales I serves as a nice introduction to what this New York City band is all about. Side A boasts the track "Save Our Souls," which opens with the classic big riff intro which works its way into a heavy groove by way of a severely overdriven bassline pounding out the rhythm. This is the kind of jam to get toasted on. Those unfamiliar with the band will probably expect a sound similar to the work of Witch or even Pelican, but the band quickly eschews those notions by exploding into a lightning fast punk ala Black Flag: dirty, raw, and pissed off. On Tall Tales I The Dustheads achieve what I imagine The Hope Conspiracy was trying to do with their latest album, if they could only abandon their metal leanings. The B side of Tall Tales I contains two quick bursts of rock fury, which are more punk than anything, but don't forget the righteous fretwork to prove the seriousness of their lo-fi … Read more

Type O Negative

Dead Again
SPV (2007)

Alright, stop thinking about Pete Steele holding his wang in Playgirl - don't lie, you know you've Googled the pictures. … Read more

Cheap Tragedies

2000 and 7: Demo
Independent (2007)

Cheap Tragedies note that they formed shortly after the members ran into each other at this summer's Gorilla Biscuits reunion … Read more

Nine Inch Nails

Year Zero
Interscope (2007)

The year I was born, Trent Reznor, under his Nine Inch Nails alias, released Pretty Hate Machine, an album which … Read more

Nine Inch Nails

Year Zero
Interscope (2007)

Let me bring you up to speed on the world of Nine Inch Nails. 2005 saw the release of With … Read more

Bright Eyes

Noise Floor (Rarities: 1998-2005)
Saddle Creek (2006)

If I had a bunch of superfans crocheting armwarmers for me I could sell my half-assed b-sides just like Connor … Read more

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One from the archives

Steel Trap

Cold.Dead.Broke.
This Blessing, This Curse (2006)

Steel Trap is the latest export from the highly talented Bay Area scene. This five-piece group serves up volatile hardcore that no doubt gets the dance floor moving. The 7" kicks off with your typical intro track of building guitars and a sing-along, this one is "T-S-M!" - not to sure on the meaning of that though, must be an inside joke. "Crowbar Massacre" is a beast of a tune, the riffs are hard and the lyrics are seriously twisted - they even get a little help from Ross Farrar of Ceremony for some guest vocals. "Corroded" and "South E.." continue to churn out a heavy mix of brutal hardcore and metal. Steel Trap save the best for last with the track "Note of Confession." Musically the song hits just … Read more

More album reviews

Maria Taylor

Lynn Teeter Flower
Saddle Creek (2007)

One of the first reviews I ever did for this website was for Maria Taylor's debut solo album, 11:11. It's been two years since our respective efforts and I think it's safe to say that we've both matured. On Lynn Teeter Flower, a record named for a family friend, Taylor succeeds in capturing her own sound, rather than borrowing from … Read more

Insect Warfare

Endless Execution Thru Violent Restitution
625 Thrash (2006)

Insect Warfare is back bringing their Gulf Coast grindcore obliteration in the form of a new 7" EP entitled Endless Execution Thru Violent Restitution on 625 Thrash. Although their fanbase and popularity soared in the wake of their debut EP, At War With Grindcore, this EP is sure to make them into the legends that they deserve to be. The … Read more

Mayhem

Ordo Ad Chao
Season of Mist (2007)

Black Metal: (n) a subgenre of heavy metal music that uses screamed Satanic lyrics, fast guitar playing and drumming, and heavily distorted music with a focus on satanic imagery and occult themes. For some, the above definition is redundant. Some of you reading this review are already familiar with Mayhem and their, shall we say, tumultuous history. For the rest, … Read more

Pagoda

Pagoda
Ecstatic Peace (2007)

It's 2005: Gus van Sant releases another part of his Death Trilogy: Last Days, a movie depicting the demise of a very Cobain-like character called Blake. It tore the fans of Nirvana apart; some loved it, others hated it. Arguments ranged from "Peeing on Kurt's legacy" to "a beautiful homage to Kurt's final days." During the movie Blake plays a … Read more

Drawing Voices

Drawing Voices
Double H Noise/Hydra Head (2007)

Drawing Voices is easily one the most experimental and groundbreaking projects that I have come across in all my years of listening to and reviewing music. Mastermind Craig Dongoski with help of Aaron Turner of Isis/House of Low Culture has taken the art of drawing and writing and transformed it into an auditory experience. The two as Drawing Voices have … Read more

Stars of the Lid

And Their Refinement of the Decline
Kranky (2007)

When it comes to currently running ambient acts, they do not get any more prolific than Stars of the Lid. Having released material since 1995, the duo made up of Brian McBride and Adam Wiltzie have relocated since releasing their last album and absolute masterpiece The Tired Sounds Of... and found themselves living more than 6,000 miles apart. This distance … Read more

Jesu

Sundown/Sunrise
Aurora Borealis (2007)

Justin Broadrick and company has been extremely busy. Sundown/ Sunrise is a two-song 12" EP that Aurora Borealis is releasing. These songs are also available on the Japanese import version of the latest Jesu album, Conqueror. The tracks are not remixes of songs on the album, but rather they are entities to and of themselves. With a combined running time … Read more

El-P

I'll Sleep When You're Dead
Definitive Jux (2007)

Nas' latest release makes the claim that hip-hop is dead. If he paid attention to the underground, he'd know the genre is not only alive and well but with a pulse fresher than ever. Five years after the release of his first solo release, Fantastic Damage, El-P returns with I'll Sleep When You're Dead, an album proving why El's label … Read more

Defiance, Ohio / Environmental Youth Crunch

Split
Dead Tank (2007)

This split basically had to happen. Environmental Youth Crunch loves the environment. Defiance, Ohio loves friendship and family. Both bands love punk rock and it's ideals. With this split 7", even if only for a brief time, they are able to crank out some great folk songs, as well as cover one of the greatest rock and roll songs ever. … Read more

Novembers Doom

The Novella Reservoir
The End (2007)

Hailing from Chicago, Illinois, Novembers Doom were first brought to my attention by a disgruntled Opeth fan, who, unimpressed with the band's last offering, was recommending Novembers Doom's The Pale Haunt Departure instead. He informed me that the vocals - clean and harsh - were just as good as Mikael Ã"¦kerfeldt's and the songs were simply "much better", his words, … Read more

Aughra / Mosh Patrol

Is There Anyone Else Outside
Magic Bullet (2007)

Is There Anyone Else Outside is the split effort between Aughra and Mosh Patrol. Aughra is the ambient/electronic solo-project of Brent Eyestone (member of Forensics, Corn on Macabre, and Waifle) while Mosh Patrol is a similar solo project from Chris King (member of This Will Destroy You). The Aughra material on Is There Anyone Else Outside is very chilled out … Read more

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 … 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 after disbanding, leaving behind a small but dedicated cadre of fans. They produced three records - two EPs and a split with Deathreat - and after many laments about this material going out of print, it's nice to see all … 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 this are doing so simply for nostalgia's sake - a trip down memory lane - having dismissed your love of ska in high school in much the same way you stopped wearing JNCO jeans past middle school. Both, now, are … Read more

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